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Vanished
Ten years after her six-year-old daughter disappears from a park outing without a trace, Sarah Mason receives a shattering phone call from a child who inexplicably has her daughter's six-year-old voice, a situation for which Sarah turns in desperation to private investigator Jake Hogan. 150,000 first printing.
369 pages, Hardcover
First published December 31, 1999
79 people are currently reading
1522 people want to read
About the author
Karen Robards
135 books3,240 followersKaren Robards is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of more than fifty books and one novella. She has won multiple awards including six Affaire de Coeur Silver Pen Awards for favorite author.
Karen has been writing since she was very young, and was first published nationally in the December 1973 Reader's Digest. She sold her first romance novel, ISLAND FLAME, when she was 24. It was published by Leisure Books in 1981 and is still in print. After that, she dropped out of law school to pursue her writing career.
Karen was recently described by The Daily Mail as "one of the most reliable thriller....writers in the world."
Karen has been writing since she was very young, and was first published nationally in the December 1973 Reader's Digest. She sold her first romance novel, ISLAND FLAME, when she was 24. It was published by Leisure Books in 1981 and is still in print. After that, she dropped out of law school to pursue her writing career.
Karen was recently described by The Daily Mail as "one of the most reliable thriller....writers in the world."
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December 13, 2022
⤅ This book is basically a watered-down version of Cry No More by Linda Howard.
Woman's child goes missing, women spends next few years killing herself looking for child, in the process she meets a mercenary-type figure who agrees to help her. It's a compelling premise, and what I really liked here is that Sarah and Jake become best friends after she hires him to find her missing daughter. When the book opens, they've been BFFs for seven years, and their lives are platonically intertwined. He has girlfriends, but he's been massively pining for her; she's buried herself in her job as an assistant prosecutor. Their relationship has a solid friendship grounding I enjoyed reading about.
The protagonists also aren't the usual ultra-attractive Robards type. Well, Sarah is, but Jake is 39, eats nothing but fast food, and is described as being a little 'soft' around the middle. Makes for a nice change, honestly.
Woman's child goes missing, women spends next few years killing herself looking for child, in the process she meets a mercenary-type figure who agrees to help her. It's a compelling premise, and what I really liked here is that Sarah and Jake become best friends after she hires him to find her missing daughter. When the book opens, they've been BFFs for seven years, and their lives are platonically intertwined. He has girlfriends, but he's been massively pining for her; she's buried herself in her job as an assistant prosecutor. Their relationship has a solid friendship grounding I enjoyed reading about.
The protagonists also aren't the usual ultra-attractive Robards type. Well, Sarah is, but Jake is 39, eats nothing but fast food, and is described as being a little 'soft' around the middle. Makes for a nice change, honestly.
February 4, 2009
Great story, but with some issues, November 19, 2008
What a great story line. Sarah tries to move on with her life after the abduction of her daughter 7 years before. She's a very broken, lonely woman, who has no friends or family to speak of, other than her best friend Jake.
The character of Sarah did have some very redeeming qualities, but seemed to be just a bit to fragile and unglued for most of the story. While the circumstances warrant it, you find it hard to understand why Jake would have an attraction for someone who refuses to do anything (eat, watch tv, read, enjoy anything at all) She only does anything out of necessity....and just works as an a district attorney - nothing else in her life. You really do get a sense of what it was like for Sarah to loose her child and how and why she obsessed over it - but I think there was too much time spent on that.
Jake was an excellent character and he had lots of add to this story, by making Sarah face the truth about her miserable existence. He's a solid character, and likable in so many ways. There are other supporting characters that are also very well developed and quite likeable and/or believeable.
There's lots of action in this story and you are really kept guessing what will happen until the very end. I did find it slow at times, focussing on details that didn't matter and providing an excruciating amount of detail on some of the backstory. Sometimes the backstory didn't make sense where it was told.
The ending was a little abrupt and quite honestly undid all the good that was previously done in the story. Overall, a great story, but could have been a little faster paced, had a stronger female lead, and a less abrupt (and possibly different) ending. I am all for happy endings, but this one just didn't fit. I just think this story had so much more potential, but still and glad I read it.
NOTE ON THE AUDIO VERSION: I actually picked this book to read in part because of the narrator of the audiobook. Joyce Bean does a fabulous job reading the audio version, though I didn't like the voice she did for the character of Jake, it seemed a little choked and harsh. (usually I love her male voices)
What a great story line. Sarah tries to move on with her life after the abduction of her daughter 7 years before. She's a very broken, lonely woman, who has no friends or family to speak of, other than her best friend Jake.
The character of Sarah did have some very redeeming qualities, but seemed to be just a bit to fragile and unglued for most of the story. While the circumstances warrant it, you find it hard to understand why Jake would have an attraction for someone who refuses to do anything (eat, watch tv, read, enjoy anything at all) She only does anything out of necessity....and just works as an a district attorney - nothing else in her life. You really do get a sense of what it was like for Sarah to loose her child and how and why she obsessed over it - but I think there was too much time spent on that.
Jake was an excellent character and he had lots of add to this story, by making Sarah face the truth about her miserable existence. He's a solid character, and likable in so many ways. There are other supporting characters that are also very well developed and quite likeable and/or believeable.
There's lots of action in this story and you are really kept guessing what will happen until the very end. I did find it slow at times, focussing on details that didn't matter and providing an excruciating amount of detail on some of the backstory. Sometimes the backstory didn't make sense where it was told.
