The Last to Vanish

A Novel

This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Buy on Amazon Buy on BN.com Buy on Bookshop.org
*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app

1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date Jul 26 2022 | Archive Date Aug 08 2022
Scribner | S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books

Description

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“This eerie thriller…can stand next to Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House and Stephen King’s The Shining.” —Booklist (starred review)

New York Times bestselling author Megan Miranda returns with a gripping and propulsive thriller that opens with the disappearance of a journalist who is investigating a string of vanishings in the resort town of Cutter’s Pass—will its dark secrets finally be revealed?

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—rafting and hiking, with access to the Appalachian trail by way of a gorgeous waterfall—and its mysterious history. 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.

Abby has sometimes felt like an outsider within the community, but she’s come to view Cutter’s Pass as her home. 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 brings her best writing to The Last to Vanish, a riveting thriller filled with taut suspense and shocking twists that will keep you guessing until the very end.
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“This eerie thriller…can stand next to Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House and Stephen King’s The Shining.” —Booklist (starred review)

New York Times...

Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781982147310
PRICE $28.99 (USD)
PAGES 352

Average rating from 477 members


Featured Reviews

Abby Lovett, manager of the Passage Inn, has lived for 10 years in North Carolina’s “most dangerous” town, Cutter’s Pass — a hop-on/hop-off point for the Appalachian Trail — that unfortunately got its bad rep for occurrences in which tourists seem to disappear into the woods without a trace. Four camping buddies went missing together 25 years ago, and then 10 years ago Alice Kelly disappeared, followed by Farrah Jordan 3 years ago and, the last to vanish, 4 months ago, Landon West, who was a journalist investigating the previous disappearances. West’s brother Trey has checked into Abby’s Inn, into the same cabin abandoned by his brother. And Trey’s queries put into motion yet another investigation about all 7 missing people.

Abby still isn’t quite an “insider” in this small town — and everyone else is divided into locals who were present during all the disappearances or just the latter few. Abby arrived just after Alice disappeared, but she is slowly discovering that all of the missing, including the original four, might not just have the woods and the Shallow Fall Trail in common, but also her inn seems to play a central role.

After a slow build up, “Last to Vanish” actually turns into a fast-paced thriller with a twisty turn of events that totally surprised me. And I love thrillers that get me engaged to the end. 4 stars! Megan Miranda has another novel to be proud of.

Thank you to Scribner/Marysue Rucci Books, Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Celeste, the inn’s owner, has striking green eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): YES Blooming rhododendron get a mention during the search for Landon in April; usually this bush doesn’t Bloomingdale North Carolina until June.
There goes a Tesla (in present day books, someone owns an electric vehicle): NO Probably not a lot of superchargers in rural North Carolina.

Was this review helpful?

Megan Miranda is such a talented writer. This is the story of Cutter’s Pass where people keep disappearing and Abby is who caught in the middle of it all. I loved Abby’s character and how she keeps digging to find answers. I wasn’t able to predict the ending, which I always love!

Was this review helpful?

The Last to Vanish was an atmospheric read that had me wishing for summer and a cabin at the lake!

The beginning was a little slow, but once it picked up I was invested and read this one within 24 hours.

I did find the reveal of the Fraternity Four mystery a little underwhelming, but the ending came together nicely and wasn’t rushed.

This was my first read from Megan Miranda, but I look forward to digging into her back list. Thank you to Scribner Books and NetGalley for the gifted eARC in exchange for this honest review.

The Last to Vanish hits shelves 7/27/2022!

Overall rating: 3.5 ★s, rounded up to 4 for Goodreads

Was this review helpful?

Megan Miranda does not disappoint in this new novel!! This book will keep you on the edge of your seat and you'll find it hard to put the book down once you start it. Highly recommend!!

Was this review helpful?

One of Miranda’s best books in my opinion. And that praise doesn’t come lightly- All The Missing Girls holds a dear place in my heart. This book absolutely builds on the suspense before handing you a whopper of a conclusion.

Was this review helpful?

