Thank you @scribnerbooks for my advanced reader copy. ⁠
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A touristy mountain resort where you can escape the pressures of every day life and enjoy some fresh air. Sounds great, right? Except people keep going missing and somehow the resort is always at the center. Abby Lovett, on site clerk at the resort, finds herself drawn to the mystery and determined to find out what is really going on.⁠
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I really enjoyed this one! The setting is absolutely perfect. Abby's POV and internal thoughts really add to the dark mood. I had hoped that reporter would have more of a play in this book but he didn't appear much. This one isn't all that deep in terms of character development but it was still a great and quick summer read.

Abigail Lovett has worked at the Passage Inn in North Carolina for the past ten years, despite the history that haunts the hotel. The close-knit community of Cutter’s Pass has never solved the mysterious disappearances of seven different people over the past twenty-five years. When Trey West shows up to investigate the disappearance of his brother, the last person to disappear, Abby is thrown into the investigation as she begins to question how well she really knows the members of this community.

Unfortunately, this book was a complete miss for me. I was initially enticed by the premise and the atmospheric, mountain resort setting, but I found the novel to be rather slow. Nothing much seemed to happen for a while, and the story was not holding my attention. While I have seen plenty of positive reviews, I would personally recommend Megan Miranda’s 2019 novel, The Last House Guest, over this one, but I will definitely check out her future books.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Scribner/Marysue Rucci Books for my gifted e-ARC.

The Last to Vanish
by: Megan Miranda
Scribner, Scribner / Marysue Rucci Books
Pub date: July 26, 2022
Genre: General Fiction (Adult), Mystery & Thrillers

Setting is everything and easy to visualize, while hiding under the covers, in Megan Miranda's new mystery. The Passage Inn, with its cozy cabins and room, can offer a welcome respite to outdoor adventure seekers in the North Carolina mountain town of Cutter's Pass. Word quickly spreads to visiting hikers and rafters, however, about the mysterious disappearance of several individuals in the area over the years. These perplexing unsolved cases add the elements of danger, darkness, and foreboding for both locals and tourists.

The central character is Abby, manager of The Passage, with a supporting cast of co-workers and locals. Trey, brother of missing journalist Landon, checks in at the inn to stay while investigating. Miranda adeptly built the suspense while keeping me immersed in the atmosphere of a small community near the Appalachian Trail. The beauty of surrounding waterfalls, trees, and paths is thrown off balance by the puzzling intrigue surrounding missing persons.

I love nature and hiking, but I can't see myself on trails anywhere near Cutter's Pass. I did love this story, though, which would make a wonderful mystery movie to enjoy on a dark winter night, just not in a room at The Passage Inn!

Thank you to Net Galley and Scribner, Scribner / Marysue Rucci Books for the advance reader's copy and opportunity to provide my unbiased review.

#NetGalley #MeganMiranda #TheLasttoVanish #scribner

The Last to Vanish takes place in Cutter's Pass, NC, dubbed the most dangerous town, after a series of mysterious disappearances over the last 25 years. No one knows why people keep disappearing on the trail to the waterfall. Is it a serial killer, or just bad luck?

Abigail Lovett started working at The Passage Inn ten years ago, yet she still feels like an outsider. She has heard about the mysterious disappearances, but doesn't think much of them until journalist Landon West, who was staying at the inn while investigating, disappears as well. It isn't until Landon's brother Trey shows up months later, poking around and looking for answers, that Abby finds evidence that may start to unravel the truth. Will Abby be able to help Trey before another person disappears?

This book was a slow, tension filled build up until the final moment. I kept changing my opinion on what the truth would be, and was definitely surprised by the ending. Megan Miranda knows how to weave back and forth between past and present to keep the reader guessing until the very last possible moment. She created an atmospheric read, developing a sense of mystery and foggy haze that encloses a small town, making it seem cut off from the rest of the world. A must read for people who enjoy Miranda's books and a suspenseful mystery.

