The Last to Vanish: Megan Miranda

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Trey comes to talk to Abby about a note he found in his brothers room at home: theinn’s phone number and 8-1, which Trey thinks is Georgia’s shift time. The beautiful setting in a small mountain town famous for its proximity to the Appalachian Trail was brought to life so wonderfully that I felt that I was taking a scenic vacation. Megan Miranda is the New York Times bestselling author of All the Missing Girls, The Perfect Stranger, The Last House Guest, which was a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick, The Girl from Widow Hills, Such a Quiet Place, The Last to Vanish, and The Only Survivors.

The Last to Vanish: A Novel - Megan Miranda - Google Books The Last to Vanish: A Novel - Megan Miranda - Google Books

Alice Kelly was next in 2012, Farrah Jordan in 2019, and most recently, in 2022, Landon West, a journalist who was trying to link all of the disappearances together. Consider the fact that Abby has lived in Cutter’s Pass for ten years but still feels (at times) like a stranger. Then he’s talking to himself about the small group of people who was been in town for all the disappearances.It was filled with characters doing dumb things, a resolution that required a massive suspension of disbelief, and plot threads left dangling. So the gist is that a bunch of people over the years have disappeared without a trace from the idyllic mountain community of Cutters Pass, NC.

The Last to Vanish | Book by Megan Miranda | Official

There was a lot of detail about the town and the inn, but it never felt stilted or boring, as it was necessary for the atmosphere - the more details, the more eerie and dangerous it felt. He also stopped by the police department and tried to get information, which chills Abby a bit since she realizes the police knew why Landon was there before he disappeared. Miranda is brilliant in bringing the reader into the woods, feeling the danger and suspense and pervasive sense of unease.

A journalist, Landon West, appears at the inn, asking questions, digging around, until he too goes missing. There was a Stephen King-like tension throughout, with a few hair raising scares thrown in for good measure. Cutters Pass in North Carolina is near the Appalachian Trail, its population a mere 1000 but in summer its numbers swell with visitors arriving to hike and enjoy the beautiful area. As the manager of the local inn at the center of the controversy, she also uncovers question upon question. Megan Miranda is the New York Times bestselling author of All the Missing Girls, The Perfect Stranger, and The Last House Guest, a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick.

The Last to Vanish - Jen Ryland Reviews Spoiler Discussion for The Last to Vanish - Jen Ryland Reviews

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. In my opinion (for what that’s worth), the book would have been more engaging if it flashed to each individual disappeared person.The novel is told from the POV of Abby and honestly, she was boring and it wasn’t that interesting to be in her head the entire time.

The Last to Vanish by Megan Miranda | Goodreads

But the storyline lacked the “thrilling suspense” I was looking for (that’s also what the book is labeled as).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. I agree that the setting was great but honestly, this was such a good setup for a supernatural read.