The Vanishing Place evolved from two very clear images that I had in my mind. One of a family living remotely in the New Zealand bush. And, the other, of a child, dirty and bloodied, stumbling through the doors of a small shop. I didn’t know how these two images would connect, or where they would lead, but I opened a blank Word document and started writing Effie’s story. So, when the twists played out on the page, they arrived as much of a shock to me as to the reader.
The inspiration for these images came largely from my love of the outdoors. I live in New Zealand, where I spend a lot of time in the bush, either biking or hiking, and it is an environment that remains both magical and ominous. I come from Scotland, where the mountains have been stripped bare of trees and the horizon stretches out for miles, but in New Zealand there exists huge expanses of dense native forest, known as ‘the bush.’ There is nothing quite like it. In the bush, the trees grow into an untamed and impenetrable wall where the greenery and foliage swallow you whole. I find it incredible that in our modern world, where every human movement and interaction is recorded, there still exists this wilderness at the bottom of the earth where you can truly disappear. I wanted to capture this sense of wildness in my novel, and for the bush to feel like a character on its own, to be a wild and haunting presence.
The idea of living off-grid is not an unheard-of concept in New Zealand. Robert Long, an artist and local legend, has been living a remote life with his family for forty years on the South Island, two-days walk from the nearest village. Also, in the media recently, has been the more tragic story of a man, Tom Philips, who had been hiding in the bush with his three children for four years, evading all efforts by the police to find him. While The Vanishing Place isn’t directly inspired by these real-life stories, they do provide validity to the idea that the bush can devour you completely.
The Human Condition
I love reading thrillers, but I also enjoy character-driven fiction and novels that explore the human condition. So, with The Vanishing Place, I wanted to create something with heart and emotion and a leaning towards the introspective. I have always been interested in the impact that our childhoods have on who we are as adults – in those experiences, some remembered and some not, that live deep inside of us and continue to shape our lives. This thought is very much at heart of The Vanishing Place, which explores the reliability of memory and the childhood experiences that define us, those small details that gnaw away at us until they evolve into something bigger. I also wanted to look at the theme of evil – what it is, and to what extent our perceptions of it might be flawed. In turning the pages of The Vanishing Place, I hope that the reader will question the characters’ motivations and their actions, and that some of these questions will linger long after they turn the final page.
The Vanishing Place had a slightly unusual journey to publication. I was actually in Ireland when I received the email that set everything into motion. My now-editor at Hachette NZ had read a sample of my work and loved the style and the voice. In the email, she mentioned that she had a potential opportunity for me. A couple of months later, we met in Auckland, and she asked if I would like to write a thriller for them. It was such a surreal experience as the publisher then bought the novel when it was only an idea and about four thousand words long. So, while I had a book contract, I still had 90,000 words to write, which was both a dream come true and quite a terrifying prospect. Fortunately, after six months, I delivered a first draft and the team at Hachette gave it the thumbs up. Then, editing began and what had felt like a faraway dream for years started to feel like it might become a reality.
The editing process was such an eye-opening, and sometimes intimidating, experience, but I have come to believe that editors have actual superpowers. Getting those first editorial comments back is overwhelming. The author, Chris Whitaker, said to me, ‘I remember when I got my first ever editorial notes, I thought, why did they buy it if they hate it this much’, and that is exactly how it feels! But then you realise how incredibly valuable it is to have this person who approaches the book in a completely different and incredibly insightful way. So, while the feedback can be intense (even for the most brilliant authors) and I definitely cried at least once, editors are able to guide you in a way that brings your best work to the forefront.
I am so grateful to all of the amazing people who have worked on The Vanishing Place with me, and I’m so excited to share it with readers.
(c) Zoë Rankin
Author photograph (c) Katie Hoy
About The Vanishing Place:
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, Sarah Pearse and Chris Whitaker.
Order your copy of The Vanishing Place online here.
And read more Meet the Author crime fiction articles on Writing.ie here.
