The Vanishing Place
by Zoe Rankin

I was completely absorbed in this tense, atmospheric thriller from the prologue to the last paragraph. The book is set in the remote, dangerous New Zealand bush country and the storyline moves between the present and events that have taken place over the past 25 years. The characters are memorable and slowly become more fully understood as the plot twists and turns and dark secrets are revealed. I read over 100 books a year and this one will certainly rank in this year's top 10 as one that was scary, completely unique and impossible to put down. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers and mysteries and who isn't afraid to stay up late reading long into the night.

This book is a riveting, atmospheric blend of Mexican gothic, horror, and historical fiction. Alba Diaz wants to have control of her body and person during the mid 18th Century, a time period when women didn't have much control over anything in their lives. Instead she finds herself fleeing an outbreak of the plague, lost is a silver mine, possessed by a demon and subjected to an exorcism courtesy of the Catholic Inquisition.

This book is filled with tension, dread and even a bit of gothic romance thrown in for good measure. It's also a lesson in the use of mercury for the amalgamation of silver and the deleterious effects of mercury on the human body. This book was my first introduction to the writings of Isabel Canas. I will be sure to read her other novels.

The Possession of Alba Diaz will keep you on the edge of your chair reading long past your bedtime. It's a unique gem.