The Last Time I Lied is entertaining and a typical mystery novel, but there were times I found it dragged. Thank you Netgwlley for the advanced reader copy.

4.5 STARS - With The Last Time I Lied, Riley Sager has written an enticing, dark and riveting thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Set at Camp Nightingale, an all-girls summer sleep-away camp, readers will quickly become enmeshed in the secrets and lies of this complex psychological thriller.

The story is told in present day and uses flashbacks to the summer 15 years earlier when Emma was one of the campers during Camp Nightingale's final summer. The same summer when Emma's three cabinmates went missing and were never found. Now Emma, a professional artist, has returned to the newly reopened camp as an art instructor, with the goal of figuring out what happened to her teenage friends.

This was a great read. It has a good pace, numerous red herrings and some fantastic twists that left me muttering 'Oh, you got me, Riley Sager. Well played!' Finding an author who can still surprise this avid suspense reader is definitely one to keep an eye on.

This was my first book by Sager but will not be my last. I plan to pick up his book, Final Girls, as soon as possible. If you're looking for a great psychological, atmospheric thriller that teasingly reveals its secrets, includes dark twists and some edge-of-your-seat scenes, you'll want to pick up this book.

4.5/5 Stars!!

*Complementary Arc provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

After reading and really enjoying Final Girls, Riley Sager's first book, I knew that I had to dive into The Last Time I Lied. And y'all, this one was just as good as Final Girls was for me!!

As with my Review for Final Girls, I won't be going into too much details here because I don't want to spoil anything and potentially ruin the reading experience for anyone. But in The Last Time I Lied we have a somewhat similar scenario going on as we did in the previous book. When Emma was younger she went to summer camp at Camp Nightingale for the very first time, and she ends up bunking with 3 older girls. Vivian, Natalie, and Allison take young Emma under their wing and the 4 quickly form an odd pairing from the outside eye. Long summer nights at the camp bring on games and secrets, namely through Two Truths and a Lie. But one night Emma sees the older girls leaving late one night, and they're never seen again. Now years later Emma is a rising painter who uses her past to inspire her work, and this is how Francesca Harris-White gets in touch with her. She was the owner of the camp before she shut it down after the disappearances, and now she wants to reopen the doors, and she wants Emma there to help her out. Emma is hesitant at first, but she sees the opportunity as a chance to try and figure out what exactly happened that night her friends went missing. But as she starts to uncover the history of the camp, she also discovers a camera pointed right at her cabin. Is she in over her head? You'll have to read to find out.

I feel like I'm quickly discovering that I really enjoy Sager's writing style. There's something so atmospheric about it that instantly transports you to whatever setting his books are in. There was such a campy vibe while reading this and I felt like I was bunking in the cabins and participating in camp activities right along with the characters. One thing I also want to say is that the vibe of this one is kinda different than Final Girls in my opinion. I don't mean this in a bad way or anything, but as I was reading it was something that I definitely noticed from the beginning. Final Girls had a gory/slasher vibe going for it that really set that horror movie mood off. To me, The Last Time I Lied had more of a mystery, campy vibe going. It didn't have the gore, but more of a true suspense thriller type feel. I'm probably not making any sense at all lol, but if you've read both then you probably know what I'm getting at here.

I loved reading about Emma trying to uncover all these secrets and finding all these clues to see if she could solve this mystery surrounding the missing girls. Every time she found a clue to dive deeper into I was shook most times, and also peeking over my shoulder to make sure no one was watching haha.

I think that The Last Time I Lied wrapped up a bit better than Final Girls in some aspects. After I finished Final Girls and calmed down a bit from the story, I found myself wondering about some details because it seemed like there was something missing for them. It didn't take away from my enjoyment, but it was something I noticed. With The Last Time I Lied I feel like it was tied up a bit better. There's one or two things that some might feel weren't, but I didn't mind.

In the end I HIGHLY recommend this if you're looking for something to read in October to get you in that fall mood. Actually I recommend reading Final Girls first and then this one so you can get a two for one on those vibes. The settings and atmospheric writing will hook you in from page one, and the characters and thrilling story line will keep you reading until the end!!

I read Sager's first novel, Final Girls last summer and I absolutely loved it. So I was really excited to pick up The Last Time I Lied when it came out this year. This novel was a little different and not quite as gory, which I appreciated. It was filled with constant suspense and I was on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The story switched between past and present throughout the novel and I loved that change in pace because it added even more suspense. The characters were complex and I totally didn't see that ending coming!

The Last Time I Lied was an entertained suspense novel filled with twists from the first page to the last. I read this book in about two days and couldn't force myself to put it down! If you are of fan of Sager's work or you love suspense novels, this one is for you! I would highly recommend it! Thank you to Dutton and NetGalley for sending a copy in exchange for and honest review.

Rating 4/5

This is a slow burn sort of thriller that carefully unravels pieces of the puzzle bit by bit. Emma is an unreliable narrator that everyone tends to have suppositions about and not good ones.

