In the Vanishing Hour

Sarah Beth Martin is the author of In the Vanishing Hour, publishing in October, 2022. Her first novel, The One True Ocean, was originally published by Sourcebooks and will be reissued by Encircle in paperback and ebook in 2022. Her short fiction and essays have appeared in several magazines and literary journals, including Cicada, Pearl, West Wind Review, Women Writers, Women's Books, and most recently, Flash Fiction Magazine. Sarah also established the literary journal Foliage, for which she worked as editor and publisher. She lives in coastal Maine with her husband and three cats, with their three sons not far from the nest. She is currently wrapping up her third novel. You can find Sarah on social media (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter), on Goodreads, and at sarahbethmartin.com.

New England, Summer, 1951-When a thirteen-year-old boy drowns in the Charles River, a family is left devastated, and the town of Norumbega is changed forever. Eight years later, Frances Adams lives in the shadow of her dead brother Mac. She feels no identity, until she meets model Gwen, whose mystique inspires her to reinvent herself. When Gwen vanishes into the river and is presumed drowned, Frances becomes obsessed with her memory. She transforms herself into Gwen's likeness and feels a power she has not felt before.
An investigation begins, and the police question three men last seen with Gwen. Frances and her friend Iris follow them to the local riverside park, where one of the men-the suspicious Harris-mistakes Frances for Gwen. Intrigued by the idea of haunting him, she continues her secret pursuit, drawing him closer as she immerses herself in the case. As the mystery unravels, shocking revelations about its connection to a long-ago family tragedy surface.
In 1974, the former riverside park is excavated for new development, and two buried pasts are coming to light. Soon Frances will discover that the connections between Mac, Harris, and the mysterious Gwen are more profound-and chilling-than she ever imagined.