There’s historical fiction. There are thrillers. And then there’s this ...

Imagine if you will that friends of yours had gifted you a holiday, at a destination that you had never previously visited. You were delighted enough to receive the gift that you didn’t waste time doing much research, other than a quick bit of web browsing to find a few photos and thinking ‘yeah, that looks nice’.

But when you arrive … well. ‘Nice’ doesn’t even begin to do it justice, to the extent that the use of the word almost feels like an insult. What’s actually happened is that arrived in paradise. Every final detail is just perfect. Your room includes the most luxurious, comfortable bed you’ve ever slept in, the beach is the most beautiful, and has the whitest sand you’ve ever set foot on, the seawater is the cleanest you’ve ever swam in and the food – and drink – are the most delicious that you’ve ever tasted. This destination may not be one that you had previously considered. But now, you’re prepared to sell your soul if it means you can return here, year after year.

That’s a little bit like how it feels to have read None Left To Tell by Noelle W Ihli, after being made aware of its forthcoming publication by a fellow blogger. Except … it isn’t.

Because ‘paradise’ is pretty much the exact opposite of what is described in this book. What Noelle has done is taken a true event – and it’s one that, as a UK resident, I have to confess to not having previously heard of – researched it thoroughly and brought it, terrifyingly yet magnificently, tragically yet beautifully, horribly and yet perfectly, to life. She has used the voices of three women – who, on the face of it, are of different religions and on opposing sides – to tell the story of the Mountain Meadows massacre, that occurred in Utah in 1857. I’ll spare most of the details here, because if you don’t know them already I think it’s important that you, as I did, discover them through reading this book. So I’ll say only that it included the mass murder of 120 men and women under the guise of their supposed rescue.

The effort that Noelle has put into her research is obvious. But never does this get in the way of the narrative. The level of detail is horrific and harrowing, and yet the writing is some of the most beautiful that I’ve been fortunate enough to have read in a long time. I didn’t just feel like I was reading the book. Or like I was watching events as they happened. I felt as though they were actually happening to me as they took place. I could feel every single emotion that every single character was experiencing. The heat. The thirst. The determination. The desperation. The terror. And – through the added voice of the child Emma – the fear of the recurring nightmares that prevent sleep, and which are magnified by the lack of understanding as to why they are happening, and by the daily, ever-present exhaustion.

More than this, though, the book, for me reinforces a simple message. Most people that get caught up in war, whatever country they hail from and whatever side they may appear to be on, are just ordinary people. And without wanting to preach, at a time when there seems to be more atrocity happening in more of the world than perhaps ever before, I think it’s important that we all take a minute to remember this. Whether someone is Israelite or Palestinian, Russian or Ukrainian, they may well be, in every way that really matters, just the same as you.

I must also mention the afterword, which explains why the book is personal to its author. Again, I think it’s important that you read the details for yourself first-hand. So I’ll say only that it’s a real tear-inducing, lump-in-throat moment all over again.

None Left To Tell is the first book I have read by Noelle W Ihli. I can say here and now that it won’t be the last. Partly because the digital copy that I received included the first three chapters of Ask for Andrea, and I’m hooked already. But mainly because None Left To Tell is … I’m going to say it. It’s my favourite book so far this year.

My thanks to Netgalley for the digital ARC of this book, which was published by Dynamite Books on 11th October 2024. Thanks also to Daniel McBreakneck (of the ‘Avid Readers Club – Share The Love’ Facebook group) for bringing it to my attention. I will post my review on Goodreads, Amazon, my personal blog and my social media pages.

My first by this author and it won’t be my last. An incredible historical crime book based on real events that will have you googling at warp speed when it’s all said and done. It’s heartbreaking.

This book wasn’t quite what I expected and honestly it was a struggle for me to finish it. In giving it 4 stars because it’s well written and I’m sure many will enjoy it, but compared to Noelle’s other books I’ve read it was just outside the realm of genre I normally enjoy.

This book is not for me. As soon as you begin the book you are given a substantial character list. The book goes back and forth through many of the characters points of view to where I constantly had to go back and forth to the character list to figure out who was who. I was not immediately drawn in and the confusion by the multiple points of view from different characters left me unable to finish the book.

I felt this was slow to start and get into. I really struggled in the beginning. I have read Ask for Andrea, and absolutely loved it. This was a nice break from thrillers. I would love to read more by this author. After I got halfway through, it really picked up and I got into it. I didn't know about this particular point in history, and was glad I was chosen to read this as an ARC. I am a little late getting my review in, but I deem it worth the read.

Having read a few of Ihli’s other books, I was expecting another fast-paced thriller and went into this blind. This was completely different but I really enjoyed it.

