Eliza Jane Brazier

"This new novel has more twists and fakeouts than an episode of Serial." --Rolling Stone "Fans of true crime will devour this mystery." --E! Online A Most Anticipated Book of 2021 by Rolling Stone - CNN - E! Online - Buzzfeed - New York Post - Popsugar - Woman's Day - Crime Reads - Hello Giggles When her favorite true crime podcast host goes missing, an adrift young woman sets out to investigate and plunges headfirst into the wild backcountry of Northern California and her own dangerous obsession. Sera loves true crime podcasts. They give her a sense of control in a world where women just like her disappear daily. She's sure they are preparing her for something. So when Rachel, her favorite podcast host, goes missing, Sera knows it's time to act. Rachel has always taught her to trust her instincts. Sera follows the clues hidden in the episodes to an isolated ranch outside Rachel's small hometown to begin her search. She's convinced her investigation will make Rachel so proud. But the more Sera digs into this unfamiliar world, the more off things start to feel. Because Rachel is not the first woman to vanish from the ranch, and she won't be the last... Rachel did try to warn her.

If I Disappear

Brian Walborn

A riveting first-person mystery where nothing is at it appears. Had it not been for the ending, I would have rated this a five star, however, there were plot holes too large and ideas left undeveloped that ruined it for me even as I predicted certain plot points. The author gets major credit for maintaining a creepy atmosphere throughout. Great for those who love mysteries.

Lauren Attaway

Sera is a superfan of the podcast, Murder She Spoke. When the host of the podcast, Rachel, stops recording and updating her social media, Sera is determined to make sure that Rachel does not become one of the missing women she has devoted so much of her podcast work to. 
Sera goes to Rachel’s childhood home in Happy Camp, California, and begins to investigate everyone in Rachel’s life. For Sera, the mystery only grows even more complicated, as she must determine if Rachel is in danger and by extension, she is. 
It took two tries to read this, as I started this book earlier in the pandemic and I think the story of a woman isolated in one place was not a book I wanted to read. I think the key to my embracing and finishing this book was that I had to stop thinking of it like a murder podcast hybrid thriller, like Sera was just going to run into a place of gasps and dark corners. It is a much more measured pace then that. 
The characters and the place are so well-described that you are continuously confronted with discomfort for the situation just as you are reminded of the natural beauty of the place.
If I Disappear is also about obsession/devotion, and how spending an hour a week listening to someone, it is easy for the line between listener and friend in your head to get blurred. In recent years, a lot of true crime podcasts with female hosts have sprung up, and as a listener it can feel conversational but unlike Sera, listeners remember that it is only a segment of that hosts’ life. They are still strangers, and Sera is continuously reminded of this as she gets deeper into Rachel’s life.
Naturally, there is a twisty dark ending, but I think I respect the book more for giving me the ending I did not expect, even if I was not happy with it. Overall, I really enjoyed this book!

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC!

Tanaletheia 

The descriptions are so vivid and the story was so captivating that I was scared to turn around and look behind me more than once

Mimi

The premise of this book was ok. An obsessed podcast fan notices the podcaster disappeared and she goes off to look for her. 

While a bit psychotic, still a good premise. My issue was how completely predictable I found the story. 

And I was so unhappy with the ending and the mc's blinding trust and pure stupidity. The answer was literally in her face.

Jordan Robinson

Zoe Smolen

I mean it was fine. Cover is better than the story, but a compelling enough story and it's set near where I grew up so bonus points for that. Plus an interesting twist on true crime, podcasts, and parasocial relationships.

ashley larsen

Sienna Cowen

Had a bit of a slow start but once the plot started thickening I was hooked and couldn't put it down! Great for anyone who loves a mystery with plenty of twists and turns!

Hannah Picken

Daniella

'A slick, smart thriller you don't want to miss' Samantha Downing, author of My Lovely Wife 'Twisty . . . an ending you won't see coming' Louise O'Neill, author of After the Silence _____________ The women go missing, one by one . . . Sera loves true crime podcasts. The mysteries become an unlikely comfort for her, and then an obsession. So when Rachel, her favourite podcast host, goes missing from a small town in Northern California, Sera decides to act. She heads to the isolated ranch where Rachel disappeared, determined to discover what's happened to her. But the more Sera digs into this unfamiliar world, the more off things start to feel. Because Rachel is not the first woman to vanish from the ranch, and she won't be the last . . . Rachel did try to warn her. _____________ A chilling and utterly addictive psychological thriller that will hook you from the first page and keep you up all night - perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn's SHARP OBJECTS and Ruth Ware's IN A DARK, DARK WOOD. Praise for IF I DISAPPEAR: 'I got serious Get Out vibes from this book' STEPHANIE WROBEL 'Compulsive, atmospheric' KATHERINE ST. JOHN 'Spellbinding' KATHLEEN BARBER 'Sleek, exciting and twisty' RENE DENFIELD 'A propulsive thrill ride' LISA UNGER 'Clever, sinister' KIMBERLEY BELLE 'Genuinely scary' ANDREA BARTZ

If I Disappear

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