Cover Image: The Only One Left

The Only One Left

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Member Reviews

In a stately mansion on the cliffs, a horrible murder occurred many years ago. Now, the elderly sister needs a caretaker, who might be just the person to unravel the mystery and bring peace to the estate. Or die trying.

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I love Riley Sager's novels but I could not get into this one. I will definitely read his next because The Last Time I Lied remains one of my favorite thrillers.

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Wow! I was thoroughly impressed with this book from Riley Sager. I loved the Gothic setting. The crumbling Hope's End estate was the perfect setting for this tale. A lot of twists and turns until the very end. I liked that the ending was hopeful, too.

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This is one of the author’s best books. Holy moly is it twisty!
It’s about a woman that is hired to be the caretaker of a wealthy old woman that lives in a notorious house up on a cliff. The reason it is notorious is because the whole world believes the lady murdered her entire family when she was young 👀
Things immediately become concerning for the caretaker……..

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4.5

This was so entertaining. I couldn’t put it down and it reminded me of how I felt when I read Lock Every Door a few years back. Was the ending compounded with lots of things..yup. Did I let it bother me? Nope. I found some bread crumbs for certain things along the way but not nearly all of them. This won’t be for everyone but it was for me.

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I can't get enough of Riley Sager. Don't ever retire.
The Only One Left echoes canonical thriller = mystery writers in a voice distinctively Sagerian. The unsettling mood portal intio a world where the reader inhabits mirrors the protagonist's. This level of craftsmanship is often absent in the saturated genre du jour.

Enjoy. The less said about the plot, the better the discovery.

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Riley Sager is an auto-request author for me and this one did not disappoint. A twist so twisty I had to stop reading and think about it for a solid few minutes. I love the way he sets his scenes- they’re so vivid you literally feel like you are in this old tilting house with the characters. Definitely recommend!

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Riley Sager continues his successful writing career with another fantastic thriller. A spooky mansion on the edge of a cliff, a geriatric Lizzie bordenesque woman, a nurse with secrets all come together in this fast paced psychology thriller.
While the twists and ending are wholly unbelievable they are certainly entertaining! I thoroughly enjoyed and all the twists even up to the last page. If you like Sager's other books I think you would also enjoy this novel.
Thank you to netgalley for providing me and an e-arc copy of this book for review.

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Slow burn of a thriller and I loved every minute of the ride. Riley Sager is a master of spinning a great tale. I couldn't turn these pages fast enough! 5 stars!

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Have been a big admirer of Sager's work and enjoy the quick and eerie tales that he forms. Loved the twisty gothic storyline. Will always pick up a Sager book for a good time

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The Only One Left has such a great premise: Kit is a home health aide assigned to take care of her town's Lizzie Borden character, a wealthy woman named Leonora, who supposedly killed her whole family and got away with it 50 years prior. Leonora is partially paralyzed and unable to speak, so the two begin to communicate by typewritten messages. The plot and premise of this book were fine, but the execution leaves something to be desired. The build-up took forever and was super repetitive and the resolution didn't make a ton of sense. I am not usually very bothered by unbelievable endings. But since this book dragged at the beginning, having a silly ending was kind of annoying. I felt the same way about The House Across the Lake- promising premise, a long and repetitive story without much substance, followed by a twisty ending that didn't make much sense. Overall, I would say it was worth the time I spent reading it, but I would probably suggest reading other Riley Sager books before this one.

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I had to DNF this, sadly -- I think RIley Sager isn't for me, though I understand and respect the folks who enjoy his writing, and I can see why! I think I'm just not the target audience.

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A great story that is helped by the use of the past; set in the 80s. As an Agatha Christie fan this was a fun read, and I love having someone tell their own story because there is potential for unreliable narrator.

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This was my favorite Riley Sager book! Loved the story and the characters. I was able to figure some things out but was still surprised at some points.

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I have been so hit or miss with Riley Sager lately so I went into this book with low expectations. I was pleasantly surprised and Sager will continue to stay on my 'to read' list (for now). I loved the setting of this book and the twists. It was a fun read.

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When I heard the premise of this book, I thought it sounded like a great read. However, I'm beginning to realize that books like these really don't work well for me. It started off good, but a lot of the premise just seemed weird to me and I ended up skimming a lot of parts. I thought the ending was a little too wacky and contrived. Looking at other reviews, I know I'm in the minority on this.

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"The Only One Left" is a powerful and moving story that delves into themes of survival and resilience. With well-crafted characters and a thought-provoking narrative, it leaves a lasting impact on readers. Highly recommended for those seeking an emotionally charged and memorable read.

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The Only One Left is exactly what I would want from a Riley Sager book: a gothic mansion setting, the eeriest atmosphere, complex characters, and a twist I never saw coming. While I always enjoy Sager’s books, this one may have wedged its way into my top three. This one seems to really return to what he does best. It slowly builds tension, crafts an incredible setting you want to both run to and run from, and carefully deceives the reader with new reveals along the way. The dual timeline was intriguing and even the wild ending felt right for this story. I think this is one every thriller reader should pick up.

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This book took me multiple times to enjoy. Usually I lost interest and ended up putting it down before I even made it half way through. So if you are struggling then I implore you to push through it because you wont regret it.
Once I was able to sink my teeth into the book I was in love like with all of Sagers thrillers.
It kept me on the edge of my seat and even though I saw the ending coming I still enjoyed it none the less.

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4.5 stars

The Only One Left by Riley Sager was a twisty, atmospheric suspense and I was here for it! I really enjoyed this book and was pleased to say that I did not see all the different twists coming. I loved that the creaky, old, falling down mansion was the setting for this creepy book. The descriptions of the house slowly tilting, cracking, and crumbling made me feel as though I was there (and feeling a bit of vertigo as I was reading). I highly recommend this book and it just might be my favorite Sager novel yet.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

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