An interesting update to Patricia Highsmith's Strangers on a Train, I had high hopes for Last Woman Standing which starts in the backstage world of the Austin stand-up comedy scene (I'm also a fan of HBO's I'm Dying Up Here), but was disabused of this about a quarter of the way into the book when I realized that it was just a hook to hang the plot on. Perhaps Amy Gentry began the thriller with the world of stand-up in mind, but #metoo came along and walked away with the rest of the story.

There is a LOT of plot here, but essentially we come down to #metoo meets Strangers on a Train -- two women fed up with mistreatment at the hands of men have a go at each others' enemies list -- or do they?

Unlikely connections, plot holes, loose strings and red herrings abound. This is an OK book that could have been a much better book with some tighter editing -- especially at the end, which does go on.

Amy, you have a better book in you. I'm rooting for you, girl.

This book started out very slowly. The intro was super drawn out. After about 30%, the book was much more intriguing. I'm a huge thriller fan, and the first 30% or so didn't feel like a thriller. I even checked the description again to make sure I hadn't chosen an autobiography. Once the story became interesting, I raced through it. The suspense was great. There were twists and turns. I was guessing until the end.

First, from a technical standpoint, there were some formatting issues with the ARC copy (but that can happen). Chapter cut-offs were sometimes unclear, and there were plenty of unnecessary hyphens indicating page breaks that weren't there.

However, the story was captivating, quick-paced, and threw a pretty significant curveball that made this a binge-worthy read. As you read, you get the sense of the ante being upped, in terms of these two women doling out revenge on one another's behalf. The agreement seems uncomfortably lighthearted for one, but it isn't long before it becomes apparent that this is very real and serious for the other (who is tech-savvy, connected, and unafraid to cause chaos and harm). The fact that the protagonist is a stand-up comedian does give a bit of dark humor to the story, but this author also does a good job of bringing focus around to the harassment and assault that women commonly face on a day-to-day basis.

Dana Diaz and Amanda Dorn meet and hit it off, sharing war stories about being women in male centric jobs. Dana is an up and coming comedian and Amanda is a computer programmer. Dana confides she was actually assaulted and Amanda suggests they get revenge on the men who hurt them. Amanda will go after Dana’s attacker and Dana will go after Amanda’s. It sounds like a good idea at the time (probably why this gimmick has been used in countless books and movies), but things get murky fast. Just how much does Dana want revenge, and at what price? Gentry takes an old plot line and breathes new life into it by using the Me Too movement. Timely and shocking