3.5

Starting the year strong with following my goals and resolutions, I’m going to be reading more romantic suspense. And a small trope in that genre is a romantic suspense where the characters have psychic abilities. I really tend to enjoy those because they’re the perfect light blend of romantic suspense and paranormal romance. I picked this up because the premise of this series sounds really interesting. The residents of the town of Fogg Lake where all exposed to a chemical explosion in a local cave may years ago. This was due to a government experiment with things of the paranormal variety and as a result of the gases that leaked, the residents of the town got psychic abilities. A few generations later, two teenage girls where spending the night in the caves as a rite of passage for their age and they ended up witnessing a murder.

They both moved away from their small town and opened a private investigation company when one of them goes missing. Kidnapped. Now our heroine has to find her friend before it’s too late and the only person who can help her works for the Foundation. They oversee and regulate paranormals and psychic activity and the people of Fogg Lake don’t trust them. Catalina and Slate have to work fast to find her friend Olivia before the people that were behind that murder in the caves kill her too.

This was my first time reading Jayne Ann Krentz (that I can remember). I’ve been wanting to read her books for a while! THE VANISHING was interesting because I both liked things about it and others felt it lacked something. The psychic aspect is fun and I think as far as incorporating that into the mystery was well done. I was definitely investted in the investigation and the outcome. I wanted to find Olivia and uncover the secrets of what is going on with the two women, the town of Fogg Lake and Slate’s background and past as well. What I think wasn’t done as flawlessly as I wanted is the romance. It felt a bit like at some point the author decided these two characters were supposed to have some kind of romantic connection more than halfway in and BAM! Something had to happen. It all felt out of left field and I almost wished there wouldn’t have been a romance at that point. Either that or the connection between them should’ve been woven better and with more chemistry throughout the story.

That being said, I enjoyed the mystery and I would probably read another one of these books at some point.

Decades ago in the small town of Fogg Lake, The Incident occurred when an explosion in the cave system released unknown gases. The results changed the residents of Fogg Lake leaving them with eerie effects -- having visions and hearing voices.

Catalina Lark and Olivia LeClair, best friends and co-owners of an investigation firm in Seattle where they use their unique skills to help solve cases. Then one night Olivia suddenly vanishes. Cat frantically begins the search for her friend. Slater Arganbright, an agent from a shadowy organization known only as the Foundation shows up at her firm with a cryptic warning.

A ruthless killer is hunting the only witnesses to a murder that occurred in the Fogg Lake caves fifteen years ago—Catalina and Olivia. And someone intends to make both women vanish.

Catalina and Olivia are from Fogg lake where the paranormal is normal. When Olivia goes missing Catalina must use her special skill of reading auras along with some old fashioned detective skills to locate her. Mystery, suspense and romance - this book has it all.

I really enjoyed this title; the pacing and characterization were spot on. This author never disappoints!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Romantic Suspense is a subgenre I've been trying to explore more often as I enjoy both romances and mysteries... so it makes sense I'd like this too, right? Well, this book proved this to be mostly true. I wasn't expecting there to be more sci-fi/fantasy elements, but those did keep it interesting too. 

This book has an interesting mystery that had me guessing. The romance is also done well without it overpowering everything else. It is a pretty quick read too, so even though I wasn't always hooked to it, I still was able and willing to read all the way through to see how things would turn out. 

Will I read more of this series? I'm tempted, but probably not. This is a solid three star, that I'd recommend to others, but just didn't grip me enough to continue.

I love Jayne Ann Krentz's ability to meld the supernatural into everyday worlds. Her urban fantasy always has a unique mark that feels new yet recognizable. While the plot doesn't deviate too much from Krentz's typical crises and resolution, it still kept me hooked. I look forward to the rest of the series.

I've never read anything by this author before but I was intrigued by the premise. The writing wasn't my favorite but I did enjoy the story. I love a good supernatural read. Cat and Slate's powers were a tad confusing but it worked to help them find Olivia. Olivia's abilities made no sense but I guess that's what the sequel is for. The mystery surrounding the Fogg Lake community was exciting and I did not guess the main culprit. I also enjoyed the epilogue which explained the origins of the bad guys.