The ending was a little abrupt and quite honestly undid all the good that was previously done in the story. Overall, a great story, but could have been a little faster paced, had a stronger female lead, and a less abrupt (and possibly different) ending. I am all for happy endings, but this one just didn't fit. I just think this story had so much more potential, but still and glad I read it.
NOTE ON THE AUDIO VERSION: I actually picked this book to read in part because of the narrator of the audiobook. Joyce Bean does a fabulous job reading the audio version, though I didn't like the voice she did for the character of Jake, it seemed a little choked and harsh. (usually I love her male voices)
March 15, 2019
Excellent! Second book I’ve read by this author. So good! The story of Lexie will hauntingly tug at your heartstrings & the thought of Jake’s friendship is so sweet. Sarah is a strong heroine.
August 31, 2015
Every once in a while when visiting my local library I pick up a book from an author I’ve never read before. I am partial to authors with many titles under their name. My hope is if I like their writing I now have a plethora of new novels I can delve into.
I recently decided to give Karen Robards a shot. I picked up ‘Vanished.’
The plot, the story itself, was very interesting and intriguing. Great idea. A perfect 5.
I also liked the main characters, Sarah and Jake.
Good plot and characters I identify with are two huge things for me. Seems like a slam dunk, right?
WRONG!
The book started out good. However, I quickly became overwhelmed with the endless overabundance of unnecessary descriptions. Sure, novels do need description. If not, it’s a play. However, Ms. Robards took it to a whole new level. To me this completely destroyed a book.
Yes, some description is necessary. She, however, not only had too much but, in my opinion, in the wrong time. It totally brought the pace of the novel to a standstill.
One example: Jake, the main male lead character, is a detective whose home is his office. In one scene, he is walking in to the office to meet with his girlfriend and grandfather on the back balcony. Okay, this should be simple. A paragraph? Or just have him already on the balcony and lets move the story forward.
However, this simple scene went on for SEVEN pages! Seven unnecessary pages.
As Jake walks in we get 2 paragraphs about the layout of furniture in the waiting area, 2 paragraphs about how his receptionist is dressed as well as 2 pages of her life story (grandmother, widower, 3 kids, 7 grandkids, etc…) She is irrelevant to the story but yet we now know her life history. After a paragraph describing the hall, Jake finally makes it to the balcony for his meeting. 2 paragraphs describing how grandpa is dressed as well as 2 pages about his life story (he just turned 86 and bought a motorcycle.) We’re subjected to an entire page of how sexy and sensual and provocative his girlfriend is and 2 more paragraphs describing how she is dressed. I cant help but think Ms. Robards was trying to impress us with her love of a thesaurus. After a couple more paragraphs telling us the layout of the furniture on the balcony and 2 more about the view, Jake looks over the railing. He sees a crocodile. And now his mind recalls—for TWO pages—a local news story from years ago when a crocodile ate someone’s dog.
All of this took 7 pages.
All of this unimportant to the plot.
All of this unnecessary.
Also, when we finally DO get to dialogue Ms. Robards yet again cant help but slow the pace of the novel.
In a very critical scene, Sarah and Jake are having a very important conversation at her kitchen table. Ok, good stuff, right? Important stuff, right? Jake asks if she’d like some smilk. She says yes. We now are subjected to describing Jake standing, walking across the kitchen, a description of the tile he ambles over. He open the fridge, he pulls out the milk, he moves right, he opens a cabinet, he removes a glass, he puts the glass on the counter, he pours the milk into the glass, he opens the fridge, he closes the fridge, he lifts the glass of milk, he turns, he walks back across the room and puts the glass down.
That’s not word for word but you get the idea. A critical important scene comes to a dead halt. And for no reason.
When the conversation concludes, Sarah not drinking the milk, we get the same thing in reverse as Jake now walks across the room again. Including 4 sentences describing the sound the milk makes as he pours it down the drain.
I understand novels need description. But, in my opinion, this was way too much.
Vanished was 369 pages. I got to page 275, more than 2/3 of the way through and had to give up. I no longer cared about the characters, the outcome. I also realized that here I was on page 275 and nothing new had been added to the plot since about page 65.
Reading should be enjoyable, fun, entertaining. It should not feel like homework.
I’m rating this a ‘1' based on Goodreads guidelines. A '2' indicates it was 'okay.' This book wasn't okay. 2’ I wont be reading any more of her novels.
I recently decided to give Karen Robards a shot. I picked up ‘Vanished.’
The plot, the story itself, was very interesting and intriguing. Great idea. A perfect 5.
I also liked the main characters, Sarah and Jake.
Good plot and characters I identify with are two huge things for me. Seems like a slam dunk, right?
WRONG!
The book started out good. However, I quickly became overwhelmed with the endless overabundance of unnecessary descriptions. Sure, novels do need description. If not, it’s a play. However, Ms. Robards took it to a whole new level. To me this completely destroyed a book.
Yes, some description is necessary. She, however, not only had too much but, in my opinion, in the wrong time. It totally brought the pace of the novel to a standstill.
One example: Jake, the main male lead character, is a detective whose home is his office. In one scene, he is walking in to the office to meet with his girlfriend and grandfather on the back balcony. Okay, this should be simple. A paragraph? Or just have him already on the balcony and lets move the story forward.
However, this simple scene went on for SEVEN pages! Seven unnecessary pages.
