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.

At seventeen, Lenora Hope
Hung her sister with a rope

Now reduced to a schoolyard chant, the Hope family murders shocked the Maine coast one bloody night in 1929. While most people assume seventeen-year-old Lenora was responsible, the police were never able to prove it. Other than her denial after the killings, she has never spoken publicly about that night, nor has she set foot outside Hope’s End, the cliffside mansion where the massacre occurred.

Stabbed her father with a knife
Took her mother’s happy life

It’s now 1983, and home-health aide Kit McDeere arrives at a decaying Hope’s End to care for Lenora after her previous nurse fled in the middle of the night. In her seventies and confined to a wheelchair, Lenora was rendered mute by a series of strokes and can only communicate with Kit by tapping out sentences on an old typewriter. One night, Lenora uses it to make a tantalizing offer—I want to tell you everything.

“It wasn’t me,” Lenora said
But she’s the only one not dead

As Kit helps Lenora write about the events leading to the Hope family massacre, it becomes clear there’s more to the tale than people know. But when new details about her predecessor’s departure come to light, Kit starts to suspect Lenora might not be telling the complete truth—and that the seemingly harmless woman in her care could be far more dangerous than she first thought.

----

Riley Sager's done it again, folks.
I absolutely tore through this book and loved every second of it. It definitely kept me on my toes!
It was incredibly atmospheric, and Sager did a great job really making Hope's End as eerie as he could, adding in the fact that it was only a matter of time before the damn thing FELL OFF A CLIFF! And yet, there's still people living there? I could not believe that.
The book is mainly in Kit's POV- but we do get a glimpse of Leonora's story and POV from back then, which was really cool to read and it helped break up the book.
You really couldn't help liking Leonora, she was incredibly misunderstood, and the end twist had me SHOOK! I couldn't believe I never suspected old Mrs Baker, although I probably should have- in hindsight.

Such a great book, it had me falling in love with Riley Sager's writing once again!

another page turner from Sager. Not his best, but also not his worst. Some of the twists were really off the rails but a fun read for summer.

This was such a fun ride! I love RIley Sager and this new book did not disappoint. I loved the nods to the Lizzie Borden case, and the big reveal that came about 2/3rd of the way through I did NOT see coming. I am a huge fan of Sager and will continue to buy and recommend his thrillers!

I've heard amazing reviews about multiple Riley Sager books, so I had to read this one asap.

However, it did fall short for me. The book started slowly, and I couldn't find myself getting into it. Unfortunately I had to put it down for a while, but plan to pick it back up soon!

Based on the half that I read, I would give it 2.5-3 stars, but I feel like the ending had potential.

“𝙸𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜𝚗’𝚝 𝚖𝚎,” 𝙻𝚎𝚗𝚘𝚛𝚊 𝚜𝚊𝚒𝚍  
𝙱𝚞𝚝 𝚜𝚑𝚎’𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚍𝚎𝚊𝚍 
 
Ooohh I can always count on Riley Sager to get me out of my reading slump. From the very first page this is a pulsating read. In Sager’s latest novel, The Only One Left we are transported to 1983 to a cliffside mansion off the rocky coast of Maine where a massacre occurred almost 50 years ago. Home-health aide Kit McDeere is coming off a 6 month suspension after being accused of killing her last patient, when she gets assigned to take care of Lenora Hope, after her last nurse fled in the middle of the night. It wouldn’t seem so weird, if Lenora wasn’t a woman accused of a Lizzie Borden-like massacre. The Hope family murders shocked the small town and if it wasn’t for the stock market crashing probably would have shocked the nation too. Now decades later the story is reduced to a schoolyard chant. Most people assume seventeen-year-old Lenora was responsible, but the police were never able to prove it. She’s maintained her innocence, but has never spoken publicly about that night, nor has she set foot outside of Hope’s End since.  
 
Now in her 70s and confined to a wheelchair and rendered mute by a series of strokes, Lenora can only communicate by tapping out sentences on an old typewriter. And shortly after arriving, Lenora uses it to make Kit a tantalizing offer—“I want to tell you everything.” As Kit helps Lenora write about the events leading to the Hope family massacre, it becomes clear there’s more to the tale than people know. But when new details about her predecessor’s departure come to light, Kit starts to suspect Lenora might not be telling the complete truth—and that the seemingly harmless woman in her care could be far more dangerous than she first thought. 
 
