True crime is one of my favorite genres and I am always excited to discover new authors. I enjoyed John Billman's Cold Vanishing and was surprised to learn how many people disappear without a trace in our national parks and their own state's backyard, if you will. The dedication and perseverance of the families is truly inspiring and heartbreaking at the same time.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and fair review.

This is my favorite kind of non-fiction. Part memoir, part true-crime with a little history, myth and travelogue thrown in for good measure. The topic of this book really intrigued me and learning about the politics of search & rescue operations on public lands was really interesting. The book is well researched and the author is actually part of the story, participating in several searches himself. But I struggled a little with the way the story is structured. It focuses mainly on 1 case, but interjects other searches to highlight some of the similarities, challenges and techniques of SAR operations. This back and forth was a little jarring at times.

Overall, I really liked the book and would recommend it to others.

Thanks to Grand Central Publishing and Netgalley for sharing this upcoming.nonfiction title. I enjoyed this book and learned a lot about the number of people who go missing without explanation or resolution. Which was surprising to me and sad. I recommend this for non fiction fans, but especially those who have enjoyed Jon Krakauer and other similar writers.

A fascinating look into the cases of people who vanish on public lands. The book follows the search for Jacob Gray in Olympic National Park and offers glimpses into dozens of other missing persons cases, a few of which I’d heard of. Methods and techniques of rescue and recovery are explained and insight from those working tirelessly are offered. You’ll find yourself rooting for Randy Gray, a father who leaves no stone unturned in the desperate search for his missing son. I really enjoyed this one and would definitely read other pieces by this author.

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would, but it is an emotional read. While the author focuses on Randy Gray & the search for his son Jacob, there are other missing person stories throughout. These are frustrating stories where, even if remains are found, families will never know what happened to their loved one.

This book is a marvel - a significant and important read, though not an easy one. It’s a book about the missing in general, but it’s also a book about one missing person in particular: Jacob Gray, who went missing in Olympic National Park in 2017, and his eccentric, loving, and devoted father Randy Gray, who searches tirelessly to find him. As readers, we get to be there alongside Randy when he chases the most likely leads, as well as the most outlandish possibilities. We get to be there when Jacob’s belongings are found, and while Randy puzzles over what they mean.

I’ve long been fascinated by missing persons cases, though I hear mostly about the ones that take place in cities and communities, and the efforts, and just as often lack-of-efforts, on the part of law enforcement to find them. This book is a window into those who go missing in the wild, and the complex roles various law enforcement agencies and civilian organizations play in searching for them. Some of these stories have happy endings, while others have devastating and often prolonged, painful endings. Others yet, have no ending at all, but an endless unresolved and lingering loss for loved ones left behind.

This book is powerful not just because it gives facts and figures, narratives and stories. But because you get a window into that sense of unresolved and lingering loss. Where does a family look for a loved one? How does a family make sense of their loved one’s choices? Last known moments? Where they might have gone? What they might have done? How do you retrace a loved one’s steps, and what does it feel like to do so?

While that sense of pain is too profound and powerful to be captured in a book and to be truly felt by others, the author does a remarkable job of giving us a window into it. I grew to adore the Gray family, and to appreciate them deeply for not only their loving dedication to Jacob, but for providing the world a window into what having a missing loved one truly means.

It’s such a cliche to say a book made you both laugh and cry, but this book did do that. So odd to laugh when reading a book about such a heavy topic, but the wild theories of Sasquatch believers seem even more absurdly funny against such a bleak and emotionally challenging backdrop. And yet, the narrative in this book makes clear that even the wildest speculation is absolutely justified if it helps you find your loved one. Sometimes even when it doesn’t help, it still gives you something to do. After all, how can you sit still, waiting for news, when someone might have a theory that could prove useful, no matter how unusual that theory might be? Maybe that theory will lead you to look somewhere you wouldn't have before, or to consider a possibility that is useful.

This book is an excellent and moving piece of journalism. I could barely tear myself away from it, and was thinking about getting back to it when I did have to put it down. Part of the proceeds are being donated to the nonprofit Jon Francis Foundation, an organization that provides support and assistance (including search assistance) to those who are looking for a missing loved one in the wild. I’ll be purchasing a copy of this book to contribute to both to the author for his exceptional journalism, but also to the Foundation for their exceptional work.

I received a digital copy of this book from Net Galley, in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars
Cold Vanished by John Billman
A fascinating look at the lengths a father will go to in order to find his missing son. This book is not at all what I thought it was going to be, as I expected a bunch of conspiracy theories and other random ideas about the various missing people across the nation's national parks. I kind of wish this book had more of those aspects in it, as it barely scratches the surface of the multitude of people missing in this country.
The author also seems to have a strange affinity for cults and seems to write them off as harmless hippies when they are anything but harmless. Billman seems to imply that it would be fun to join one which comes across as odd. This book mostly follows the search for missing biker Jacob Gray and his father’s unceasing quest to find him; however, it does include a number of other accounts of hikers who seemingly vanished into thin air.
I do recommend this book to everyone. It is a fascinating book about missing people.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. The views given are my own.

