James Delargy: Vanished [2021] paperback

From the groundbreaking author of 55 comes an extraordinary new thriller...

The Kane family, Lorcan, Naiyana and their young son, relocate from Perth to Kallayee, an abandoned mining town in the Great Victoria Desert to start over again, free from their chequered past.

The town seems like the perfect getaway: Peaceful. Quiet. Remote. Somewhere they won't be found.

But life in Kallayee isn't quite as straightforward as they hope. There are noises in the earth, mysterious shadows and tracks in the dust as if the town is coming back to life.

But the family can't leave. No one can talk sense into them.

And now, no one can talk to them at all.

They've simply vanished.

Now it's up to Detective Emmaline Taylor to find them... before it's too late.


** Praise for Vanished **

'Delargy manages to turn the wide-open deserted Outback into something intensely claustrophobic and chilling' Russ Thomas

'Intense, insightful and impossible to put down, Vanished is a gripping tale of greed and betrayal, burning with tension under a harsh Australian sun' Caz Frear

'Powered through this in two sittings. Vanished ratchets up the tension page after page, playing out in a perfect isolated setting with such a claustrophobic feel, and so vividly painted you could step right in' Rob Scragg

** Praise for 55 **

'A pulse-pounding psycho-thriller . . . splendidly-engineered plot and a masterly sense of pace allied to a haunting background make for a powerful debut' Crime Time

'A clever concept for this fast-moving debut, fleshed out with a sympathetic hero haunted by grim memories' Sunday Times Crime Club

'Brilliantly atmospheric...with a sense of menace that pervades every page. Even more impressive than 55' Kate Rhodes

'Fabulously atmospheric, a splendid slice of outback noir for fans of Jane Harper. The intricately woven plot sucks you into a hostile world and keeps you sweating until the final page' Adam Southward
'A gripping race through the bleak Australian outback to find a missing family: Vanished captivated and intrigued me from page one' Louisa De Lange

'If you liked the Dry you will like this'

'I enjoy a good psychological thriller and this was up there with the best'

'I loved this book from start to finish . . . the ending is still on my mind today'

'A real page-turner. Gets a grip on you from the start. Best book I've read in years!'

'I found it impossible to tear myself away from this small, isolated community as they stumbled into a territory more hostile and unpredictable than any place on earth. LOVED IT'