The Vanishing in Deception Gap: A Mystery Searchers Book

by Barry Forbes

A wholesome family mystery series for tweens and teens, 10-15 years How can one man—surrounded by two dozen fellow workers—flatout vanish into thin air? Just. . . gone. Like he never existed. And no one seems to care. But not before he sends a strange text message to Kathy. "Pirates are operating out here and they’re dangerous. I can’t prove it, not yet, but I need your help. Please call asap." And she doesn’t even know the guy! What on earth is happening at Deception Gap Railroad Yard? With the help of a hi-tech drone - not to mention Heidi Hoover and Detective Joe Ryan - the mystery searchers embark on a baffling search for the missing man. But who did the deed? Is it too late? Has "Beau" vanished . . . forever? Danger alert! If our young detectives persevere, could they disappear too? Interview with the author Q - What makes The Mystery Searchers Series so special? It’s a mix of things, really. When I started the series, I wanted to integrate the things that I liked as a 10-15 year-old—from the 4th or 5th grade, all the way into junior high school. I loved mystery books which lead, often, to mystery solving, crime and detective stories, and action and adventure. So I would devour books like the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, or Enid Blyton’s The Famous Five series. I quickly realized that clean, wholesome books were important too, and I’ve integrated that concept in every Mystery Searchers installment. Q - What order should I read the books in? I’ve written the series so that you can read them in any order. By the time you finish any one of the books, all the threads will come together. Q – Are there more installments coming in the series? Yes! Currently I’m releasing three books every year.

142 pages, Paperback

Published July 3, 2020

About the author

Barry Forbes began his writing career in 1980, writing and producing literally hundreds of film and video corporate presentations, winning a handful of industry awards along the way. At the same time, he served as an editorial writer for Tribune Newspapers and wrote his first two books, both non-fiction.

In 1997, he founded and served as CEO for Sales Simplicity Software, a market leader which was sold two decades later.

What next? "I always loved mystery stories and one of my favorite places to visit was Prescott, Arizona. It's situated in rugged Central Arizona with tremendous locales for mysteries." In 2017, Barry merged his interest in mystery and his skills in writing, adding in a large dollop of technology. The Mystery Searchers Family Book Series was born. The first seven books are available now, and book eight will be released Spring, 2021.

Barry's wife, Linda, passed away in 2019 and The Mystery Searchers Family Book Series is dedicated to her. "Linda proofed the initial drafts of each book and acted as my chief advisor." The couple had been married for 49 years and had two children. A number of their fifteen grandchildren provided feedback on each book. Contact Barry: barry@mysterysearchers.com

Reviews

[Roxanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trains, pirates, tracking devices & drones… what’s not to like?
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I am pretty sure I say this every time we finish one of the Mystery Searchers books, but this is our new favorite in the series. With each book Mr. Forbes has really perfected his skills in building up the suspense. It would be so easy to follow the exact same format in each of these mysteries, but the author has not taken the easy out. All six of the stories are unique and unpredictable.
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This one had a real sense of danger about it & my son didn’t want me to stop reading. I love that this book teaches you not to judge a book by it’s cover… Sometimes you really don’t know who the “bad guys” are or how dangerous a situation is!

[Jessica Sazama · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter loves this book series. Although, there are some slightly scary parts for a 9 year old.