The Disappearances: A Story of Exploration, Murder, and Mystery in the American West

by Scott Thybony

In 1935, during the wind-swept years of the Dust Bowl, three people went missing on separate occasions in the rugged canyon country of southeastern Utah, a place “wild, desolate, mysterious.” A thirteen-year old girl, Lucy Garrett, was tricked into heading west with the man who had murdered her father under the pretense of reuniting with him. At the same time, a search was underway for Dan Thrapp, a young scientist on leave from the American Museum of Natural History. Others were scouring the same region for an artist, Everett Ruess, who had disappeared into “the perfect labyrinth.” 

Intrigued by this unusual string of coincidental disappearances, Scott Thybony set out to learn what happened. His investigations took him from Island in the Sky to Skeleton Mesa, from Texas to Tucson, and from the Green River to the Red. He traced the journey of Lucy Garrett from the murder of her father to her dramatic courtroom testimony. Using the pages of an old journal he followed the route of Dan Thrapp as he crossed an expanse of wildly rugged country with a pair of outlaws. Thrapp’s story of survival in an unforgiving land is a poignant counterpoint to the fate of the artist Everett Ruess, which the New York Times has called “one of the most enduring mysteries of the modern West.” Thybony draws on extensive research and a lifetime of exploration to create a riveting story of these three lives.

Genres: History, True Crime, Nonfiction

288 pages, Paperback

Published June 3, 2016

Reviews

[LAB · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book explores stories about three people who disappeared in the canyons of southeastern Utah--Dan Thrapp, Lucy Garrett and Everett Ruess. Using newspaper articles, archives, and information provided by those who knew something, author Scott Thybony builds his narratives of who the individuals were, why they were in the desert, and what became of them. He also visited many of the places the missing people had been so his descriptions of the landscape carry some authenticity. It is an easy read but might be confusing if you want to closely follow where he went and where the people had gone. I suspect that was deliberate on Thybony's part in order to protect archaeological sites and not cause curious hikers to become yet another disappearance. The book is marketed as "creative nonfiction" so you'll have to decide for yourself whether you view his presentation as historical.

[M. I. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrific mystery/true crime mingled with personal travelogue. I'm familiar with the story of Everett Ruess, but the other stories of people "disappeared" in the red rock country of southern Utah and northern Arizona were new to me and I enjoyed them.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read.
I only read 2 of the 3 stories then skipped to epilogue.
Reads somewhat like a history text book.

[Caroline · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not finish this book, but I am "finished." Somewhat interesting, but just not compelling enough to stick thru it. Too much detail and it feels repetitive and plodding. Not for me...

[Tyema Greenawalt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Literally read this book in one night! I spend a lot of my time in these regions of the southwest, so learning a bit about its wild history is always intriguing. As I read through, I could picture the exact locations where these stories took place and really immerse myself in them. If you are a fan of real life events and thrills, this book is for you.