Cutter's Edge in North Carolina is a mountain resort with the ominous reputation as the place where people have gone missing over the last twenty-five years. Abby has been working at Cutter's Edge for a decade, as a hotel manager, and living in employee quarters on the property. The resort owner Celeste and her late husband built the resort, and leaves the running of the hotel over to Abby and another employee Georgia.
Abby becomes embroiled in trying to solve the numerous disappearances near the mountains behind the resort, and from the tiny town close by. There are many twists and turns to keep the reader turning pages.

Was this review helpful?

My favorite Megan Miranda book!
⭐️
Abigail Lovett let her home ten years ago after her mother passed. She never knew her father and she did not have any siblings. She packs up her car and lands in the resort town of Cutter’s Pass in the North Carolina Mountains. She lands a job at The Passage Inn, and the owner quickly takes her under her wing. A mother/grandmother figure who along with her deceased husband built this resort from the ground up. She has always been an outsider to the locals, but some warm up to her. After all, she is related to the owner’s deceased husband, and she is highly loved by this community.
🥾
One of the benefits of the guests is this resort has a lot to offer, including hiking trails that lead you to a beautiful waterfall. We learn very early on that many tourists have turned up missing, some known to have hiked the trails. An unexpected guests shows up and it turns out he is the brother of the missing and he wants answers.
🥾
This novel is one you won’t put down and full of twists and turns. It had me guessing until the end if the person responsible for the disappearances was a local or a stranger. Abigail is tied to this town and she is torn as she finds clues to who might be responsible. Can she figure out the mystery before more go missing?
🥾
Thank you NetGalley, Megan Miranda and Scribner for this advanced copy. This book comes out July 26, 2022
#meganmiranda, #netgalley, #scribner, #bookreview, #bookstagram, #stamperlady50, #mystery, #riveting, #bookyoucannotputdown

Was this review helpful?

Initial reaction : hhdjajrjcowmkapgbiamc 😳

I LOVED this book! It's been a while since a thriller has left me so satisfied 😭

A rustic inn. The Appalachian Trail. A string of mysterious disappearances. A small town full of secrets.

SIGN ME UP!

This is my favorite Megan Miranda so far by a long shot and one of my most anticipated 2022 reads and it did not disappoint. 👏

There are so many twists and red herrings that even if you piece together one of the puzzles, you'll still be shocked by so many more!

My heart was racing for the last 25% of this one and not only because I was reading it while on the treadmill 😂

Thank you so so much to @scribnerbooks and @netgalley for sending me this one and to @meganlmiranda for writing such a wonderful book 🎊

Do yourselves a favor and pre-order this one! It's out on July 26th!

Was this review helpful?

It's been ten years. Ten years since Abby Lovett came to Cutter's Pass, NC after her mother's death. Ten years to become one of them...a resident. She loves her small mountain town, but it has its flaws, such as having seven And visitors in twenty years simply vanish.

Now Abby meets the brother of Landon West, the last to vanish. He's come looking for answers. And Abby begins to believe they need to be unearthed, even if it means hurting those she loves.

This is Megan Miranda in her top form. Small towns in the woods, close-knit communities, residents with secrets. And the atmosphere of fear and claustrophobia she creates is first-rate. This is my favorite of her books since The Girl from Widow Hills. Read it.

Was this review helpful?

A great page turning thriller. I loved the setting in the foothills of the Appalachain Mountains. I loved the town full of history and secrets. I was scared of the idea of hikers just disappearing. A great mystery!

Was this review helpful?

For me, reading this book reminded me of when I first read All The Missing Girls and couldn't put it down. This is the best book I've read by Miranda in a while as it kept me guessing and the way the story was developed was fantastic. Set in a small North Carolina town, notorious for a handful of missing people over the years, the main character, Abby, tells her story of working at the Inn. Trey, the brother of the last missing person has arrived to find answers and conversation with him gets Abby thinking about what she really knows about the people and place she has made her home the past ten years. Good twists, slow building tension, I really enjoyed this one! Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Was this review helpful?

Megan Miranda is one of my favorite domestic suspense and thriller authors. “The Last to Vanish” is an excellent addition to her collection!

Was this review helpful?

I enjoy Megan Miranda’s books although sometimes think of them as sort of fluff reads- a good story if you don’t look too hard at them. Nothing that is award worthy but nonetheless a good quick read. Recently I realized that I LOVE books that take place in a wilderness setting especially the Appalachian Trail and unfortunately there aren’t a ton of good fictional thrillers out there that take place there so when I read the description of this book I was excited especially because I do already read all of Megan Miranda’s books.

This is her best book to date. I’ll be honest, while I was reading it, while I was fully immersed and had a hard time putting the book down, I kept waiting for some substance to the book but it seemed to consist of character profiles and backstory on the town and while that is important, I started getting antsy. I had already started to formulate my review which included words like predictable and lackluster but I was so wrong. I thought I had the book figured out but I was so far off base, so far off. The end of the story is where all those weird nuances in the book that seem out of place or details not fully fleshed out come together with a one, two punch to the gut and all start to make sense with sudden clarity.

There is nothing I love more than a book that is unique and doesn’t have a plot that has been rehashed a million different times but when you get one that also has a twist that you couldn’t see coming a mile away, it’s a sure fire winner for me. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars. Don’t sleep on this one! It’s one of the best books I’ve read this year.

Was this review helpful?

A Megan Miranda book promises a suspenseful and well-plotted mystery and this is the best of all of her titles I've read. Clues that all is not as it seems in the secluded resort town of Cutter's Pass are sprinkled throughout the book, building a sense of unease as you read your way to a surprising and satisfying conclusion. I loved the main character Abby, who despite living in town for decades is still considered something of an outsider, the resort-town setting, both eerie and glamourous, and the solid cast of supporting characters who were intriguing each in their own way.

Was this review helpful?

In THE LAST TO VANISHN Megan Miranda once again delivers a thriller with her signature gifts of whiplash pacing, stunning surprises, and an increasingly claustrophobic sense of pace. Intense and never predictable, this book is a gift to thriller readers.

Many thanks to Scribners and to Netgalley for an early look.

Was this review helpful?

This is one of my favorites by Miranda so far! The story is set in a small town, full of secrets and mysterious disappearances. I found myself shocked by many of the twist and turns and was on the edge of my seat for the last few chapters! Highly recommend preordering this one and reading it asap!

Was this review helpful?

This book was full of adventure and intrigue. The author’s descriptions of the isolated setting are spot-on. You feel like you’re really there! Great book!

Was this review helpful?

I devoured this book! The writing was fantastic and the story line kept me guessing. I did not suspect the killer and the twists at the end were perfect.

Was this review helpful?

I'm a huge fan of this author! The setting of a small North Carolina town was what drew me in. The characters were described so well that I became immersed...like a silent viewer of everything happening around me. Loved all the twists and surprises. I couldn't put this down! I highly recommend this book. 5 stars from me.

Was this review helpful?

This book is a great for lover of a good mystery. I felt compelled to keep reading because I HAD to know the result of all the missing people in this book. I was surprised and satisfied with the ending! Highly recommend.

Was this review helpful?

This is Megan Miranda's best book yet! It bears the hallmarks of her previous thrillers--notably, a young woman who embarks on a new life, yet cannot leave her past entirely behind--and provides even more twists and turns than usual. The book is set in the small town of Cutter's Pass, adjacent to the Appalachian Trail in the mountains of North Carolina, and the protagonist, Abby, manages an inn at the foot of the mountains. The evocative setting, both the town and the inn (as well as the townspeople) are described in detail...but the seemingly idyllic place is marked by the disappearances of a number of hikers, over a period of nearly 25 years. When the brother of the last man to vanish shows up, looking for answers, Abby. becomes invested in the puzzle again. The story unfurls backwards, through the disappearances, as Abby slowly learns more about each event, and about the people she thinks she knows. The climax reveals connections that I did not anticipate, leaving me highly satisfied. The structure of the book is perfect for the unraveling of this thrilling tale, which I just could not put down. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this highly recommend book!

Was this review helpful?

Set in the beautiful Appalachian countryside, The Last to Vanish is a wonderful mystery by Megan Miranda.

Abby still feels like an outsider even after years of living in Cutter's Pass; she manages an inn where people mysteriously began to disappear. When the brother of one of the vanished shows up to investigate the disappearances, Abby's hackles rise and she becomes embroiled even further in the investigation. She wants to protect the image of her inn, but she also wants to know what happened.

With a host of equally suspicious characters, it isn't easy to figure this one out right away and this is one area where Miranda always shines.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one by Megan Miranda and can't wait for her next! Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Was this review helpful?

