THE LAST GIRL LEFT by A. M. Strong and Sonya Sargent had me so close to the edge of my seat, I’m surprised I didn’t hit the floor!

Five years after Tessa Montgomery survives a mass murder in Sunset Cove in Maine, she has changed her name and hidden from the world at her sister’s home. When her sister confronts her about not making any forward progress in her life, Tessa Chamberlain returns to the house where the murders took place in the hopes of writing a book about her initial trauma and trying to find peace. Patrick Moyer, the Cassadaga island Ripper is now dead so Tessa does not feel any threat from him personally, but the house itself remains a trauma-filled reminder of that night. As the fog rolls in, Tessa befriends, a local waitress, Roxanne and her friend Kyla. Roxanne takes Tessa under her wing and tries to help her confront both the memories and the strange going on in and around the home. Reaching out to Chief White, the only police officer on the island, she gets little to no help, and he doesn’t seem to believe what she is telling him. Finally, giving up, she and Roxanne decide to investigate the goings on on their own.

With an editor breathing down her neck, a neighbor who seems to have disappeared, and a young grocery store clerk who seems to be following her, she decides that she will leave the island, pay back the advance for the book and return to her sheltered existence. After all, if she leaves the island, things should get better, right?

I COULD NOT put this book down. I heard the footsteps on the outside deck, heard the screams of a bobcat. and saw the faded blood stains in the floorboards as I read long into the night. The writing is clear and concise and will have you checking the locks on your doors and windows. This is my first book by this pair of authors, but it will definitely not be my last. For me, this is a writing team that I will keep at the top of my TBR.

Shout out to Thomas and Mercer and NetGalley for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

2⭐️

Five years ago, Theresa Chamberlain and three of her best friends rented a beach house on Cassadaga Island for spring break. The trip ended with three girls being brutally massacred by a man they met at a bar and Theresa as the only survivor. The attack leaves Theresa with terrible PTSD that haunts her for years.

Current day, she now goes by Tessa. She's been living with her sister, unable to hold a job or live alone. After a close call when she thought someone broke into the house, Tessa decides that she's finally going to face her fears. She decides to rent the same beach house for a month to write about her experience. It doesn't take long before she starts hearing odd noises and fears that someone may be after her again.

This is the most anti-therapy book I've ever read. The first present day scene we see of Tessa is her at her therapists office essentially freezing her therapist out. She complains about the number of therapists she's gone through and that none of them could know what she went through. Yeah, because you won't talk to any of them. When her sister begs her to talk to her therapist about going back to the beach house, Tessa says no because they would tell her not to do it. Yeah, because it was a bad idea?

The story itself was fine. It wasn't the most original but was creepy enough to keep me invested. I wasn't a fan of most of the characters; the dialogue and most of their actions just didn't feel natural at all. Especially Tessa; for someone who is supposed to be so traumatized, she makes the most reckless decisions that no woman would make.

But my biggest issue was towards the end of the book during the main climax of the story. We get several lines about how Tessa struggles to hide in a tight spot because her breasts were too big to fit in the space. We made it almost the whole book with little to no physical description of Tessa, and the first time we get one it's about her boobs. Really?

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing this ARC to me!

EASY 5⭐️ This book has left me speechless. I could NOT put this down. I read it in 2 sittings, within a 24-hour period. This book pulled me out of a month-long reading slump. I was hooked from the very beginning and I absolutely ATE this up.

This book may have had 82 chapters but each and every one was short, action -packed, and fast-paced. Almost every chapter ended with a suspenseful cliffhanger, too, making you say “Just one more chapter” over and over again Lol! By the time I knew it, the book was over.

This book did get a bit repetitive in the sense that the author restated certain facts/feelings/thoughts one (or three or five) too many times. As a book that naturally makes its readers cling to every word, I don’t think it needs such repetition.

With that being said, this story provided a plethora of jaw-dropping, unexpected twists. And then it added secondary twists on-top of those initial twists. I loved it and had to constantly adjust my theories throughout the book.

While I was able to predict that Noah was the Chief’s son and had an active part in the murders, I did NOT expect that Noah was the mastermind of the beach house massacre 5 years ago. I’m not surprised that there was actually two killers there that night (because initially I was wondering myself if Patrick had help), but I definitely thought Patrick was the killing ringleader and Noah was there as an accessory to aid and abet. I also was not surprised that Noah killed his own mother; I had suspected so. But when he said “You always remember your first”, in an emotionless, non-chalant voice, my body was overcome with chills.

