3.5 stars

When Jacob Gray disappeared in Olympic National Park in Washington state, his dad Randy would not give up looking. Luckily, Randy had the stamina and money to be able to continually look for his 22-year old son. The author, Jon Billman, was often along to help out. This book is primarily Jacob’s search story, but the author also brings in many other missing persons cases (missing in the “wild”/in nature) in the U.S. and Canada, some who were found and others not.

I don’t personally know anyone who has gone missing and not been found, but I know someone whose brother has (and my brother does know him – the one who went missing). I couldn’t help but think about him at various points while reading this. That’s beside the point of what I thought of the book, however.

Some of the stories peaked my interest more than others, but with as many as there were, it’s hard to remember them when a short time was spent on many (as opposed to the bulk of the book on Jacob’s case). The book also highlighted differences in the types of searches, for how long they last, etc, depending on where a person goes missing; much of that comes down to cost. It included stats and went into a few various “oddball” theories like Bigfoot and UFOs (Jacob’s father Randy insisted on following any and all leads, no matter how “out there”). ( )

Let me preface this by saying that I usually don't read non-fiction works. In all honesty I think it stems from my dyslexia and ADD preventing me from concentrating on the task at hand (or maybe I just have a hard time finding non-fiction worth reading). Something has to really captivate and entertain me for me to fully commit my attention to it. Luckily this wasn't my first non-fiction read and won't be my last although I might need a mental palate cleanser after this. (Also, to my credit I have read a decent amount of non-fiction books, but minimal compared to my thriller/mystery reads). Ok, so on to my thoughts about this book:

Where to begin?! This was a terrifying, anxiety inducing read...not in the horror or thriller genre, but in the "holly crap! this could happen to me or anyone I know!" kind of scary. We often hear about people missing in the wild (or missing in general), but we never stop to think about what happens when they're found or how they're found...but even more, when never think about those who never get found. This book was really eye-opening. This book makes it very clear that it matters where you disappear in the wild! What [b:The Cold Vanish: Seeking the Missing in North America's Wildlands|48717769|The Cold Vanish Seeking the Missing in North America's Wildlands|Jon Billman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1574335466l/48717769._SY75_.jpg|74074880] does really well is lay out different scenarios of lost individuals in the wild. And let me tell you the overlaying pattern: A GOOD MAJORITY OF THE MISSING PERSONS ARE PEOPLE WHO WERE EXPERIENCED ATHLETES/RUNNERS/OUTDOORSMEN/ATHLETIC PEOPLE! And WTF is up with Olympic National Park! So yeah...this book really makes you think twice about hitting up your "usual" trail unprepared.

If anything [b:The Cold Vanish: Seeking the Missing in North America's Wildlands|48717769|The Cold Vanish Seeking the Missing in North America's Wildlands|Jon Billman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1574335466l/48717769._SY75_.jpg|74074880] teaches you that carrying around the 10 essentials in your day pack even on a 3 mile hike, is always a smart and good idea no matter if you're an experience outdoors person or not. Don't let pride be the reason you find yourself lost with little probability of being found, especially if Search and Rescue is left to the Country Sheriff to organize...I highly recommend this read! Be warned though, you might look at outdoor activities a little differently after this. ( )

Thought-provoking. ( )

I saw the title and cover, then read the blurb, and my interest was peaked. I had to know what Jon Billman had to say in this true story of the missing across the country.

To tell the story, Jon Billman did walk in Jacob Gray’s footsteps, to a point.

The Schrödinger’s cat experiment…I had never heard the entire experiment, but the fact that it is neither, dead or alive, or both, dead and alive, until you open the box. I imagine it is the same with a missing person. I cannot imagine how the not knowing could mess with someone’s mind.

I do believe some of the problem is with those who are doing the investigating. The process has come a long way, but I think investigators can still get stuck on one person, zeroing in on them, making the suspect fit the evidence. Not only has technology aided the investigators, the investigators have become more sophisticated.

Unfortunately, there are still those who are out to make a name for themselves, to get elected to office. or just inept and unqualified for the job at hand. And the wilderness…such a large area where bodies could be easily hidden, make findng them like a needle in a haystack.

Cold Vanish…here one minute, gone the next. Aliens? Bigfoot? The Supernatural?

The book was written like a TV episode, hopping from one case to another, coming back again and again. It was confusing at times, but I do like that so many missings were shared.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Cold Vanish by Jon Billman.

See more at http://www.fundinmental.com ( )

An interesting angle on the missing. The recounting of missing persons cases is far more riveting than the stats and overall background on missing persons, but these intersperse the stories in an almost interruptive, stalling way. I would have liked more detail on the cases. ( )