Those Who Disappeared is a stimulating and thought-provoking character drama, following the quest of a famous and successful modern artist to solve the mystery surrounding his father's death.
Charles Treherne, then a 25-year-old postgraduate student, disappeared high on the (fictional) Handeck Glacier in Switzerland, while hiking alone. Thirty-two years later, his remains emerge from the glacier (a not uncommon occurrence in real life). Berlin-based artist Foster Treherne is his sole surviving next-of-kin, a curious situation, since he was in utero at the time of Charles' disappearance.
Somewhat thrown by the discovery, Foster is accompanied to Bern by an American diplomatic aide, Daniela Herrera, to attend a forensic facility and accept his father's few personal effects. It's here that he's made aware that not all is straightforward as it seems - Charles' body bears signs of a fight, inconsistent with postmortem injuries caused by the movement of the glacier. As the forensic director speculates, "...if someone had been on the mountain [with him], they might have had some questions to answer.".
Among his father's personal effects is his journal, covering the time of his postgraduate days in Bologna, mentioning various friends (Foster's English mother included) and associates from the mysterious Piranesi Society and a few personal animosities. With the assistance of Daniela and his P.I.-on-retainer, Sigrid, Foster begins to track down the members of his parents' circle and determine who really was on the mountain the day Charles disappeared. Given that his mother committed suicide when Foster was only a year old, he receives some level of sympathy from the now fifty-something group of potential suspects, but he feels he's being stonewalled.
Foster's investigations take him to various points around western Europe, across the Atlantic to New York and Connecticut, and ultimately to a final showdown which coincides with his attendance at the famed Venice bienniale art festival.
I found this an engaging and intriguing story about a young man who has grown up with plenty of talent, money and a privileged education, but largely without family roots (neither set of grandparents were particularly interested in his upbringing). Not unsurprisingly, his search for the truth about his father's (and mother's) deaths becomes, to some extent, a voyage of discovery into himself. There were several surprising twists and turns, culminating in a satisfying resolution that felt realistic, in spite of the dramatic circumstances.
My thanks to the author, Kevin Wignall, publisher Amazon Publishing UK / Thomas Mercer and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

I finished this book in one sitting. Slow paced at the beginning but very engrossing mystery. It made me think whether do we really know our friends and loved ones? How well do we know them?

Foster grew up with his maternal grandparents, not experiencing love. His father Charlie, disappeared 32 years ago on a glacier hike in the Bernese Alps. He was never found. Foster's mother had committed suicide after Foster was born. He's always thought that his father will walk into his life one day.

All that changes when an incident within the glacier reveals a body which believed to be Charlie. They also find this passport and journal wrapped in plastic bag with his backpack.

It's revealed that his death isn't accident and they found unexplained issues related to his body. Foster starts to investigate further by tracking Charlie's friends. As he digs into his father's life, he feels the tension amongst his friends and their wish to conceal and bury the past. But who are they protecting? You'll have to read the book to find out I'm afraid.

I really enjoyed the author's writing style. It's very fluid and easy to follow. Brilliantly written progressive story. This is my first book by the author and can't wait for more.

I want to thank Netgally for giving me this book to read in exchange for my honest review.

A quick well written mystery, this book is not only about discovering what happened to the MMC’s father, but it’s also about discovering more about oneself.

The main focus of this novel is, of course, the discovery of a body 30 years after the man went missing. The body turns out to be the father of the MMC, Foster. Someone he had never known, Foster begins to unravel who his father really was and what happened to him that fateful day. It’s a relatively short book but the discoveries, new information, solving pieces of the puzzle and the eventual conclusion are all revealed in a well timed manner. Things happen quickly but efficiently, enough to keep your interest throughout.

Secondary to this mystery is Foster learning more about himself by solving this mystery and meeting those who had known his parents. Not too much is explicitly focused on this but you can see it as different things fall into place.

An easy read, the mystery and it’s revelations keep you interested throughout. No crazy twists and turns, minimal action but the steady pace of pieces being revealed, new information and the painting of a much larger picture help complete this novel and maintain your attention.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of the book to review. This review is my own opinion.

The book was actually better than I expected. Having lost his parents so early in life he had no reason to care so much about what happened to them. Yet as the book progresses we learn about friendships that were so close then fell apart. By the end of the book there is a pretty good view of what happened to his dad and why. We also get a view of how a young artist becomes popular and wealthy. I thought the story was interesting.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Those Who Disappeared by Kevin Wignall.

Foster's life is completely shaken when the body of his long missing father is discovered 30 years after his disappearance. And in a Swiss glacier! Now, in attempts to put the pieces together of this new discovery, Foster has to dive into a completely unknown world of what kind of man his father was, and how his body ended up in a glacier.