I enjoyed Krentz' new paranormal romance novel, which had a unique setting with great characters and world building.

This reminded more of her Jayne Castle style of writing, then typical Jayne Krentz. I think I would have put the part with Gwendolyn and her sister and the background of the Bluestone lab as a prequel before moving on to Slater and then Catiana and Olivia. For some reason this book did not read as smoothly has some of her others, but I will continue on with the series.

The Vanishing
Fogg Lake #1
Jayne Ann Krentz

The Vanishing book one in a brand new trilogy is a super supernaturally themed romantic suspense by Jayne Ann Krentz, Queen of the genre, featuring secret lost labs, a town shrouded in mystery and in a mysterious fog, murder mayhem and parapsychology. There’s just something about a lost lab and secret government agencies set in the era of Roswell’s Area 51 that hits all the checks for fans of the genre and this book has something for every one of them, a good dose of woo woo, psychic artifacts, romance, suspense a cryptic conundrum and a diabolical villain. It’s well written, fast paced full of great scenes and kooky costars plus the stars are well developed very likeable and seemingly all wrong for each other which is pleasantly all figured out during the telling. Plus there’s the added benefit of knowing there’s more to come!

BFFs Catalina Lark and Olivia Dayton grew up in Fogg Lake a rural town several hours from Seattle where forty years ago a mysterious explosion caused the residents to develop different sorts of psychic talents causing them to circle the wagons and protect each other from outsiders. Now adults Catalina and Olivia own a Seattle investigative agency using their special talents to solve their client’s cases. But when Olivia goes missing Catalina doesn’t have a clue why until a representative from the Foundation, a clandestine organization dealing in parapsychological dilemmas, comes calling.

Slater Arganbright until recently was locked up in isolation following a run in with a rather nasty dose of radiation during his last case and is happy to be back to work although he still wonders if that incident has changed his paranormal abilities in a dark way. But he’ll have to put that on the back burner because he’s got work to do and he needs Catalina Lark’s help to help solve the deaths of two paranormal artifact collectors that might be connected to the fabled lost Fogg lake lab. When he arrives he discovers Cat’s partner Olivia has been kidnapped and it seems the two cases just may be connected so they become temporary allies to help each other out.

Fogg Lake is an isolated town.  Forty years earlier there was an “incident”and the residents of the town developed paranormal abilities.  They passed these on to their descendants.  Going into the caves near Fogg Lake and staying the night is a right of passage for the kids who grew up there.  Catalina and Olivia did this 15 years ago and ended up witnessing a murder.  When they got back to town the next day after hiding from the murderer in the cave system, no one believed they saw what they saw.

Catalina and Olivia are now investigators and they use their paranormal abilities to get results.  When Olivia goes missing, Catalina is determined to find her.  She didn’t want, nor did she seek out help from “The Foundation,” but she ended up with it anyway.  She’s not sure about The Foundation, but she’s pretty sure she’s liking their scientist Slate Trevelyan.  After they find Olivia, maybe they can figure out if their relationship is going anywhere.

This is the first book in the Fogg Lake series.  I think it was a good start, but there definitely A LOT of information packed into this story.  You definitely have to have your focus button turned to “on” when you read this one or you’ll miss something important.  I found some of it confusing at first, just because there was SO much happening, but I soon found my stride and sailed right through.

I can’t say I loved the story but it was good.  I really liked Catalina and Slate and the budding of their relationship.   The dangers they faced while trying to find Olivia kept me interested and I liked the suspense of it all.

Overall I think it was a good beginning.  I’ll be curious to see where this goes in the next book and how it will be centered around Fogg Lake.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5

Jayne Ann Krentz is one of my favorite authors and I pick up her titles without checking to see which genre it represents. They are all wonderful. This is book 1 in the Fogg Lake series and I can't wait for the next installment. Catalina and Olivia were teens when they witnessed a murder in the "magical" cave in Fogg Lake. Now they run an investigation office in the city and utilize their psychic abilities to solve cases. Now Olivia has disappeared and it leads right back to Fogg Lake. Slade, a government agent shows up with offers to help. Good story and great characters. There has to be several more books in the series to answer all the questions and great characters in town. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Jayne Ann Krentz blends supernatural elements with romantic suspense. The mysterious vortex and a missing friend compel the protagonists to overcome past traumas to resolve their dilemmas.