For lovers of true crime and real life mysteries.
Billman has written articles of missing persons for years - interviewing family members, law enforcement, park officials, volunteers, specially trained SAR, even participating in searches, and retracing steps. The Cold Vanish primarily follows Randy Gray and his search for his missing son Jacob, but many others are visited. Some with fates known, many who are still missing out in America’s wildlands.
I struggled at times with his style of writing, sentences often ran too long, with too many commas and dashes and notes tucked in, leaving me lost when the original thought picked back up. Early on there are too many things repeated unnecessarily. And maybe because this is a digital ARC, there were a few typos that tugged at me. But really, those are my only complaints, and they are minor. I really enjoyed this book.
.
The book is equal parts fascinating and frustrating, hopeful and sad. Not knowing will eat at you, a feeling anyone fascinated with true crime already knows well.
The fact that there is no accounting of the missing persons or the searches for them in the wildlands of North America is maddening and as Billman follows Randy Gray, you truly wonder what would I do?
.
What would I do if I were lost in the wild? What would I do if I lost someone to the wild? .
My advice for reading this book: If you do not know of Jacob Gray, resist the urge to google him until you’ve finished the book. Experience the journey alongside Billman.

I started reading this at night, before bed, and was immediately sucked into the world of people who go missing in the North American wilderness. Courageous tales of people who survived the elements and heartbreaking stories of the ones who did not. The ifs and the should haves leave families questioning how their loved ones spent their final hours alive. Definitely a book to have on your nightstand when it's released in July.

The story of people who go missing in National Parks and Forests. I was previously unaware of this phenomenon. While interesting, the book jumped around too much. I found it hard to keep track of the narrative. Honestly, a good rewrite would be of great benefit to this, as it is a story that should be told.

I really enjoyed The Cold Vanish. It was informative and interesting. It made me think about things that I have not previously thought about in reference to missing persons and searching for them. I would recommend this book to anyone.

The Cold Vanish is an in depth look at the disappearance of Jacob Gray from Olympic National Park - all of the efforts that went into finding him regardless if it was rescue or recovery. This book has nearly every aspect of search and rescue covered - the good, the bad, the ugly, clairvoyants and Bigfoot. Woven in with Jacob's story are stories of others who have gone missing that Jon Billman has been a part of and/or followed in some capacity. Some of those people were returned to their loved ones in one way or another and others are still missing.

I can only imagine how frustrating the ties of red tape and bureaucracy are when attempting to locate a missing loved one. Especially when it's a river split as to whose case it actually is - National Park or National Forest which belong to entirely separate divisions of government. The forests of the Pacific Northwest are not only exceedingly large but dense with both trees and undergrowth - I have no trouble at all imagining how so many go missing. That same fact is also true about many other National Forests and Parks throughout the States. The Gray family's story is one of heartbreaking perseverance and Randy is an exceptional person - I would consider it an honor to meet this man.  

There was quite a bit of back and forth, especially between time and the cases of missing persons so if that is something that would bother you, you might struggle with this book. If Jon Billman hadn't translated some of what he'd learned from Jacob's case to others and vice versa it would make less sense for them to be included in the book but there is quite a bit of overlap in many areas even if it isn't immediate. I know that it would be an expensive logistical nightmare but I truly believe that a database of some sort SHOULD exist for those persons who are listed as missing and anyone who happens to be looking for them in any professional capacity should have the ability to be cleared to look at the information.

I would like to thank Grand Central Publishing for offering The Cold Vanish as a Read Now title on NetGalley - all opinions are my own. It was an eye-opening trip into a situation that most families hope they never have to endure - an often unanswered question of a missing loved one. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy true crime, search and rescue, non-fiction, and missing persons cases. I would also like to point out that if you do not already know the story of Jacob Gray and don't want it spoiled for you to not look it up online.

Who knew so many people vanish into wilderness areas across the United States? Who knew so many of them, over years, remain unfound? Jon Billman expands upon a magazine article he wrote to chronicle the ways many go missing, the friends and families left behind, and the measures taken (or not) to search out these people. His main focus is on Jacob Gray, a young man who goes missing in the Olympic National Park area. Jon Billman is privileged to become part of Randy Gray’s (Jacob’s Dad) search for his son over time and terrain. The author gets close to his subject without exploitation, reportorial indifference, or judgment. That is indeed difficult to achieve and maintain. The reader experiences the quest through Randy’s hopes and personality – both outsized. Although the author describes the search for the missing, his heart goes out to those left behind.

There is also abundant information about others that go missing and conjecture how they may have become lost, sometimes to themselves, sometimes to bad luck/circumstances. Billman also describes the efforts (or sometimes lack of efforts) by various agencies that assist in search and rescue, as well as trackers, psychics and well-meaning tipsters.

