We’re delighted to be sharing Laura’s thoughts on The Vanishing Act.
The Vanishing Act by Jo Jakeman (Constable, £21.99) is available from all good bookstores.
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- Category : Crime & Mystery
- Publisher : Constable
- Publication date : 11 Sept. 2025
- Language : English
- Print length : 368 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1408718421
- ISBN-13 : 978-1408718421
Life as a missing person is absolute murder…
When artist Eloise Ford hears that human remains found in an abandoned mine are believed to be those of long-missing teenager Elizabeth King, the shock sends her reeling.
It can’t be true. Eloise knows this for a fact because… she is Elizabeth King.
Now, her carefully curated life in Cornwall is falling apart. Her husband is acting strangely, her children aren’t speaking to her and she can’t sell a painting for love nor money. But much more worrying are the signs that someone knows exactly who she is… and why she had to vanish thirty years ago.
Eloise needs answers. Is her son’s ex-girlfriend just plain annoying… or does she know something? Will the detection skills of the online ‘Truth Seekers’ group prove more than amateurish? What’s the real story behind those village newcomers?
And just how far would she go to keep her family, her friends, and her fraudulent life, safe?
The Vanishing Act Review
I was instantly hooked when I started reading this book. The pacing was spot on, making it such a joy to get lost in the story.
Eloise Ford, an artist with a seemingly perfect life, is shaken when the remains of a young woman, Elizabeth King, are discovered. Cracks begin to show in her calm exterior as she realises the past she’s tried to leave behind is finally catching up with her.
Alongside her own distress, Eloise is dealing with a husband keeping secrets and teenagers who are struggling in different ways.
I especially enjoyed the character development, particularly with Holly – the rather irritating girlfriend of Eloise’s son. Her determination to dig into the mystery of the bodies through her online investigations added an interesting dimension.
Overall, I loved The Vanishing Act. It’s well written, with strong characters and a twisty plot that kept me gripped to the very end.
(I also loved Jo Jakeman’s One Bad Apple – you can read my thoughts here on the blog).
About the Author
Born in Cyprus, Jo Jakeman worked for many years in London before settling in Cornwall with her husband and sons.
When she’s not writing or reading, Jo walks the coastal paths and plots the fictional downfall of those who have wronged her.
@JoJakemanWrites www.jojakeman.com/
