The Last Party by A.R. Torre centers on Perla Wultz, who lives in a secure, affluent community with her husband and young daughter. Outwardly, she seems to have it all.

However, her life is shadowed by an obsession with a decades-old crime: twenty-three years ago, Leewood Folcrum confessed to the murder of two girls during a birthday party. Now serving a life sentence, Folcrum is the subject of a doctoral student’s research, and as he begins to share details of his motives, hidden truths about that fateful night start surfacing.

Perla is drawn into this exploration, balancing the seemingly ideal life she presents with a quest to uncover the truth about this long-buried crime, unsure of whom she can trust as events take increasingly dangerous turns.

This was another fabulously chilling story that I've come to trust and expect the author to deliver!

A.R. Torre is an auto buy author for me. The Last Party was everything I want and look for in a thriller. Such an incredible read that I can't recommend enough.

Perla has done good for herself. She lives in a nice neighborhood, she has a good husband, and a great daughter. They’ve come a long way from that night 23 years ago when a sleepover ended in a massacre changing both of their lives forever. However, what we see is not always what we get and under the surface lies, deceit, and questions linger. Despite this good life Perla has built, she longs for more and to get there, she will do whatever it takes. Maybe even recreate a famous murder from the past…

Okayyyy, I know I say it all the time but we could NOT shut up about this at The Pulse. And if you read it, you’ll completely understand why. This book is twisted in all the best ways. Do you like books that leave you feeling slack-jawed and silently mouthing what. the. hell. Because it’s the middle of the night and your spouse is sleeping next to you probably dreaming nice things while you are in a mindfuck of emotions? If so, The Last Party is a fantastic book for you.

The Last Party is an absolute page turner from beginning to end and while I would say it slows down maybe 50-70%ish, you are still dying to the climax so you keep flipping. There are multiple formats in the book, multiple POVs, multiple timelines, and several twists to keep you guessing, all culminating in a chilling finale.

Every character in this book could be described as awful. Cunning, calculated, narcissistic, and audacious would also be good words. All this means to me is that you’re getting a hell of a story and your head will be spinning in the best way.

If you enjoy Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, Sarah Pekkanen, or Alex Michaelides then I feel like you would really enjoy this one!

A loving mother and a notorious killer, both have reasons to hide their secrets. What are they?

WHATTTTTTTT!!! What in the world did I just read, absolutely unhinged. Perla is a monster and I am unwell. Those were my thoughts a quarter of the way through. I couldn’t believe this woman, so jealous of her daughter, she thought about killing her!? 🤯

Could these people be anymore unhinged? Perla’s behavior just got worse and worse, the more you learn the more you wonder on what planet! Everyone was hiding something, it was crazy. I was reading like this 😳 most of the time.

I can’t say more but you have to read this!

🔥 Review 🔥

Oh......A.R. Torre I can always count on you to have a deviously and delicious thriller that I will just eat up.

The Last Party was nothing short of Torre’s talent once again! You have to get this one on your list! I can see it being one of the top thrillers of 2024.

Let me introduce you to Perla... HOLY HELL she is one character that you’re going to love to hate. Talk about dysfunctional and dark to her CORE. PHEW... don’t think I’ve had a character like her in awhile ;).

Torre writes a deliciously dark and addicting read. Full of lies, twists, and sinister details that hook you from the first chapter. My first reaction after reading the first chapter was..... wtf this B is off her chain ;).

Wickedly fun and addicting! I did this as a buddy read with @theambersbookshelf and we both gobbled this thriller up!!!

Also.... Torre that epilogue..... WELL played girl... WELL played ;).

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫/5

Thank you so much to netgalley for my arc

4.5/5 stars

4⭐️ I was honored to receive a copy from NetGalley.

I have heard many say this was one of the best thrillers they have read in awhile. I see why it has so much hype attached to it. I was intrigued from the first chapter. The book kept building the expense and I had a hard time putting the book down. I had to know how it would end. I was able to guess a few twists, but didn’t expect the last 2. This is a must read, and can’t wait to read more by A.R. Torre.