Jayne Ann Krentz has been a reliable romantic suspense author for years. But with her new Fogg Lake series, she’s added a touch of paranormal and honestly, she had me at the concept of “other sight.” THE VANISHING has just enough of a skew that it seemed more strange than otherworldly, and like … maybe … it could be plausible. Scientific experiments altered the lives of people in the town of Fogg Lake that gave them the other sight—but for some, their psychic abilities are more pronounced. Like in best friends Olivia Dayton and Catalina Lark, who launched a PI firm to take advantage of said abilities. When Olivia is kidnapped on the way to a date, Slater Arganbright steps in to help. Though his Foundation has its own interests in psychic welfare, his individual talents prove invaluable in the search for Olivia. There’s a lot of information conveyed in the beginning of the story, a lot of characters and an old mystery, so I’m looking forward to seeing how the series unfolds.

*Originally published at Frolic.Media: https://frolic.media/januarys-must-read-romantic-suspense-books/

Always great to have a brand new Jayne Ann Krentz title to recommend to readers! This is her usual combination of romance, mystery, danger and suspense, with an intriguing supernatural element to spice things up even more.

I have been a fan of Jayne Ann Krentz for over ten years. I was very much looking forward to her newest book because I have not read one of her titles in several years. Sadly, I was disappointed with "The Vanishing". The plot was intriguing and that is the main reason I decided to read this title. The characters were very much one-dimensional. The story line was lacking. There seemed to be a lot of information/back story that was missing. I found myself thinking too much about the "what ifs" to become fully engaged with the characters or what was happening to them.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Angela – ☆☆☆☆☆
Here goes my woefully ineloquent review… I flipping LOVED this book!!! I read The Vanishing in one day, finishing it four days ago and still can’t quite figure out what to say. I’ll start by saying I went into the book kinda blind. I recall skimming the description several months ago when requesting a review copy, but I didn’t reread it before starting the book this past weekend and I’m glad I didn’t because now that I’ve read the description again, I think the suspense factor was upped significantly since I didn’t know what to expect at all.

To start, I grew up with a grandfather who had a strong belief in the supernatural, especially psychic phenomena. So for me, the residents of Fogg Lake quickly became “real” people. I was invested in their lives, curious as to how The Incident had forced the small town of Fogg Lake to become so insular, and I needed to know whether their paranoia was baseless or well earned. After all, just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean no one’s out to get you. And in Olivia and Catalina’s case, they had even more reason to be paranoid than they realized. What they didn’t know was who they could trust. And that’s the crux of the story… who can Catalina turn to when her best friend Olivia is kidnapped? The government? The Foundation? The Vortex? The residents of Fogg Lake? Her own memories and gift? How do you keep your friends close and your enemies closer when you’re not sure who is who? Add to that a love interest who not only understands and accepts her gift but also possesses a few secrets of his own, and Catalina finds herself not only fighting for her life and Olivia’s but also for a future she stopped hoping for years ago.

Oddly enough – and this is going to sound like a complaint – it seemed as though the book just would not end. I don’t mean that the story kept dragging on, but rather that Krentz passed up several potential stopping points that could have been cliffhangers in order to wrap up unresolved threads from the storyline. I’d get to the end of a storyline, assume answers to the remaining questions would be revealed in the next novel, only to turn the page and embark upon a series of events that would tie up another thread. It was a reader’s dream. The only part that didn’t feel organic was the final look at Catalina and Slater’s relationship. That actually felt like an editor insisted that readers deserved to see more development and so Krentz indulged the editor. As much as I enjoyed seeing their next step, I would have happily waited for book two to get a glimpse into their relationship progression. Of course, that assumes future installments will provide continued updates on the couple. Either way, I’ll be over here patiently awaiting book two’s release, hopefully by this time next year.


