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

There are some stories that just won't leave your head. Some grab you because they're so close to reality, others because they whisk you away to completely new worlds. Right now, that very feeling is sweeping across Dublin, Cork, and Galway again. The Vanished series – whether you know it as a book series or from one of its adaptations – is experiencing something of a second coming. It's like someone flicked a switch, and suddenly everyone's talking about the great disappearance again.

I spend a lot of time in bookshops around town, and what the colleagues are telling me confirms this trend. It's not just the craving for the next big crime thriller. It's the mix. Right now, right at the front of the stacks, is a title I want to recommend to you: Fallen Stars: Book Two of the Heavenly Bodies Series. Anyone who devoured the first part knows: this isn't just playing with characters, it's playing with whole systems. The second part picks up where we thought things had run out of steam – and turns the screw another full notch.

At the same time, I'm noticing a lot of readers are reaching for what you might call a “feel-good adventure” in the best sense. Of course, I mean The 52-Storey Treehouse. It sounds like a completely different universe compared to the dark thrillers, but that's exactly the point: good entertainment isn't tied to one genre. While some are unwinding in the quirky 52 storeys, others want to sniff the gritty, pulsating city air. For the latter crowd, there's a real hidden gem that's been sitting on shelves for far too long: The Missing Mistress: A Private Investigator Mystery Series of Crime and Suspense. This is old-school private eye work, the way we love it. Dirty corners, false leads, and an atmosphere you can almost taste.

But the real reason I'm picking up the keyboard today is something else. The “Vanished” series might be the hook, but the real buzz right now is in the detail work. You know when a series grabs you so much that you have to devour every single spin-off? That's exactly where we are.

I just finished The Bone Hacker last week, and folks, that was a ride. It's no longer just about the “if,” but the “how.” The technical details, the forensic tricks – it's so meticulously researched it's almost intense. It's this new trend in crime fiction where it's not about chance, but the unyielding logic of the craft. If you're into this hard-hitting, unvarnished style, you'll get your money's worth here.

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, over several volumes, to keep one thought in your head: What happens when everything is simply gone? The memories, the sense of direction, the self. In this large print edition, the focus is even more on the craft of storytelling, on every single line. It forces you to read slower, to appreciate every hint.

For anyone feeling a bit lost now, here are those current hidden gems again, which should be top of the list in any good bookshop across Ireland – whether it's your local independent or the big shops:

• 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 the dark cases.
• The Missing Mistress – For purists who love the classic, rough-around-the-edges private detective.
• The Bone Hacker – Hard-hitting stuff for those fascinated by medical and technical details.
• Never Never: The Complete Series Large Print – The psychological masterpiece for taking a moment to pause.

The “Vanished” series managed to open a door back then. Now we're standing in the hall, discovering all the rooms beyond. Whether you dive into the heavenly spheres of Fallen Stars, climb up to the 52nd storey of the treehouse, or dig around in the grime of The Missing Mistress – your long evenings are sorted. So, get stuck into the books – and maybe I'll see you on Tuesday in the bookshop for the debate on whether the hacker in The Bone Hacker was really as clever as he makes out.