Dr. Tamsin Rivers, head of scientific research at Myrica Dynamic, is hiding a secret. The city of San Siroco is sinking, but her basement showed the first signs and is sinking faster than the rest of the city. Sinking might not be the right word, stretching seems more apt, and a door that was never there before has appeared. Despite all of her efforts, it does not open. Then it does, from the other side, and a copy of her steps through.

At first, the doppelganger is childlike. But as time goes on, Tamsin begins to lose track of time. Black spots in her memory, and her copy takes care of more and more responsibilities. With her employer growing suspicious, and the city continuing to sink, Tamsin must figure out her own health, and exactly what this doppelganger has to do with it.

The whole novel is from Tamsin’s POV, so the reader feels Tamsin’s arrogance, and later her fear. The reader is sent through this horror of what it might be like, forgetting who we are and the struggle to regain our identity. It makes one wonder about the illnesses of dementia and Alzheimer’s, and if this is what those patients experience. Anyone with experience might be triggered by this topic. I know I was.

However, that doesn’t change that I did not like Tamsin. She was arrogant and at times cruel. I felt that she could have solved many problems by simply admitting to what was happening and receiving help. At the middle, I began to feel sorry for her, but I still did not like her. I wanted to know more about Lachlan, her story, and how she came to Myrica.

This is another perfect novel to read in October, or whenever readers want a feeling of dread and horror. I am already not a fan of basements, so this just followed along with that creepy feeling. The Death of Jane Lawrence is still my favorite, so far, but I will continue to follow Caitlin Starling.

Overall, I rate this novel 4 out of 5 stars.

Tamsyn Rivers has a problem. The city she lives in, San Siroco, is sinking slowly every day. And her basement is sinking even faster...and it reveals a strange door. The door, when it opens, lets another Tamsyn into the world, and Tamsyn is stunned. Who is she? Is she me?

This book was...disappointing, kind of. Starling's style does draw you in, drawing pictures as you read. Unfortunately, the beginning of the book is boring. The only interesting things, the doubles of Tamsyn and her cat, and the door, are kind of shunted to the side as Tamsyn...works? A lot? And then works..some more while her "handler" Lachlan is breathing down her neck in service to their nebulous corporation. Tamsyn is unstable, and soon begins to lose her memory, but it's not done very well and you're left wondering whose POV you're actually reading, even when the POV shifts to that of "Prime", the double.
Then you get to the second half of the book and things really start to get interesting. And it's interrupted by lesbian...erm...self love? And then the weird pseudo-relationship between Tamsyn and Lachlan. It's like Starling forgot that this book needed to have gay in it and so she went back after she finished the book and shoved some in. It feels like an afterthought, not developed at all.

Overall, it did have a spooky atmosphere, especially with the basement (which Tamsyn spent 1/3 of the book even avoiding thinking about, yeesh) and the creepiness with the clone factor and the body horror. It was an okay read, but not one I'll read again.

Starling writes "unnerving" better than almost any author I've ever read, and LAST TO LEAVE THE ROOM is no exception. The premise here is so gripping, and the ongling uncertainty of "what the hell is even happening" is so expertly done. Overall I found this book less disturbing than THE DEATH OF JANE LAWRENCE, but that is not a complaint.

I really liked this book, it was different than anything else I've read which was a breath of fresh air. I will be recommending this to my friends, and auto buy this author!

This was a rollercoaster of emotions and I absolutely loved it! It was SO good, gave me House of Leaves vibes. There’s so many unexplainable things going on as you read, I felt so compelled to continue reading because I NEEDED answers. The characters were morally questionable, the writing was great, and the horror was what horror should be. I was so scared at certain moments 😂 Piece of advice, don’t read this in the late hours of the night… you’ll be paranoid like I was. This is a wonderful blend of horror mixed with science fiction and thriller themes! I’m really excited to read more by this author.

I was so excited to receive an ARC of Last to Leave the Room after falling in love with The Luminous Dead, another one of Starling's novels! I read this book over the course of my vacation and I adored it. Starling really knows how to write a sapphic, sci-fi horror novel. There was a nice amount of twists near the end that kept me guessing on what was going going to happen with Tamsin and her doppelganger. My biggest criticism is that I really did not like the two main protagonists. I got that both were meant to be these cold as steel type business women who had no time for emotions, but I really would have liked to at least like them a little bit, therefore I would have been able to empathize with them a bit better.

