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Vanishing Daughters: A Thriller
A haunted woman stalked by a serial killer confronts the horrors of fairy tales and the nightmares of real life in a breathtaking novel of psychological suspense by a Bram Stoker Award-winning author.
It started the night journalist Briar Thorne’s mother died in their rambling old mansion on Chicago’s South Side.
The nightmares of a woman in white pleading to come home, music switched on in locked rooms, and the panicked fear of being swallowed by the dark…Bri has almost convinced herself that these stirrings of dread are simply manifestations of grief and not the beyond-world of ghostly impossibilities her mother believed in. And more tangible terrors still lurk outside the decaying Victorian greystone.
A serial killer has claimed the lives of fifty-one women in the Chicago area. When Bri starts researching the murders, she meets a stranger who tells her there’s more to her sleepless nights than bad dreams—they hold the key to putting ghosts to rest and stopping a killer. But the killer has caught on and is closing in, and if Bri doesn’t answer the call of the dead soon, she’ll be walking among them.
It started the night journalist Briar Thorne’s mother died in their rambling old mansion on Chicago’s South Side.
The nightmares of a woman in white pleading to come home, music switched on in locked rooms, and the panicked fear of being swallowed by the dark…Bri has almost convinced herself that these stirrings of dread are simply manifestations of grief and not the beyond-world of ghostly impossibilities her mother believed in. And more tangible terrors still lurk outside the decaying Victorian greystone.
A serial killer has claimed the lives of fifty-one women in the Chicago area. When Bri starts researching the murders, she meets a stranger who tells her there’s more to her sleepless nights than bad dreams—they hold the key to putting ghosts to rest and stopping a killer. But the killer has caught on and is closing in, and if Bri doesn’t answer the call of the dead soon, she’ll be walking among them.
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First published March 11, 2025
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About the author
Cynthia Pelayo
68 books638 followersCynthia Pelayo is a Bram Stoker Award winning and International Latino Book Award winning author and poet.
Pelayo writes fairy tales that blend genre and explore concepts of grief, mourning, and cycles of violence. She is the author of Loteria, Santa Muerte, The Missing, Poems of My Night, Into the Forest and All the Way Through, Children of Chicago, Crime Scene, The Shoemaker’s Magician, as well as dozens of standalone short stories and poems.
Loteria, which was her MFA in Writing thesis at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, was re-released to praise with Esquire calling it one of the ‘Best Horror Books of 2023.’ Santa Muerte and The Missing, her young adult horror novels were each nominated for International Latino Book Awards. Poems of My Night was nominated for an Elgin Award. Into the Forest and All the Way Through was nominated for an Elgin Award and was also nominated for a Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection. Children of Chicago was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award in Superior Achievement in a Novel and won an International Latino Book Award for Best Mystery. Crime Scene won the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection. The Shoemaker’s Magician has been released to praise with Library Journal awarding it a starred review.
Her forthcoming novel, The Forgotten Sisters, will be released by Thomas and Mercer in 2024 and is an adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid.”
Her works have been reviewed in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, LA Review of Books, and more.
Pelayo writes fairy tales that blend genre and explore concepts of grief, mourning, and cycles of violence. She is the author of Loteria, Santa Muerte, The Missing, Poems of My Night, Into the Forest and All the Way Through, Children of Chicago, Crime Scene, The Shoemaker’s Magician, as well as dozens of standalone short stories and poems.
Loteria, which was her MFA in Writing thesis at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, was re-released to praise with Esquire calling it one of the ‘Best Horror Books of 2023.’ Santa Muerte and The Missing, her young adult horror novels were each nominated for International Latino Book Awards. Poems of My Night was nominated for an Elgin Award. Into the Forest and All the Way Through was nominated for an Elgin Award and was also nominated for a Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection. Children of Chicago was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award in Superior Achievement in a Novel and won an International Latino Book Award for Best Mystery. Crime Scene won the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection. The Shoemaker’s Magician has been released to praise with Library Journal awarding it a starred review.
Her forthcoming novel, The Forgotten Sisters, will be released by Thomas and Mercer in 2024 and is an adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid.”
Her works have been reviewed in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, LA Review of Books, and more.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 261 reviews
February 26, 2025
3.25 Stars 🌟 A huge thanks to Thomas & Mercer & NetGalley for the ARC! 💌
Vanishing Daughters by Cynthia Pelayo was definitely a wild ride. The premise was sooo intriguing 😲 – a haunted woman + serial killer + fairy tale vibes? YES, PLEASE! But... there’s a but.
So, Briar Thorne’s life is a mess after her mom’s death 💔. She’s stuck in their creepy mansion, haunted by her mother’s ghost and weird happenings around the house. Sounds exciting, right? Well, that’s where it kind of lost me. The execution was a bit all over the place – like, we start with this intense ghostly setup, but then we’re thrown into these philosophical musings about grief, dreams, and consciousness... and I’m like… wait, what just happened to the creepy serial killer plot?
Don’t get me wrong, the atmosphere was AMAZING. The mansion, the weird occurrences, the eerie vibes, all of that had me hooked. But, then the pacing... Ugh. Snooze fest in the middle of the book. I was literally waiting for the thriller to kick in, but it was like watching paint dry until the last 10 pages, where everything goes CRAZY (in a good way).
Now, I do love a good dark twist, and this book had some cool ones, but the fairy tale connection? Eh. 💤 It felt forced at times, and the serial killer just didn’t have the oomph I was expecting. He was more of a mystery in himself, which was cool, but I was hoping for more edge-of-my-seat moments.
Let’s talk about Briar. She’s a journalist, super smart, but honestly, she frustrated me at times. Her grief felt over the top, and I get it—losing someone sucks, but it seemed like she was just stuck in a loop of reflection. I wanted more action!
In the end, if you love dark, supernatural thrillers with a philosophical twist and fairy tale inspirations, then you’ll totally vibe with this. 🌙 But if you’re expecting a straight-up edge-of-your-seat thriller, you might wanna pass. 🙅♀️
Overall, it’s a good read but just not my cup of tea! ✨
Tropes:
🏚️ Haunted House
🌙 Grieving Protagonist
🏚️ Serial Killer
🌙 Supernatural Thrills
🏚️ Philosophical Musings
🌙 Fairy Tale Inspirations
CW: Grief and loss, Ghosts, Serial Killer
Vanishing Daughters by Cynthia Pelayo was definitely a wild ride. The premise was sooo intriguing 😲 – a haunted woman + serial killer + fairy tale vibes? YES, PLEASE! But... there’s a but.
So, Briar Thorne’s life is a mess after her mom’s death 💔. She’s stuck in their creepy mansion, haunted by her mother’s ghost and weird happenings around the house. Sounds exciting, right? Well, that’s where it kind of lost me. The execution was a bit all over the place – like, we start with this intense ghostly setup, but then we’re thrown into these philosophical musings about grief, dreams, and consciousness... and I’m like… wait, what just happened to the creepy serial killer plot?
Don’t get me wrong, the atmosphere was AMAZING. The mansion, the weird occurrences, the eerie vibes, all of that had me hooked. But, then the pacing... Ugh. Snooze fest in the middle of the book. I was literally waiting for the thriller to kick in, but it was like watching paint dry until the last 10 pages, where everything goes CRAZY (in a good way).
