The Vanishing State (The Vanishing State Series, #1)

Millions of people voted for change. What they got was something else. After the 2024 election, the country begins to shift. Services start disappearing and people find it harder to get help when they need it. In Austin, nurse Sofia Ramirez and Dr. Michael Wong watch the strain spread through the VA hospital where they work. Delays get worse. Patients fall through gaps that should not exist. No one is willing to explain why. Maria Langston goes to the hospital after a terrible day at work expecting her father to do what he always does, calm her down and help her get her footing back. Instead, she loses him. Maria is a systems engineer, and she knows the difference between a system under pressure and one that has been set up to fail. After his death, she starts asking questions and finds a pattern that reaches far beyond a single hospital. Working with Sofia and Wong, Maria begins to uncover how policy decisions and administrative systems are being used to shut people out while making the damage look routine. The Vanishing State is a near-future political thriller for readers who want a story that feels plausible and close to real life. Book 1 of The Vanishing State Series.