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. The story opens from the various perspectives of selected parents as they stand outside the gates of Littleford Primary School where ten students and four of their teachers were going on an excursion to the Cotswold Wilderness Park (another fictitious place for the story) in Stratford-upon-Avon. The school had recently acquired a brand new Mercedes minibus paid for with a generous donation by one of the more wealthy parents, Reynold Lyon, TV personality and host. But this morning there seems to be an error lighting up on the minibus's dashboard indicating a possible serious issue and rather than put the childrens' lives at risk they opt for leaving the vehicle behind and managing to secure a last minute booking with a local taxi firm. So 45 minutes after their intended departure time, the minibus departs the school with the children and their teachers for the day's excursion. Given their delay, they are now not expected to return until 5.30pm at the latest. 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. All of the adults and children taken from Littleford Primary School bus trip on Friday are safe and well. We will tell you what we want from your very shortly. There will be no engagement or discussion. Await further instructions. 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!

And finally, to be frank, what Reynold did wasn’t even that awful. Ok, having an affair with someone he has power over is sexual harassment and inappropriate for the workplace, urging her to get an abortion is shitty, and then having his boxer friend go threaten her is scary, but uhhh the people who ran someone over and then drove away and covered it up are DEF WORSE. I just felt like the lengths Cally, Brandon, and Oscar went to to make this dude suffer were nonsensical given the actual role he played. They made it seem like he had done something way more heinous. Also the twist at the end with Cally being twins with Oscar was just like…I don’t care. It didn’t feel exciting or even interesting. I didn’t care that Reynold ended up killing his own son. It was just like trying too hard to be a soap opera at that point. Set in the Cotswolds, the story centres on a group of schoolchildren who go on a school trip with a few of their teachers. When the bus fails to return on time, the parents begin to realise that something terrible must’ve happened to them. They have literally disappeared without a trace! When the empty bus is discovered along with the dead body of one of the teachers, panic sets in as the police do their best to solve the mystery. 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. I didn’t really find I warmed to any of the characters, but with the secrets they all must reveal there were many dramatic and thrilling parts to keep me interested. The plot of The Vanishing of Class 3B is undeniably original and promises an intriguing mystery. Kabler expertly sets the scene, immersing readers in the idyllic surroundings of the Cotswolds, only to shatter this peaceful facade with the unexplained disappearance of the children. The concept alone is enough to capture one’s attention and generate curiosity.

Member Reviews

You do get a chance to see from the point of view of the children and I loved how brave they were and how they handled the situation better than most adults would. So... THE VANISHING OF CLASS 3B...the further I read the more I was getting "Criminal Minds" vibes from a very similar episode in which an entire busload of children had simply disappeared whilst on an outing one day, leaving the BAU to get into the mind of the perpetrator and thus discovering not only who was behind it but where the children were being kept. But without the BAU in this case, the sleepy Cotswold village of Littleford had to rely solely on the Cotswold Police (both fictitious created for the story).

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). It’s a police procedural slash mystery suspense and though the subject is definitely an attention grab the story itself was less so. It was quite predictable and I managed to guess extremely early on parts of this it was just so obvious to me. Then when the reasoning behind it all was revealed it was just felt so meh and underwhelming. The Vanishing of Class 3B follows a primary school class and their teachers on a day trip that goes terribly wrong. As the parents wait to collect their children, they realize that the class and their teachers are missing.

The picturesque village of Littleford was full of secrets, which were slowly revealed as the action unfolded. Some of the parents were quite wealthy and couldn’t risk such exposure. So, pretty far-fetched in places but still a fun and gripping thriller. If you can take it all with a huge pinch of salt and suspend your disbelief then it is an enjoyable, easy read. 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? 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.

I was eager to make sure the children would be ok and when the identity of the main kidnapper was revealed I was very surprised! 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? It’s reassuring to know fairly early on that the children are safe and the chapters written from ‘the Bunker’ as it becomes known, depict wonderfully just how resilient, resourceful and even insightful little ones can be when faced with adversity.To be honest, this was once again a case of FOMO. I know this was most likely not the book for me, turned out I was right, but I went to request it anyway. 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. The story begins with a group of children and their teachers from a Cotswolds primary school setting off on a much-anticipated day trip. However, as night falls and anxious parents gather at the school to retrieve their children, it becomes evident that something has gone terribly wrong. The entire class, along with their teachers, has vanished without a trace, leaving behind a perplexed community grappling with an unimaginable mystery. This engaging thriller is told from multiple points-of-view. There are a lot of characters with a lot of secrets, making it a lot of fun to read! When a bus full of children and their teachers on a school field trip disappear, detectives assigned to the case start taking a close look at the parents of the young students. Many of the parents are wealthy and famous and some of the things they are unwilling to disclose to the police could have devastating effects on the fate of the missing children.

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. From the bestselling author of The Perfect Couple, Am I Guilty?, The Happy Family and The Murder List, comes the most engrossing thriller of 2023. 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! Luca; I thought the way he handled himself in the situation, particularly how he worked out who The Visitor was, was realistic and also greatly added to the storyline. 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.With some of the parents having secrets, they turn to each other to try and work out who could have their children.