Book Review - The Disappearance - Bentley Little

This is only my second Bentley Little book and I was dreading it. My first foray into the Bentley universe was 'The Vanishing'. This disturbing tale concerned naked men with strange patches of fur, running amok and butchering their families. And there was the involvement of children with deformed animal faces such as llamas, rhinos and pigeons (possibly not pigeons).

'The Disappearance' is a completely different jug of aquatic life. Gary and his girlfriend Joan - plus the rest of his chums - visit the Burning Man festival in Nevada. They all get drugged by persons unknown and Joan disappears... From that moment on, where the book is going is anyone's guess. There is mention of some shady Outsiders. Mysterious prayer scrolls make an appearance and other people go missing too. Just what the Dickens is going on? All is eventually revealed and unlike some books that have good starts and then fail to capitalise on their gains, 'The Disappearance' keeps you interested right up to the end.

The book is split into three parts: part one is a mystery, part two is where the mystery is solved and part three is a bit on the tense side. It is obvious that something bad is going to happen, but like the characters, the reader is always kept in the dark about the where and when of this dreaded occurrence. The ending is satisfying and it didn't take me very long to read the whole book (always a sign that a book is good). This is more of a thriller than a horror story. The only horrific element is the inclusion of some inbred children (sans animal heads this time). Oh, and a few grizzly deaths. I can't see Richard and Judy recommending this, but I will. (Great two-tone beard by the way.)

evlkeith