Vanishing Hour is a very intriguing mystery romance. With the aide of her search and rescue dog, Huck, Ava Burch volunteers to find a missing boy. She does find him, but the mystery gets bigger. She takes her suspicions to the local sheriff, Grant Wycoff. At first he doesn’t take her seriously, but after some ups and down, they work together to solve the case. This is a very engaging plot that held my interest all the way through to the end. It’s an entertaining romantic suspense with lots of action, mystery, twists and turns, lies, deception, and a bit of spice. A very enjoyable read.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is a really good romantic mystery, set in a small town in an unforgiving desert, where some really strange things are going on. Whilst Ava and Grant are obviously the leads in this book, the inclusion of Huck the crazy Lab, who is also a search and rescue dog, inherited by Ava from her dad, is absolutely essential.

The set-up of the antagonistic sheriff, the lack of respect for the voluntary work done by Ava to help find missing people, and the whole small town vibe definitely got the tension ramped up from the start. I am a bit of a wuz, it has to be admitted, but I did spend quite a lot of time waiting for something terrible to happen!

I was entranced by the setting; the descriptions of the desert landscape, with ravines and caves, and hiding places – barren, wild, and unforgiving, and yet beautiful in its wildness. It was easy to imagine the fear of losing someone out there, and of the need for a dog to help find them. And easy to imagine how there were parallels with the issues holding Ava and Grant back from the romance they both clearly are interested in pursuing. Ava, in particular, is hiding in plain sight from an unpleasant previous relationship with another lawman, so wants to avoid similar entanglements.

Full of twists and turns and little bursts of humour to lighten what is a pretty dark drama. Be warned, difficult to put down, keep a snack to hand for extended reading!


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Mystery Romance

This was a great story. The main characters, Ava, Grant, and, of course, the dog, Huck, are really well developed. You get to see their working side and their personal side equally, and both create complex characters that are easy to relate to.

Ava is working as a lawyer in a tiny town. She's decided she's done with big corporate law. But with the arrival of her new law firm, she is also one of the locally trained SAR workers, along with her dog, Huck. Huck is a great add to the characters since even though it's a dog, you can see the easy demeanor and ease that all of the other characters feel around him.

Grant is working back home. A place he didn't think he would come back to. But now that he's here, he wants the people of his town to be safe and for people coming from out of town to feel safe too. But with an elected official above him who does the bare minimum, it will take all of Grant's knowledge to figure out what's happening around their tiny town.

You will not be disappointed in this book. The scenery is described in a way that you feel like you're standing right next to the characters and the story has several twists and turns, both mysterious and personal for the characters. It's a quick read, but really well done.

Attorney Ava Burch finds herself embroiled in a cold missing person case when she stumbles upon an abandoned campsite during one of her Search and Rescue volunteer jobs with her dog, Huck. Something that immediately catches Detective Grant Wycoff’s attention. While the condescending Sheriff gives Ava the brushoff, Grant connects the dots to a woman gone missing two years earlier. While Grant doesn’t want Ava inserting herself into the case, he can’t help admitting that her find and research have helped make long strides in solving the case.

While trying to piece together the clues, Ava’s targeted by someone unknown and it’s unsettling, but she can’t let the case go as she finds there are bigger things at play.

Even though there’s a mutual attraction and pull, Ava’s hesitant. Seeing her mother always coming in second to the job makes her wary to start up anything with anyone in law enforcement, but she’s having trouble resisting him and they keep getting thrown together through this case. Grant is determined to change her mind and they have amazing chemistry!

I’ve done a lot of hiking and backpacking so I found the Search and Rescue feature really interesting and of course, if there’s a lovable dog I’m totally in! Huck was adorable and smart, and I loved the relationship he had with Ava and Grant!

I was immediately sucked into Vanishing Hour and listened to the whole book in one day! All the twists had me eager to find out what happened to the missing girls, and I was on the edge of my seat with every bit of danger Ava faced. The ending was a real nail biter! Another win for Laura Griffin! Definite recommend!