Another success by Megan! I can always depend on her to keep my attention and keep me guessing. There are multiple ways this could have went and they way that the story did go wasn't what I had guessed. I was definitely fooled again.

Let’s go hiking!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

⏰ 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫: Cutter’s Pass, NC has a long history of missing hikers. Add one more with the disappearance of Landon West, journalist, and now his brother has shown up seeking answers. Abby Lovell has lived in the town for 10 years and feels like she will never be an insider in this small town. As the manager of the local inn at the center of the controversy, she also uncovers question upon question. Is someone in town responsible for the disappearances or is someone else out there, lurking?

💡𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: This is my 5th Miranda book and I am most definitely a fan! Enjoyed this book and most definitely recommend it. This novel is a stretch - different, slower, and less “twisty”, but still intriguing with an entertaining character dive into Abby Lovell, who I liked as the protagonist. I live in the Carolinas (nope, this is a fictional town) but I totally relate to the town because my bro is a major hiker and I’ve accompanied him on hikes before so I KNOW this town - built for hikers but the people who live there are insular and secretive. I found that plot angle engaging and enjoyable and accurate in portrayal.

The plot is slower than Miranda’s usual works, but I don’t mind that. I enjoy descriptive writing like that of the town, the inn, etc as it helps a reader understand the dynamics of small town life.

My reticence in rating this higher is mostly based on a huge plot point - where a HUGE piece of information that the protagonist storyteller KNOWS isn’t revealed until later. So in a way, it feels like a “cheat” rather than a twist. There wasn’t a REASON for this lie by omission, thus my feelings of being cheated - like “oh well if I knew THAT earlier…”. The other peevish eye-roller is that Celeste is in her 50’s but all the descriptions would have the reader believing she’s an 80 yr old with a cane and some Bengay.

𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆𝗠𝗮𝗴𝘀.𝗰𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

📚𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Mystery

😍𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨: Miranda fans and mystery lovers, just don’t expect the usual.

🙅‍♀️ 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨: Those seeking quick reads, those who hate descriptive writing.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Scribner/Marysue Rucci Books for my advanced copy in exchange for my always-honest review and for now making hiking a scary endeavor (in a good way!)

Megan Miranda books are always ones I devour quickly and then hand off to family members with praise. This one will be the same. Miranda writes in a way that emerses me in the story. She balances descriptions in ways that allow me to see everything without feeling like the story is slowing down. I could picture this tiny mountain town and the exact trail to the falls (it helps that I live in a tiny mountain town and have taken many such trails to many such falls). That emersion leads to investment in the characters and their plight.

Many people vanish from this trail? Why? Are they all connected? There is no way to be sure and the residents of this town are very insular and mistrustful of outsiders. It takes a long time to become a local. After a decade, Abby still isn’t sure if she is one. She thinks the locals know more about what has happened to the missing hikers than they let on. But so they really? If you’ve ever lived in a small town you will know that knowing doesn’t matter as much as thinking you know and not wanting others to know that you know or don’t know. If that doesn’t make sense I’ll invite you to some of our local pages. Craziness.

I highly recommend The Last to Vanish. It has a beautiful and ominous setting, interesting and deep characters, and a few twists to keep you reading.

One of Megan Miranda's best books. Eerie, suspenseful, edge of your seat page turner about a series of disappearances in a small town. On the outside this small community appears picturesque and safe, but it seems everyone has something to hide. Thoroughly entertaining thriller

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.

The Last to Vanish is a quick read that will keep you guessing until the very end. If you have enjoyed other Megan Miranda books, The Last to Vanish will not disappoint.

If you follow me, you probably know Megan Miranda is one my favorite authors. The Last to Vanish was an interesting mystery thriller that kept me guessing until the very end. I also loved that it was set in the Appalachia and had ties to Tennessee!

<i> But whichever person you are, believer or disbeliever, Cutter’s Pass welcomes you equally. The truth is—“</i>

That’s what Abby Lovett is looking for- the truth. A reporter researching mysterious disappearances vanishes from the mountain inn that she manages. Soon his brother shows up asking questions. Abby doesn’t know which tales or if any of the rumors about these disappearances is true, but she knows someone out there must know something. The locals are strangely closed-lipped about the disappearances.

