Reader's Reviews
Loved it! 😍
An age friendly mystery about solving an old cold case disappearance that is as educational as it is fun. Each chapter opened with some fun forensic related facts presented as peeks into Hank’s forensic web show. These openers were fun and my favorite part of the book. Hank and Hannah’s shared interested in solving crimes also made for a charming friendship as well as learning opportunities for readers. I can see the forensic aspects appealing to kids interested in solving crimes. While this book is about solving an old murder, everything was kept friendly to the targeted age group. The pacing was also fast, keeping the story from dragging and the portrayal of Hank felt realistic and made him likeable.
-K. Uplinger
5.0 out of 5 stars Great middle school read
My 12 year old daughter loved this book. She read it for a school project and could not put it down. She is definitely a reluctant reader but this book had just the write amount of mystery and young adult relatability.
Superb book! This book keeps you interested from the first page. The author interweaves facts about solving crime with a compelling story of friendship.
- C. Hiner
She's an amazing writer. May be considered a children's book, but I'm enjoying how good she is at painting pictures.
-L. Naddeo
This is great mystery! I couldn’t put it down. The characters are well developed. The story captures the insecurities of middle school and the struggles of its inhabitants as well as the complexities of the friendships forged. The mystery itself keeps you reading to find out what happens next. The forensic details give clues as to what the next hurdle Hank and Hannah will tackle.
-J. McAllister
Vanished at Vista Point, a Forensics 411 Mystery, is a must read if your middle schooler loves mysteries! And who doesn’t love a book with a bloodhound named Chaucer. Great use of high level vocabulary.
-S. Cupp
A very good read. Loved all her forensic tidbits at the beginning of each section. Wonder what crime in their small community they will solve next. The characters have lots of the their own emotional stuff to work out!
-J. Farley
LOVE the book....Whitney taught me so much about forensics, and she weaves a very exciting mystery with terrific characters. Not just a kid's book....
-B. C-Kuhn
Just finished her Wonderful book. So clever, imaginative - fun, well written - kids ( and adults) will love it!!
-N. Tomasovich
What I liked about the book is the characters and actions in the book seemed very believable. My favorite part of the book is when they went out to search for Chaucers on the Island.Overall it was a very good book.
-Andrew
5.0 out of 5 stars for Felony at Fripp's Graveyard! Teen boys enjoyed this book
My early teen boys enjoyed both titles in the series by this author. After reading Vanished at Vista Point, they eagerly awaited the author's second book; and Felony at Fripp's Graveyard did not disappoint. I hope the author can write another book in this series before my boys outgrow the genre.
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun tween/teen mystery that appeals to adults too!
Great 2nd installment in the Forensics 411 mystery series. Hank and Hannah are fun and relatable characters, reminiscent of The Hardy Boys, Harriet the Spy and Nancy Drew…but more current! Highly recommend!
New friendships, a great mystery and a loyal bloodhound...Vanished in Vista Point is a book your young reader (and their parents!) won’t want to put down. Teachers, add this to your reading list for your middle schoolers!
-H
Engaging teenage mystery
Felony at Fripp’s Graveyard is a fantastic follow-up to Vanished at Vista Point. The author perfectly portrays the angst of starting freshman year of high school. The mystery, the teen drama, and the family interactions all feel very realistic and add up to an enjoyable read. I can’t wait for the next one!
-S. Knight
5.0 out of 5 stars Another great Forensics 411 mystery!
A good story with likeable, believable teenage characters. I'm looking forward to Hank and Hannah's next adventure.
-L. Lindsay
I LOVED this book. The characters were so real and relatable. The friendships forged in this story really capture all the feelings that are rampant at this age. And a great mystery to boot!!
-C. Presler
Teenage friendship, a mystery, forensic science, and an adorable bloodhound... what more could you want for a great summer read. Looking forward to the next book in the series!
-T. Flick
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2021
Our 10 y/o daughter who is an avid reader looooved this book, really great!
-C. Andreassi
As a high school English teacher for the last 28 years, I can tell you that if you have questions, that means you are engaged, that you care about the characters, that you are invested in the story! Nothing is too scary, nothing is gory or violent, but I DID shed a few tears in one scene. But more importantly, I laughed and I rolled my eyes and I smiled at some of the interactions between the two main characters. I recognized my own young son in some of the comments, I saw my dad in others, and I saw myself in parts of the mom.
-H.
Vanished In Vista Point relates the exploits of Hank Boyd, his new friend Hannah Simmons, and Hank’s bloodhound Chaucer. Hank and Hannah are teens about to enter high school--one of the most terrifying junctures in a child’s young life-- and they’re spending the summer, as the title tells us, solving a mystery. Though only fourteen, Hank is already the host of an investigative podcast called Forensic 411 (one of the neatest tricks Skeen uses in the book is starting each chapter with a factoid from a Forensic 411 episode, usually on a subject we’re about to see in the story). As with any Teen/YA hero worth their weight, he’s considered unique by his contemporaries, as in he’s not very popular with the other kids. In particular, his arch-enemy, Dillon Buckley, (a long line of Buckley’s fill the villain role here) bullies Hank mercilessly, often to the point of cruelty. Complicating Hank’s story further is the fact that he lives with his single mother and grandfather, who suffers from dementia. His father is not in the picture and his mother has not been forthcoming even about his father’s identity. (which is also cruel, in its own way) And, typically for a fourteen-year-old boy, Hank’s not emotionally equipped to tell her how he feels about it all.
Luckily for Hank, Hannah Simmons moves in down the street, and, coincidentally, onto a property where a mysterious disappearance happened thirty-five years before. Thus precipitating the main elements of the story: the blossoming of Hank and Hannah’s friendship, and the beginning of the mystery they’ll team up (with Chaucer) to solve.
The story is told from Hank’s POV and he’s an eminently likeable character, partly because he is an interesting kid, even with all the usual ticks that can make any boy in early adolescence annoying. But mainly I think it’s because Skeen’s writing is so infectious. She ably presents Hank with all the aforementioned complications, but also made him darkly funny and sarcastic. She made him fun to ride along with. And it doesn’t hurt that he’s really smart and works hard at his love in life, which is crime investigation.
There are scenes that might not be appropriate for younger children (the violence in parts, and scenes where our heroes break the law might raise the hackles of some parents), but in general it’s the more mature themes that adds a richness to the story. (the unknown father; the potentially dating mother; mixed-race characters; and most prominently, the complexity and utter confusion of boy/girl relationships at the age of fourteen)
All this together equals an interesting mystery and enjoyable read.
-P.J.Owen
I love books on crime and the heroes who solve the mystery. I especially liked this one because the heroes were young teens. They made adult and smart decisions in solving this crime. Didn't want to set it down. Bravo
D. Virtue
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
For many years Whitney worked as a middle school teacher. She grew up reading and has always loved the power of a good story. Her elementary school teachers introduced her to some of her favorite books including Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, The Three Investigators mystery series and A Wrinkle in Time. Her first written work was The Mouse That Couldn't Eat Cheese back in second grade. She lives in coastal North Carolina with her husband, sons and the dogs that love them.Vanished in Vista Point is her first novel (Published by Fawkes press, July 2020. Her second novel Felony at Fripp's Graveyard was released January, 2022.