Who pushed Vangie? That's the question Laurel hopes to resolve, as well as to reconnect with her old college friends. Sometimes I wonder why people agree to meet up again when they know one of them did something really bad but it does make for a good novel. DiSilverio has created five well designed characters in Geneva, Ellie, Dawn, Vangie, and Laurel. My quibble is that there is a lot going on with this group; perhaps one less character would have made this more intense. That said, it's definitely suspenseful and a good read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Try this one if you like books where old frenemies need to resolve things once and for all.

A good story until the conclusion. There were too many side stories to keep track of to the conclusion. I did like the characters.

This cover is one of my favorites that I’ve seen recently. In all honesty, when I saw this cover, it made me look into the book further and I was hooked. There is something intriguing and also spooky about it; it kept me wondering what was happening behind those dark windows. Once you start reading, the author doesn’t disappoint as she continues to bring the beautiful imagery to life.

Our story starts with each of the girls getting a mysterious, tangerine envelope in the mail. Laurel, Geneva, Ellie, and Dawn haven’t returned to Chateau du Cygne Noir since they were there last, when a terrible accident changed everything. But as soon as they seen the bright invitation, everything from the past comes rushing forward. Past hurts and betrayals run deep for this group.

Evangeline is the character that sort of connects everything, and everyone, together. The last weekend at the inn, someone pushed her over her balcony, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down. But no one knows who. Now, as the women reconnect, wounds that should be healed are ripped open.

The author brings her reader a diverse cast in this story and it was appreciated. Laurel has just become a judge in Colorado, Geneva is expecting her first child in Chicago, Ellie has just sent her boys off to college, and Dawn is a struggling artist. Each person has their quirks, their secret insecurities and desires.

Then we have Evangeline, who I never really knew how to feel about. When I first met her character, I admit she reminded me of someone I knew. That was a weird feeling for me but at the same time, it made the story come alive. I could align with the women and their distrust and disdain for Evangeline. I knew exactly how they felt when she would poke them, trying to provoke a reaction. She was nice, but there always seemed to an underlying maliciousness to it.

Even though we get a mystery in this story, we also see aspects of growth, and even a slight love story mixed in. There were times when the story seemed to slow down a bit and I think having the growth and love gently mix in really kept things interesting. I was invested not only in the mystery; I wanted to know what happened and how everyone resolved their issues.

If you enjoy books about friendships and the ways they can weave in and out of our lives, you’ll enjoy this book. Of course, if you love a good mystery, this book will also appeal to you. Overall, a fantastic read that I would definitely recommend.

I have enjoyed this author’s cozy mysteries for quite some time and I have started reading her newer standalone thrillers, and I really like them! “That Last Weekend” is my favorite so far of all her books. Tragedy strikes a group of college friends when they get together for a girls’ weekend. Now ten years later, the women reunite at the same North Carolina bed and breakfast. Each guest has reservations about attending, but hope the weekend could help them move forward from the tragic event in their past.

The uneasy reunion between this diverse group of women is filled with twists and turns that had me spellbound. There is a fairly large cast of characters to keep track of and I was sometimes confused about whether the events being described happened in the past or the present. However, this didn’t detract from the suspense or my enjoyment of the book. So many books promise a twist at the end, but this book is full of unpredictable plot turns that kept me guessing until the end. “That Last Weekend” is the perfect choice for mystery and thriller fans.

I received this book from NetGalley through the courtesy of Midnight Ink. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

That Last Weekend is one of those mysteries with a very limited list of suspects, none of whom you want to be guilty. Laura DiSilverio does a masterful job of balancing that tension between almost preferring not to know who is guilty and the need to know for the sake of the innocent. A circle of college friends used to vacation in a castle that had been moved brick by brick from France to America until ten years ago, one of them was pushed off a fifth-floor balcony. The local sheriff was certain it was one of them – and they suspected each other as well – and that mutual suspicion infected their friendship.