There is plenty to think about here regarding how missing people should be tracked, rescued, and kept within some type of lost person data base. Getting lost appears all too easy at times, getting found much more difficult. There is enough information here regarding other missing people and those who seek them for another book…..and unfortunately the numbers of those “lost” continues to rise.

An informative book that tears at the heart. Recommended. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this copy to review.

While the text was well written, the narrative jumped around quite often and lost my attention. If the author had concentrated on one case at a time, instead of jumping back and forth between cases, it would have been an enjoyable read.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book to read and review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

The Cold Vanish discusses the stories of multiple people who have disappeared in the wilderness. The writing style was very simplistic and read more like an extremely long article than a nonfiction work.

I wish the author had focused more on the story of Jacob Gray rather than sprinkling in other stories alongside it. The book was really strong when he focused on Jacob's story; the rest of the narrative didn't feel very cohesive. I do appreciate how close the author got to Jacob's father during the course of his investigation.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing & NetGalley for the free e-copy.

Thank you to the author, Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Based around the mysterious disappearance of one young man, Jacob Gray, this book opens the door to a whole world of hurt and loss, by giving cameos to scores of others who have gone missing while hiking/backpacking. I had no idea that so many people just disappear every year, and are never found. This is a fascinating and heartbreaking read, particularly as we follow the efforts of family and friends to locate Jacob Gray. The emotional toll this takes, and the bleakness of the beautiful landscape that offers little or no clue to what has happened, lift off the page.

This book is good, not great. It started off strong, and I was interested in learning about the different tactics that are used in search and rescue. But then little sprinklings of....Bigfoot...started popping up here and there. Excuse me? I understand that Billman interacted with a group of Bigfoot hunters, and it's a part of Randy's search for his son, Jacob, but I felt that there was way too much talk of Sasquatch, alien abductions, and psychics that the book just veered off into wild speculation. Billman addressed the veracity of psychics involving themselves in missing persons cases, but only in the last, like, fourth of the book. The writing was also not stellar. It was alright, but I was expecting a little more reflection on Randy's search for Jacob, and his own personal journey, and that just never came to fruition.

It was interesting to read about the different missing persons cases that Billman has researched and reported on, and if you're at all interested in learning more about missing persons in the wild, this could be an interesting read. Just get ready for some not-so-factual sprinklings of the paranormal.

This is an interesting book if you are involved in search and rescue work as details the stories of people that have vanished into the wilderness with explanation as to the cause of their disappearance. The stories are similar to Into the Wild or 127 Hours, and you don't know if the people have a death wish, are victims of serial killers or carried off by loup-garou. There are literally thousands of missing persons that the federal government doesn't provide any statistics on that have gone missing in federal wildlands. Part of the problem is the same story in the movie Jaws, do we tell people and ruin their recreation? The other problem is jurisdiction because the investigations are on properties that often cross county and federal land, and may involve military or Coast Guard assistance in the search. Without sounding like a Patrice O'Neal joke, it depends too on who has gone missing. If it's a white female, then the investigations could go on for weeks. My complaint about the book is it is long and repetitious. I would like to have more charts summarizing information rather than stories.

This is possibly one of my worst nightmares, the disappearance of a family member in what feels like thin air.

The book is based around the disappearance of Jacob Gray (although chapters include stories of many other missing persons/disappearance s) and the story of his family's (mainly by his father, Randy) relentless search for him. But, contained in these pages is so much more, including how searching for the missing is carried out (or not carried out) by various search and rescue teams, parks services, local, state and federal groups, the use of helicopters, dogs and other craft (boats, land vehicles) and the other volunteer and community groups.

Of particular interest to me was how the families are often drawn to the "assistance" of psychics, tipsters, witnesses, native myths/legends, volunteers and the possibilities their loved ones may have committed suicide, been a victim of a crime, joined a cult or perhaps just went off (of their own accord to escape or perhaps to seek enlightenment).

This was such an interesting read for me and at times the situations just seemed tragic and other times uplifting. I wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone looking to learn more about the process of finding missing persons.

This book focuses on one missing man while also introducing scores of others. The statistics given in this book were truly terrifying. It seems that to go missing in this day and age should be difficult, yet people vanish every year and go sometimes years or even decades without being located. I found myself researching several of these cases because I wanted to know more about the circumstances. Some cases were discussed only superficially, which was frustrating. If they were important enough to include, they should have been important enough to be more than an afterthought. I did not understand the combinations of some of the chapters, such as 9: Michigan's Upper Peninsula and North Carolina, and 21: New Mexico and Australia. The cases were not linked in any way, so why combine them?

This book focuses on people who go missing from North America's wildlands, and as someone who trains law enforcement officers who work these lands, I will definitely be recommending they read this.