Riley Sager brought the twists and turns with The Only One Left. I could not have predicted where this was going, but it was a wonderful and fun ride!

This was my first Riley Sager and it was wild ride. This book gave me everything I needed and wanted and more! The gothic vibes, the mysteries, and the constant twisting and turning were delicious. I specifically enjoyed the pace of the book and the timing of the little clues we got every now and then. I have nothing but amazing things to say about this read! Highly recommend!

Rating 2.5/5 Stars
Author Read Alikes: Simone St. James, Lisa Jewell, Shari Lapena
Recommended Reads Instead: The Family Upstairs (Jewell), The Broken Girls (St. James), Someone You Know (Lapena)
In Short: Great premise, but tries to do too much resulting in an imperfect execution.

I went into this one with high expectations, as I've loved Riley Sager's other novels. Unfortunately, this one wouldn't rate as one of his best novels for me. Sager has a signature style of adding insane twists near the final chapters of his books and I appreciate that... however; this was too much stacked onto the ending. When there is a twist involving almost every single character, it becomes difficult to keep track of - even for someone who is used to character heavy novels. I think this book could have spread the reveals involving minor characters throughout the middle of the novel; rather than, the book dragging to a slow pace then exploding through the ending.

To me this would have resulted in a sustained page turner. The pacing wasn't for me. There was a major piece of the ending that made me stop and go "that makes no sense for this person to say that." It was an unsatisfying end to Kit's side story.

I would like to thank Penguin Group & NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for a honest review.

Rating: 4/5
Genre: thriller, mystery/suspense
Read if you liked: The Book of Cold Cases

Sager's books are always top of my most anticipated list each year, and THE ONLY ONE LEFT was no different. I feel like his books can be very polarizing (which is why I think they make great book club picks!), so overall I liked but didn't love this one.

TOOL started out sooooo strong for me. I ate up the creepy setting (a house on the cliffs in Maine overlooking the Atlantic ocean. oh and crumbling into the ocean as well !!) and thought it was perfect spooky with lotsss of surprising twists and secrets. I personally binged the story so fast, but agree with other reviewers that felt it got repetitive at times. Still, I read this in less than 48 hours.

For me the ending got more convoluted than necessary. I didn't love the revelation about her dad being Ricky. I was very suspicious of the detective and I personally felt that would have made more sense. It was good but not my favorite of his! Still I did enjoy it and would recommend!

Everything from the cover to the writing and plot were so perfectly executed! Riley Sager has long been an auto-buy mystery/thriller author for me, and he never disappoints.

I loved this book! I will definitely recommend it. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley. Book was full of suspense up until the end. A plot based loosely on Lizzy Bordon. Who is Lenora? What happened in 1929. So many twists and turns couldn’t put it down

Lenora Hope was always suspected of murdering her whole family, and when a young caregiver, also suspected of the death of one of her patients, is tasked with caring for a now mostly paralyzed Lenora, the truth may finally come out. A decades old murder story, a house built on a cliff, and interwoven storylines fill this newest Riley Sager novel. Like all Sager novel’s this story is filled with red herrings and multiple twists. All mystery readers should pick this one up.

The Only One Left
Read if you liked: Verity or None of This is True

The Hope family murders shocked the coast of Maine in 1929 and rumors have flooded the town ever since. Many think Lenora Hope, the last remaining Hope daughter, is the one who killed her entire family. Fast forward to 1983, Lenora Hope is in need of a new nurse and Kit McDeere gets reluctantly assigned to the job. She’s heard the rumors about Lenora Hope throughout the years,, but Kit has rumors of her own running through town about herself and they’re enough to make her leave town for Hope’s End. She now resides at Hope’s End to provide 24/7 care to Lenora who is confined to a wheelchair and can only communicate with a typewriter. When Lenora types a message to Kit one night saying I want to tell you everything Kit isn’t sure what to make of it, but she can’t help but let curiosity get the best of her. She has to know what really happened on the night of the murders. But does she trust Lenora to tell the truth? With all the weird things that are happening at Hope’s End she can’t be sure and if she lets her guard down she may flee into the night just like the previous nurse.