I will admit that the majority of the novel was a 4 star read for me. I found it to be a little too predictable until I reached the very end.

I totally did not see that plot twist coming! Now I’m hoping a sequel will be written! That was my main reason for upgrading it to 5 stars.

This book may be slow-paced and have some predictability, but it still contains some pretty good surprises within. This is my first book by Riley Sager but it certainly won’t be the last!

Special thanks to the publisher and the author for approving my request to read this book through NetGalley!

Thanks to Netgalley for this copy of Riley Sager's "The Last Time I Lied" in exchange for my honest review.

This is definitely a 5 STAR THRILLER! Fifteen Years ago, Emma Davis was 13 years old, enjoying her first summer at Camp Nightingale. Shortly after her arrival, her three cabin mates, Vivian, Allison, and Natalie, vanish. She is haunted by their disappearance, and the fact that she was the last to see them alive as they snuck out of the cabin.

Now, Emma is an artist with beautiful and ethereal paintings of forest landscapes and flora. However, the only way she can make her pieces beautiful is by painting all three girls on each canvas, and hiding them underneath all leaves and branches. Fifteen years after that awful summer, Camp Nightingale is reopening and Emma has been asked to return as a painting instructor. Despite her hesitation, Emma knows that this might be the only way for her to move on from that haunting summer, by returning to the scene of the crime, and piecing together what may have really happened to the girls. Little does Emma know, that by trying to unveil the past, things will only get worse for her at Camp Nightingale.

This book will have you hooked from beginning to end. Every one has a secret, especially Emma. No one around her can be trusted, and the twisted and confusing clues she finds during her return may have been left by Vivian fifteen years ago, knowing this day would come. While trying to stay under the radar and heal her own grief, Emma falls deeper and deeper into the secrets of Camp Nightingale.

An amazingly written mystery with characters that make each piece of the story all the more intriguing. A must read!

Our book club read this book and I can't wait to discuss!! 2 Truths and a lie: 1. You'll never guess the end. 2. I loved this book. 3. If you read this book you will be bored out of your mind.

I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN!! I loved the setting, the characters, the mystery and the ghosts...I will, for sure, be looking for more titles by Riley Sager.

First sentence: This is how it begins.

Last sentence: The time for lies is over.

Holy cow was this book good! I enjoyed the Camp Nightingale location and felt it definitely added to the creepiness. I loved the back and forth between past and present, and all of the characters involved. I did not see the ending coming and this will be one of my top reads of 2018! Thanks for the advanced copy!

Emma is a 13 year old girl who is going to summer camp at Camp Nightingale. After befriending her 3 new roommates, she wakes up one morning with them missing. She searches the camp, but cannot find a trace of them. Now, 15 years later, she is an artist in New York City. The owner of the camp approaches her in hopes she will return to the new reopening of the camp as the art instructor. Throughout this book, you are continuously wondering: What happened to the girls? Does Emma know? Did she have something to do with it? What is she hiding? Why is she willing to go back to a camp where everyone doesn't trust her?. I was completely taken in by this entire book, trying to make predictions how I thought it would end. Not only was I completely wrong about the ending, but.... THAT ENDING!!! I had goosebumps reading it and immediately want everyone I know to read this so I can talk about it with them!

Riley Sager has done it again. This book's eerie vibes are evident from the very beginning, I mean come on, secluded summer camp on land that could be "haunted", but definitely has some bad juju, how can you go wrong?

I loved the backward/forward motion of the story. Emma is a character full of flaws, there's not doubt about that, she's hard to believe, but also hard to distrust. (Both as an adult and a teen) Her unreliability makes you think, could she have played a part in the disappearance of the girls the whole time.. Beyond Emma, I really liked the whole cast of characters, I think they brought just the right amount of mystery, angst, and foreboding to the story.

The twist, well let's just say, wow! I didn't see it coming and it makes me want more from this story and from Sager as an author.

I really liked Riley Sager's first novel and this follow up was just as good for me (maybe even a smidge better ...). I admire Sager's ability to create a sinister mood that gives the reader a strong sense of unease while also making the reader never want to put the book down! Although my own camp experiences were very different than the one described in the book (I was much older when I went to camp), I found the entire camping aspect of the story to be so well done! The setting that Sager created was fantastic and really give the book a sense of realness. This book is an excellent example of a psychological thriller - it kept me on my toes, made me think, kept me guessing and made me think. All the things I love in a good thriller! Overall, I found this to be a really satisfying thriller. It may be one of the best thrillers that I've read so far this year. Highly recommended!

This was an amazing book. Riley Sager did it again. I loved Final Girls and now I loved The Last Time I Lied. She is an amazing author with smooth and intense prose. I could hardly put this book down. Truly love Riley as an author and I cannot wait for more from her!

A good beach read .... a fast moving mystery right up my alley... quick a bit predictable fut enjoyable.

