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Vanishing Daughters: A Thriller

A haunted woman stalked by a serial killer confronts the horrors of fairy tales and the nightmares of real life in a breathtaking novel of psychological suspense by a Bram Stoker Award-winning author.

It started the night journalist Briar Thorne's mother died in their rambling old mansion on Chicago's South Side.

The nightmares of a woman in white pleading to come home, music switched on in locked rooms, and the panicked fear of being swallowed by the dark...Bri has almost convinced herself that these stirrings of dread are simply manifestations of grief and not the beyond-world of ghostly impossibilities her mother believed in. And more tangible terrors still lurk outside the decaying Victorian greystone.

A serial killer has claimed the lives of fifty-one women in the Chicago area. When Bri starts researching the murders, she meets a stranger who tells her there's more to her sleepless nights than bad dreams--they hold the key to putting ghosts to rest and stopping a killer. But the killer has caught on and is closing in, and if Bri doesn't answer the call of the dead soon, she'll be walking among them.

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Published Mar 11, 2025

336 pages

Average rating: 7.5

2 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

Cantina Book Club
Nov 03, 2025
8/10 stars
Pelayo sets the tone and proves her talent for eerie yet thought-provoking storytelling with Vanishing Daughters. Briar’s current narrative includes flashbacks with her mother and how it connects to her current state of mind. Yet the storyline was easy to follow, given the slower pace. Readers also get the serial killer’s POV, where we get more insight into his background and motivations.

The author also weaves in real Chicago history, scientific theories, and inexplicable phenomena to offer a sophisticated exploration of grief and loss. Paralleled with ongoing violence against women and the media’s coverage of cold cases, Vanishing Daughters is a noteworthy addition to your reading list.

In-depth book review: https://cantinabookclub.com/review/vanishing-daughters-by-cynthia-pelayo

Podcast interview with Cynthia Pelayo:
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-73-cynthia-pelayo-vanishing-daughters/id1716042267?i=1000697637309
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1uUfdJgoIrArmS3KCwVxKE?si=4a87a36365814c45
YouTube: https://youtu.be/hiX9eoOZI2Y?si=-ev8587txnP8qjCN
datewithathriller
Mar 02, 2025
7/10 stars
Another beautifully-written read from Cynthia Pelayo! This one is a mix of fairy tale, serial killer, Chicago history and lore, and grief! I was really hooked from the get-go and of course I absolutely loved all of the Chicagoland references throughout! 🙌 I did feel the pace slowed a bit halfway through, and some things were a little bit repetitive. But I still really enjoyed the read and definitely recommend checking it out! 👏 Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Cynthia Pelayo for the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for my honest review! ❤️

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