The Final Episode by Lori Roy was SUCH a good book! I was sucked into this book so fast and when I wasn't reading it, all I was doing was.. thinking about reading it. If you like thrillers, this is FOR YOU.

A twist on the current outcrop of true crime podcast stories revisiting a cold case. This time a tru crime television show. But Lori Roy does it well.
Jennifer’s father is in prison for the disappearance of a child from Jennifer’s childhood. Now that Jennifer is older, a true crime tv show comes to town and makes Jennifer rethink everything she thought she knew.

This is an atmospheric, character-driven novel that really delves deeply into relationships among girls in a way that reminded me of some of Laura Lippman's stand-alones. It's told in two time-frames: what happened among girls after a child's abduction, and what happens years later, when a true crime podcast revisits the case. The setting is beautifully rendered.

It seemed odd that everyone appears to think the podcasters have uncovered the truth and there's no doubt it will be revealed in the final episode, and both the podcast sections and the letters from the grown-up protagonist to her father in prison don't read like podcasts or letters, but rather as straightforward narrative, so that seemed a little gimmicky, but overall I found the book absorbing and elegantly written.

This was way too good. I loved every single word and every single character. What a tragic situation. Lori Roy nails it again!

BOOK: THE FINAL EPISODE
AUTHOR: LORI ROY
PUB DATE: 24TH JUNE 2025
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REVIEW- 4.5 stars
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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Wow! That was my first thought after finishing this book. The plot perfectly kept ne on the edge, especially with the dual timelines, past and present. I felt like rushing just to know what actually happened. Yes, it was that good!
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The FMC, Jennifer Jones' father, was arrested and found 'guilty' of abducting a teenage girl. For Jenny, it was difficult for her to understand because he was a very good father to her. Jenny was trying to figure her father out, the kidnapper or the caring loving father through the course of the book. I felt so sorry for her. Her dad was all she had and everything she had to go through for twenty years just because of what her father apparently did.
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The show, Inspired by true events, was like a true crime documentary, and it was a really important part of the show. It really focused on finding the missing Francie Farrow. Francie's parents, too, Robert and Beverly, shared their POV, especially Bev. In this book, there were two victims, the farrows and the Joneses, and I liked that I got their POVs.
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I liked the book, the plot, setting, and the characters. I liked the way the story turned out, too. There was also a hint of supernatural theme here, with the second sight the women in the Jones' family were said to possess. It was supposed to appear on her 11th birthday. She and her father, her grandmother, and friends were supposed to celebrate her birthday in a vacation home close to a swamp when everything went wrong.
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I was surprised at the ending. Nothing could have prepared me for the real culprit, but it was valid. I wish I could have gotten a fitting epilogue with father and daughter, though. But, I'd definitely recommend it
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The Final Episode by Lori Roy is a moody, slow burn mystery with a true crime twist. Full of family drama, small town secrets, and an atmospheric setting in Florida that you can almost see the sweat drip off the page The Final Episode is a must read for a thriller fans!

When Jennifer was younger her childhood was spent waiting for summer so her and her dad could pack up and spend time at their cottage on Big Cypress Swamp. But one summer everything changes when a little girl goes missing and her father is arrested. Now 20 years later as an adult Jenny is being dragged into the mystery once more thanks to a true crime show that is destined to dig up the old case. As the show progresses Jenny wonders if the mystery is finally solved, and if her father is truly guilty.

This was definitely a great mystery that hooked me from the first chapter! The characters are complex, and as we progress the mystery unfolds slowly but with controlled purpose. The Final Episode's highlight is in the atmospheric setting and the suffocating feel that seeps into the pages. The timeline does jump around at times and the second person narration can be a bit confusing but stick with it, you won't regret it!

Thank you to NetGalley, Lori Roy, and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC! Publication date is June 24th 2025.

Many times when there are multiple timelines, I favor one over the other. That didn't happen in this book because it was so well written that both added great balance! Jenn's chapters were written in the first person as though she were talking to her father. The "episode" chapters provide background and are in the third person. This made for an ever moving story that kept me engaged. The twists were great, especially when they twisted in a way I didn't see coming, but honestly maybe I wasn't looking for them because I was enjoying the book so much? I think I've found a new to me author to read!

Hooked from the very first chapter, like heat lightning, Lori Roy’s The Final Episode sets your nerve ends tingling for the storm to come. The two-time Edgar-award winning and New York Times Notable Crime Book author gives readers a five-star amazing, can’t-put-it-down thriller.

Young Francie Farrow is a sick girl, who goes missing from her bedroom while her parent’s slept. Miles away, soon-to-be 11-year-old Jennifer Jones believes in her bones that when she receives her foretold gift of “second sight” on her much anticipated birthday, she will find the missing girl. That summer didn’t turn out the way Jennifer expected.

Twenty years later, a true crime television series recreates the summer that changed everything for Francie’s and Jenny’s families. Claiming to shed new light, bringing speculation and attention back to the case, will the man convicted of her murder reveal where Francie is buried? Is the man convicted of her murder really guilty? Or is the murderer still out there? You’ll have to wait for the final episode to find out.

Told in present-day and flashbacks of Jenny (now Jennifer) and Francie Farrow’s mother, Roy easily places the reader wholly in each, giving readers a finale even bigger than the title teases.

