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Vanishing Act Audiobook
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(4.00) - 1,517 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Jane Whitefield is a Native American guide who leads solitary outcasts through hostile territory to escape the vengeance of their enemies. But the shaded forest paths her Seneca ancestors might have followed on such missions have all been converted to superhighways, and now the safest way stations are crowded urban buildings that offer the camouflage of anonymity. Still, the supply of runaways—and the need for a woman who will take great risks to save them—have never been greater. Jane knows all the tricks; in fact, she has invented several of them herself in the ten years she has been teaching fugitives to live with new identities. Many of her clients have been innocent people whom the institutions of society have been too slow and cumbersome to protect, but an increasing number have been like the gambler Harry Kemple: people who aren't especially admirable but who aren't bad enough to deserve to die prematurely. Jane opens her door to find in her house an uninvited visitor named John Felker, the latest to run to her for sanctuary. Felker is not like the others Jane has helped, and everything about him is disquieting. He doesn't even know whom he is running from—only that whoever is framing him as an embezzler has already circulated an open contract in the prison system for his death. Maybe his problems began years ago, when he was a policeman; a good cop makes an enemy with each arrest. But perhaps he is still a policeman and has invented precisely the right story to entrap Jane. Or perhaps he is something even worse. The unexpected guest draws this exceptional woman into an adventure of mystery, love and sacrifice, betrayal and vengeance, and propels her on a pursuit that takes her from the night streets of Los Angeles and Vancouver to the dark, unexplored regions of her own mind. There is no way for Jane Whitefield to survive this particular vanishing act except to uncover the hidden meanings of violent events that have kept police forces and criminal syndicates equally mystified for years. She must see beyond the cement and steel of the cities and learn to see as her Indian ancestors did. Vanishing Act is Edgar Award winner Thomas Perry at the top of his form, pitting a heroine like no other against a cunning, implacable enemy in a world where mercy and brutality exist in equal measure and the only way to survive is by one's wits.
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"This one is a real doozy, and my favorite of all the Jane Whitfield books. I think the villain in this one is the most fun and the climax of the story is the deepest and most well thought out. I was riveted the whole time. This book has a lot of twists and turns. In general I tend to glaze over a bit with all the Indian lore, but this book makes me want to visit all the locations and settings in it so I can relive the events in it. Must read if you are at all interested in Jane Whitfield "
— Yogi (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“There are probably only half a dozen suspense writers alive who can be depended upon to deliver high-voltage shocks; vivid, sympathetic characters; and compelling narratives each time they publish. Thomas Perry is one of them.”
— Stephen King -
“Thomas Perry is, quite simply, brilliant. And as each book comes out he becomes more so.”
— Robert B. Parker -
“The best thriller of the year, from one of the most thoroughly satisfying writers around.”
— Lawrence Block -
“Thomas Perry has given us a chase of heart-stopping velocity, a good dash of ice-dry humor, and best of all, a heroine of uncommon appeal and intelligence.”
— Martha Grimes -
“Thomas Perry keeps pulling fresh ideas and original characters out of thin air. The strong-willed heroine he introduces in Vanishing Act rates as one of his most singular creations.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“Bean’s performance is an act that’s hard to follow. She’s highly believable as Whitefield and modulates the story’s emotional ups and downs easily.”
— AudioFile -
Bean's performance is an act that's hard to follow. She's highly believable as Whitefield and modulates the story's emotional ups and downs easily.
