Member Reviews
Another great read from Megan Miranda. Great twists and turns. Pick this one up!
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.
***Ten years ago, Abigail Lovett fell into a job she loves, managing The Passage Inn, a cozy, upscale resort nestled in the North Carolina mountain town of Cutter’s Pass. Cutter’s Pass is best known for its outdoor offerings—As the book begins, the string of unsolved disappearances that has haunted the town is once again thrust into the spotlight when journalist Landon West, who was staying at the inn to investigate the story of the vanishing trail, then disappears himself.
When Landon’s brother Trey shows up looking for answers, Abby can’t help but feel the town closing ranks. And she’s still on the outside. When she finds incriminating evidence that may bring them closer to the truth, Abby soon discovers how little she knows about her coworkers, neighbors, and even those closest to her.***
Megan Miranda has a way of dragging you into the story as if you were there too! the first part of this book was a little slow-paced that builds up but the last 2/3 I devoured in one sitting I couldn't put it down! one plot twist was a "WHAT" moment that I didn't see coming and I was suspicious of everyone.
This was another great read by Megan one I will definitely be recommending.
3.5 / 5 Stars;
I’ve been a fan of Megan Miranda since All the Missing Girls and The Last to Vanish is another fun read from her! Here’s some Spoiler Free Thoughts:
The Good:
The premise is excellent! There is a town where people keep going missing and when a family member of one of the missing comes looking for answers, our MC learns people are hiding more than you’d think.
I also like the characters and motivations of the lead, it’s clear there’s a conflict between the us and them aspect of a small town and that shines right through.
The “Not so Good”:
Without giving too much away, I felt that the reveal was a bit rushed and not fully fleshed out (which granted it is difficult to do in a book like this).
It was really really slow to start. It should have grabbed readers from the very beginning with the initial scene but I found the first half of the book to be tedious and really slow to progress. I almost DNFed it multiple times which was not great.
The realism factor could have used some work. The fact that seven people can go missing in a woods and the FBI or forms authorities are not involved seemed far fetched to me. In reality the situation would have no longer been so closed and would have needed more scrutiny than the “sweep it under the rug” tactic the townspeople utilize.
Overall I found The Last to Vanish an interesting read and it will be a great fit for any fans of small town crime and Megan Miranda.
Thank you to Netgalley and Marysue Rucci Books/Scribner Publishing for the advanced read of The Last to Vanish in exchange for an honest review.
Megan never disappoints. I look forward all her novels every summer when they are released. Great twists and turns
THE LAST TO VANISH landed on my Top 5 for the month of July, a creepy and atmospheric tale set in a small, tight-knit town in the NC mountains. Miranda is a clever master of surprise, dropping clues and changing course, constantly keeping the reader on their toes until the mystery is solved. I couldn't put this one down.
Ever since the fraternity four went missing in the woods, the small town of Cutter’s Pass, NC started getting more tourism. They even renames the local bar to “The Last Stop”.Some people continued to disappear after staying at the Passage Inn and going hiking. Abby has been an employee at the inn for a while when the brother of the most recent hiker who disappears shows up to investigate. It was an okay read. I liked the setting and atmosphere, but it wasn’t a book that I couldn’t wait return to.
Loved this title - Megan Miranda is definitely carving out a niche for herself. Excellent follow up.
I was so excited to pick up The Last To Vanish!
The best thing about this book, and what I was looking forward to - the atmosphere. Cutter's Pass set in-between mountains. Dark, isolated, chilly... what a great read to get you in the mood for any spooky season!
My reaction to the actual book though is mixed. Although I loved the atmosphere and the main character, Abby - I found that I was slightly bored about halfway through. There was a lot of build up that I kept losing focus on what we were actually waiting to discover. At one point, there were so many extreme coincidences, It just felt forced.
I read about 60% on my kindle and then decided to switch over to the audiobook once the book was released.
Overall, not my favorite Megan Miranda novel.
The Last to Vanish is my favorite novel from Megan Miranda yet! And that’s saying a lot since I’ve loved all of her adult thrillers so far.
Abby works at a motel for her aunt in a small town. She’s always felt a bit like an outsider since coming to town a few years ago, but knows the town is close knit and isn’t surprised by this. When one of the motel’s visitors goes missing along the trails, it forces the townspeople to look back at a precious disappearance 10 years ago also, and work to determine if a serial killer is in their midst, or are they simply an unlucky town?
I really identified with Abby, the main character. She’s intelligent, nature loving, keeps to herself, family oriented, and inquisitive. I worried about her safety as she explored the mystery, and continued to uncover the connections between the present day missing person case and the last disappearance.
Don’t miss this one!
This is the second novel I read by the author. Her pacing is slow and steady with a surprise or two thrown in. At the heart of the novel is Abby, the narrator. She had moved to the town of Cutter's Pass a decade earlier yet she still feels like an outsider. As the author moves the plot along she slowly fleshes Abby's story out to the reader. Unfortunately, the secondary characters, especially the townies, are not as well-developed as Abby's character.
