Let’s break this one down in segments.

The Good;
Spooky and dark aesthetic that was so convincing I felt like I was there.
Miranda wrote this location incredibly well. I mean I FELT it.

the not so good:
This fell flat about 1/2 way for me and never really picked back up.
The big reveal felt very anticlimactic. So much so I felt like ok wait more will happen……right? And it didn’t.

A positive of having Covid and being exhausted is that I’m zipping through my #tbr pile faster than I ever would.

This new novel by @meganlmiranda was such a propulsive read! Abigail Lovett has been managing the Passage in, set in a cozy mountain resort town of Cutters Pass, NC, where several people have mysteriously disappeared. After a reporter goes missing, his brother trey arrive months later desperate to figure out what happened to Landon sending Abigail on the search for the truth herself. But after looking into several clues and the reluctance of her friends and coworkers to share any information, she begins to wonder what secrets their small town is hiding and who really is telling the truth.

Loved the setting, quick and propulsive and interesting plot, lots of shady characters that kept me guessing whodonit This cover is also 👌🏽 made me feel like going into the woods Myself. OUT 7/26/2022! Thanks @scribnerbooks for the #arc

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.

Megan Miranda never disappoints. The atmosphere and tension she creates in her books always leave me on edge, and this book was no exception.

Cutter’s Pass, North Carolina is a jumping off point for the Appalachian Trail - The Passage Inn is the last stop before hiking out. 20 years ago, 4 hikers went missing from Cutter’s Pass, followed by another disappearance 10 years ago, then another 3 years later. Most recently, a journalist on the trail of the disappearances also went missing from The Passage Inn.

Abigail Lovett, the manager of the inn, is an outsider who moved to town just after the second disappearance, and, like many small towns, she struggles to be fully accepted, even after 10 years. When the reporter’s brother shows up at the inn a year later to try to find clues about his disappearance, Abigail begins to suspect that these disappearances are not accidents or coincidences. Is there a vagrant on the trail? What secrets is the town keeping? Who can she trust?

I was in Cutter’s Pass, hiking down to the waterfall with Abigail, fully feeling the spookiness of the downstairs hallway and storage room at the inn. I felt her developing distrust of her friends in town and her uncertainty about who she really knew.

I raced through this book. Even though I wanted to spend more time in Cutter’s Pass, I had to know what happened next and who would be the last to vanish.

I really enjoy Megan Miranda and this was just as good as her previous books. A perfect beach read mystery.

I could have sworn I wrote a review for The Last to Vanish by Megan Miranda! So excuse this if I already wrote one. I really like Megan’s books and writing style, this one was tense and atmospheric. I loved the setting of the mountains of North Carolina, I always enjoy an outdoor setting, especially in the mountains!

This novel was a solid read and I highly recommend it if you lean towards suspense and thrillers.

PLOT:

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.

This comes out on July 26.

I really enjoyed Megan Miranda’s last book, Such a Quiet Place and was looking forward to reading her next book. The Last to Vanish is a slow burn mystery about a small town where people keep disappearing. Abby works at the inn in town and works to try and solve the mystery of why these people vanished. While I enjoyed the setting of the story and I liked Abby as a character, this book was too much a slow burn and dragged on too long. Fans of Megan Miranda should definitely read this book but expect a slow burn mystery instead of a fast paced thriller.

Full disclosure I didn't get to read this via ebook but rather listened to it on LibroFM early listeners program. THIS IS A FABULOUS car trip listen. Propulsive, engaging, and a real joy to listen to (and read). I'm pretty picky about my thrillers, but this one really stood out in my inability to solve the mystery and it was just creepy enough without being over the top. Thanks so much to Scribner for an early copy.

Megan Miranda's latest book is a page turner (or non-stop listen) as expected.
Abigail's story is one of contradictions: a forever outsider on the inside, communed more with nature than humans, observer rather than actor. The town of Cutter's Pass has become a spooky site-seeing tourist destination, but the cloud above the town looms dark with many questions and few answers about the visitors who've disappeared. Who will be next, and who is hiding the town's secrets? As Landon West digs for answers, Abigail's loyalties will be tested.
This book was enjoyable, and there is no way I would have left it without finishing it, but I didn't love it like SUCH A QUIET PLACE. I wanted to understand Abigail more, in a deeper way. Overall an entertaining mystery.
3.5 but I'll round up to 4.

