This was a fascinating true crime book that focused on a case that I was unfamiliar with. The book is lovingly crafted and extensively researched. It is definitely a must read for true crime fans.

Wow. There was so much about this book that I learned. The formatting of the book was messed up, so it made it hard to reward, but the detail was insane.

I listened to this podcast when it came out so I was familiar with the story. It is an odd one! I felt like this fleshed it out more and I was able to follow it better than listening one episode at a time since I could flip back in the book. It is a great companion to the podcast but also would be appealing to people who hadn't listened.

Before reading this I did not listen to the podcast but I now want to go back and do so. This book is about Marion who vanishes and the search to find her. This book brings to life the real life case and long efforts that have been put into locating this woman. I knew think this book is very well written and informative. I really like how the book is formatted with conversations and phone calls peppered in.

I followed the podcast on this subject for years and I really enjoyed the behind the scenes look at the podcasting team. I knew they were committed but had no idea! I think the podcast plus the book is a great combination, but I think the book alone would be very interesting.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Alison Sandy’s The Lady Vanishes is a riveting true crime memoir that delves into the mysterious disappearance of Marion Barter, a beloved mother, teacher, and friend who vanished without a trace in 1997. This book, co-authored with Bryan Seymour and Sally Eeles, is an extension of the popular podcast of the same name, and it offers a comprehensive and compelling narrative that will captivate true crime enthusiasts.

The story begins with Marion Barter boarding a plane for an overseas adventure, only to disappear under suspicious circumstances. Initially dismissed by police as a case of a divorced mother abandoning her family, Marion’s disappearance becomes a decades-long mystery. The book chronicles the tireless efforts of Marion’s daughter, Sally Leydon, and a dedicated team of investigative journalists as they uncover a web of intrigue spanning nine decades and three continents. 

The strength of The Lady Vanishes lies in its deeply human portrayal of those involved in the search for Marion. Sally Leydon’s relentless pursuit of the truth is heartbreaking yet inspiring. Her determination to find her mother, despite numerous setbacks and dead ends, is a testament to her love and resilience. 

Sandy’s writing is clear and engaging, effectively blending narrative storytelling with investigative journalism. The book is meticulously researched, with each chapter revealing new twists and turns in the investigation. The authors manage to maintain a sense of suspense throughout, making it difficult to put the book down. 

The Lady Vanishes explores themes of loss, perseverance, and the quest for justice. It highlights the emotional toll of a loved one’s disappearance and the impact on those left behind. The book also examines the challenges of investigating cold cases and the importance of never giving up hope. 

Overall, The Lady Vanishes is a compelling and thought-provoking read that will appeal to fans of true crime and investigative journalism. Alison Sandy, Bryan Seymour, and Sally Eeles have crafted a narrative that is both informative and emotionally resonant. The book serves as a powerful reminder of the enduring impact of unresolved disappearances and the importance of seeking justice for those who can no longer speak for themselves.

When I received this ARC I thought it would be about Marion and her strange disappearance as is the description. However, The Lady Vanishes is more about the background of the podcast with little bits of the case here and there. I am struggling to finish this book due to this. The case bits the authors did a good job doing their research. Marion was a school teacher in Australia who went missing. Police believe she just up and left, her family is split between that and something bad happened. What happened to Marion? Where is she?

We follow the TLV team through not only their reporting and investigation but also Marian's life story that abruptly ended when she vanished in 1997. Some say she was impulsive and individualistic,
Abandoning her family without a second thought. Others think that was a rouse and there was more happening behind the scenes.

While I thought the narrative storytelling and organization was done well, there was too much copy/paste Q&A from the courtroom. When there's too much of it, it's easy to get lost in it and glaze over. I also thought there was too much inconsistency on names (not just *his* names). Specifically, last and first names were used interchangeably often to reference people which became confusing, especially when many of the last names were either similar to other's first names or just in themselves could also be common first names. Consistency would have been appreciated.

I am absolutely astound at the journey that the daughter had to go through to find answers. It takes you through every step. You won’t be able to put it down! Thank you for the advanced copy.

Wow! This was compelling; so many twists and turns. They always say truth is stranger than fiction and this story proves that. The podcast had been sitting on my to listen to pile but I got to the book first, and I'm glad. So much happened in the creation of the podcast, behind the scenes, and from listeners that really added to this take. Highly recommend for true crime lovers.

I love true crime and loved reading this story. It was hard to read because its true and it's a story we've all heard so many times. I enjoyed reading about how the case was pieced together and finding out about a story I wasn't aware of. It was sad but I think everyone needs to read and hear this story.

The Lady Vanishes" was a podcast first - that became so popular and lasted so long - a book has now been made of it. If you have never listened to the podcast, don't worry. This book covers all of the amazing details in record time about the disappearance of Australian Marian Barter, and her daughter's relentless effort to find out what happened when she left for Europe but never returned.

