Vanishing Acts

by Phillip Margolin, Ami Margolin Rome

First Day of 7th Grade—To It's the middle of the night. Junior high starts tomorrow. Madison Kincaid jolts awake to the sound of a phone call from the jailhouse. It's a new case for her father, a renowned defense Someone's been accused of murdering Madison's second-grade teacher. But no body has turned up. Bent on becoming a lawyer just like her dad, Madison's determined to help him crack the case. At school the next day, Madison finds she's got not one but two mysteries on her plate. Her best friend, Ann, is nowhere to be found. With the help of Jake Stephenson, a fellow soccer player at Pettygrove Junior High, Madison hits the sidewalks of Portland, Oregon, ready to find out just what's hiding behind these two vanishing acts.

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Thriller, Legal Thriller, Fiction, Childrens

176 pages, Paperback

First published October 11, 2011

Reviews

[Viera Némethová · Rating 1 out of 5]

Kto nevie písať pre deti, nech pre ne nepíše. Celá kniha je akási " pritiahnutá za uši", s nepravdepodobnými dialógmi, bez atmosféry, bez invencie.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a big Margolin fan and this short story was a good read... When I picked it up, I didn't realize it was a young adult book... I am a kid at heart and thoroughly enjoyed the story... Another advantage is finding out Margolin's daughter is an author now, Ami Margolin Rome :-)

[Liana Fuller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vanishing Acts is a book about a kid named Maddison Kincaid. Maddison has a dad and her mom died. Maddison loves to play soccer and has a best friend named Ann and they have been playing soccer together since they were five years old. When Maddison goes to soccer tryouts Ann is not there and has not been at school and none of her friends have seen her. She went to Europe with her dad but she was supposed to be back by now. Someone named Thelma Bauer claims she saw a murder. She says she saw her neighbor Mr.Shelby and Mrs.Shelby fighting and then she heard screaming. Then she sees Mr.Shelby carrying what looked like a body into a truck and then driving away. Maddison decided to crack these two cases and figure out if Mrs.Shelby is dead because Mrs.Shelby was her 2nd grade teacher and she wants to find out if her best friend Ann because she thinks she is kidnapped. this is a great book for people who like mysteries suspense and adventure!

[Genevieve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was a quick, great read that I couldn't put down. Madison who lives with her Dad and plays soccer is worried when her best friend Ann isn't at tryouts or school. She sets out to try and solve the mystery while also helping solve the case her Dad as an attorney is working on. She teams up with a new boy in school Jake. It is a very well written story line with great descriptions.

[Sherrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun and fast read with an intriguing mystery and likable characters. The pacing of the book was good and I was intrigued and pulled in by the case the main character, Madison, was trying to solve. Perfect for middle schoolers who like mysteries or are interested in a career in law.

[McKenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super quick read! I really enjoyed it!

[Erica Locke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad for a seventh grader

[Patricia Rodriguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite 4 but I enjoyed Madison character.

[Suzanne Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just OK YA book about a girl who helps find a missing friend and an abused wife.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book, though Madison was remarkably emotionally mature for a 7th grader. The solution to the "mysteries" was pretty weak too.

[aem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable middle grade mystery with likable characters.

[Stuart Levy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, too predictable, even for a kid mystery book. And, not that well-written either.

[Alisha · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was enough of a mystery to keep me reading until the end but this book was just ok. The writing got in the way more than it drew me in. The narrator jumped around into other people’s heads for a sentence or two randomly which was confusing. More than once the scenery started to be described in an awkward place, such as right after a character would say something that you would expect another character to respond to. And whenever Maddy got dressed for soccer there was a need to list every piece of clothing she put on. The ending was a little unbelievable and wrapped up a little too neatly. While I appreciated some of the lessons it seemed the authors were trying to teach (about bullying for example), they didn’t come off in the best way (such as when Maddy’s dad called some of her teammates “losers”). Also, Maddy seemed a little too mature for her age where she’s instantly able to self correct her thoughts about a teammate she doesn’t like and she comes off a little too perfect. Younger middle graders might enjoy this book, but I don’t think I’ll be recommending it.