Megan Miranda writes intricate plots full of well-developed characters and surprising twists that keep you guessing the whole time. The Last to Vanish is a story in which a journalist vanishes while investigating a North Carolina mountain town that’s home to several unsolved missing persons cases. His brother shows up looking for answers and teams up with local inn owner Abby Lovett to find out what happened. As they edge closer to the truth, however, Abby realizes that her tight-knit town may not be what she thought it was, and she may not know her neighbors as well as she thought she did. Atmospheric and thrilling, Megan Miranda does not disappoint!


Thank you to Scribner/Marysue Rucci Books & NetGalley for the eARC.

Was this review helpful?

Megan Miranda knows what she is doing when it comes to a good thriller. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. She is able to hook readers in from the get go and keep them wanting more.

Was this review helpful?

Thus book was amazing as always with her books . I highly highly recommend this thought thr book had a very good storyline abs the characters were very Interesting

Was this review helpful?

Countless times out hiking in the woods, I’ve thought, this is the perfect setting for a book. Megan Miranda has created just that eerie location in her newest release, The Last to Vanish. Set in a small town close to the Appalachian Trail, Abigail has been managing a cozy inn frequented by vacationers, hikers and people attracted by the town’s notorious past. Six visitors have vanished in the past 30 years and now the town is back in the headlines.

I loved the main character and her relentless pursuit to solve the mystery. The book builds into a series of unpredictable twists and is hard to put down. Miranda’s detailed descriptions make you feel like you’re right on the trail and at the inn. Another winner for Megan Miranda! Thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I have always been a huge fan of Megan Miranda, and she did not disappoint in this book whatsoever. Highly recommend this book to any fans of thriller.

Was this review helpful?

3.5 stars rounded up. This was my first Megan Miranda, but definitely not my last.

What an engrossing way to spend my birthday this year. Abby Lovett has lived in Cutter's Pass, a small town infamous for visitors going missing, for the past ten years, since her mother died. She helps run an inn. When another visitor, a journalist, goes missing and he was last seen at their inn, Abby starts to get deeper into the mysteries that the small mountain community holds.

There were definitely some unexpected twists for me here. The pacing was well done and kept my attention so that I basically finished this in one sitting.

The aspect of this that I found most interesting, though, was the metatext examination of "trauma tourists" and the concept of true crime as a genre. I think Americans especially are in a particular moment in history where we're really processing our relationship with violence and the kind of voyeurism of pain that comes with much of the true crime content out there.

CW: death of a parent, violence

Was this review helpful?

Such a good thriller!

Loved the plot and they way the author wrote and drove the story.

I highly recommend this if you want to be at the edge of your seat

Was this review helpful?

I have read many of Megan Miranda’s book and they never disappoint. Like many of her books, this one kept me guessing until the end. I was completely surprised by the way the whole story came together. I completely enjoyed getting to know the main character Abby, as her story was slowly revealed over the course of the book. Quick easy read. Highly recommend.

Was this review helpful?

This atmospheric and brilliant book by Megan Miranda has stolen a top spot in my 2022 reads! I absolutely loved every page, I couldn't tear myself away from this beautifully written novel! So SO good.

A small town in the mountains, a tourist attraction drawing more than just hikers, several mysterious disappearances, nestled into the mountain itself- the small community of Cutters Pass draws you into its curious story. The community is close- knit and keeps its secrets close to the chest. After a 25-year-long string of disappearances, this little village draws many a hiker and internet sleuth to its beautiful scenery and alluring mystery.
Abby Lovett has come to escape the death of her mother and ends up in Cutters Pass for a decade. She wants to know what happened to the missing but even more, she wants to be accepted into the community as an "insider." She works at the Inn, the scene of many disappearances. All the characters are engaging, but Abby is dynamic. The setting comes alive on the page, it's description of a small, mountain town fully absorbs the reader. The twists are timely and unexpected, Miranda takes the reader on a ride they can't escape.
LOVED this novel, to date it's Miranda's best work. 5 brilliant, sparkling stars

Was this review helpful?

Another great domestic thriller from Megan Miranda! I’m a sucker for the way she develops characters and unfolds mysteries through gossip and drama. The story is a domestic thriller, but it feels more high stakes than some of her past work. It was juicy and entertaining with a side of true crime feel. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a fun, fast paced summer read! 4/5 stars.