The Last Party by A.R. Torre

In the midst of uncertainty and war, I have chosen not to read this well written psychological thriller because it is too dark for me to spend hours immersed in a world darker than my own. When I requested the book, it seemed perfect, and it might be perfect for me to read later BUT not today. I am safe where I am living but what is happening south of my home could move this direction…

ANYWAY…I read the first sixty pages, the last four or five chapters and sampled from the middle and can tell you that:
* Perla’s mind is NOT one I would want to spend more time in than I already have
* Her husband seems to be a good man but perhaps a bit of a patsy or pawn though bright academically and related to Perla through a shared past…sort of…and through their daughter, Sophie. He has a big decision to make, and I wonder if I would have done the same in his shoes
* Sophie, the daughter of Perla and Grant, is like a brilliant sponge soaking up information and ideas from both of her parents and she is willing to use that information for her own purposes…she left me wondering about her future and hoping that she would not end up like her mother…though she might if genes do play a part
* The writing is beautiful in that it draws you in, makes you feel part of the story, had me invested in the outcome, etc…though it was too dark for me to spend more hours with right now
* What I did read had me wondering about nature versus nurture and how some people end up as they do…and hoping I never EVER run into anyone like some in this book…and also knowing I have

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

Well, where to even begin. I honestly struggled to read the first half of this book. It made me so anxious, I had to stop reading a lot. But as this is one of my favorites authors books, I forced myself to get over it and read. And I did. And I couldn’t put it down because it was so good. Creepy -yes. Anxiety producing -yes. But writing that was so vivid that the story will stay in my mind forever - absolutely yes!

I won’t go into any details because going in as blind as you can makes the reading of this book so much better, although if you’re an anxious reader like me you may be tempted to skip ahead and read the ending, but don’t do it! You’ll ruin the whole experience. I promise it’s worth the anxiety.

I highly recommend this book to lovers of a good psychological suspense that messes with your brain and has the best unexpected ending ever! It was awesome! I honestly had no idea. Even now I’m going back to that ending and saying WHAT! It was fabulous.

Warning: This book is hella dark. Like, I’ve read some creepy books, but this one was bad. Just, be warned. Not bad, as in a bad story - I’ll get into that later! - like bad, as in very macabre.

I don’t even know where to start with this book. It’s almost like the book description doesn’t really do it the dark, dark justice it deserves. But I don’t want to ruin it by writing my own version, so here’s two of the paragraphs that I think will start you off where you need to be:
<i>Perla Wultz lives with her husband, Grant, and their precious daughter, Sophie, in a gated Pasadena community. Affluent, sociable, and accomplished, Perla plays the part of loving wife and mother to perfection. It seems an ideal life, if not for a decades-old crime that has become Perla’s dark and consuming secret obsession.

Twenty-three years ago, Leewood Folcrum confessed to murdering two young girls during a birthday party. Though he’s been condemned to a life sentence, his crime is not forgotten. Not by Perla, nor by an inquisitive doctoral student interviewing Folcrum for his dissertation. He’s getting the killer to open up—about his motives, his confession, and the truth of what really happened on that horrible night.</i>

So yes, we meet this cast of characters who are all screwed up in various ways - Perla, who narrates most of the book - probably the most, and as the twists and turns reveal themselves, we begin to realize why and let me say my mouth dropped open a couple of times as I put the pieces together. The author definitely wants you to be able to follow the breadcrumbs at certain points and let’s the horrors slowly unfold, so that you’re staring at this car wreck of a situation just screaming at the book, like “WATCH OUT!”

Or maybe that was just me.

Either way, this book had me absolutely terrified and enthralled at the same time. And it leaves a little bit of an open question at the end that also gives you a little creeping sense of dread. It checks all the boxes.

Just be prepared to take a break when it gets a little too much every once in a while.

I really wanted to enjoy this book because I was really impressed when I read The Good Lie by the same author. I liked some parts of this story, but ultimately it felt really forced and unrealistic when it came to the characters' motivations. It felt like characters were only good or bad based on predisposition, with no room for growth or nuance or surprise. In the future I would pick up more A.R. Torre because I have really enjoyed one of her books, but probably not an auto-buy author and I'll wait to hear a specific synopsis before picking up the next one.

