Perfect for fans of Elmore Leonard and Gillian FlynnBetween fending off the advances of her parole officer and trying to get by in 1978 San Francisco, private investigator Colleen Hayes struggles to put her life back together so she can reconnect with her runaway teenage daughter. Then her life changes dramatically. She accepts a case from wealthy, retired industrialist Edward Copeland. The old … Copeland. The old man is desperate to solve the brutal murder of his daughter, a murder that took place in Golden Gate Park eleven years earlier–during the Summer of Love. The case has since gone cold, her murderer never found. Now, in his final days, Copeland hires Colleen to find his daughter’s killer in hopes he might die in peace.
Colleen understands what it means to take a life–she spent a decade in prison for killing her ex. Battling her own demons, she immerses herself in San Francisco’s underbelly, where police corruption is rampant. Her investigation turns deadly as she pries for information, yet there is little to go on. However, a song on the radio makes her wonder–did the murdered girl leave any clues that others may have missed?
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This is an overpowering mystery set in the late seventies in San Francisco. Colleen Hayes is an ex-con, trying to make it as an unofficial P.I. when she is hired by a near-death billionaire to solve the murder of his daughter eleven years earlier during San Francisco’s Summer of Love.
Max Tomlinson’s skill as a writer shines through on every page. This the first of a series and mystery readers who love series will be anxious to hear more about Colleen.
A barn-burner of a plot! The protagonist is flawed but you totally root for her to keep going, even in the face of serious danger. A gripping mystery that kept me reading through other things I should have been doing.
Good read about the sixties time in SF. Just when I thought I had identified the murderer, I was surprised. It was someone else.
Not my usual genre but it’s set in San Francisco, where I’m from. It was accurate, well-written, and kept my interest all the way through. A real delight.
Not all Kindle books take me to the review page, by the way.
Loved this book. Great characters and energy. Loved the various twists and turns.
Atmospheric with interesting characters. Loved the San Francisco setting in the 70s. Very interested in the characters and where they go in the next book.
Enjoyed revisiting San Francisco in the 70’s. Look forward to seeing this detective again.
I enjoyed the first third of this book, then kept reading to answer questions posed in the book. Then nothing. It’s like the author got as bored as I was and just quit.
No I will not recommend this book. There are too many good books out there to waste time on this one.
The story starts with the murder of a young woman in the “Summer of Love,” 1967 San Francisco; hence the title “Vanishing in the Haight.” The scene drew me in so intensely that I swear I could hear The Mamas and the Papas singing in the background.
The second chapter picks up in 1978 San Franciso with the struggles of PI Colleen Hayes trying to make a go of life post-prison life. I laughed out loud at the “club” used to lock her steering wheel when she exited her car. Unfortunately, I’m old enough to remember such cumbersome gadgets. Living in our ultra-technical world today, we tend to forget the simplicities of life just forty years ago. Besides the exciting plot, these things were a central point of interest in what made this book fascinating. From keeping dimes for the payphone because there were no cell phones, to the much desired 8-Track in-car stereos, to the super hot Torino car with the big-block V8 that burned gas at sixty-two cents a gallon, life was simpler in many ways.
Colleen is hired by the wealthy Edward Copeland to solve the unsolved murder of his daughter Marilyn in 1978. Not an easy task without 2000’s modern technology, a trail gone cold, and the San Francisco police seemingly thwarting her every move. However, Colleen is one smart lady, and she deftly maneuvers all obstacles to solve the case.
It was a fascinating story that swept me back to another time, and I enjoyed it very much. I gave it four stars and look forward to reading the next book in the series.
Not good enough to finish. Tries too hard in establishing the principal character and her relationships.
I could not put the book down! I was so engrossed with the story line, the characters & couldn’t wait to turn the page to find out what happens next. Brilliant story.
I enjoyed this book. I’ve always liked books that involve the Bay area, especially around the turn of the 19-20th century. This one though was in the 70s and 80s but still a good read. Good plot, and it kept my intrest.