This one has mixed reviews, but as a Sci-Fi fan, I really enjoyed it. The idea of a doppelganger, just popping into existence, is a favorite trope for me. Last to Leave the Room does this well, I think, and it made for a good story.

There is a lot of contemplation, especially towards the end, but that actually made this more interesting for me. Sometimes it works, and sometimes not, but this time it fit well.

If you're a fan of Sci-Fi, with a touch of horror, this is one to grab and read. I sincerely appreciate St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Caitlin Starling is not an author for everyone. She fits a very specific niche that unfortunately is not one of my favorites. While I have read another book by her this was not the same genre and fell flat for me. Anyone who loves a more science based book with a bit of speculative fiction will love this.

great queer horror. it had no pacing issues, it grabs in and reads like a movie. an absolute gem of a horror novel

I'm not even sure what I just read...

Last to Leave the Room started off a bit slow and felt like a hurdle to get through. We have multiple chapters dedicated to explaining research teams and attending meetings, looking at data points. However. by the end, I understand it set the scene for the research world and Tamsin's personality and relationship with others. This plays a bigger part by the end when things start to unravel. It just didn't do much for me at the time when I wanted a book to get me hooked.

Once we got to "The Double" section things really picked up and really got strange. But, once again, the plot seemed to starkly pivot from the city sinking to this doppelganger storyline. While I didn't mind this it also added some dissonance for me, the reader, as to where this book was going and what its story was (and again again, trust in the process because it did tie in later).

This is one I need to sit on a bit longer to figure out how I feel about it. The themes around identity, personhood, and trust were all very well done. This book kept you on that knife edge of discomfort, especially in the second half, which I am always looking for in a psychological horror. Overall it is an immense web that I spent 95% of the book trying to figure out how it could all possibly come together and felt uneasy the entire time, which I think was very much the point. So well done!

This was an exciting and weird story! It took me way too long to finish it due to time constraints, but I never wanted to give up on it. It was definitely different than anything I’ve ever read before.

The story is very scientific, which made it difficult to understand in parts, but not so scientific that it made me not enjoy the story.

I thought the basement and all the details that went into the description was fascinating and it made me want to know more about what was going on.

The story is suspenseful and interesting all the way throughout. I kept wondering if I’d get any concrete answers, and I was not disappointed in the end.

Last to Leave the Room is a work speculative fiction with horror and thriller elements. Dr. Tamsin Rivers, is a scientist developing communication technology. The city is sinking and Rivers discovers a doppelgänger in her basement. It's an interesting concept, but it fell flat for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I have loved all of Caitlin Starling's previous books especially the Luminous Dead so when I saw that this book was coming out, I knew I had to read it as soon as possible. Starling is also a PNW author and I always love supporting PNW authors.

This was a WILD ride! I didn't know what to expect. I didn't look into this book too much before diving in. That is my favorite way to read horror and thriller books. This book was a bit slow at the beginning but it goes from zero to hundred so fast! I won't say anything specific because this is one of those books you should go in blind.

I will always recommend Caitlin Starling books!

3 1/2 stars

This book had great promise but I just couldn't get into it the way I hoped. I think the storyline was inventive and original. Unfortunately, there were inconsistencies for me that detracted from the story. I couldn't connect with the characters and was left scratching my head a great deal.

I'm sure this book will be a favorite for many. It just wasn't for me.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The narration was actually very strong. I toggled back and forth between the ebook and audiobook. I probably would have listened more consistently to the audiobook but I found that with the complexity of the plot, it was sometimes difficult to follow by listening and I was better actually reading it. However, I believe that is just because it's how I respond best. 4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review both the ebook and audiobook.

This book had me hooked from the start. The mystery of the city sinking and the mysterious door in Tamsin's basement had me reading as fast as I could. This book definitely gave me House of Leaves vibes as we watch Tasmin descend into madness and confusion. Unsettling is the word that I used to describe this book because it feels so real as we experience it, and it makes me wonder how much of this is actually possible.

If you love a creepy work of psychological rollercoasters, this book is definitely for you.

I’m not sure that I’ve ever read a speculative horror novel prior to Last to Leave the Room, but the premise of this book sounded too good not to give it a try. At the end of the day, I think some of the science fiction elements went over my head.I would find myself getting distracted and miss important details in the story (likely due to zoning out listening to the audio). I’m not quite 100% sure I’m smart enough to fully review this book, so I’m going to go with a pros/cons list review!