Much of the book details the podcast creation and episodes, which is interesting in itself. The fact that so many of the podcast listeners ended up finding crucial details about the disappearance is unique and separates this from most true crime stories I have read. Another thing that separates this from most stories is that a television network, The Seven Network, bankrolled most of the investigation for many years. While the details are heartbreaking, the twists and turns this story takes made it compelling right up to the last few pages. It's also a book about relationships. There is the relationship of Marion to her daughter, Sally. There is the relationship Sally forged with Alison Sandy and the rest of the team, who refused to let the idea go that Marian Barter did not willingly disappear. There is the relationship between the police who initially investigated her disappearance, deciding she wanted to disappear, and Sally and her team. It quickly becomes almost another book in itself how the police may have mismanaged parts of evidence or completely ignored them in their belief that Marian did not want to be found. Then there is the relationship between Marian and a mystery man who may or may not have been influential in her life once she left Australia.

This is a book I need to re-read to fully appreciate what took place. It vividly illustrates how a podcast and its listeners can significantly alter perceptions about a crime, or that what took place even was a crime. Without it, we would be none the wiser about what happened to Marian Barter - and that would be a huge loss.

Riveting! The story draws you in and then you don't want to put it down. Evidence again on the importance of journalism. - and loved how the book wove the in's and out's of creating a deeply researched episodic podcast with the various time lines of Sally, Marion and all the other women's stories.

I received a free copy of, The Lady Vanishes, by Alison Sandy, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Marion Warren is missing and nobody seems to care, the school teacher is missing in Australia. This is a sad case, but interesting.

A sad but in depth account of Marion’s disappearance. Definitely going to be checking out the podcast. Loved the way the book was formatted with interview and phone call descriptions.

Super interesting. I haven't listened to the podcast for book yet, but I really want to. I hadn't heard anything about this case before. Eye opening and very informative.

"When Marion Barter disappeared in 1997, police initially dismissed it as the actions of a divorced mother abandoning her family. In this book, the creators of the addictive global hit podcast The Lady Vanishes detail the winding investigation into Marion's disappearance, from tentative early police efforts to her daughter's 27-year search for answers."

Thank you to NetGalley for the copy of this book to preview. I am a true crime "fan". I have listened to short form podcasts about this case but I did not listen to the longer series that covers the case fully. This is a bizarre and fascinating case and this book covers it so well and with excellent detail and care. For others interested in true crime or a story that is stranger than anyone could ever make up, this is a must read!

Marion Barter disappeared in 1997 and police thought the divorced mother had just up and abandoned her family. The why on this is not entirely clear. To me, this would be like my mother disappearing and the police deciding she just jetted off to start a new life and never contacting anyone again. Yeah, because exactly NOTHING in my mother’s life would ever make anyone believe she would actually do that.

Here, Marion was an award winning schoolteacher. She had been divorced, but she had two children she was fairly close to. There had been so-called sightings of her but these could be easily faked. It just sounds to me like the police couldn’t find her or find evidence of a crime, so they immediately defaulted to “she’s run away” versus “she’s missing and we don’t know why.”

But I don’t know this for sure. Because I quit the book about 20% in.

I honestly felt about guilty to Marion for giving up on it. It’s clear from the parts I did read that a few years ago there was a popular Australian podcast that picked up the cold case and they either know or think they know what happened to her now, thanks only to the continuing efforts of her daughter (daughters are the best. Sons? Useless. Mostly. They can probably reach high things and they save all their allowance money so, when they are kids, moms and daughters can conspire together to steal their cash from them to get Pizza Hut, not that that EVER happened in the Brewster household, sorry, TJ, I swear we planned to pay you back.)

So, anyway, the book seemed to be mostly about how to start a podcast from nothing (which, actually, was quite easy for this bunch considering they were all in the TV news business. Would be much harder from me, especially since I don’t think my brother has anything handy for me to steal this time) and a lot of repetition. Plus there were a lot of quick jumps back and forth over time, sometimes spanning decades. And it was just….I’m SO SORRY, Marion, a bit dull. I think the book may have been a lot about the podcast, which I gather was very popular.

If you know the podcast and/or the crime you may enjoy this. Otherwise I can’t recommend.

I started following “The Lady Vanishes” podcast when the first episode came out in 2019. It was an investigative journalism podcast made to help a woman find her mother, Marion Barter, who went missing in 1997. What they thought would be 8-10 episodes turned out to be a wild ride of discovery that took 5 years (and over 50 episodes) with many twists and turns.

This book laid out all the information from the podcast that became pertinent to what most likely happened to Marion. Podcast listeners will love having everything organized on the page because listening to the details of the real time discoveries could be hard to piece together at times. Also, if you’re interested in the case but don’t want to listen to 50 episodes worth of content, you’ll appreciate this book.

This book also contains some behind-the-scenes information that I really enjoyed about the podcast, like more about how episodes were made and who was involved.

This story is a crazy one and I so feel for everything Marion’s daughter has been through to find her. It’s an incredible story I want everyone to know about. 10/10 recommend.