I think what I love most about this book is that the author made ME feel like I was the main character in the story; like I was Theresa/Tessa and this my MY nightmare. When humans read, our brains are not able to distinguish the difference between us having actually experienced something in our real lives or us just having read about that experience in a book, as our nervous systems and endogenous hormones react the same to both. Think about it, when we have a nightmare, our conscious brain may know we are dreaming and tell us to wake up (or not), but our unconscious brain does not know if the nightmare is reality or fiction, which is why nightmares are scary in the first place. The author had a way of making you feel every OUNCE of anxiety, fear, paranoia, tension, unease, and resentment that Tessa (and the other characters) felt. I trusted no one. Literally no one. My heart raced through the entirety of this book and I found myself completely lost in the terrifying, unsettling, and suspenseful setting of Cassadaga Island.

I am not one to re-read books but this is one I absolutely would.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer (publisher) for the ARC edition of this book. I am obsessed and plan to recommend to everyone I know that reads.

A bit of a genre switch for this author but the same stellar story telling. Quite the thriller that leaves chills running down your spine. I can see that we can expect more in this vein as well as the John Decker books we know and love.
I received a free reader's copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Unfortunately, this book was very disappointing for me. The pacing was very off. The first half of so was extremely repetitive and slow moving. There were far too many incidences of Tessa being “spooked” and nothing actually ended up happening. A lot of things were unrealistic as well. I may not be a professional, but I know enough to know publishing doesn’t work as quickly as it is portrayed in this book. The characters are one dimensional. The twists were predictable and the reveals were cheesy. Overall, I don’t recommend this book. I appreciate Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for the opportunity to read this Advance Copy.

Tessa’s life has been paralyzed by fear since the summer five years ago when she survived “the Cassadaga Island Ripper,” who killed three of her friends before attacking her and leaving her for dead. Even though he was killed shortly after by police, Tessa has remained a hermit, unable to move past that night. In a desperate effort to move on, she decides to go back to Cassadaga, a tiny island off the coast of Maine, to stay in the exact house she and her friends did to confront her fears. But then, strange things begin to happen. And she wonders if she will wind up becoming a victim of the island after all.

This was a quick, atmospheric read that has the atmosphere of a ghost story, but is based in “the real world.” It has a really great premise, with the final girl voluntarily going back to the scene of the crime and things immediately going south….and things slowly ramping up until the final climax. There’s also some “is it all in her head?” elements to it, and with her most likely having PTSD from the attack 5 years ago, there’s a question of whether or not IT IS in her head or not. (She is very, very sensitive, I mean who wouldn’t be?!) It adds a layer to the plot.

And there’s some nice twists in there that keep things interesting along the way. There’s some red herrings, and plenty of scenarios that could play out, so I was interested the whole way to the end to see how things turned out. And I quite enjoyed the ending.

Like I said this was a quick read, and I really liked it. It had good mystery and thriller elements. I’d recommend picking this one up.

Thank ypu Netgalley & Thomas &Mercer Publishing for an eARC ♥️

Guys,get ready for a serious case of the heebie-jeebies with this haunting page-turner! Tessa's decision to revisit the scene of the horrific mass murder that changed her life forever sets the stage for a chilling descent into madness. As she settles into the same beach house where her friends met their gruesome ends, the isolation and creepy vibes start to mess with your head. Every step creaking on the porch, every whisper in the wind, and every flicker of the lights will have you wondering if Tessa's being stalked by a flesh-and-blood monster or something more sinister. The author masterfully cranks up the tension, blurring the lines between reality and Tessa's fevered imagination. I devoured this book in one sitting, my heart racing like a jackrabbit the whole time. Just be prepared to sleep with one eye open – and don't say I didn't warn you!

The Last Girl Left was a solid thriller/suspense about Tessa returning back to the house where her friends were murdered 5 years before. I also love a final girls story so I immediately wanted to read this one when I saw it. While I liked the main character I did find myself questioning a good amount of her decisions and there was some suspension of belief at the end. Giving this one 3 stars I enjoyed and would recommend it but not sure it's one that will stay with me for very long. I want to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

Five years after surviving the horrific crime in which all her friends were killed, Tessa returns to the lonely beach house where it occurred in the hopes of overcoming her trauma and writing a book. But as things become increasing sinister, she fears that the danger may not be fully past.

I've been in the mood for a thriller recently, and thought this book should scratch that itch. The summary promised plenty of suspense and chills, and I am a sucker for the 'last girl' horror trope. Unfortunately, the read failed to deliver for me.

In an effort to jolt herself out of her trauma-induced stupor and earn some money, Tessa forces herself to stay for a month in the same house where she was assaulted and her friends murdered and write a book about it. It's an audacious premise but I thought the author did a decent job of setting it up logically. The writing was facile and breezy, the setting well-sketched out and menacing.