As Jake walks in we get 2 paragraphs about the layout of furniture in the waiting area, 2 paragraphs about how his receptionist is dressed as well as 2 pages of her life story (grandmother, widower, 3 kids, 7 grandkids, etc…) She is irrelevant to the story but yet we now know her life history. After a paragraph describing the hall, Jake finally makes it to the balcony for his meeting. 2 paragraphs describing how grandpa is dressed as well as 2 pages about his life story (he just turned 86 and bought a motorcycle.) We’re subjected to an entire page of how sexy and sensual and provocative his girlfriend is and 2 more paragraphs describing how she is dressed. I cant help but think Ms. Robards was trying to impress us with her love of a thesaurus. After a couple more paragraphs telling us the layout of the furniture on the balcony and 2 more about the view, Jake looks over the railing. He sees a crocodile. And now his mind recalls—for TWO pages—a local news story from years ago when a crocodile ate someone’s dog.
All of this took 7 pages.
All of this unimportant to the plot.
All of this unnecessary.
Also, when we finally DO get to dialogue Ms. Robards yet again cant help but slow the pace of the novel.
In a very critical scene, Sarah and Jake are having a very important conversation at her kitchen table. Ok, good stuff, right? Important stuff, right? Jake asks if she’d like some smilk. She says yes. We now are subjected to describing Jake standing, walking across the kitchen, a description of the tile he ambles over. He open the fridge, he pulls out the milk, he moves right, he opens a cabinet, he removes a glass, he puts the glass on the counter, he pours the milk into the glass, he opens the fridge, he closes the fridge, he lifts the glass of milk, he turns, he walks back across the room and puts the glass down.
That’s not word for word but you get the idea. A critical important scene comes to a dead halt. And for no reason.
When the conversation concludes, Sarah not drinking the milk, we get the same thing in reverse as Jake now walks across the room again. Including 4 sentences describing the sound the milk makes as he pours it down the drain.
I understand novels need description. But, in my opinion, this was way too much.
Vanished was 369 pages. I got to page 275, more than 2/3 of the way through and had to give up. I no longer cared about the characters, the outcome. I also realized that here I was on page 275 and nothing new had been added to the plot since about page 65.
Reading should be enjoyable, fun, entertaining. It should not feel like homework.
I’m rating this a ‘1' based on Goodreads guidelines. A '2' indicates it was 'okay.' This book wasn't okay. 2’ I wont be reading any more of her novels.
July 14, 2011
This was unexpected. I normally read Karen Robards for fluffy, brainless excitement. The books are well written, move quickly, involve a lot of danger, plenty of sexy romance with interchangeable characters, and are consistent 3-star books. I can count on that.
Then I read this one. And, well, it was really good.
So Sarah lost her daughter, Lexie, seven years ago. The girl just vanished without a trace (hence the name of the book). All these years later, she is still griving, still doesn't have any kind of closure, and isn't even sure if she really wants to live until the opening scene, when a guy robbing a convenience store points a gun at her head. Turns out, she'd actually still like to live.
She survives a shooting that took place during the robbery, and wakes to find her best friend, Jake, with her at the hospital. She and Jake have been best friends since shortly after Lexie's disappearance, when she hied him (as a P.I.) to help find her daughter. Since then, he's been her rock, but he wants more from her.
The story escalates when Sarah starts receiving phone calls, supposedly from her daughter. Someone is trying to shake her -- and succeeding.
I enjoyed the romance in this because Sarah and Jake have a long history, and because it felt right for them to take it to the next level during this book. Sarah ticked me off at one point, but basically, I saw their coming together as a very natural extension of their friendship.
Jake was a bit of a standard guy, although it was nice to meet a man who was fit without having a six-pack. (Specifically noted.) But Sarah was a more complex character, with serious issues that made her very sympathetic.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romantic suspense.
Then I read this one. And, well, it was really good.
So Sarah lost her daughter, Lexie, seven years ago. The girl just vanished without a trace (hence the name of the book). All these years later, she is still griving, still doesn't have any kind of closure, and isn't even sure if she really wants to live until the opening scene, when a guy robbing a convenience store points a gun at her head. Turns out, she'd actually still like to live.
She survives a shooting that took place during the robbery, and wakes to find her best friend, Jake, with her at the hospital. She and Jake have been best friends since shortly after Lexie's disappearance, when she hied him (as a P.I.) to help find her daughter. Since then, he's been her rock, but he wants more from her.
The story escalates when Sarah starts receiving phone calls, supposedly from her daughter. Someone is trying to shake her -- and succeeding.
I enjoyed the romance in this because Sarah and Jake have a long history, and because it felt right for them to take it to the next level during this book. Sarah ticked me off at one point, but basically, I saw their coming together as a very natural extension of their friendship.
Jake was a bit of a standard guy, although it was nice to meet a man who was fit without having a six-pack. (Specifically noted.) But Sarah was a more complex character, with serious issues that made her very sympathetic.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romantic suspense.