When I was younger I would commit the ultimate crime, I read the last chapter, first.

I hated secrets and I felt books kept them from me!!

I just had to know EVERYTHING without pause.

I have since overcome this slight jist of madness and I wanted to high five myself today on how far I have come.

I relapsed….

I was all hyped up and ready to go. Poured a glass of wine, hit the bedroom early, and grabbed my book:

The Last Party

A.R Torre, you little rascal, you!

This book is twisty! The suspense was present early on and I just couldn’t help but take a peak at the ending! I’m sorry, I couldn’t help it!

This book is fantastic and even though I did cheat, I didn’t ruin the book for myself! There is no way I could when you have an author like Torre, behind the pen.

Don’t believe me? Check out this teaser:

Perla Wultz lives with her husband, Grant, and their precious daughter, Sophie, in a gated Pasadena community. Affluent, sociable, and accomplished, Perla plays the part of loving wife and mother to perfection. It seems an ideal life, if not for a decades-old crime that has become Perla’s dark and consuming secret obsession.

Twenty-three years ago, Leewood Folcrum confessed to murdering two young girls during a birthday party. Though he’s been condemned to a life sentence, his crime is not forgotten. Not by Perla, nor by an inquisitive doctoral student interviewing Folcrum for his dissertation. He’s getting the killer to open up—about his motives, his confession, and the truth of what really happened on that horrible night.

As the past and the present entwine, the deceptions behind the infamous murder 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?

This is a very solid thriller.

While the reveal wasn't a complete surprise to me, I still enjoyed how the author handled it and I was definitely sold on our characters.

Perla was...special. Very special and I enjoyed reading her, even as I would never, ever want to know her in real life.

The author brought us a unique story and I'll read the author again!

This was dark.As dark as it can get.This book actually scared.I am terrified of what a human mind is capable of doing.How emotions can take backseat especially when it is about your own child,you are thinking of.
Masterful writing. PA.R.Torre is the one to watch.

This book was amazing! It definitely ranks in my top five. It was brilliantly written. I love the way it incorporated emails, and personal interviews and podcasts along with various points of view. It was so cool to hear the story unravel through different perspectives. It kept my attention all the way to the end. I definitely recommend this book.

WOW!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I read a lot of thrillers and they can become redundant. The Last Party by AR Torre was exciting and the suspense played out well. I felt the twists weren't cheesy or convenient. I just really liked this book!!

Definitely a page turner packed with action. You'll love to hate the main characters and that's always a sign of a great author! If you are a fan of Karin Slaughter, Harlan Coben, Faith Gardner, definitely check out this read! Thank you @netgalley and @thomasandmercer for a copy of this title. All my reviews are unbiased.

I am such a fan of this author, and as usual, she didn't disappoint! I could hardly put this book down! It had so many twists and turns, and I loved the multiple POVs, as well as the therapist and prison sessions/interviews. Perla was so awful and unlikable, but you couldn't wait to see what she did next!

This book is one where it's best to go in blind. Then buckle up and prepare for a wild ride!

Thank you, @netgalley, @alessandratorre4 ,and @amazonpublishing for the #gifted e-arc of this book!

If you love to hate a main character, this is the book for you! I’m not sure I have read a book witb a more unlikeable MC. I enjoyed Sophie’s POVs and wish we could have seen more from other characters, especially what they thought about Perla. Not as twisty as u would like but if you need a quick, dark thriller you might enjoy this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I seem to forget how amazing of a writer AR Torre is and then I read their next book and I’m reminded all over again why I have read all of their books!

I love multiple POV books and the fact that you’re inside the head of a potential murderer made this book one that I could not put down. I have been in a major reading slump basically all of 2024 and I think this book has broken that.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Dark and twisted… i love a good pyschological thriller and the last party checked all the boxes. A mother obsessed with a serial murderer and a party coming up. Told from different characters this book gets more twisted as you go. A birthday party massacre 20 years ago and a possible replay. Hard to put down and hard to figure out who’s lying what they’re lying about and who’s going to die….

Perla is the most delicious evil person that you can not look away from. The husband was so bland that I kinda wanted to smack him.

Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.