An interesting look at the many ways people can go missing in the great American wilderness, and how difficult it can be to find them. The attention to what this uncertainty does to the people left behind - the way they cope, they rationalise, they search, they lean into even conspiracy thinking - sets this apart from the usual lost in the wilderness stories.

The Cold Vanish by Jon Billman is a true crime book talking about the persons who have gone missing in the wild. The central story revolves around the disappearance of Jacob Gray, and his father's quest to find him. The prose also mentions a lot of similar cases about people going missing in the American wildlands.

The narration is good overall, but it got boring at times, so much so that I was left wondering why I was even reading this work in the first place.

Thanks to the author and the publisher for the ARC.

Verdict: One time read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for allowing me to read the e-book of The Cold Vanish: Seeking the Missing in North America's Wildlands by Jon Billman.

My family is a strong believer in the benefits of the outdoors, including the wildlands, to our nation's, as well as it citizens, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Our vacation destinations are always to our public lands, including those of the National Park Service, US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, etc. When I found that The Cold Vanish was available through NetGalley I immediately requested it.

Mr. Billman sets down the stories of several individuals' disappearances on public lands, the possible causes of those disappearances (including going off the grid, suicide, serial killers, underpreparedness for the wilderness, children wandering, just plain getting lost, possible scams, and even theories of alien abduction and Sasquatch), and the efforts made to find them. Chapters are dedicated to each of the lost individuals included in the book with special emphasis given to missing 22 year old Jacob Gray, who walked away from his bicycle and trailer in Olympic National Park, and the unrelenting search by 63 year old Randy Gray for his son. Jacob's disappearance and Randy's search runs like a thread throughout the book, connecting all of the stories. Although the outcomes often do not end well, some do, either through luck or the valiant efforts of search and rescue teams, often managed by woefully underfunded local agencies. Mr. Billman's book definitely makes a case for a national clearinghouse of person's missing from public lands and standardized regulations for access by search and rescue teams to those public lands. Many of the missing individuals were experienced outdoorsmen, but many were also tourists with little or no experience in the wilderness. The one thing I felt he could have placed increased emphasis on was that tourists must be more responsible when accessing public lands. There are frequently situations in which they fail to follow safety regulations and recommendations, go out half cocked, and then get themselves into serious trouble. Search and rescue teams then have to expend thousands of dollars as well as be put in danger's way attempting to locate them. If search and rescue is unable to find the missing they are often excoriated by friends and family for not trying hard enough or quitting too soon.

A frequent contributor to Outside magazine as well as teaching fiction and journalism at Northern Michigan University, the journalistic style of writing for this book was spot on. Anyone who enjoys traveling to our nation's public land treasures or reading non-fiction travel or adventure will absolutely enjoy The Cold Vanish.
#NetGalley #TheColdVanish

I actually really enjoyed this book and dove right in. Jacob's story was very intriguing and I was even interested in learning more about some of the other missing persons cases the author had mentioned in this book.

The author gives a first-hand account from the father of Jacob, and tells more about Jacob's background and the time leading up to his disappearance. The author spent time with Jacob's father after he had been missing for some time and goes more into search effort details.

The only bad: the victim's family has been commenting on nearly every review on Goodreads that the author mis-represented both Jacob and their family. I'm not sure how accurate this is, but it seems as though legal permission would had to have been given prior to the publishing of this book. It's hard to say if you believe the author or family in regards to the actual events that happened.

Regardless, I would read a book from this author again in the future.

While I mostly read horror novels, I do also have a fascination with true crime, especially missing person cases, and used to read a lot from that genre. I haven't read anything true crime in awhile, so wanted to give this one a try. While the was good, extensive information, I did find the tone of it a bit bland and emotionless the majority of the time, and felt the book dragged on a bit. It did, however, introduce me to some cases I hadn't previously heard of.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I am absolutely OBSESSED with missing person cases. This book has it all: totally black and white and honest, with an author who is invested in every way. Jon Billman is another Jon Krakauer, but with a little more emotional investment.
I plan on buying a hard copy of this book for my mom, who is just as obsessed with true crime as I am.
This book reads like your favorite true crime podcast, but with all of the details they don't have time to share.

Stories of mysterious disappearances have fascinated me for as long as I can remember (maybe it is from growing up with Unsolved Mysteries as the background to days home sick from school?). In fact, my favorite Investigation Discovery show is Disappeared (Billman actually mentions an episode of the show in this book!). This book is a fascinating, though rather heartbreaking, read.

