What do you think?
Rate this book
Greywalker #4
Vanished
The toughest case yet for Greywalker and P.I. Harper Blaine, -a great heroine- (New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris), has arrived.
Harper Blaine was your average small-time P.I. until she died-for two minutes. Now Harper is a Greywalker-walking the line between the living world and the paranormal realm. And she-s discovering that her new abilities are landing her in all sorts of -strange cases.-
But for Harper, her own case may prove the most difficult to solve. Why did she-as opposed to others with near-death experiences-become a Greywalker? When Harper digs into her own past, she unearths some unpleasant truths about her father-s early death as well as a mysterious puzzle. Forced by some very demanding vampires to take on an investigation in London, she soon discovers her present troubles in England are entangled with her dark past back in Seattle-and her ultimate destiny as a Greywalker.
Harper Blaine was your average small-time P.I. until she died-for two minutes. Now Harper is a Greywalker-walking the line between the living world and the paranormal realm. And she-s discovering that her new abilities are landing her in all sorts of -strange cases.-
But for Harper, her own case may prove the most difficult to solve. Why did she-as opposed to others with near-death experiences-become a Greywalker? When Harper digs into her own past, she unearths some unpleasant truths about her father-s early death as well as a mysterious puzzle. Forced by some very demanding vampires to take on an investigation in London, she soon discovers her present troubles in England are entangled with her dark past back in Seattle-and her ultimate destiny as a Greywalker.
282 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 4, 2009
About the author
Kat Richardson
31 books1,250 followersBestselling author of the Greywalker paranormal detective novels. Former theater brat, singer, dancer, gemology and jewelry course-writer, liveaboard boater, and editor. Currently lives in the wilds of far-western Washington with her husband and dogs.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 272 reviews
July 5, 2019
4.5 And this is where the fun begins!
Frankly, I expected a filler kind of book. You know, where we get all sorts of info about her past but nothing really relevant to the story, and all that jazz.
I expected this sort of story
What we got though is the first of a 2-book series (inside a series?) that was absolutely amazing! We finally see something happen world-wide and we get new information about everything (especially the vamps, and who doesn't enjoy a good fight with vamps).
Anyway, what I wanted to say is that, if you've read the series until this point, it's not worth giving it up right now. If you thought the other books were 'meh', well, things get interesting here.
Plus, I find this series under-rated and under-read. More people need to give it a try.
Frankly, I expected a filler kind of book. You know, where we get all sorts of info about her past but nothing really relevant to the story, and all that jazz.
I expected this sort of story
What we got though is the first of a 2-book series (inside a series?) that was absolutely amazing! We finally see something happen world-wide and we get new information about everything (especially the vamps, and who doesn't enjoy a good fight with vamps).
Anyway, what I wanted to say is that, if you've read the series until this point, it's not worth giving it up right now. If you thought the other books were 'meh', well, things get interesting here.
Plus, I find this series under-rated and under-read. More people need to give it a try.
August 12, 2016
I felt like Vanished was weaker than the previous novel. It almost could have made two books in one, as the first 100 pages or so is very much concerned with her past and her relationships to each of her parents. It also delves into the mystery of why she is a Greywalker, but comes up with more questions than answers. Just when I thought I was understanding the world of the grey, Richardson confused me again. She has a ghost riding an airplane, which feels wrong to me. On the land, ghosts are tied to locations irrespective of buildings being torn down, so being connected to an airplane route just didn't fit as well to me.
The second part of the book moves to London, and this is where it starts to pick up on Richardson's familiar fondness for history, and then departs on a bloodier and more action-oriented route. Before long, Harper makes a stop at a vampire's abode, and gets into a fight with a creature living there. Now our former Harper limped through the last book due to trauma inflicted on her knee during a fight. This time, she is suddenly able to move through the Grey at fast pace, as compared with her inching and slogging through in previous books, and uses it in a fight to backflip over her enemy. It felt like too much "cheating" to me, after following her through three books, describing how hard it was to move through planes of the grey. And a flip is still a flip. Yes, Richardson has been describing her as athletic, but points out how much of it came through dance. A flip doesn't seem a natural maneuver for any training background we've had to date.
I admit I was also turned off by the degree to which the story became more and more bloody. Torture and blood rites became involved, along with bloodthirsty ghosts who, again, suddenly became able to inflict damage. The end ties up the case that sent her to London, but opens more questions as to what is happening at home, and launches a new (sort of) conflict for the next book. I found it only moderately satisfying.
The second part of the book moves to London, and this is where it starts to pick up on Richardson's familiar fondness for history, and then departs on a bloodier and more action-oriented route. Before long, Harper makes a stop at a vampire's abode, and gets into a fight with a creature living there. Now our former Harper limped through the last book due to trauma inflicted on her knee during a fight. This time, she is suddenly able to move through the Grey at fast pace, as compared with her inching and slogging through in previous books, and uses it in a fight to backflip over her enemy. It felt like too much "cheating" to me, after following her through three books, describing how hard it was to move through planes of the grey. And a flip is still a flip. Yes, Richardson has been describing her as athletic, but points out how much of it came through dance. A flip doesn't seem a natural maneuver for any training background we've had to date.
I admit I was also turned off by the degree to which the story became more and more bloody. Torture and blood rites became involved, along with bloodthirsty ghosts who, again, suddenly became able to inflict damage. The end ties up the case that sent her to London, but opens more questions as to what is happening at home, and launches a new (sort of) conflict for the next book. I found it only moderately satisfying.
May 13, 2020
Lots of blood and guts (and other stuff) at the end of the book. Harper got some questions answered and maybe someone to go to for help. Good book.
