Perla Wultz lives in an affluent gated community with her handsome, nerdy husband Grant and their preteen daughter Sophie. On the surface, Perla is a polished and perfect wife and mother, but a dark obsession lurks just beneath her surface. About an hour away from the Wultzes’ seemingly idyllic life, Leewood Folcrum is serving a life prison sentence for a horrific crime that occurred over twenty years ago. What really happened on that terrible night, and how are the Wultzes connected?

Holy cow, what did I just read??!! To call this book a page turner is the understatement of the century; twists galore and short snappy chapters had me whipping through fast-paced thriller. I loved the little snippets at the beginning of each chapter from people related to the story (friends, neighbors, prison guards) that provided insights into the main characters and foreshadowed the events to come. If you love twisty, turny plotlines and dark and devious characters, this gripping wild ride is for you! My fellow team members at Thriller Book Lovers The Pulse can’t get enough of this one!

The Last Party by A.R Torre
My rating:
5/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Perla and Grant live in an affluent neighborhood with their daughter Sophie. What Grant does not know is that Perla has an obsession with a murderer Leewood Folcrum who confessed to the crime of murdering two young girls during a birthday party. Will this obsession hurt their marriage or their family!?


There is just something about A.R Torre’s writing that just hits different. I love the short chapters, fast pace and she writes characters that you love to hate. I went into this one completely blind and I’m so glad I did!

I would absolutely recommend this thriller. While it is very dark at times, I was never bored and just loved it. I will say that I thought the end was a bit long, but it wrapped up everything nicely and left me with zero questions.

While I did figure out a few of the twists in this, I was pleasantly surprised and still found this story very satisfying even with figuring out some of the pieces.

Thank you netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC! You can read this August 20th, 2024, so add it to your TBR now so you remember to pick it up on pub day!

I loved this book! I love AR Torre she has a way of writing a book that is so unique and so intriguing.
This was a great story.

This was perfect to read in one sitting. It’s going to be a great beach read. It’s predictable if you read a lot of thrillers and the main character is unlikeable but that doesn’t mean it’s not an enjoyable and crave worthy read.

Grant and Perla are getting ready to celebrate their daughter Sophia’s birthday party. Meanwhile, Leewood has been in prison for 23 years murdering 2 girls at his daughters birthday party and still people are fascinated by his crime. A doctoral student has convinced him to talk for the first time…. Will anything he reveals change the past and what surprises await the Wultz family?

NetGalley Review — my rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

“The Last Party” by A.R. Torre is a twisty tale where the truths are hidden amongst the lies. Who is telling the real story? What is the real story?

Perla is a suburban rich housewife with a big fat secret — she’s obsessed with a local killer and wants to recreate his crime with her own family 😱 Grant is Perla’s husband with his own past he’s haunted by. Watch as the story unravels and figure out who’s telling the truth!

I quite enjoyed this one all the way till the end where it dragged a bit with no real reason why. But overall, what a ride! It was twisty and turny and I buddy read it with @findinglogan so it was good to get to talk it through with someone.

100% recommend — big thanks to Thomas & Mercer Publishing for the ARC!

You’ll be waiting for this one so get it on the TBR now! Publish date is August 20!

#netgalley #thelastparty #artorre #thomasandmercer #arc

Perla lives with her husband and 11 year old daughter in an affluent gated community. She’s a doting wife, but with a secret: she’s obsessed with an infamous murder 23 years ago. Meanwhile, the convicted killer of those crimes agrees to be interviewed by a student studying for his doctorate, and the two worlds are about to collide. The Last Party is one rip-roaring story from start to finish. The story unfolds in a brilliant format, with dual plot lines that keep the reader on edge. The characters are all highly entertaining and interesting, the dialogue is crisp, and the plot continues to confound the reader, adding to the intrigue of this novel. This was an absolute delight to read, and I couldn’t finish this fast enough. Fantastic read, five full stars! I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, Mrs Torre, you've done it again...
I read this in one-sitting...
This was SERIOUSLY sooooooo good...