Billman frames his book around the disappearance of Jacob Gray, a 22 year old man who disappeared with only his bicycle and trailer on the side of a road in the Olympic National Forest on April 6th. From the get-go, the search is mired in red tape and Billman does a great job of bringing Jacob and his family's story to life. Interspersed with this main narrative are stories from around the rest of North America - primarily in the western US and Canada. Some of these have happier endings than others. It makes for a genuinely interesting read - even as it explores some of the wilder theories out there - Bigfoot, aliens, holies in space and time... and though Billman is most definitely a non-believer in the outlandish side, his contempt for psychics especially shines through (and oddly enough for dogs as well). Still, it's an eye-opening read - particularly into the policies of the US government and the National Park and Forest systems. I did enjoy reading it - though I can see that this might hit too close to home for some families who have this type of open mystery in their lives.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to receive an ARC and review this book.

At the beginning of the book and for about 20% in, I was really enjoying this book. It is very interesting and sad that these vanishings are not tracked by the government. However, then I started noticing that the flow was very choppy and the narrative circles back on itself so often that it is hard to keep track of where we are. But the fatal flaw that led to my DNFing the book was that by 31%, I had had all I could take about Bigfoot. If the author actually believes that Bigfoot has anything to do with these disappearances, it's more sad than the actual disappearances because that just means that the missing are now part of a conspiracy theory. Bigfoot has started showing up early on because on of the searchers is a Bigfoot hunter but when it because more frequent and the author started talking like he believed such nonsense, I had to stop.

Sadly the subject matter is fascinating and the individual paragraphs were well written but the story itself is confusing and enters into the ridiculous.

I found out later that the main story in this book, was written without the family's permission and with only sketchy "facts." When did writing about serious subjects become a joke to journalists?

Thank you Grand Central Publishing for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Cold Vanish
By: Jon Billman

REVIEW ☆☆☆☆

If you want a genuinely terrifying story, read The Cold Vanish by Jon Billman. This is not a horror story, but the horror is present and real. Unfortunately, the story is true with no rainbows and flowers. The missing. The vanished. You've seen the headlines of people who disappear without a trace, never to be found. Can you imagine never getting answers or closure?

A young woman on a solo run doesn't come home. I run alone, and I am always looking over my shoulder. This example is a good reminder of what could happen to any woman alone on the road.

A young athletic guy on a long bicycle journey abandons his bike on the side of the road, and he is never seen again. What happened? Questions are raised about searching inside and outside of national parks because this disappearance happened in the vicinity of one. How long do you wait? When do you involve search dogs, police, helicopters, etc.? Who is responsible for searching-state, federal, park officials?

Reading this book made me angry for the families left behind with nothing. It seems that red tape and bureaucratic ridiculousness are big players in the timing and thoroughness of any search. It's sad how little those in charge care, unless the situation puts their face on the evening news, of course. Then, they become completely sympathetic and kind. It's horrible! The Cold Vanish is a wake up call and an eye opener about the reality of disappearances and what follows to locate the missing. I highly recommend this thought provoking book!

Intriguing premise but a drag to get through, both content-wise and pacing. There's a lot of information the author takes his time chronicling. Not a lot of fact checking here and it makes me wonder how much is objective and how much is dramatized.

People vanishing, as if the ground has opened up and swallowed them, has always fascinated me. The reasons for the disappearance don't really affect how interested I am. Often it's sinister, possible foul play with no suspect ever caught, but additionally, and possibly less frequently, they go missing in such mysterious circumstances that it is considered to be an unexplained freak accident. This book covers both these eventualities and everything in between.

It's kind of anthological in so far as there are lots of different stories surrounding different missing persons and how they are reckoned to have become so.

The book kept me enrapt throughout and I would recommend it highly for anything from the casual reader to the ardent conspiracy theorist.

Thank you to Jon Billman, the book's publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to enjoy this book without charge.

The Cold Vanish is a perfect name for this book. It is the gut wrenching stories of those who vanished in remote areas. Their families who longingly looked for them as in the story of Jacob Gray. It is well told and very descriptive. The mixture of truth, science, and even Sasquatch are detailed inside this book so well that you feel as though you know those who are missing and it saddens you deeply as a reader. The writer has brilliant skills when it comes to research and correct information as I of course had to research a couple of cases myself because I was so intrigued. These types of situations where people go missing in national forests or trails and mountains happens a lot more frequently than people are aware. This is definitely a great fast paced book to read.

Thank you to netgalley as well as the author/publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Cold Vanish by Jon Billman is fascinating read encompassing science, true crime, nature, survival stories and even Sasquatch. The book is also an emotional study of what it is like to have someone you know and love just go missing. No idea whether that person is live or dead, lost and wounded or imprisoned and the toll it makes on a family.