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely love this book. A thriller about mysterious disappearances in a small town where the main character is still largely an outsider. I absolutely cannot wait to find out what happened. Amazing plot and perfectly constructed characters!

Was this review helpful?

A beautiful town in the Appalachian Trail wilderness sounds like the perfect escape for the nature minded. But one town seems like a place to avoid after too many people disappear near it. The trail to finding what happened to all of them leads through so many twists and turns that it could only be written by Megan Miranda.

Was this review helpful?

Brrr… I’m just shivering incessantly! You’re just getting lost inside the slow tension building, feeling the creepy sensation of getting locked in an inn when the storm comes out, lights and phone lines are out! The mysteries about the place and missing persons are getting in your nerves, you keep flipping the pages to find out how those mysteries will unfold, who will be the perpetrator, squirming in your seat, restraining your panic attacks, breathing heavily. That’s how I devoured the best book of the author!

I loved this mystery! This is my kind of dark, creepy, claustrophobic, haunted small town story I seriously enjoyed!

Cutter's Pass, North Carolina: The town covers
roughly four square miles of a valley, tucked against the base of a mountain. Six visitors have gone missing in the last twenty-five years. As a result,some have called it the most dangerous town in the state. It's easy to believe, if you want. It's just as easy to disbelieve.
BUT THE TRUTH IS…

Those are the last words written by Landon West, a famous reporter, disguising his identity to write a special article about missing persons and joined them by being labeled as number seven: last missing person!

Now his brother Trey checked in to stay at inn, the place where Abby has been working for 10 years. She came here after losing her mother at the age of 18. The inn’s owners Vincent and Celeste accepted her to stay and help with them. How can they say no to their family? She’s the niece of Vincent, grieving her mother.

After Vincent’s passing away, Celeste acted like her as a daughter she never had.

Abby still feels like an outsider of the place. She feels like there are big secrets in town including the truth about what happened to the missing 7 people.

It starts with Fraternity Four’s vanishing into the thin air 25 years ago. Then Alice Kelly has lastly seen at the town’s Tavern and she also vanished just like nature photographer Farrah Jordan did. The reporter Landon West suspected something fishy was going on at the town. Could he be the last victim of the person who has been hunting the people for unknown reason? Did he get closer to the truth?

Abby wants to be part of town’s union but that means she has to let it go, prevent Trey dig out more! But her curiosity gets the better of her: she has to find the truth behind incidents in expanse of exposing the dirty secrets of townies had buried for years!

Overall: Giving my five chilling stars! This is freaking exciting and unputdownable!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Scribner/ Marysue Rucci Books for sharing this amazing digital copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

Was this review helpful?

My new favorite Megan Miranda book! The Last To Vanish takes place in the atmospheric small town of Cutter's Pass, famous for being situated just off the Appalachian Trail in the mountains of North Carolina. As such, many visitors pass through Cutter's Pass, some more memorable than others. Over the last 3 decades, however, a series of six different visitors have completely vanished without a trace from Cutter's Pass. Even more suspicious is that most of the missing persons came through a cozy little resort called The Passage Inn. Abby Lovett, the manager of The Passage Inn, is thrust into the spotlight once again when Trey West, brother of missing person Landon West, shows up in Cutter's Pass hoping to find out what happened to his brother Landon just 4 months prior. As Abby helps Trey, against the wishes of her aunt Celeste who owns The Passage Inn and many other townspeople, she begins to uncover some unsettling evidence about her own coworkers and neighbors, making it increasingly clear that she must not trust anyone in Cutter's Pass and is truly on her own in solving the mystery of the missing people. This story has some shocking twists and turns that I did not see coming. I was completely enthralled by the story line and I loved the ending as well!

Was this review helpful?

The Last to Vanish by Megan Miranda opens in Cutter's Pass at The Passage Inn, an upscale hotel in the mountains of North Carolina. Abigail Lovett is the manager at the inn and has been for the last ten years. Even though Abby considers it home, she often still feels like an outsider even though her aunt and uncle built The Passage Inn themselves. All the disappearances over the years throws the town back into the spotlight when the brother of one of those missing appears late one night asking questions. As Abby helps with his investigation, she realizes how little she knows about her friends, coworkers, and the town.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Scribner for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) that I received for free in exchange for my honest review. I was absolutely thrilled to be chosen to review The Last to Vanish by Megan Miranda, and I wasn't disappointed.

