Vanished (Christian Chiller Series #1) [Paperback]

Kathryn Mackel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 18, 2009

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Vanished

By Kathryn Mackel

 

A terrorist bombing. A rogue experiment. A community vanished. Who will save them now? In a series that blends the urgent action of the Left Behind books with the alluring weirdness of the television show Lost, this first book opens with a terrorist bombing that combines with a rogue underground experiment to rip a clovershaped section of the working-class city of Barcester loose from the world. Cut off from any hope of help, police sergeant Jason Logan fights to keep order and track the terrorist mastermind. But after a second bomb explodes, effectively sealing the displacement of the vanished area, he knows the nightmare is just beginning. As the mist from the bomb slowly clears, those inside the vanished community find themselves surrounded by a majestic wilderness that is both primitive and primal as the vanished community battles for survival against enemies they’ve always known and forces they’ve never imagined.

 

About the Author

KATHRYN MACKEL is known across many markets as a creative wordsmith who can write fast-paced action with well-developed characters and imaginative plots. She is the author of both adult and youth fiction and is an accredited screenwriter. She pioneered the supernatural sub-genre known as “Christian Chillers,” including the critically acclaimed The Surrogate, The Departed, and The Hidden.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Kathryn Mackel is one of the best things to happen to suspense fiction in a long time--and Vanished is her most intense book yet. This book kicks off a series that's guaranteed to give you hours of white-knuckle reading.
--Jim Denney, author of the Timebenders series and Answers to Satisfy the Soul A fast-paced story reminiscent of A Wrinkle in Time.
--Eric Wilson, author of A Shred of Truth, The Best of Evil, and Expiration Date Scared me to shivers one moment and lifted me to the heights of wonder in the next. Kathryn Mackel is the master at making you feel the mystery of life, both at its brightest and darkest.
--Kathleen Popa, author of To Dance in the Desert

A terrorist's bomb. A rogue experiment. An impenetrable mist.

And no one is coming to help...

After a bomb explodes in a working-class neighborhood of Barcester, Massachusetts, police sergeant Jason Logan fights to keep order and assist the injured while desperately waiting for aid to arrive. Is the mist from the bomb preventing ambulances and fire trucks from coming in? Or has something far more dire occurred?

As the hours tick by, Logan tracks the terrorist mastermind--whom he learns is not done wreaking havoc. Cut off from modern medical resources, nurse-practitioner Kaya de los Santos treats the injured and soothes the fearful, unaware that her teenaged son Ben is on the run from both the cops and the terrorist.

The vanished begin a battle for survival against enemies they've always known--and forces they've never even imagined.

About the Author

Across many markets—CBA, ABA, and Hollywood—Kathryn Mackel is known as a creative wordsmith who can write fast-paced action with well-developed characters and imaginative plots. She is the author of both adult and youth fiction and is an accredited screenwriter. She pioneered the supernatural sub-genre known as “Christian Chillers,” including the critically acclaimed The Surrogate, The Departed, and The Hidden. Her fantasy offerings include books 1 and 2 of the Birthright Project, Outriders and Trackers.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Realms (March 18, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599792117
• ISBN-13: 978-1599792118
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 7.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #241,267 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Vanished, January 10, 2010

By 

Pat A. Russell "countryreader" (Sherman,NY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Vanished (Christian Chiller Series #1) (Paperback)

I bought this book knowing it was the first book in a series. What I did not know was that it was not a recent book and that there is no second book yet.
The story is very exciting and fast paced, I really liked the characters and cared about them, I loved the premise of the story .
It was a good thriller, kept my interest and fast paced. then I got to the end, and it ended as if something had just sliced through the story just when it was getting even better and cut it off. When I started to read the book and realized how good it was, I went and ordered three more books by this author. I assumed either one or two were the continuation of Vanished.
Now I know they are not. I would have given the book five stars and it is a five star book. But it just leaves you hanging and here it was written in 2007, its now 2010 and I am not sure if the story will continue. What a giant let down. Pat Russell, Sherman,NY

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Solid Beginning to a New Series, February 18, 2008

By 

Jake Chism (Texas, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Vanished (Christian Chiller Series #1) (Paperback)

On a quiet day in a quiet community the silence is shattered by a bomb explosion in the city park. The residents of Barcester, Massachusetts, suddenly find themselves in the midst of chaos and death. A strange mist has settled around the neighborhood keeping everyone in and keeping all help on the outside. Anyone who attempts to cross the mist finds themselves on the verge of a terrifying alternate world that defies reason and logic. Now a divided community must put aside their differences and try to find a way out before the madman in their midst destroys them all.

Kathryn Mackel offers up an intriguing tale that makes for a solid beginning to a new series. Mackel's storytelling talent is on full display as she brings us a suspense filled work that comes at us from many angles. The strong characters really sell the story as we are effectively drawn into their lives and their collective search for answers. We are also treated to several creepy glimpses into the mist and what may or may not reside there. At it's heart this is a story about faith and hope in the face of danger and uncertainty. In the end we are reminded that God's love for us is greater than the chaos, fear, and despair that we may face in our own lives.

Readers need to keep in mind that Vanished is the first book in a series, even though the publishers felt the need to leave this information out of the book. This does explain the rather abrupt ending, and I have a feeling all of our questions will be answered and our expectations met as this series unfolds. I for one will be back for round two!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars NEVER WRITE A BOOK without an ending--stupid waste of time, July 13, 2010

By 

Ds Rizzi "Suzy Riz" (West Texas) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Vanished (Christian Chiller Series #1) (Paperback)

What? I waste all this time, dozens of unanswerable questions are raised and none of them explained? It's like the author got bored and quit! For gosh sakes, at least let the cavalry ride in! Anybody can make up freakish ideas but only a good author then has the explanations for them. The most basic of writers know that! You don't build readers that way. NEVER will i read one of her books again. You say, Ms. Mackel, the publisher wouldn't publish the second one--then why not just include the ending in this one, like everybody else does? You could have answered many questions with a few pages, is all! Aside from just some really dumb dialogue and people running all over trying to kill each other even though their world has just collapsed, this could have been a very good book. I give it one star. It deserves less. I am just so ticked off!