‘Shelley Burr does not take prisoners. Bloody loved this book . . . It’s crime fiction at its effortless best – beautifully drawn characters, rich relationships, fast and fascinating plot, and twists that make you go “ah”’ LAINIE ANDERSON, author of The Death of Dora Black

‘A constant unnerving undercurrent bubbling away on every page’ DARCY TINDALE, author of Burning Mountain

‘A sizzling, boldly original page-turner – an intense and utterly gripping thriller. Her best yet!’ ROSE CARLYLE, author of The Girl in the Mirror

People go to the isolated Karpathy farm looking for a new life. Is it a commune? Is it a cult? Or something far more dangerous?

Lane Holland’s crime-solving career ended the day he went to prison. Yet one unsolved case continues to haunt him: the disappearance of Matilda Carver two decades ago. Against the odds, Lane finds a lead – a mysterious farm community where Matilda lived briefly, led by the enigmatic Samuel Karpathy. The farm attracts lost souls. People looking for answers. People hiding from their pasts. People who have nowhere else to go. But some of those who go to the farm seem to vanish without a trace.

Inspired by a real-life criminal case, VANISH is a chilling thriller from award-winning Shelley Burr, the bestselling author of Australian noir.

‘Everything you want from an Australian crime thriller’ Weekend Australian

‘Weaves together clues, misdirection and red herrings, leaving the reader guessing, and eager for the big reveal we know is coming’ The Australian Women’s Weekly

‘There’s not a dull moment and a surprising left-of-field conclusion’ Sydney Morning Herald

‘A sure-fire page-turner that keeps readers guessing’ Daily Telegraph

‘A propulsive and engaging crime read with a distinctly Australian touch . . . Perfectly paced and cleverly rendered’ Readings

Praise for Shelley Burr’s sensational novels: ‘Compulsive, propulsive, addictive’ New York Times ‘Outstanding . . . A gripping mystery’ The Guardian ‘A yarn that feels so plausible and terrifying, it stays with you’ The Australian Women’s Weekly ‘Shelley Burr is a bright new talent in Australian crime fiction’ CHRIS HAMMER ‘Stunning, masterfully written, thought-provoking and intense, it is Aussie noir at its finest’ Sunday Express

Author Biography

Shelley Burr grew up on Newcastle’s beaches and her grandparents’ property in Glenrowan, and on the road between the two. When not writing, Shelley is working to establish a small permaculture farm and is studying sustainable agriculture at the University of New England.

Her debut novel, WAKE, was a Top Five bestseller, won the prestigious UK Crime Writers’ Association’s Debut Dagger Award in 2019, and the Australian Book Industry’s Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year and the Australian Crime Writers Association’s Ned Kelly Award for Best Debut Crime Fiction in 2023. WAKE was also shortlisted for the Indie Book Awards Debut Fiction Award.

Her second novel, RIPPER, went straight to Number One on the Australian Fiction Bestseller list and was shortlisted for both the Sydney Crime Writers Festival’s Danger Award for Fiction and the Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Fiction in 2024.

VANISH is Shelley’s third book in the Lane Holland series and can be enjoyed as a standalone novel.