However, the novel never really got off the ground for me, let alone conducted itself well. The plot was thin, with no action really occurring until about the 80% mark - until then, we must rely on eerie noises and flickering lights for the fright factor. None of the characters were fleshed out, and I found myself feeling indifferent to the fate of Tessa, her friends, and everyone else in the book. And when the villains of the piece were finally revealed, they too felt cliched, leaving me unable to take them seriously.

I was really disappointed. The premise had seemed promising, but in the end the execution just was not there. Do not recommend.

This was the first book our book club read ever! How neat is that! We all read it pretty quickly so I can say it is a fast read.

This book kept me on my toes the entire time. I had butterflies in my stomach and I was anxious for Tessa throughout the entire book!! Tessa was a strong and determined woman. She decided the best way for her to conquer her fears was not only to go back to the island where the nightmare began but to stay IN the house for a MONTH! Not me, no way. I'd have been too scared. I would have gone back to the island but not in the same house. But, Tessa decided she would stay and show herself that nothing bad would happen. However, that isn't quite what happened.
I don't want to spill too many details. It could ruin the book. Just know this: I really liked this book and if you're a thriller lover I think you will as well! If you're not a thriller lover keep this one in mind as a gift for a friend/family member. This one will be on KU when it is published on April 23, 2024

This book read like watching a scary movie! Those are the types of books I love!
The story centers around one woman, Tessa, who is the sole survivor of a massacre of her friends that happened at a beach house. Tessa has tried counselor after counselor with no luck. She has been living with her sister since then. One night, she thinks she sees someone in her room and grabs her baseball bat. When she is close, she swings. She almost killed her sister's cat. When Tessa tells her this, her sister tells her she has to find another place to live.
She knows she needs money to find another place and remembers years ago that someone from a publisher contacted her wanting her to write a book about what happened. She contacts them and they tell her that years ago they were interested and now it's old news. Tessa gets the idea of going back to the beach house and writing about her trying to work through all that happened. She pitches this idea to the publisher and they are very interested. She books the beach house for a month and is certain she can write the book in that time.
However, when she starts to hear footsteps and things happening in the house she can't explain, she wonders if it is a good idea to be truly alone.
I would recommend to anyone who likes a slow burn with a wallop of a finale!
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

Okay so this kept me awake. Totally had me engaged. The premise alone is anxiety provoking, and the writing just adds to it. Oh my word

This had a great psychological suspense feel that I was hoping for when reading the description. The characters had a great overall concept and worked with what I was looking for. It took a realistic event that someone could witness and uses that perfectly for the story. I enjoyed how good everything worked together in this story. A.M. Strong and Sonya Sargent do a great job in writing this type of book and characters.

Content Warnings: rape, murder, stalking, torture, gaslighting, gun violence

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC!

I am a huge fan of slashers and the horror genre, and I’ve always thought that an underutilized concept is what happens to the final girl after the cameras stop rolling and the bloodbath ends. So when I read the synopsis of The Last Girl Left, I was excited.

The Last Girl Left is about Tessa Montgomery, a young woman who has survived the beach house massacre that left her three best friends dead. Five years after the murders, Tessa is still living in the shadow of what happened on Cassadaga Island. She has spent the last several years hiding from the world in her sister’s house, afraid even to turn off the lights.

But when her sister gives her an ultimatum — get her life together or get out — Tessa makes the spur-of-the-moment decision to return to the house of her nightmares and finally face her demons. She even signs a contract with a publisher that will force her to stay in the house for a month while she writes a book about her experiences. Although anxious, Tessa is sure that this will be a good thing for her. It will finally allow her to move on with her life.

Except she isn’t even in the house for a full night before strange things start happening. Floorboards creak in the next room with phantom footsteps. Shadows appear and disappear on the other side of windows. Voices whisper her name just over her shoulder. Files that she knows she saved disappear from her laptop. Screams wake her up in the middle of the night and the neighbor she’s been so friendly with disappears as if she never existed.

Terrified and trapped, if Tessa can’t sort her friends from her foes, she may never leave Cassadaga Island again.

I really loved the premise of this book. It was incredibly readable, and the short chapters really kept me hooked. I also enjoyed the vivid descriptions of Cassadaga Island. And without giving too much away, I liked several of the side characters.

Something that bothered me, though, was the way that the story kept invoking Tessa’s dead friends without actually giving them any substance. The flashbacks and descriptions kept coming back to the same thing: one of them wanted to be a journalist, one was artistic, and one was outgoing. There was no other information offered about them, even though they were supposed to be haunting the narrative. It was hard to feel anything for them, since they were given such little depth.

All in all, this was a decent thriller.

