The Vanishing at Opal Creek by D D Black

About the Book:

Amidst the rugged beauty of Oregon’s Opal Creek Wilderness, a contestant on a reality survival show falls to his death from an isolated cliff, his body later devoured by black bears. The show’s producers are spinning it as a tragic accident, but local police suspect murder.

While enjoying a leisurely tour of the Oregon wine country, Detective Thomas Austin is drawn into the mystery when he learns that the deceased is a well-known author who lived minutes from his own home. Joining the investigations, Austin must navigate conflicting stories from the show’s crew and contestants along with protestors, paparazzi, a local tribe, and even Bigfoot hunters.As Austin delves deeper into the dark secrets of the reality show and its participants, he uncovers a web of lies and hidden agendas that threaten to consume him.

And when a crew member vanishes, the investigation takes a turn more twisted and sinister than Austin could have imagined. In a world where reality is just another carefully crafted performance, lines between truth and fiction begin to blur. With time running out and the murderer always one step ahead, can Austin separate fact from fiction and catch the killer before it’s too late?

My Review:

This is another good mystery, set in the forest wilds of Oregon. I like it when Black finds good reason for Austin to investigate a murder in a different location. This is a deceptive murder case and it takes Austin a while to figure out the twist. An interesting issue in this novel is pregnancy. It helps Austin solve the case and, interesting enough, also plays a part in the lives of his friends.

This is another good mystery set in the Pacific Northwest. It has a good location, well crafted characters, and a good twist at the end. The only detraction when the setting is not near Austin's home is that Run, the delightful corgi, is left out of the action.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

I have read all of the previous nine mysteries in this series and you can read my reviews: The Bones at Point No Point, The Shadows of Pike Place, The Fallen of Foulweather Bluff, The Horror at Murden Cove, Terror in the Emerald City, The Drowning at Dyes Inlet, The Nightmare at Manhattan Beach, The Silence at Mystery Bay, and The Darkness at Deception Pass.

About the Author:

D.D. Black writes crime fiction set in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. He is the author of the Thomas Austin Crime Thrillers and the FBI Task Force S.W.O.R.D. series. When he's not writing, he can be found strolling the beaches of the Pacific Northwest, cooking dinner for his wife, and throwing a ball for his corgi over and over and over. 

Darkness and Light Publishing, 260 pages.

While I often receive complimentary egalleys from publishers to review, I have been reading this Auston series courtesy of my local library. What a great idea! Read books free from your local library!

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)