Another Editorial Review

Another editorial review is in for In the Vanishing Hour, this time from Midwest Book Review! Thank you, Diane Donovan, for the lovely review: 


In the Vanishing Hour opens in 1951, where a child's drowning changes both a family and a small town shaken by the tragedy.
 
Eight years later, sister Frances is still buffeted by this event when model Gwen, whom she seeks to emulate, also vanishes into that same river and is presumed dead.
 
The investigation that follows rocks the town as Frances involves herself in the case to find answers not just to Gwen's disappearance, but her own brother's fate.
 
Sarah Beth Martin's evocative descriptions are compelling accents building the atmosphere and sense of place surrounding the mystery: "As late summer turned to a sudden, brittle autumn, a ghostly cloud moved in over the town, and all were haunted by Mac Adams."
 
As Frances, suspect Harris (who has also been enchanted by Gwen), and other lives on various sides coalesce, readers receive an involving story that highlights its mystery with the sense of place, purpose, and people to bring the community and its residents to life.
 
As Frances pursues a truth which is unearthed decades later and draws connections between her dead brother, Gwen, and Harris, unexpected twists and turns keep her heart and mind challenged, as well as the reader's ability to predict where the story will wind up.
 
These elements make for an especially compelling read that proves hard to put down, emotionally turbulent on many levels, and filled with revelations that come together in a dark story of unexpected connections.
 
Libraries looking for literary suspense stories that take the time to probe psyches and underlying motives and experiences will find In the Vanishing Hour an excellent example of a genre read that rises above formula approaches to represent a powerfully chilling saga of redemption and healing.
 
Are there ghosts in the darkness? If so, what is their purpose?
 
Readers who appreciate thought-provoking scenarios and encounters will relish the ability of In the Vanishing Hour to immerse its readers not just in a deadly mystery, but in altered states of consciousness and realization.