The Vanishing Point"[McDermid’s] 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 McDermid’s 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 premise--the abduction of a child in an international airport Airport security--an everyday occurrence, unless you’re Stephanie Harker, who after a leg operation always sets off alarms and gets extra screening. Still, at worst it’s a big hassle, even when Stephanie is separated from Jimmy Higgins, the five-year-old boy she’s in the process of adopting. But then a man in a TSA uniform quietly walks up to Jimmy and leads him away, while she’s helpless to prevent it. The more Stephanie protests and sounds the alarm, the more the security agents are convinced she’s 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, Jimmy’s birth mother was a celebrity--living 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 women’s 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 parent’s fear can reach. And the horrifying reality is that she has good reason to be afraid for him--for 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. |
