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Vanishing Edge: A Novel (A National Parks Mystery) Hardcover – November 9, 2021
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The rugged landscape of Sequoia National Park is a challenge on the best of days—but when a park ranger discovers an abandoned exclusive campsite with an empty tent and high-end technical gear scattered on the shores of an alpine lake, the wilderness takes on a sinister new hue.
Thirty-two-year-old Felicity Harland—a former FBI agent who left the service in the wake of a personal tragedy and has taken her skills off the grid—is brought in as chief investigator. As a federal agent with the Investigative Services Bureau, she tackles crimes that occur on National Parks lands: unexplained falls, domestic disputes, and now a possible murder case.
The private company that set up the exclusive camp won’t reveal their client list, leaving Felicity with zero clues. As she struggles to find a lead, she’s also haunted by a painful past that dogs her at every step. But when she meets Ferdinand Huxley, a Navy SEAL turned park ranger, she begins to see the value in not just working with a partner, but trusting one, too.
The investigation takes Felicity and Hux deep into a wilderness that tests their physical limits to the extreme—and to the mean streets of Los Angeles, where they begin to learn the grisly truth behind the campers’ disappearance.
Bad things happen in the wilderness—and sometimes they’re not accidents.
- Print length288 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherCrooked Lane Books
- Publication dateNovember 9, 2021
- Dimensions6.29 x 0.99 x 9.55 inches
- ISBN-10164385867X
- ISBN-13978-1643858678
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"An appealing crimefighting team . . . Fans of Scott Graham’s National Parks mysteries will want to check this one out."
—Publishers Weekly
“A determined professional duo investigates wilderness wannabes: What’s not to like?”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Superbly crafted characters and a strong sense of place, VANISHING EDGE is a first-rate mystery!”
—Marc Cameron, New York Times bestselling author of the Jericho Quinn series and Arliss Cutter series
“When wealthy ‘glampers’ go missing deep in Sequoia National Park, bitingly witty repartee between the pair of park-service investigators assigned to the case makes Vanishing Edge a delightful debut. I can’t wait for the next!”
—Scott Graham, National Outdoor Book Award-winning author of Canyonlands Carnage
“In Vanishing Edge, Claire Kells delivers everything an outdoor mystery needs--vivid landscapes, a chilling plot, and engaging characters, both human and canine. An outstanding debut!”
—Margaret Mizushima, author of the award-winning Timber Creek K-9 Mysteries, including Striking Range
“A disturbing crime scene deep in the wilderness, an assortment of peculiar suspects, and a gutsy, determined investigator combine to make this a first-class mystery.”
—Pamela Beason, author of the Sam Westin Mysteries
“Claire Kells delivers a taut mystery set in the rugged backcountry of Sequoia National Park. With its engaging and very likeable main characters and plot with myriad twisting, intriguing clues, this book will hook readers from the start.”
—Alice Henderson, author of A Solitude of Wolverines
"Claire Kells delivers a taut mystery that twists and turns like a trail through the backcountry. It is a mesmerizing journey through the rugged wilderness of Sequoia National Park and a clear-eyed exploration of the impact of commercialization on our fragile wild lands."
—Todd Robert Petersen, author of Picnic in the Ruins
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Crooked Lane Books (November 9, 2021)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 288 pages
- ISBN-10 : 164385867X
- ISBN-13 : 978-1643858678
- Item Weight : 1.05 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.29 x 0.99 x 9.55 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,159,668 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #15,668 in Murder Thrillers
- #16,285 in Police Procedurals (Books)
- #48,165 in Suspense Thrillers
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Claire Kells is an author, a physician, and an avid open-water swimmer. She's rather obsessed with the great outdoors, even though she's scared to walk in the woods at night. Aside from wilderness adventures, her favorite things to write about are twisty plots, flawed characters, and romantic tension. She lives in Virginia with her family.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers enjoyed the book's story premise and suspenseful plot. They found the characters well-developed and likable. The book was described as an exciting, enjoyable read with vivid descriptions of national parks. Readers appreciated the writing quality and found it well-written.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the story engaging with an interesting premise and intriguing set-up. They appreciate the suspenseful writing and twists that keep them hooked until the end. The thought processes used to follow the trail and uncover the killer are commendable, and the ending is satisfactory.
"...That aside, the conclusions in the next novels are more convincing. And the characters are very well-developed and likable...." Read more
"Best book I have read in ages. Character driven, fascinating plot and such vivid descriptions I thought I was there ." Read more
"...I liked the MCs, the story, and the setting - I love national parks. I hope there are more books with these characters forthcoming." Read more
"...Stories are fascinating." Read more
Customers find the characters well-developed and likable. They enjoy the main characters, Felicity and Hux, and the story setting.
"I thought the characters were well drawn in this outdoors mystery, but the author made a mistake with the main character's dog...." Read more
"I like all the characters in this book. I never did figure out who the bad guy was. Beautiful descriptions of our national parks...." Read more
"Best book I have read in ages. Character driven, fascinating plot and such vivid descriptions I thought I was there ." Read more
"...The mystery was better than ok. I liked the major characters in the story and how they were depicted...." Read more
Customers find the book engaging and worth reading. They say it holds their interest and is well-written.
