The Last to Vanish

by Megan Miranda Narrated by Alex Allwine

Overview

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Visitors come to Cutter's Pass to disappear into nature...not vanish into thin air. Don't miss this “eerie thriller [that] can stand next to Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House and Stephen King's The Shining” (Booklist) about a disappearing journalist, unsolved mysteries and a mountain town with more secrets than answers, from Reese Witherspoon Book Club selected and New York Times bestselling author Megan Miranda.

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.

Editorial Reviews

Booklist - Candace Smith

"The lodge in Cutter’s Pass, North Carolina, along the Appalachian Trail, has been the site of a
series of disappearances. First, four college students went missing, then two lone women
(several years apart) never returned, and finally a journalist who was trying to solve those
mysteries vanished. Four years after the journalist’s disappearance, his brother, Trey, appears,
determined to find out what happened to him. He attempts to join forces with a local, Abby, but
neither fully trusts the other. The town is filled with secrets, and Abby, who has lived there for ten
years, has much she’s unwilling to share. Creepiness builds steadily in this atmospheric story as
one by one these secrets are revealed. The story is told from Abby’s perspective, and reader
Allwine reads the protagonist's thoughts and words with a no-nonsense tone that fits well with
Abby’s character. Others are voiced convincingly, and Allwine has a firm hold on the growing
suspense. There are plenty of surprises, and listeners will catch themselves gasping as the story
builds to a climax."

From the Publisher

"Miranda does an admirable job of producing surprises even as she pieces together a complex yet plausible puzzle."
—Tom Nolan, Wall Street Journal

"Clever... Cutter's Pass is rife with secrets... all of which [Megan] Miranda brings skillfully to light. The Last to Vanish is a well-wrought example of how important timing can be for a thriller."
—The Washington Post

“Megan Miranda knows how to land a twist, and her latest thriller demonstrates that to dizzying effect. A perfectly balanced cross between a cold-case mystery and a psychological thriller, The Last to Vanish‘s expert plotting and surprising twists will delight readers.”
—Bookpage (Starred Review)

“And, oh boy, does [Megan] ever know how to write a twisty-turny ending (or two, or more).”
—Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review

“[A] superb thriller...Evocative descriptions of such activities as hiking and rafting contain an underlying sense of dread, and realistic characters match the tight plotting. Miranda is writing at the top of her game.”
—Publishers Weekly

"This eerie thriller, in which the setting itself may be actively malevolent, can stand next to Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House and Stephen King’s The Shining ... Expect shivers and lots of them."
—Booklist (starred)

“In economical yet elegant descriptions, author Miranda repeatedly conjures up this untamed natural world even as she unspools a labyrinthine plot. The novel’s characters are deftly sketched and its suspense is nicely tightened . . . A richly atmospheric thriller with a plucky heroine.”
—Kirkus Reviews

"Tense and twisty."
—People Magazine

“Megan Miranda returns with another thrilling page-turner about big secrets in a small town.”
—Book Riot, “Best Thrillers To Read in 2022”

“The twists and turns will make this tale one you won’t soon forget.”
—BookTrib

“To some, the small town of Cutter’s Pass, North Carolina, with its Appalachian vistas and cozy Passage Inn, is downright idyllic. To others, it’s deadly.... As Trey and Abby dig into the case, Abby realizes that the town is keeping secrets even from her.”
—Bustle, Best Book of July

“Miranda is back this year with another smart, propulsive thriller... Miranda brings the slow-burn suspense and some observant character work to bear in this exemplary thriller.”

—Dwyer Murphy, CrimeReads (Most Anticipated Books of 2022: Summer Reading Edition)

“It's just not summer until we are laying on the beach, lost in the pages of one of Miranda's unputdownable thrillers. This time, she takes readers to a cozy inn in the remote resort town of Cutter's Pass, where a string of travelers have gone missing over the years. We will give you exactly one guess as to whether or not their decades-spanning disappearances are connected. But the way Miranda weaves together the story will take your breath away.”
—E! News: 14 Books to Read in July

"The Last To Vanish is Megan Miranda at her finest: an eerie edge-of-the-earth location, riveting characters, and thrills that just don't quit. Loved this novel."
—Laura Dave, New York Times Bestselling author of The Last Thing He Told Me

Library Journal - Audio

06/10/2024

A pall hangs over the town of Cutter's Pass, NC. Four fraternity brothers disappeared from the trails near the mountainside town's lodge 25 years ago. No trace of them was ever found. Years later, a young woman hiking on her own disappeared, as did a journalist looking into the disappearances. This tense story is told by Abby, who works at the lodge and agrees to help the journalist's brother conduct an investigation. Even though Abby has lived and worked in Cutter's Pass for 10 years, she's still treated as an outsider by most of the secretive, suspicious townspeople. As the investigation deepens, Abby begins to find clues to the past, and listeners learn that everything is not as it seems. Narrator Alex Allwine's melodic style perfectly conveys Abby's curiosity, fear, and determination. She occasionally puts emphasis on the wrong word, but her keen sense of timing makes up for this by stoking the tension when the action ratchets up. VERDICT Listeners will be captivated by Miranda's (Such a Quiet Place) latest, made all the more compelling by Allwine's skillful and sympathetic characterization of Abby. Highly recommended for fans of cold-case mysteries and atmospheric psychological thrillers.—B. Allison Gray

SEPTEMBER 2022 - AudioFile

Chilly and atmospheric, this audiobook begins slowly, but the buildup is worth the wait. Abby Lovett has worked at The Passage Inn for 10 years, though she is still considered an outsider by the locals. The inn, located at Cutter's Pass on the Appalachian Trail, is connected to numerous cases of missing people, including Landon West, a reporter who was investigating the disappearances. As Abby tries to figure out what happened to Landon, and untangle the past mysteries, Allwine matches her fear, confusion, and determination. The narration paints a picture of the area that draws listeners in. Allwine creates believable distinctions between the characters and between Abby's conversations and internal thoughts. Listeners will find themselves captivated as the truth comes out through unexpected reveals. K.S.M. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940176380590
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster
Publication date:	07/26/2022
Edition description:	Unabridged
Sales rank:	524,464

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August 3, 2022

AUGUST 3, 2022

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