First off, if you are looking for a fun mystery for your bookclub, but worried about inappropriate content, this is your book, nary a swear to be found.

And also, if you are looking for a fun mystery to read and enjoy, I also recommend this book. It's got a strong start, and stays strong until the end. Lots of intriguing characters, great relationship development, and unique premise. I had a great time with this one.

This is the first book I have read by this author and I will need to read more.
In this standalone book, Foster Treherne, a wealthy artist finds out that the body of his father has been found in a glacier. His father disappeared more than thirty years prior and before Foster was born. His mother committed suicide when he was a baby, so knowledge of his parents is next to zero.
After the discovery of the body Foster becomes determined to find out more about his father and his subsequent death. Through a journal found with the body Foster discovers that his father was part of a small secretive group called the Piranesi Society and that the living members of this group are trying to cover something up.
This is not a fast, action-packed story, rather a progressive story of the past unfolding verbally among the various characters. Intriguing without all the violence and adrenalin.
Thank you Amazon Publishing UK and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Those Who Disappeared by Kevin Wignall
Posted on March 16, 2021 by Kevin Holtsberry / 0 Comment
Having read all of the awesomely named Kevin Wignall‘s books, when given the opportunity to grab Those Who Disappeared on NetGalley I jumped at the chance. And like most Wignall books, I can say that I enjoyed this one and read it pretty quickly.


Those Who Disappeared
Kevin Wignall
Fiction
Thomas & Mercer
March 4, 2021
238
NetGalley
When a man’s body is discovered in a Swiss glacier thirty years after he went missing, his son, Foster Treherne, hopes he’ll finally have closure on what happened to the father he never met. But then the autopsy reveals signs of a struggle, and what was assumed to be a tragic accident suddenly looks more sinister.

Foster tracks down his father’s old friends, but when he starts to ask questions it becomes clear that there’s something they don’t want to tell him. While some are evasive, others seem to wish the body had never been found. What exactly is their connection to each other, and why are they so reluctant to discuss the day his father disappeared? Who are they trying to protect?

If he wants to uncover what really happened, Foster must follow the trail of secrets and lies—no matter how devastating the consequences, and what they might reveal about his father. Because the truth can only stay buried for so long…

It was a thought provoking and engaging read. Wignall’s characters are always interesting and unique and Faster is no exception

However, I was kind of put off by the ending (which I won’t spoil). I think it was the lack of clarity or resolution that left me unsatisfied.

Like many of Wignall’s books, particularly the early ones, there is moral question(s) in play that sometimes make me uncomfortable/annoyed. There were a couple of interactions between characters where I felt like either I was missing something or the characters seemed off morally. The conversation between Foster and Tolman in particular.

It could be that I just have an issue with characters that bring a cold/amoral perspective and Wignall enjoys exploring this exact type of character.

But no matter if some of these characters get under my skin, I keep reading Kevin’s books and I recommend you do the same.

This is a new author for me and what a great pick. Loved it. It was interesting and was a steady moving plot that kept me guessing till the end. For not having any information about the book prior to reading it , I thought it was a really great read.

Those Who Disappeared is an engrossing literary mystery that reminds us that sometimes, through careful consideration, we discover we don't really know the people we feel we are closest to at all and that despite the facades people hide behind these people often don't have our best interests at heart. 32 years ago near the alpine village of Handeck in the municipality of Guttannen in Bern, Switzerland, 25-year-old Charles Treherne decided to take a trip hiking up the mountain to reach the Handeck glacier as it was a balmy October day. He loved the pristine natural environment and the isolation as it gave him time to ruminate on life and appreciate the beauty of Mother Nature. Hailing from an affluent family, Charles was a pupil at Bennington, an elite boarding school in New Hampshire before becoming an undergraduate at Yale and an ex-pat postgraduate history student at the University of Bologna in Italy. On the day of his disappearance, he had ventured out alone as apparently his companion who was visiting the area with him didn’t walk that day, and told the authorities that Charles didn't indicate the route he planned to take. There had been heavy snowfall, which made the climb even more dangerous, but this didn't stop him and he set off with his backpack that contained his passport, journal, water bottle, candy bar, a pen, spare socks—and his hiking boots and jacket. He was never to be seen again and it was assumed that like many tourists who tackle the trails that he had either gotten lost or injured and subsequently perished. Fast forward 32 years and prominent 32-year-old American figurative painter Foster Treherne, who is based out of a studio complex in Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin, has beaten the odds and hit the big time.

