The Vanishing

I decided to pick up The Vanishing by Wendy Webb for two reasons; the cover was pretty and it was published in 2014. I had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into. I did not know that Webb wrote horror novels. Or that this book would actually scare me. Or that the copy I got was large print (that was a weird and pleasant surprise). Or that after reading this book that I would want to read every single book Wendy Webb has published. Needless to say, Webb is an exceptional author.

The Vanishing opens with Julia Bishop, recently widowed and in the midst of her whole world coming down around her with seemingly no way out. What appears to be a random stranger shows up at her door out of the blue and offers her a unique job, as well as a way out of her life that is now in ruins. Abandoning what she has left, Julia accepts her new position as a caretaker at Havenwood Estates. Caretaker of Amaris Sinclair, a renowned horror novelist whom Julia has adored for years, and who is also believed to be dead. While she presses for the reasons why Amaris Sinclair left her successful writing career behind, Julia uncovers her own dark ties to Havenwood.

Part ghost story and part mystery, The Vanishing is a force to be reckoned with. I don’t think I’ve read a book that fast in a long time. I literally could not wait to see what happened next, and had a few nightmares to show for it. I rated Wendy Webb’s latest novel 5 stars, only because it was a wonderful surprise and Webb is a talented storyteller.