With the help of the three unexpected friends and a trail of clues his father left behind, Sam has just three days to uncover the truth before the ritual is completed. But the deeper he delves into Pinecrest’s secrets, the more perilous his investigation becomes, with danger lurking at every turn.
Some mysteries are meant to be buried for a reason. And some people will kill to keep them that way.
As time runs out, Sam realizes that he may be the only one who can break the twelve-year cycle of terror. The responsibility weighs heavily on his young shoulders, and he must summon all of his courage and wits to survive long enough to try.
The Vanishing
at Pinecrest
When twelve-year-old Sam Rivera starts at Pinecrest Middle School in April, he expects the usual challenges of being a new kid. What he doesn’t expect is to discover that students have been vanishing from the school every twelve-years - always four at a time, always in April, always without a trace.
Aaron Mitchell, the robotics club president, is already gone. Sofia Alvarez, a talented artist, disappeared next. Now Caleb Johnson and Lily Robertson have vanished, too, following a sinister pattern that stretches back decades.
Sam’s father, an archaeologist, disappeared eight months ago while researching ancient rituals in Ecuador. But when Sam finds hidden evidence linking his father’s research to Pinecrest’s dark history, he realizes the disappearances are no longer random. They’re sacrifices - part of a ritual performed by a secret society that believes they’re protecting the city from an ancient evil.
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Plan your book experience with ease by scheduling an appointment through our streamlined process. Enjoy a storytelling journey from the pages of “The Vanishing at Pinecrest” and the sequel “The Broken Veil” to discussions about the writing and story development process.
About Ty
For twenty years, Ty Swartz told stories the world needed to hear. As a U.S. Navy Photographers Mate, Journalist, and Mass Communication Specialist, he carried his camera and notepad across 65 countries, documenting everything from military operations to human interest stories that revealed truth beneath the surface. He graduated as honor graduate from the Naval Schools of Photography and earned the highest professional photography credentials—Master of Photography and Photographic Craftsman. But after two decades of capturing real-world drama, Swartz discovered his most compelling story yet was one that existed only in his imagination.
Now a technology teacher at Crestwood Middle School in Chesapeake, Virginia, Swartz has made a dramatic career pivot with his debut young adult mystery, "The Vanishing at Pinecrest". The novel follows Sam Rivera, whose mother accepts a teaching position at a middle school where students disappear in a chilling pattern that repeats every twelve years. When Sam and his friends investigate, they uncover a conspiracy spanning generations.
"Every photograph I took as a photojournalist was about revealing hidden truth," Swartz explains. "Fiction allows me to explore deeper truths about courage, friendship, and what happens when young people refuse to accept 'this is just how things are.'"
The transition from decorated military photographer to classroom educator wasn't as dramatic as his leap into fiction. Teaching technology systems to teenagers requires the same skills as photojournalism—reading the room, understanding your audience, and making complex subjects accessible. But it was his students' curiosity about their school's history that sparked the idea for Pinecrest.
"I've spent my career in buildings with complex pasts," Swartz reflects. "I found myself imagining what stories those walls might tell if they could speak."
"The Vanishing at Pinecrest" draws from Swartz's unique perspective as both a military veteran who witnessed global conflicts and an educator who understands the real fears and remarkable resilience of middle schoolers. His photojournalist training—the ability to observe details others miss and find human stories within larger events—translates seamlessly to crafting mysteries where every clue matters and every character has depth.
The book launches what Swartz envisions as an ongoing series following Sam Rivera and his friends as they encounter mysteries blending historical research with contemporary dangers. For readers raised on "Stranger Things" and "Nancy Drew," he offers something both familiar and fresh mysteries rooted in real historical research, protagonists who solve problems through teamwork, and stories that trust young readers to handle complex themes.
"I've spent my career telling true stories," Swartz says. "Now I'm discovering that sometimes fiction can reveal truths that facts alone cannot capture."
With "The Vanishing at Pinecrest" available now, this master photographer and dedicated educator proves that the best storytellers are those who've lived enough life to understand what really matters and have the courage to imagine what could be.
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