Now, suddenly, they are invited back for a weekend and none of them can resist attending, their motives mixed, hoping to rekindle lost friendships or to find answers. Murder and mayhem ensue and the sheriff is back, determined that this time someone will pay.



That Last Weekend is a fast-paced mystery that somehow manages to create as much suspense as those with a small group of suspects as many can with dozens. There really are so few, the four friends invited back to the scene of the past and present crime, the caretakers, the maid, and the victim’s mysterious fiance. The maid is skilled at pressuring people for “tips” and the caretakers are resentful the castle is being converted and they are laid off, so there’s a chance “the butler did it.” There are, of course, the friends, and they are likable people you want to be innocent.

Of course, when mysteries are left unsolved, to fester for a decade, the innocent suffer with the guilty, under a cloud of shared suspicion. Friendships wear thin. How can you hold close to a friendship if there is this whisper of doubt, the fear your friend is guilty? All in all, this was a quick, pleasurable mystery that was more complex than it seemed at first and fair every step of the way.

That Last Weekend will be released September 5th. I received an e-galley in advance from the publisher through NetGalley.

That Last Weekend at Midnight Ink
Laura DiSilverio author site

Half-way through the book I am still struggling to connect to characters I find totally unlikable and don't feel invested in the story line at all. I concede that I may not be the right audience for this book and have decided not to finish reading it, as I am not enjoying the journey at all. I regret not being able to leave a review this time.

The book was enjoyable but did not meet my expectations and left me feeling unsatisfied with the overall plot.

**I received an advanced reader's copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.**
Think "Pretty Little Liars" television show, but with an adult cast, mixed with Ruth Ware's "In A Dark, Dark, Wood," and you get the gist of this book. I truly enjoyed it, and it kept me entertained and in suspense nearly until the end. The story involves college friends who meet at an old inn ten years after a fateful weekend resulted in tragedy. This time, it ends in murder. Each is a suspect but they must work together to unravel the mysterious circumstances surrounding one friend's death. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a well-crafted whodunit mystery.

Totally enjoyed this story! The first few chapters, in which we learn about each of the individual characters was a big slow going. After the ladies all arrive at Chateau du Cyghe Bed and Breakfast, the intrigue immediately started and this became a cannot put down book. This was their friends first time back to Cygne in 10 years. It had been ten years since the last weekend they spent together at the B&B. One of the mysteries that had to be solved was, who pushed Evangeline off her balcony during the last weekend visit. Each of the other four friends had a motive. Vangie was not the nicest person and she had done things to hurt Dawn, Ellie, Laurel, and Geneva. But now, ten years later things are not much better and now they have more mysteries to solve and more secrets to uncover. There are numerous twists in this book which keep the reader guessing as to who the real killer is going to turn out to be.

That Last Weekend is the crazy, and I do mean crazy, story of a group of girlfriends who had a girl's trip to a fancy castle and disaster struck. One of the girls was pushed from a balcony and became paralyzed. The police never found out who the culprit was, so when the girls visit the castle again years later they hope to find some answers. However, they run into even more trouble when people start dying and they have to put their investigative skills to the test and try to stay alive in the process. This thriller was not really my cup of tea. There is a lot of bad language in the book and I don't like that. Also, I didn't feel a connection with the characters at all and I felt like I couldn't keep up with their personalities. I didn't feel like the book had a good flow to it and some of the things that occurred seemed unnatural to me. However, the plot line was definitely unique and kept you guessing. Thank you for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Another knock out thrilling mystery by author Laura DiSilverio. From start to finish, this book will have you at the edge of your seat wondering who did it. Friends from college used to get together and have a girls weekend, until one of them was pushed from a 5th floor balcony. No one knows who pushed her, but shes paralyzed now and ten years later, she wants them all back together.
Then the murders start to happen. If only they could figure out who pushed her off the balcony, will they be able to find the killer.
Great read, wonderfully written, awesome story telling. Loved the book.

