Given the small cast of characters, The Last to See Her by Courtney Evan Tate is more family drama than suspense. The first part of the book sets up this drama between husbands and wives and between sisters and is a quick, entertaining read. However, the resolution of the who-done-it is disappointing. Without a spoiler, I will say that it does a disservice to a conversation and an issue that deserves more care.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2020/12/the-last-to-see-her.html

Reviewed for NetGalley and the Fall 2020 mystery/thriller blog tour from Harlequin Trade Publishing.

“The Last To See Her” is my very first book by Tate and I loved it. I had no difficulties at all to dive into the story. It was fast-paced, written in multiple POVs, and it gave me the chills. So everything I like in a mystery/thriller novel.

A thing I liked the most in this book was the multiple twists. Every time I thought that I knew what was happening to Gen, I was taught differently. And I really enjoyed that part. Being taken by surprise is one of the best things in mystery novels.

I found the characters to be somewhat likeable. I liked 2 of them and the rest were seriously unlikable because I simply did not understand the motive behind their actions. But then again, it is a mystery novel so not everyone is supposed to be likeable.

Overall, “The Last To See Her” is a great read for a chill and nice day. Especially now when we want to focus on something else than our real life problems.

Favorite Quotes:

Divorcing a lawyer was the only thing worse than being married to one.

He seemed intrigued now, at the very least. Mention sex, and you get a man’s attention. It wasn’t always the attention you wanted, though.

… a bustling room filled with ringing phones and the sounds of metal file cabinets slamming closed. If a place could smell like unsolved crime, it would be this.

Thad is an ambulance chaser. He’ll survive. He’s like a cockroach after an atomic bomb.

My Review:

I was waffling a bit on how to rate this twisty tale but a check of my highlighted quotes removed all doubt. This wily wordsmith is a master of deception as nothing was as it was initially presented, even after I thought I had it solved, it wasn’t. She craftily stitched her tale with several shrewdly paced and slyly nuanced storylines that took sudden sharp turns that left me somewhat addled and grappling for a hold.

I would never play cards with this devious little madam as I’m sure she would have an entire deck hidden up her sleeves which she would cunningly deploy while regaling me with enticing tidbits and enthralling tales as she cleverly fleeced me of my life savings. And silly me, I would most likely merrily hand it over while stunned and disoriented yet well entertained, which is the very condition I’m currently circling now.

The Last to See Her is one heck of a wild ride. One, I hate to admit, I didn't enjoy all that much. It made some choices. This Domestic Thriller follows two sisters on a girls trip to New York City where things go horribly wrong.

Gen is currently going through a bitter divorce. Meg, her sister and best friend, is heading to a medical conference in NYC. Trying to help her sister out, to get her mind off her current troubles, Meg invites Gen to go along. Gen agrees and meets her sister in the city. They immediately head out for dinner and drinks. The ladies end up letting loose and having more drinks than they normally would. Returning to the hotel a little drunk, they get into a conversation regarding Gen's marriage.

It seems to stress her out. In fact, she throws her 4-carat engagement ring from the balcony and promptly states she is going out for a walk. She needs some fresh air. Gen stumbles out of the room and out of the hotel. Meg, who doesn't think it is the greatest idea, nevertheless puts up no real fight. Her sister is a grown woman. She can do what she wants.

Meg lays down and ends up passing out. When she wakes up the next morning, Gen has never returned. Meg is understandably alarmed. It's a big city, and not one her sister knows that well. Where could she be? The narrative alternates between Gen and Meg's perspectives initially, with both before and after sections. Eventually, other perspectives are added in, including Gen's estranged husband, Thad.

The chapters are short, continuing to build tension as the story goes along. You learn about both Gen and Meg's lives in the lead-up to the ill-fated NYC trip. There are twists, turns, deceptions and betrayals galore. In the beginning, I was really into this. It didn't take long for the action to kick off and I was definitely intrigued.

For a while the tension was building quite nicely, then for me, it just crossed over into eye roll territory, from which it never returned. By the last 25% I was racing through, not because I couldn't wait to see what would happen, but because I couldn't wait for it to be over.

With this being said, just because it wasn't a good fit for my tastes, doesn't mean it won't be for you. There are definitely a lot of readers who will enjoy this. Sadly, I just wasn't one of them. Thank you so much to the publisher, Mira Books, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review.

Even though it wasn't a new favorite for me, I still very much appreciate the opportunity to provide my opinion.

The Last to See Her is page-turner, no doubt. But as the story progresses, it really just falls apart. I found the outcome to be unbelievable and unsatisfying. Gen's mental illness was confusingly portrayed--and not in a ha-I-tricked-you unreliable narrator kind of way. Also, I really hope the publisher did another proofread before this was released because the continuity issues were jarring. Gen and Meg's names were often swapped, as were the settings of Gen's secret apartment and her condo with Thad.