April 14, 2009
Vanished was very intriguing and I couldn’t put it down until the very end. I liked everything about the novel, the characters, the setting, but the ending was slightly unrealistic. I thought that the ending was very unreal and somewhat ruined the story and became one of those normal “happy ever after” scenes. In the end, the main character, Sarah Mason is reunited with her long lost daughter, Lexie. I felt that the ending was very predictable. However, I would still recommend this novel since the story had a great plot and drama. The voice of reason in this story was obviously Jake. Jake was the one who kept Sarah alive and well, looking after her whenever she needed the most. He took care of her, and made sure she was well protected and healthy. “Vanished” was a wonderful novel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 3, 2011
Eh. I picked this book up on a whim. There was an entire shelf of the authors works and this one looked interesting. I have never read any of her books before so I thought if it was good I'd have a bunch of new book options. It wasn't that good. It seemed like the author was trying to fill up space by needlessly repeating the same thing over and over again worded slightly differently. I think had this been cut out the book would have been half as long and the story more effective. Also the ending seemed a little out of place and random. So many people were involved that the story should have spent more time on that aspect rather then throwing together some convoluted explanation about who was harassing her...and took her daughter. Then at the end we're just supposed to be all happy that they found her again in the one page the author allows that part of the story. Nevermind that she had spent the last seven years of her life (from age 5-12, you know the formative years?) being sold and passed around as part of a sick child sex slave ring. We won't even go into the amount of therapy she's going to need to get over that, we'll just be happy that she's found and now everything is "all better." The book was a little boring up to this point and the ending left me feeling sick. I don't know that I'll be reading any of this authors works again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 1, 2011
This book was quite a disappointment. The premise held such promise and it should have been a suspenseful, intriguing story. Instead, it focused on the angst of the heroine, Sarah Mason for better than half the book. Descriptions of irrelevant details were made in 500 words when 50 would have sufficed. There was so much repetition I could almost recite some of the passages by rote. Yes, the ending was rushed because so much of the book was wasted on telling us ad nauseum of Sarah's pain. Quite frankly, this could have been addressed in one chapter with occasional references. I wearied of her not eating and sleeping and being told to do so by her best friend turned lover, Jake. It is also a mystery to me as to why we needed so much information about simple activities (step by step descriptions of Sarah getting in her car, putting it in gear, backing up and then turning right on whatever street). This was poorly written and edited.
I wish I had that part of my life back I spent reading this book. It's because of my own stubbornness to finish every book I start that made me stick with this one. This book may be the final straw in sticking to that commitment.
I wish I had that part of my life back I spent reading this book. It's because of my own stubbornness to finish every book I start that made me stick with this one. This book may be the final straw in sticking to that commitment.
January 19, 2015
This book started off promisingly. I liked the characters and was interested in their lives. I liked the friendship between Jake and Sarah and how it's not obvious at first whether Jake is the hero or not. I thought the author did a very good job portraying Sarah's pain and how vivid it still is even seven years after her daughter's disappearance. Eventually, though, the book began to seem a little repetitive to me. How many times does the reader need to be told that Jake's shoulders are wide, that he is muscular, and that Sarah relies on him and deplores his eating habits? It also seems like the same basic thing happens over and over: Sarah finds a clue of some sort, goes haring off into danger, and Jake rescues her.
It doesn't help that it takes so long for the plot to come together. The story feels like a series of unrelated events for much of the book. Unfortunately, even when it does come together--and the connection between the unrelated events becomes clear--the resolution is not believable. I didn't for a second believe in the villain or his motivation for his actions. But worse that that was the sentimental and wholly unbelievable denouement. I wanted to like this story because I thought the characters were interesting and believable. I just wish the author had crafted a plot worthy of them.
It doesn't help that it takes so long for the plot to come together. The story feels like a series of unrelated events for much of the book. Unfortunately, even when it does come together--and the connection between the unrelated events becomes clear--the resolution is not believable. I didn't for a second believe in the villain or his motivation for his actions. But worse that that was the sentimental and wholly unbelievable denouement. I wanted to like this story because I thought the characters were interesting and believable. I just wish the author had crafted a plot worthy of them.
April 25, 2011
This wasn’t my favorite book by Robards. I dislike books with hysterical heroines and while I did realize that this particular heroine had a perfectly good reason to be hysterical (any parent that loses a child and is then tormented by the loss is entitled to really powerful and illogical emotional moments), I just didn’t enjoy having to read about it. I also thought the ending wasn’t a happy one – there couldn’t have been a truly happy ending to this book. I understand that not all stories have to have a happy ending. I’m ok with stories that don’t. I just felt like the author tried to make this one have a happy ending when she should have embraced the fact that it just wasn’t possible. For Sarah to have found out that Lexie died would have been very sad, but to have Lexie come back after living for 7 years as a sex slave is even worse, I think. When I finished the book, I just kept thinking of the horror the child had lived through and the issues Lexie would have in the future as a result of her captivity. Sure, Sarah got her daughter back physically, but I had to wonder, did Lexie really come back? That’s why I think the author shouldn’t have tried to make things seem ok in the end – she should have embraced the inherent tragedy of the story and come up with an ending more appropriate to the tale.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 13, 2010
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS
I really enjoyed the book and gave it five stars for its characters, plot, and the twist at the end. I did have some issues with it however:
1. The author's overuse of the phrase "the thing was..." The author used this phrase so many times that I started to wonder if she was capable of getting across what she was trying to say in any other way. A little variety would have helped.
2. I understand Jake wanting to get Sarah out of her shell and help her move on with her life, but there were places where I felt like he needed to give her a break and let her have a moment to collect herself before he lashed out at her verbally.
3. The comment above (#2) notwithstanding, there were times when Sarah was annoying and I just wanted to shake her and say "GET A GRIP!"
4. The ending was really interesting with the whole Paul's Playhouse/Judge thing. But giving only a couple of pages to the return of Lexie to Sarah? I really felt like that should have been its own chapter at least. There was a lot to say about that topic.
I really enjoyed the book and gave it five stars for its characters, plot, and the twist at the end. I did have some issues with it however:
1. The author's overuse of the phrase "the thing was..." The author used this phrase so many times that I started to wonder if she was capable of getting across what she was trying to say in any other way. A little variety would have helped.