I alternated between reading and listening to an audio copy. Julia Atwood’s performance was really good! She performed with a subtle Texas accent that felt authentic to all the characters and she performed both female and male character parts wonderfully! I listened at 1.5x speed normal speed.

I really enjoy Laura Griffin’s style of writing a mystery. Granted they are more romantic thrillers than hard driven mysteries but she has now become one of my go-to authors when I need to switch up genre’s. Ava Burch and Investigator Grant Wycoff were an interesting pairing. Ava dresses like she still lives in a big city and drives a smart red sports car and Grant is living in his home town and working for a small police force but they are both attractive, smart, and in fiction land bound to have found each other so I’ll forgive how quickly they become involved and important to each other. Danger does that to a couple, right? Ava, as with Laura Griffin’s other heroine’s, doesn’t stop at turning in her photos and leaving a message for the sheriff, she decides to do some investigating on her own. After all, she’s a lawyer from a big city and her dad used to be a cop. Her instincts tell her something is off, so she moves forward, driving Grant nuts with her ability to find things that were overlooked by his own police force. I can’t help but like that about her!

I won’t give away the mystery in this review but the story leading up to the final reveal was nicely done and fun to read. Not too heavy or bloody, just a woman in danger and her hero who will come to save the day. Just the way I like my romantic thrillers! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I was given a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review and it was honest!

Vanishing Hour by Laura Griffin is a page-turning romantic thriller that hooked me on page one and held me to the end. A must read

Laura Griffin knows how to captivate readers and it's one of the reasons I'd read anything she writes. In her latest romantic suspense we're introduced to a small town with big secrets and more than one mystery on their hands. Missing persons, cold cases, and possible cover-ups make Ava Burch, along with her search and rescue dog, Huck, join an ongoing investigation with Sheriff deputy Grant Wycoff.

From the very beginning I was just as captivated as Ava into this investigation and it had me guessing the entire story. I love when a suspense novel keeps me in the dark past the 50% mark and proves every theory I come up with wrong, and that was certainly this one.

Overall, I highly recommend this book for every romantic suspense lover.

It's probably obvious to anyone who's looked at my Goodreads reviews, but I could happily escape into a year's worth of Laura Griffin books and barely come up for air. Vanishing Hour is one of those that relies heavily on its setting-the stark landscape of West Texas, where our heroine, Ava, has recently moved to do search and rescue work with her dog Huck and serve as one of only two attorneys in tiny hiking tourist town, Cuervo. When Ava and Huck find not only a missing child, but also an abandoned camp site that seems off somehow, on their first SAR hike, Ava is pulled into a missing person's investigation and the orbit of sexy cop Grant Wyckoff. What follows is a taut mystery with plenty of Griffin's trademark romantic suspense and outdoor adventures. The worst part of any of her stories for me are when they're over and I have to wait for the next one.

A cold case, multiple disappearances, a sheriff’s deputy, a search-and-rescue dog, and a former corporate lawyer are combined into a great romantic suspense novel. Laura Griffin’s Vanishing Hour has just the right mix of romance, suspense, police investigation, mystery, and action to capture and hold a reader’s interests. Ava Burch has given up her corporate law position to go into business with her friend Jenna. Theirs is the only law firm in Cuervo, Texas. She also volunteers for search and rescue operations with her dog, Huck. Grant Wycoff is a sheriff’s deputy who doesn’t think Ava has any business being on a team with outdoorsmen, rangers, and police officers in a serious search and rescue mission. However, Ava and Huck find more than expected and they need to work with Grant when another person disappears.