From my blog: Always With a Book:

This is the first book I've read by Courtney Evan Tate and if this one is anything to go by, I will definitely be reading more by her. I could not flip the pages fast enough.

I love domestic dramas and this one is definitely a twisty one for sure. I really think this is one that is best going in as blind as possible and one where you might have to suspend a little bit of belief, but it is fiction and we read for escape, right?

Alternating between a few different points of view and before and after, I found myself quite hooked and I loved how things are revealed, ever so slowly. Nothing is as it seems and just as you think you have a handle on what is going on, something new is revealed to shake it all up. That really kept me guessing and made for quite a thrilling read.

This book is one that you will fly through and I am always one for those types of books, especially now. And I loved how what first appeared to be just a case of a missing woman turned into something so much more...I love complex, multilayered stories! I cannot wait to see what else this author has written. Have you read any of her books?

All I can say is WOW, This has to be one of three of my favorites this yr. This one crept up on me and delivered a spine tingling thriller that had everything needed to deliver a devious plot and characters that were well developed and flawed enough to be very believable yet you either loved them or you hated them with a passion. The story told in different time frames and pov’s yet it was done so in a way that the reader understood what was going on and what was happening. Sometimes it did go a litter slower but most of the time it was very fast paced and very easy to follow.

Gen is getting a divorce and clearly she is devastated at the thought of being cheated on by her husband. She travels to NY and meets her sister Meg before going back home and starting all over again. Then she disappeared. No trace left. Her sister and soon to be ex husband are left to find her and pick up the pieces. The different characters that tell the story could not have been configured any better. Some were more informative than others yet you still understood how the story was heading. While the ending was somewhat predictable, the story leading up to it was not and the ending will scare the hell out of you and know that karma is best served to those who deserve it.

Thank you to netgalley as well as the author/publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! I really loved this! Courtney Evan Tate delivers a tense and dark story of betrayal, infidelity and devious behavior in this story of a young writer who disappears without a trace during a visit to New York City with her surgeon sister.

Gen is just about to sign her divorce papers after suspecting her husband of cheating. It's clear the betrayal has hurt her and she's ready to uproot her life for a new start to forget, but first she meets her sister in NYC for one last fling before she leaves Chicago and returns to her small hometown.

Only she disappears the first night in NYC.

The story is told in alternating points of view with a past/present time line. I really liked this approach because it allowed me as the reader to put the pieces together as I read the story. There were plenty of AHA! moments that I loved too. Not everyone is who you think they are at the start of the story.

A great addition to the story is the point of view from the detective investigating the case and a private investigator involved in the story. Their part in the disappearance and aftermath was a welcome respite from the heaviness of Gen's story and I really liked how they were incorporated into the story at more than a superficial level.

Overall, I really enjoyed this tense domestic suspense story. There are plenty of surprises all the way and the whole story is not revealed until the very last pages, which leaves you still wondering about some of the story details. I liked that about it. If you like a good suspense story, you might like this one.

A complementary copy was provided by the publisher. This is my honest review.

There were a lot of moving pieces to this story, some unveiled slower than others, but all were extremely well crafted. The characters were realistic, some likeable and some absolutely loath some, and the twists surprising! The detail in which the characters were crafted was exquisite, and the plot arcs were creative and like one of those rollercoasters where you start to build up speed to go over the big hump and get a thrill, but then slow back down only to build up speed again for the next thrill. I could not put this book down, and practically read it in two sittings. I am always take great pride in figuring out how it's going to end, but just could not figure this one out. As frustrating as it was, I enjoyed this story so much more knowing when I read the last page that I had never seen it coming. If Courtney's books are as good as this one then I'll be making it a point to read the rest of them.

The Last to See Her is the latest novel by Courtney Evan Tate. This story is mainly about two sisters, although their husbands figure in the story. Ms Tate gives the reader a glimpse of what may happen when one sister betrays the other. I want to thank NetGalley and Mira for a copy to review.

I read this book about halfway through and had to stop. It seemed to bounce around between the past and the present, giving lots of information but nothing that was really driving the story. Each chapter seemed to be a snapshot without giving the reader many nuggets to keep reading.

Brilliant psychological thriller. Even when I thought I knew where it was going, I didn't even know who all the players were.

The ending wasn't just a shocking reveal but had surprising twists of thoughtfulness, insight and depth. This was not even just for the main characters, but those that are considered side characters. Those that you would not consider to have a story to continue beyond a certain point (I don't want to say more than that for fear of spoilers).

This was a brilliant psychological thriller read with added layers of depth.

Spoiler alert: I really enjoyed this book!!
It’s my first by this author and definitely won’t be my last! This was a well-paced suspense around two sisters (Gen & Meg) and a betrayal with an ending that exemplifies the ultimate Karma !!!