2. I understand Jake wanting to get Sarah out of her shell and help her move on with her life, but there were places where I felt like he needed to give her a break and let her have a moment to collect herself before he lashed out at her verbally.
3. The comment above (#2) notwithstanding, there were times when Sarah was annoying and I just wanted to shake her and say "GET A GRIP!"
4. The ending was really interesting with the whole Paul's Playhouse/Judge thing. But giving only a couple of pages to the return of Lexie to Sarah? I really felt like that should have been its own chapter at least. There was a lot to say about that topic.
May 28, 2011
Karen Robards is a softer, sweeter Sandra Brown for me. But here she's showing a bit of bite. We've got a suspense story with...a bit of suspense. But that's not what grabbed hold of my attention. It was the absolute gut wrenching account of Sarah Mason coping with her missing daughter. As a parent, I got it. I ached. I understood the inability to reconnect to the present time. The wondering. Is she out there? Is she cold? Hungry? How can I eat when I don't know if she has? It was beautiful in its pain, and it was shown to the reader instead of told. You feel it, rather than just get a knockoff picture of it drawn.
All the pieces of this mystery come together into a tidy little story, and it's laced with the story of Jake and Sarah, which is oh, so sexy and romantic and fits perfectly alongside the painful one happening alongside it. I enjoyed this one quite a bit.
All the pieces of this mystery come together into a tidy little story, and it's laced with the story of Jake and Sarah, which is oh, so sexy and romantic and fits perfectly alongside the painful one happening alongside it. I enjoyed this one quite a bit.
January 22, 2013
OMG is the only words that can describe this book. It was FULL of suspence and you just couldnt put this book down, well i got the audio book but still by far the best book i have read/listen to in my WHOLE LIFE!.
This is about an ADA (assistant district attorney) whos 5 year old daughter vanishes right in front of her eyes. 7 years later she is caught in a convinence store buying dog food where robbers come in and shoot the teller and she is faced to save a little girl hiding in the corner.
through out the book there are people who are trying to kill her and playing mean tricks on her about her daughter that is lost.
mean while the little girl she saved in the robbery get kidnapped and she feels its her duty to save her since she couldnt save her daughter.
This is about an ADA (assistant district attorney) whos 5 year old daughter vanishes right in front of her eyes. 7 years later she is caught in a convinence store buying dog food where robbers come in and shoot the teller and she is faced to save a little girl hiding in the corner.
through out the book there are people who are trying to kill her and playing mean tricks on her about her daughter that is lost.
mean while the little girl she saved in the robbery get kidnapped and she feels its her duty to save her since she couldnt save her daughter.
August 16, 2007
This book started out pretty well- it's a mystery- this woman starts getting messages from her daughter that went missing 7 years earlier. At times I couldn't put the book down, and other times it was a little boring. The end felt a little rushed though. I don't like it when everything happens in the last three pages. I felt that it was all wrapped up a little too neatly.
April 26, 2018
I liked it
November 12, 2021
Sarah Mason, who works in the District Attorney's office, stops at a convenience store for some dog food and finds herself in the middle of a robbery. The clerk is murdered, but Sarah and young Angie are able to escape the building. But when Sarah is shot, Angie runs off. She comes to in the hospital with her best friend PI Jake Hogan by her bedside.
Sarah and Jake became friends when Sarah's five-year-old daughter Lexie vanished from a park in Beaufort, South Carolina, when they were on their way to a T-ball Awards party. When the police didn't seem to be doing enough, the young mother went to Jake who had just left the FBI to take over the family's investigation bureau. Seven years later, there is still no resolution for Sarah. Lexie seemingly vanished without a trace.
Sarah has buried herself in her work since Lexie's disappearance. She barely eats, barely sleeps, and is hyper-focused on her grief. When she gets a phone call, purportedly from Lexie begging her for help, Jake is her first call. But Jake wants to look at who might want to cause Sarah so much pain and helps her realize that the call couldn't be from Lexie.
Sarah has lots of potential sources for those who might want to derail her and sidetrack her. She is heavily involved in the Helitzer case concerning a socially prominent man who, Sarah believes, murdered his wife. She's also involved in a case where a stripper has accused a couple of cops of rape which has much of the police force turning against Sarah. There are other cases too.
There are other bits of harassment after the first phone call. Someone enters Sarah's house and scatters Lexie's toys around. Someone writes a code word only known to Sarah and Lexie on Sarah's car window. And then young Angie vanishes which brings all the terrors of the day Sarah lost Lexie right back...
The story was intense and fast-paced. It was emotionally harrowing to watch Sarah try to deal with her loss. It was equally harrowing to watch Jake, who had fallen deeply in love with Sarah, try to help, support, and protect the woman he has come to love.
The story was narrated by Joyce Bean who did an excellent job dealing with the voices and the emotional intensity of the story.
Sarah and Jake became friends when Sarah's five-year-old daughter Lexie vanished from a park in Beaufort, South Carolina, when they were on their way to a T-ball Awards party. When the police didn't seem to be doing enough, the young mother went to Jake who had just left the FBI to take over the family's investigation bureau. Seven years later, there is still no resolution for Sarah. Lexie seemingly vanished without a trace.
Sarah has buried herself in her work since Lexie's disappearance. She barely eats, barely sleeps, and is hyper-focused on her grief. When she gets a phone call, purportedly from Lexie begging her for help, Jake is her first call. But Jake wants to look at who might want to cause Sarah so much pain and helps her realize that the call couldn't be from Lexie.