Now, I do love a good dark twist, and this book had some cool ones, but the fairy tale connection? Eh. 💤 It felt forced at times, and the serial killer just didn’t have the oomph I was expecting. He was more of a mystery in himself, which was cool, but I was hoping for more edge-of-my-seat moments.
Let’s talk about Briar. She’s a journalist, super smart, but honestly, she frustrated me at times. Her grief felt over the top, and I get it—losing someone sucks, but it seemed like she was just stuck in a loop of reflection. I wanted more action!
In the end, if you love dark, supernatural thrillers with a philosophical twist and fairy tale inspirations, then you’ll totally vibe with this. 🌙 But if you’re expecting a straight-up edge-of-your-seat thriller, you might wanna pass. 🙅♀️
Overall, it’s a good read but just not my cup of tea! ✨
Tropes:
🏚️ Haunted House
🌙 Grieving Protagonist
🏚️ Serial Killer
🌙 Supernatural Thrills
🏚️ Philosophical Musings
🌙 Fairy Tale Inspirations
CW: Grief and loss, Ghosts, Serial Killer
October 8, 2024
3.75 rounded up - thank you to Thomas & Mercer for an early ebook copy of this book on netgalley in exchange for my honest thoughts.
The first thing I want to mention about this book is the prose. It felt like I was reading a modern mystery/horror but told in a way that was reminiscent of a fairytale. I also really enjoyed Briar’s character and her connection she had with her friends and her dog.
My main issue with this book was the ending, I was a bit confused about certain parts and felt like I didn’t get the closure I needed. Overall, solid read and recommend preordering!
Thoughts: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTFP2vEnP/
The first thing I want to mention about this book is the prose. It felt like I was reading a modern mystery/horror but told in a way that was reminiscent of a fairytale. I also really enjoyed Briar’s character and her connection she had with her friends and her dog.
My main issue with this book was the ending, I was a bit confused about certain parts and felt like I didn’t get the closure I needed. Overall, solid read and recommend preordering!
Thoughts: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTFP2vEnP/
February 14, 2025
This was just not for me. There was just way too much going on; fairy tales, urban legends, serial killers, grief, something about the Manhattan Project it was just too much. It also genuinely feels like the MC is just sleep deprived to the point that she should have been hospitalized, and while I think this was supposed to show just how awful it is to lose someone it just becomes too extreme. And maybe that's all this was; some sort of fever dream the MC is having while dealing with the loss of her mother and conquering the serial killer is her conquering her depression brought on by grief but even if that was the case the attempt to tie a serial killer, to a fairy tale (several versions of the same one), to grief was never fully realized. It felt incomplete and disjointed. There are some shining comments on grief and loss, but not enough, and somehow, too many.
Overall, I genuinely can't recommend this, which rarely happens.
As always, thanks to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for the eArc.
Overall, I genuinely can't recommend this, which rarely happens.
As always, thanks to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for the eArc.
September 16, 2024
4 stars
when briar's mother passes away she inherits the family house. while struggling with her grief she starts having weird dreams and weird encounters in her house- simultaneously there is a serial killer roaming the streets of chicago. the dreams and the killings are somehow connected and briar has to get to the bottom of it. overall it was a pretty good book with a decent storyline and was easy to read- i just kind of feel with the ending it wasn't exactly my cup of tea. i enjoyed the premise of the book just some things felt a little far fetched for me.
thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this ARC!
when briar's mother passes away she inherits the family house. while struggling with her grief she starts having weird dreams and weird encounters in her house- simultaneously there is a serial killer roaming the streets of chicago. the dreams and the killings are somehow connected and briar has to get to the bottom of it. overall it was a pretty good book with a decent storyline and was easy to read- i just kind of feel with the ending it wasn't exactly my cup of tea. i enjoyed the premise of the book just some things felt a little far fetched for me.
thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this ARC!
March 13, 2025
Missing your dead mother is not a personality trait. Nor do I want to hear about it on every page.
October 16, 2024
"Screaming. Screaming. They are screaming in their glass coffins. In their golden towers. I will let them out in the nighttime, and then they will scream. And then they will walk , and then they will repeat their ghostly patterns."
"She neither sleeps, nor dreams, but ever dwells."
Enchanting, magical, wicked 💀🖤
A blend of Urban Legend. Myth. Fairytale. Chicago Folklore.
💀 Story of an adult Briar-Rose 🌹and what life has in store for her after her dearest mother Aurora's passing...
💀 How she is connected to Mary a.k.a. Bloody or Resurrection Mary...
💀 To stop the killings, she needs to break the pattern - she needs to bring Mary home..but How will she stop the Chicago Strangler and the evil fairy Mal?
The story is lyrical in its prose..beautiful and haunting..morose and melancholic. Not impervious to our main character's suffering, my only complaint is that it seemed to focus heavily on Bri's dealing with grief and loss, her anxiety and fears. Ruminations and flashbacks of conversations with her mother, Aurora, as she comes to terms with her death. The story lingered around grief a bit longer than necessary and was repetitively emphasised throughout. I didn't mind the ending though it took a different turn from what I expected.
Bonus:
🖤 I learned other revisions and retellings of Sleeping Beauty :
🌹Perceforest
🌹“Sun, Moon , and Talia.” from Pentamerone
🌹 The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods - Charles Perrault’s adaptation
🌹Grimm's Little Briar Rose and also The Glass Coffin
🌹And also the latest Disney Version- Maleficent (starring Angelina Jolie, no less 🖤)
🌹 Her different names - Talia, Rosamund, and lastly, Briar Rose.
🖤 Little bit of trivia and science behind binaural beats, sound waves, vibrations and its power to manipulate energy. Think ASMR! As a lover of ASMR to alleviate stress, I find this appealing and noteworthy. 👌🖤
🖤 Once Upon A Dream by Lana del Ray (Maleficent OST - Young Ruffian Remix) is a perfect soundtrack for this book.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the free arc 🖤
4✨
"She neither sleeps, nor dreams, but ever dwells."
Enchanting, magical, wicked 💀🖤
A blend of Urban Legend. Myth. Fairytale. Chicago Folklore.
💀 Story of an adult Briar-Rose 🌹and what life has in store for her after her dearest mother Aurora's passing...
💀 How she is connected to Mary a.k.a. Bloody or Resurrection Mary...
💀 To stop the killings, she needs to break the pattern - she needs to bring Mary home..but How will she stop the Chicago Strangler and the evil fairy Mal?
The story is lyrical in its prose..beautiful and haunting..morose and melancholic. Not impervious to our main character's suffering, my only complaint is that it seemed to focus heavily on Bri's dealing with grief and loss, her anxiety and fears. Ruminations and flashbacks of conversations with her mother, Aurora, as she comes to terms with her death. The story lingered around grief a bit longer than necessary and was repetitively emphasised throughout. I didn't mind the ending though it took a different turn from what I expected.