January 8, 2014
This might contain a spoiler regarding Harper Blaine's relationships, but since this is the fourth book in this series, I won't bother marking it. The spoiler is in the last paragraph, but it isn't a spoiler for those who have read the first three books.
Something weird is happening in Seattle. Something weirder than usual and Greywalker Harper Blaine is having nightmares where Will Novak is tortured. After she wakes up, she gets a call from her ex who happens to be dead, to come 'home' and find out the truth.
After a short investigation of her own past in LA, she agrees to help Edward to find his missing associate in London. It turns out that almost everything she knew about her childhood and her father has been a lie and everything that happened to her can be traced back to a single source. On top of that, the missing associate case is tightly connected to her.
What I love about Harper Blaine is how normal she is. I know that sounds strange when you talk about someone who can slip into the ghost world, but her thoughts and feelings are down to Earth. She is tough when needed, but not one of those kick-ass heroines who are tough until the author decides he/she needs a doormat heroine and the rules of the world they created be damned. So far, Harper is great. Hopefully I didn't jinx her. Greywalker stays urban fantasy with only a hint of romance, so that shouldn't be the case. Harper has Quinton and their relationship is one of the healthiest I've seen in any urban fantasy so far. Nobody is suffocating anyone and they both know what the other is good at.
Something weird is happening in Seattle. Something weirder than usual and Greywalker Harper Blaine is having nightmares where Will Novak is tortured. After she wakes up, she gets a call from her ex who happens to be dead, to come 'home' and find out the truth.
After a short investigation of her own past in LA, she agrees to help Edward to find his missing associate in London. It turns out that almost everything she knew about her childhood and her father has been a lie and everything that happened to her can be traced back to a single source. On top of that, the missing associate case is tightly connected to her.
What I love about Harper Blaine is how normal she is. I know that sounds strange when you talk about someone who can slip into the ghost world, but her thoughts and feelings are down to Earth. She is tough when needed, but not one of those kick-ass heroines who are tough until the author decides he/she needs a doormat heroine and the rules of the world they created be damned. So far, Harper is great. Hopefully I didn't jinx her. Greywalker stays urban fantasy with only a hint of romance, so that shouldn't be the case. Harper has Quinton and their relationship is one of the healthiest I've seen in any urban fantasy so far. Nobody is suffocating anyone and they both know what the other is good at.
April 22, 2016
Fourth in the Greywalker urban fantasy series revolving around a private detective able to walk in a fold of space than sits between the normal and the paranormal. Harper is based in Seattle but most of this story takes place in London. It's also Part 1 of a sinister plot.
My Take
Oh man, the tension Richardson created!! It was a bit slow to start but once it did. I could not race fast enough to keep up!
I've always fantasized about going back in time and then doing a fast-forward through time to watch, to observe how the landscape changes over the centuries. Now we get to do this with Harper as she navigates the time slips within the Grey in London. I suspect I'd get caught up watching the people of all those different centuries engage in their own lives instead of Harper's necessary pursuits. I never knew Tyburn Tree had been located near where Marble Arch stands now.
A few quibbles. Harper is so careful in the first six hours she's in London to contact Bryson to report when she has so little to say and yet just a few hours later when she has a ton of information that Edward really should hear about, she's not at all bothered about letting him or Bryson know. Sure Edward gets kidnapped or disappears or...something but nothing is said about Bryson. Why isn't she letting him know what she discovers? It's pretty damn critical. Especially considering that his and her chief enemy is still there in Seattle!
There's almost too much action to take in. Too much information that comes streaming in to fill in Harper's past. Worse, Richardson drops you with Harper on the plane coming back to America so we have no idea what's happening in Seattle. If Edward is back. What's Wygan doing? Is Quinton okay? And all the background, the behind-the-scenes machinations that have gone into creating the Greywalker that Harper is now is just churning away in your brain...argh!! Be sure to have the next book in the series, Labyrinth , standing by...you'll need it!
The Story
An old boyfriend of Harper's who got killed on a stakeout in LA some years ago appears in her dreams and starts Harper on her quest to learn more about her past. A past in which she learns more than she wants to know. About her dad. About her own earlier death. The family legacy on her father's side and how Wygan is shaping her for his own ends. Cary Malloy makes her aware and the ghost of her father's old secretary, Christelle LaJeunesse, gives credence to her father's journals. The old family photos with their unexplainable streaks of light, smoky faces, "tricks of the light" that mar every photo in which Harper or her dad appeared.
It's while Harper is in the Los Angeles area that Edward contacts her in a panic. Unrest is rising amongst the vampires in Seattle and the disappearance of his business partner in London has Edward insistent upon hiring Harper. That Harper is ideal for reasons they both understand.
A slip in a Grey temporacline introduces Harper to golems and how they are made. How they are used. Useful information but disturbing when she encounters one of a friend. Almost worse is the encounter at the end of a sewer tour in a kayak with a maddened wraith, Norrin, who lurks in the catacombs of old and ancient London down by the bricked-over Fleet River.
Harper quickly learns the pattern of persuasion when the disturbing nightmares she's been having about Will Novak, her ex-boyfriend, turn out to be true. It's the same pattern as used on her dad but Harper is determined that the end result will not be the same. She will not fail. She will not fail Will nor will she fail Quinton. She will twist what the Pharaohn expects.
The Characters
Harper Blaine has been aware of the Grey for two years now and has a better understanding of how it works. Chaos is her ferret. Quinton, her DIY expert in pretty much anything and everything and an escapee from the overly regimented NSA is her lover now. He's also working on a ghost detector. Will Novak hasn't been with Harper for a year now and is currently working in London at Sotheby's; his brother Michael is there as well. It's too bad for Will that Alice isn't up on current events.
