Review: And Then She Vanished

And Then She Vanished by Nick Jones
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A couple of notes to preface this review. First, the book appears to be a rewrite/serious overhaul of a previous edition by author Nick Jones. Whomever suggested the rebranding/packaging was SPOT ON. It was a combination of the title and the cover that drew me in, and I can guarantee you, after looking at the original, that I would have walked right past it in its original iteration. Which leads me to my second note—this novel was COMPLETELY outside my wheelhouse. I rarely read sci-fi, unless it’s post-apocalyptic, so again, kudos on the enticing changes and redirection in marketing.

With all of that said, I dove into this not realizing it landed smack in the middle of the science-fiction genre and in fact wouldn’t have been able to identify it as such until well into the story. When the improbable elements of science-fiction did emerge, I was already in neck deep, inhaling pages as quickly as I could turn them. In fact I was so engaged in the reading that I had little difficulty suspending my disbelief and bought in to the time-travel premise hook, line and sinker.

Jones proves himself to be a major contender in the arena of modern literature, as he brilliantly conveys tone and mood in a way that is both rare and beautiful. I found myself holding my breath, laughing and crying right along with the major players, who are all interesting, well-defined characters. The ambiance of each scene is brought to bear through some of the best writing I’ve had the privilege to read in a very long time. The heaviness that is built around the protracted grieving of the protagonist, Joe Bridgeman, is something that is so real and so alive it’s almost as if the reader can reach out and touch the sadness.

The conclusion here was where the sci-fi crowd will find pay dirt, and also where I found the book lost a bit of traction. It was difficult to follow the convoluted finale, as it seemed to spin in a thousand directions. The onslaught of details, and the flash-forward/flash-back structure, became disorienting and sent me back through a few pages seeking clarification on more than one occasion. I am putting this down to my inexperience with the genre rather than any missteps on the part of the author.

In the end, I was left breathless and fulfilled, a state that left me longing for just one more chapter. Lucky for me, this appears to be a part of a series. I can’t wait to dive in to the next volume!



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