[Deon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Move over Nancy Drew, there is a new sleuth in town. Madison lives in Portland Oregon with her lawyer father; she is determined to follow in his footsteps. As the first day of 7th grade arrives Madison is looking forward to being reunited with her friend Ann. Over the summer Ann traveled to Europe with her father so the two best friends have been out of touch for a while and will have a lot of catching up to do. Ann doesn’t show up at school, she misses the tryouts for the soccer team. She doesn’t answer e-mail, she doesn’t answer the phone, and no one answers the door at her home. Madison is sure something awful has happened to Ann. She tries to share her concern with her father but he is buried in his cases, her school friends all think she is exaggerating, and no one seems interested in finding Ann. 7th grade is a big deal, new school, lots more kids, and Madison feels cut adrift without Ann. The only person to take her worries seriously is Jake. As the days go on and Ann still doesn’t show up, Madison and Jake decide to investigate together and find out what happened. If that isn’t enough of a challenge, Madison’s third grade teacher disappears. There is a lot of blood and a convenient suspect; the woman had a heated fight with her husband right before she went missing. Madison’s Dad takes the case of defending the man accused of murdering Madison’s teacher. She liked her third grade teacher. Jake and Madison decide to investigate her disappearance too. The intrepid pair go all over Portland conducting their various inquiries. The use of the northwest setting is excellent. Madison and Jake make a great team; I hope we see them in many more books! If you like a good mystery, here is one I enjoyed.

[E.k. Mac · Rating 4 out of 5]

OWL magazine for kids gave me the recommendation for the book Vanishing Acts, and I am so glad I chose it. When the book came in at my local library, I immediately grabbed it and plopped myself down in a chair. The book was, yes, short, yet I loved it so much. The characters are so well developed and definitely grab the readers' attention at the first sentence. Young Madison Kincaid is a star soccer player, can't wait for seventh grade, and loves mysteries. When two interesting, mind toggling mysteries pop up, Madison takes advantage and goes to solve the cases. If anything, this book had a very well-structured plot, with new characters everywhere and eye-popping surprises. I think that the book was a great choice for the third person, which helped, unlike most mysteries, develop all of the characters in an understandable, smart way. The book had a great feature, all in all. And that one was that there were no spoilers. You see, in a lot of other mysteries, it is sometimes obvious what happened, or the answer is very out there. But in this book, the mystery was so intriguing that you almost don't notice all of the clues and suspects of it. This was very smart of the authors, for if that did happen, a fast-paced, compelling book like this I would not have liked. To sum it up, a book like this is great for everybody on a car ride, or to read under the bedcovers at night, and is perfect for all those who love a good mystery.

[Nanci Booher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so very torn about this book. I wear two hats when I read...I'm either reading just for myself, or I'm reading for the elementary school I work at as well. Being the librarian, I want to see what I'm putting into the collection. I have had very good luck reading the kids books that adult authors put out (Grisham, Patterson, Coben) so my hopes were high. And to have this book set in Portland made me that much more interested in reading it. I love the main character, Madison Kincaid. She is being raised by her single dad who is a defense attorney. She spends alot of time in his office. She has two mysteries to solve, along with starting middle school, trying out for the middle school soccer team and meeting a boy. She has a heart of gold and wants to follow in her father's footsteps. The book deals with some real life issues (insecurity, single parents, mean girls) but towards the end there is an episode of domestic violence that I personally felt was too much to be put into a chapter book for kids. The book did a good job of "scolding" the adult but I think that there could have been a different issue that was written instead of this one. I just don't know if I would want to open that door to a younger child. Did I love the characters and plot?? YES....Do I hope to read about Madison Kincaid again??? YES...will I purchase it for my school library??? I'm undecided right now.

[Thomas Bruso · Rating 4 out of 5]

First case: What really happened to Mrs. Shelby: did her husband, Mark, murder her, or is it a simple game of smoke and mirrors?

Second case: Did Madison Kincaid's best friend, Ann, vanish--or was she, too, a victim of murder?

For junior-high student, Madison Kincaid, it is soccer practice during the day, and detective snooping at night. With the help of Jake Stephenson, a boy Madison befriends at her new school, they both dig into both mysteries, racing around town asking questions to anyone who will listen. But Hamilton Kincaid, Madison's father, an attorney working the Shelby case, warns his daughter to leave the snooping to the professionals. As any parent knows, teenagers are unpredictable, as is the case with the clever fictional Nancy Drew-type, Madison Kincaid, wonderfully drawn and astute.

The relationship between father and daughter is, at times, tender and emotional. Both characters are still lost without the strong female role model in their lives. Madison's mom died when Madison was only five. And the quiet moment that Madison shares with a picture of her mother before setting off to school, will tug at your heartstrings.

"Vanishing Acts" is written for young adults, but can be read and enjoyed by anyone interested in a fun mystery.

Father and daughter authors, Philip Margolin and Ami Margolin Rome, can tell a fast paced story with an interesting mystery and well-drawn characters. Let's hope a second Madison Kincaid is in the works.

[M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thinking kid's book. Madison has been raised in her dad's law office since her mom died when she was very young and she has been taught to think her way through problems and to understand the motives of whomever she's having trouble with. When school starts in the fall, she has at least 3 problems facing her.

