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May 05, 2017horthhill rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
"The Vanishing Passenger" created by Gertrude Chandler Warner (like The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, this was written by an unnamed 'ghost' writer). The short novel - aimed at under 12 year-olds - was a decent traditional mystery. Clues were ample. The mystery was inconsequential. The passenger - Gilbert Finch - may have vanished but was never missing. After all, Finch did leave a voicemail. Unfortunately, technology was the biggest culprit. That is, cell phones caused a huge hole in the plot. Supposedly Finch couldn't phone anyone because all the land-lines to a small town were down due to a storm. Yes, Finch's cell phone was ruined by the rain. But, surely others in the town would have cell phones. Hmmmm, still the box-car kids find Finch and all is well.