The Last to Vanish

Megan Miranda’s latest, The Last to Vanish, is a gripping mystery that kept me guessing right up till the end.

Synopsis: 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.

What appealed to you the most in this story?

I loved the atmosphere Miranda created. There's a great sense of foreboding and isolation in this story that really ramped up the tension. The phones go out constantly, there's barely any cell service, they are in the woods at the base of a mountain, and in a small town where everyone knows each other (and you know those small-town folk are sketchy). Then, you add in the haunting history of several missing hikers, and you have the perfect equation for an intriguing story.

I also loved this mystery. I’m such a huge fan of any book that hooks me with a good mystery I think I can solve (I didn’t come close to solving this one), and this one had me flying through the pages looking for clues. Seriously, this is my kind of dark, creepy, claustrophobic, haunted small-town story I seriously enjoyed!

How was the pace?

This was a slow burn mystery with a strong build up that picked up at the end, and kudos to Miranda for one heck of an ending!

Do you recommend this book?

Overall, this is just the right mix of dark, suspenseful, creepy and twisted. Quite an excellent mystery to lose yourself in over a weekend or at the pool!

Thank you, Scribner, for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.