Bonus:
🖤 I learned other revisions and retellings of Sleeping Beauty :
🌹Perceforest
🌹“Sun, Moon , and Talia.” from Pentamerone
🌹 The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods - Charles Perrault’s adaptation
🌹Grimm's Little Briar Rose and also The Glass Coffin
🌹And also the latest Disney Version- Maleficent (starring Angelina Jolie, no less 🖤)
🌹 Her different names - Talia, Rosamund, and lastly, Briar Rose.
🖤 Little bit of trivia and science behind binaural beats, sound waves, vibrations and its power to manipulate energy. Think ASMR! As a lover of ASMR to alleviate stress, I find this appealing and noteworthy. 👌🖤
🖤 Once Upon A Dream by Lana del Ray (Maleficent OST - Young Ruffian Remix) is a perfect soundtrack for this book.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the free arc 🖤
4✨
September 21, 2025
The good bits of this modern, gothic horror novel were very good; they reminded me of Anne Rice at her best. Unfortunately, there was enough stuff I didn’t like that I can’t bring myself to rate it higher than three stars.
I don’t mind a slow burn, quite like one in fact, but the pacing of this book went way past slow burn and into serious dragging territory. The author also repeats herself endlessly, rephrasing the same information over and over and over again.
I don’t want to sound too negative, though, as I would probably read another book by this author at some point.
I don’t mind a slow burn, quite like one in fact, but the pacing of this book went way past slow burn and into serious dragging territory. The author also repeats herself endlessly, rephrasing the same information over and over and over again.
I don’t want to sound too negative, though, as I would probably read another book by this author at some point.
March 5, 2025
Review in the March 2025 issue of Booklist magazine and on the blog:
https://raforall.blogspot.com/2025/03... (link live on 3/5 at 7am central)
Three Words That Describe This Book: elegiac, retelling, ode to murdered women
More words-- unbalanced, uneasy, unsettling-- as Bri works through her grief readers are inside her head. We fall into her intense grief-- the prose itself is unbalanced but also lyrical, you can feel the grief. The story becomes an elegy for the dead and forgotten in general as well. Readers will be able to connect easily. the prose itself drips of sadness, unease, emptiness, despair.
"Keys and gates and locks and thorns." a refrain from her Mom-- the key to Bri stopping the family history of violence against its women.
The title is great because so many daughters have vanished over time but also it is specific to the family and Sleeping Beauty.
This is a ghost story but from a different angle. The house is haunted yes, but it is trying to speak to Bri through her intense grief. There is a family history here.
Lots of frame and atmosphere and detail. But there is a central mystery-- who is the woman that Bri keeps seeing in her dreams, that the house.
The mom's stories shared after death through Bri's memory-- thin places,
The details about Chicago, the house, the family's history all add to the unease. The radios are a great addition. The family made their money in radio (which explains why they have this crumbling mansion) and in that old house having them scattered everywhere makes so much sense. Them turning on to help Bri figure out the mystery-- that was also creepy and cool.
Briar Rose (Bri) and the Chicago Strangler are both pov's-- typical Thriller, we don't know exactly which character the killer is, but the payoff between 3 male recurring characters is worth it. All three are a satisfying addition to the over all story. I can't say more but readers will be happy with the resolution of all of those plot points.
Retelling of Sleeping Beauty : that part is sustained throughout and it works really well to unite the novel. Details of the story are carefully integrated into the novel but not in an obtrusive way-- it makes sense in the modern story.
Family history is intertwined with a specific slice of Chicago history and urban legends.
A not to miss for fans of Jennifer McMahon in general. Ghost Eaters by Chapman and Daughters of Block Island by Carmen specifically. Also give out to your True Crime fans because there is a lot here about True Crime-- specifically known serial killers. And out is very clear that Pelayo is trying to criticize modern True Crime for the violence it perpetuates against its female victims-- turning the killers into stars and making their victims ghosts (monsters)- silencing them completely.
https://raforall.blogspot.com/2025/03... (link live on 3/5 at 7am central)
Three Words That Describe This Book: elegiac, retelling, ode to murdered women
More words-- unbalanced, uneasy, unsettling-- as Bri works through her grief readers are inside her head. We fall into her intense grief-- the prose itself is unbalanced but also lyrical, you can feel the grief. The story becomes an elegy for the dead and forgotten in general as well. Readers will be able to connect easily. the prose itself drips of sadness, unease, emptiness, despair.
"Keys and gates and locks and thorns." a refrain from her Mom-- the key to Bri stopping the family history of violence against its women.
The title is great because so many daughters have vanished over time but also it is specific to the family and Sleeping Beauty.
This is a ghost story but from a different angle. The house is haunted yes, but it is trying to speak to Bri through her intense grief. There is a family history here.
Lots of frame and atmosphere and detail. But there is a central mystery-- who is the woman that Bri keeps seeing in her dreams, that the house.
The mom's stories shared after death through Bri's memory-- thin places,
The details about Chicago, the house, the family's history all add to the unease. The radios are a great addition. The family made their money in radio (which explains why they have this crumbling mansion) and in that old house having them scattered everywhere makes so much sense. Them turning on to help Bri figure out the mystery-- that was also creepy and cool.
Briar Rose (Bri) and the Chicago Strangler are both pov's-- typical Thriller, we don't know exactly which character the killer is, but the payoff between 3 male recurring characters is worth it. All three are a satisfying addition to the over all story. I can't say more but readers will be happy with the resolution of all of those plot points.
Retelling of Sleeping Beauty : that part is sustained throughout and it works really well to unite the novel. Details of the story are carefully integrated into the novel but not in an obtrusive way-- it makes sense in the modern story.
Family history is intertwined with a specific slice of Chicago history and urban legends.
A not to miss for fans of Jennifer McMahon in general. Ghost Eaters by Chapman and Daughters of Block Island by Carmen specifically. Also give out to your True Crime fans because there is a lot here about True Crime-- specifically known serial killers. And out is very clear that Pelayo is trying to criticize modern True Crime for the violence it perpetuates against its female victims-- turning the killers into stars and making their victims ghosts (monsters)- silencing them completely.
January 29, 2025
”What people don’t really tells us about ghosts and death and dying is that when a loved one dies, a part of you will die too.”
Vanishing Daughters really intrigued me with its plot from the start - blending fairy tales, urband legends, serial killers and grief. The themes were extremely compelling but, as the story progressed, it started to lose its momentum.
”There is nothing more permanent than death.”
The pacing felt off and by the halfway point it seemed like there was a lot happening but somehow nothing at all. The narrative became repetitive at times and the conclusion felt rushed, wrapped up in what seemed like only a couple of pages.
”A lot of people are uncomfortable with the idea of sitting still with their own minds.
While the plot is intriguing, the final product left me feeling like it was both too much and not enough at the same time.
A thank you to the author and NetGalley for providing me a copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.
Vanishing Daughters really intrigued me with its plot from the start - blending fairy tales, urband legends, serial killers and grief. The themes were extremely compelling but, as the story progressed, it started to lose its momentum.
”There is nothing more permanent than death.”
The pacing felt off and by the halfway point it seemed like there was a lot happening but somehow nothing at all. The narrative became repetitive at times and the conclusion felt rushed, wrapped up in what seemed like only a couple of pages.
”A lot of people are uncomfortable with the idea of sitting still with their own minds.
While the plot is intriguing, the final product left me feeling like it was both too much and not enough at the same time.
