The Last To Vanish - Megan Miranda

Synopsis: 

Abigail Lovett fell into her job at the Passage Inn, a job she loves, in a town called Cutter's Pass located in the mountains of North Carolina. This town has a prime location by the Appalachian Trail and a dark reputation that draws tourists in wanting to hike the trails and learn more about the notorious disappearances that have happened there. Cutter's Pass is known for being the last known location of six different visitors in the past 30 years who have vanished without a trace. Landon West, one such tourist, wanted to investigate these disappearances and suddenly vanishes himself! A few months later, with little movement on Landon's case, his brother, Trey, shows up. After checking him into the Passage Inn, Abby can't help but feel bad for the guy. He's clearly mourning his brother and has come to this place to find some answers or some closure, which is hard in a town like this that tends to protect their own at any cost. It isn't until Abby finds some extremely incriminating evidence that she realizes this place she's come to love may be far more dangerous that she ever imagined. 

Review: 

4.5/5 Stars

I loved this book! It was the first thriller I've read in a while that didn't try to pigeonhole the reader into thinking it's one character only to switch it to the next most obvious choice. Lately, it's like every book I pick up is so mind-numbingly predictable. The author very clearly wants you to think it is one character so he/she can go, "surprise it isn't this terribly obvious character, it's this terribly obvious character!" In this instance, Miranda gives you just enough information to begin to form your own conclusions about who is responsible for all of these disappearances and then you turn the page and she's casting doubt! Not enough for you to fully change your mind, but enough to question it. 

The characters are all so intertwined but you don't know how close they all actually are until the end which was a very nice change of pace. Generally, it's as though the author needs to make sure you know who is related to whom, where they came from and why they are there within the first 30 pages, that the relationships within this story being kept secret was an interesting twist. 

Such a fun and interesting book to read with the right level of fear and anxiety for all involved. It even had a very well-written twist at the end. It is truly everything you could want!