Billman does an exceptional job of describing those who orbit the missing, both searchers and others. Dog handlers, ultra marathon searchers psychics and even Bigfoot fans. Its quite hard to explain all this book has, but its one of the interesting books I've read in a long time

#The Cold Vanish by author # Jon Billman is a thought provoking novel. This is a in-depth look at people who vanish in the wilderness without a trace.A story of now and tomorrow....
Thank you,
# Netgalley, # Jon Billman, and # Grand Central publishing for the advanced copy

The Cold Vanish is a fascinating, in-depth look at people who vanish in the wilderness without a trace and the eccentric, determined characters who try to find them. These are the stories that defy conventional logic - the proverbial vanished without a trace incidences, which happen a lot more (and a lot closer to your backyard) than you know. The book highlights a lot of different cases throughout the U.S. and Canada and how both prevalent and untracked these missing persons cases are. 
While discussing a number of missing persons cases, The Cold Vanish follows one missing person's case in particular that the author, Jon Billman, worked on. Billman developed a close relationship with the individual's father who took up searching for his son full-time. This case and search unfolding as the book progresses really brings you along what feels like a personal ride to find Jacob Gray. Through this case and the others discussed, Billman examines how cases are handled by those with and without jurisdiction, how search and rescue efforts are undertaken, and what happens when the official search ends. He also points out the people who come out of the woodwork when someone goes missing, specifically psychics, conspiracy theorists, and Sasquatch believers. I have read reviews by others that feel Billman spends too much time discussing psychics and Sasquatch "researchers." However, I do not agree. I think it is a testament to what actually happens. It is also of note that Billman does discredit these theories and those that falsely give hope to families and use up valuable resources.

The Cold Vanish is a well-written piece of nonfiction. Some nonfiction can be a slog full of facts, but Billman does an excellent job crafting a narrative framed by facts and the issues of these cases. And of course, it helps that it is such a fascinating subject. A number of the cases just perplexed me, as they do others, and it is totally easy to see how people jump to conspiracy theories. This book also manages to pull on your heart strings hearing from families who have experienced these cold vanishes and without explanations or bodies are stuck in purgatory without closure. Billman does a superb job providing balance to the book, although I would have liked more facts and context; but that is likely a personal thing.

I highly recommend The Cold Vanish for anyone interested in the subject. This book is a great jumping off point for familiarizing yourself with the subject matter. Also, after reading this, I plan on never hiking alone again.

Rating 3

The book "The Cold Vanish" by Jon Billman explores missing person cases that take place in remote locations. It heavily focuses on Jacob Gray who went missing without a trace and how his father Randy Gray spent a year looking for him. I found Jacob's story to be extremely saddening and interesting. I don't think we will ever truly know or understand what happened to him but at least Randy did receive some closure. The book does cover other missing person cases but it always seems to go back to Jacob's case. We also learn about the many mistakes that can take place due to lack of training or lack of knowledge behind what truly happened. For example, in one missing person case they did not take any DNA samples and they didn't make certain places a closed off crime scene. The way the book was written and how it jumps around from person to person, to past to present interviews and stories could be confusing for readers. I found myself having to go back a page to make sure I knew who was saying what. Also, there were so many names given I had to keep checking to see how they fit into the story being told. This could have just been a me thing and might not be a struggle for other readers. I also found this book to be very wordy, by that I mean it seemed to be much longer than it needed to be. I will be honest I did not finish this book but I was so interested in the missing person cases that I googled them and read the articles. I enjoyed doing that much more because while reading this book I did feel the author was a little biased. Again, that could just be how I interpreted how he was telling the story. Overall, if you enjoy true crime you would enjoy the missing person cases but the book as a whole, I'm not so sure.

**Received an advanced copy through NetGalley in return for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this title.

For fans of Unsolved Mysteries and the ID Channel. The Cold Vanish discusses the multitude of missing person cases in North America's forests. These cases leave law enforcement and park rangers baffled, and families unable to mourn someone who left without a trace,

The book explores many cases but heavily focuses on Jacob Gray's disappearance in Olympic National Park, and his father Randy Gray's persistent search for him. It's a heartbreaking read, and while it is fascinating the feeling of loss and isolation weighs heavy on the reader.

For fans of David Paulides, but expect less supernatural theories, this book explores the very real logistics of Missing Persons cases in the wild. The author reveals the who and how of search and rescue teams, the red tape and jurisdiction of public wildlands, the hotly contested debate over which search and rescue dogs are the best for the job, and the sheer numbers of people who remain lost to public lands. The mysteries and tactics unfold while tracing the story of Jacob Gray, gone missing, and his steadfast father, Randy Gray, who never gives up the search. The author certainly throws in a nod to Bigfoot aficionados every now and then, but the real focus of this book is the aftermath of a vanishing and how these cases leave family and rescuers forever searching.

***Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
This was an interesting read. It had an Unsolved Mysteries vibe and I found the stories so compelling.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC for this book. I picked it purely on the description and unfortunately cannot bring myself to finish it. I am about a third of the way through and while the subject matter is incredibly interesting, the writing makes it a struggle to consume. The writer’s voice is somehow both passive and overly specific. The author inserts himself into the story unnecessarily in a way that does not add anything to the story he is telling. I made all of these judgements before ever reading any of the comments about the author and his association with the family, which I find concerning.


A side note: the comparison in the description to Jon Krakauer is a gross exaggeration. If you’re looking for Missoula or something similar this is not the book for you.