Both Ava and Grant have strong work ethics and integrity. However, Ava’s father was a game warden who was frequently away from home and ultimately he and her mother divorced. This plus his death and the resulting grief and unresolved issues affect how Ava perceives law enforcement officers. Grant cares deeply about people, but is subject to frequent call-outs that can disrupt plans. However, he seemed very quick to judge Ava based on her choice of clothing and vehicle rather than on facts. This seemed more aggravating to me than to Ava, which felt out of character for her. Their chemistry grew slowly as they became better acquainted. The other characters had a variety of depths based on their roles. Ava’s friend Jenna’s struggles with her father’s Alzheimer’s will resonate with many readers. I felt Sheriff Donovan’s attitude needed an adjustment that never materialized.

This book has a solid mystery with some twists and turns that will keep readers guessing. Friendship, lies, deception, disappearances, romance, family, grief, and much more are at the heart of this story. The world-building is excellent. Readers will feel the heat, see the downtown stores, connect with the well-developed and relatable main characters, and feel like they are joining Ava and Huck and search and rescue missions. My only quibble is that there was some telling versus showing.

Overall, this engaging and entertaining romantic suspense has wonderful characterization, a little spice, and some great action. Those who enjoy romantic suspense novels will likely enjoy this book. This was a new author for me and I can’t wait to dive into another one of her stories. This one has the right mix of mystery, suspense, action, and romance.

Berkley Publishing Group and Laura Griffin provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for October 25, 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

✔️ enjoyed the mystery and the romance
✔️ great setting
✔️ some unique aspects to the story although there were definitely some things that weren’t a surprise
✔️ a loveable rescue dog !
✔️ a deadly snake 🐍

"Molly didn't have enough water. It was a common mistake. But that didn't make it any less dangerous o a day when the air was like a hairdryer and yet the slightest trace of moisture vanished from her skin in seconds." from prologue of Vanishing Hour by Laura Griffin.

Ava Burch, the protagonist of The Vanishing Hour by Laura Griffin is a lawyer that has opened up an office with her friend Jenna in Cuervo, Texas. She is also a volunteer doing search and rescue missions with her dog Huck.

Grant Wycoff is in the sheriff's department, and he finds that she is more than just looks after she finds an abandoned campsite in Big Bend National Park. She thinks that there is more to the campsite than just being abandoned. There are cases of women missing, cold cases that the law enforcement can't see to figure out what happened to the woman involved. Then a child goes missing.

When Ava and Grant go to find the campsite, everything is gone. What could have happened and who is responsible? Continuing the search, they find the skeletal remains of one of the women that went missing. In her search, Ava becomes a target of whomever doesn't want her to discover what happened. Then there is the dude ranch, well it is actually a yoga/spa ranch. How does this figure in? Turns out that the women missing had worked there. In the meantime, Ava and Grant develop a romantic relationship.

This novel is a romantic suspense that hooks you right from the beginning. Texas is not one of my favorite locations, not into westerns. This is not a western though it is just the location. I started this book and read it in two sittings, it did catch my attention to be sure. I liked the main characters; the plot was very suspenseful. I think I may just read more by Laura Griffin!

I give it 5 stars!

Another read from Laura Griffin that I didn't want to end.

Small town suspense romances are my thing, if done right. This one was done right.

A little romance. A little suspense. A little mystery. Great character building. Great suspense building. The pages turn fast in this book. Before one knows it, no sooner did the book start but then it's over.

This one gets two thumbs up from me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for an advance review copy of this title. All opinions are my own and are honestly given.

In Vanishing Hour, attorney Ava Burch and her dog, Huck, encounter an abandoned camp while on a search-and-rescue mission. When the tent she discovered mysteriously goes missing before she can return to investigate further, Ava teams up with Deputy Grant Wycoff to determine if the campsite is related to the unsolved mystery of a woman who disappeared two years ago. As they draw deeper into the mystery and grow closer to each other, Grant and Ava realize that this two year-old cold case could be related to other women who have gone missing in the area, including a recent tourist. However, someone is desperate to stop their search into these missing women and seeks to silence Grant and Ava at all cost. Will they be able to uncover the truth (and survive) before time runs out?

