Book Review: Vanishing Point

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Vanishing Point     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Judith Van Gieson
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Amateur Sleuth   Woman Main Character   Senior Sleuths
Series: Claire Reynier # 2
Signet, Feb 2001, $5.99, 272 pp.

The archivist assigned to "preserve the papers, the legend, and the memories" of the 1960s rebel Jonathan Vail is Clair Reynier. The Southwest Research of the University of New Mexico employs the fifty plus years old woman. Recovering from a divorce, Clair enjoys cataloging Vail's works including his letters, a journal, and a book the cult classic "A Blue Eyed Boy".

A student working on a dissertation on Vail excites Clair when he produces another journal from the cult icon. The journal highlights Vail's days in Slickrock Canyon, where he was camping with his girlfriend before vanishing. Clair and a police officer go to meet the graduate student near the cave where Jonathan's duffel bag containing the journal was found. Instead, the duo finds the dead body of the student, who appears to have fallen from a steep cliff. The inquisitive Clair begins making inquiries not realizing that someone close by wants to insure she learns nothing even if it means another death to accomplish that.

Judith VanGieson proves once again that she is a superb storyteller through her ability to vividly depict the Southwest desert so that readers feel they are there. Clair may seem like an ordinary person, but her values insist she fight for what she believes in regardless of the personal cost. The well-plotted mystery combines with realistic characters to turn VANISHING POINT into a pleasant reading affair

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner