Synopses & Reviews
[McDermids] work is taut, psychologically complex and so gripping that it puts your life on hold.”The Times (UK)
Masterfully handled, and McDermids ability to wrong-foot the reader remains second to none: highly recommended.”The Guardian (UK)
From one of the finest crime writers we have, The Vanishing Point kicks off with a nightmare scenariothe abduction of a child in an international airport. Stephanie Harker is in the screening booth at airport security, separated from Jimmy Higgins, the five-year-old boy shes in the process of adopting, when a man in a TSA uniform leads the boy away. The more Stephanie sounds the alarm, the more the security agents suspect her, and the further away the kidnapper gets. It soon becomes clear nothing in this situation is clear cut. For starters, Jimmys birth mother was a celebrityliving in a world where conspiracy and obfuscation are excused for the sake of column inches. And then there are the bad boys in both womens pasts. As FBI agent Vivian McKuras and Scotland Yard Detective Nick Nikolaides investigate on both sides of the pond, Stephanie learns just how deep a parents fear can reach. And the horrifying reality is that she has good reason to be afraidfor reasons she never saw coming.
The Vanishing Point . . . is marked by [McDermids] trademark stunners, including a climax that packs a vicious punch. And readers are again left to marvel at her ingenuity.”Jay Strafford, Richmond Times-Dispatch
McDermid knows crime, but more importantly, she knows the dark side of men and women and the havoc they can wreak on each others lives. . . . The Vanishing Point is a stand-alone and does it ever. . . . Th[e] opening is shocking, edge-of-your-seat unnerving and violent on different levels. The reader is immediately drawn in by Harkers overwhelming panic and fear. Its taut, smart, vivid writing.”Victoria Brownworth, Lambda Literary (online)
Synopsis
[McDermids] work is taut, psychologically complex and so gripping that it puts your life on hold.”The Times (UK)One of the finest crime writers we have, internationally bestselling author Val McDermid delivers a terrifying thriller that is a nightmare come true
Val McDermids more than two dozen heart-stopping thrillers have won her international renown and a devoted following of readers across the globe. The Vanishing Point, her latest novel, kicks off with a horrifying premisethe abduction of a child in an international airport
Airport securityan everyday occurrence, unless youre Stephanie Harker, who after a leg operation always sets off alarms and gets extra screening. Still, at worst its a big hassle, even when Stephanie is separated from Jimmy Higgins, the five-year-old boy shes in the process of adopting. But then a man in a TSA uniform quietly walks up to Jimmy and leads him away, while shes helpless to prevent it. The more Stephanie protests and sounds the alarm, the more the security agents are convinced shes the dangerous one, and the further away the kidnapper gets.
As Stephanie struggles to clear herself of suspicion and assist the FBI in their search for Jimmy, the missing boy, it becomes clear nothing in this situation is clear cut. For starters, Jimmys birth mother was a celebrityliving in a world where conspiracy and obfuscation are all excused for the sake of column inches. And then there are the bad boys in both womens pasts. As formidable female FBI agent Vivian McKuras and Scotland Yard Detective Nick Nikolaides work on both sides of the pond and the possible scenarios multiply, Stephanie learns just how deep a parents fear can reach. And the horrifying reality is that she has good reason to be afraid for himfor reasons she never saw coming.
A powerful, grippingly plotted thriller that showcases Val McDermid at the height of her talent, The Vanishing Point will confront its Everywoman heroine with the most difficult choice of her life, and will keep readers on the edge of their seats.
Synopsis
" McDermid's] work is taut, psychologically complex and so gripping that it puts your life on hold."--The Times (UK) "Masterfully handled, and McDermid's ability to wrong-foot the reader remains second to none: highly recommended."--The Guardian (UK)
From one of the finest crime writers we have, The Vanishing Point kicks off with a nightmare scenario--the abduction of a child in an international airport. Stephanie Harker is in the screening booth at airport security, separated from Jimmy Higgins, the five-year-old boy she's in the process of adopting, when a man in a TSA uniform leads the boy away. The more Stephanie sounds the alarm, the more the security agents suspect her, and the further away the kidnapper gets. It soon becomes clear nothing in this situation is clear cut. For starters, Jimmy's birth mother was a celebrity--living in a world where conspiracy and obfuscation are excused for the sake of column inches. And then there are the bad boys in both women's pasts. As FBI agent Vivian McKuras and Scotland Yard Detective Nick Nikolaides investigate on both sides of the pond, Stephanie learns just how deep a parent's fear can reach. And the horrifying reality is that she has good reason to be afraid--for reasons she never saw coming.
"The Vanishing Point . . . is marked by McDermid's] trademark stunners, including a climax that packs a vicious punch. And readers are again left to marvel at her ingenuity."--Jay Strafford, Richmond Times-Dispatch
"McDermid knows crime, but more importantly, she knows the dark side of men and women and the havoc they can wreak on each other's lives. . . . The Vanishing Point is a stand-alone and does it ever. . . . Th e] opening is shocking, edge-of-your-seat unnerving and violent on different levels. The reader is immediately drawn in by Harker's overwhelming panic and fear. It's taut, smart, vivid writing."--Victoria Brownworth, Lambda Literary (online)
About the Author
Val McDermid is the author of twenty-five previous best-selling novels, which have been translated into over forty languages and have sold over ten million copies worldwide.