I always feel sorry for an author's book that follows a best seller. If Final Girls is the reason you chose The Last Time I Lied, be aware that they are totally separate novels. The first would be horror/thriller, the latter more mystery suspense. Yes, the psychological factors in each, but TLTIL is slower paced, in fact the detail in the first part became overwhelming. The characters are rather complex, and Mr. Sager peels the layers back slowly. That made connecting to the characters a little difficult for me. I did appreciate the second half of the story, where the promise of the premise came true, and the twists and turns began. The second half is a very well woven adventure. 3.5

I really enjoyed "Final Girls", so I was excited to read this book. Unfortunately, I just wasn't that big of a fan. The book was ok just not all i was hoping it would be. It dragged a bit for me and i felt likw there was a lot of "filler."

Now this is how you write a thriller. I was hooked from the first page and it just kept getting better. The way everything is connected and how the story unfolds is magnificent. I certainly can't wait to read another book written by this author. Bravo!

“Sometimes a lie is more than just a lie. Sometimes it’s the only way to win.”

Ooooh, how fun this was. A perfect, spooky “campfire tale” type of story. Right off the bat, I was intrigued by the plotline; I was a camp counselor in high school and there were all types of urban legends and rumors about the camp’s history and location. We even played “Two Truths and Lie” as an icebreaker game like the girls in the book. It was such a familiar, nostalgic setting and I couldn’t put it down.

The Last Time I Lied alternates between Emma Davis’ life in present day and the summer she was thirteen, both taking place at Camp Nightingale in upstate New York. Fifteen years ago, three girls from Emma’s cabin disappeared and never returned, scarring her mental health well into adulthood. Now 28, Emma returns to camp with to finally uncover the truth about what happened that fateful summer.

Sager being a man, I was impressed by his ability to write the “hot and cold” dynamics of female friendship. The relationship between Emma and Vivian is one I have both seen and experienced as a teenage girl. “Yes, boys can break your heart and betray you, but not in the same stinging way girls can.” He hit the nail on the head here when girls are friends at this age – drama, too much trust, secrets, and many, many lies. Sager also did managed to keep me wondering who I could trust. I found myself going back and forth with who I could and couldn’t, along with alternating theories of who our antagonist really was.

There were, however, a few red herrings, including whole characters, that were clearly meant to distract you. I’m not sure how I felt about these, but I will say that it gave off the same spooky feeling as with horrors movies. The ending forces you to alter reality a little too much. Usually I don’t mind defying reality, but this was just a little too implausible for me, especially within the epilogue. However, this didn’t stop me from enjoying the shocks and twists at the end. I’m pretty decent at predicting these endings nowadays, but this one took me way off guard.

I plan to read Sager’s debut novel, Final Girls, in the future and will definitely pick up anything else he eventually puts out into the thriller world.

I am so conflicted about Riley Sager. I was so excited about her last book, “Final Girls,” because the premise was amazing. I felt about that book the same way I feel about this book – some parts are overly complicated, there are “twists” and “red herrings” that don’t need to be there, but in both books, I did not guess what had happened. This book bordered on the kind of book I often dislike, which are the ones that are just leading up to a big secret and literally nothing else is happening, where every chapter is taking place after the big event that everyone is covering up, and everyone is just thinking back to that big event and thinking things like, “She knew she should have told the truth back then.” I don’t need 300 pages of that. However, with a book like The Breakdown, you know there is a truth/revelation coming up, but you’re invested in the character who is fleshed out and real and there are multiple things going on. The Last Time I Lied had a lot of the, “She had lied back then” kind of statements, but at the same time, I was drawn in. I really could not guess what had happened. I started to get annoyed with Emma, like get it together, would you, but the ending was a shock, but I feel like the “clues” leading up to it weren’t directly related to this big revelation. I know it’s confusing but I don’t want to spoil anything. What I mean is, I had to go back through the book and look for the specific clues because they hadn’t been on my radar. Whether that’s a good or bad thing I don’t know – sure, I had to look things up again, but I didn’t guess that they were a big deal at the time. This review is a mess, but since the ending was a shock, I’ll give it four stars.

This had so many pages filled with nothing. The pacing crept by and basically gives up several times. Boring and dumb.

4.5★★★★Stars

Genre: Mystery Thriller
Type: Standalone
POV: First Person - Female



Emma Davis was an artist; she focus all her energy and time on her dark paintings.  A traumatizing event at Camp Nightingale left her empty.  Therefore; her paintings gave her freedom to express her feelings after so many years of guilt.



After fifteen years she was given a chance to return to the Camp where her nightmares began.  However; Emma had a big secret that I totally didn't see coming.  After lots of thinking Emma decides to accept the offer and goes back to Nightinagle.  Her life will change dramatically once again. 



This story is told from Emma’s point of view,  the author takes us back to the past and to the present times.  The story has so many mysterious scenes and I found myself questioning everything and everyone.  There were so many questions as the tension steadily increases through out the end.  Everyone is a suspect and I found myself glued to each page until the very end.  



Overall; I enjoyed this suspenseful story.  It was well written and it kept me hooked from the very first page.  This book would be appealing to readers who enjoy mystery thrillers.