WOW. This book was a captivating, compulsive read that I finished in 2 days… I simply couldn’t put it down! Sager’s books always deliver when it comes to unique plots, the atmospheric details and surprising twists. It reminded me a bit of Home Before Dark (which I loved!) and I think The Only One Left may be my new favorite Sager book! The main characters and side characters alike were well developed and I loved getting to know each one. I really enjoyed the way the stories from the past were weaved into the story to make everything come together. Anytime Lenora wanted to type I got giddy to find out what information she would share next. I was really shocked by the twists and there were quite a few times that I was a bit afraid while reading it! I have been raving about this book (and even made my husband read it) and think it would make a great spooky season read this fall.

Kit McDeere is a caregiver accused of neglecting her previous patient, which sadly lead to the death of said patient. Lenora Hope is accused of murdering her father, mother, and sister one night in 1929, but now in 1983 she is Kit’s newest patient. Lenora still is living in the crumbling and now tilted cliff side mansion, known as Hope’s End, where the murders took place. Her previous nurse fled from the mansion in the middle of the night and hasn’t been heard from since. When Kit arrives at Hope’s End she finds that Lenora is actually silent and bedridden, but has use of her left hand. With her one good working hand Lenora offers to tell Kit what really happened the night her whole family died. Slowly Lenora begins typing her story out on an old typewriter with the help of Kit. Soon after they begin typing the story, part the mansion slides off into the ocean. Kit becomes determined to get Lenora to finish her story before all hope of figuring out what truly happened that one night ends.

From the beginning I was hooked on this book and was racing to finish it and see how it ends. The ending was filled with so many twists and turns that I had to reread a couple chapters to try and understand what exactly was happening. Overall the story was very entertaining and I will be recommending it to patrons at my library.

Riley Sager is not for me. This book was BAD, bro. Kit is hired to care for an elderly woman who killed her parents and sister 54 years prior… allegedly. The twist? Kit was ALSO accused of killing her mother. OOOOOOOH. Let me tell you, I was invested in this book from the first chapter. I was hyping it up to my friends and I really wanted to see how it would all play out! Would Kit solve the 1929 Hope murders? The momentum did NOT keep up, however.

I would describe Sager’s writing style as being very black and white. There is little room for interpretation; the author is simply describing (and sometimes over-describing) events and the reader is reading them. I think he hates fun. Not only that, but the plot became increasingly more unbelievable each time I turned a page. Eye roll after eye roll after eye roll! This person is this person’s granddaughter and this person’s father is involved in the saga and this person *thinks* he is this person’s grandson and this person was having an affair with this person………. I wish I were kidding but unfortunately I am not. I couldn’t wait for it to end.

This is my first Riley Sager book and I am sad that I’ve waited so long. He writes a compelling story that draws you in and keeps you wondering to the end. I really loved the mystery within a mystery with this book. I am going back to read more of his backlist!

👩‍⚕️The Only One Left👩‍⚕️

👏Sager does it again!

Thank you to Gigi @thebeachyreader on Tiktok for Buddy Reading this one with me & to @twistedtalesreviews Chelsea for discussing the ending with me! We both HAD to vent. 🤯

“No one slaughters their entire family without a motive.”

One horrific night in 1929, seventeen-year old Lenora Hope killed her entire family—stabbed both her mother & father & then hung her sister with a rope. But, no one could ever prove it, so she went free. Lenora denied committing the crimes at the time, but hasn’t spoken a word since. She’s not left the cliffside mansion either.

Flash forward to 1983 to Lenora in her 70s, confined to a wheelchair, rendered mute by numerous strokes & paralyzed except for her left hand which she uses to tap yes or no. Her recent caretaker, Mary, disappeared over night which is where Kit McDeere comes in. Kit is just recently back on the job after an “accident” with one of her patients gets her suspended. She can’t believe her luck, now the only job her boss will offer her is to be a live-in nurse to a murderer?

But as Kit gets to know her patient,employees & the house, she refuses to leave Hope’s End without answers. She’s HAS to learn the truth of what happened on that dreadful night no matter how scared she gets.

“I can’t shake this feeling that my future rests inside this place where tragedy struck.”

Told in dual POV, with Lenora typing flashbacks with her only good hand & Kit’s help, the reader learns the truth right along with the main character. Is Kit guilty? Do we believe Lenora? What secrets still lurk amongst the house?

