Jon Billman Knihy

This "authentic and encyclopedic" exploration delves into real-life cases of individuals who mysteriously disappear in the wilderness, alongside the eccentric characters determined to find them. These stories challenge conventional logic and highlight the frequency of such vanishings, often occurring closer to home than one might think. The emotional toll on loved ones left behind is profound, and these cases can be embarrassing for park officials and law enforcement tasked with Search & Rescue operations. Through the lens of Jacob Gray's disappearance in Olympic National Park and his father's relentless search, we uncover what happens when someone goes missing. The narrative intertwines with the lives of those drawn into the search, including bloodhound-handler Duff and his dog R.C., who began trailing after his brother vanished in the San Gabriel Mountains. We also meet Michael Neiger, a leading backcountry Search & Rescue expert, and David Paulides, a former detective and prominent Bigfoot researcher. Writing about missing persons poses unique challenges, as the story revolves around absence—a void where the individual once was. While the book reflects on memory and history, it ultimately focuses on the present and future, reminding us that someone will vanish in the wild tomorrow, and these are the people who will seek them out.

For readers of Jon Krakauer and Douglas Preston, the critically acclaimed author and journalist Jon Billman's fascinating, in-depth look at people who vanish in the wilderness without a trace and those eccentric, determined characters who try to find them.