Riley Sager has done it again! I love how he explores completely different spooky environments in every one of his novels. This one takes us to a crumbling mansion on the cliffs of Maine threatening to collapse into the sea. It’s the 1980s and our beleaguered hero finds herself caring for the town’s infamous (and now almost fully incapacitated) murderess a la Lizzie Borden. This book has the works: an unreliable narrator, a house full of suspicious characters, and atmosphere for days. Great for fans of Flowers in the Attic and gothic fiction of that ilk.

This might be the best Riley Sager book yet!
The dual plot lines were well thought out and not at all confusing to read. The plot twists were fantastic and I loved that the house itself was a character in the story.

Wow, this was simultaneously a slow and complete whirlwind of a thriller. The last part of the book tried to accomplish 538453787 things, which means you definitely won't guess all the different plot twists. The rest of this book dragged so much, however, that if it wasn't for the short chapters and the need to find out if it was going to get any better, I would have DNF'd it.

In 1929, Lenora Hope is the sole survivor of the brutal Hope Family Murders. While she was never found guilty, rumors circulated and the rest of the community shunned her. Decades later and in need of a caregiver, Kit McDeere is sent from her agency to provide round-the-clock assistance. Soon, Lenora and Kit form an unbreakable bond, perhaps caused by the fact that they both have secrets about now-dead family members.

There are a ton of characters in this book, which is certainly why the ending was so convoluted and unbelievable. I loved "Home Before Dark", but Sager's last 2 books, "Survive the Night" and "The House Across the Lake" were not at all impressive. Here's hoping his next release doesn't try to give the reader whiplash.

While this was Unevenly paced and Unimpressive, the ending was Surprising.

Thanks to @netgalley for an eARC of this title! It was the first ebook read on my new Kindle.

While I figured out early on the main twist, I do not hold that against this book. Riley Sager went so overboard on his last one that this was an exercise in restraint. I will happily reread this book anytime.

The last couple of Sager's books have been a bit of a miss for me, but I have overall enjoyed his books, so I keep giving them another try. I don't know if anything will ever compare to the first few books of Sager's that I read and loved: Home Before Dark, Final Girls, and my all time favorite, The Last Time I Lied. There were things about The Only One Left that I enjoyed and things that left me scratching my head a little bit. I am always a fan of the Gothic setting- who doesn't love a creepy, old mansion on an isolated cliff as a story setting? I also like the rich family- perfect on the outside, falling apart on the inside- story line. Certainly, the dilapidated state of the house reflected the broken state of the family. There were definitely parts of the story that were juicy and intriguing, and kept me reading to find out what was going to happen next. Admittedly, I did feel the story was maybe just a tad bit too long, and I didn't really understand the purpose of Kenny's role in the story. I also thought there were a lot of characters to keep track of- Lenora, Virginia, Mr. and Mrs. Hope, Miss Baker, Archie, Carter, Ricky, Kenny, Berniece, Detective Vick, Patrick McDeere, the baby, Jessie, Mary... which are just some of the ones I can remember off the top of my head. I had a little trouble keeping every one straight, especially when it was revealed who everyone was. I felt like some of the story was way more complicated than it needed to be. I always enjoy the story within a story aspect, and I liked how there were several different dynamics going on throughout the story- caregiver and patient, sisters, illicit lovers, not to mention all of the scandals. Overall, I ended up giving this one 3/5 stars- it was an average read for me. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. Thank you to the publisher for giving me the chance to read an early copy of one of my most anticipated reads of the year.

I think this is my favorite Sager book!
In 1929, Lenora Hope's parents and sister were murdered in their cliff-side mansion. Lenora was the only one to survive, but insists she didn't do it. Never charged, she has become a paralyzed recluse. In 1983, Kit is hired as her caregiver and is determined to find out what really happened that night in 1929.
This book does have its slow parts, but at the 80% mark, I was seriously freaking out about where this story was going. Twisty and whiplash-inducing, but in the best possible way!
This is one I want to re-read already! Fantastic!

I admit that I went into reading this book with some trepidation, based on how much I disliked The House Across the Lake and Survive the Night, but nothing fuels the FOMO like new a Riley Sager book, so I needed to read it.

The premise of this is great. I loved the idea of a Lizzie Borden-esque old lady accused of murdering her entire family living a sequestered life in her moldering old mansion teetering on a cliff. But then... the pace was super slow and the reveals and twists were bonkers and felt like an episode of an 80s soap opera -- and it was one of those stories where ONE conversation could clear everything up, but instead everything is dragged out for no discernable reason.