“…One part concern, two parts disbelief.”

“But here’s the thing—I wasn’t a good girl. Not in the least. You’ll see for yourself very soon.”

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. ⚱️#iykyk

5⭐️

Thank you @prhaudio for my #gifted ALC to read & review!

👇🏼I KNOW you read this book, what did you rate it?
💭 What’s your fave Riley Sager book?

🏷
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This one was pretty twisty!! It was a bit like reading a gothic soap opera where the reveals were very dramatic (but worked!) and everything turned out connected in the end (which was fun but a bit of a stretch.) The crumbling house on the edge of a cliff was a fantastic setting; I loved how the house was tilted and made the inhabitants dizzy or confused. The main character was a bit unlikeable at times but she grew on me by the end. While not wholly original, it was a fun and engrossing read that kept me turning pages late into the night to find out what exactly happened when an entire family was murdered all those years ago.

I love books that keep you guessing. This book was a bit bizarre but I hadn’t figured it all out until I finished the last chapter. It was a quick, intriguing read. While it isn’t my favorite by the author, Sager doesn’t disappoint.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the DRC.

Thank for to NetGalley for an eARC of this book. I read it both ok kindle and a physical hardcover copy I purchased for myself. I enjoyed the book on both formats and would recommend this book to readers visiting my store.

**Bestselling author Riley Sager returns with a Gothic chiller about a young caregiver assigned to work for a woman accused of a Lizzie Borden-like massacre decades earlier.**

This book was slightly different from the last couple by Riley Sager. Loosely based on the lizzie borden murders you're sucked right in from the start. it's not very often I catch on to what the twist might be, The first big twist I worked out was not too far in but the BIG twist I didn't see coming.

As in most of Sager's books, there was a creepy element to it which I love, That not wanting to go upstairs in the dark feeling.

If you have loved Sager's other books over the last few years this one won't disappoint!

A Gilded Age style mansion crumbling to the sea on a cliff in Maine, the home of a Lizzie Borden type character, suspected but never convicted of murdering her entire family. Leonora Hope is being cared for by a small staff, and has been kept in her house her whole life. Her newest nurse, Kit, feels like Leonora is ready to tell her side of the story, despite not being able to speak or move more than one hand. Great twists and excellent creepy atmosphere!

THE ONLY ONE LEFT is the latest thriller from Riley Sager and this cover and setting might my favorites yet 😮‍💨🧡💙🔪 while the ending of this one left me wanting more, it’s still a WILD ride and easy binge!

it’s no secret that we all get excited for new Sager—this guy is a mastermind and has some of the most fun plot twists out there (my personal faves are FINAL GIRLS and THE HOUSE ACROSS THE LAKE). it’s hard not to go into his books expecting a lot, and i think this one was a victim of high expectations for me. i LOVED the setting (a creepy mansion on the top of a cliff where murders took place 60+ years ago) and the story gripped me immediately. it started to get a bit repetitive though, and i found the ending to be farrrrrr too wrapped up for a thriller. there were a few *killer* twists, but ultimately it left me a bit disappointed—it was just okay 😩

Lenora Hope is accused of murdering her family in their home but it was never proven. she’s now mute/nearly fully paralyzed and when she gets a new caretaker, she communicates to her that she wants to tell her “everything” about that night—so what is the truth? can she be trusted?

besides the setting, i liked a lot of the characters and i also enjoyed the suspense and plethora of secrets. the ending is what really bummed me out—i could compare it to another VERY popular thriller but that would be a spoiler so i’m going to zip it 🤐 and encourage you to go in blind. it didn’t need all the fluff and intertwining at the end, i like my thrillers with a bit of unsettled mystery until the very end!

was it a fun read? of course—i’m always going to binge a new Sager release. for someone whose read (and enjoyed!) all of his work, it’s hard not to play the comparison game which sadly often happens for popular authors.

I first discovered this author as a member of BOTM. I never read anything from him before. So Thanks to BOTM for bringing this author to my attention. This is an exciting Gothic Thriller. The mysterious plot and even more mysterious characters makes for a great story. There hasn’t been a book from this author disappointed me. This is an exciting story and a fast paced page turner.

Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Dutton Group for this review copy and I am writing this review voluntarily.