A thank you to the author and NetGalley for providing me a copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.
September 11, 2024
"She sleeps, nor dreams, but ever dwells." - Lord Alfred Tennyson
November 19, 2025
I found this book an odd read. I struggled to follow it but liked the concept. It is not the easiest book to understand what is happening and if anything is happening and then the conclusion kind of jumped out of nowhere.
March 12, 2025
#ad many thanks for the advance copy @cynthiapelayoauthor + @kayepublicity #partner
🆅🅰🅽🅸🆂🅷🅸🅽🅶 🅳🅰🆄🅶🅷🆃🅴🆁🆂
ᴀᴠᴀɪʟᴀʙʟᴇ ᴠɪᴀ ᴋᴜ ᴀꜱ ᴀ ʀᴇᴀᴅ/ʟɪꜱᴛᴇɴ ɴᴏᴡ
☆ 𝑃𝑢𝑏 𝐷𝑎𝑦 ☆
“𝑾𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒈𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒔. 𝑩𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒂𝒔𝒍𝒆𝒆𝒑. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒅𝒚 𝒊𝒔 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔, 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒍𝒆𝒆𝒑,” (p. 303).
𝕽𝖊𝖛𝖎𝖊𝖜:
Vanishing Daughters by Cynthia Pelayo is a mystery/thriller that has a supernatural edge to it. The writing is lyrical and pulls you right into the story.
Briar Thorne suffers restless nights plagued by nightmares. Having recently lost her mom, she thinks her nightmares are being triggered by her grief. But for the first time in her life, she begins to wonder if maybe science isn’t the answer to everything that happens. Perhaps there’s really something else happening. Something not explained by science.
I loved the mystery of the story and the deeper more philosophical dialogue that happened throughout the book. It’s one of those books, that despite it being a work of fiction, makes you think about the world around you more critically.
I also loved how critically the author looked into fairytales. When you really think about them there’s always some horrible terrible thing associated with them. It’s an interesting aspect of the story.
Reads like a historical mystery. You’re in for a treat.
🆅🅰🅽🅸🆂🅷🅸🅽🅶 🅳🅰🆄🅶🅷🆃🅴🆁🆂
ᴀᴠᴀɪʟᴀʙʟᴇ ᴠɪᴀ ᴋᴜ ᴀꜱ ᴀ ʀᴇᴀᴅ/ʟɪꜱᴛᴇɴ ɴᴏᴡ
☆ 𝑃𝑢𝑏 𝐷𝑎𝑦 ☆
“𝑾𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒈𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒔. 𝑩𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒂𝒔𝒍𝒆𝒆𝒑. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒅𝒚 𝒊𝒔 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔, 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒍𝒆𝒆𝒑,” (p. 303).
𝕽𝖊𝖛𝖎𝖊𝖜:
Vanishing Daughters by Cynthia Pelayo is a mystery/thriller that has a supernatural edge to it. The writing is lyrical and pulls you right into the story.
Briar Thorne suffers restless nights plagued by nightmares. Having recently lost her mom, she thinks her nightmares are being triggered by her grief. But for the first time in her life, she begins to wonder if maybe science isn’t the answer to everything that happens. Perhaps there’s really something else happening. Something not explained by science.
I loved the mystery of the story and the deeper more philosophical dialogue that happened throughout the book. It’s one of those books, that despite it being a work of fiction, makes you think about the world around you more critically.
I also loved how critically the author looked into fairytales. When you really think about them there’s always some horrible terrible thing associated with them. It’s an interesting aspect of the story.
Reads like a historical mystery. You’re in for a treat.
March 24, 2025
The idea and intent behind the novel were great. It started off intriguing, and I was keen to see where it would lead.
Unfortunately, the writing left very much to be desired. The dialogue was awkward, and the inner thoughts felt unnatural, like no would actually speak or think that way. The back and forth between the otherworldly and reality was not seamless at all, and as a result the writing came off amateurish. And then in the middle of the book there were large sections of fact and history dumped on us. I could tell the author tried to weave it into the story, but the result was clunky and awkward to read.
I didn’t even mind that there was a lot going on. What I did mind was the fact it felt like none of it was handled very well.
Overall, a disappointing read for me. But if you like reading about the eerie histories of folklore and fairytales and being swept up in the atmosphere over a more traditional plot structure, you might enjoy this.
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the eARC! All opinions are my own.
Unfortunately, the writing left very much to be desired. The dialogue was awkward, and the inner thoughts felt unnatural, like no would actually speak or think that way. The back and forth between the otherworldly and reality was not seamless at all, and as a result the writing came off amateurish. And then in the middle of the book there were large sections of fact and history dumped on us. I could tell the author tried to weave it into the story, but the result was clunky and awkward to read.
I didn’t even mind that there was a lot going on. What I did mind was the fact it felt like none of it was handled very well.
Overall, a disappointing read for me. But if you like reading about the eerie histories of folklore and fairytales and being swept up in the atmosphere over a more traditional plot structure, you might enjoy this.
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the eARC! All opinions are my own.
February 27, 2025
DNF @ 43%
I thought the writing was great - but it's not what I was in the mood to be reading and just didn't connect to it despite being very intrigued.
I thought the writing was great - but it's not what I was in the mood to be reading and just didn't connect to it despite being very intrigued.
September 15, 2025
Book Title: Vanishing Daughters
Author(s): Cynthia Pelayo
Publisher(s): Thomas & Mercer/Brilliance Audio
Publication Date: March 11, 2025
Currently Available on KU? ✅
Audiobook? ✅
🍿 𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴: Oh, my goodness this book was SLOW. It took me forever to get into it and I almost DNF it, but I am so glad I held on. The end was totally worth it, and it managed to bump up my rating a decent amount.
🤩 𝚃͏𝚑͏𝚎͏ 𝙱͏𝚎͏𝚜͏𝚝͏ 𝙱͏𝚒͏𝚝͏𝚜͏: The mysteriousness and the ghosts were by far my favorite parts of Vanishing Daughters and while I wouldn’t call it a thriller, it was a very eerie suspense novel. The Sleeping Beauty aspect of the storyline was a nice touch, and I did love the inclusion of the nods to the various retellings of the fairytale. There was also another aspect that was really interesting to me, though I can’t say anything due to potential spoilers.
🎧 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝒩𝒶𝓇𝓇𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃: While I will say the audio felt like it was missing something that I can’t place, Joe Knezevich and Emily Lawrence were still very engaging narrators and Emily Lawrence at one point got VERY into it which was a little aggressive for my ears but definitely fit the scene. This book definitely needed both narrators, and it was a nice listening experience.
💭 𝘊𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴: I won’t be running out to grab Cynthia Pelayo’s backlist immediately, but I would read something from her in the future. This is probably more of a “it’s not you it’s me” situation, so if you think it sounds good, I would recommend checking it out!
T͏h͏i͏s͏ B͏o͏o͏k͏ i͏n͏ 5͏ E͏m͏o͏j͏i͏’s͏ o͏r͏ L͏e͏s͏s͏: 👻😴⚰️📻
𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: ⭐⭐⭐💫
𝙰𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚘𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Author(s): Cynthia Pelayo
Publisher(s): Thomas & Mercer/Brilliance Audio
Publication Date: March 11, 2025
Currently Available on KU? ✅
Audiobook? ✅
🍿 𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴: Oh, my goodness this book was SLOW. It took me forever to get into it and I almost DNF it, but I am so glad I held on. The end was totally worth it, and it managed to bump up my rating a decent amount.