Her best friend Ann seems to have disappeared after a summer trip to Europe with her father. Ann doesn't appear to be home; she doesn't answer phones, Facebook messages, or e-mail; and she didn't show up for 7th grade at Pettygrove Junior High. Where is she?

At the same time, Madison's 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Shelby, has disappeared and is presumed murdered by her husband. Madison's dad is defending him in court.

A smaller issue is Marci, the school soccer team's star player. Marci sees Madison as a threat to her soccer fiefdom and she and her friends do whatever they can to try to convince Marci to quit the team. This includes both verbal and physical bullying.

Madison deals with Marci and the soccer team and and she her new friend Jake set about figuring out what has happened to both Ann and Mrs. Shelby. Another subtext--Jake is Madison's friend and he's a boy, but is he her boyfriend? Yet another milestone of tween life.

Probably 4th grade and up, both girls and boys but girls might be more interested.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can’t express how happy I am with this book! It’s my first time reading a mystery legal thriller, let alone my first experience with Philip Margolin's work, and it was an absolute joy. Although it’s targeted at young adults, I found it incredibly engaging and couldn’t put it down.

I’m impressed with Madison's detective skills and her relationships with Jake, Ann, her dad, Hamilton, Miss Peggy, and her peers. The story played out like a movie in my mind, and I was completely absorbed. Alongside the thrill of the mystery, I also learned a lot of valuable life lessons and gained insight into legal processes. It’s sparked an interest in learning more about the law.

For example, my favorite, "Screwing up is part of life. It’s how you deal with the screwups that define you. You can either crawl in a hole and say, ‘Woe is me,’ or you can laugh at yourself, dust yourself off, learn from your mistakes, and forge on. This is a big deal for you now, but I’ll bet most of the girls have already forgotten what you did because they’re thinking about what they failed to do to win that game."

Thank you to Philip and Ami Margolin for this fantastic read. I can’t wait to explore more of their work.

[Kailia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love reading middle grade books. They’re so cute and quick and easy to read so when I got the chance to review this book, I took it! It’s a mystery book too and that made it all the better!

Though this book was rather short (only 169 pages) I had a great time reading about the adventures of Maddie Kincaid! She’s going to begin seventh grade, she’s trying not to get on the bad side of the best soccer player on her team, her best friend is missing, AND she’s going to help her attorney dad solve a murder case; she’s got so much to do! Maddie was such a sweet girl who just wanted everyone to be happy and safe. She wants to be a criminal defense lawyer (like me!) like her dad and so it’s only right for her to help him solve his murder case…right?

The plot revolves around Maddie trying to figure out if a murder actually occurred and in between trying to find her best friend. She gets the help of the new boy at school; Maddie has to figure out how to deal with liking a boy.

[Booneyhead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sorry that this took so long...but I am trying to catch up on my books and reviews. So..here it goes.
I actually intended to give this book to my 11 year old son, but ended up reading it myself (I still have books from my childhood I re-read often).
Even though the story of Madison is directed to younger readers, I found myself enjoying this book quiet well.
Madison is starting 7th grade and loves being doing detective work and be a future lawyer like her Dad. Struggling with the mean girls at the new school and missing her best friend. She wants to proof herself to her father by solving one of his murder cases.
It was a nice and quick read and am sure anyone who likes a quick mystery will like this book!
I won this book here on Goodreads and wanted to thank them for giving us the chance to win books like that and find out about some books we might have missed otherwise!

[Charlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Madison Kincaid lives with her father, a well-known defense attorney. He often receives calls in the middle of the night and his latest case is the disappearance of Madison’s second grade teacher, Mrs. Shelby. Madison believes she can help her father solve this case.

But her first day at school provides a second mystery. Madison’s best friend, Ann, hasn’t answered any of her phone calls and she doesn’t appear at school. When Ann misses the most important event for both girls, soccer tryouts, Maddy is sure Ann has wither been kidnapped or killed.

When new student Jake steps into the picture, he doesn’t replace Ann, but he is there to encourage Madison and help her solve her two mysteries: the missing Mrs. Shelby and Ann. Mystery lovers will enjoy this tale of middle school detectives.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book, and apparently the only one, written by mystery writer Philip Margolin and his daughter Ami Margolin Rome. It's also his first (and only?) one written for children. I liked it a lot. It contains two mysteries. The solution to one of them could have been stronger but hey, this is a book for younger kids. I do love the uncredited artwork on the dust jacket.

