The Lady Vanishes

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.

"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!

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.

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.

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.

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 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.