Sarah has lots of potential sources for those who might want to derail her and sidetrack her. She is heavily involved in the Helitzer case concerning a socially prominent man who, Sarah believes, murdered his wife. She's also involved in a case where a stripper has accused a couple of cops of rape which has much of the police force turning against Sarah. There are other cases too.
There are other bits of harassment after the first phone call. Someone enters Sarah's house and scatters Lexie's toys around. Someone writes a code word only known to Sarah and Lexie on Sarah's car window. And then young Angie vanishes which brings all the terrors of the day Sarah lost Lexie right back...
The story was intense and fast-paced. It was emotionally harrowing to watch Sarah try to deal with her loss. It was equally harrowing to watch Jake, who had fallen deeply in love with Sarah, try to help, support, and protect the woman he has come to love.
The story was narrated by Joyce Bean who did an excellent job dealing with the voices and the emotional intensity of the story.
January 14, 2022
Suspense romántico en el que el romance es secundario a la intriga, pero enlaza bien con ella. Es una de esas novelas que te atrapan y no puedes dejar de leer porque te tienes que enterar de una vez qué está pasando, todo muy tenso. La parte romántica es un friends to lovers entre la fiscal Sarah Mason, con una hija desaparecida desde hace años, y Jake Hogan, que trabaja para una empresa de seguridad y tiene más paciencia que un santo pero hará lo que sea por su amiga.
Crítica amplia, en mi blog.
Crítica amplia, en mi blog.
April 6, 2023
It’s been a while since I read a book written by Karen Robards. Why??!! This is one of the best suspense stories I’ve read. I discovered Robards years ago and have enjoyed her books. When I read all her books the library had I then discovered Nora Roberts, who is my all-time favorite author. Sorry, Karen. But this story almost, just almost, made me change my mind. Sorry, Nora! Vanished is a must read for anyone who enjoys these types of stories. Wow!
December 17, 2022
ho he intentat pq me l’han duit del Libreando, però és q vaig per la meitat i no puc +
4 històries alhora q no semblen connexes de cap manera més q per la prota i unes descripcions infinites q no tenen cap mena de sentit, diàlegs amb intervencions súper inmecessàries……. muy mal
4 històries alhora q no semblen connexes de cap manera més q per la prota i unes descripcions infinites q no tenen cap mena de sentit, diàlegs amb intervencions súper inmecessàries……. muy mal
February 1, 2024
Very slow and boring for most of the book. Loved the last 50 pages and the ending but hard to get to that point.
November 17, 2021
Reread in 2020 for the 2nd time:
I originally read this book about 10 years ago, back when I was inhaling romantic suspense by Karen Robards, Linda Howard, and Sandra Brown. Today, I still continue to read Linda Howard and Sandra Brown, but for some reason I never went back to Karen Robards, which I will have to rectify sometime soon. Vanished was published in 2006 so it is a bit dated, but it stands the test of time for me.
Sarah Mason's life changed completely when her 5 year old daughter, Lexie, disappeared. Now 7 years later, after multiple investigations, the trail has gone cold...until Sarah receives a phone call from a child that sounds exactly like Lexie. Sarah turns to her best friend, Jake Hogan, for help since he's a PI. She met Jake 7 years ago when she had hired him to look into her daughter's disappearance and they have since become best friends. Jake is convinced that someone is playing tricks on a grief-stricken mother, but he is certain it is not a coincidence that Sarah is receiving these calls just after an attempt was made on her life.
Vanished is a gripping romantic suspense that kept me at the edge of my seat the first time I read it. Back then, I knew the romance would lead to a HEA, but I had no idea how the suspense would ultimately play out. This time around, I knew exactly how the suspense would play out, so I was not as anxious as I was the first time I read the book.
Even though I was less anxious this time around, I still felt Sarah's grief, desperation, and hope as she investigates these recent phone calls. I realize that some readers may have an issue with Sarah because she is a workaholic who doesn't have a social life. Sarah is also letting guilt eat away her body and soul, even though Jake is always there for her, motivating her to live her life. But honestly...I can't hate Sarah, even when she pushes Jake away and hurts his feelings. It bugs me, yes, but I can't hate her because I feel her pain.
As for Jake, he is so patient and understanding and takes really good care of Sarah 🥺 He has been in love with Sarah for a while now, but Sarah doesn't see him as a man. Jake has been here for her as a friend and has never pushed for a romantic relationship with Sarah. In fact, Sarah did not even know that Jake saw her as a woman until the key scene where the line between friendship and love becomes blurry.
Was Jake celibate for the past 7 years? No, he was not. On the other hand, Sarah was celibate in the past 7 years because she stopped feeling sexual and romantic feelings after her daughter's disappearance. She was so focused on drowning herself in work to assuage her grief and guilt. It comes as a shock to her as she begins to see Jake as a man. The sexual feelings feel strange to her because she has not felt these kinds of feelings since before her daughter disappeared. Some readers may have an issue with the fact that Jake has had a lot of short term relationships during this time, whereas Sarah was celibate. But honestly, given the context and the backstory, it felt realistic to me. And I don't even think Jake realized just how crazy he was about Sarah until now, when Sarah's life was in danger.
Sarah and Jake's love story is a poignant friends to lovers romance. The transition from friends to lovers is really well done and just like the first time I read this book, I was 100% invested in their relationship. Their chemistry is 🔥🔥🔥 and their first kiss is simply mind-blowing. We get to really feel Sarah's dormant sexual feelings resurging for the first time in 7 years and it was SO well-written. There are some extremely memorable scenes in this book that I still remembered even after 10 years. There is also very subtle and non-subtle social commentaries peppered throughout the story that I never really paid attention to 10 years ago, so that was an interesting discovery.
