16 October 2025
** THE INSTANT NUMBER ONE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER **
‘A sizzling debut’ – NEW YORK TIMES
‘A genuinely thrilling ride’ – LISA GARDNER
‘A page-turner that I finished in one sitting’ – PATRICIA WOLF
One girl escaped. But the forest took another…
A young girl wanders into the small town of Koraha, her hands stained with blood. She won’t speak, but her path is tracked through New Zealand’s unforgiving wilderness to a cabin – and the scene of a double murder.
The townsfolk know this cabin; it has a violent history. Twenty years ago, another girl was forced to flee, leaving her siblings and father behind. But now that her family’s secrets have led to more victims, Effie has no choice but to return to the bush and face the truth of what happened there… and why she ran.
Flooded with atmosphere and full of twists, The Vanishing Place is perfect for readers of Lucy Clarke, Liz Moore and Chris Whitaker.
The Vanishing Place is your debut novel, and has fans ranging from Lisa Gardner to Janice Hallett, and has spent several weeks at the top of the bestseller chart in New Zealand. Can you describe the experience of publishing your first book?
It has been such a whirlwind of emotions. In the month around publication, I was physically buzzing with conflicting feelings. I was ecstatic, grateful, nervous, exhausted, overwhelmed, and in disbelief. The whole experience has been surreal and incredible and, at times, terrifying. It’s been so interesting and insightful to work with publishers in three different countries, getting to see the differences in approach from cover design to the intricacies of publicity and marketing. It really is a team effort, from agent to bookseller, and I have loved working with so many brilliant people. When you are dreaming of getting a book deal, and trying to get a foot in the door, you don’t really know what it’s like on the other side. What I’ve found again and again, is how incredibly kind and supportive people are on the other side of that door.
The location of the book – the West Coast Bush, New Zealand – is practically a character itself. What kind of research did you do to ensure this wild setting was both accurate and suitably atmospheric?
I am in the bush most weeks, either biking or hiking. When writing The Vanishing Place, I would stop, and just look and listen and feel, experiencing the environment with all of my senses. I was also fortunate to be put in touch with a conservation ranger who worked in the West Coast bush, and he gave me tips on the local vegetation and wildlife. The remote locations in the book, such as the rivers and mountains, are all based on real places, so I spent a lot of time studying maps of the area.
That said, when we first meet Effie as an adult, she’s fled New Zealand and is living on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Why did you decide to start her story there?
I am from Scotland, and Skye is one of my absolute favourite places. It also provides an insight into the wildness that lives deep in Effie, as she moved from one harsh and remote environment to another. Additionally, it has that beautiful contrast with New Zealand, with Skye being stripped of trees, and the bush being choked with them – both wild and beautiful and unforgiving in their own way.
Effie is the beating heart of the novel, but there are several other characters we meet throughout – Tia and Lewis, for example. Do you have a favourite character, and who was the most fun to write? I realise they may not be the same!
Blair, while only a minor part, was absolutely the most fun character to write. She is the light in the dark. My favourite character, though, would be Effie. I felt her when I was writing her, especially her scenes as a child, and with each chapter I grew more connected to her.
Do you think you could survive living out in the wilderness? Have you ever been tempted to try?
While I love to adventure in the wilderness, and enjoy multi-day biking and hiking trips in the mountains and the bush, I don’t think I would do very well surviving in the winter months. I hate being wet and cold! My body sort of shuts down. Also, chances are, I would pick the poisonous mushrooms and faint when trying to skin a deer. And I love coffee and sitting in a cosy café with a book too much.
