Synopsis: “She helped him disappear. She’ll wish she hadn’t . . . There is a chilling phenomenon in Japan known as Johatsu – people who vanish voluntarily from their lives. It’s said 100,000 people per year are Johatsu, and an entire industry has sprung up to support those who choose to. Life is hard. For some people, it’s just too much. That’s what I thought when I brought the concept to England. People will disappear anyway. What if I could help them? So I pack their belongings discreetly, create new identities, forge documents, give directions to the cities and towns where the ‘night-mover’ can live anonymously. It’s just a business. I never saw it as a shameful act. I’ve helped people flee from abusive relationships, from work pressure, from debt, from unfulfilled lives. People in need. I consider what I do to be honourable. Until now that is. Because I’ve just learned that I’m not absent of responsibility. That I am capable of doing a terrible thing. That it’s not just a business. I helped somebody flee from a crime. From the police. I evaporated a murderer. And if I don’t find him, I can’t live with what he might do next.”

My Review

I loved this latest thriller latest from Jo Spain, a new-to-me author I’ve been meaning to try for some time. I listened to the audiobook via BookBeat.

It was mostly told from Veronica’s point of view, but there were some occasional short chilling chapters from a character called Mark.

I warmed to Veronica as the plot developed. She was a standoffish woman who had trouble making friends, and had a difficult childhood. I guess her business helping people to disappear made her more remote because she couldn’t get close to anyone involved, and it was a fascinating job as as were her clients and ‘colleagues’.

I loved the way the book started with Veronica helping her latest client to disappear. The writing was so good, the descriptions of her pretending to be a Polish cleaner for a horrible woman in a expensive house made me squirm, especially when the women’s lecherous husband comes home! 😱

The plot kept going backwards and forwards in Veronica’s life as I learnt more about why she got into the business of helping people disappear, and who the murderer she helped was, and how she could put things right. It’s really difficult not to reveal too much about the plot, so it’s best to go in blind so you can enjoy it all.

I had a sudden creeping suspicion of what was going on, about two thirds of the way through, but thought I couldn’t be right, except when the big reveal came I was! The audiobook was narrated expertly by Laura Aikman and Russell Tovey, they made it a brilliant listen!

A fantastic, clever thriller that makes me want to investigate the author’s back catalogue.

Highly recommended if you’re looking for a fast paced, twisty thriller.

Book 9 of 20 Books of Summer 2026