Laura Griffin is is one of the most popular authors in the genre of romantic suspense, and Vanishing Hour is a great example of why readers the world over love her books. Readers are gripped from the first page as Ava and Grant (and Huck!) investigate this string of missing women in the West Texas desert. The romance and suspense plot lines are perfectly balanced, with engaging characters, believable romantic chemistry, and a mystery that will keep readers guessing until the final reveal. This stand-alone novel is a great addition to Griffin’s backlist of titles (including the uber-popular Tracers and Texas Murder Files series) and is a must-purchase for our library in physical and digital formats. 5 stars.

Unfortunately, this one didn't work for me nearly as well as the other books I've read from this author.

Ava Burch is a lawyer who moved to the small town of Cuervo, TX a few months before. She also volunteers with the local search and rescue teams, as her dog, Huck, is a trained SAR dog. Her father was a game warden who trained SAR dogs, including Huck, and Ava took up the mantle after her father's death.

Grant Wycoff is a detective with the county sheriff's dept. It doesn't take long lost in the desert before you get into trouble, so he goes out on a lot of SAR calls. Though he initially underestimates Ava on their first search together, she and Huck prove him wrong. The attraction between them is strong, but Ava seems reluctant to act on their mutual interest.

While out on a SAR call for a young child, Ava comes across an abandoned campsite that seems suspicious to her, so she takes a few photos of it, but the sheriff blows off her concerns. However, the camp site makes Grant think of a hiker that had gone missing 2 years earlier, and he starts to look into the find further, with Ava's help. Ava and Grant had a huge amount of chemistry from the beginning, and Grant is super into her right away, though he is still very reluctant to have her helping with the case. Ava is an even tougher sell. Ava definitely had unresolved issues with her dad, his demanding job, and his lack of attention to she and her sister while growing up. Grant having a similar demanding job meant Ava was not inclined to take things any further with him at first.

Neither of these characters really spoke to me in a way that made me invested in their future, especially with how wishy-washy Ava was toward Grant. This was even after they were intimate, so it was harder for me to pull for them as a couple. The mystery plot here was a little thin for me too, and I was shocked by the villain. This is mostly because it would've been impossible, in my opinion, to guess who they were, or why they did the crime, at any point along the way, due to lack of any real info about them until the reveal. I can't really say more about that without major spoilers.

So, this book was a bit of a miss for me, because neither the romance, nor the thriller aspect, left a big impression. I also felt it wasn't as steamy as some of her other stories, which added to my upset, as it didn't even have that aspect to redeem it. I was still compelled to finish the story, but by the time I got to the bad guy reveal, I was ready to move on. I've really enjoyed the past several books I've read by this author, and I would highly recommend them to anyone. I can't really say that about this one.

Laura Griffin is hands down one of the best romantic suspense writers to date! Vanishing Hour has everything readers are looking for feisty female lead and a strong protective male who complement each other perfectly.

The story has a perfect flow from the growth of Ava and Grant to finding who they are and what they want. The murder mystery will have readers guessing until the end. Trust me readers will not want the story to end.

Trying to find a romantic suspense author who creates characters who are not just loveable but flawed so they come to life as if you could meet them on the street.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for advance copy of Vanishing Hour by Laura Griffin.

I’m always intrigued by books the center around disappearances, or someone moving from a big city to a small town, and this had both. The plot was very unique and something I would love to see more of.

Ava was quite the character to follow. She was ambitious, talented and extremely intelligent. I wouldn’t say she always made the right move, but she took us on a journey literally and figuratively. Reading about her search and rescues was fascinating.

I enjoyed getting to see things from Grants perspective too. He was another great character, which I feel this book was full of. They way he worked with what he had every time had me loving him.

Overall I found this one a wild journey. It had romance, mystery, thrills and intrigue. I can’t wait to read more by this author.

