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275th out of 3,396 books
—
7,814 voters
Vanishing Act (Jane Whitefield #1)
by
Thomas Perry
Praised by critics, a thriller by an Edgar Award-winning author stars a Native American woman who uses ancient wisdom and modern street smarts to help fugitives cover their trails and begin new lives. Reprint. NYT.
Jane Whitefield is a Native American guide who leads people out of the wilderness--not the tree-filled variety but the kind created by enemies who want you dead...more
Jane Whitefield is a Native American guide who leads people out of the wilderness--not the tree-filled variety but the kind created by enemies who want you dead...more
Paperback, 368 pages
Published
March 2nd 1996
by Fawcett
(first published January 31st 1995)
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Jane Whitefield is a kick-ass and take no names heroine. She is my new fav. Those that are Tony Hillerman fans might like Jane as well, but without the woo-woo. Jane helps people step off the grid...way off the grid. As never to be heard from again and she is very, very good at what she does. But when a smooth talking tall dark man comes into Jane's life even she can't seem to see the forest for the pair of dark eyes looking into hers.
So when he needs help to disappear she can't seem to break h...more
So when he needs help to disappear she can't seem to break h...more
This is my first Thomas Perry novel. It will not be my last.
I am not usually enamored of female protagonists in crime thriller fiction. I'm in love with Jane Whitfield, though. Half Seneca, she has chosen to be a tribal member and acts accordingly. She has the ability to imagine how her ancestors, who inhabited the upstate New York area she lives in, were able to live and prosper before the coming of the Europeans.
She makes a living by helping people vanish. A career, she stumbled into when she...more
I am not usually enamored of female protagonists in crime thriller fiction. I'm in love with Jane Whitfield, though. Half Seneca, she has chosen to be a tribal member and acts accordingly. She has the ability to imagine how her ancestors, who inhabited the upstate New York area she lives in, were able to live and prosper before the coming of the Europeans.
She makes a living by helping people vanish. A career, she stumbled into when she...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
It was really interesting reading the first book of the Jane Whitefield series after having finished the 3rd and 4th entries. No, this is not how I usually approach a series of books like this. I had been under the mistaken impression when I picked up Shadow Woman at a used bookstore that I had read the previous two books, and then I found the fourth book, The Face Changers, before I found Vanishing Act. Perry does a good job, though, of filling you in on the backstory without making the explica...more
VANISHING ACT by Thomas Perry is 321 pages in paperback format. This is the first book in the Jane Whitefield Series.
Brief Description:
Jane Whitefield is a Native American guide who leads people out of the wilderness--not the tree-filled variety but the kind created by enemies who want you dead. She is in the one-woman business of helping the desperate disappear. Thanks to her membership in the Wolf Clan of the Seneca tribe, she can fool any pursuer, cover any trail, and then provide her clients...more
Brief Description:
Jane Whitefield is a Native American guide who leads people out of the wilderness--not the tree-filled variety but the kind created by enemies who want you dead. She is in the one-woman business of helping the desperate disappear. Thanks to her membership in the Wolf Clan of the Seneca tribe, she can fool any pursuer, cover any trail, and then provide her clients...more
I stopped reading this one to start the Good reads giveaway book, that I received from Gina Cresse. I have now began again and was sucked back in immediately...so far a GREAT read!
8/15 I Finished this book and I am wondering how to give it 6 stars! This is truly one of the best books I have ever read. I re-read the last page several times, I was wanting to find an answer to my burning question..Will there be more Jane Whitefield's!?! I am new to Thomas Perry and read the first book, The Butcher'...more
8/15 I Finished this book and I am wondering how to give it 6 stars! This is truly one of the best books I have ever read. I re-read the last page several times, I was wanting to find an answer to my burning question..Will there be more Jane Whitefield's!?! I am new to Thomas Perry and read the first book, The Butcher'...more
I'm not sure what to make of this. It certainly kept me listening (and I always enjoy Joyce Bean's narration). But I'm still not sure whether I find Jane a strong, complex heroine or a stereotyped Mary Sue. She can navigate skillfully in an urban underworld OR in the wilderness. She has a kind of double-vision, aware both of the modern world and of the landscape of Native American history and belief underlying (overlaying?) it--a kind of palimpsest. I found her interesting, but I guess not belie...more
1 like · like · see review
Definetly a solid three star for this one. The concept is great and the general pace of the book is pretty good, not too fast but seems to slow down to a crawl in some sections just to pick up again and leave you a bit breathless. I really enjoyed the parts describing native american society and mythology, but not everyone will as it does slow down the story a lot at times and really does not add anything to the story or storyline other then bulk it up. The main character Jane, isnt really likea...more
I really didn't like this book. I read it because my book club chose it and I had to force myself to finish. I found the plot totally opposite anything the main character, Jane, would have done. She totally trusted a guy and offered to help him ignoring all of the clues he gave about his true self. As aware as she was of her surroundings all the time I found this totally unbelievable.
