In the summer of 1968, Alice discovers a secret about Eleanor Ramsay’s mother. One day they play hide-and-seek and Alice disappears. Years later, Eleanor’s father dies violently. 40-year-old Alice Kennedy attends his funeral. When Alice’s teenage daughter Chris becomes suspicious of her mother’s past and turns detective, an extraordinary turn of events opens up shocking truths for the Ramsay family and all those who knew the missing girl.

A KIND OF VANISHING was published on 21st June 2007 by Myriad Editions. It won The People’s Book Prize for fiction in January 2010.

‘Lesley Thomson is a class above, and A KIND OF VANISHING is a novel to treasure.’
- Ian Rankin

‘Thomson skilfully evokes the era and the slow-moving quality of childhood summers, suggesting the menace lurking just beyond the vision of her young protagonists. A study of memory and guilt with several twists.’
- Guardian

‘A thoughtful, well-observed story about families and relationships and what happens to both when a tragedy occurs. It reminded me of Kate Atkinson. Thomson is particularly good at capturing the minutiae of childhood as well as the secrets, the lies, the make believe, the jealousies and spitefulness, the confusion and wonder of being nine years old.’
- Scott Pack