Last Seen Leaving

By: Kelly Braffet

Narrated by: Kevagne Kalisch

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 rumours of a serial killer stalking young women. Maybe her mother will find her in time. Maybe not.

Last Seen Leaving explores the often ambiguous nature of danger and the dark secrets we keep in order to protect those we love.

Public Domain (P)2007 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

Critic reviews

"Braffet's brilliant second novel...Fluid prose, vivid characters and suspenseful twists lead to a hopeful denouement." ( Publishers Weekly)

"Solidly crafted and compelling...will secure the author's place as a novelist of note." ( Library Journal)

"Kalisch delivers Braffet's rapid-fire dialogue in a sharp reading that exhibits a suitable sense of restrained anxiety. Her somewhat-breathy tones slide over the prose of this edgy and darkly complex novel....Kalisch's suitably unnerving reading reflects George's creepy restrained drawl and Anne's mellowness, which becomes deeply reflective. This psychological literary thriller translates well to audio." ( Booklist)

Story was good - narration was not.

The narrator really hindered my enjoyment of the story - I found myself constantly annoyed to the point of not being able to follow the (simple enough) plot. I think the narrator did a real disservice to the book.