The Vanished

Wanted – stories.Anything weird will do!The dark stuff sent to Fraser and Cassie’s student newspaper is disturbing.Old tales are being rewritten. Tales of plague graves, and forbidden woods where children vanish. Hidden steps leading to a decaying underworld. Old songs used to ensnare the innocent. But they’re just horror stories – aren’t they?Then the first child is taken …

"Shirley Barthelmie's pleasant, even tones provide a strong narration for this chilling story of urban legends that become reality. She provides distinct voices for each of the three students, Cassie, Fraser, and Jake, who investigate the cases of children who disappear. Barthelmie maintains the rising tension of the story, despite the challenges of long descriptive passages and loose ends in the plot. An occasional slip into overly dramatic reading can be forgiven, given the creepy subterranean caverns the teens must traverse in order to rescue Jake's sister from ravenous troglodyte inhabitants. The menacing music that begins each CD sets the mood of the recording well." -- AudioFile Magazine

Celia Rees was born in Solihull in the West Midlands and now lives in Leamington Spa, UK. Before she became a full-time writer, Celia was a teacher and her pupils helped inspire her to start writing. She is now an award-winning author well known for her bestselling historical novels, and for her unique fiction for young adults that combines 21st-century realism with a disturbing strand of psycho-horror. Shirley Barthelmie studied drama at East 15 Acting School in London. She has a love of theatre and the spoken word which has led to voiceover and audiobook work since emigrating to Australia. She especially enjoys pantomime and has toured with children's shows throughout the UK. Shirly had narrated a number of Kathy Lette books including Altar Ego as well as Blood Sinister and The Cunning Man by Celia Rees.

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