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Vanished
BRUCE AND JANA KOKLICH SEEMED TO HAVE IT ALL-
On a summer night in August 2001, Jana Carpenter Koklich, daughter of former California State Senator Paul Carpenter, came home from an Eric Clapton concert, went inside her house, and was never seen again. But even before her bloo-laden SUV was found abandoned, in a high-crime area's ramshackle garage, suspicion had fallen on her husband, Bruce.
A LUCRATIVE CALIFORNIA REAL ESTATE BUSINESS, A LUXURIOUS HOME, A SOLID MARRIAGE, AND A FUTURE THAT SEEMED LIMITLESS...
Bruce's learning for a big financial score, his risky business deals, and evidence that he was later trying to press his own teenage niece into a sordid affair, all signalled a dire warning. So, too, did his million-dollar insurance policy on Jana's life.
UNTIL IT ALL
From the start Bruce maintained his innocence. But the circumstances of Jana's disappearance would reuslt in two stunning trials that would eventually reveal deadly secrets of greed, sex, and murder. And even after the verdict, the secrets would continue...
VANISHED
On a summer night in August 2001, Jana Carpenter Koklich, daughter of former California State Senator Paul Carpenter, came home from an Eric Clapton concert, went inside her house, and was never seen again. But even before her bloo-laden SUV was found abandoned, in a high-crime area's ramshackle garage, suspicion had fallen on her husband, Bruce.
A LUCRATIVE CALIFORNIA REAL ESTATE BUSINESS, A LUXURIOUS HOME, A SOLID MARRIAGE, AND A FUTURE THAT SEEMED LIMITLESS...
Bruce's learning for a big financial score, his risky business deals, and evidence that he was later trying to press his own teenage niece into a sordid affair, all signalled a dire warning. So, too, did his million-dollar insurance policy on Jana's life.
UNTIL IT ALL
From the start Bruce maintained his innocence. But the circumstances of Jana's disappearance would reuslt in two stunning trials that would eventually reveal deadly secrets of greed, sex, and murder. And even after the verdict, the secrets would continue...
VANISHED
- GenresTrue CrimeNonfiction
347 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 28, 2022
I cannot get into this book at all.
11/25 this has to be the slowest moving crime book I’ve ever read. I feel like a sloth has something to do with it. Sloth 🦥 OMG! emojis has a sloth I AM DEAD that is my spirit animal
11/25 this has to be the slowest moving crime book I’ve ever read. I feel like a sloth has something to do with it. Sloth 🦥 OMG! emojis has a sloth I AM DEAD that is my spirit animal
June 3, 2017
Read for the 2017 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge prompt 'A Book with Pictures'
13/5 - God! I wasted ten days on this book. I enjoy true crime, but this was a poor example of it. To start with I don't feel like Smith chose the best crime to focus on due to its unsolved nature (Jana's body has never been found and Bruce has never admitted to anything or strayed from his story). Second, I didn't like the way Smith wrote this, frequently inserting his bias into his writing. Third, the front cover is pretty and atmospheric and all, but it's completely wrong in relation to the facts. I'm guessing that the car is supposed to be Jana's car (there's no other car mentioned in the book at all) - except it's way too new (Jana disappeared in 2001 and that car looks like it's from the last 10 years at the most - no earlier than 2007), it has a storage container on the roof (Jana's car had roof racks and nothing else), and it's being shown in a parking garage (Jana's car was discovered in a storage unit just wide enough for her car).
Regarding the crime, it seems clear to me that Bruce killed Jana, that it probably wasn't premeditated, and that he had a partner who helped with the clean up. I think that partner was Chris because of the weirdness with the pillow and the fact that he was conveniently by Bruce's side for the initial (non-urgent) search for Jana. I think that Chris turned on Bruce after the fact, but he couldn't give away too many details of the crime because then there'd be probing questions for him too and Bruce couldn't retaliate by dumping Chris in it further because that would be an admission of guilt (also he may have convinced himself that he was too smart for the police and would get away with it).
I won't be reading this again, so I'm donating it to the Brotherhood of St. Laurence along with a couple of other books that I no longer want. At some point in the future I will give Smith another chance, I have his book on the Green River Killer on my 'to read' shelf, so hopefully that goes better than this one.
13/5 - God! I wasted ten days on this book. I enjoy true crime, but this was a poor example of it. To start with I don't feel like Smith chose the best crime to focus on due to its unsolved nature (Jana's body has never been found and Bruce has never admitted to anything or strayed from his story). Second, I didn't like the way Smith wrote this, frequently inserting his bias into his writing. Third, the front cover is pretty and atmospheric and all, but it's completely wrong in relation to the facts. I'm guessing that the car is supposed to be Jana's car (there's no other car mentioned in the book at all) - except it's way too new (Jana disappeared in 2001 and that car looks like it's from the last 10 years at the most - no earlier than 2007), it has a storage container on the roof (Jana's car had roof racks and nothing else), and it's being shown in a parking garage (Jana's car was discovered in a storage unit just wide enough for her car).
