FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  
Oct. 1, 2024  

**Elena Vargas’ debut thriller ‘Echoes of the Lost’ releases Oct. 15**  

*Former journalist’s novel centers on a detective unraveling a decades-old family mystery.*  

NEW YORK -- Elena Vargas’ debut novel “Echoes of the Lost,” a psychological thriller, will be published Oct. 15 by HarperCollins Publishers. The book follows a detective investigating her own family’s hidden past amid a string of unsolved disappearances. Early advance reader copies have drawn comparisons to works by Gillian Flynn.  

The 320-page hardcover draws from Vargas’ 15 years as an investigative reporter for The Miami Herald, where she covered cold cases. HarperCollins acquired North American rights in a six-figure deal last year after a bidding war. The novel marks the first in a planned trilogy.  

“We wrote this because those old stories from my reporting wouldn’t let me sleep—they demanded to be told,” Vargas said. “It’s not just a mystery; it’s about what families bury to survive.”  

Pre-orders have topped 10,000 units through Amazon and Barnes & Noble, with audiobook rights sold to Audible. The publisher reports strong buzz from mystery conventions, including a starred review in Publishers Weekly.  

The book is available for pre-order at $28 hardcover from major retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble and IndieBound.org. Vargas will appear at the Miami Book Fair Oct. 20 and virtual events through November.  

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Elena Vargas is a former investigative reporter for The Miami Herald. “Echoes of the Lost” is her first novel. She lives in Miami with her husband and two children.  

MEDIA CONTACT:  
Zara Thompson  
zara@crimsonleaf.com  
(212) 555-0198