I love historical fiction and especially liked this time period of Western Expansion. This book follows the lives of three women and the events leading up and after the Mountain Meadows Massacre. I had never heard of this event and appreciate how much research the author did to bring this story to light. I will say to check trigger warnings because as you can imagine, some of it is very hard to read. It was a slow start but once the stories connected I was captivated and couldn’t put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dynamite Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is my first book by the author and was not in a genre that I normally read in but I was hooked from the very first word. This book was not at all what I was expecting but it is based on a true story and it was interesting learning about really life tragic events that happened in history. I have always been interested in history but have never heard of the Mountain Meadow Massacres before. This story was heart wrenching and gripping and a little bit difficult to read at times knowing that most of these things actually happened. I highly recommend for those readers looking for something a little different to read. None Left to Tell is a historical thriller based on a true story so more like historical fiction. This definitely will not be the last book I read by this author.

"None Left to Tell" follows three women connected by the brutal Mountain Meadows Massacre. Lucy seeks revenge on the men who drove her family from Illinois, Katrina battles to protect her family from violence on a trek west, and Sally navigates being a fourth wife and must reconsider her loyalties when her husband joins a group seeking revenge. This story is based on true events.

This is an incredibly powerful story that will make you appreciate the time we live in. It transports you to a time when medicine and resources were scarce, reminding you to be grateful for what you have. The book delves into different beliefs and backgrounds, enhancing the character development.

The three remarkable characters are well-developed and incredibly strong. The amount of research and heart poured into this book is evident on every page.

I found it difficult to put this book down, as it sparked my curiosity and led me to do further research. The writing is easy to follow and incredibly engaging, leaving a lasting impact long after finishing it. I recommend reading the content warning if you have specific triggers.

If you enjoy historical fiction with a true crime twist that is thought-provoking and prompts you to seek out more information, this book is perfect for you.

Thank you, Dynamity Books for digital ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you NetGalley, Dynamite Books and Noelle Ihili for this ARC in exchange for my review.
Publication Date: October 10th
Stars: 3

This book is based on real-life events that happened during the Mountain Meadows Massacre.

Ihli spent an extraordinary amount of time on research and executed it well to make this story come together. I never heard about this massacre, and it was interesting to learn a bit about our history.

I am not a historical fiction lover at all. I had a hard time getting into this (and truly never did). The book was very slow-paced. There was a great story to tell and a lesson to be learned. However, it just wasn’t my kind of book.

When I got to the end of my last Noelle Ihli book and saw this one advertised at the end, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it! I was so excited to have received an advance copy and dug in right away without looking any further into it.

This story is "tightly based" on the true events of Mountain Meadows Massacre. I am absolutely terrible when it comes to history, so realizing this was more on the historical side than the thriller side gave me a bit of difficulty getting in the 'zone' at first. However, I am grateful to have read this on my Kindle. The Wikipedia feature was the real MVP for me.

Although this was not a typical Noelle thriller, I truly enjoyed the story (and history lesson). She did an amazing job conveying so many personal emotions through these characters. Some of which pulled at my own heart strings and had my pulse racing. She includes (in both the Forward and Afterwords) the things she learned through her own research. You can sense how important this subject is to her throughout the entire book. Just.. beautiful writing as always.


and totally unrelated: Kahpeputz has been burning through my echolalia this week. I will think about her for the rest of my life.

This book is based on the true events of the Mormon Mountain Massacre in the 1800s. It is told in multiple POVs, which I always enjoy very much in reads - learning and gaining different perspectives. This was not your typical Noelle W Ihli quick thriller read kind of book like I’ve read in the past. This is more of a historical fiction series of unfortunate events. It was very sad and emotional, so props to the author for developing the story well and taking us through history in different voices - it was just too slow moving for my liking, so I would recommend with that caution.

This is my second book by Noelle W. Ihli. She has a gift for describing a specific time and place; you are automatically transported there.

The book's first part introduces the three women leading the story. I can see some readers describing some parts of the book as slow, but the way the book is written is perfect. It is the build-up of the roller coaster; I wouldn't change a thing. The second part is where the rollercoaster ride starts. So many times that, I found myself holding my breath. This book is superb, and I would highly recommend it. This book reads as historical fiction, but it carries many emotional rides.

You should expect to learn from a different historical period and cancel your plans when you get to the parts where you can't put the book down.

This was a historical history fiction about the Mountain Meadow Massacre. It is the story of three different women who are connected to one of the most brutal mass slayings in the US history. This is a heart breaking story that is wonderfully told.

None Left to Tell by Noelle W. Ihle
This book was more historical fiction than thriller as it recounted a brutal massacre in history, the Mountain Meadows Massacre of 1857. Three very different women, Lucy, Katrina, and Sally are forever tied together through the brutal hardships and unimaginable conditions they endured. This was a well researched topic and the details are impressive with a heartbreaking story of hardship and survival. You won’t forget the Mountain Meadows Massacre once you step into this story!
I appreciate research and effort made to bring this story alive, it was certainly something that I had never read about. It was not what I expected at all, the author definitely stepped out of her regular genre to creat this gut wrenching story.