He is a former member of the group 'The New Painters', an idea brought about by his then-girlfriend, Polly, who used to support each other as struggling artists. But when Foster's career took off he left them behind and many of them became jealous of his success. After his masterpiece 'Little Boy Lost of American Art' he became one of the top tier artists in the world. He has been receiving sinister anonymous notes ever since. One day when he rolls up to his studio, the receptionist, Natsuko, informs him that Daniela Herrera from the American Embassy is waiting for him. She tells him that after an avalanche in Switzerland two days prior, a man’s body had been found entombed in ice and preserved by the cold high above the Handeck glacier in the accumulation zone. He was found with his backpack and on further inspection, among the injuries consistent with a fall was a suspicious blunt force trauma to the back of the head and 3 buttons were missing from his shirt signifying a struggle may have taken place. The New York Times publishes an article on the cold case but the photograph sent to them and printed alongside the article only had 6 people in it. However, the photo Foster received from his paternal grandmother had the same 6 people present but a seventh too. Why was the photo doctored and someone airbrushed out of it, and what exactly happened that day? This is a compulsive and enthralling mystery with an unusual plot and a whole lot of atmosphere. The descriptions of the landscape transported me there instantly and there's never a dull moment. It is a slow-burn literary mystery so if you're looking for a thriller with twists and punchy action this is not it. This is a story about seeking one's identity and wanting to know your origins and a rich character study of Foster. Highly recommended.

Successful artist, Foster Treherne, has always wondered what happened to his father thirty years before. His father went missing before Foster was born whilst his mother committed suicide when he was one year old. Now an avalanche uncovers a frozen body in a Swiss glacier. Foster travels to see the body and the autopsy reveals signs of possible accidental death or foul play. Believing his father's journal may hold the clues, Foster decides to investigate his father's death, and starts to track down members of a group his father was with in the weeks before his death. Foster soon gets the impression that there are things that the members of the group want to keep secret, perhaps even murder.

This was a good mystery which had some twists and turns in the investigation but didn't draw things out too long. I liked most of the present-day characters apart from Daniela. Her role in the story was paper thin and I'm not a fan of female characters who are there mainly to provide the romance. Overall though I did enjoy reading it so I would rate it 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4).

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Amazon Publishing UK/Thomas & Mercer, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

The premise of this story really grabbed me and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it!
The writing style and premise seemed very Hitchcockian to me. There’s a lot of slow-burn mystery and travel involved at the core of unraveling the events of the past.
I also think the ending was very fitting. If you’re looking for a quick and interesting suspense story, I’d give this one a try!

4.25 Stars — A thanks to NetGalley for a free ARC of this meaty thriller in return for a sincere and completely honest and impartial review.

A captivating and quite original mystery, Kevin Wignall’s latest thriller has many things going for it. The authors use of tension is on-point here but ultimately, it is the strongly humanised and relatable narrative that is weaponised most effectively here, pulling me in nice and close, to the point where I caught myself turning the page with just a touch of timidly seasoned trepidation on not one — but several — occasions.

The narrative reaches its well-timed crescendo about 70% in and after what I’d call a banal opening sixty pages or so, the author is able to flush out well-to-do characters that are painted with a touch of naivety I suspect in order to aid the assumptive-errors the reader may presume which serves the twists and turns rather well indeed. The message Wignall is flagging for us throughout, is that despite often believing otherwise, we never truly know anyone, even those in the closest of proximities. A message we all should heed more and also less at the same time (go figure).

Foster is a straightforward protagonist in most manners, he is too trusting and a little naive at first but his Witt and adaptability under pressure holds him in good stead and unlike many other mystery-solving hero’s, he is flawed but not to the point of exhaustion. Wignall has done a very solid job in developing his lead character and I for one hope to see this a continuing trend in crime novels, all-too-often we are left with a lead character whom is predictably equipped to deal with his or her own flaws, which ostensibly then contradicts those very flaws in the first place, refreshingly Foster is just a man, whom senses his father has met with foul-play and is both created by and haunted from a horrific three-decades of not knowing what had come of his dear old dad.

An excellent read that I am glad I read, not perfect but more enjoyable each chapter which is the key to all decent novels, getting the reader to turn that page. Well done Kevin!

Foster Treherne's father went missing before he was born. A man's body has recently been found in a Swiss glacier. Foster has always wanted closure, to find out why he was abandoned by his father. Now he knows.

The medical examiner has found that the man was in some kind of struggle before he died. And maybe the accident wasn't really an accident.

Foster needs/wants more information. A diary of sorts is found along side his father. He starts tracking down his father's old friends. But he's getting nothing. They all seem to be hiding something .... but what? Who ... or what are they trying to protect? And why all of a sudden is he receiving threatening messages?

Lies and secrets can only be buried so long.....

Well written story about a man who wants to know who he really is. His father seemed to have abandoned his family and his pregnant wife at the time committed suicide. Hard not to understand a child's longing to know the answers for his questions. Characters are solidly drawn and live amid a swirl of mystery. Tension is felt from start to finish, the ending is unexpected.

