A Kind of Vanishing

A spellbinding mystery of obsession and guilt, this is also the poignant story of what happens to those left behind when a child vanishes without trace. It is the summer of 1968, the day Senator Robert Kennedy is shot. Two nine-year-old girls are playing hide and seek in the ruins of a deserted village. Alice has discovered a secret about Eleanor Ramsay's mother, and is taunting the other girl. When it is Eleanor's turn to hide, Alice disappears. Years later, an extraordinary turn of events opens up shocking truths for the Ramsay family and all who knew the missing girl.

Winner of People's Book Prize: Fiction 2010

“Strip HTML and formatting from your text.Paste content below, and hit the button.Paste your HTML text here (maximum 20.000 characters):'Brilliant. Terrifying. A novelone cannot forget.' - Shots'A thoughtful, wellobserved story aboutfamilies and relationshipsand what happens to bothwhen a tragedy occurs.It reminded me of KateAtkinson.' - Scott Pack'Complex, disturbing andsurprising... you simply haveto rethink what you thoughtwas going to happen -before sleeping with thelights on.' - Candis'Brilliant. Terrifying. A novel one cannot forget.' - Shots 'A thoughtful, well observed story about families and relationships and what happens to both when a tragedy occurs. It reminded me of Kate Atkinson.' - Scott Pack 'Complex, disturbing and surprising... you simply have to rethink what you thought was going to happen - before sleeping with the lights on.' - Candis”

‘Warmly recommended.’ – Promoting Crime Fiction; ‘A masterful exploration of human feelings... Full of unexpected twists, this is a crime story that will leave you wondering until the end whether a crime has, in fact, been committed at all.’ – Book After Book; ‘Lesley Thomson is a class above, and A Kind of Vanishing is a novel to treasure.’ – Ian Rankin; ‘A touch of Susan Hill or Ruth Rendell (Barbara Vine) in her gothic mode.’ – Abbey's Bookshop, Sydney; ‘This is a completely gripping book, both as a psycho-social study and as a psychological thriller.’ – Morning Star; ‘A beautifully written story, the characters and characterisation are thoughtful and believable. A book to read curled up in an armchair.’ – Mystery Women; ‘A sensitively written story, evocatively described... an unusual thriller in that it easily bears a second reading.’ – Argus; ‘Complex, disturbing and surprising.’ – Candis; ‘If you enjoy a good thriller with more twists and turns than a cork screw, I recommend it.’ – The Parkinson; ‘This is a dark, hauntingly chilling read. An expose of minds, relationships, families and passion.’ – Anne Cater; ‘A thoughtful, well-observed story about families and relationships and what happens to both when a tragedy occurs. It reminded me of Kate Atkinson.’ – Scott Pack, Me and My Big Mouth; ‘This emotionally charged thriller grips from the first paragraph, and a nail-biting level of suspense is maintained throughout. A great novel.’ – She Magazine Book of the Month; ‘Thomson skilfully evokes the era and the slow-moving quality of childhood summers, suggesting the menace lurking just beyond the vision of her young protagonists.’ – The Guardian; ‘The strength of the writing and the author’s brilliant evocation of how a child's mind works combine to terrifying effect. Lesley Thomson has a masterly control of detail... A novel one cannot forget.’ – Shotsmag

Lesley Thomson's first novel, Seven Miles from Sydney ("Compelling" Times on Sunday; "Bold and imaginative" Time Out; "Such an interesting novel" Guardian) is a crime thriller set in Australia. She also co-wrote actress Sue Johnston's autobiography Hold on to the Messy Times. She grew up in London and now lives in Lewes, East Sussex

A spellbinding mystery of obsession and guilt, this is also the poignant story of what happens to those left behind when a child vanishes without trace. It is the summer of 1968, the day Senator Robert Kennedy is shot. Two nine-year-old girls are playing hide and seek in the ruins of a deserted village. Alice has discovered a secret about Eleanor Ramsay's mother, and is taunting the other girl. When it is Eleanor's turn to hide, Alice disappears. Years later, an extraordinary turn of events opens up shocking truths for the Ramsay family and all who knew the missing girl.

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