Megan Miranda sure knows how to set the tone and pace to make for an eerie, suspenseful, and heart pounding read. I found myself completely losing track of time while I was immersed in The Last to Vanish. It was that engrossing and fantastic. The only thing that could've made it better for me was if I was staying in a cabin in the Smokey Mountains in North Carolina so that I could've been creeped out completely.

The Last to Vanish is definitely a slow burn read, but with very plausible twists and turns that I didn't expect. There were clues planted very carefully throughout the book that suggests who the killer might be, but there were also red herrings. Because of this, it was easy for me to dismiss the clues, and I didn't figure out who the bad person was until the end, and he/she was presented to me by the author. I'm still thinking about the book several hours after finishing it, and it's definitely one that I will reread down the road. I'm hoping that the author writes a sequel to it . . . that's how much I enjoyed the story.

Five out of five stars is what I give The Last to Vanish by Megan Miranda, and this should be on everyone's "To Be Read" list for 2022. I'm already looking forward to the next novel the author writes.

Was this review helpful?

So much fun! I loved the trail setting and the creepy claustrophobic town. The ending was a little twisty but not out of the blue or unbelivable. Really a great summer time book! I liked Abby a lot and the hotel/cabin was very vividly portrayed.

Was this review helpful?

I loved this book. There were so many twists and turns. The main character, a woman, who was so brave and fought to find out the truth. Wow. Such a good story! Highly recommend!!

Was this review helpful?

The Last to Vanish by Megan Miranda is one of those books where the setting becomes its own character. Cutter's Pass is moody and dark, and amps up the darkness of this unputdownable thriller. Abby Lovett is a fantastic character, and I was biting my nails as I turned the pages. I didn't see the twist coming! Highly recommend!

Was this review helpful?

A North Carolina mountain town with several disappearances and lots of secrets......sign me up! This was a well thought out mystery and it was so much fun finding out more and more as the story unfolds. Who can be trusted? Who is hiding the truth? It could be anyone and I would not have guessed where the story takes you. I thought the narrator was good and I will be recommending this one to anyone who enjoys a solid mystery with a good mix of thriller.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you so much to Netgalley and publishers, Scribner and Marysue Rucci Books for this #gifted ARC! This was such a fantastic and atmospheric mystery set in a picturesque mountain town near the Appalachian Mountains called, Cutter’s Pass.

While this town may convey a warm welcome to tourists and visitors, it’s also known for its multiple disappearances of 7 visitors who arrived over the span of 25 years and then were never heard from again. Each missing person was last seen in connection with the mountain trails, the Passage Inn-where our MC, Abby, lives and works as manager, or the town itself and I truly couldn’t wait to unravel the mystery of just how the people and this place were connected to it all. As the secrets started to become exposed and as Abby and the brother of one of the missing people start to untangle the history of Cutter’s Pass, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough!

I found the main character, Abby, to be well written and was intrigued by all of the residents and visitors associated with this seemingly perfect town. There were also several twists along the way, a couple of which truly took me surprise! If you’re looking for a summer mystery that almost reads as if you’re listening to a true crime podcast then look no further than this one! I can’t recommend enough!

Was this review helpful?

This is my favorite Megan Miranda book yet! Wow. I read a lot of thrillers and mysteries and I have not gasped out loud in YEARS from a reveal / story. I love the way MM unfolds a story and can evoke so many feelings along the way. Abby is stuck in-between being an insider and outsider in Cutter's Pass even though she's lived and worked there for 10 years and knows everyone. But how well does she know them? And what happened to all the people who have vanished over the last 25 years? Well tuck in, because MM does a masterful job of setting the scene, showing the town and the vibe there and presenting an impossible to crack mystery. And then slowly slowly pulls at a thread that slowly starts to unravel before it's sudden all apart. I cannot put any spoilers because it should be enjoyed with fresh eyes but it was MAGNIFICENT.

Was this review helpful?