Veronica – ☆☆☆
It is easy to tell that The Vanishing is the first book because there are times when this is just an information dump. A lot of time is spent giving us parts of the history of Fogg lake, the characters and organisations involved in their lives. As someone who is not a big reader of paranormal stories, I actually appreciated the information dump because it helped me get a grasp on what was going on.

The story mystery-wise was really good. Catalina’s best friend and business partner, Olivia, is kidnapped and with the help of Slater, from the paranormal organisation called the Foundation, they work together to find Olivia which inevitably leads back to Catalina’s hometown of Fogg Lake. The mystery was definitely my favourite part of the story and Fogg Lake is an interesting place.

Catalina and Slater spend an intense few days together and romance develops. I’m happy that there was romance, and I liked it even though it isn’t particularly well developed. The romance is pretty straight forward.

I found The Vanishing entertaining and a good start to a new series. I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for future books from the Fogg Lake series.

I wanted to like 'The Vanishing' more than I did. I've read a few other Jayne Ann Krentz books and I really enjoyed them, but this one was just okay. It felt like there were key backstory elements missing to the point that I thought this was a new series in an already established world instead of just the first in a new series. And the main characters were supposed to be around my age but none of them spoke, thought, or acted like anyone I know. The seeds were sown for the next book in the series and I'm intrigued enough by the premise that I'll probably pick it up too.

I am not going to lie, the paranormal part of this book turned me off a little at first, but it was great and ended up being so well-written and fun to read. I am really glad that this is book 1 in a new series by Krentz. I am definitely there for any other Fogg Lake books that come out. This plot was original and the action was heart-pounding.

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Omar

The Vanishing was a different book compared to my usual urban-fantasy and mystery genre that I read, but it was a very interesting story to read. The plot of the story centers around individuals that have psychic abilities, many of them are the result of government experiments.

The story starts fifteen years ago when Catalina Lark and Olivia LeClair were witnesses to the murder of a man in the caves of the rural town of Fogg Lake. This mysterious town of Fogg Lake has for citizens many psychics who were born after an explosion in the caves near the town releasing a fog that changed the descendants of that town over time.

When Catalina and Olivia were in their teens, it was a nontraditional rite of passage for the teens to sleep one night inside the caves. During the night that Cat and Olivia decided to spend it in the caves, they witnessed the murder of a man and escaped the killer by going deeper into the caves. Once inside, they came up to a secret room charged with psychic energy that produced hallucinations.

Fifteen years later, Catalina and Olivia are partners and owners of their own Private Investigation firm. After some past failed cases, Catalina is marked as Fake psychic by the media. One night, after saving one of their clients from an unstable lying boyfriend, Catalina wakes up to find that Olivia never made it to her date last night and is missing.

Catalina will do anything she can to find Olivia and those who took her, even work with the Foundation, a group of individuals that study paranormal psychics and try to enforce them. She has a history with them, bad history, but she will take their help given that their goals aligned.

I liked the Vanishing, it’s an interesting and fast read. At first, the book makes it look like it will be long giving that it has 42 chapters, but still, I felt it was a fast read that compelled the reader to continue reading.

In this case, the psychic powers of the characters were interesting, and I liked the way the author described the powers working. Both Catalina’s and Slater’s powers were fun to see them in action and collide with each other.

While I liked the story, I felt that the end was too quick for the narrative and the main villain was defeated very easily. With the way the villain was set, the story makes it sound like the author has plans to continue as a series.

I did like the mysteries that were still unsolved and may be plotting for future books. At the same time, the narrative of the government experiments and secret societies caught my attention and I hope we learn more about their origins.

The Vanishing was centered more on the new relationship between Catalina and Slater. I liked that sparks fly the moment they meet for the first time and the citizens of Fogg Lake jump right at the conclusion that they are a couple. The other characters from both Seattle and Fogg Lake were fun to read, but I wish we had learned more about them. I liked Robert’s personality and Olivia’s determination to stay alive and get a boyfriend. If you are interested in the paranormal genre and psychic mysteries solving, I recommend the Vanishing. Sometimes those that we call freaks or crazies might actually have some powers either for good or bad. In the Vanishing we meet both.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*