Quick plot summary: Gen recently divorcing her rich and handsome husband decides to embark on a trip to NYC with her sister, Meg. Gen disappears one night without a trace and Meg and Thad (Gen’s ex) are left to unravel the pieces of a puzzle they both thought they had figured out!

The story was told in alternating timelines and multiple POVs, which truly illustrated the evolution of Gen’s character. I really loved Tate’s writing and got completely sucked in from the first page. Once I got started, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough and before I knew it I was done!

With a host of likely suspects and a fast paced premise, this book will grab your attention immediately and will hold onto it right until the last page!

Gen and Meg are not only sisters but best friends. Gen is a writer who is a dreamer and is in the middle of a bad divorce. Meg is a doctor who has a loving husband with two small children. They lead very different lives but are both searching for happiness at all costs. When Meg has a conference in New York City, she convinces her sister to come with her to get away from her divorce drama. After a night of drinking, Gen throws her ring off the hotel balcony, goes for a walk, and completely disappears.

What happens next is a in depth look into Gen and Megs lives past and present to help the reader understand what is lurking beneath the covers. Are either woman who they pretend to be day in and day out? Is Thad the cheating soon to be ex husband just what they think he is? When Meg and Thad become the prime suspects, the story takes on more twists and turns which leaves the reader turning the pages trying to figure out just what happened. Secret lives, hidden agendas and unforeseen supporting characters make this a novel you just can not put down. I really enjoyed this book and thought the characters were brilliantly written and I would like to thank the author Courtney Evan Tate, Harlequin Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book to review. It was amazing! All opinions expressed for this review are unbiased and entirely my own.

I received an ARC copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. Meg and Gwen are sisters. Gwen is just about done with a nasty divorce from her husband, Thad, when the sisters meet in New York to celebrate the ending of the marriage. Meg and Gwen have a night out on the town and come back to the hotel very drunk. Gwen decides she wants to go out for a walk alone and she never returns. The search continues for Gwen and the book introduces a detective and private investigator who both become part of the story. I enjoyed parts of this book as it was told from the past and present. I just felt like it didn't have much of a storyline for Gwen in the present and I didn't like the ending.

The Last to See Her by Courtesy Evan Tate was a domestic thriller that was full of suspense and intrigue from start to end. Gen is heartbroken to learn of her husband’s cheating. Betrayed and hurt, she decides to go with her sister on a trip to celebrate her fresh start. But when she disappears, the story truly begins. Did something happen to her or did she walk away? What is truly happening/happened? As we continue to read, there are twists and turns as we begin to learn truths about all the characters.

Happy reading!

Gen is about to finalize her divorce. Her sister, Meg, invites her on a girl’s weekend in New York City to celebrate. After they get drunk on the first night, Gen goes out for a walk by herself in the middle of the night. She doesn’t return. Now, Meg is frantic trying to find her missing sister. Both of them have devastating secrets, which are revealed during the investigation of Gen’s disappearance.

This is another thriller that I thought I had figured out at the beginning, but I was very wrong. The clues to the mystery of Gen’s disappearance were slowly revealed, which kept me guessing. At first, I wondered why there was so much focus on Gen’s and Meg’s pasts, from before that night in New York. Their histories actually played an important part in revealing the truth, so I was glad that was included.

There were some parts about mental health that I didn’t really agree with. Mental health was blamed for some of the characters’ problems. There was a character who had brain damage and was developmentally delayed. I can’t say much without giving anything away, but I think that the ending of the story relied too heavily on that character’s actions. I didn’t think that part of the plot was believable.

Regardless, this was a gripping thriller that I couldn’t put down!

Thank you MIRA for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a super twisty thriller that will keep you guessing. I loved the psychological aspects to the story and how Gen's character developed and how her story played out. I thought the story and mystery was very well written, though there were a couple of plot holes. The plot moved along really quickly making for a very quick read. Overall I really enjoyed it!

Secrets, secrets, secrets! I love reading books where you think that everything is normal, but it turns out that everyone has a secret and boy are they juicy secrets!

The Last to See Her hooked me in right away. The chapters alternated between the characters’ past and present and of course all of the secrets were revealed. I was curious on what had happened to Gen and what had happened in her past to have her disappear in the present.

I’m knocking the novel off a few stars because of the ending. I was highly disappointed. I was hoping for a great ending, but it just left me confused. I didn’t understand the motives of what some of the characters did.

3 calculators out of a potential 5. Was hoping for a better ending after a great page turner!

Thank you to Netgallery and HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada) for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was good for two reasons . It had the problems with the husband, and the family dynamic with her sister. The story could’ve went either way which made it great for not really knowing where it was going but still dying to find out. Those are the makings of a page turner.