The Last to Vanish by Megan Miranda

Overlast 25 years there have been too many disappearances in the small town of Cutter’s Pass North Carolina. Abby Lovett has been working at the inn for the last 10 years But she still considered an outsider. Nobody talks about the fraternity four… who were the first four to go missing 25 years ago but as more and more people disappear will anybody be able to figure out what is happening to them. Will anyone ever solve the first disappearances?
Another really good thriller that had me thinking all these people where the guilty one only to be shocked when it’s revealed!

Thanks to Scribner/Marysue Rucci Books and NetGalley for the title. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

"New York Times bestselling author Megan Miranda returns with a gripping and propulsive thriller that opens with the disappearance of a journalist who is investigating a string of vanishings in the resort town of Cutter's Pass - will its dark secrets finally be revealed?

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 - rafting and hiking, with access to the Appalachian trail by way of a gorgeous waterfall - and its mysterious history. 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.

Abby has sometimes felt like an outsider within the community, but she's come to view Cutter's Pass as her home. 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 brings her best writing to The Last to Vanish, a riveting thriller filled with taut suspense and shocking twists that will keep you guessing until the very end."

A close community and a history of outsiders vanishing? Yes please!

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy to review.

What a ride this was! I love Megan Miranda’s writing. This story was gripping from the start: we learn there have been 7 missing people from a town by a hiking trail that leaves to the Appalachian trail. Abby has lived in the town 10 years, moving there just after one woman went missing and present for the most recent two. Speculation is they’re all connected. Throughout the first 60% of the book, I kept saying I could NOT figure out how the story was going to go. I started to have my own theories but I had many of them. And ultimately, I was almost completely wrong. The last few chapters had me completely on the edge of my seat, telling Abby not to do things. Do you ever talk to book characters or is it just me? I truly enjoyed this ride and look forward to future Megan Miranda thrillers.

Was this review helpful?

Megan Miranda has done it again! The Last to Vanish is a fast-paced, atmospheric, twisty novel that will draw readers in from the first page. The story follows Abigail who fell into a job managing an upscale resort along Cutter's Pass. She's always felt like an outsider. When the town's history of mysterious disappearances draws national attention again when a journalist investigating said disappearances vanishes herself. The journalist's brother comes looking for answers and Abigail begins to wonder how well she actually knows her neighbors. This is one twisty ride!! And the writing is beautiful truly painting the picture of the Appalachian woods and nature at it's finest. Highly recommended to anyone looking for an atmospheric thriller.

Was this review helpful?

I am a huge Megan Miranda fan, and this novel did not disappoint! I was on the edge of my seat. This is Miranda's best work yet!

Was this review helpful?

As Megan Miranda's novels often do, this book is no different, leaving the reader turning pages, with the twists and turns. This novel is set in a North Carolina mountain resort. While the town has more to offer than their infamous reputation, guests are drawn due to others having disappeared over 25 years. As this mystery continues, all soon becomes evident, but it kept me guessing until the end. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-ARC. in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

Winner winner! This is my favorite one of Megan Miranda's so far, and certainly the best thriller I've read this summer. I loved the atmosphere of the NC mountains. Perfect tension building, great pace, and it kept me on my toes the entire time.

Was this review helpful?

I loved this book! It's a perfect thriller and kept me turning the pages until late into the night.

Was this review helpful?

The Passage Inn is an upscale hiker’s paradise in North Carolina near Appalachian trails. The views and hiking paths are extraordinary. People come from all over to hike, take in the small town and listen to the folklore of the town’s people of Cutter’s Pass. You see, the town and the inn have quite a history. For the people who live there, it is more of a curse as they always get tourists who think they can solve its secrets.

And mysteries they are. Over the years, a few hikers have just disappeared, starting with a group of hikers named the Fraternity Four who together all went missing over ten years ago and not one body has ever been discovered. Then another hiker disappeared and another. The town had been quiet for a while until three months ago when Landon West, a journalist researching the missing hikers disappeared. He has not been found and the tourists are once again coming to the town in full force.