I definitely think this type of plot is a step in the right direction -- no drunk ladies with binoculars this time! -- but I still didn't love it as much as I hoped. All of that said, I know I will still read the next Riley Sager and the next one and the next one...

2.5 rounded down

Typical Riley Sager...I was sure I had it all figured out pretty early on and WAS WRONG. That's what I love about his books. Everything seems so obvious but it's all a red herring! The story lagged a bit in the beginning but it picked up speed and it was a rush to find out if I was right. When or if Sager stops surprising me I will be very surprised.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3

I'm just not sure how I feel about this one! I took a day to ponder but ultimately I think my closest reaction is that gif of the confused lady and the math equations.
Was it gothic: Sort of.
Was the plot convoluted to the point of confusion: Yes, very.
Ricky/Ricardo: ????que????
Did I like it: Maybe. But upon further reflection, maybe actually not?

The motivations for all of the characters were wildly implausible. I just don't believe that Kit would be vilified like she was for her mother's death, or that the company she worked for would let her take care of her own mother-- wouldn't the family be paying the nursing company to then pay Kit? Plus she had cancer and it seemed like it wasn't a secret, so why would they know about the fentanyl at all? Did the autopsy her? If so, why?
And then seriously, what was the Ricky/Ricardo thing? They were two different people the whole time-- that's just a stunning coincidence and it felt like a cop out to fake out the reader. The baby/adoption thing was giving some pro-life vibes, I won't lie. Felt a little too written by a man for my tastes. That dumb baby being the main motivator for all of this was weak and I don't believe that Virginia would have stabbed her father over it and then tried to commit suicide. Having her mother do the stabbing and then stab herself (?) and then somehow egg Ricky to stab her some more (???) was also very weak. Ricky gave no indication prior to that that he was quick to anger or had some sort of killer edge, but all she had to say was "you're poor and you suck" and that was enough for him to murder her? Mmmk.
And then!!! For Leonora and Ricky to just be like "peace, gotta die now for no discernible reason" and hop back into the house as it crumbled into the sea was _a lot_. A lot of nonsense, that is.
It all relied too heavily on coincidence, fake outs, MASSIVE deus ex machina to be entirely enjoyable. I'd tell true Sager fans to reread his older work instead. It has a great cover though, and I'm sure it'll be a best seller, it just isn't for me. 🤷

Another great story from Riley Sager. I loved all of the twists and turns and how all the pieces came together in the end.

I'm new to Riley Sager and this one did not disappoint!!!! I was getting major Lizzie Borden and Rebecca vibes as I was reading and I thought I had the whole thing figured out..... until those last 100 pages. What a ride! This story is clever, and inventive, with so many twists and turns you'll feel like you had whiplash! I loved the characters and the story line, but the setting really grabbed me. This one kept me turning pages deep into the night - you won't be disappointed!!

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reeling from struggles in her professional life, Kit McDeere finds herself pulled into a web of secrets when she is assigned as a caretaker for Lenora Hope, an infamous woman long believed to have murdered her family when she was only seventeen.

It’s only February, but I’m going out on a limb to predict THE ONLY ONE LEFT will be one of my favorite reads of 2023. It was without doubt the best thriller I’ve read in a *long* while, and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time with twist after twist (only some of which I saw coming, and one of which made my jaw literally drop).

I love a Gothic novel, and this one delivered creepy atmosphere in spades (it gave me actual trouble sleeping, both because my brain was in knots trying to figure it out and because I was totally creeped out). It also had a cast of really fun characters, each of whom had a good balance of secrets and likability that had me constantly questioning everything I thought I knew.

THE ONLY ONE LEFT is still a few months out from release, but I absolutely cannot recommend it highly enough. Run, don’t walk, to get those preorders placed!

Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: Gothic vibes; endless twists; revealing-secrets-via-storytelling trope

CW: Suicide/suicidal thoughts/suicide attempt/discussions of suicide; death of loved ones/family members/parents; blood/murder/violence

Riley Sager is one of those authors that I drop everything for when I get my hands on a copy of his newest book with zero care that The Only One Left does not release for 4+ months. Set in 1983 with some flashbacks to 1929 on the property of a wealthy family who was allegedly murdered by their only surviving daughter, Lenora. Kit is hired as the caregiver for Lenora and slowly starts to unravel what exactly happened in 1929.

The Only One Left had me eagerly turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next and I definitely did not guess where this was headed!

Sigh.

Huge Sager fan and loved this book up until the big conclusion. WAY too much going on and so much of it was just over the top. Unlike his other books, this is not a supernatural story. Don't get me wrong, I could not put it down once I started reading it and I was left surprised over and over again, but the ending left much to be desired.