🤩 𝚃͏𝚑͏𝚎͏ 𝙱͏𝚎͏𝚜͏𝚝͏ 𝙱͏𝚒͏𝚝͏𝚜͏: The mysteriousness and the ghosts were by far my favorite parts of Vanishing Daughters and while I wouldn’t call it a thriller, it was a very eerie suspense novel. The Sleeping Beauty aspect of the storyline was a nice touch, and I did love the inclusion of the nods to the various retellings of the fairytale. There was also another aspect that was really interesting to me, though I can’t say anything due to potential spoilers.
🎧 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝒩𝒶𝓇𝓇𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃: While I will say the audio felt like it was missing something that I can’t place, Joe Knezevich and Emily Lawrence were still very engaging narrators and Emily Lawrence at one point got VERY into it which was a little aggressive for my ears but definitely fit the scene. This book definitely needed both narrators, and it was a nice listening experience.
💭 𝘊𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴: I won’t be running out to grab Cynthia Pelayo’s backlist immediately, but I would read something from her in the future. This is probably more of a “it’s not you it’s me” situation, so if you think it sounds good, I would recommend checking it out!
T͏h͏i͏s͏ B͏o͏o͏k͏ i͏n͏ 5͏ E͏m͏o͏j͏i͏’s͏ o͏r͏ L͏e͏s͏s͏: 👻😴⚰️📻
𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: ⭐⭐⭐💫
𝙰𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚘𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
October 13, 2025
3.25 🌟🌟🌟
I’m not sure what I just listened to ???
Let see if I get this right - a women, Braid Rose, who is dealing with grief after the death of her mother (Aurora), starts experience visions, dreams, strange noises from her house, as if it’s trying to tell her something. Is it grief, sleep deprecations, the ‘ghostly’ research that’s swirling around her mind. Or is it the fear that’s gripping the city as the Chicago Strangler is murdering women. But what’s with the car that parks across from the house most nights or the strange figure that stands on the corner watching. If only she could just sleep.
Soon Briar Rose realises there is a thin vail between awake and sleep, the living and the dead, between fairytales and reality. (Probably should have guessed that with their names). What would you do if you discover that your family was the origin of a fairy tale, a myth, an urban legion. Worse still, the evil “entity” - fairy, witch, troll depending on the tale - would do anything to keep you ’sleeping’ forever.
Keys, Doors, Locks, Thorns
Vanishing Daughter is a modern fairy tale - sleeping beauty, a serial killer, supernatural ghosts - what lies between the vail of sleep and consciousness. Should we fear the ghosts that haunt our dreams or those who stalk the streets ?
“Why do we fear the ghosts of women who were murdered? Why don't we fear the thing that made them what they are?”
I’m not sure what I just listened to ???
Let see if I get this right - a women, Braid Rose, who is dealing with grief after the death of her mother (Aurora), starts experience visions, dreams, strange noises from her house, as if it’s trying to tell her something. Is it grief, sleep deprecations, the ‘ghostly’ research that’s swirling around her mind. Or is it the fear that’s gripping the city as the Chicago Strangler is murdering women. But what’s with the car that parks across from the house most nights or the strange figure that stands on the corner watching. If only she could just sleep.
Soon Briar Rose realises there is a thin vail between awake and sleep, the living and the dead, between fairytales and reality. (Probably should have guessed that with their names). What would you do if you discover that your family was the origin of a fairy tale, a myth, an urban legion. Worse still, the evil “entity” - fairy, witch, troll depending on the tale - would do anything to keep you ’sleeping’ forever.
Keys, Doors, Locks, Thorns
Vanishing Daughter is a modern fairy tale - sleeping beauty, a serial killer, supernatural ghosts - what lies between the vail of sleep and consciousness. Should we fear the ghosts that haunt our dreams or those who stalk the streets ?
“Why do we fear the ghosts of women who were murdered? Why don't we fear the thing that made them what they are?”
February 14, 2025
Do you like fairy tales? Serial killers and dogs?! Look no further.
This beautiful tale tells a very accurate and heartbreaking portrayal of grief mixed with the tellings of Sleeping Beauty. I did not know there were so many versions?! I was totally captivated and couldn’t stop reading. I loved all the descriptions of Chicago (that is where I grew up as a youngin) and my favorite part was Prairie, the pittie! This would make a wonderful book for a book club because there is a ton to unpack and discuss. Pelayo’s background in writing poetry is really highlighted here so get your annotation sticky’s ready!
This beautiful tale tells a very accurate and heartbreaking portrayal of grief mixed with the tellings of Sleeping Beauty. I did not know there were so many versions?! I was totally captivated and couldn’t stop reading. I loved all the descriptions of Chicago (that is where I grew up as a youngin) and my favorite part was Prairie, the pittie! This would make a wonderful book for a book club because there is a ton to unpack and discuss. Pelayo’s background in writing poetry is really highlighted here so get your annotation sticky’s ready!
February 28, 2025
Now that I have been podcasting and interviewing authors for a couple of years a new thing has started to happen. Towards the end of most interviews, I will say “What are you working on now” or “What is coming next?” I am starting to have the regular experience of getting to read those books and it is really fun. The latest example is Cynthia Pelayo’s latest, and as much as I enjoyed Forgotten Sisters, this one was even better.
Despite being marketed on the cover as a thriller, Cina’s Wheelhouse is a horror novel about haunted Chicago. That would be cool enough, Chicago is a city I have enjoyed visiting but Pelayo’s Chicago is haunted not just by ghosts but by the long specter of this strange history that has swirled around the Windy City. In the hands of a less talented storyteller this history would roll out in fake newspaper articles or prologues, but the characters in her novels are haunted by history and the information as much as the ghosts. Part of the vibe is the modern fairy tale, and as such Pelayo is building a reliable catalog. No surprise as she has Bram Stoker and Latino book awards on her shelf.
Vanishing Daughters has all the elements that she is known for while adding some subtle but meaningful Sci-fi elements. It is the story of Bri, a journalist whose mother died recently in her massive southside childhood home. Her mother had passed on obsessions with what she calls “thin” places, haunted places including their home, and one that will become important, Archer Avenue. The thin place nature of their home always affected her with nightmares just around the surface.
Those nightmares included visions of a serial killer, very similar to the deaths of fifty-one women around Chicago, Bri feels the killer behind her. As a horror fan who is also an archive nerd, I love how Pelayo’s vibe almost always includes musty old books and a story that depends on someone cracking those spines to get answers.
Two plots interweave as the killer is obsessed with the idea that he is putting his victims to sleep, so you can guess which fairy tale Pelayo is playing with her. He has his eyes set on Bri, and she gets closer to the truth of origin, tied directly to the real-life history of the city. Chicago is a city I find interesting, and this novel is horror, Chicago history all pulled together with a light sprinkle of sci-fi worked for me. As much as I liked Forgotten Sisters, I enjoyed this one even more. I had one nitpick that I will talk about in spoilers. If you want a recommendation before I get into light spoilers about the novel then yes, Read Vanishing Daughters if the elements I described interest you.