Guys & gals, do yourselves a favor, read this!

Novel: The Last Party (Kindle Edition)
Author: A. R. Torre
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Review Rating: 5 Stars
Cover: 7/10
Characters, interaction, and plot layout: 5/5
Publication Date: 20 August 2024
Do I recommend this: Absolutely
Would I buy this book for myself or a friend: Yes

Shout out to A. R. Torre & Netgalley for providing me with an ARC.

This was my first book by this author and it did not disappoint!
The storyline was extremely gripping from the very beginning with quite a few jaw dropping moments.
Fantastic!

Wow this book was just want I needed to get out of my book slump! It was almost a story within a story within a story.

Perla Wultz, her husband Grant and daughter Sophie are a wealthy family living in a gated community in California. They appear to have a practically perfect life. Grant is devoted to his wife and daughter. Perla has curated the perfect house, the perfect wardrobe and the perfect family. An hour away, Leewood Folcrum is serving life in prison for a horrific murder spree at his daughter’s twelfth birthday party. Everyone believes they know what happened that night, decades ago, but Leewood has never told anyone the full story and there are important details that no one knows. The lives of Leewood Folcrum and the Wultz family are about to intersect in the most terrifying way.

I can't wait to recommend this one and read more from this author!

Thank you Thomas & Mercer and A. R. Torre for the gifted copy!

What a wild freaking ride this book was. I absolutely detested Perla but could not stop reading to find out how everything was going to play out. I looooved the alternating POV chapters between Perla and Leewood, I thought each of them was super interesting.

This one has the group chat with some of my fellow Thriller Book Lovers the Pulse on fire - we can't stop talking about it!

Fans of Torre's previous books will no doubt be thrilled (pun intended) with this one as well.

Pub date: August 20

Yooooo a new favorite thriller! Will for sure be recommending this one to friends. I did not guess even ONE of the plot twists. So unique! Torre does it again.

Ok ok ok. Stop what you’re doing right now, grab a pencil…no a permanent marker, flip to August 20th in your calendar and write “BUY THE LAST PARTY!” Before you forget. This one will blow your mind. It most certainly is all the buzz right now with @thrillerbookloversthepulse #thepulse #pulsepoint
Thank you @amazonpublishing @artorre

Holy moly macaroni talk about an addictive read! Lock your doors! Hide your kids! Check and recheck everything you think you know because book will make you doubt all your friends! 😱

This one knocked my socks off in the best possible way! In my opinion, this book is THE definition of a masterpiece! I could not put this one down and anxiously counted the minutes until work was done so I could dive back in! This book was written with such a great sense of dread as the events unfolded I found myself blown away one of the characters audacity! This character was so chilling I could not look away! Naturally, I loved every minute of it! This one will likely easily be a top thriller of the year for me and I will be immediately checking out her backlist! Sign me up for all the books written by AR Torre! If you love thrillers, you MUST grab this one!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Short chapters and lots of twists make this book hard to put down. I absolutely loved the story and couldn’t figure out what was going to happen next. The multiple pov helps keep the story interesting.

Perla is a wealthy mother who seems somewhat obsessed with a man who murdered two girls,
23 years ago. At first I had no idea how the three MCs would all mesh together and wanted to keep reading to dive into their lives.

Don't miss out on one of summer's hottest thriller! Thriller Book Lovers The Pulse recommends adding The Last Party to your beach bag ASAP. Thank you Amazon Publishing for the ARC!

Pub Date: August 20, 2024

Short, gripping chapters and a compelling cast of characters will keep you guessing until the very end.

Perla Wultz, a successful and dedicated wife and mother, harbors a secret obsession. For two decades, a chilling murder spree that took place at a birthday party has haunted her. When a student delves into the case, deceptions behind the infamous murders begin to surface. But who’s deceiving who now? And why? And as an ingeniously twisted plan is set in motion, who will be the next to die?

