The Vanishing by Sophia Tobin

A story of intrigue and revenge, perfect for fans of Jane Eyreand Fingersmith and The Miniaturist.

On top of the Yorkshire Moors, in an isolated spot carved out of the barren landscape, lies White Windows, a house of shadows and secrets. Here lives Marcus Twentyman, a hard-drinking but sensitive man, and his sister, the brisk widow, Hester.

When Annaleigh, a foundling who has fled her home in London, finds herself at the remote house, in service to the Twentymans, she discovers all is not as it seems behind closed doors. 

Isolated and lonely, Annaleigh is increasingly drawn to her master. And as their relationship intensifies, she soon realises that her movements are being controlled and her life is no longer her own. Slowly she is drawn into a web of intrigue and darkness, and soon she must face her fears if she is to save herself. 

Review

 ★★★★

I was kindly provided a copy of the book by Edelweiss in return for an honest review.

I wanted to read The Vanishing as soon as I read the summary, it was being compared to the classics that I love. Jane Eyre is one of my favourite books, yes, it’s a bit dark but it’s still my favourite. So, of course, I was super excited to get drawn into the book with such a tempting plot.

Now, I had never read anything by Sophia Tobin before so I was getting into the book completely without a bias or even any set expectations, for once. It was a good thing because I could genuinely enjoy the book and not be influenced by reviews of other people who found it well or otherwise. She writes wonderfully, drawing the reader by her atmospheric writing alone. The rest was just one good surprise after another. I really loved reading about the moors and the people that she wrote. That managed to capture my interest and that’s what kept me going in the beginning, afterwards, it was the story itself.

It started out slow but it helped to build up the story. I was a bit wary of the pace but luckily, it started to pick slowly over time. I don’t want to go into too much detail in fear of spoiling the book but frankly, I loved it. The way Annaleigh has that umph factor and how much she does want to do something for herself and be a good employee, the way Marcus seems like a gentleman but at the same time, something about him ticks you off, the way you have some ‘thoughts’ about Hester from the beginning. The way people are shown in the book, it completely makes you feel like you are there.

I loved the book, if you want to curl up in your favourite chair in front of a window or a fire, and read something, this is the book for you. It does give you that sense of period when things weren’t quite so modern and yet, there are times when the way a character says something is, perhaps, too modern for the era it’s set in. Oh, well, I can’t hold on to that for long.