Regarding the crime, it seems clear to me that Bruce killed Jana, that it probably wasn't premeditated, and that he had a partner who helped with the clean up. I think that partner was Chris because of the weirdness with the pillow and the fact that he was conveniently by Bruce's side for the initial (non-urgent) search for Jana. I think that Chris turned on Bruce after the fact, but he couldn't give away too many details of the crime because then there'd be probing questions for him too and Bruce couldn't retaliate by dumping Chris in it further because that would be an admission of guilt (also he may have convinced himself that he was too smart for the police and would get away with it).
I won't be reading this again, so I'm donating it to the Brotherhood of St. Laurence along with a couple of other books that I no longer want. At some point in the future I will give Smith another chance, I have his book on the Green River Killer on my 'to read' shelf, so hopefully that goes better than this one.
January 19, 2020
This book for me discussed one of the topics I most hate talking about that is politics. So it was off to a bad start. It picked up for me about halfway through and kept my interest.
May 4, 2025
Decent true crime book. Not a whodunnit, but a satisfying read of justice coming under not so easy circumstances.
January 25, 2026
great reading.
Kept me reading all night long. Who needs sleep!
Carlton smith is an excellent author and I’m into one of hud best books
Kept me reading all night long. Who needs sleep!
Carlton smith is an excellent author and I’m into one of hud best books
December 21, 2008
I remember hearing about a missing woman shortly before 9/11. I think it was this case.
The daughter of a disgraced former senator is last seen on a Friday night in August 2001 after a friend drops her off after an Eric Clapton concert. On Saturday, Jana Koklich Carpenter misses her morning workout without calling, which she's never done. Over the weekend, she does not return any calls, including some worried calls from her mother.
Her husband claims he last saw her in bed Monday morning before he left for work. Jana doesn't make it to work and is later declared missing. Her SUV is later found in a rough area of town with the windows down, keys in the ignition, and purse in the vehicle. Jana's body is never found.
I thought this was pretty good, except discussions about some of the couple's business deals were boring.
The daughter of a disgraced former senator is last seen on a Friday night in August 2001 after a friend drops her off after an Eric Clapton concert. On Saturday, Jana Koklich Carpenter misses her morning workout without calling, which she's never done. Over the weekend, she does not return any calls, including some worried calls from her mother.
Her husband claims he last saw her in bed Monday morning before he left for work. Jana doesn't make it to work and is later declared missing. Her SUV is later found in a rough area of town with the windows down, keys in the ignition, and purse in the vehicle. Jana's body is never found.
I thought this was pretty good, except discussions about some of the couple's business deals were boring.
February 12, 2013
Bruce, an arrogant, self-centered, controlling, self-made real estate tycoon is married to the daughter of a disgraced former state senator.
Business partners and seemingly at the top of their game, Jana disappears late one Friday night after returning home from a concert with a female friend.
Greed, shady financial deals, and a shady partner, as well as Jana's increasing self-confidence may all have played a part...and all point to husband Bruce as being somehow involved. Many conplicated stories and lies later, after two trials-the whole truth may still not be known. Jana's body has never been found.
A good vacation read.
Business partners and seemingly at the top of their game, Jana disappears late one Friday night after returning home from a concert with a female friend.
Greed, shady financial deals, and a shady partner, as well as Jana's increasing self-confidence may all have played a part...and all point to husband Bruce as being somehow involved. Many conplicated stories and lies later, after two trials-the whole truth may still not be known. Jana's body has never been found.
A good vacation read.
January 13, 2009
I read this book while traveling to the smoky mountains and back. I love true crime and could not put this book down. The reality of people behaving badly in order to gain their own success fascinates me
May 18, 2013
A true story but the way it was written lacked emotion. I also wrote a true story, Surviving Justice, but it was written showing love, emotion and drams. I was put off by the manner in which Vanished was written.
February 5, 2021
I first read this book in 2013 but couldn't remember much about it so I gave it another go. I'll stick with my original rating of three stars since it is pretty decent. The case was entirely circumstantial (with no body), so you can imagine how damning the circumstances were.
August 2, 2008
Like this author of true crime.
February 20, 2012
Started a little slow but the author did a good job with the background and didn't boggle down discussing the trials.
October 6, 2013
Interesting, if ultimately unsatisfying. But that might be due to the lack of a real-life resolution.
Informative chapter about California politics. Then again, I know nothing of that topic.
Informative chapter about California politics. Then again, I know nothing of that topic.
July 27, 2017
It was okay, but it rang of trouble among the elite.
February 27, 2015
It was a good true crime book.
July 8, 2015
Pretty good; surprising ending. NON-FICTION.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews