Ty Swartz blends Virginia history with supernatural thrills in The Vanishing at Pinecrest. He researched segregated schools, unsolved disappearances, and ancient rituals to create a believable mystery. Real architectural details, historical patterns, and local landmarks ground the supernatural elements, making the twelve-year cycle feel chillingly possible. History shapes the present.

Gothic schools captivate YA readers with towering windows, echoing halls, and secrets built into the walls. Pinecrest Middle School's East Wing embodies this trope—locked doors, bricked-up passages, and layers of history dating to pre-integration. The architecture isn't decoration; it's part of the mystery. Every corner holds clues. Every shadow promises discovery. Are you ready to explore?

Which Pinecrest student are you? Take the archetype quiz to discover if you're the Scholar (research-driven), Artist (creative problem-solver), Leader (decisive guide), or Healer (compassionate supporter). In The Vanishing at Pinecrest, these aren't just personality types—they're part of a ritual pattern connecting decades of disappearances. Find your role, then read to uncover why.

Ty Swartz designed Pinecrest Middle School to be haunted by history. Inspired by real Virginia segregated schools with layered renovations, the East Wing holds locked doors, hidden passages, and spaces adapted over decades. Each hallway serves the mystery—loose floorboards hide clues, forgotten storage rooms hold secrets. The building witnesses the past and shapes the present.

Can you solve the mystery before Sam Rivera does? The Vanishing at Pinecrest challenges readers with puzzles inspired by the twelve-year disappearance pattern, coded journal entries, bronze keys with cryptic symbols, and astronomical alignments. Follow clues hidden in blueprints, ciphers, and school architecture. Test your detective skills—then read the book to uncover the truth.

Every twelve years, four students vanish from Pinecrest Middle School without a trace. When Sam Rivera arrives, the cycle repeats. One gone, then another. With days before the final student disappears, Sam uncovers an ancient ritual tied to a secret society. Racing against the clock, he must break the pattern before it claims its next victim. Can he stop the cycle?

If Stranger Things left you craving more, The Vanishing at Pinecrest delivers the same thrilling blend of friendship, mystery, and supernatural danger. Sam Rivera uncovers a chilling pattern: every twelve years, four students vanish from Pinecrest Middle School, tied to ancient rituals and secret conspiracies. With only three days to solve the mystery, determined teens face dangers that adults dismiss.