"This is the start of my new series books to read. The reading was just fun. Looking forward to book 2" Read more
"...I'll read her next one in the series. Good work, Ms. Kells." Read more
"Best book I have read in ages. Character driven, fascinating plot and such vivid descriptions I thought I was there ." Read more
"...care for many first-person narratives, but this book was one of the good ones. I liked the MCs, the story, and the setting - I love national parks...." Read more
Customers enjoy the vivid descriptions of the national parks. They find the plot fascinating and the Yosemite area interesting.
"...I never did figure out who the bad guy was. Beautiful descriptions of our national parks. Will definitely read the next novel. Loved it v" Read more
"...Character driven, fascinating plot and such vivid descriptions I thought I was there ." Read more
"...been there (not as a backpacker) many times, I really enjoyed the descriptions of the area. The mystery was better than ok...." Read more
"I liked the descriptions of the national parks. Most of the characters came across as kind of flat...." Read more
Customers find the writing quality good. They say it's well-written and likeable.
"...Therefore I was unexpectedly surprised at how well written and likeable it was. My reason for the moderate rating is that:..." Read more
"...This is the first time read this author & enjoyed her writing." Read more
"...I was impressed by the author's writing and the book kept me in suspense until the end. Already have pre-ordered her next book in the series." Read more
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Review: Vanishing Edge: A Novel by Claire Kells
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2024This is the start of my new series books to read. The reading was just fun. Looking forward to book 2
- Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2022I thought the characters were well drawn in this outdoors mystery, but the author made a mistake with the main character's dog. Dogs are not allowed on trails in National Parks, and this novel is set in Sequoia. The author also makes a comment through her viewpoint character that rangers who hate dogs are sociopaths. Well, I'm not a ranger (although I spent a summer working in a National Park for the Park Service), and I don't "hate" dogs, but I do strongly dislike them. I also don't appreciate them running off- leash, chasing wildlife (the dog in this novel is often off-leash) and leaving their excrement around for hikers to step in (the dog owner in the novel never seems to pick up her pet's poop). And I really don't consider myself a sociopath. I don't think my friends or family do either, although they know about my dislike of dogs. I found this comment off-putting and insulting. And as I have said, the character was committing an illegal act by having her dog on the trails and off-leash. She was accompanied by a park ranger who liked the dog, and he never said anything about the illegal aspects of having the dog there in the first place.
I also didn't like the conclusion of this novel. It seemed almost a cheat to the genre just to generate maximum surprise. The motive seemed weak, and the supposed bad guy just didn't seem to have it in him to commit the crimes as described.
This novel is the author's first mystery. Better luck next time, I have to say.
After reading the author's next two novels in this series, I added a star to my original review. I still agree with my objection to the dog running off-leash in a national park and her off-putting comment about those of us who don't love dogs, but...
The next two novels were definitely more satisfying. The dog is still there, but its role is more official, and I don't remember it being off-leash in an area where it should have been leashed.
That aside, the conclusions in the next novels are more convincing. And the characters are very well-developed and likable. I'll read her next one in the series. Good work, Ms. Kells.
- Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2024I like all the characters in this book. I never did figure out who the bad guy was. Beautiful descriptions of our national parks. Will definitely read the next novel. Loved it v
- Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2023Best book I have read in ages. Character driven, fascinating plot and such vivid descriptions I thought I was there .
- Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2023I rarely rate a fiction book with 4 stars. This National Park mystery is placed around Sequoia and, having been there (not as a backpacker) many times, I really enjoyed the descriptions of the area. The mystery was better than ok. I liked the major characters in the story and how they were depicted. It was not clear who the killer was until near the end. I just purchased #2 that is placed in Alaska. It's unusual for me to buy a ebook before it is offered at a lower price but I did for this one.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2024I bought this book on sale at Amazon, never having heard of the author or the series before. Therefore I was unexpectedly surprised at how well written and likeable it was. My reason for the moderate rating is that:
1) the mystery became boring; even at 80% read, there were nothing but dead-end leads, and the book was heading into "unlike-able" range, and
2) Felicity, the main character, was too meek and amenable at times, which led her to the above situation, i.e., not really solving the crime.
But the ending was pretty good. And I do look forward to the next installment.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2023I don't care for many first-person narratives, but this book was one of the good ones. I liked the MCs, the story, and the setting - I love national parks. I hope there are more books with these characters forthcoming.
- Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2023I'm devouring her books. Women run the show in all of them and are more than competent to handle themselves in the wild. Stories are fascinating.
Top reviews from other countries
- redangelReviewed in Australia on June 4, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars 👍😁👍😁
Well I rather enjoyed the book, surprise ending and all, some say the dog can’t go into the national parks well i say to them its fiction and a little creative writing is the usual thing. The book flowed well and kept you wondering what was going to happen. Good characters a great dog what more can you ask for.