The Last to Vanish: Megan Miranda

Product Information

Welcome to Cutter's Pass where no one knows anything and people act weird and probably guilty of something. Into this came Abagail Lovett, who acquires a dream job as a manager of the Passage Inn, where beauty exits and also a very ugly truth. People, starting with the Fraternity Four, keep on disappearing over the years. The community, plus law enforcement seem to turn a blind eye to these weird occurrences. When Landon West, a journalist, comes to town, the turmoil existing on a low level begins to churn and the why of the disappearances comes to the surface. What caused all of these disappearances? Does Abby know her fellow townspeople as well as she thinks she does?

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

Still, Abby feels that just the fact that Landon hid the photos means something. Also, she remembers Farrah arriving and asking about the disappearance of Alice Kelly. Abby believes the disappearances ha e to be connected. 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. Think about an event in the past that strongly affected a community that you’re a part of. How has your perspective of this event changed with the passage of time? How has your community’s? Do you feel like you understand things better now than before? There are a lot of thrillers with a small town setting and a past/present format. Books like All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers or The Survivors by Jane Harper.

Table of Contents

Abby sometimes feels 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. Abby still feels like an outsider of the place. She feels like there are big secrets in town including the truth about what happened to the missing 7 people. I liked the twist that Abby was the daughter of one of the Fraternity Four. But I struggled a bit with the whole intervention and gun thing, which all happened in narrative summary and didn’t really seem tied to the rest of the story. 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. Many different forms of “reality” appear in The Last to Vanish . Characters divulge rumors, talk about myths, and share practical (as well as comforting) explanations for the vanishings of past visitors. What does the novel suggest about truth and its relationship to myth?

The Last To Vanish – Bookends Megan Miranda | The Last To Vanish – Bookends

Abby knew her father was part of the Fraternity Four. She wasn’t really Vincent’s niece, but Celeste recognized her name when she arrived in town and gave her that cover story. 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. Highly recommended for fans of Alafair Burke, Gillian Flynn, and Lisa Lutz, and for all readers who like their female characters clever and resourceful, even when their best friends become their worst nightmares.” Another theme in The Last to Vanish is that of appearance versus reality. In the beginning of the book, Abby describes the Passage Inn as a place that cultivates a false sense of “authenticity” by keeping logs in a gas fireplace. What, in your opinion, is the author’s intention in revealing this detail to the reader? Can you think of real world examples of places (or people) that work to cultivate a certain, perhaps false, image?

The Last to Vanish

Abigail Lovett has lived in Cutter’s Pass for the last ten years. It’s a close-knit community, but Abby finally feels like she belongs, except when she doesn’t.

THE LAST TO VANISH | Kirkus Reviews THE LAST TO VANISH | Kirkus Reviews

My traitorous brain, which always says that there is no way I'd go on a cruise, spend time on a deserted island, or go down into a dark basement, none of those dumb book character choices for me...it kept wanting to go hiking, as I listened to this book. Of course, not hiking at the book's location since seven people had gone missing there. Hiking somewhere else, safe and not in a town that seems to be holding in secrets. I have really been loving Megan Miranda's recent books. While this one was enjoyable and there was nothing wrong with it, it won't rank as one of my 2022 faves.The story is told by protagonist Abby Lovett in a moody atmospheric tone. Abby has a connection to the hotel and the missing hikers, but the reader doesn’t know why for most of the novel. When Landon’s brother, Trey, shows up to investigate his brother’s disappearance, Abby wonders what he’s finding. 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. A 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.

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

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. Abbie, who runs the local Inn, sets out to find the truth when the brother of the latest guy to disappear shows up in town. Insiders don't often have the advantage that outsiders do. It's all in the position of seeing life from the peripheral edge.A tasty, if not always tasteful, tale of supernatural mayhem that fans of King and Crichton alike will enjoy. The characters remain a mystery until the last third of the book. I would have liked to know more about them.