Basically she is someone who helps people hide and gives them new identities, surely she must have thought at so...more
Basically she is someone who helps people hide and gives them new identities, surely she must have thought at so...more
This is quite solidly a 3-star book. It's got some good aspects and some bad, and neither are to an extreme. Overall, the book is interesting and the story is engaging; the dialogue never feels faked or forced and the character interactions are mostly believable and also don't feel forced. The story moves at a pace that's just short of fast enough and it has some good twists and turns. It hits a wall, however with the excessive amount of narrative.
I was not interested in all the backstory the au...more
I was not interested in all the backstory the au...more
I would give it a 3-1/2 if I could. I think it deserves more than 3, but maybe not 4 stars. The premise was interesting, but I figured out the plot at least half way through - well before the "reveal" came. The native american lore was very interesting, but at times the story moved very slowly. The ending was somewhat dragged out as well. There were a few spots where some editing could have benefited, either in the grammar/language used or in the (rare) spelling mistake.
This was a library e-book...more
This was a library e-book...more
I absolutely loved this book...until the last two chapters. Sad face.
Jane Whitefield is a capable, strong and awesome heroine. She is a half-Seneca who "disappears" people who don't want to be found. In this first of her series, she comes home after relocating an abused wife to find an ex-cop living in her house. He ran into some bad trouble after his retirement from the force and needs to be disappeared. She does her job, falls for the guy and tries to move on. As the bodies start piling up ar...more
Jane Whitefield is a capable, strong and awesome heroine. She is a half-Seneca who "disappears" people who don't want to be found. In this first of her series, she comes home after relocating an abused wife to find an ex-cop living in her house. He ran into some bad trouble after his retirement from the force and needs to be disappeared. She does her job, falls for the guy and tries to move on. As the bodies start piling up ar...more
"Cops are dogs. Try to think in rabbit," is the advice Jane Whitefield gives her client early in this novel. Her trade is smuggling people into a new, anonymous, banal life when they have angered ruthless people. The best part for me was the plot twist, which I didn't see coming, at least not the way it happened. The weakest part was the extended sylvan chase scene, which felt quite similar to The Hunger Games and not as taut. I'm still undecided on whether I liked the Native American elements....more
WHOA!! This is the first Jane Whitefield novel, and I sure can't wait to read the others by this award winning author. Jane is a young Native-American woman who helps people 'disappear'. She is the main character, but I still shelved this as 'male' action-adventure because it follows that format. Jane is hot! In this book she helps a tough studly dude disappear - great escape scenes in western New York along Lake Ontario and the Niagara Falls area, all the way out west to Washington State and Lo...more
I read this series years ago and loved it. I finally found it again after forgetting the name of the author, titles, and the main character and I'm so glad I did!
Jane Whitefield is a "guide". An Indian of the Seneca tribe, she is a contemporary woman living in a modern world and yet she follows the voices of her ancestors and the earth. She specializes in helping those who can no longer help or protect themselves. Her clients are children, women, and sometimes men who are being hunted and will e...more
Jane Whitefield is a "guide". An Indian of the Seneca tribe, she is a contemporary woman living in a modern world and yet she follows the voices of her ancestors and the earth. She specializes in helping those who can no longer help or protect themselves. Her clients are children, women, and sometimes men who are being hunted and will e...more
i did not really care for this book. Another reviewer said that they found the main characters actions contrary to her character. I have to agree. When Jane chose to sleep wth John, I was surprised. It totally did not agree with her actions up to that point nor with the character she was supposed to be playing.
I also found the history lessons on the Native Americans out of sync with the rest of the book, like little subtexts. I am also not a fan of how the book was laid out - where you sorta st...more
I also found the history lessons on the Native Americans out of sync with the rest of the book, like little subtexts. I am also not a fan of how the book was laid out - where you sorta st...more
Why isn't Jane revered amongst mystery readers everywhere as one of the best butt-kickingest heroines in modern crime fiction? (Although Charlaine Harris' Lily Bard of the Shakespeare series, and Mercy Thompson in Patricia Briggs' sci-fi series, and Elena Deveraux in Nalini Singh's paranormal Guild Hunter series kick some major butt in their own genres, too!) Jane makes people disappear and sometimes that gets her into trouble. Read the books to see what kind and how much trouble she can stir up...more
A friend recommended we try author Perry, so we glommed onto “Vanishing Act”, the first in his seven-book Jane Whitefield series. Whitefield is indeed an interesting leading lady – of Seneca Indian heritage, she lives in the same western New York state area from which Perry hails. Her “occupation” is like a one-woman Witness Protection Program – she helps people disappear through all manner of elaborate schemes and new identities.