*** A warning- there is graphic violence involving children and animals.

The beginning was slow for me, as I did not connect or relate well to the characters. There was a disconnect in how they were introduced. It took a while to get into it. The transition from one woman’s story to the next just didn’t flow and hold my interest continuously and the connection was not easily anticipated by me as the reader. I probably would not have requested this if I had known about the gruesome depiction of the massacre and its victims. However, the story was well researched and well written with great detail. 3.5/5⭐️

I would like to thank NetGalley and Dynomite books for the opportunity to review this ARC.
#Netgalley #nonelefttotell #noelleihle

I am a big fan of Noelle Ihli and this book didn’t disappoint! It is much different than her other books I have read but I still really enjoyed it. I am typically not a historical event reader but this story pulled me in. I give her major credit for all the research she did to put this together. This is a difficult one to get through emotionally, but an important story to tell. As a mother myself, my heart hurt at the helplessness the adults must have felt. It will certainly stick with me. Definitely recommend! Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC!

None Left to Tell by Noelle West Ihli is a well researched historical fiction that is based on true events about the Mountain Meadow Massacre of 1857. It's told from different perspectives from three very different women. The three different points of view are critical to understand each situation. While Ihli is known for writing psychological thrillers, this one will not disappoint. I did not expect the emotions that this book drew out of me, and it definitely broke my heart.

This book was incredible. I cried throughout the entire thing. I had no idea about the Mountains Meadow Massacre until I read this book. Everyone should read this book. Noelle does an incredible job dealing with the sensitive subject. Kit, Lucy, and Kahpeputz are an amazing group of women who are experiencing the same event with very different points of view. The way this story unfolded was so well done. I highly recommend this book. You feel the pain of every single person dealing with this event and what the families went through.

This. Book, Y’all! As someone who’s been following Ihli’s work for some time now, she’s firmly earned her spot as one of my auto-read authors, and this book only confirmed that for me. In this retelling of the Mountain Meadows Massacre, Ihli sheds light on a devastating part of history that most people don’t know much about. The story is carried by the voices of several strong and unique women—Lucy, a Mormon convert; Sally, a Native American girl caught in a polygamist marriage; and Katrina, a traveler making the dangerous trip westward with her family. Then we meet Nancy, Katrina’s daughter, and witness how all their lives tragically intertwine in 1857. I might be biased given my love for history but this was really good.
The violence in this book is not for the faint of heart. If you’re sensitive to graphic content, please check the trigger on this book. That said, I actually appreciate that Ilhi didn’t hold back in telling the full brutality of this massacre. It’s a story that many aren’t familiar with (myself included) and like all history, I believe should be told. None Left to Tell is a deeply moving tribute to the men, women, and children who lost their lives. It’s not an easy read, but it’s a powerful one that will stick with you long after the last page. 4 stars ⭐️

This author has an amazing talent for creating scenes so vivid you can see them, smell them and feel them. Reading this, I felt the heat of the sun and tasted the dust of the tracks. I felt the desperation of a woman left without her husband and she travelled with her children across an untamed land. And the story continued to be compelling and held my interest completely throughout. It’s a terrible tragedy and one which I knew little about. The author does a great job in tying fiction to what is known as fact to make the information clear and accessible to a modern audience. Really well done.

I recently had the chance to read "None Left to Tell" by Noelle West Ihli. Despite not knowing much about the book beforehand, I was drawn in by the author's reputation and beautiful cover. However, the story turned out to be different from what I had expected, as it delved into historical true crime rather than a traditional thriller.

Despite my initial reservations, I found Ihli's writing captivating, and the multiple points of view added depth to the narrative. The book explores a tragic event that took place in 1857 at Mountain Meadows, Utah, involving various perspectives, mainly focusing on three women and a young girl. The coincidence of the September 11 date made me reflect on the phrase "history repeats itself." The senseless loss of life due to misunderstandings, false knowledge, stubbornness, and pride struck a chord with me. Before this book, I'd never heard of the "Mountain Meadows Massacre."

Acknowledging and learning from our history, even the complex and difficult parts, is essential. I appreciate authors like Noelle, who dedicate years to thoroughly researching and presenting historical events in a way that engages and informs readers!

This book also highlighted the contrast in the approaches of men and women toward conflict resolution. The women in the story approached conflict more level-headed and non-violently. Considering how history might have unfolded if women had played more prominent leadership roles earlier is interesting.

I can't wait to read more of the author's work. Thanks to the author and Dynamite Books for this ARC provided via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

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