— AudioFile
Vanishing Act Listener Reviews
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Codename Eric, 3/12/2015
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" Nice mystery that ends differently than I expected. Towards the middle I was thinking, "really?", but then there was a nice twist. "
— Gini, 2/19/2014 -
" Love the series. They keep getting better "
— Susan, 2/8/2014 -
" Highly recommended by Sidran! Jane Whitefield is a great character. I am going to read the rest of these books "
— Todd, 1/28/2014 -
" Rating the series. Excellent storyline. "
— Lesa, 1/23/2014 -
" This was a very exciting read that kept you wondering what was going to happen next. Native American, Jane Whitefield, is a special guide who helps people who are in trouble of some kind. After being betrayed by a client who stole her heart she learns to go back to some of the ancient native ways to survive. I plan to add others in this series to my to-read list. "
— Linda, 1/21/2014 -
" I like this whole series w/ jane whitefield hiding people. "
— Debdanz, 1/20/2014 -
" Worth reading. In addition to being well-written, the legends and customs of Native American tribes of the area are woven into the story. "
— Karen, 1/8/2014 -
" First in the Jane WHitefield series. The main character is a guide who helps a people disappear. The author includes a lot of details about native americans and the new York area but sometimes all the details slow downturn plot. "
— Denise, 12/30/2013 -
" Good mass-paperback crime thriller set in Native American culture ala Tony Hllerman. I'm hooked now. "
— Gretchen, 12/21/2013 -
" Such an incredibly distinctive voice. This is one of those books that I read again as soon as I finished it the first time. I love the blend of intense practicality coupled with overt mysticism. Tremendous start to a great series. My grandmother even liked it, and she's picky as hell. "
— Carolyn, 12/20/2013 -
" liked this a lot. looking for the next one. "
— Joan, 12/15/2013 -
" Love this series!! Mystery and history of the Indians. I love Thomas Perry's way of writing and I don't want to put it down until I'm done. "
— Kris, 11/19/2013 -
" It was OK with clever twists in the plot but nowhere near as good as his later books. The Native American thread didn't work for me. "
— Couchcmdr, 11/19/2013 -
" This is the first in Jane Whitefield series by Thomas Perry. I will definitely read more. Having grown up in New York I enjoyed all the description about different areas of our state. "
— Cindy, 9/3/2013 -
" Another series I owe to Annie. Hard to categorize, the story of an American-Indian woman who makes a living establishing new identities for a variety of people in trouble. She also maintains multiple identities for herself to use in the course of her work. Unique subject and a good writer. "
— Sharon, 8/30/2013 -
" Sort of predictable. The main character is a lonely woman who falls for the wrong guy and winds up in major danger. "
— Doris, 7/26/2013 -
" Almost stopped reading, first half was a 2, second a 4. "
— James, 4/19/2013 -
" One of my very favorite characters. Nice to see a male author not afraid to create a strong female character who doesn't fall back on some male in her life to save her. Instead she risks her life to save others. "
— KarenC, 12/6/2012 -
" I liked the heroine, Jane Whitefield and the Native American history/philosophy sprinkled throughout the story. I would read more of Thomas Perry's series with this character "
— Lesly, 9/24/2012 -
" probably my all time favorite book-a big plus is that this is the start of a series about Jane Whitefield that is fabulous! "
— Moogie, 3/26/2012 -
" I found it an engrossing who done it but the relationship was contrived "
— Kathleen, 2/14/2012 -
" Enjoyed it. It was different than the mystery I thought it was going to be. Buy very engaging and interesting. "
— Chrissy, 1/1/2012 -
" First book by this author, would like to read more. "
— Rosebud, 11/2/2011 -
" High adrenaline, high octane thriller with a strong female protagonist. The author leaves clues that makes the reader uncomfortable with the story and Jane's decisions but never enough to say "that's it!" Also full of Native American lore, culture and mystic. "
— Ruth, 7/24/2011 -
" This one was big on blah, blah when blah would have worked better. "
— Kevin, 6/22/2011 -
" I usually like this type of book but this one just wasn't my cup of tea. I couldn't relate to the main character, Jane, and had a hard time following the convolutions of the plot. "
— Joanne, 6/13/2011 -
" I really enjoyed this book. The rest of the series was not as good. "
— Lisa, 5/15/2011 -
" Part of an addictive series. I enjoyed this book. "
— April, 5/7/2011 -
" Probably a 4.5. Intense story of a Native American heroine who gives people new identities. Interesting cultural notes about the tribes in NYState and a great chase scene in the Adirondack Wilderness. "
— Ellen, 3/20/2011 -
" First book by this author, would like to read more. "
— Rosebud, 3/8/2011 -
" A little uneven. Might try another to see if it was just me. Nice to have a strong, but fallible woman character. "
— Alice, 10/20/2010 -
" Good mass-paperback crime thriller set in Native American culture ala Tony Hllerman. I'm hooked now. "
— Gretchen, 9/25/2010 -
" The first half was a little dull. She has an affair with her client and I thought 'uh-oh' and sure enough it turned out to be a bad idea. Things got more exciting in the second half, so I can give it three stars. "
— Sandra, 9/12/2010
About Thomas Perry
Thomas Perry is the bestselling author of over twenty novels, including The Butcher’s Boy, which won the Edgar Award, and Metzger’s Dog, which was named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. He received a BA degree from Cornell University and a PhD in English from the University of Rochester.
About Joyce Bean
Joyce Bean is an accomplished audiobook narrator and director. In addition to having won several AudioFile Earphones Awards, she has been nominated multiple times for the prestigious Audie Award. Equally adept at narrating fiction and nonfiction, and she also narrates audiobooks under the name Jane Brown.