PROS:
📚Unique premise: I loved this take on doppelgangers.
📚The second half: So much more action and tension! This part really brought forward the horror/thriller side of the story.
📚Tension/unease: Starling does a phenomenal job of bringing these vibes to the story!

CONS:
📚Confusing: There was a lot of build up and details in the first half that I definitely think were essential, but they weren’t always clearly laid out. I listened to this one, so it might be more manageable reading the physical copy.
📚The ending: I’m not sure it solved everything for me and I still feel a little lost.

I adore Starling’s The Luminous Dead and have plans to read The Death of Jane Lawrence soon. Starling has a knack for unique stories and I think her writing makes her accessible for a broad range of readers looking for something with a fresh premise to read.

I could not get into this book. It was so odd and confusing. I liked the idea of the doppelgänger but I felt the book got muddled with everything going on. I especially got confused on who was the doppelgänger and who was real, which might have been the point

I really, really liked this up until the very end, when it felt like all of the existential questions of morality and identity kind of collapsed in favor of having a Villain, which was disappointing. The narrative portrayal of someone having a full breakdown (or not!) was extremely well done and made me feel like I was also losing my mind. Not a single character was likeable and I loved them all.

Brilliant, self-interested, proud, cold and manipulative researcher Tamsin Rivers heads up a team researching the ground subsidence in San Siroco. She has no close ties to anyone, and is jealous of her control of her research and her lab, and has little respect or use for her researchers, except when it suits her.

When a door, impervious to opening or manipulation, appears in the basement of her home, Tamsin is thrown. Gradually, its presence affects her with nightmares, sleepwalking,and memory lapses to the extent that her boss and team notice.

When the door finally opens and reveals her double to her, Tamsin is shocked, intrigued, and after a little time, sees an advantage for herself. She names the double Prime, who at first is almost childlike in manner, has no memories, and lets Tamsin lead her about. With Prime's increasing display of skills and reasoning Tamsin sees how she can get Prime to participate in her research, which shows that her basement has descended more than other areas of the city. Slowly, the relationship transforms with Tamsin losing more memory and her ability to function decreasing rapidly, and Prime begins taking over her life.

This unsettling, claustrophobic novel left me wondering what the heck was going on? First a door just appearing in her basement is frightening enough, but then her doppelganger stepping out of it??

Author Caitlin Starling builds a tense, quietly horrifying atmosphere. By leaving us always in Tamsin's point of view, we only know what she knows as she goes from treating everyone around her with a certain contempt, to what she becomes much later in the novel: lost, and reaching out.

The reasons behind all the mystery (her double, the subsidence) never fully worked for me, though I liked the growing tension between Tamsin and Prime, as well as Tamsin and her somewhat menacing boss Lachlan.

I preferred the author's previous novel ("The Death of Jane Lawrence") over this one, but certainly appreciated how chilling this book was.

Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

This is my third book by this author. I absolutely loved The Luminous Dead and I really enjoyed The Death of Jane Lawrence, but I was disappointed with this one. I thought the premise was fascinating, but I didn’t find it very compelling. The story follows Dr. Tamsin Rivers and if you’re looking for a strong female protagonist, she’s it, at least in the beginning, then at points later in the story her narration becomes unreliable.

Tamsin has no personal life. No family, no friends, no significant other. It’s just her and her cat. Hey, I’m a cat person. Tamsin’s focus is on her career. She’s a manager and not friendly with any coworkers or employees. She’s all about work. Unfortunately, she’s working on a project that is described in the most ambiguous of terms as a communications project that has the possible side effect of causing the city that she’s conducting research in to subside. I kept waiting to find out more about this mysterious project but apparently, the consequences of their experiments were more important to the plot than the actual project, which negates the whole focus on Tamsin only being about work for me.

Tamsin’s home includes a lab in her basement which is also suffering from the mysterious subsidence phenomenon and there is a mysterious door from which a doppelganger appears. After that the book literally follows her mundane day to day with the doppelganger with a few predictable events and some unreliable narration. By the time the relevant questions were starting to get asked in part 4, I just didn’t care anymore.

Limited recommendations to those that enjoy stories involving doppelgangers.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy provided for an honest review.