The “Vanished” Series Returns: New Books and a Phenomenon That Still Has Us Hooked

Some stories just stick with you. Some grab you because they feel so close to reality, while others sweep you away to entirely new worlds. Right now, that very feeling is palpable again across Vienna, Salzburg, and Graz. The Vanished series – whether you know it from the books or from one of its adaptations – is experiencing something of a second awakening. It’s as if someone flicked a switch, and suddenly everyone’s talking about the great disappearance again.

I spend a lot of time in bookshops around the city centre, and what my colleagues there tell me confirms this trend. It’s not just the craving for the next big crime thriller hit. It’s the mix of everything. Right now, right at the front of the stacks, is a title I really want to recommend: Fallen Stars: Book Two of the Heavenly Bodies Series. Anyone who devoured the first instalment knows this: it’s not just playing with characters here, but with entire systems. The second part picks up where we thought the steam had run out – and turns the pressure up another full notch.

At the same time, I’m noticing many readers are reaching for what you might call a ‘feel-good adventure’ in the best sense. Of course, I’m talking about The 52-Storey Treehouse. At first glance, it seems a world away from the dark thrillers, but that’s exactly the point: great entertainment isn’t tied to one genre. While some unwind in the quirky 52 storeys, others want to soak up the gritty, pulsing city air. For that latter crowd, there’s a true hidden gem that’s been sitting on shelves far too long: The Missing Mistress: A Private Investigator Mystery Series of Crime and Suspense. This is old-school private detective work, just the way we love it. Grimy corners, false leads, and an atmosphere you can almost taste.

But the real reason I’m putting fingers to keyboard today is something else. The “Vanished” series might be the hook, but the real fever right now is in the details. You know that feeling when a series grips you so much you have to devour every tiny spin-off? That’s exactly where we are.

I just finished The Bone Hacker last week, and folks, it was a ride. It’s no longer about the “if”, but the “how”. The technical details, the forensic tricks – it’s researched so meticulously it’s almost painful. It’s this new trend in crime fiction where chance no longer rules, but the relentless logic of the craft. If you like this hard-hitting, unvarnished style, you’re going to be right at home.

And then there’s the big one that’s currently rocking the shops in large print editions: Never Never: The Complete Series Large Print. This is a phenomenon. A series that managed to keep one idea alive across multiple volumes: what happens when everything is simply gone? Memories, orientation, the self. In this large print edition, the focus is even more on the craft of storytelling, on each individual line. It forces you to read slower, to savour every hint.

For anyone now feeling a bit overwhelmed, I’ve summarised the current hidden gems that should be at the top of your list at any good bookshop in Austria – whether it’s your local indie or the big stores on Mariahilfer Strasse:

• Fallen Stars: Book Two of the Heavenly Bodies Series – The sci-fi crime novel that pushes boundaries.
• The 52-Storey Treehouse – For anyone needing a creative break between dark cases.
• The Missing Mistress – For purists who love the classic, gritty private eye.
• The Bone Hacker – Hard-hitting stuff for those fascinated by medical and technical details.
• Never Never: The Complete Series Large Print – The psychological masterpiece that makes you pause.

The “Vanished” series managed to open a door back then. Now we’re standing in the hallway, discovering all the rooms behind it. Whether you dive into the celestial spheres of Fallen Stars, climb up to the 52nd storey of the treehouse, or dig around in the grit of The Missing Mistress: your long evenings are sorted. So, get stuck into the books – and maybe I’ll see you on Tuesday at the bookshop for a chat about whether the hacker in The Bone Hacker was really as clever as they think they are.