Edward Kammerling is the head of both the Seattle vampire community and TLP, "one of Seattle's biggest development groups". He has recently been reworking the way he disciplines and rules in Seattle. Bryson Goodall is Edward's head of security. John Purcell is Edward's vampire partner in Clerkenwell in London; Jakob is a river spawn enspelled to serve Purcell. Master Simeon bin Salah is a sorcerer, a very long-lived sorcerer who deals in black magic. Alice Liddell is being used by the Pharaohn the leader of all the Egyptian vampires, the asetem-ankh-astet, stronger than regular vampires. Wygan. The worm-man who tortured her father. Alice had Simeon create the Kreanou, a vampire to end all vampires who will turn on anyone his masters order for as long as they hold his leash.
Part of Harper's past includes her mother...who knew?!! Harper has an awful relationship with her mother, one colored by her own child's perspective on a mother who insisted on Harper pursuing a career as a dancer to fulfill her mother's dreams. One which Harper endures as an adult as her self-absorbed mother continues to nag and criticize. Cary Malloy was both boyfriend and mentor when Harper was first starting out as a detective. Now he's coming back from the dead in Harper's dreams and in a psychic phone call warns her. Of watchers surrounding Harper always. Evil. Now something is breaking and releasing more of this evil. The worm-man of her father's journals. The significance of the drowned Jilly.
Marsden is a very hostile greywalker Harper encounters in London. He believes the best Harper is one no longer in this world. The caryatids at St. Pancras Church are Hope, Charity, Temperance, and Prudence who provide Harper and Marsden with information; their ghostly attendant, Barnaby Smith, is able to provide more details. Henry Glick was the Primate of the Red Brotherhood of St. John---fool. Mrs. Jabril is a steampunk dream!
Sekhmet challenges Harper outside Sotheby's when she comes to check on Will. Technically, on Harper's side, but not a being Harper wants to encounter again. Ben, Mara, and Brian Danziger play a cameo role in this story. Detective Solis is not present.
The Cover and Title
The cover is shades of gray with black and a metallic royal blue with Harper carefully looking back over her shoulder at a crowd of red-eyed, hooded creatures following her on a London street all a'tilt. Naturally, it's night time with a fractured full moon overhead.
The title is curious. The only Vanished I can figure is Harper's dad's ghost. She can't find it in any of the expected places.
My Take
Oh man, the tension Richardson created!! It was a bit slow to start but once it did. I could not race fast enough to keep up!
I've always fantasized about going back in time and then doing a fast-forward through time to watch, to observe how the landscape changes over the centuries. Now we get to do this with Harper as she navigates the time slips within the Grey in London. I suspect I'd get caught up watching the people of all those different centuries engage in their own lives instead of Harper's necessary pursuits. I never knew Tyburn Tree had been located near where Marble Arch stands now.
A few quibbles. Harper is so careful in the first six hours she's in London to contact Bryson to report when she has so little to say and yet just a few hours later when she has a ton of information that Edward really should hear about, she's not at all bothered about letting him or Bryson know. Sure Edward gets kidnapped or disappears or...something but nothing is said about Bryson. Why isn't she letting him know what she discovers? It's pretty damn critical. Especially considering that his and her chief enemy is still there in Seattle!
There's almost too much action to take in. Too much information that comes streaming in to fill in Harper's past. Worse, Richardson drops you with Harper on the plane coming back to America so we have no idea what's happening in Seattle. If Edward is back. What's Wygan doing? Is Quinton okay? And all the background, the behind-the-scenes machinations that have gone into creating the Greywalker that Harper is now is just churning away in your brain...argh!! Be sure to have the next book in the series, Labyrinth , standing by...you'll need it!
The Story
An old boyfriend of Harper's who got killed on a stakeout in LA some years ago appears in her dreams and starts Harper on her quest to learn more about her past. A past in which she learns more than she wants to know. About her dad. About her own earlier death. The family legacy on her father's side and how Wygan is shaping her for his own ends. Cary Malloy makes her aware and the ghost of her father's old secretary, Christelle LaJeunesse, gives credence to her father's journals. The old family photos with their unexplainable streaks of light, smoky faces, "tricks of the light" that mar every photo in which Harper or her dad appeared.
It's while Harper is in the Los Angeles area that Edward contacts her in a panic. Unrest is rising amongst the vampires in Seattle and the disappearance of his business partner in London has Edward insistent upon hiring Harper. That Harper is ideal for reasons they both understand.
A slip in a Grey temporacline introduces Harper to golems and how they are made. How they are used. Useful information but disturbing when she encounters one of a friend. Almost worse is the encounter at the end of a sewer tour in a kayak with a maddened wraith, Norrin, who lurks in the catacombs of old and ancient London down by the bricked-over Fleet River.
Harper quickly learns the pattern of persuasion when the disturbing nightmares she's been having about Will Novak, her ex-boyfriend, turn out to be true. It's the same pattern as used on her dad but Harper is determined that the end result will not be the same. She will not fail. She will not fail Will nor will she fail Quinton. She will twist what the Pharaohn expects.
The Characters
Harper Blaine has been aware of the Grey for two years now and has a better understanding of how it works. Chaos is her ferret. Quinton, her DIY expert in pretty much anything and everything and an escapee from the overly regimented NSA is her lover now. He's also working on a ghost detector. Will Novak hasn't been with Harper for a year now and is currently working in London at Sotheby's; his brother Michael is there as well. It's too bad for Will that Alice isn't up on current events.
