"If I Disappear" by Eliza Jane Brazier

When her favorite true crime podcast host goes missing, an adrift young woman plunges headfirst into the wild backcountry of Northern California and her own dangerous obsession.

Sera loves true crime podcasts. They make her feel empowered in a world where women just like her disappear daily. She's sure they are preparing her for something. So when Rachel, her favorite podcast host, goes missing, Sera knows it's time to act. Rachel has always taught her to trust her instincts.

Sera follows the clues hidden in the episodes to an isolated ranch outside Rachel's small hometown to begin her search. She's convinced her investigation will make Rachel so proud. But the more Sera digs into this unfamiliar world, the more off things start to feel. Because Rachel is not the first woman to vanish from the ranch, and she won't be the last... ~ taken from Goodreads

To be truthful, I was drawn to this book because of the beautiful cover. The title made it more appealing. Then, I read the description and I knew I had to read it! I have never heard of a book premise like this. A true crime podcaster goes missing and an avid fan goes to find her. As a true crime lover and a podcast lover, I was intrigued. 

This is written in second person point of view, which is unique. The reader gets to be immersed as the main character. In this case, the main character is Sera, a troubled young adult, freshly divorced and obsessed with a true crime podcast put out by Rachel. 

When Rachel's podcast goes dark for a few days Sera is convinced something horrible has happened to her, so she gets into her car and drives to Happy Camp, a small town in Northern California. Upon arriving she can already tell that something in this small town is weirdly off. 

Sera hasn't made the best life choices and immediately decides to head to the ranch Rachel's family lives on to get a job so she can investigate herself. Surprisingly, Rachel's parents offer her a job as a ranch hand and welcome her with open arms. But their friendliness doesn't come without a cost. Privacy is non existent and they are constantly warning her not to go past the property boundary because it isn't safe. The weirdest part is that no one seems to be bothered by Rachel's disappearance. Sera starts to feel like a prisoner, but feels she has to stay to find out what happened to Rachel, since she feels she is the only person in the world who cares.

This book was interesting enough to keep me reading, but it did come with constant eye rolls, groans, and complete disbelief. There was not a single character I liked, but the author did do a fantastic job building each one and giving them a bit of depth. I also loved how the author works the scenery into the story. I had no problem imagining myself on a beautiful Northern California ranch in the middle of nowhere. 

Overall, the mystery kept me reading and there were a couple twists and unexpected turns to keep me turning the pages. The ending was not at all what I was expecting. 

"If I Disappear" is the first book I have read by author Eliza Jane Brazier and I wholly enjoyed it. Upon browsing her other titles, I am excited to read some of her previous releases because she does a wonderful job setting the scene, developing characters, and keeping the mystery going. 

This book is set to be released January 26, 2021 so order it today so you can start reading it tomorrow! a 4 star read for me! 

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for allowing me an advanced e-copy to read and give my honest review! 

Happy Reading!