Books by this author have never been a disappointment and her newest one was another winner with me.
We all have secrets, but when we first meet new people we only show what we want to share. As time go on, we might share more, or not.
Abby arrived at the inn in North Carolina's mountains 10 years ago, but she's not really an insider yet, nor has she shared some of her life before she arrived. It is accepted that she is the niece of Celeste, the owner of the inn, and that is why she lives and works there.
The town is known for being the last place visited by some who have vanished over the years with some of them last seen near or at the inn. The curious often arrive hoping to be the one who figures it all out so not every prospective guest can be taken at face value.
Now the brother of one of the missing has arrived and Abby hopes to be the one to help him solve this.
Great story, kept my attention throughout and leaves me looking forward to more books by this author.
Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

CURRENT SITUATION: 9 months pregnant, not-so-patiently awaiting the arrival of baby #3

READING MOOD: fast-paced plot, prevalent unexpected twists, short chapters to hold my attention

THE LAST TO VANISH EXPECTATIONS: With the story blurred as “gripping and propulsive”, I was expecting a true page-turner. Abby Lovett works in the resort town of Cutter’s Pass operating an upscale hotel. The Passage Inn has a mysterious history and Abby gets drawn into a series of unsolved disappearances.

THE LAST TO VANISH EXPERIENCE: I thoroughly enjoyed the hotel nestled away in the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina. The setting was atmospheric and I enjoyed the small-town dynamics. While Miranda’s writing was solid, I was craving a bit more action to hold my attention; this story didn’t scratch that itch for me. The action really picked up the last 20% of the book, but I was hoping the pacing would grab me from the beginning. If you aren’t 9 months pregnant, you might have more patience and focus with this story than I was able to give!

READ THIS IF YOU ENJOY:
Small town settings
Slow burn mysteries
A large cast of characters

RATING: 3.5/5 (rounded up to 4 stars)
PUB DATE: July 26, 2022

A big thank you to Scribner for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest 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."

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

Megan Miranda is an auto-buy for me, and this newest book, The Last to Vanish, absolutely confirms why. When I go into reading a book, I let the book lead me. I don't make any guesses about what will happen or who the villain is. I'm normally wrong anyway, and it's not worth my energy. Anyway, the twists and turns in this novel were fantastic. It had "The Shining" vibes where you think the hotel has something to hide, and the town has a fantastic name, Cutters Pass.

This novel introduces you to Abby who has lived in CP for a decade, but still feels like an outsider. This town has had several disappearances making it famous in all the wrong ways. When the brother of the last missing person shows up at the hotel, Abby decides to help. Unfortunately getting the truth is harder than she thought and she has to dig deep into everyone's past to get some answers.

I read this on a plane and when I was a tad sleep-deprived, but it kept my attention!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to review this early in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher for my review copy. All opinions are my own.

Okay. Let's unpack this. Y'all know I am a sucker for a NC setting. Megan writes North Carolina so well. Will I think of this book when I head to the mountains? Maybe. Overall. For me this title was okay. It kinda lagged a bit....picked up....and then brought you to a different direction. I'm not complaining mind you. I'm just kind of meh about it all.

I enjoyed the characters and the twist was a good one that I didn't see coming. I really think at the end of the day, this was a pleasant read...but forgettable. I will continue recommending All the Missing Girls as my go to Megan Miranda title.

This book had a haunting quality. Abigail Lovett works at the Passage Inn in the small town of Cutter's Pass, a small mountain town in North Carolina. After ten years in town, she still feels like an outsider. When Trey West arrives in town looking for answers from the place where his brother Landon West disappeared several months ago, all the stories and theories about the other residents who went missing after hiking a trail from the inn resurge. The first group, over twenty years ago, consisted of four young men known as the Fraternity Four. Years after their disappearance a young woman disappeared and then another several years later. There didn't seem to be anything connecting these travelers, but West seeks to find out the truth about these disappearances and his brother's.

The story includes several small twists and one large one that's revealed at the end. The characters are well drawn. I found the writing gave off an air of danger. It had a haunting quality to it as Abby discovers clues to the disappearances and the stories are retold, awakening secrets of the residents of this small town.

It's a good read if you like well-developed characters, and an interesting, small-town mystery.

After not loving Such a Quiet Place, I was a little nervous to start The Last to Vanish. I loved the author's earlier books but the most recent haven't grabbed me. Thankfully, I really enjoyed The Last to Vanish. The writing style was beautiful and the story flowed wonderfully. The mystery is definitely a slow burn but kept me interested enough to finish the book quickly. And one of the twists completely floored me, I definitely didn't guess it at all! I actually had to go back to reread because I thought I missed something. I was hoping for a romance between two of the characters, but kind of respect the author for not going in that direction.

A slow paced small town thriller. Lots of descriptive text about the hiking trails, mountains, and remote location. Had a few eye rolls with Abby’s character, but overall like the book & its twists.

The Last to Vanish was a miss for me. I just finished reading it and I’m already forgetting the plot. Nothing stood out to me as original or different from many other books I’ve read. Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley and Libro.fm for the advance reading and listening copies. Do you

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.

This is my favorite book of Megan Miranda’s by far. The idyllic setting, creepy premise, and vivid characters all had me hooked. I devoured this on a quick flight and couldn’t put it down (sorry to the flight attendants for my delayed responses because I was so engrossed)!