Edward Kammerling is the head of both the Seattle vampire community and TLP, "one of Seattle's biggest development groups". He has recently been reworking the way he disciplines and rules in Seattle. Bryson Goodall is Edward's head of security. John Purcell is Edward's vampire partner in Clerkenwell in London; Jakob is a river spawn enspelled to serve Purcell. Master Simeon bin Salah is a sorcerer, a very long-lived sorcerer who deals in black magic. Alice Liddell is being used by the Pharaohn the leader of all the Egyptian vampires, the asetem-ankh-astet, stronger than regular vampires. Wygan. The worm-man who tortured her father. Alice had Simeon create the Kreanou, a vampire to end all vampires who will turn on anyone his masters order for as long as they hold his leash.
Part of Harper's past includes her mother...who knew?!! Harper has an awful relationship with her mother, one colored by her own child's perspective on a mother who insisted on Harper pursuing a career as a dancer to fulfill her mother's dreams. One which Harper endures as an adult as her self-absorbed mother continues to nag and criticize. Cary Malloy was both boyfriend and mentor when Harper was first starting out as a detective. Now he's coming back from the dead in Harper's dreams and in a psychic phone call warns her. Of watchers surrounding Harper always. Evil. Now something is breaking and releasing more of this evil. The worm-man of her father's journals. The significance of the drowned Jilly.
Marsden is a very hostile greywalker Harper encounters in London. He believes the best Harper is one no longer in this world. The caryatids at St. Pancras Church are Hope, Charity, Temperance, and Prudence who provide Harper and Marsden with information; their ghostly attendant, Barnaby Smith, is able to provide more details. Henry Glick was the Primate of the Red Brotherhood of St. John---fool. Mrs. Jabril is a steampunk dream!
Sekhmet challenges Harper outside Sotheby's when she comes to check on Will. Technically, on Harper's side, but not a being Harper wants to encounter again. Ben, Mara, and Brian Danziger play a cameo role in this story. Detective Solis is not present.
The Cover and Title
The cover is shades of gray with black and a metallic royal blue with Harper carefully looking back over her shoulder at a crowd of red-eyed, hooded creatures following her on a London street all a'tilt. Naturally, it's night time with a fractured full moon overhead.
The title is curious. The only Vanished I can figure is Harper's dad's ghost. She can't find it in any of the expected places.
December 11, 2018
I enjoyed this one more than previous entries in the series, but I must admit that the growth for the MC is rather slow, as is the long arc reveal.
March 1, 2018
4 Stars
Vanished book 4 in the Greywalker series by Kate Richardson is a fantastic edition to this fun series. As I have said so many times, I can't get enough adult urban fantasy these days. There isn't really anything new in Greywalker but there is plenty of awesome things to enjoy.
Great characters.
Greater setting.
A familiar feel.
The writing is good and the pacing is fast.
This was a better story than book one. Cool setup and plot with all of the experimentation and mysteries. I really great had fun learning things along the way.
Poltergeist also has a better ending that was quite satisfying.
I really enjoyed it. So much so that I wanted to immediately go on to book three..
Cool cool.
Vanished book 4 in the Greywalker series by Kate Richardson is a fantastic edition to this fun series. As I have said so many times, I can't get enough adult urban fantasy these days. There isn't really anything new in Greywalker but there is plenty of awesome things to enjoy.
Great characters.
Greater setting.
A familiar feel.
The writing is good and the pacing is fast.
This was a better story than book one. Cool setup and plot with all of the experimentation and mysteries. I really great had fun learning things along the way.
Poltergeist also has a better ending that was quite satisfying.
I really enjoyed it. So much so that I wanted to immediately go on to book three..
Cool cool.
August 1, 2021
She goes to London and it still stays confusing a little, but a good addition to the series, just different than the others. She does find out more about her family history and her mother was certainly different.
October 13, 2009
This is by far the weakest entry into the Greywalker world. I've loved the past novels! Instead of the entertaining and clever interaction between Harper and the Grey that we've gotten in the past, we get a plot thinner than the Grey itself.
There's lots of Harper talking, Harper whining, Harper being confused, Harper walking, Harper traveling, Harper being snarky, but not much of Harper being the clever detective she's been in the past. Nothing is resolved either. The end is left wide open, with only half the story addressed at all.
I'm thinking the wonderful Kat Richardson would've had a better novel if she waited a bit for the real plot to come out and put it in one book, instead of stringing it along like this. Vanished was nothing but filler.
There's lots of Harper talking, Harper whining, Harper being confused, Harper walking, Harper traveling, Harper being snarky, but not much of Harper being the clever detective she's been in the past. Nothing is resolved either. The end is left wide open, with only half the story addressed at all.
I'm thinking the wonderful Kat Richardson would've had a better novel if she waited a bit for the real plot to come out and put it in one book, instead of stringing it along like this. Vanished was nothing but filler.
June 11, 2023
Another great book in this series!
October 25, 2012
This book sounds the death knell to the series for me.
I bought it out of a vague curiosity about the puzzle ball mentioned in the the previous book and becasuse the setting is England - I'm British, I wondered how it'd be handled.
While the previous books had an interesting plot but failed (for me) to present the characters, this book lacks motivation.
We see a little personality from Harper at last; unfortunately she comes across as obnoxious. Feet on the table at her mothers - this is a thirty-plus woman not a teenager, dismissive to the car-hire guy - I felt sorry for him, claiming bad hygiene to escape a friendly brit! - is simply saying 'hey, I've got to run' too foreign?
She's moved from bland into someone I don't think I like. I still feel first person narrative needs more emotion, but now I'm doubting it'd help.
