Kabler excels at building a palpable atmosphere of tension and mystery throughout the novel. The disappearance of an entire class of children defies logic and plausibility, intensifying the intrigue and sense of unease as readers are left pondering the unimaginable. The author expertly employs red herrings and twists, skillfully leading readers down unexpected paths and keeping them guessing until the final revelation. The Whydunnit. I realise that I found the motive implausible in the author’s ’The Murder Room’ too. Yes, I concede that it is plausible in the sense that there was a big grievance but I don’t feel it was enough to warrant the kidnapping etc. Does lots of money as an adult make up for trauma as a child, is the real question. However, despite its promising premise, The Vanishing of Class 3B falls short in its execution. For me, the book was an average read, failing to fully engage my attention throughout. The story often dragged in certain places, making it difficult to maintain interest. Additionally, I found the narrative to be repetitive which further hindered my enjoyment.

Meh, that’s all I have to say. You know I don’t hide how I feel about a book. If it’s good, I praise it, if not, I’ll point that out as well. There is a sense of anguish and fear that threads through the book, more so for the characters than readers as we see and learn far more of what is happening than the victims. The frustrations of the police as the parents fail to be completely honest and work against their best advice feel authentic, and the fact that several parents are identified as suspects in the whole affair is no surprise, even if some behaviour is more unexpected than others. There is such duplicity amongst the adults that I have to be honest, whilst I initially liked most, my feelings did change quite rapidly throughout the course of the book. As I said before – a very careful execution of the story by the author – canny and effective. This novel consists of 52 chapters. The chapters are short in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case! I like the way the tension is built up in the first half of the book when we discover that more than one character has reason to believe their secret could be the one responsible, before the careful reveal of their individual stories. I really enjoyed this tense psychological thriller. It’s told from various points of view, including the children’s and the staff’s, which gave me an insight of what their life was like in captivity.

Kabler’s writing style is engaging and accessible, making it easy for readers to immerse themselves in the story. The pacing is well-crafted, with a careful balance between moments of intense suspense and quieter, introspective moments that provide glimpses into the characters’ lives and motivations. The author’s attention to detail is evident, painting a vivid picture of the Cotswolds setting and enhancing the sense of place within the narrative. Our main narrators are parents: Reynold, Clare& Ben. Olivia is headmaster of Littleford Primary School and Sadie & Daniel are our detectives. We hear from one of the teachers in The Bunker and The Visitor too. And excitingly we hear from one of the children, Luca, to ease our pounding hearts just a little to let us know what's going on where they are, but in turn it decreased the suspense since we knew they were okay. I have to be careful what I say here, as I don’t want to give any spoilers, but I was a bit baffled by some of the science at the heart of this plot – it didn’t quite work how I always thought these things did and Google was no help at all in enlightening me. Still, I’m not an expert so maybe that was just a ‘me’ thing! This was a mostly enjoyable but predictable read I did love the initial mystery which is what first grabbed my attention and sold me on reading this. There’s just something about a whole bus of primary school children just vanishing into thin air that equally repels and entices it’s definitely every parent's worst nightmare including mine. So class 3b head off on a school trip to a local wildlife park only to fail to return on schedule all 10 primary-age children plus 4 teachers have seemingly vanished into thin air. This is then told from multiple viewpoints as the parents some of them quite high/profile experience all of the fear and uncertainty whilst also wrestling with many skeletons and demons in their personal closets.

The children of Class 3 B have been dropped off by their parents. They are to go to an animal park in a close by town. Little did they know, that this might have been the last time they’d see their children. The van with ten eight-year-old children and four teachers disappears. The police gets involved and a rave against time begins. What are the reasons for a whole class to disappear? I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being One More Chapter. I have yet to read a book published by One More Chapter that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book). The characters in “The Vanishing of Class 3B” are well-developed and relatable, each with their own motivations and secrets. The narrative alternates between different perspectives, allowing readers to gain insight into the thoughts and emotions of various individuals affected by the disappearance. From the distraught parents to the determined investigators, the characters bring depth and complexity to the story, ensuring readers remain emotionally invested in the outcome. A frustrating book to say the least. I didn't really enjoy the book, although I did enjoy the premise of the plot. A slow paced book, stalling plot half way through and questionable policing all contributed to the low rating. I really liked the the sound of The Vanishing of Class 3b and it really didn’t disappoint. I mean, it wasn’t just the idea of children disappearing, even if I’m not the greatest fan of rug rats of any age, but just that whole idea that you entrust your nearest and dearest to teachers every single day on the understanding nothing can, or will, go wrong, School trips are a staple of the educational experience and, with the odd exception due to bad traffic during the trip, nearly always end with a group of overly tired and yet overwhelmingly hyperactive little ones bouncing off the bus at the end of the day. So how, as a parent, would you react if your over tired, hyperactive, little darling just didn’t come home? And what if you thought that it was all your fault?As The Vanishing Class of 3B progressed, it became more fast paced and I enjoyed all of the twists that I didn’t see coming.