7th grader Madison Kincaid, who wants to follow in her defense attorney father's footsteps, is faced with two mysteries: what happened to her best friend Ann who disappeared without a word, and the other one concerns her father's case. He's defending a man who is accused of murdering his wife, who happens to be Madison's old second grade teacher, but no body has been found. Madison follows clues in an investigative manner and solves both mysteries.

It's a fun rather quick read.

[Adelaide Gideons · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book didn't start off too well, and I was pretty distracted by the excessive use of names. But then the characters became interesting. The plot took a turn and gained speed. And I was pretty much attached to it - I couldn't stay calm if I had to part with it. I know, it's short. But it's worth it. It's easy to guess what might happen - but that's only what YOU think might happen. What actually happens will take you by surprise, and will leave you laughing when you turn over the last page because you were such a dork from the start.
Okay, that might have been a little bit confusing.
But you get what I mean.
The story itself was funny, sinister, suspenseful and mysterious all at once. A mix of different flavours, and good ones, blended to the right taste. That's the best way to describe my feelings about this book.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

ATOS Book Level: 5.2
Interest Level: Middle Grades (MG 4-8)
AR Points: 5.0
Word Count: 32605

A fun new middle school mystery series staring Madison Kincaid. Madison is being raised by a single father, who is a lawyer, so she's spent countless hours at his law firm. In this story there are two mystery's that Madison is working on. Her best friend Ann went to Europe for the summer and hasn't been heard of since, she's even missed tryouts for their new Middle School team. The second mystery has to do with her fathers latest case it's a missing person/murder mystery. A woman is missing, there is blood found in the kitchen of the home, a neighbor swears she saw the husband of the missing woman putting a body in his trunk after hearing the couple argue. Madison wants to solve the mystery.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently attended a Meet the Author presentation in which Oregon murder mystery author Phillip Margolin was the speaker. One of the books he mentioned was Vanishing Acts which the author co-wrote with his daughter Ami Margolin Rome, although as Mr. Margolin said, she did the writing and he did the editing. Whether or not Ami had the same interests as the book's heroine, it was easy enough to imagine Ami reliving her youth through seventh grader Madison Kincaid - bright, curious, soccer-loving, spending hours in her dad's law office observing and getting caught up in the dramas that unfolded.

As a book written for a younger reader (much like the Nancy Drew books I read as a youngster)I found Vanishing Acts to be a good read. I enjoyed it.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book I read is Vanishing Acts by Pihillip Margolin and Ami Margolin Rome. The genre of Vanishing acts is mystery. The setting is Portland, Oregon. The main characters include Madison Kincaid, Ann, Jake, and Mr. Shelby. Madison Kincaid is a 7th grader interested in being a criminal defense attorney. She is a star forward on her soccer team and will be joining her middle schools soccer team. Her best friend Ann goes missing for weeks not communicating with her friends. Mr. Shelby is accused of murdering his wife, who was Madison's second grade teacher. Madison has two mysteries she is trying to solve at once. I rated this book 4 stars out of 5 because it kept me interested the entire time I was reading it.

[Phoebe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Budding criminal investigator Madison Kincaid starts 7th grade with two mysteries on her plate: her best friend is missing, and so is her 2nd grade teacher Mrs. Shelby, whose husband has been arrested for murder. Madison befriends cute but bland Jake, who willingly goes along with Madison as she resolves to figure out what's going on. The book starts out promisingly, but the "mysteries" are ultimately kind of lame and readers may be disappointed. The writing is extremely clunky and pedestrian, surprising, since Margolin is such a well known author for adults. We cataloged this as a YA, but it will be changed to juvenile because it is not sophisticated enough for a teen audience.

[Moni Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vanishing Acts is the first novel in the new Madison Kincaid series. It takes place in Portland, which is fun for me since I live in the area.

Madison Kincaid is a budding detective and future lawyer. She is the daughter of an attorney who is working on a case involving the possible murder of her 2nd grade teacher. Madison is intrigued and wants to help her dad solve the case. At the same time, her best friend is missing and she feels compelled to find her. All of this during her first few weeks as a 7th grader!

I thought this was a delightful mystery and would recommend it to kids in 5th-7th grade.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Booktalk:

Madison Kincaid wants to be a super-detective lawyer when she grows up. Her dad is a criminal defense attorney so when he gets a case involving her missing, possibly murdered 2nd grade teacher, she thinks this is the perfect opportunity to put her skills to the test. Not only does she have this mystery to solve, but her best friend never showed up on the first day of school and is not answering any phone calls, emails, or texts. Madison has two mysteries to figure out--will she find the missing best friend? Is her former teacher really dead? Find out in "Vanishing Acts" by Phillip Margolin and Amy Margolin Rome.