Abilgail Lovett has been the manager of the Passage Inn for years after showing up one day looking for a job. Although she has lived there a good amount of time, she still does not feel like she belongs. Quite frankly she feels like an outsider who is not allowed to learn the secrets of the town. Curiosity is not her friend in a place where everyone holds what secrets they have to themselves. And as the manager of the inn where the missing hikers stayed, she feels like no one will give her the answers she is looking for. Because of this, Abby has always felt as if nothing really added up when it came to the disappearances.

But when Trey West, Landon West’s brother comes to look for his missing sibling she can’t help but take him up on his offer to help him find clues as to his vanishing. As Trey and Abby begin to find clues, which make no sense, they find no one wants to listen to their theories, including the sheriff. Abby is warned to stop digging. But she can’t and when she discovers shocking revelations as to what happened years ago, she could possibly she could become the next missing person. All she ever wanted was to feel as if she was part of this small town. But perhaps the town will eat her up and spit her out because she now knows the truth.

In true Megan Miranda style, with a thrilling mystery to solve and a shocking conclusion to digest, you are immediately sucked into the story starting on the first page. With twists and turns galore, The Last to Vanish is an epic thriller and wonderful read.

Thank you #NetGalley #Scribner #TheLasttoVanish #MeganMiranda for the advanced copy.

Was this review helpful?

The Last to Vanish by Megan Miranda is a very highly recommended excellent thriller. Miranda is one of my favorite authors and she delivers the goods again!

Abby (Abigail) Lovett arrived in Cutter's Pass, North Carolina, ten years ago and is now managing The Passage Inn. Cutter's Pass, an access point to the Appalachian trail, is known as the most dangerous town in North Carolina based on the several unsolved disappearances tied to the city. The disappearances include the Fraternity Four, a group of students in 1997; Alice Kelly in 2012; Farrah Jordan in 2019; and Landon West in 2022.

Landon West was a journalist who was investigating the disappearances before he became a statistic. Now four months later his brother, Trey, has arrived at the Inn and he has some questions. Abby, who often feels like an outsider, notices all the reactions Trey is getting while looking into his brother's disappearance, which causes her to start looking a bit closer into Landon's disappearance as well as that of the others.

Cutter's Pass may be a picturesque tourist destination but it is also the most dangerous town in North Carolina and that moniker helps draw some tourists. It also seems that it might be true, but Abby can't get any answers and has to search for them. Then she finds some incriminating evidence and must look closely at everyone she knows

The writing is exceptional in this suspenseful thriller and mystery. The narrative is told through five parts of the novel. Each carefully plotted part focuses on a disappearance, starting with the most recent. The tension and apprehension build slowly at first but then it begins to multiply, and accumulate, as Abby uncovers more information and begins to question everyone around her. How well does she know her neighbors and friends? The sense of menace and dread will begin to start immediately. There are several shocking twists I didn't see coming at all.

Abby is a great character who will immediately garner your trust and you will care about her. All the secondary characters are equally interesting, realistic, and bring different dimensions to the unique plot. Even the setting, the mountains, hiking trails, and town, bring something unique to the narrative.

Once you start reading, The Last to Vanish becomes un-put-downable and it exceeded all my expectations. Another winning novel by Megan Miranda!
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Scribner.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Edelweiss, Google Books, and Amazon.

Was this review helpful?

Okay thriller fans- step right up to one of the best books of the year. The Last to Vanish is an atmospheric and spooky thriller set in the Appalachian mountains of North Carolina.

Seven people have vanished in the mountains near the resort The Passage Inn. When the last to vanish has a relative show up to look for them, inn manager Abby Lovett learns the truth about decades old secrets that rock her to her core.

Megan Miranda has a killer knack (no pun intended) for describing the setting of her thrillers, and something about this one just gave me the chills while reading.

This is a five star read that’s a must for any thriller fan and a no brainer for Miranda’s fans. She delivers on this one, beyond expectation.

Definitely a five star read for me.

**Many, many thanks to #NetGalley and #Scribner for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.**

Was this review helpful?

Megan Miranda does it again. I loved this story. The twists and turns kept me engaged and I finished this in just a couple of sittings. Her characters are so real and her deep dive into their psyches keeps me reading.

Was this review helpful?

This book was fantastic! There were so many unexpected twists and turns. I never even had a good idea of how it would play out. I definitely recommend this if you need a fast paced thriller with so many plot twists!

Was this review helpful?

Readers who liked this book also liked: