Vanish by Tom Pawlik

Here’s an adult supernatural suspense novel I thoroughly enjoyed: Vanish by Tom Pawlik (Tyndale). A real pager turner. Here’s the gist of the story (hopefully, without any spoilers).

The protagonist, lawyer Conner Hayden (known by his wife as Connie), sees bizarre, white-eyed people—or shadows that waft like ghosts. He can’t decide if he’s losing his mind, sick or if something really weird is going on.

Conner finds himself plunged back into familiar scenarios from his past. Haunting scenes of his family as it once was before he separated from his wife and before his young son drowned, unfold like a movie, but also seem real. The wispy creatures seem tangible—not at all like in a vision. Is Conner stuck somewhere between death and life?

Conner also discovers that the whole population has vanished except him. The stores are empty, no cars on the road, no sign of life . . . He later meets another man, then a few other people who are in the same predicament as he is. With the exception of finding one another – at least for a season – they too are all alone in an empty world. They have lost friends, even family members. And they too experience flashbacks from their past, and see the ghostlike creatures.

One key character Conner meets is a young boy who seems to be lost, or orphaned. The boy later plays a key role later in connecting the dots between Conner’s failed past (divorce, irresponsibility, guilt etc.) and his relationship to God.

More than just an intriguing plot, this book thrusts you forward through the characters and their discoveries about themselves.

Buy your own copy of Vanish here.
And buy its sequel, Valley of the Shadow here.

Check out Tom Pawlik’s website here. http://www.tompawlik.com/

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Janey L. DeMeo
Copyright © June 2009
www.orphansfirst.org / www.JaneyDeMeo.com