Last Seen Leaving — Kelly Braffet

Twenty-something drifter Miranda crashes her car late at night on a lonely highway and is picked up by a passing stranger who soon reveals himself to be more sinister than at first glance. No one knows Miranda is missing: her father died in a plane crash over Central America and her estranged mother, Anne, sought comfort in a New Age lifestyle in the Arizona desert. When Anne reaches out to her daughter, no one has heard from Miranda for two months. All signs seem to point to Miranda's death, but she's actually living under an assumed name in a Virginia beach town and may not want to be found. Maybe George, her highway rescuer, means nothing by his unexpected appearances and is unconnected to rumors of a serial killer stalking young women. Maybe her mother will find her in time. Maybe not. An edgy and engrossing page-turner, Last Seen Leaving explores the often ambiguous nature of danger and the dark secrets we keep in order to protect those we love.