This book had a promising premise, but unfortunately fell short in its execution. While the plot was intriguing, there were several flaws that detracted from my enjoyment of the story. I wasn't particularly surprised by anything, and the book lacked sufficient emphasis on her journey towards inner healing, closure, or the writing process.

One of the main issues I had was with the protagonist, Tessa. Despite her traumatic experience, I found her character to be frustratingly ignorant and unrelatable. Her disregard for therapy and refusal to acknowledge the eerie occurrences in the house made it difficult for me to empathize with her struggles.

One major issue I had was the absence of a therapy segment. Tessa's attitude towards overcoming trauma without therapy felt unrealistic (especially at the end) and could have been addressed more effectively, maybe even with actual therapy sessions. Perhaps having a therapist accompany her to the island, or zoom sessions, could have added depth to the story and made for a more engaging read.

There was also a lack of depth in the supporting character. I felt that they were too one-dimensional, which made the eventual reveal of the killer less impactful.

The pacing of the book was sluggish, with the plot only picking up momentum towards the final pages. This made it challenging to stay engaged with the story, despite the short chapters. While the plot finally picked up in the last 20%, it didn't leave a lasting impression.

Tessa survived a brutal attack that left her friends dead. So much for a fun getaway. Now she is afraid of everyone and everything. Five years of therapy has been useless, and she sleeps with a baseball bat at her side. But one mistake makes her face facts and causes her to go back to the place it all happened. Will this really help her move on or cause more damage? What she finds-- she wasn't expecting! I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.

I loved this psychological thriller! It had enough twists and turns to keep me turning the pages, and it wasn’t predictable, which is a big plus for me! It gave just enough character and background info to help me feel attached to what was happening without being overdone. All in all a great read that I’ll happily recommend closer to publication day. Thanks for the opportunity to read!

In this captivating read, the author masterfully weaves a narrative that is both engaging and thought-provoking. Through a blend of richly developed characters and a meticulously crafted plot, the book offers a unique exploration of its central themes, inviting readers to immerse themselves in the story's depth and complexity. The narrative is paced perfectly, balancing moments of intense action with thoughtful reflection, ensuring that readers are hooked from the first page to the last. The author's ability to evoke emotion and create a vivid, immersive world is truly remarkable, making this book a must-read for anyone looking for an exceptional literary experience.

Beyond its compelling storyline, the book stands out for its insightful commentary on the human condition, weaving philosophical questions into the fabric of its narrative. The author's skillful use of language not only enriches the text but also elevates the reader's experience, offering new perspectives on familiar themes. Whether it's the intricate dynamics of relationships, the exploration of identity, or the confrontation with ethical dilemmas, this book tackles complex issues with sensitivity and intelligence. It's a testament to the power of storytelling to illuminate the nuances of life, making it a valuable addition to any book lover's collection. Regardless of genre, this is a work that resonates on multiple levels, affirming the enduring impact of well-crafted literature.

I am a big fan of the isolated-locale thriller trope. The Last Girl Left was set on an island off of Maine in November. The island is mostly empty, as all of the tourists have left, and only the locals remain.

Our main character, Tessa Chamberlain, has taken a cottage on the island for the month of November. The cottage is one she is horrifyingly familiar with. It's the place where she was the lone survivor of a triple homicide five years previously.

Tessa has returned to the island to finally try and confront her past and what happened that night in hopes that she'll finally be able to move on with her life. But, almost immediately, she starts to be terrorized and ends up fighting for her life once again.

I found The Last Girl Left to be well written. It definitely kept me reading because I needed to know what happened in the end. There were moments that were pretty suspenseful. But, overall, I did not find it terribly suspenseful. I had a few theories running through my mind as I was reading, and I was correct with one of them.

I could absolutely be wrong because I've never suffered a trauma of that magnitude. But, I struggled with the main characters choice to go back to the place she almost died, by herself in the down season when she'd be totally isolated for an entire month. There was also a character introduced to the story that just kind of disappeared from the story, I thought more could definitely be done with this character.

I'd give this a 3.5 stars, but I will bump up to four since we can't give half stars. If you want a thriller that isn't too intense, something where you get to play detective, this one could be for you.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer for the advanced digital copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

(3.5 stars rounded up)
Spooky! "The Last Girl Left" kept me on my toes the entire read and was definitely hard to read before bed.
-- Tessa is the sole-survivor of a horrible mass murder after her and her three other friends rented a beach house. Five years later, Tessa came across another opportunity to return to the same house to work through her terrors..
Overall, I enjoyed this book as it kept me guessing the entire time. I do think it dragged on at certain parts causing it to be longer than needed.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advanced copy. Pub Date - April 23, 2024