One homerun in this book is Cutter's Pass itself. Cutter's Pass is dark, dangerous, isolated, cold, and central to the plot of the story the whole way through. The author's description of Cutter's Path reflects the characters and the town itself.
I highly recommend this book. I look forward to reading more books by this author.
First I would like to thank NetGalley for allowing me to read a early copy of this novel.
I rated this book a 3 star, and I really think it suits my feeling of this novel well. While this wasn't my favorite mystery novel, I did still really enjoy the ride. The atmosphere of this novel was amazing and truly consistent throughout the novel. Although, I never really felt very connected to the characters and I felt that the mystery part was a little predictable. Therefore, I think a 3/5 is the perfect rating for my feelings on this book.
So many twists and turns! Another wonderful book by Megan Miranda. This book kept me guessing as I read it! One thing this book was missing was character development, but the story was still good. I think the ending could have beeen better, but I usually feel that way.
I typically enjoy Megan Miranda books. This book I had a difficult time getting into. It took me some time to get to the point where I am desperate to keep reading. Once I got about 60% through I felt the book picked up and I was drawn in and was able to finish the book pretty quickly. I enjoyed the characters and setting and once I got into the mysteries surrounding the town I was pretty hooked. I would encourage Miranda fans to keep reading even if they are a little bored in the beginning. Overall an interesting reading, but not as propulsive as some of her other novels.
Welcome to Cutters Pass where over the last 25 years a number of people have disappeared in the woods at the base of the Appalachian trail. Abby Lovett arrived here 10 years ago after the death of her mother and became part of the tightly knit community while still remaining something of an outsider. When Trey West shows up to see the place his brother Landon disappeared looking for answers, Abby starts looking around for answers of her own. There is a slow start to this but once it gets moving, it all happens fast.
Love Megan Miranda's books she is one of my favorites, so I am always on the lookout for a new book of hers!! This one like the others didn't disappoint! The book is solely told from the POV of Abby who this whole story focuses around. Even before Abby came to Cutter's Pass North Carolina the disappearances had already begun. When Trey West shows up looking to find out what happened to his brother Landon, Abby can't pretend like the rest of the town that she didn't want to really know what happened. Abby starts to realize after 10 years in Cutter's Pass she really doesn't know who anyone is from family to friends and who she can trust! The pace is a little slow when unraveling the timeline of disappearances but once the plot is set the twists and turns start rolling out! I was caught off guard a few times and stayed intrigued with the whole story! I do like getting a little more character development but I think with this book it wasn't needed as much to be able to unfold the past into the present. I enjoyed this and stayed up a few late nights to get quality reading time in undisturbed! Thank you NetGalley for the copy to read and give my review.
This has a slow build up, but actually turns into a fast-paced thriller with a twisty turn of events that totally surprised me. I love thrillers that get me engaged to the end and I can’t stop turning pages.
Featuring ~ single 1st person POV, 5 part story, wilderness, slow burn
The missing tourists are:
Landon West ~ 4/2/22
Farrah Jordan ~ 1/16/19
Alice Kelly ~ 9/2/12
Fraternity Four ~ 6/6/97
Abby has worked at the Passage Inn for 10 years, but only started looking into the hiker's disappearances after Trey, brother of the most resent missing fella, Landon, comes to town. If she was so interested in what happened then what took her so long to investigate?
I usually give Megan 4 stars, but this and her last one were just meh for me. I usually enjoy when there's no cell service, which adds to the suspense of the story, but I didn't find the plot gripping or riveting as promised. I will give her next book a whirl though.
I was able to listen to the final version as well, so I went back and forth reading and listening. Narrated by Alex Allwine for 9 hours and 23 minutes, easy to follow at 2.25-2.5x. She did a fine job.
I was really excited to read this book. It was a small town mysteries vibe. Dark, and mysterious.
I wasn’t expecting that plot twist, and it was a little suspenseful near the end. However, it started off really slow. I love Megan Miranda’s writing, but I found this book to be a very very slow start. I felt like the characters could have had more depth to them, and the beginning could have been more suspenseful and gripping.
Full of suspense, The Last to Vanish did not disappoint. A plot full of twists and turns kept me wondering if my hunches were correct. The breadcrumbs led me to a few answers, but Miranda held back and peeled the layers back like an onion.
Abby is relatable and understated. The journey through Cutter’s Pass, North Carolina isn’t one I’d sign up for anytime soon! I highly recommend The Last to Vanish.
Of all the slow burn thrillers.....this one might just be the slow burniest.
There are twists, there are turns, there are false alarms and there is misdirection. Above all, there is a spooky, creepy location that is both populated but also remote.
I'm a Megan Miranda fan, and although this one wasn't my favorite, it was another success for me. If you like a slow, slow, slow, slow burn.....pick this one up!