Now let's talk about a few parts that highlight why it works for me.
“My mother didn't really tell me what her favorite Chicago hauntings were, but it was easy to guess. In the library, she had an entire shelf dedicated to Archer Ave. There were Manila folders full of documents in pictures. When I asked her why she was so fascinated with a single road.”
Much like Stephen Graham Jones needed story reasons for his narrator to be a gifted writer Bri in this story had to be an investigator, she is a journalist and her mother is her access to all the history and lore. Pelayo is working with several recurring themes but the houses and the ‘thin places’ around her beloved Chicago operate in her novels like a power cord does in a Ramones song.
“Archer Ave. is an energy center. A thin place. Just like this house…”
I love the concept of a thin place. This novel gives us the feeling that the two characters at the center exist in this thin place. I don’t know if Archer Ave, of if it is a real place but I get the sense now that I am two novels into this author that she likes to start from these real places and history. I could google but I want to preserve that Mystery.
“What's also scary is sometimes when you're trying to wake up from a nightmare, you just can't. You open your eyes and you're just there in your bed, feeling trapped and paralyzed.”
Vanishing Daughters is not exactly an instant nightmare like some novels, but for the reader who connects with Bri we understand her fears. She is a defined character enough; with motivations we can understand. I did have the question marks with her that I did with Anna in CP’s Forgotten Sister. I cared enough about Bri that I cringed internally wondering how she might survive and thrive.
There is some commentary on haunting, grieving, and death that might come off as old hat to some horror readers but again I enjoy those moments when they are well done. A horror story is a part of a long tradition. Moments like this…
“We speak of haunted houses as if they are grim and gruesome things, but what makes a house haunted?
People.
A person dies.
A soul is restless, and I do not know if I believe in souls or spirits or ghosts but what I do believe is that I'm slowly losing parts of myself.”
There are parts of Vanishing Daughters that feel familiar, as a horror novel and thematically like a Cynthia Pelayo novel. This is a feature, not a bug. At the same time, several things make this novel stand alone. I love a novel that is the product of a singular voice. No one else could write this novel. It is not just the setting, the killer that makes it unique my Dickheads will enjoy a slightly Matheson or PKD-inspired sci-fi touch to the afterlife
“He points at me. “brilliant. Exactly. According to the CIA, if the frequency of human consciousness drops from ten to the power of thirty centimeters per second but remains above the state of total rest, it can transcend space-time.”
I think this will pass right by some readers as world-building details but I loved it.
“Think of a radio example. Imagine a human consciousness is a radio playing a certain music station. Well, if you move that dial and start searching for another station and just land on nothing on that fuzzy place we call snow, that is total rest. That is where you transcend space and time.”
“We’re radios, in a way, tune to a song? Sometimes there are people who can connect to the station we're playing, and they linger here with us for a while during this life. Sometimes the song they want to listen to changes, but sometimes they turn off altogether.”
I am looking forward to talking on the podcast with Cina, she told me parts of this novel were inspired by PKD’s UBIK and yeah…
“is it possible to have consciousness that's so expanded, so far-reaching beyond space and time and dreams, that you could communicate not just with the living, but with the dead, or the murderer, and ask them… what happened to you?”
I don’t want to give away the ending but I love the final backstory behind that connects to one of the most infamous of Chicago killers.
“It was Father who told me I could not die. I asked him how he knew this. He said he tried to poison me many times, and not once did the poison affect me because of that father said we believed I wasn't human he said he read about fairies who looked like humans and believed, then, that I was a fairy.”
This is a twist hidden in the open for those of us familiar with the historical events Pelayo ties into the novel.
As great as it is, and it is 200% a recommendation I have only one minor issue. Pelayo appears as committed to writing in the first person as she is setting her novels in Chicago. I have never been shy about expressing my feelings about how limiting the first person can be. Because the narrative switches POV there is no indication in some chapters who is I writing to us. I was confused the first time we switched POV. A few of the chapters I was lost for a page or two until a specific detail told me – this is the killer or Bri. Ultimately, it was a minor issue.
98% of this novel I was delightfully lost in the narrative and most readers probably will not notice. Vanishing Daughters is a fantastic novel that I very much enjoyed. The Midwest setting, the history, The light Sci-fi, and the horror elements were perfect alchemy. Now that I have read two novels, Pelayo officially has a locked in reader.
Despite being marketed on the cover as a thriller, Cina’s Wheelhouse is a horror novel about haunted Chicago. That would be cool enough, Chicago is a city I have enjoyed visiting but Pelayo’s Chicago is haunted not just by ghosts but by the long specter of this strange history that has swirled around the Windy City. In the hands of a less talented storyteller this history would roll out in fake newspaper articles or prologues, but the characters in her novels are haunted by history and the information as much as the ghosts. Part of the vibe is the modern fairy tale, and as such Pelayo is building a reliable catalog. No surprise as she has Bram Stoker and Latino book awards on her shelf.
Vanishing Daughters has all the elements that she is known for while adding some subtle but meaningful Sci-fi elements. It is the story of Bri, a journalist whose mother died recently in her massive southside childhood home. Her mother had passed on obsessions with what she calls “thin” places, haunted places including their home, and one that will become important, Archer Avenue. The thin place nature of their home always affected her with nightmares just around the surface.
Those nightmares included visions of a serial killer, very similar to the deaths of fifty-one women around Chicago, Bri feels the killer behind her. As a horror fan who is also an archive nerd, I love how Pelayo’s vibe almost always includes musty old books and a story that depends on someone cracking those spines to get answers.
Two plots interweave as the killer is obsessed with the idea that he is putting his victims to sleep, so you can guess which fairy tale Pelayo is playing with her. He has his eyes set on Bri, and she gets closer to the truth of origin, tied directly to the real-life history of the city. Chicago is a city I find interesting, and this novel is horror, Chicago history all pulled together with a light sprinkle of sci-fi worked for me. As much as I liked Forgotten Sisters, I enjoyed this one even more. I had one nitpick that I will talk about in spoilers. If you want a recommendation before I get into light spoilers about the novel then yes, Read Vanishing Daughters if the elements I described interest you.
Now let's talk about a few parts that highlight why it works for me.
“My mother didn't really tell me what her favorite Chicago hauntings were, but it was easy to guess. In the library, she had an entire shelf dedicated to Archer Ave. There were Manila folders full of documents in pictures. When I asked her why she was so fascinated with a single road.”
Much like Stephen Graham Jones needed story reasons for his narrator to be a gifted writer Bri in this story had to be an investigator, she is a journalist and her mother is her access to all the history and lore. Pelayo is working with several recurring themes but the houses and the ‘thin places’ around her beloved Chicago operate in her novels like a power cord does in a Ramones song.
“Archer Ave. is an energy center. A thin place. Just like this house…”
I love the concept of a thin place. This novel gives us the feeling that the two characters at the center exist in this thin place. I don’t know if Archer Ave, of if it is a real place but I get the sense now that I am two novels into this author that she likes to start from these real places and history. I could google but I want to preserve that Mystery.