As for the ending, I still think that there is room for more storytelling. This book could use an epilogue, hell, even a sequel for that matter. It would have been amazing if the author had explored the ramifications of the ending on a deeper level. That being said, I am still satisfied with this book and I am okay with how it ended.
Note: I listened to the audiobook this time and I liked the narration for the most part. It did take me a while to get used to the narrator's voice for Jake. The Lexie phone calls were especially creepy on audio.
I originally read this book about 10 years ago, back when I was inhaling romantic suspense by Karen Robards, Linda Howard, and Sandra Brown. Today, I still continue to read Linda Howard and Sandra Brown, but for some reason I never went back to Karen Robards, which I will have to rectify sometime soon. Vanished was published in 2006 so it is a bit dated, but it stands the test of time for me.
Sarah Mason's life changed completely when her 5 year old daughter, Lexie, disappeared. Now 7 years later, after multiple investigations, the trail has gone cold...until Sarah receives a phone call from a child that sounds exactly like Lexie. Sarah turns to her best friend, Jake Hogan, for help since he's a PI. She met Jake 7 years ago when she had hired him to look into her daughter's disappearance and they have since become best friends. Jake is convinced that someone is playing tricks on a grief-stricken mother, but he is certain it is not a coincidence that Sarah is receiving these calls just after an attempt was made on her life.
Vanished is a gripping romantic suspense that kept me at the edge of my seat the first time I read it. Back then, I knew the romance would lead to a HEA, but I had no idea how the suspense would ultimately play out. This time around, I knew exactly how the suspense would play out, so I was not as anxious as I was the first time I read the book.
Even though I was less anxious this time around, I still felt Sarah's grief, desperation, and hope as she investigates these recent phone calls. I realize that some readers may have an issue with Sarah because she is a workaholic who doesn't have a social life. Sarah is also letting guilt eat away her body and soul, even though Jake is always there for her, motivating her to live her life. But honestly...I can't hate Sarah, even when she pushes Jake away and hurts his feelings. It bugs me, yes, but I can't hate her because I feel her pain.
As for Jake, he is so patient and understanding and takes really good care of Sarah 🥺 He has been in love with Sarah for a while now, but Sarah doesn't see him as a man. Jake has been here for her as a friend and has never pushed for a romantic relationship with Sarah. In fact, Sarah did not even know that Jake saw her as a woman until the key scene where the line between friendship and love becomes blurry.
Was Jake celibate for the past 7 years? No, he was not. On the other hand, Sarah was celibate in the past 7 years because she stopped feeling sexual and romantic feelings after her daughter's disappearance. She was so focused on drowning herself in work to assuage her grief and guilt. It comes as a shock to her as she begins to see Jake as a man. The sexual feelings feel strange to her because she has not felt these kinds of feelings since before her daughter disappeared. Some readers may have an issue with the fact that Jake has had a lot of short term relationships during this time, whereas Sarah was celibate. But honestly, given the context and the backstory, it felt realistic to me. And I don't even think Jake realized just how crazy he was about Sarah until now, when Sarah's life was in danger.
Sarah and Jake's love story is a poignant friends to lovers romance. The transition from friends to lovers is really well done and just like the first time I read this book, I was 100% invested in their relationship. Their chemistry is 🔥🔥🔥 and their first kiss is simply mind-blowing. We get to really feel Sarah's dormant sexual feelings resurging for the first time in 7 years and it was SO well-written. There are some extremely memorable scenes in this book that I still remembered even after 10 years. There is also very subtle and non-subtle social commentaries peppered throughout the story that I never really paid attention to 10 years ago, so that was an interesting discovery.
As for the ending, I still think that there is room for more storytelling. This book could use an epilogue, hell, even a sequel for that matter. It would have been amazing if the author had explored the ramifications of the ending on a deeper level. That being said, I am still satisfied with this book and I am okay with how it ended.
Note: I listened to the audiobook this time and I liked the narration for the most part. It did take me a while to get used to the narrator's voice for Jake. The Lexie phone calls were especially creepy on audio.
March 28, 2013
I concur with the other readers here. The book started out promisingly enough, and the love story between Jake and Sarah helped me wade in to the story, along with the whodunnit intrigue. I had to read through Sarah's bouts of self-denial, and filler scenes like Danielle, Dorothy, and Pops. In the end, the pay-off wasn't worth it. The Paul's Playhouse link came out of nowhere, I was only given a few pages to digest who the villain/s are (hint: not very convincing, and don't get me started on the ending. They spent YEARS finding Lexie, but fail. Even the villain himself says he doesn't know where she is right now. So how is it even possible that they've managed to quickly locate her all of a sudden?
Besides, Lexie's case is much-televised; since she's alive and claims she has been thinking of her mom constantly, couldn't have she found a way to get in touch with the police or the media? Or her Assistant DA mom?
Disappointing ending. Such a shame. Here I was thinking that Jake did it, out of his obsession for Sarah. :/ Which is just as likely as the motives presented here.
Besides, Lexie's case is much-televised; since she's alive and claims she has been thinking of her mom constantly, couldn't have she found a way to get in touch with the police or the media? Or her Assistant DA mom?
Disappointing ending. Such a shame. Here I was thinking that Jake did it, out of his obsession for Sarah. :/ Which is just as likely as the motives presented here.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 29, 2009
Another book I would not have selected on my own--it was one of the very last on the audio cassette shelves of the library.
