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Sunday, September 19, 2021

Vanishing Act (Jane Whitefield book 1) by Thomas Perry

 Sam had a post on Thomas Perry, and I realized I'd read The Burglar and liked it, so I thought I'd read a little more of Thomas Perry.

Looking at a list of Perry's books, I noticed the Jane Whitefield series.  Jane is a Native American, and I like books that feature indigenous characters.  I also liked the description of Jane being a "guide" who helps people in serious trouble disappear.  Many books in this category are about women and children escaping abusive situations, but Jane's clients vary.  They aren't always innocent, but they aren't deserving of being murdered.  (Think Kelley Armstrong's  Rockton series in which not all of the community are upstanding citizens.)

from description:   Thanks to her membership in the Wolf Clan of the Seneca tribe, she can fool any pursuer, cover any trail, and then provide her clients with new identities, complete with authentic paperwork. Jane knows all the tricks, ancient and modern; in fact, she has invented several of them herself.

In that lovely way of synchronicity,  Jane's Seneca background is important and there are digressions that tell some of the same myths that Robin Wall Kimmerer relates in Braiding Sweetgrass.  Deganawida  the Peacemaker features in Kimmerer's discussion of the legends of the Iroquois.  Born in Tonawanda, NY, Thomas Perry is well versed in the local indigenous legends and culture.  Many things that Kimmerer mentions in her nonfiction Braiding Sweetgrass appear in The Vanishing Act. from legends to environmental and cultural practices of the indigenous peoples of the Great Lakes region.

The plot begins with Jane finishing getting one client to safety and finding another prospective client waiting for her in her home.  Jane's professional skills are impressive and the plot has plenty of close calls and one sinister surprise.  As skilled as Jane is at making people disappear, she is also capable of making mistakes--and just when it seems her skills are incomparable, Jane finds herself confronting unanticipated problems.

Suspenseful and entertaining!  I was glued to this one, and since this is the first in Perry's Jane Whitefield series, I have more to look forward to reading.

Ballantine Books (purchased)

Thriller.  1996, 2007.  Print length:  368 pages.  


20 comments:

  1. Thank you for another good book on an interesting theme
    My reading list is the best it has been.

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    1. :) This was an interesting and suspenseful adventure!

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  2. This sounds fascinating. I was completely unaware of this series, but I've liked all the Thomas Perry books I've read (though it has been a while) so I think I'll give this one a try.

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    1. Vanishing Act kept me in engaged, and I enjoyed seeing the serendipitous connections to Native American culture!

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  3. I always love finding a new 'favorite' series. Hope you enjoy the whole thing! I'm fairly certain that I saw Thomas Perry one time at The Poisoned Pen Bookstore in AZ.

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    1. Finding a new series that has interesting characters and plot is always fun--and knowing that there are more to enjoy is even better. :)

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  4. I'm happy to hear that you are enjoying this one. I managed to get my hands on an e-ARC of the new one in that series that will be published in about six weeks. I haven't read any of the earlier books in the series, but about 10% of the way into this new one, Perry does a really good summary of Jane's backstory that got me pretty comfortable with everything. He worked it into the novel fairly seamlessly, so it was a distraction at all. Now I want to read that whole series, too.

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    1. :) I'm going to work my way through the series. Thanks for mentioning Thomas Perry in your post, Sam! I'm glad that the newest book is good, too. I have it from NetGalley, but want to read a few more in the series first. I've already started on reading the second book.

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  5. It's so much fun finding a new series. This sounds great. I hadn't come across it before, so thanks for the introduction! :)

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    1. Finding a series with plenty of books that I don't have to wait on is always a good thing. Jane Whitehorse and her career as a "guide" has the potential for more excitement.

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  6. This is a series that I've really enjoyed. I'm glad to see that you're enjoying it, too! (PS-- That poor burglar...hehehe)

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    1. I'm always intrigued by the idea of ways people disappear and start a new life. I'm not surprised you liked this one, too, Cathy! We often are drawn to the same books, and I often find myself reading the ones you recommend. :)

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  7. I love the sound of Jane Whitefield; what a great character! Obviously this is an author I need to read. :)

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    1. Jane's abilities, connections, and techniques kept me engrossed--disappearing people is a complicated process! Of course, the complexity is also determined by how much money and effort someone is willing to spend in finding you.

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  8. I haven't read any of his books and sounds like he has a lot! Always exciting to find a new series to read. Hope you continue to enjoy the series!

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    1. Perry has certainly been busy over the years. Jane Whitefield is interesting for a number of reasons, including that she was operating before everyone had cell phones!

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  9. I enjoyed another of his books years ago. Pursuit, I think it was called. I remember it being hard to put down.

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    1. :) Vanishing Act was hard to put down, too!

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  10. Another new-to-me author to look out for! Good to hear you enjoyed this book and hopefully the rest of the series is as good as well. :)

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    1. I'm already started on the next one. I need exactly this kind of "suspension of disbelief" and adventure right now. When the real world gets too depressing, I retreat into fast-paced, engrossing books!

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