Well, everyone knows that I just love Riley Sager. Even if I didn’t love his books, I’d still love his very relatable quirkiness. He’s a thriller writer who loves Disney. And Taylor Swift. What’s not to love? But as it happens, I 𝘥𝘰 love his books, and 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘓𝘦𝘧𝘵 is a Hitchcock lover’s dream come true. It was my most anticipated book of 2023, and so thank you @duttonbooks for making my bookish dreams come true with an early read.

Sager is a master of building tension and suspense, and he knocked it out of the park with this one. It’s atmospheric, gothic and has that spooky vibe I love.

There are so many plot twists and crazy turns, that it left my mind boggled (even if I did need to suspend belief a time or two.) I did feel things got a bit slow in the middle – but dang those last forty pages gave me whiplash. What in the 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘏𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘛𝘰 𝘉𝘢𝘣𝘺 𝘑𝘢𝘯𝘦 is going on here?

I definitely recommend this one, friends. It’s available June 20, but you can pre-order it now.

My thanks to @duttonbooks and @netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book before its publication date.

The Only One Left is an atmospheric thriller with an intriguing premise that will take readers on a wild ride complete with several twisty surprises along the way.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

First I have to just say that I am a Riley Sager super fan! I’ve read and LOVED every single one of his books and so getting my hands on this ebook which also happens to be my most anticipated book of the year, made my bookish dreams come true! And this book did not disappoint!

Besides being completely unputdownable, I am so impressed that Sager did it again with another satisfying thriller with several unforgettable twists! While Sager has cemented himself as my favorite thriller author, by using the same formula of utilizing a popular horror trope as inspiration for each novel-this one, inspired by Lizzie Borden, was so creepy and well done! It was perfectly atmospheric, as I’ve come to expect from his settings. The characters are intriguing, and per usual, you just never know where the story is heading until that final twist and conclusion leaves your mouth agape and your mind completely satisfied!

The main character, Lenora, inspired by Lizzie Borden, and accused of murdering her family (yes, complete with creepy rhyme), is now wheelchair-bound following several strokes with only mobility of her left hand. Her caretaker, Kit, is hesitant to take this job but is also desperate. So, despite the notoriety surrounding Lenora and the crumbling mansion upon the cliffs where she resides, she agrees to be the live in caretaker. But soon she starts to notice that there may be more to Lenora both mentally and physically than meets the eye and is determined to find out what happened on the night of the grisly murders.

Between Lenora as a character and Hope’s End as the eerie mansion where the murders took place, I would best describe this as Verity meets Daisy Darker.

I truly loved this book so much and will be recommending it to everyone ahead of its summer release, while simultaneously counting down to his next book! Thank you SO MUCH to Dutton and Netgalley for this eARC!

This was a wild ride, but took a while to get there. I LOVED the premise though. And the setting was amazing (a mansion on a cliff – hanging on for dear life.) The last 40 pages felt like whip lash with the amount of twists and turns, though. Dare I say, an even wilder ending than The House Across The Lake?! It was definitely entertaining! I read it in less than two days!

I'm a huge Riley Sager fan, and was thrilled to get a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

In 1929, Lenora Hope's family was murdered, and she was the only survivor. She was acquitted, shut herself up in the house, never to be seen in public again. Fast forward to 1983, and 31 year old Kit is in desperate need for a carer job, and she is hired to take care of Lenora full time. Kit grew up hearing the rumors of the big house on the cliff, but she needs the money and is also interested to see what Lenora is really like.

I know other people have had mixed reviews of Sager's last 2 books, but I think this one will please them. He does gothic and spooky so well, and I was sad when it ended. I love guessing at what is really happening on the page, because Sager makes you work for the actual mystery. 5 stars to this thriller, which I'm guessing will be a summer hit.

I’d like to thank netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. Well Riley Sager, you’ve done it again, you sucked me into a book that I didn’t want to put down. As soon as I heard it was giving off Lizzie Borden vibes I knew I had to read it. In 1929, Lenora Hope murders her parents and sister, Virginia in their mansion high on the cliffs of the Maine coast. Never charged, she still lives there as a recluse in 1983 when home care aide, Kit is sent to take care of Lenora 6 months after she has an incident with a patient. Do these two women have anything in common, did they actually kill the people who the police think they did? Lenora has only the use of her left hand and can type, she wants to tell Kit the story of what really went down that night in 1929, but after other incidents start happening along the way, so is she really telling the truth? This was one hell of a wild ride with multiple plot twists I didn’t see coming. Would make an excellent movie.