My only criticism is that I’m not sure I entirely understand the motive behind the mystery, so I do wish that had been explored a little more. Otherwise, it was a fun, quick read. I got all the tingly feelings I enjoy in a good thriller.

Thank-you Megan Miranda, Scribner, Marysue Rucci Books, and Netgalley for providing this free arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

While this story felt like something I had somewhat read before, there were still enough twists and turns to keep me entertained. Not sure it will stand out amongst all thrillers, but great summer entertainment!

The Last To Vanished is a very slow and predictable mystery that moves slowly though the first half of the story and as the story picks up there are eye rolling moments that will pull readers out of the story. The Last To Vanished comes across as a b movie horror with too many predicable moments that will leave readers bored.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of Megan Miranda The Last to Vanish

Happy Pub Day!

The Last To Vanish is Megan Miranda’s latest book that brings you a dark and gloomy atmosphere complete with a mystery that in the beginning you aren’t quite sure what/why/how it will evolve.

She is able to spin a story like none other and if you are a fan of her previous titles you will enjoy this one just as much.
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Note: This book is for the thriller lovers who enjoy a vivid slow burn with a highly skilled plot located in a small town where people “coincidentally” disappear.

Cutters Pass is a small town in the North Carolina mountains that is notorious for people going missing. Over the last twenty five years, seven people have gone missing on one trail alone. Their bodies have never been found; it’s like they vanished in thin air. Abby has been working and living at the Passage Inn, one of the places associated with the disappearances. When the brother of one of the missing people comes in the inn, it gets Abby curious again. She starts digging into the past trying to find links between all the disappearances.

I thought I had this book all figured out, but I was truly shocked by the ending! The setting was absolutely perfect. The inn, the small town in the mountains, the dangerous trail - all of it was the perfect place for people to go missing. I really liked Abby. She was tough, resilient, and persistent. I loved how the events tied together in the ending. I didn’t feel like there were any loose ends, and looking back there were clue throughout the story. I thought this one was very enjoyable and unpredictable!

Well, this was a bit disappointing. I have enjoyed Miranda’s other books but this was mostly uneventful for me. I loved the premise and can never turn down a small town thriller. I wasn’t connected with the characters or truly invested in the disappearances. Abby was a bit too brazen for me and didn’t seem to have a ton of self-preservation - who accuses multiple people of murder with no evidence or backup? Overall, not my favorite Miranda book (All the Missing Girls is really good!) but still worthy of a read if your a fan.

Another great book by Megan Miranda! I loved that this was set in NC.
Mysterious disappearances have been happening for the last several years of this small remote town and someone has to know why. The small town is full of secrets and who can you trust?

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.

Last to Vanish was a bit of a slow burn for me. Lots of different elements and backstories all coming together, and although it felt like it took awhile for it all to come to a head, when it did- it worked!

A journalist, Landon, comes to Cutter's Pass, North Carolina to investigate and do a piece on the missing people that have come with a string of vanishings in the area. He winds up at Passage Inn and meets receptionist, Abby. Despite having lived in the area for quite some time Abby is a bit of an outsider. When Landon himself goes missing Abby questions those around her and just what exactly this town is hiding. & is she willing to make herself even more exiled to uncover the truth?

I love the setting and how vivid the writing felt. This book definitely gives spooky fall vibes. I loved the first person storytelling. I love Megan Miranda's writing style overall and this book was no exception. The suspense was there but again, a bit slow. Solid slow burn. 3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Scibner for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I would say this is more of a murder mystery than a thriller. It's definitely a slow burn, which I don't normally like, but I loved the setting so much that I still enjoyed it. As a hiker who lives in NC, I kept trying to imagine what towns the author might have based Cutter's Pass on. It definitely got good towards the end and I only predicted a little bit of the twists.