Thank you for the ACR of Vanishing Hour by Laura Griffin that I read and reviewed.
This is a stand alone book by Laura Griffin that is packed with a lot of action and some romance as well.
I really enjoyed a stand alone for a change but I do love all of Griffin series, however I do hope she decides to tell the story of the secondary characters in this book Ava and Grant’s partners because I loved the sparks that were flying off between them in this book and I really want a story about them. With that said I will get into this book.
I enjoyed the connection between Grant and Ava in Vanishing Hour and Huck aka Huckleberry Ava’s search and rescue dog was great and I fell in love with him and found myself laughing at some of his antics. The mystery had me guessing the whole time and I would think I had the killer locked down and then something would be brought up in the book and I would be like that can’t be it so I love it and when it was ass revealed I was like. Mmmm where did all that come from. Typical Laura Griffin throwing in all kinds of surprises at the reader. That is why she is one of my favorite authors you have to on your toes to catch all of her clues. Another great book.
Vanishing Hour gets five out of five stars.

I love when a book draws you in and runs at a breakneck speed until the final page. Your eyes flying back and forth across the page, gasping as each twist and turn flies out in front of you. Vanishing Hour is one of those books. I could not put it down or stop thinking about it when I absolutely had to make dinner for my family. Just plan on ordering delivery when you start reading this book, your family will thank you.

Ava has decided to leave the city and open a law firm in a tiny Texas town. She is loving the slower pace, laid back atmosphere. Plus, she is able to take part in search and rescue missions with her pup, Huck. When Ava and Huck stumble upon a deserted campsite, it does not sit well with Ava. She knows there is something off about it and the sheriff is not about to waste his time. In walks Grant, a ruggedly handsome detective that is still haunted by a two-year-old cold case of a woman who disappeared in one of the parks. Ava begins to dig into the cold case, more questions pop up. Will Ava and Grant finally discover what happened to this woman?

Laura Griffin does an amazing job of describing the dry, dusty, drought wrecked land. The kind of heat that hits you like a punch, sucking all of the air out of your lungs. The characters are well formed and so fun to read about. This is my first book by Laura Griffin, it will not be my last. Thank you to Laura Griffin, Berkley Books, and NetGalley for sending me this delicious page turner.

Vanishing Hour by Laura Griffin
Narrated by Julia Atwood

Ava Burch had been a big city corporate lawyer but she wanted to get away from the big city grind. And her mostly estranged dad had died not long ago, leaving her his SAR dog, Hank, and his love of Search and Rescue. So when a friend and colleague had to move back to Cuervo, TX, near Big Bend, eventually Ava followed her. She lives in a little house on her friend's property and enjoys her more low key life as a small town lawyer.

Hank and Ava volunteer when a dog and handler are needed for search and rescue missions. On a search for a missing little boy, Ave notices an old camp site. She knows a girl went missing two years ago, she'd been camping and hiking in the area and the camp looks like it could have been hers. Then Ava realizes there were more missing girls and things start looking more ominous than a person just getting lost.

Deputy sheriff Grant Wycoff doesn't like it when Ava sticks her nose in this old missing person's case but that feeling is overshadowed by how he likes the jeweled pockets on her designer jeans (or what's under those jeweled pockets, to be more exact). And Ava's noticed Grant is easy on the eyes. There is actually a lot of ogling although neither want to admit it. Overall, the attraction is there but it's not overbearing. Grant is a professional and very focused on his job. Ava is apprehensive of Grant because she's afraid he could have some of her father's not so good traits.

And then there is Hank, an awesome lab who can't help chomping on a few shoes, loves steak, and might chase his roadrunner friend for kicks. There is work tension and attraction tension between Grant and Ava but you can't help wanting the best for both of them. I would not mind seeing more of these three in the future and I love the location since I've spent so many years in west Texas.

I was able to enjoy both the digital and audio versions of the book. Julia Atwood did a fine job with the narration of the audiobook and it was nice to be able to follow along with the digital book, especially when I wanted to look up locations and needed the correct spelling of places.