Read if you enjoy:
✨Devious characters
✨Multiple POV
✨Short chapters
✨Plot twists

I have read a lot of thrillers over the past 7 years since I got back into reading. I have read about some pretty disturbing characters with sick, twisted minds and natures. Just when you think you've reached that brink, and nothing could top it, along comes Perla in the Last Party. She is a rich housewife in a gated California community, living with her husband, Grant and 12 year old daughter Sophie. Sophie is very mature for her age, and was fun to follow. I could not put this book down. I devoured it quickly and couldn't get enough. This book left me with a major book hangover. Its one of those books that is so good that you know when you go on to your next read, you have to pick something close to par or you just aren't going to enjoy it because it won't measure up. I enjoyed the way this book was written with alternating chapters that included little snippets of quotes from people that knew our main characters, Sophie, Grant, Perla and Leewood Wurtz. There are so many twists that you will be thrown sideways several times. If you love dark, psychological thrillers, don't miss this one! 5 stars!

Add this to your neverending TBR lists, ok?

This is the very definition of a psychological thriller. If you loved the darkness of Verity, this one is BETTER. I don't want to say anything that could spoil this book, but A.R. Torre has perfected her craft. If you go in blind, the amount of twists and jaw-dropping moments will blow you away. The way everything flawlessly tied together in the end was perfect. This book will live rent free in my head for the foreseeable future.

This is one action packed, jaw dropping, plot twisted book that I would recommend. This hooked me in the beginning so I sat down, buckled up and binge read this book.

You know the past and present are going to come together but not exactly sure how. Perle portrays the perfect wife and loving mother. Grant is still haunted by his past trauma. Sophie is a gifted liar and manipulator. How far would you go to protect your secrets?

Lee Fulcrum went to prison for killing two teen girls. Did he do it? He always claimed he was innocent but is spending his life in prison.

I enjoyed the pacing and the authors sense of humor.

I enjoyed the authors pacing and sense of humor.

An absolute page turner. This one grabbed from the first pages. Who would pretend to be somebody they are NOT in an emergency situation? Apparently, Perla Wultz would!!! Her husband Grant and daughter Sophie are aware of Perla’s ways….
Everyone thinks this family has the perfect life, but Perla has an obsession and a secret.
The other parts of this book explore Leewood Folcrum life sentence. He confessed to murdering two young girls. But did he do it? What really happened to these girls and how are does this story connect.
Our team Thriller Book Lovers-The Pulse really loved this one! Out August 20, 2024.

Summary: Perla Wultz, her husband Grant and daughter Sophie are a wealthy family living in a gated community in California. They appear to have a practically perfect life. Grant is devoted to his wife and daughter. Perla has curated the perfect house, the perfect wardrobe and the perfect family. An hour away, Leewood Folcrum is serving life in prison for a horrific murder spree at his daughter’s twelfth birthday party. Everyone believes they know what happened that night, decades ago, but Leewood has never told anyone the full story and there are important details that no one knows. The lives of Leewood Folcrum and the Wultz family are about to intersect in the most terrifying way.

Thoughts: This novel took my emotions, and my heart rate, on a rollercoaster ride! A. R. Torre has a talent for creating complex characters that aren’t especially likeable yet are very intriguing. The reader needs to know what happens to them. The story of the Wultz family is told in short, snappy chapters from multiple POV. At the beginning of each chapter there is a snippet of a quote from a person (neighbor, relative, reporter, etc.) giving a perspective on either the family or Leewood Folcrum. This is a very effective technique, and gives the reader a better picture of how others viewed them. The tension rachets up quickly as the novel progresses and I could not put it down for the last 100 pages!

If you are a fan of fast-paced domestic thrillers, then I definitely recommend that you try this author. This is my second novel from her and she is becoming one of my go-to thriller authors. Many thanks to the author and to Thomas & Mercer for the copy to read.