I enjoyed this book despite the fact it's not a genre that I read. The relationships between the women were interesting. Sad to say I knew who doneit before the characters did. I'm hoping that there is a follow-up book.

An enjoyable read which caught me by surprise a couple of times

This was more of a crime novel than a cozy mystery.

Five women, college friends, are invited together again after a tragedy 10 years previously left one of them paralyzed. The history and undercurrents between them, along with a creepy castle hotel (complete with ghost) which was the scene of the earlier tragedy, combine to create a tense moody menacing atmosphere.
It's not long until bodies start piling up.
With the arrival of the sheriff who failed to solve the earlier attempted murder, the gang's together for one last time.

I enjoyed reading this book quite a lot. It says much about the pacing and plot line that it distracted me through a weekend of dental emergency and kept me from completely climbing the walls. It's likely a comment about my state of mind at the time, that the characters blurred together a bit for me and I had to keep figuring out "oh, she's the artist, she's the lawyer, that's the pregnant one".
For fans of Patterson's Women's Murder Club series, this one will satisfy.

4 stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher.

Five college friends stayed at the same castle-like bed and breakfast every year, until tragedy struck. Pushed away by suspicion and fear, and drifting further apart due to distance and time, they now barely speak to one another. Until, ten years after that fateful night, each receives an invitation to return to the Chateau du Cygne Noir for one last weekend. The demons of the past and the present join forces, and death stalks the chateau. The five friends must confront their past and rip open old wounds to finally uncover the truth.

If all this sounds like a Christopher Pike novel to you, you are not far off (old person question: do people still read Christopher Pike books? Or are you looking up his Wikipedia page right now?). I'm not sure if I'm just burned out on the psychological thriller genre, but I just couldn't get into this book. I tried, but ultimately, I couldn't get behind any of the main characters, and reading the book felt a bit like my middle school reads attempted an Agatha Christie radio drama.

But, maybe I'm being overly harsh. I've certainly been hitting the psychological thrillers harder than the whiskey recently, and I have to say, they've all started to look alike to me. I think too many plot twists may have turned my head. If you're generally a fan of the genre, or you're old enough to look back at The Midnight Club with something like nostalgia, then give this book a whirl. I'd like to know if quiet, self-conscious, jogging female protagonists have turned me into a bitter old hag.

An advance copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

That Last Weekend
By Laura DiSilverio
Midnight Ink
September 8, 2017

Review by Cynthia Chow

For nearly a decade, college friends Laurel Muir, Dawn Infanti, Ellie Ordahl, Geneva Frost, and Evangeline Paul met every September for a weekend together at North Carolina's Chateau du Cygne Noir. After that last night that ended with Evangeline crumpled and broken at the bottom of the stair, it would be another ten years before they would reunite there again. When they each receive the ominous tangerine invitation, they are all at points in their lives where moving on – or just starting over – can entice them back.

During that last weekend the friends all had reasons for wanting to give Vangie a shove down the stairs, yet none were willing to openly accuse another or admit to guilt. The suspicions and lies altered their lives forever, and their lost friendships may explain why they are all so unmoored today. A successful lawyer and newly appointed judge, Laurel can’t help but feel as though she may have missed out by not having children. Ellie has the opposite problem, facing an empty nest and the realization that she sacrificed her career to be a mother and wife. Frustrated artist Dawn has given up her artistic dreams for the paycheck job as a scientific illustrator. Geneva may be the happiest as she looks forward to the birth of her first child, but being a psychologist was not the profession she had planned to pursue.

This dissatisfaction with their lives leads them back to the place they can never forget, to the weekend that haunts them to this day. While most of them hope to ignite their past friendships and renew the bonds that once made them so close, one of them may have less admirable and hopeful motivations. As viewpoints change with chapters, readers are shown different sides of each character, yet never sure which narrator may be the most unreliable of them all.