Many thanks to the author / Amazon Publishing / Netgalley for the digital copy of this mystery/crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

I was dissapointed when reading this book. From the very start, Foster is suspicious that his father's death wasn't an accident, and immediately starts to investigate. Each person he interviews conveniently gives him all the information he needs, and it's almost to easy for him to figure out what happened to his father 30 years ago. I would've liked a little more intrigue, and fewer sanctimonious lectures from the characters.


Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Amazon Publishing UK for the electronic copy.

This is a really absorbing and intriguing read. I thoroughly enjoyed it; it's well-written with good dialogue and you get a good sense of the wealth and power of the main characters as the reader is taken across Europe and the States following Foster Treherne's quest to solve the mystery which has dogged his entire life.

Foster Treherne is a wealthy and talented artist. He started, with then girlfriend Polly, a painting studio called The New Painters after meeting at a London art school. However, following their first exhibition if was Foster alone who became famous - not least because of his tragic background. His father Charles Treherne disappeared whilst hiking alone in the Swiss Alps thirty-two years previously. His mother, Lucy Foster, killed herself in England when he was a baby. Raised by unloving American grandparents who pushed him off to boarding schools, Foster has never known what having a family is really about. He regards his staff and agents working with him across the world as his family. Even his girlfriends leave when they can't put up with his lifestyle or work ethic. Everyone leaves, don't they?
He always fantasised that his father would return one day - and he does.. Dramatically his body is discovered, preserved by a glacier. With the help of his father's diary and Daniela Herrera from the American Embassy in Germany, he resolves to find the other members of his father's close group of friends, identified only by initials in the diary, but he does have a photograph. Gradually, Foster realises not everything is right about that group of friends. None of them is available to attend the funeral; they become evasive and hard to reach - he convinces himself his father was murdered. But by whom, and why? What are they all hiding?

Slowly his investigation yields the answers he craves, with surprises and twists along the way.
Very good.

Everything I've read by Kevin Wignall has shown solid craftsmanship, has been well-researched, and has deftly incorporated geopolitics and human nature into its plot. Those Who Disappeared shares most of those characteristics, but it is less about nations or corporations and more about the ties of family and friendship.

Still, these themes are played out on a global stage. A young man with a tragic beginning has stumbled into top-tier success as an artist. Foster Trehene's father disappeared before his birth, presumably in an alpine accident, and his mother committed suicide before he had formed any memories of her.

After a privileged but cold upbringing among prosperous relatives, Foster shows artistic talent and helps launch a young artists' collective. He couldn't have predicted that his tragic backstory would propel him, and him alone of the group's members, into fabled success and wealth and fame.

One of the story's plotlines involves the jealousy and resentment of the other collective members. The primary narrative thread, though, involves the discovery of Foster's father, whose corpse has been preserved in the ice of the Swiss Alps.

Following his growing obsession with what happened to his father, Foster discovers that the ties of youthful friendship can mature into something quite tenacious and twisted.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas& Mercer for an advance readers copy.

I really enjoyed this book by a new author for me. 30 years after his father disappeared Fosters body is found on a mountain underneath melting snow. A tragedy or a mystery. Foster is convinced that he father was murdered.. Foster starts his own investigation and finds out previously unknown facts. A very interesting book that I could not put down. Love that I was allowed to read this review copy. Will now look for more books by this author.

A thirty-year-old mystery is investigated by a son after his father’s body is discovered in a Swiss glacier. In digging up the past, Foster Treherne must deal with the lack of assistance from his father’s friends and truths that will not stay buried forever. In learning more about his parents, Foster’s work and life is challenged by fundamental questions of a person’s true nature and its impact on you. An interesting family saga history that rates three-stars. With thanks to NetGalley and the author for a preview copy for review purposes. All opinions expressed herein are freely given and totally my own.

This book caught my attention at the beginning with the avalanche and a body found. At that point, I thought to myself it was going to be a thriller, but it really wasn't. Foster Treherne has never met his father and he thought he never would until the body is identified as that of his father, Foster is forced to follow a trail of clues to find out how who his father really was. The more he investigates, the more puzzling the case becomes. He meets some of his father’s friends who seem to know very little or or don't seem to care at all.

The writer's grasp on each of the characters and locales is amazing! It made me want to travel to these places. What I got out of this story is that secrets can destroy you or make you a better person. I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did.

Thank you #NetGalley for the AC!

A commendable work of blending friendship, family and a quest for truth in a cold case of three decades. The characters are all relatable and garner sympathy. The final pages emphasise the value of human relations beyond lust. The unintended victimisation of children is adequately highlighted. Well done.