Vanishing Point (A Sharon McCone Mystery) (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: Laurel Greenwood, Paso Robles, Josie Smith (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

MWA Grand Master Muller's richly layered 24th mystery to feature San Francisco PI Sharon McCone (after 2004's The Dangerous Hour) reminds us how much McCone has grown since she started as the lone investigator at a poverty law center in her first outing, Edwin of the Iron Shoes (1977). McCone now heads a well-respected agency with a talented staff and a strong track record. She maintains solid friendships with former colleagues, works hard to keep up with her large and complicated family, and recently surprised herself by agreeing to marry her longtime sweetheart, corporate security whiz Hy Ripinsky. Muller nicely plays the joy of McCone's new marriage against two others at the center of the present case, slowly revealing their rotten core. The story takes readers on a charming tour through the fishing villages of the California coast, while the tight, crisp plot surges relentlessly forward. The tension between light and dark, between surface happiness and hidden truths, raises this novel well above the common run of whodunits. (July)
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From Booklist

Returning from her honeymoon to a huge celebration, Sharon McCone, now head of her own detective agency, can't help but marvel at how different her life is from her days at the All Souls Legal Cooperative. But when it comes to mystery, there's still plenty to occupy her time. When she's approached to investigate a 22-year-old disappearance, Sharon sets her team to the task, and before long, they've picked up clues that suggest the woman in question wasn't exactly the devoted mother and wife her daughter remembers. As usual in Muller's mysteries, dialogue-driven narrative makes the story a quick read, and this time there's some underlying commentary about marriage, which dovetails nicely with Sharon's continuing anxieties about her future with new husband Hy. Suggest Margaret Maron's books to readers who like Muller. The settings may be different, but the interpersonal dynamics feel the same. Stephanie Zvirin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Mysterious Press (July 10, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892968052
• ISBN-13: 978-0892968053
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #630,429 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 27 in The Sharon McCone Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mayra Calvani - Armchair Interviews, December 3, 2006

By	Mayra Calvani "author/reviewer" (Brussels, Belgium) - See all my reviews

The Vanishing Point is the latest instalment in the Sharon McCone mystery series. This time, just as she agrees to marry her longtime love Ripinsky, McCone is asked to investigate the disappearance of Laurel Greenwood, a mother and artist who vanished from San Luis Obispo County two decades ago. Did the woman commit suicide? Was she murdered? Or worse yet--did she abandon her husband and two young daughters out of her own free will?

As McCone sets out to unravel one of the town's most mysterious, unsolved cases, a grim picture begins to emerge. Then things get more complicated when her client--Laurel Greenwood's daughter--also disappears. Is the story repeating itself all over again? Or is Greenwood's daughter searching for her own answers?

The Vanishing Point is a fine novel written by one of today's most popular mystery authors. Muller keeps an even suspense all the way to the end without too many overly commercial cliffhangers. The dialogue sparkles with authenticity. The best thing about the story, however, is how the author interweaves the mystery element with the psychological one. Sharon McCone is a very sympathetic private-eye--sharply intelligent and intrepid, yet with a soft spot for "kittens, puppies, children, [and] grieving widows." How can you not like a beautiful detective vulnerable enough to drool while sleeping in the back seat of a car during an investigation? Recommended for anyone who enjoys a good mystery with strong characterization.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Long-running series is still fresh, July 19, 2006

By	Karen Potts (Lake Jackson, Texas) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Marcia Muller began writing the Sharon McCone Mystery Series in 1977. Twenty-four books later, her heroine is still interesting and her plots and characters are more multi-layered and complex than ever. In this installment, McCone is called upon by a daughter to find her mother who disappeared over 20 years ago. Sharon's investigation is sandwiched between her marriage to Hy Ripinsky and a reception put on by her ever-dysfunctional family. Muller weaves these subplots nicely together with the mystery of the woman's disappearance in a book which should be pleasing to her many long-time fans.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Muller never disappoints, September 14, 2007

By	ellieg (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vanishing Point (Sharon McCone Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

I've read all the Sharon McCone books over the years. Muller's stories are terrific and I've enjoyed watching Sharon grow and develop. I always look forward to the next one.