Title: THE LAST TO VANISH
Author: Megan Miranda
Publisher: Scribner / Marysue Rucci Books
Read: March 2022
Expected publication: 26 July 2022
My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟1/2
Book Description:
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.
My musings:
A suspenseful mystery set in a small town near the Appalachian
trail? Yes please! Good mysteries that feature wilderness areas and hiking are
not easy to find, but Megan Miranda, an avid hiker herself, has nailed it with
her latest novel THE LAST TO VANISH. From a deliciously claustrophobic
wilderness setting, to an old unsolved mystery, to small town secrets, this
book contained everything that I love in a mystery and was a delight to read.
The best books are those who make you come up with the wildest theories, and
then still manage to prove you wrong.
Over the last few years, Miranda has
firmly engraved her name on my favourite authors list. I particularly enjoy her
atmospheric setting and the interpersonal dynamics between her characters,
which add an extra layer to her mysteries. Abigail Lovett, our protagonist in
THE LAST TO VANISH only gradually gives up her own secrets as the story
unfolds, which provided some unexpected twists that I certainly didn’t see
coming. Personally, I loved the way the story got off to a slow simmer, but
soon heated up as we got closer to finding out the truth. And what can be more
enticing than the unsolved cases of hikers vanishing off a mountain without a
trace? Add a remote lodge, patchy phone and internet reception and a bunch of
locals who want the past to stay hidden, and the stage is set.
I would hate to give spoilers, so I
won’t say any more than that, only that I savoured this book like a treat every
night and found it hard to tear myself away. A lot of mysteries become
repetitive or predictable in a “been there, done that” way of a seasoned
reader, but not here – I was thrilled until the end and the armchair detective
in me had to admit defeat.
Summary:
All in all, THE LAST TO VANISH once again confirmed
why Miranda is one of my favourite thriller writers today. With her trademark
atmospheric setting, enigmatic young female lead and an intriguing unsolved
mystery from the past, it ticked all the right boxes for me!
Thank you to Scribner / Marysue Rucci Books for the free
electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an
honest review.
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