When travelling to another country there's always impressions; the people, sounds, colour, culture... This was geographical, the tube lines etc it didn't give me a feel of the place or of Harper as a visitor. Harper doesn't have any opinions or interests beyond her ferret. A map of London and a chart of the underground would give you the same insight.
There's no casual conversations. A young shop girl can tell her all about where best to search archives and gives a whole paragraph on what a passage is as opposed to an alley. The next page she's stepping through the temporacline what the hell is that? a passage I can figure out myself, but a tempora..?
Halfway through and I've had to stop to try and remember why she's even in England. The book starts with some mystery over her father but then gets side-tracked by a job for the head scary vampire that she doesn't want to get tangled with. I can't understand why she's so willing to help him. It means there's no reason to read on because I'm not invested in the plot, Harper suceeding doesn't help anyone except a creature with known evil intentions.
The golem didn't make sense.
Also, the cell phone Harper bought in the second book was definitely on the suggestion of an editor, because here she's still resolutely paging people. While mobiles have not always been owned with such alacrity, I've never known pagers to be this popular outside of the medical profession.
There's no characters I care about and just past the halfway point I've got no curiosity about the plot or interest in Harper suceeding.
appearing on ebay soon ;)
I bought it out of a vague curiosity about the puzzle ball mentioned in the the previous book and becasuse the setting is England - I'm British, I wondered how it'd be handled.
While the previous books had an interesting plot but failed (for me) to present the characters, this book lacks motivation.
We see a little personality from Harper at last; unfortunately she comes across as obnoxious. Feet on the table at her mothers - this is a thirty-plus woman not a teenager, dismissive to the car-hire guy - I felt sorry for him, claiming bad hygiene to escape a friendly brit! - is simply saying 'hey, I've got to run' too foreign?
She's moved from bland into someone I don't think I like. I still feel first person narrative needs more emotion, but now I'm doubting it'd help.
When travelling to another country there's always impressions; the people, sounds, colour, culture... This was geographical, the tube lines etc it didn't give me a feel of the place or of Harper as a visitor. Harper doesn't have any opinions or interests beyond her ferret. A map of London and a chart of the underground would give you the same insight.
There's no casual conversations. A young shop girl can tell her all about where best to search archives and gives a whole paragraph on what a passage is as opposed to an alley. The next page she's stepping through the temporacline what the hell is that? a passage I can figure out myself, but a tempora..?
Halfway through and I've had to stop to try and remember why she's even in England. The book starts with some mystery over her father but then gets side-tracked by a job for the head scary vampire that she doesn't want to get tangled with. I can't understand why she's so willing to help him. It means there's no reason to read on because I'm not invested in the plot, Harper suceeding doesn't help anyone except a creature with known evil intentions.
The golem didn't make sense.
Also, the cell phone Harper bought in the second book was definitely on the suggestion of an editor, because here she's still resolutely paging people. While mobiles have not always been owned with such alacrity, I've never known pagers to be this popular outside of the medical profession.
There's no characters I care about and just past the halfway point I've got no curiosity about the plot or interest in Harper suceeding.
appearing on ebay soon ;)
September 21, 2010
Kat Richardson’s Greywalker series sets off on a roller-coaster ride of mysteries to be solved with this book. Harper Blaine learns more than she might wish about her father, and finds herself desperate to find out what she’s missed. Ex-boyfriend Will learns more than he wants about Harper’s world. Present boyfriend Quinton is trying to learn. Ferret Chaos has curious skills. And London proves even more haunted than Seattle.
The author, having introduced the grey planes of history (and ghosts) in earlier books, does a very neat job of layering even more years into the city of London. The imagery is great, the feel of London’s ghostly past, of tangled streets in the present and the beyond, of underground monsters and riding on underground trains. The story felt more confusing that earlier books, but perhaps I just wasn’t reading carefully enough. Shifting political alliances between vampire clans, broken treaties, mysterious ampoules, puzzles and machinery carry the tale. There’s secrets revealed and secrets kept, with even another greywalker chased by his own special demons. Sewer rats swarm in a dramatic rescue. Motorbikes zip through traffic. And ancient cemeteries hide timeless fears.
London and Los Angeles stand in intriguing contrast to Seattle, and Harper Blaine’s friends in contrast to her family. The end of the book leaves the present tale satisfyingly concluded, but hints of the larger tale are unresolved, making the next in the series an absolute must-read. Pity it’s not in paperback yet.
The author, having introduced the grey planes of history (and ghosts) in earlier books, does a very neat job of layering even more years into the city of London. The imagery is great, the feel of London’s ghostly past, of tangled streets in the present and the beyond, of underground monsters and riding on underground trains. The story felt more confusing that earlier books, but perhaps I just wasn’t reading carefully enough. Shifting political alliances between vampire clans, broken treaties, mysterious ampoules, puzzles and machinery carry the tale. There’s secrets revealed and secrets kept, with even another greywalker chased by his own special demons. Sewer rats swarm in a dramatic rescue. Motorbikes zip through traffic. And ancient cemeteries hide timeless fears.
London and Los Angeles stand in intriguing contrast to Seattle, and Harper Blaine’s friends in contrast to her family. The end of the book leaves the present tale satisfyingly concluded, but hints of the larger tale are unresolved, making the next in the series an absolute must-read. Pity it’s not in paperback yet.
January 6, 2016
In this fourth installment of the Greywalker series, the stakes have risen incredibly high, and things have gotten very personal for Harper Blaine, paranormal investigator extraordinaire. Kat Richardson’s Vanished is another excellent addition to this urban fantasy saga.
The book opens with Harper journeying to Los Angeles to learn more about her past. She finds out that her father’s dead wasn’t accidental—it was a suicide that probably had a paranormal tinge to it. Then her vampire acquaintance sends her off to London to take care of a vampire problem there, but she finds out it’s all a trap, and her ex-boyfriend is the bait. So it’s a race against time to save the day and stay alive.
I probably wouldn’t go so far as to say this is my favorite book in the series so far, but it definitely had its moments. I love the scope of the paranormal in the world Richardson has created, and also the characters; Harper is down-to-earth and relatable, and her romantic relationship with Quinton is extremely adorable and healthy. The story stays easy to follow and simple, but it always exciting and full of action.
At this point, I’ve definitely committed myself to the Greywalker series. In spite of a bumpy start, I think Kat Richardson has finally found her stride, and Vanished definitely solidifies this for me. So far, I think Harper Blaine is doing extremely well for herself, compared to other protagonists in other lengthy urban fantasy series.
The book opens with Harper journeying to Los Angeles to learn more about her past. She finds out that her father’s dead wasn’t accidental—it was a suicide that probably had a paranormal tinge to it. Then her vampire acquaintance sends her off to London to take care of a vampire problem there, but she finds out it’s all a trap, and her ex-boyfriend is the bait. So it’s a race against time to save the day and stay alive.
I probably wouldn’t go so far as to say this is my favorite book in the series so far, but it definitely had its moments. I love the scope of the paranormal in the world Richardson has created, and also the characters; Harper is down-to-earth and relatable, and her romantic relationship with Quinton is extremely adorable and healthy. The story stays easy to follow and simple, but it always exciting and full of action.
At this point, I’ve definitely committed myself to the Greywalker series. In spite of a bumpy start, I think Kat Richardson has finally found her stride, and Vanished definitely solidifies this for me. So far, I think Harper Blaine is doing extremely well for herself, compared to other protagonists in other lengthy urban fantasy series.
October 9, 2014
Vanished is the Greywalker book I’ve been waiting for - the one that finally answers questions and starts putting the pieces together. It’s darker than the previous installments as Harper tackles her past, revelations about her father, and the sinister plot she’s been unknowingly caught up in since the beginning. Good people get hurt, and Harper doesn’t always know who she can trust. Even though it’s grim, I really enjoyed the story, especially getting to meet another Greywalker. Not everything gets wrapped up in the end. In fact, we’re left with a sense of impending doom, knowing the events in Vanished are only the prelude to a much larger battle.
The drama plays out in L.A. and London, a nice change of pace that further sets this story apart from the previous ones. The one negative is that I got a bit lost trying to envision Harper’s London. The constant references to names of streets, neighborhoods, and landmarks made so little sense to me that I was tempted to go get a map, but then I would have lost the story’s momentum. Despite my confusion with the London setting, I enjoyed Vanished and am looking forward to continuing the adventure back in Seattle with the fifth book, Labyrinth.
The drama plays out in L.A. and London, a nice change of pace that further sets this story apart from the previous ones. The one negative is that I got a bit lost trying to envision Harper’s London. The constant references to names of streets, neighborhoods, and landmarks made so little sense to me that I was tempted to go get a map, but then I would have lost the story’s momentum. Despite my confusion with the London setting, I enjoyed Vanished and am looking forward to continuing the adventure back in Seattle with the fifth book, Labyrinth.
October 20, 2012
Want to know why Harper is a Greywalker?
The title is a bit misleading … if I were to pick a similar title name I would call it Revealed or Unearthed. The fourth book in the Greywalker series reveals many things about Harper’s past and many things about why and how she become a Greywalker. Also some interesting plot lines brought up in the first book and practically dropped for the next two are finally brought up again and more is revealed.
Also I’ve found that the grey is becoming normal, as normal as any paranormal thing can be. I am no longer confused by the oddities of the grey, and find that it makes sense.
Finally, Harper gets to explore other parts of the world beside Seattle. She visits London! Full of great history and lots of paranormal activity in the grey!
The title is a bit misleading … if I were to pick a similar title name I would call it Revealed or Unearthed. The fourth book in the Greywalker series reveals many things about Harper’s past and many things about why and how she become a Greywalker. Also some interesting plot lines brought up in the first book and practically dropped for the next two are finally brought up again and more is revealed.
Also I’ve found that the grey is becoming normal, as normal as any paranormal thing can be. I am no longer confused by the oddities of the grey, and find that it makes sense.
Finally, Harper gets to explore other parts of the world beside Seattle. She visits London! Full of great history and lots of paranormal activity in the grey!
February 27, 2013
Not bad. But the absence of Quinton makes me realize he's why I read this series. And I missed the Danzigers, too. Plus it looks like creepy Will is back, and seems poised to be even creepier in the future :P
April 26, 2021
The latest in the Ghostwalker series is quite interesting. It starts off with Harper receiving a phone call in the middle of the night from her dead boyfriend, and just gets weirder from that point, if you can imagine that. She decides she needs to return to the scene to investigate further, so she flies to Los Angeles, back to her roots. She pays a visit to her mother, and gets the astounding revelation that her Dad didn't die by accident, but killed himself. Digging through his old journals, she begins to understand that he had also been plagued by visions of stranged creatures living in the Grey, and finally took his own life to keep them from exploiting him for their nefarious purposes.
After a few days there, she gets a call from Edward Kammeling, leader of the vampires back in Seattle, and returns on his private jet for a meeting with him. One of his fellow vampires back in London has been looking after Edward's business interests there for some time, and has disappeared. He convinces Harper to be his agent there, to find out what's happened. Harper has also had a couple of vivid dreams about her ex-boyfriend, Will, who works at Sotheby's there, being in danger, so she may be able to look into Kammerling's problems and check on Will, at the same time.