“What's also scary is sometimes when you're trying to wake up from a nightmare, you just can't. You open your eyes and you're just there in your bed, feeling trapped and paralyzed.”
Vanishing Daughters is not exactly an instant nightmare like some novels, but for the reader who connects with Bri we understand her fears. She is a defined character enough; with motivations we can understand. I did have the question marks with her that I did with Anna in CP’s Forgotten Sister. I cared enough about Bri that I cringed internally wondering how she might survive and thrive.
There is some commentary on haunting, grieving, and death that might come off as old hat to some horror readers but again I enjoy those moments when they are well done. A horror story is a part of a long tradition. Moments like this…
“We speak of haunted houses as if they are grim and gruesome things, but what makes a house haunted?
People.
A person dies.
A soul is restless, and I do not know if I believe in souls or spirits or ghosts but what I do believe is that I'm slowly losing parts of myself.”
There are parts of Vanishing Daughters that feel familiar, as a horror novel and thematically like a Cynthia Pelayo novel. This is a feature, not a bug. At the same time, several things make this novel stand alone. I love a novel that is the product of a singular voice. No one else could write this novel. It is not just the setting, the killer that makes it unique my Dickheads will enjoy a slightly Matheson or PKD-inspired sci-fi touch to the afterlife
“He points at me. “brilliant. Exactly. According to the CIA, if the frequency of human consciousness drops from ten to the power of thirty centimeters per second but remains above the state of total rest, it can transcend space-time.”
I think this will pass right by some readers as world-building details but I loved it.
“Think of a radio example. Imagine a human consciousness is a radio playing a certain music station. Well, if you move that dial and start searching for another station and just land on nothing on that fuzzy place we call snow, that is total rest. That is where you transcend space and time.”
“We’re radios, in a way, tune to a song? Sometimes there are people who can connect to the station we're playing, and they linger here with us for a while during this life. Sometimes the song they want to listen to changes, but sometimes they turn off altogether.”
I am looking forward to talking on the podcast with Cina, she told me parts of this novel were inspired by PKD’s UBIK and yeah…
“is it possible to have consciousness that's so expanded, so far-reaching beyond space and time and dreams, that you could communicate not just with the living, but with the dead, or the murderer, and ask them… what happened to you?”
I don’t want to give away the ending but I love the final backstory behind that connects to one of the most infamous of Chicago killers.
“It was Father who told me I could not die. I asked him how he knew this. He said he tried to poison me many times, and not once did the poison affect me because of that father said we believed I wasn't human he said he read about fairies who looked like humans and believed, then, that I was a fairy.”
This is a twist hidden in the open for those of us familiar with the historical events Pelayo ties into the novel.
As great as it is, and it is 200% a recommendation I have only one minor issue. Pelayo appears as committed to writing in the first person as she is setting her novels in Chicago. I have never been shy about expressing my feelings about how limiting the first person can be. Because the narrative switches POV there is no indication in some chapters who is I writing to us. I was confused the first time we switched POV. A few of the chapters I was lost for a page or two until a specific detail told me – this is the killer or Bri. Ultimately, it was a minor issue.
98% of this novel I was delightfully lost in the narrative and most readers probably will not notice. Vanishing Daughters is a fantastic novel that I very much enjoyed. The Midwest setting, the history, The light Sci-fi, and the horror elements were perfect alchemy. Now that I have read two novels, Pelayo officially has a locked in reader.
April 8, 2025
Thanks Thomas & Mercer for the ARC.
This book was a really interesting blend of fairytales in their true original form, serial killers, and the concept of the fae. I think some of the ideas could have been a little more fleshed out in parts, but on the whole, I really enjoyed the story and the concept. It gave me goosebumps in places, and I can tell the writer really cared about the setting and history of each place they wrote about.
If you are looking for a quick read on a weekend, i'd recommend checking this out.
This book was a really interesting blend of fairytales in their true original form, serial killers, and the concept of the fae. I think some of the ideas could have been a little more fleshed out in parts, but on the whole, I really enjoyed the story and the concept. It gave me goosebumps in places, and I can tell the writer really cared about the setting and history of each place they wrote about.
If you are looking for a quick read on a weekend, i'd recommend checking this out.
March 17, 2025
unique and new
This was a fun concept using fairytales, supernatural and serial killer loved it. I would saw the ending could have been better but it was a fun adventure and I love the writing
This was a fun concept using fairytales, supernatural and serial killer loved it. I would saw the ending could have been better but it was a fun adventure and I love the writing
April 23, 2025
Fairy tale? Serial killer? Urban legend?
You want it. You got it.
Pelayo blends all of the above with beautiful prose. I was mesmerized by her story-telling.
Recommended for all readers with a heart for beauty with a touch of macabre.
You want it. You got it.
Pelayo blends all of the above with beautiful prose. I was mesmerized by her story-telling.
Recommended for all readers with a heart for beauty with a touch of macabre.
October 11, 2025
I really liked the idea of this book, I loved the idea of a retelling, a serial killer, about grief and how to overcome it but my god this book did not live up the the expectations.
I was honestly so bored of this book and I just felt it was all over the place. The change in POVs were really jarring and I honestly really struggled with this book. Was really disappointed
I was honestly so bored of this book and I just felt it was all over the place. The change in POVs were really jarring and I honestly really struggled with this book. Was really disappointed
April 11, 2025
this one was interesting. very psychological thriller to say the least. as part of the narrative the author like dove into different states of consciousness and don’t get me wrong, was lost for some of it (my psych majors would probs eat this up) but was very intriguing. also the whole plot line was based off a fairy tale “sleeping beauty” so not only was it super deep conceptually but it all circled back to this tale. switching chapters w the murderer, very good.
October 4, 2025
I'm mainly confused... Interpreting the symbolism behind everything that happens was kinda fun but I'd also would've liked a little bit more reveal in the end?
Read
April 5, 2025DNF
This was a depressing read for me. The MC is in grief after losing her mother but it was just too dark, and sad for me. Not my cup of tea.
Special thanks to Kaye Publicity for the gifted copy.
This was a depressing read for me. The MC is in grief after losing her mother but it was just too dark, and sad for me. Not my cup of tea.
Special thanks to Kaye Publicity for the gifted copy.
May 30, 2025
Another DNF. I finished 90% of it and just couldn’t. Too many storylines trying to merge into one. The writing was all over the place. And I didn’t like the main character. Also, this is not a horror story. 🤷♀️
June 10, 2025
Had high hopes for this one, but was SEVERELY let down
January 10, 2025
Special thank you to #NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this eARC.
Vanishing Daughters is a supernatural suspense of a serial killer zeroing in on one Briar Rose in Chicago. Briar herself is struggling against many internal issues, the least of which is her house, Rose House, which sends signals in different shapes and forms while she deals with insomnia and grief, two weeks fresh into the passing of her mother.
The story is a clever, contemporary twist on Sleeping Beauty, continuing what I like to call to the Pelayo-verse: a present-day Chicago, teeming with fairy tales and the supernatural, with detectives trying to get to the bottom of the facts, this time in particular before a serial killer does.