I found myself racing to the end to find out who did it and the ending was even more shocking than I had imagined. How does Riley come up with these stories?! I wouldn’t say this is my favorite of his books, but it’s really high on my list. This page turner is a summer must read!
 
Read if you like: 
- Murder Mystery  
- 80s  
- Haunted House  
- Unreliable narrator  
- Family secrets

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for gifting me an ARC!
——
I’m going to skip with the summary and dive in to my thoughts given Riley Sager is a hugely popular thriller author and this book released 2 months ago.

I’m a huge fan of gothic thrillers taking place in a remote estate. In that sense, this book absolutely delivers as the story takes hold in a (slowly) decaying cliffside mansion in the beautiful but eerie coast of Maine!
Furthermore, both the main characters have very shady and violent pasts, one or both could be unreliable (no spoilers) and they’re both trying to divulge into each other while at the same time, attempting to outsmart one another. But this is where the good part kind of ends for me. Solid first half of the book that had me furiously turning the pages with a constant sense DREAD that I welcome very much in gothic thrillers.

But then as the story goes on, and Lenora (who is mute) keeps on typewriting her letters but won’t get to the main point and I just felt like screaming SPIT IT OUT, LENORA!!!😂

There was also a LOT to unpack. Lot of key players with shared pasts and stories of their own that culminate to the present tension. As a reader, I felt I needed to start taking notes but didn’t want to. 😂 And then the twists keep on twisting…in the end, I felt the author was just trying to outdo himself. Overall, I still liked the story and don’t regret reading it. There is no doubt with this book that Riley Sager is the king of thriller twists, however I was just hoping for a slightly different outcome in the second half of the book. All this being said, who am I kidding? You know damn well I’m going to hit that request button for the next Riley Sager thriller! 😂😂😂 I suspect Riley Sager fans will find this book to be among their favorites.

Another great Riley Sager mystery/thriller. In this book we follow Kit, a recently disgraced caretaker, who's only job option left is to take care of Lenora Hope alleged murderer. As Kit settles into her role as Lenora's caretaker she quickly starts to find out all is not as it seems at Hope's End. With a supremely satisfying twist this was a fantastic read that had me guessing right until the end.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!

Riley Sager does a great thriller. This one has a spooky twist! It will definitely grab you right away?

I have a very interesting relationship with Riley Sager books. I never think they are amazing, but I always pick them up and have a good enough time reading them. This was the last Riley Sager book I will probably ever read, though.

The Only One Left is set in the 1980s and follows a young woman working as a caregiver. She is assigned to work in the mansion of a woman named Lenora Hope, a woman who everyone assumes killed her whole family.

I think this book is ableist. Lenora is in a wheelchair and does not move or talk, and the entire book we are supposed to be figuring out if she is faking her disability. IN 2023?! CONTEMPLATING IF A CHARACTER IS FAKING THEIR DISABILITY??! How did this make it through publication without this aspect being removed. I truly think without this - the book would have been the exact same suspense/plot wise. It was completely unnecessary and offensive.

Aside from the ableism, there were a lot of other issues with this one.

- It felt like there was zero intention regarding the book being set in the 80s, other than the fact that there weren't smartphones around. I could not even tell the book was supposed to be set in the 80s until I went back and read the synopsis. This felt very lazy. Setting is such an important part of any book in my opinion, and this just seemed careless and undeveloped.

- PLOT HOLESSSS. I can't even list them here but there was so much stuff that did not make sense at all.

I do have to give credit that the book was fast paced and thrilling, but obviously that does not make up for the ableism.

I am very disappointed in this and cannot recommend it.

*Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

"The Only One Left" by Riley Sager is a tense and gripping thriller that had me hooked from the very beginning. This novel is a captivating blend of suspense, mystery, and the chilling exploration of the human psyche.

Sager's writing style is immersive and atmospheric, creating a sense of unease that lingers throughout the story. The characters in the novel are complex and layered, each with their own secrets and motivations that contribute to the depth of the narrative.

At the heart of the narrative is a chilling mystery that unfolds in a way that keeps the reader guessing and engaged. The author skillfully builds tension and suspense, creating a narrative that is both unsettling and compulsively readable.