Richardson's tale of Harper's escapades in London is filled with all sorts of interesting little details about the area and its history. It feels like she either just got back from a vacation there, spent a lot of time studying Lonely Planet's London, or was a student of British history; maybe all three of the above.
As one might surmise, the vampire's troubles and Will's situation are linked. The cabal that has taken over Edward's territory has also kidnapped Will as a lever on Harper, and some of her old enemies are trying to trap her and use her for their own ends.
This one has some great action, eerie moments, and is pretty fun. The only downside from my perspective is that at the end of this novel, there's still some integral details that have to be dealt with back in Seattle, and we last see Harper on the plane, flying home. So, we'll have to wait for the sequel to see how this batch of troubles gets dealt with. Looks like the book, Labyrinth, won't be out till August, so check back then and we'll talk.
After a few days there, she gets a call from Edward Kammeling, leader of the vampires back in Seattle, and returns on his private jet for a meeting with him. One of his fellow vampires back in London has been looking after Edward's business interests there for some time, and has disappeared. He convinces Harper to be his agent there, to find out what's happened. Harper has also had a couple of vivid dreams about her ex-boyfriend, Will, who works at Sotheby's there, being in danger, so she may be able to look into Kammerling's problems and check on Will, at the same time.
Richardson's tale of Harper's escapades in London is filled with all sorts of interesting little details about the area and its history. It feels like she either just got back from a vacation there, spent a lot of time studying Lonely Planet's London, or was a student of British history; maybe all three of the above.
As one might surmise, the vampire's troubles and Will's situation are linked. The cabal that has taken over Edward's territory has also kidnapped Will as a lever on Harper, and some of her old enemies are trying to trap her and use her for their own ends.
This one has some great action, eerie moments, and is pretty fun. The only downside from my perspective is that at the end of this novel, there's still some integral details that have to be dealt with back in Seattle, and we last see Harper on the plane, flying home. So, we'll have to wait for the sequel to see how this batch of troubles gets dealt with. Looks like the book, Labyrinth, won't be out till August, so check back then and we'll talk.
August 1, 2019
This book felt odd, with it's two storylines that seemed very loosely connected. We get to learn more about Harper's past which we knew almost nothing about. We also get to see Will and Michael again, which I was less excited about since I felt that Harper and Will had poor chemistry and a boring romance that we didn't really get to see. I was hoping to see more of Quinton and the problems in Seattle. The storylines of this book were still interesting and the London parts were pretty action packed. We get to see Harper's mom and it's easy to see why Harper doesn't talk to her or visit her that much, she's pretty awful. The second part of the story is about Edward but is connected to Harper and who she is. This created more questions than answers for me. Why does Wygan want her and for what? I hope that more of this is explained in the next books since nothing was really explained in this one other than Wygan wanted Harper's dad for the same mysterious reasons.
Overall 3 out of 5 stars for the awkward two books in one thing and the lack of any explanation for most of the things we learned in this book. Hopefully more information is coming in the next books.
Overall 3 out of 5 stars for the awkward two books in one thing and the lack of any explanation for most of the things we learned in this book. Hopefully more information is coming in the next books.
July 9, 2021
Weakest of the series so far. The beginning involved a ghost of an ex-boyfriend luring Harper back to Los Angeles where she encounters the biggest caricature I've ever met- her mother. Constantly telling Harper she can lose weight while being over-the-top about important family details. Harper asks if there are any dark secrets in the family and the mom is like, "oh? like the fact that your father killed himself? nah I never told you."
Then the entire story shifts into a vampire territory issue in London where Harper is sent to act as Edward's spy and figure out what's going on. We see some familiar faces and learn about evil Egyptian vamps and get even more confused about the Gray and what's going on.
The main problem here is that the beginning of the novel doesn't connect at all with the middle or end. What was the point of the ex-boyfriend ghost? It still baffles me. Obviously more is going to come of these plot lines (I hope) but it was just a ton of random stuff to introduce in the middle of the fourth book in a long series.
Then the entire story shifts into a vampire territory issue in London where Harper is sent to act as Edward's spy and figure out what's going on. We see some familiar faces and learn about evil Egyptian vamps and get even more confused about the Gray and what's going on.
The main problem here is that the beginning of the novel doesn't connect at all with the middle or end. What was the point of the ex-boyfriend ghost? It still baffles me. Obviously more is going to come of these plot lines (I hope) but it was just a ton of random stuff to introduce in the middle of the fourth book in a long series.
October 27, 2017
I enjoyed it, but not quite as much as the third one. The two halves- Harper researching into her own past and dealing with vampires in London- didn't really connect until later in the book, which made me feel a bit impatient with the first half of the book. I also struggled with the believability of Harper's relationship with her mother- if they get along that badly, why would Harper's mom just let her come waltzing in and sorting through her dad's stuff? Couldn't Harper have made at least _some_ effort to try and reconcile things? I don't know, that beginning section just didn't seem to work as well for me. Once things really got going, I did get sucked into the story, and at the very least, I want to read the next book, since this one ended without much resolution to much of anything.
I do think that the narrator of the audiobooks is not helping much with my enjoyment of the series. She's not absolutely horrible, but there's places she really gets on my nerves, too.
I do think that the narrator of the audiobooks is not helping much with my enjoyment of the series. She's not absolutely horrible, but there's places she really gets on my nerves, too.