In the first half of the tale, John Felker arrives on her doorstep...more
In the first half of the tale, John Felker arrives on her doorstep...more
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Enjoyed this book! The book had strong characters, a good plot, and lots of native american history throughout. Perry hinted at "who-done-it" a little too forcefully; I figured out the killer early on. This is a catch 22 for me, because if he hadn't hinted early on as to who the killer was I would have said it's unrealistic, never saw that coming, and complained. What's better knowing, or thinking that you know, who the killer is or having a curve ball thrown at you at the end? I plan to read mo...more
Narrated by Joyce Bean
10 hrs and 7 mins
Publisher's Summary
Jane Whitefield is a Native American guide who leads solitary outcasts through hostile territory to escape the vengeance of their enemies. But the shaded forest paths her Seneca ancestors might have followed on such missions have all been converted to superhighways, and now the safest way stations are crowded urban buildings that offer the camouflage of anonymity. Still, the supply of runaways - and the need for a woman who will take grea...more
10 hrs and 7 mins
Publisher's Summary
Jane Whitefield is a Native American guide who leads solitary outcasts through hostile territory to escape the vengeance of their enemies. But the shaded forest paths her Seneca ancestors might have followed on such missions have all been converted to superhighways, and now the safest way stations are crowded urban buildings that offer the camouflage of anonymity. Still, the supply of runaways - and the need for a woman who will take grea...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Jane Whitefield is a native american woman who specializes in making people disappear, she is like a black market, 1 person witness protection crew. I picked up this book becase the series was recommended in the Seattle Times. The premise and protagonist are full of potential, but it is never realized in this book. Jane is interesting, but too solitary for any real character developemnt to take place, so the reader sympathetic to her, but always at arm's legnth. There are only two other "major"...more
In the stunning introduction to a wonderful series that began in 1995 (the 7th book is due in March 2012), Thomas Perry debuts an enigmatic heroine, Jane Whitefield. She's a Seneca Indian in the modern day, but steeped in the skills and lore of her people. This comes in handy, since she's in a dangerous business: taking people away from those who want to kill them. She hides them in plain sight and hopes they live safely ever after. Coming home from just such a mission, she finds a man in her ho...more
This book had been going around my family and when I finally had the chance to read it I understood why they all loved it so much. The character of Jane is so fascinating. Her native american background and how that plays into what she does is so interesting. It was intense and I couldn't put it down. I've read all of Perry's Jane Whitefield novels and I really liked all of them but I think that Vanishing Act, which is the first in the series, is the best one. I don't buy a lot of books, choosin...more
Went back to this first Jane Whitefield adventure after reading/listening to the sixth book in the series, Runner.
Compared to Runner's Jane, she seems to be more gullible in this adventure. Didn't take me long to suspect that John Felker, her main client in this book, is not the cop-turned-accountant-turned-patsy he claimed to be.
There's nothing softy about the Ramboesque way she took him down when she realized how he duped her into leading him to a former client. Very satisfying ending.
Compared to Runner's Jane, she seems to be more gullible in this adventure. Didn't take me long to suspect that John Felker, her main client in this book, is not the cop-turned-accountant-turned-patsy he claimed to be.
There's nothing softy about the Ramboesque way she took him down when she realized how he duped her into leading him to a former client. Very satisfying ending.
Vanishing Act introduces Thomas Perry's popular heroine Jane Whitefield, a Native American guide who secretly provides sanctuary to fugitives seeking new identities. In assisting the mysterious former cop John Felker, Jane is drawn into a trap that will take all of her cunning and the knowledge of her ancestors to escape.
Listen to Vanishing Act on your smartphone, notebook or desktop computer.
Listen to Vanishing Act on your smartphone, notebook or desktop computer.
My husband's friend told me to read this book. He has chosen books for me before that I struggled to read. This one was well written and the plot just kept twisting. I enjoyed the main character, Jane Whitefield and how she helps people disappear. I'm not usually a history buff, but the stories she tells about the Indian tribes in upstate New York were very interesting. The author weaves the stories into the text so well. I will read more of the Jane Whitefield series.
Jane Whitefield is a Seneca woman who helps people disappear, people who--in her sense of justice--she thinks don't deserve to suffer what society or someone else's sense of the same want visit on them. There's a kind of Mission Impossible elaborateness to the stories. This is the first of the series, and you don't get into the Seneca story in this one as much as you will, eventually, if you stick with these. I found myself engaged, and looking for the next one.
I pushed this book up to a four rather then a three but its not a solid four. Tends to get slow in spots as the author does a lot of explaining of things that could have been left out. This is book one of an on-going series. I have read some of the other books of this series, one of which is far better then this one. If you are looking for 'a cat and mouse chase' book with likeable characters, clear good guys vs bad guys this is that kind of book and series.
I finally tried this series after having been turned on to it years ago by folks in the old AOL Mystery/Thriller group. This was a little heavy on the historical background but otherwise a fascinating CPD story. Jane Whitefield is a Native American who uses her many cultural, intellectual and eventually physical skills to get out of a jam begun by her assistance to a man who needs to disappear. I thought the final encounter with the bad guy was a bit unbelievable but it didn’t stop me from enjoy...more
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Thomas Perry was born in Tonawanda, New York in 1947. He received a B.A. from Cornell University in 1969 and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Rochester in 1974. He has worked as a park maintenance man, factory laborer, commercial fisherman, university administrator and teacher, and a writer and producer of prime time network television shows. He lives in Southern California with his wife...more
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Feb 08, 2011 05:54pm