Hanna, estranged from her family since her teenage years, has agreed to go on a blind date with Adam who is her best friend Dee's partner's friend. While initially not open to the date, Hanna finds herself opening up and liking Adam, until he opens up to her and introduces her to his passion project, which a "dark tourism" website. Dark tourism includes virtual tours of areas and sites where sinister events have taken place, including murders, mysterious deaths, vanishings, etc. When Hanna checks the website, again, she finds her own family home listed on the website as the site of the murder of her dad, stepmother and stepsister. This opens Pandora box, with Hanna enlisting Adam and her best friend Dee to follow whatever clues they can come up with to ensure her family's safety.

The story unfolds not only through Hanna's eyes, but also those of Sasha's. From Sasha's perspective, we are able to see the events unfold that lead to the point at which Hanna discovers this sinister publishing on the dark tourism website. Sasha, also a teenager herself, is trying to figure out who she is, and why she feels such a kinship to her estranged sister, and in trying to unravel her sister's life, she uncovers a few family secrets along the way.

The story, as it unfolds, is actually quite interesting - and a few chapters into Sasha's story, I could sort of predict where the story was going. It is still a well-paced story. But I think the reason I did not give it a five star is that when I read the synopsis, I imagined a lot more of the creepy moments that were promised by the bit that was the "dark tourism", I expected to read and find a lot more about that than this book mentioned. I would have loved to see more development, and a little more elaboration on that aspect of the book. Otherwise, overall, a pretty good mystery! ( )

I enjoyed Vanessa Savage's first two books and happily picked up her latest - The Night They Vanished.

"A family with a secret. A past about to catch up with them."

Hanna has had a very rocky relationship with her family over the years and now barely sees her dad, step-mom and younger sister Sasha. But when she sees a picture of their home alongside a horrific headline on a 'dark tourism' website, she tries immediately to get in touch with them....and can't reach them. And so begins a roller coaster of a read.

Savage plays her clues close to her vest, eking out the details of the reason why Hanna is so unwelcome in her family home and village. And fair enough, it goes both ways. Her father is very unlikable. That thread runs parallel to what's happening in the present. Has her family been harmed? Where are they?

The supporting players give us a wide group of suspects, with each one with something to hide, to lie about. Who can Hanna trust? I honestly had no idea of who was going to be the culprit until the last few chapters.

I thought the dark tourism plot device was a unique and frightening idea. Savage's carefully given clues, twists and revelations kept me reading 'just one more' chapter 'til the late hours. Both Sasha and Hanna have voices. As a reader we can see the danger in Sasha's actions and what might unfold. My attention was held through to the final pages. There are a few bits that ask the user to suspend disbelief, but they didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book. Another great read from Savage. ( )