This book had the potential of being very good because the main premise made for a good mystery, but it went steadily downhill after the first two thirds or so. And I'm sorry, but I found it hard to believe that a woman who was shot in the head during a convenience store robbery could get up the next day, go to court and get involved in several more adventures. In the next few days after the shooting, she gets assaulted, tasered and more, yet she keeps on going, like the Energizer Bunny. Very unrealistic. Then the ending went way over the top. I think I might have rolled my eyes and sighed throughout the entire final cassette.
I did like the character of Jake, though. I just wish I had met him in a better story.
This book had the potential of being very good because the main premise made for a good mystery, but it went steadily downhill after the first two thirds or so. And I'm sorry, but I found it hard to believe that a woman who was shot in the head during a convenience store robbery could get up the next day, go to court and get involved in several more adventures. In the next few days after the shooting, she gets assaulted, tasered and more, yet she keeps on going, like the Energizer Bunny. Very unrealistic. Then the ending went way over the top. I think I might have rolled my eyes and sighed throughout the entire final cassette.
I did like the character of Jake, though. I just wish I had met him in a better story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2008
Some books afford more than a glimpse into their heroine's life, but this is not one of them. This novel is a carefully contained slice of the tortured existence of a mother who lost her daughter to a kidnapper seven years earlier, and her relationship with her best friend, a man who loves her.
I enjoyed the 'mystery lite' story and actually found myself thinking about it when I wasn't reading, which is unusual... but didn't appreciate the abrupt ending.
There is nothing remotely fairy tale-ish about the blossoming romance between the two protagonists. Realism is the order of the day, which fits the general tone of the book.
Now I'd like to read more of the author's work... possibly her early novels. Karen Robards
I enjoyed the 'mystery lite' story and actually found myself thinking about it when I wasn't reading, which is unusual... but didn't appreciate the abrupt ending.
There is nothing remotely fairy tale-ish about the blossoming romance between the two protagonists. Realism is the order of the day, which fits the general tone of the book.
Now I'd like to read more of the author's work... possibly her early novels. Karen Robards
February 17, 2014
Caution: no spoilers here, just a pointlessly bitchy rant for like-minded readers. This book sucks. Here's why: When I (you?) read romantic suspense by Karen Robards, I'm (you're) expecting brain candy. Not artisanal single-source chocolate candy, either; just a tasty box of Whoppers or a bag of M&Ms. You can't deliver that when the core of the story is a missing child. Romance? Really? And with a long-time friend, at that. There's little romance in a decades-long friendship that becomes sexual under awful circumstances.... When I want angst, I have other go-to authors. Contemporary Robards is for Eek-I'm-In-Trouble fluff in which a spunky damsel draws the reluctant admiration and protection of a horny cop. That's just how it is.
May 4, 2017
Como uma mãe consegue viver após ter sua filha raptada e quando ela segue persistindo em busca da filha por longos 10 anos e ao seguir as pistas que levam até ela cada vez entra num buraco sem fundo de horror e desespero? E como curar uma alma ferida? São perguntas que devemos nos fazer a nós mesmas.Um história comovente que poderia acontecer a qualquer um de nós.
Esta é a história de Sarah Mason que depois de um passeio ao parque perde sua filha. Uma história de fé e coragem. E de homem, Jake Hogan, que mesmo sem acreditar e sem ter esperanças, decide ajudá-la para por fim num tormento que já dura dez longos anos.
Esta é a história de Sarah Mason que depois de um passeio ao parque perde sua filha. Uma história de fé e coragem. E de homem, Jake Hogan, que mesmo sem acreditar e sem ter esperanças, decide ajudá-la para por fim num tormento que já dura dez longos anos.
January 21, 2015
2 STARS
"When she receives a call from a child who sounds exactly like her missing daughter Lexie, Sarah Mason turns to her closest friend in the world, P.I. Jake Hogan. Jake is convinced that someone is deliberately tormenting the grief-stricken mother. But as their friendship explodes into passion-and the torment escalates into murder-Jake is the only person who can keep Sarah safe in their horrifying search for the truth..." (From Amazon)
An okay romantic suspense. A bit too predictable at times and not in an engaging way.
"When she receives a call from a child who sounds exactly like her missing daughter Lexie, Sarah Mason turns to her closest friend in the world, P.I. Jake Hogan. Jake is convinced that someone is deliberately tormenting the grief-stricken mother. But as their friendship explodes into passion-and the torment escalates into murder-Jake is the only person who can keep Sarah safe in their horrifying search for the truth..." (From Amazon)
An okay romantic suspense. A bit too predictable at times and not in an engaging way.
January 13, 2009
I really enjoyed the relationship between the two main characters. The books starts with them already friends, with a long history of companionship, and the narrative really carries the relationship. Karen Robards does a terrific job with suspense. She must get some pleasure out of torturing her characters, because they go through a lot! I would have given this book five stars, but I felt the ending was a little rushed. A good read!
August 12, 2009
I honestly just picked this book up in the library without knowing a lot about the story or the author (I know, long story) - but I really liked the story line. There was quite a few cuss words, which was the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars. It was funny, suspenseful, and I felt like the author made Sara very real. It was like I knew her.
September 27, 2022
This is the first book I had ever read in this genre and I have to say that although the sex scenes threw me. As I didn't know it was from the romance section and bought it at a German book store. The story line was catchy and kept me involved until the end. And although it might not be considered completely realistic it was still very good.
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