Join a book club that is reading Trail of the Lost: The Relentless Search to Bring Home the Missing Hikers of the Pacific Crest Trail!

Morbidly Curious Norfolk

We are the Norfolk, VA chapter of the Morbidly Curious Book Club (MCBC). Although based in Norfolk, we welcome folks from all the 7 Cities!

Morbidly Curious Book Club Fort Worth Chapter

The Fort Worth, Texas chapter of the MCBC book club!

Trail of the Lost: The Relentless Search to Bring Home the Missing Hikers of the Pacific Crest Trail

From an award-winning former law enforcement park ranger and investigator, this female-driven true crime adventure follows the author's quest to find missing hikers along the Pacific Crest Trail by pairing up with an eclectic group of unlikely allies. ​

As a park ranger with the National Park Service's law enforcement team, Andrea Lankford led search and rescue missions in some of the most beautiful (and dangerous) landscapes across America, from Yosemite to the Grand Canyon. But though she had the support of the agency, Andrea grew frustrated with the service's bureaucratic idiosyncrasies, and left the force after twelve years. Two decades later, however, she stumbles across a mystery that pulls her right back where she left off: three young men have vanished from the Pacific Crest Trail, the 2,650-mile trek made famous by Cheryl Strayed's Wild, and no one has been able to find them. It's bugging the hell out of her.

Andrea's concern soon leads her to a wild environment unlike any she's ever encountered: missing person Facebook groups. Andrea launches an investigation, joining forces with an eclectic team of amateurs who are determined to solve the cases by land and by screen: a mother of the missing, a retired pharmacy manager, and a mapmaker who monitors terrorist activity for the government. Together, they track the activities of kidnappers and murderers, investigate a cult, rescue a psychic in peril, cross paths with an unconventional scientist, and reunite an international fugitive with his family. Searching for the missing is a brutal psychological and physical test with the highest stakes, but eventually their hardships begin to bear strange fruits--ones that lead them to places and people they never saw coming.

Beautifully written, heartfelt, and at times harrowing, TRAIL OF THE LOST paints a vivid picture of hiker culture and its complicated relationship with the ever-expanding online realm, all while exploring the power and limits of determination, generosity, and hope. It also offers a deep awe of the natural world, even as it unearths just how vast and treacherous it can be.

On the TRAIL OF THE LOST, you may not find what you are looking for, but you will certainly find more than you seek.

** THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER **

BUY THE BOOK

Published Aug 22, 2023

368 pages

Average rating: 7.08

180 RATINGS

|

Community Reviews

BMC
Jun 19, 2025
7/10 stars
Solid read and interesting look into the PCT plus searching for missing people in the wilderness. I didn't love the author's writing style in a few spots, but her descriptions of these amazing humans were so heartfelt and genuine.
MCBC.mke
Jul 06, 2025
3/10 stars
Average Rating - 3.25 - Based on 4 members ratings
Noemi salsa
Jul 02, 2025
8/10 stars
An emotional roller coaster for me! But definitely a good read. Made me so sad and mad for the families. Be careful out there!
AmyBeth
Jul 02, 2025
6/10 stars
Andrea came off as very arrogant a lot of the time and it turned me off to her writing. The story itself is fascinating in learning about hiking culture and upsetting about how people get lost out there. I’d recommend this story just not from her.
CreativeCatLady
Jun 30, 2025
8/10 stars
I found the book to be a worthy read. It kept my attention, describing details of the missing hikers and the people who came together to search for them. She effectively describes the culture of thru-hikers on the PCT and search and rescue efforts, from both the authorities and the amateurs who take up the slack. However, I found the narrative to be choppy. Stories and scenes jump around in the timeline, which interrupts the pacing. Warning to outdoor enthusiasts, after reading this book, you might consider bringing more safety gear for your next day hike.

See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.