What We'll Burn Last By Heather Chavez

From the acclaimed author of Before She Finds Me comes a "nuanced story of fiery secrets" (The Washington Post) and a "beautifully written, cinematic thriller" (Ashley Winstead) about two entangled families in a California neighborhood who must race to uncover the truth about a missing teen as a wildfire threatens to engulf everything.

Leyna Clarke's life was forever altered when she was twelve and her older sister, Grace, disappeared with her boyfriend, Adam Duran. Neither was ever seen again. Now, sixteen years later, a mysterious stranger who bears a striking resemblance to Grace appears at Leyna’s workplace and vanishes just as abruptly. When it's revealed that Leyna was one of the last people to speak with the young woman, her childhood crush, Dominic Duran—Adam’s brother—begs her to return home.

Yet Leyna isn’t the only one haunted by that fateful night. Her mother, Meredith, still clings to the family’s old home, despite officially accepting the police’s theory that Grace and Adam ran away willingly. Meanwhile, down the street, Olivia Duran, Adam and Dominic’s mother, remains in the neighborhood, hoping to see her son return and to uncover what Meredith and Leyna have been concealing.

As a wildfire approaches, tensions rise and secrets unravel. With the forest itself harboring truths about the past, trust becomes a dangerous gamble. Amid the smoke and chaos, the families must confront their buried secrets before the fire consumes all that remains. Who will be left standing when the flames die down, and who will finally reveal the truth? 📚❤️