Vanished (J. D. Stanton Mystery Series #2) [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Alton L. Gansky (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2002

What sinister secret lies hidden in the town of Roanoke II? How did the entire population of this desert military instillation simply disappear? High-level Pentagon orders call J. D. Stanton, retired navy captain, back to active duty to investigate. Heading a crack team of military, government, and scientific experts, Stanton faces a bewildering scenario. Food still on dinner plates, gas nozzles still in the fuel ports of cars at the filling station . . . Whatever happened took the people of Roanoke II completely by surprise. But took them where? The answer -- far beyond what Stanton could conceive in his wildest dreams -- carries a steep price. For forces higher than the Pentagon are invested in the top-secret research of Roanoke II. And they'll protect it ruthlessly. Caught with his team between trained paramilitary killers and an unearthly and deadly enigma, Stanton faces a choice that will stretch his Christian faith to the limits. It could supply answers to the mystery of Roanoke II . . . Or unfathomable and irrevocable horrors.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

A year after the events in A Ship Possessed, Captain J.D. Stanton, U.S. Navy, retired, investigates the disappearance of the citizens of Roanoke II, a top-secret research facility buried in the heart of the California desert. Cars have been left with doors open and keys in the ignition and full grocery carts stand in supermarket aisles. Stanton--a man comfortable with his strong belief in God--and his team find no immediate explanation for the disappearances. They do find a lone dog and an almost catatonic boy who witnessed the strange disturbances leading to the vanishings. The deeper the team delves into the mystery, the more questions they uncover, as a covert team moves in to make sure no one discovers the truth or leaves alive. A hotshot FBI agent throwing his weight around provides a jarring note in an otherwise enjoyable supernatural thriller suitable for collections that have the first book.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From Kirkus Reviews

When 1,500 inhabitants of a secret military installation vanish into thin air, does it take a miracle to get them back? Well, yes. One minute the place is brimming with scientists, engineers, military personnel and their families, and then poof! They're all gone, leaving behind half-eaten dinners, cars in the process of having tanks filled, cribs poignantly emptied of babies. Virtually the entire population of Roanoke II has disappeared except for a terrified little boyrendered speechless by whatever it was he experiencedhis dog, and a wandering wild creature named Josie. The S.O.S. from Admiral Kaster reaches Captain H.D. Stanton as he's about to bite into a Thanksgiving Day turkey. Stanton, though officially retired, has been tapped because of a track record in disaster retrieval established in A Ship Possessed (not reviewed). The captain, evidently available for the occasional Mission Impossible, hops a waiting helicopter for the depopulated installation. Not everyone, however, is happy with Admiral Kaster's choice. Among the disenchanted is the president, who would have preferred less proficiency and more political correctness. Consumed with retaining power, he'd rather the scientists and others remain missing than have to divulge what they've been up toexperiments both mysterious and dangerous, dealing with spatial dimensions that transcend the customary three. This in-house schism ends with good guys gulled into going after other good guys, leading in turn high-tech firefights and body bags in profusion. At length the better good guys prevail, and the community is recovered, a denouement requiring supernaturalperhaps even divineintervention. Gansky, a clergyman, makes an earnest effort here at a kind of metaphysical thriller, but there's no nuance to his characters, no polish to his prose, and, unhappily, no suspension of critical disbelief. -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 550 pages
• Publisher: Thorndike Press (December 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786245670
• ISBN-13: 978-0786245673
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,184,056 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Alton Gansky (www.altongansky.com) has written a number of other novels, including Zero-G, Finder's Fee, Director's Cut, Before Another Dies, The Prodigy, and the J. D. Stanton mystery series. He also writes nonfiction books that explore the mysteries of faith, the Bible, and God. He and his wife, Becky, have three adult children and live in Southern California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WOW!, February 1, 2000

By 

Joey Eanett (Lakeland, Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vanished (J. D. Stanton Mystery Series #2) (Paperback)

After reading the first book, I figured this book would be great. Boy was I wrong. It was better than great it was a masterpiece! The premise and details were just spooky. Nowadays it's hard to find a sequel that live up to the original, but heres a shining example right here. If you're reading this, and you haven't already, BUY THIS BOOK. It will make you see things in a whole new perspective.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read !, March 1, 2000

By 

TIM MALONEY (Ca. U.S.A.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vanished (J. D. Stanton Mystery Series #2) (Paperback)

I consider myself somewhat of a sci-fi and adventure reader, Although I really try to read books with an underlying message it is hard to find the kind of book that Alton Gansky has put together here. He has woven in suspense, men in black, intrigue, the other side, time paradoxes, and a christian perspective that really makes it a great book to read. I highly recommend this book for ages 15 to 90. You won't be able to put it down.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gansky strikes again..., December 24, 2001

By 

Shane Hendrickson (Indianapolis, IN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vanished (J. D. Stanton Mystery Series #2) (Paperback)

As usual, Alton Gansky delivers an incredible story that will make you wish he'd write a third book in all his series.
Stanton is called upon once again to investigate a truly puzzling case that turns out to be the biggest sci-fi/supernatural thriller of his life.
When you finally realize what's going on, it'll strike you how much it makes complete sense. Maybe aliens are a little closer to home than we think?
An incredible read with an incredible twist.