March 14, 2018
Vanished is the fourth book in the Greywalker Series. It is my second favorite volume so far – Underground being my favorite. Unlike the others, Vanished is a longer storyline. It will continue into the fifth book. Harper Blaine, the protagonist, is fighting a major “war” and discovers some revealing information about her past. Vanished will answer many questions about the series. I would read it even if you’re considering stopping.
Normally, I’d add my little peeves or likes, but I don’t want to ruin anything. It’s a decent book. Harper grows as a character, Greywalkers are further explained, and we learn that there’s a bigger villain. This entire book is life-or-death, very action packed. If you’re having difficulty finding it or don’t want to buy it, you can read it for free on Free Novel Online. You can't argue free!
Normally, I’d add my little peeves or likes, but I don’t want to ruin anything. It’s a decent book. Harper grows as a character, Greywalkers are further explained, and we learn that there’s a bigger villain. This entire book is life-or-death, very action packed. If you’re having difficulty finding it or don’t want to buy it, you can read it for free on Free Novel Online. You can't argue free!
May 6, 2021
It all starts with a phone call from a dead guy. "Ghosts, witches, and vampires just don't take no for an answer." What a childhood Harper had, previously it had only been hinted at. A little family history comes in handy in Harper's latest case. This case takes her to London and drops her in the thick of it into vampire business. Also it is revealed that there is a long game involving her 'talents'.
There are still some rather large inconsistencies in the writing; e.g. Harper goes through all manner of rack and ruin and somehow never loses her purse or its' contents, nor do they suffer water damage. The story has lots of twists and turns, but does not feel bogged down.
As for the narrator, her accents are bad, and she occasionally mispronounces words.
Library download.
There are still some rather large inconsistencies in the writing; e.g. Harper goes through all manner of rack and ruin and somehow never loses her purse or its' contents, nor do they suffer water damage. The story has lots of twists and turns, but does not feel bogged down.
As for the narrator, her accents are bad, and she occasionally mispronounces words.
Library download.
June 25, 2022
Ok this has got to me my number one favourite Book in the series so far. The authors writing has gotten so much better, and it was actually really compelling to read. The only downside was that she wrote about london and it’s many road signs and names of various buildings that we didn’t really need to know about. I don’t need a lesson about the layout of London precisely, way too much detail was added and could have been cut out . xD However, apart from that it was an enjoyable read. It www more focused on the vampires with which I was first keen on when reading the first book. I can't wait to see what happens next and what Wygans plans for Harper are. I hope Caros and Edward come to aid her! Especially Carlos!
March 13, 2024
Vanished is an interesting addition to the Greywalker series. The first 25% of the book Harper is in L.A. dealing with her mother and her past. Then the remaining 75% she gets conscripted by Seattle's head vampire to go to London to fix a problem for him. Vanished and the next book Labyrinth are like a mini-series within the Greywalker series because although Vanished manages to wrap up a minor plot point by the end a major thread is left hanging and will be wrapped up in the next book. IMHO Vanished felt unfinished and incomplete. Other than that, I enjoyed it. I thought the author did a good job with the slow reveal of Harper's past and how her relationship with the people in her life changes because of it. Can't wait to read the next one.
(Warning for suicide)
(Warning for suicide)
December 1, 2018
Normally I enjoy paranormal fiction but 'Vanished' did not do it for me. The plot was convoluted, confusing and drawn out without the story actually going anywhere.
This one sort of works as a 'stand alone' novel but I did not think it was all that good. The premise was promising (a small time PI who gets to solve cases in both the normal and paranormal realms) but the book simply did not live up to its potential.
It was needlessly dark and in my view, had few redeeming features.
This one sort of works as a 'stand alone' novel but I did not think it was all that good. The premise was promising (a small time PI who gets to solve cases in both the normal and paranormal realms) but the book simply did not live up to its potential.
It was needlessly dark and in my view, had few redeeming features.
January 25, 2020
I'd give this one 3.5 stars. It's dark and violent and depressing. The supernatural action overall is thrilling, so if you are in the mood for that, you'll enjoy this book. It leaves off as the protagonists leave London with the main conflict yet to be resolved back home in Seattle, another reason I give this a lower rating than I gave the preceding books and stories. I do like the series and will finish reading it to find out how this plot ends.
June 24, 2022
Good reading fun! Supernatural, urban fantasy. This time, she ends up in London and we see the many levels of London history. Good friends and odd creatures, filthy ancient sewers, some bloody scenes, very little sex, very little if any bad language. Not written for young people. I've really enjoyed this series! It looks like there are several more books than I had thought; I only own the first four.
May 14, 2024
So I was never going to get this (and 45 others) properly written up, so I posted quick, tweet-length thoughts about some things that have needed reviewed for far too long:
Good story, but felt underwhelmed by it all. I think it was me and my timing. not Richardson. I need to get back on this horse.
Good story, but felt underwhelmed by it all. I think it was me and my timing. not Richardson. I need to get back on this horse.
January 23, 2019
I remembered nothing of this book since i last read it (over 8 years ago), which meant I could enjoy it fresh again.
This time, we have another Greywalker, a dead ex, vampires, more vampires, a goddess, a river monster, a mystery about dear departed Dad, London, sewers and obligations. Fun (or not so fun) times!
This time, we have another Greywalker, a dead ex, vampires, more vampires, a goddess, a river monster, a mystery about dear departed Dad, London, sewers and obligations. Fun (or not so fun) times!
May 19, 2019
Good urban fantasy series about a private investigator who, after being clinically dead for two minutes, finds herself drawn into the Grey - a world alongside ours, but filled with magic and the paranormal. The writing is very "noir" (choppy, declarative sentences in first person POV), which took me a while to settle into.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 272 reviews