I found this book on a list of the best mysteries of 2025 in the New York Times while searching for a book in this genre, and I’m pleased I discovered it.

The blurbs on the cover by Jennifer Egan (“Impossible to put down.”) and Elin Hilderbrand (“An absolute must read.”) proved to be true, though I don’t consider the latter who turns our an annual Nantucket-based romance to be a literary authority,

The novel tells the story of Valerie Gillis, a nurse, who disappears in Maine while nearing completion of her solo flip-flop hike of the Appalachian Trail. Flip-flop refers to starting in the middle of this 2200 mile footpath that stretches from Georgia to Maine through 12 other states and heading either north or south.  Gillis is nearing completion of this extraordinarily difficult challenge when she goes missing.  Her husband, waiting to restock her at a trailhead that crosses a road, reports her to the Maine Game Wardens where Lieutenant Beverly (? last name) heads the search.  We also meet Lena, a 76 year old bird watcher living in a senior community in CT who randomly is in touch with a young man living in the area where Valerie disappears.  All three women characters are drawn with care and are realistic, fascinating, and totally different.

The book begins with a journal entry by Valerie addressed to her mother, and the underlying theme throughout the book is the mother/daughter relationship of these three women with their mothers (Valerie and Bev), their daughters (Lena), and their siblings.

The book is taut with suspense as the search stretches beyond week one. I won’t ruin the reading experience by divulging the ending, but it’s a good one, believable and surprising.

Read this book for the tension and suspense. Read it for a second hand experience of the AT.  I’ve walked the 90 miles that the AT shares with the Long Trail in Vermont, and Gaige’s description of the terrain, the difficulty, and the physical and mental challenges rang true.  But ultimately, read this book for a nuanced exploration of the mother/daughter relationship, its challenges and its potential for beauty.