In Vanishing Daughters though, the detectives are more in the background, a pleasant Easter egg to any who have read Pelayo’s Forgotten Sisters, as the detective’s POV is replaced with that of the serial killer, a mystery himself within as he contains some seemingly supernatural mystique in his murderous plots. Let’s just say this book contains a city full of screaming. Lots and lots of screaming…
Briar herself is an interesting case, a journalist with more knowledge of Chicago that she can churn out faster and heavier than you can fact-check on your phone. Her on-the-spot know-how, mixed with the struggles of figuring out why the random radios inherited from her great-great-grandparents go on and off, to roses and gifted spindles appearing at inopportune times, create a kind of Poet-pedia that is becoming emblematic of the author’s style. The whimsical just stops itself of becoming full twee.
There comes to a point though where the safety of Briar becomes an ‘enough is enough’ point, and one scene in particular, where a serious self-check is met with denial and enabling behaviour from her peers, kind of draws that line in the sand as to when is the serial killer just going to show up for the reader. The cover says ‘A Thriller,’ but you are going to have to skip to the final ten pages before that.
Vanishing Daughters is best seen as a suspense, and a loving showcase for Chicago, as Cynthia Pelayo continues to give her readers an in-depth, fantasy/supernatural look at the wonder and lore of the city she loves, one that I believe is growingly reciprocated.
Vanishing Daughters is a supernatural suspense of a serial killer zeroing in on one Briar Rose in Chicago. Briar herself is struggling against many internal issues, the least of which is her house, Rose House, which sends signals in different shapes and forms while she deals with insomnia and grief, two weeks fresh into the passing of her mother.
The story is a clever, contemporary twist on Sleeping Beauty, continuing what I like to call to the Pelayo-verse: a present-day Chicago, teeming with fairy tales and the supernatural, with detectives trying to get to the bottom of the facts, this time in particular before a serial killer does.
In Vanishing Daughters though, the detectives are more in the background, a pleasant Easter egg to any who have read Pelayo’s Forgotten Sisters, as the detective’s POV is replaced with that of the serial killer, a mystery himself within as he contains some seemingly supernatural mystique in his murderous plots. Let’s just say this book contains a city full of screaming. Lots and lots of screaming…
Briar herself is an interesting case, a journalist with more knowledge of Chicago that she can churn out faster and heavier than you can fact-check on your phone. Her on-the-spot know-how, mixed with the struggles of figuring out why the random radios inherited from her great-great-grandparents go on and off, to roses and gifted spindles appearing at inopportune times, create a kind of Poet-pedia that is becoming emblematic of the author’s style. The whimsical just stops itself of becoming full twee.
There comes to a point though where the safety of Briar becomes an ‘enough is enough’ point, and one scene in particular, where a serious self-check is met with denial and enabling behaviour from her peers, kind of draws that line in the sand as to when is the serial killer just going to show up for the reader. The cover says ‘A Thriller,’ but you are going to have to skip to the final ten pages before that.
Vanishing Daughters is best seen as a suspense, and a loving showcase for Chicago, as Cynthia Pelayo continues to give her readers an in-depth, fantasy/supernatural look at the wonder and lore of the city she loves, one that I believe is growingly reciprocated.
September 24, 2025
This is probably more like 3.5 stars, but I'm going to go ahead and round up. First of all on a superficial level, I loved that the protagonist primarily went by Bri...cause that's my nickname (even though I'm sure hers is pronounced Bry, while mine is Bree...close enough!)
The concept behind this book was great. The Sleeping Beauty theme was incorporated really well throughout and the overarching conflict with the serial killer was well done.
The atmosphere of the book was really well done. Bri's grief weighed so heavy and many parts of her chapters had my anxiety clawing at my chest. And the chapters from the serial killers POV were so creepy and well done. I hated every moment being inside his head, which meant it was well done. (I also appreciated the irony of him reflecting on how humanity is obsessed with serial killers and how they think and how that reflects just as badly on them...as I'm sitting here reading the thoughts of a fictional serial killer...like okay. You got me.)
So, yeah, some great stuff in this book. The not so great was the repetitiveness and the overall pacing. It got to a point where I was almost annoyed by Bri's grief. And I understand that grief is all consuming and can bring you down the same hole over and over, but there's got to be a better way to convey that without me feeling like I'm reading the same thing over and over again. Even the chapter with Bri's article, the article was super repetitive...so not an artistic choice to pile the grief on, just a sign that another round of editing may have been needed.
But overall, I definitely recommend the book, but be aware that there are some parts that are a bit of a slog.
The concept behind this book was great. The Sleeping Beauty theme was incorporated really well throughout and the overarching conflict with the serial killer was well done.
The atmosphere of the book was really well done. Bri's grief weighed so heavy and many parts of her chapters had my anxiety clawing at my chest. And the chapters from the serial killers POV were so creepy and well done. I hated every moment being inside his head, which meant it was well done. (I also appreciated the irony of him reflecting on how humanity is obsessed with serial killers and how they think and how that reflects just as badly on them...as I'm sitting here reading the thoughts of a fictional serial killer...like okay. You got me.)
So, yeah, some great stuff in this book. The not so great was the repetitiveness and the overall pacing. It got to a point where I was almost annoyed by Bri's grief. And I understand that grief is all consuming and can bring you down the same hole over and over, but there's got to be a better way to convey that without me feeling like I'm reading the same thing over and over again. Even the chapter with Bri's article, the article was super repetitive...so not an artistic choice to pile the grief on, just a sign that another round of editing may have been needed.
But overall, I definitely recommend the book, but be aware that there are some parts that are a bit of a slog.
October 24, 2025
Vanishing Daughters by Cynthia Pelayo. 3.5⭐️.
ok… this book had a lot of modern gothic horror , but there wasn’t enough for me to give it a higher rating than i did.
i love a slow burn , but i really felt like this book did not pick up. whatsoever.
i did not enjoy how the author (a new one for me) kept repeating herself. kept rephrasing information and it was just not enough for me unfortunately.
i feel like this book was a modern fairytale … i got sleeping beauty vibes mixed with a serial killer and ghost. and maybe in any other book i might of liked it , but not this one. the author probably could’ve pulled it off , if she had done any of the aspects justice. which she did not.
about 50% in , it caught my interest for about 5 minutes and made me want to keep reading , but the ending felt rushed. it felt so fast that the last couple of chapters …. if you blinked you might miss it.
i don’t know. i wanted to try this author and this book out , but i just don’t think it was good enough to want to try another book by her.
ok… this book had a lot of modern gothic horror , but there wasn’t enough for me to give it a higher rating than i did.
i love a slow burn , but i really felt like this book did not pick up. whatsoever.
i did not enjoy how the author (a new one for me) kept repeating herself. kept rephrasing information and it was just not enough for me unfortunately.
i feel like this book was a modern fairytale … i got sleeping beauty vibes mixed with a serial killer and ghost. and maybe in any other book i might of liked it , but not this one. the author probably could’ve pulled it off , if she had done any of the aspects justice. which she did not.
about 50% in , it caught my interest for about 5 minutes and made me want to keep reading , but the ending felt rushed. it felt so fast that the last couple of chapters …. if you blinked you might miss it.
i don’t know. i wanted to try this author and this book out , but i just don’t think it was good enough to want to try another book by her.
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