"The Only One Left" successfully balances the psychological aspects of the story with the emotional depth of the characters' experiences. The exploration of fear, paranoia, and the impact of past traumas adds complexity to the plot.

In conclusion, "The Only One Left" is a masterfully crafted thriller that delivers a roller-coaster of suspense and intrigue. If you're looking for a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat and guessing until the very end, this novel offers a chilling and satisfying narrative that will leave you captivated.

I have loved every Riley Sager book and this one holds up to the others. I'll admit, it was a tad bit slow at first, but I did love how the second half pulled everything together. Unexpected twists kept me reading late into the night. Hope to see another book from this author out next year!

I am a Riley Sager fan because his stories are often intricately plotted with well-develoved characters. and include a sprinkling of the supernatural! In this case. we learn of the Hope family's tragedy, which is vaguely reminiscent of the mystery
surrounding Lizzie Borden's family story-- intriguing to say the least!

Hope's End, a once impressive estate on a deteriorating & precarious cliff, is the perfect setting against which our protagonist races to learn how Lenora came to be The Only One Left in her family! You have to read until the very end for a twist vou might not see coming!

The Only One Left is good choice for those who liked The Sundown Motel by Simone St
James, The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware, or The Village by Camilla Sten.

Everyone believes that seventeen-year-old Lenora Hope was responsible for the deaths of her parents and her sister in 1929. Now, in 1983, Kit McDeere is sent to act as a caregiver to Lenora. Kit has to take the job after an incident at her last placement. Kit is a little uneasy about working for Lenora, since she’s suspected to be a murderer. However, Lenora is confined to a wheelchair without the ability to speak. She can only move her left hand. One night, Lenora gets Kit to bring her a typewriter. She tells Kit she will tell her everything about the infamous massacre. Kit is eager to find out, but as more details are revealed, Kit realizes she might be in more danger than she thought.

This was one of those books that I couldn’t put down. I needed to get to the end as quickly as I could to find out what happened. I don’t want to give anything away, so I’ll just say this was such a twisty thriller. There were a couple of things that I suspected throughout the story, but the ending literally made my jaw drop. It’s one of the best endings I’ve ever read!

The Only One Left is an intense and fast-paced thriller!

Thank you Dutton for providing a digital copy of this book!

Content warnings: death of parents, stabbing, attempted suicide

Thank you so much @DuttonBooks for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 20 June 2023)

SYNOPSIS | After a 6 month suspension, Kit is sent as a home health aide to care for Lenora. She lives in a historic mansion on an isolated crumbling cliff by the sea & was accused of killing her parents & sister in 1929. After a series of health issues she is confined to a wheelchair, but Kit suspects she is capable of more than she is letting on.

WHAT I LIKED:
- slow, creepy & unsettling gothic vibes
- perfectly bingeworthy mystery

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- the story got quite convoluted in parts
- I love an over-the-top ending but I just didn't vibe with this one
- I also wasn’t a fan of the reveal after reveal after reveal… it all started to lose its shock value for me

hank you NETGALLEY for connecting me with one of my favourite reads of 2023. This is an honest review *


My fave auto-buy author strikes again!! Sager has an incredible talent of creating such a vivid atmosphere in his books that it literally transports the reader into the book along with the characters.

This story is Haunting of Hill House meets Cluedo meets Lizzie Bennet. SAY NO MORE. This is perfect for any mystery fan, true crime addict and dare I say, even fantasy lovers looking to dip their does in the thriller genre.

I just can’t get over how much of a wild and entertaining ride this book was. Another incredible win for Riley Sager!!

This is my first Riley Sagar book and it won't be my last. This was a twisty and fun rollercoaster of a ride. I devoured this book. It had me on the edge of my seat and my jaw on the floor. I thought I had it figured out and then BAM no I did not. This was chaotic, and it gave me whiplash but in the best way! I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait to read more books by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Book Dutton for the E-ARC

All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.

Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

What a twisted, gothic story about a caregiver named Kit whose patient is the infamous Lenora Hope who supposedly murdered her whole family. While Lenora has suffered from many strokes and illnesses she types out her story and what really happened the night of her murders one letter at a time. With all of the twists and turns I could not put this book down. Thanks, Sager for another awesome read!