Known for crafting light-hearted and witty mystery series, DiSilverio’s talents at building suspense and nuanced characters is just as evident here. Judah Boone is far from being a Southern sheriff cliché, and while angered by his inability to close the past case he proves far more clever and sympathetic than one might expect. Surprises are continually thrown up as secrets are reveals and characters backstories expand, yet it is so well-plotted that one never becomes confused by shifting narratives. This is an outstanding twist on the traditional locked-room mystery, one that also serves as an exploration of the friendships of women. The truth is not always easy to accept, with some of the biggest lies being the ones we tell ourselves. This is simply an extraordinary novel.

If you enjoy cozy mysteries/thrillers in interesting settings, this is something that you will enjoy. This was a typical whodunnit type of mystery that many fans of classic mysteries will enjoy.

I really enjoyed this book. It's an interesting premise, the writing is very good, and the ending was a surprise. I was invested in the characters and their stories, and couldn't wait to find out whodunnit.

Four old college friends receive an invitation in the mail. They are all at different stages in their lives, but the one thing they have in common is Evangeline. The five of them had been vacationing at a restored castle B&B called Cygne until 10 years ago, when Evangeline fell from a balcony and was paralyzed from the waist down. Was it really an accident or did one of the other four girls push her? No one knows for sure.

Ten years later they return to find Evangeline engaged and apparently "cured" and almost able to walk again. They never find out, because her body is found the next morning and suddenly the four friends are under suspicion like they were 10 years before after Evangeline's fall.

They are questioned by the same police detective, and he's even more suspicious of them than he was before. The clues slowly fall into place as the story takes some interesting twists and turns.

I highly recommend this book, especially for mystery lovers. It kept my attention until the very end.

Thanks to Midnight Ink and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Memories of a tragic girls weekend at the beautiful Chateau du Cygne Noir B&B are brought to life by the mysterious arrival of a small tangerine envelope in mailboxes ten years later. A reunion in the making, but how could reliving the horrifying events of the past help to ease the tensions that remain?

A page turner that kept my interest to the end.

First off, thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of The Last Weekend. Here is my honest review.

That Last Weekend is a 'novel of suspense'. And it definitely keeps the suspense. The story is interesting and is filled with twists and turns, most of which you don't see coming. Set in the present, the story touches upon events of the past through flashbacks. The transitions are smooth and comfortable to follow. They don't break the flow and, in fact, add some interesting dimensions to the book. 

The book gets right into it without much preamble. As a result, you take some time to get used to who's who. That is still easier to do here than it is with a Mary Higgins Clark novel, though. Keeping with its 'let's get right to it' beginning, the book moves along at a fast pace, without a single dull moment. It also has some good creepy elements which really set the scene perfectly. The writing style pulls you in and keeps you there, really allowing you to experience the entire eerie castle and small town setting, and adding to the suspense.

Yet, there are some aspects of the book that come across as a bit annoying. Some of the characters, for example. While Laurel seems level headed and easy to associate with, some of the other characters are just irritating. It wasn't an in-your-face sort of irritation. It is just the way they are - not too pleasant would be the best way to describe it, I guess. You could chalk that up to the diversity that is existent in people. But their reactions to the events are just not sensible enough for someone who was in that situation. I have to admit that the diversity is what brings credibility and depth to such a story, but that didn't exactly stop me from growling at the screen of my tablet at certain moments.

The last thing is that the story itself is actually incredibly interesting. It is twisted to a whole other level. But that itself is what made me wonder, "Can someone even be like that?" And that hint of incredibility brings down its appeal just a notch.

(Yes, I am aware that the last two paragraphs have me contradicting myself a lot. It was just that kind of a book.)

All in all, That Last Weekend was a more-than-just-good kind of read. It moved fast, kept me turning the pages, maintained its suspense well, and had a storyline that was convoluted to the right degree. It may not be the best suspense novel you read (given its few drawbacks), but is definitely worth reading especially if:
- you like suspense novels
- you like cozy mysteries
- you enjoy murder mysteries and classic whodunits
That Last Weekend is scheduled for release on September 8, 2017 by Midnight Ink. I'd recommend grabbing a copy.