Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Vanishing act by Thomas Perry

Jane Whitefield is half Native American and is in the business of helping people disappear. She has spent the last ten years of her life hiding people with the full knowledge that if they can disappear, without leaving a trail, and stay hidden for two or three months, the chance of ever being found drops considerably. Her clients run the gamut from wives escaping spousal abuse to informants escaping the mob -- all innocent people who cannot be suitably protected without some kind of help. Jane is considered a "guide". She guides people out of their fragile situations with the aid of her network of willing accomplices who help her with new identifications and transport for these runaways.

Now an alleged new victim has invaded Jane's upstate New York house: John Felker claims that he's a cop-turned-accountant, is being framed as an embezzler and has a contract out on his life. Almost immediately, the men chasing Felker appear, and Jane leads him to Oregan so he can build a new life. But as they go along she introduces him to people who help her hide people and tells him more than she should. After he seems to have left for his new life she quickly discovers that John is not who he says he was and people are starting to die, people she led him to. Now she must hunt him down before he kills her.

This book had many flaws as Jane seems too trusting of John for someone who helps people disappear. But the time period is in the mid-1990's before everyone had computers and it took a lot more effort to establish someones identity. I did find the connection she feels for her native american side as she has to look inside herself for the strength to finish the job.

I would definitely read more as I know that this series has more and I'm curious how it has developed.