Thank you to Elisha at Berkley, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for the digital and audio ARCs.

Attorney Laura Burch moved to the small West Texas town of Cuervo to get away from cooperate law and make some life changes after the loss of her father who trained search and rescue dogs. Laura inherited one such dog, Huck, and together they are part of local search and rescue teams (SAR). On one such mission, Laura finds an abandoned campsite that seems very suspicious. Laura’s fancy duds and car may look sophisticated, but she grew up in rural East Texas and is not just a city slicker.

Despite Detective Grant Wycoff’s initial impressions of Laura, he soon realizes she is the real deal when it comes to both of her vocation as a lawyer and avocation as a member on search teams. Laura and Huck prove themselves more than once and while Grant finds himself attracted to Laura, he does not want her getting involved in any of his cases either new or old. Laura’s sees a pattern of missing young women and after a gruesome discovery at a local wilderness park, she is determined to find out what is going on in this rural community at another much larger wilderness area, Big Bend National Park. Laura is equally attracted to Grant; however, she has emotional baggage that causes her to hesitate on anything more than a professional relationship with the determined detective.

Despite Grant’s resistance and reluctance to release any information about his investigations as well as an uncooperative sheriff who is his boss, Laura is doggedly determined to uncover what is going on in this small and closely knit Texas community. Laura and Grant make a good team when researching the clues that were missed in the past and seeing a pattern of disappearances as well as figuring who just might preying on young women in the area. There is a saying about the rugged terrain of Texas regarding the local fauna: everything either stinks, stings, or sticks which is an accurate for the desert like landscape with its brutal heat and unforgiving terrain not to mention some deadly predators.

This is another fine Romantic Suspense story from Laura Griffin giving readers a feel for the challenges of life in rural West Texas as well an intriguing mystery to be solved. The characters are interesting and compelling while having a rescue trained dog who helps save lives of people makes this tale quite an enjoyable read.

Vanishing Hour
Laura Griffin

Laura Griffin’s latest, Vanishing Hour, has everything romantic suspense and thriller fans love, a chilling intense story, an edge of your seat whodunit and off the charts chemistry between her stars Ava and Grant. As usual this Texas native takes fans to a Texas locale and spins one heck of tale, this time the town is fictional but the surrounding state and national parks are real giving the read substance and credibility, plus as an added bonus readers get up close and personal with search and rescue dogs and handlers. The characters are all incredible and the stars are amazing, Ava is likable and relatable where Grant is more an enigma so yin and yang but they work well together as a couple and as role players in the story. The mystery is solid, the research is thorough, the clues and suspects are many with a red herring here and there for good measure but even the most perceptive reader will unlikely solve the puzzle until Laura’s big OMG reveal near the end. Fans of thrillers, romantic suspense, strong women protagonists and of this awesome author’s work will stay up all night to finish this best seller bound novel.

Tired of Houston and her big city law firm and needing a new direction for her life Ava Burch moved to the small West Texas town of Cuervo along with her search and rescue dog Huck. She’ll be partnering in a small two lawyer firm and offering her and Huck’s services for search and rescue operations in several nearby state and national parks when needed.

While on a search for a missing child Ava comes upon what seems like an abandoned campsite and takes photos for evidence. When Detective Grant Wycoff sees the pics he thinks this could be connected to a cold missing woman’s case. Ava offers more help but Grant warns her off which just makes her more determined to get involved.

The last thing Grant needs is some big city slicker with her fancy red car to stick her nose in police business. He’s more than capable of handling this himself but the beautiful brazen attorney has other ideas and he’ll probably have to arrest her to keep her out of this case. Then he thinks maybe she and her dog could come in handy and maybe keeping her close will also keep her out of trouble.
As they search for clues they’ll be dealing with the sizzling Texas heat and a sizzling attraction to each other and danger under every rock turned over.