I highly recommend The Final Episode to mystery, suspense and thriller fans and those looking for a great summer read. I received an advanced reader copy of The Final Episode from Thomas and Mercer publishers, courtesy of NetGalley.

2⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for an advanced copy of The Final Episode.

A young girl Francine is taken from her room one night and she has never been found. Twenty years later they are doing a show on her case and Jenny just knows this is going to stir everything up again. Being the daughter of the man convicted of taking Francine has never been easy.

This had such potential but the way it jumped around to different timelines was so confusing. The plot and story was very choppy. I liked the idea of the plot but the execution fell flat for me.

The Final Episode is a story about hate, jealousy, revenge, deceit, lies, manipulation and loss of innocence. Three girls (Jennifer, Tia and Mandy) were best friends and played along during summers till a new and older one (Nora) moves to their neighborhood and the three of them want to be her best friend and they'll do anything to please her. A sick girl (Francie) disappears while Nora is having a sleep over, then Nora disappears and Jennifer's father is held responsible and put behind bars for 25 years. Francie was never found until a true crime podcaster decides to work on the case the the truth comes out and it's heartbreaking. The story blends the episodes that are shown on tv with how the girls felt at the time things were happening and as they feel as adults and how their lives turned out to be as well as Francie's parents coped with her absence which some readers may like others not so much. I enjoyed reading it, the characters are strongly developed as well as the plot, and I found the book entertaining.
I thank the author, her publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

Jennifer Jones’s dad is in prison serving a 25 year sentence for a crime everyone thinks he committed. No one actually knows what happened to Francie Farrow in the dead of the night all those years ago when her sleepover ended with her missing. When a television show brings the old case back to the conversation, Jenny must relive that fateful summer of her eleventh birthday to figure out exactly what happened.

This was a new author for me and I enjoyed the book and the way she wove the two timelines together into one seamless story plot. My only flaw with this book was finding that I was able to accurately predict the twists and the ending. Overall a good three star read.

Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my review.

3.5 stars

My thanks to the publisher, the author and NetGalley for this review copy. This review is my honest feedback based on my reading this story.

I keep trying to expand my bookish and authors horizon and have discovered a new author whose works, I would love to read in future.

This is a moody, slow-burn thriller set in a small town still haunted by a decades-old murder. At the center is a former detective, burdened by guilt, who gets pulled back into the case just as a true-crime TV show begins filming its final episode. The atmosphere is where the book shines, Lori creates a sense of unease that lingers, especially in scenes set around abandoned ballparks and quiet neighborhoods.

There’s emotional depth in the main character, and the writing is sharp and vivid. Lori does a great job exploring how guilt and memory shape a person. But while the setup is strong, the story leans heavily on familiar thriller tropes. Some twists are easy to see coming, and the supporting characters feel a bit thin. The ending, while intense, borders on over-the-top.

Overall, it’s a solid read with some great moments, but it doesn’t quite break new ground. If you enjoy character-driven thrillers with a strong sense of place, this one might be worth picking up, just don’t expect too many surprises.

Thank you to Thomas and Mercer via Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Jennifer Jones spends every summer at the swamp with her Dad and best friends. She is excited to finally turn 11 this summer as she hopes to finally gain her family’s foretold “second sight”. Instead this summer becomes dangerous as Little Francie Farrow vanishes and Jennfer’s father goes to prison. 20 yrs later Jennifer is still looking for answers. Did her father really do what they say he did?

I was hooked from the beginning on this book. It was very good. I liked the twists, the way it played out was well written and not boring at any point. It jumped timelines but on the premise of you “watching” the episodes of the show being made. I liked the characters I could tell which ones I was not going to like from the beginning. I want to read this authors other novels I like her writing style.

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book and read it in one sitting. I loved the storyline and the characters. I thought the characters had great growth. This was the first book I have read by this author and it will not be my last. I would definitely recommend this book.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

Two timelines - the summer Jennifer turns 11 and Jennifer, 20 years later.

Jennifer is excited to return to Big Cypress Swamp, with her friends. It's the summer she's turning 11 and she hopes it's finally when she's going to gain the family gift of "second sight". Then tragedy strikes, when one child goes missing, and Jennifer's father goes to jail.

Twenty years later, Jennifer is an adult, constantly being harassed by the mother of her missing friend. When a new podcast starts covering their story, and the finale is coming soon. As with most podcasts, the final episode has the resolution of cold cases, unsolved mysteries, so everyone is on the edge of their seat.

As with other books that use a podcast to frame a story, there are both pluses and minuses. I think sometimes the podcast is used as a crutch, and that does happen here, but that doesn't pull away from the mystery. This is a good thriller and I couldn't wait to find out the truth.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Lori Roy’s The Final Episode is like a Southern Gothic casserole: part true crime, part family drama, with a generous sprinkle of supernatural spice. Set in the steamy Big Cypress Swamp, the story follows Jennifer Jones, who, at eleven, hopes to gain the “second sight” her family legend promises. Instead, she gets a front-row seat to a summer of vanishing girls, paternal incarceration, and enough secrets to fill a gator’s belly.

Fast forward twenty years, and Jennifer’s past refuses to stay buried. A true crime series, Inspired by True Events, digs up the old case, airing dirty laundry and threatening to unravel Jennifer’s carefully constructed life. As the show progresses, so does Jennifer’s descent into a murky mire of memories, doubts, and the ever-looming question: Did her dad really do it?

Roy masterfully weaves timelines, blending childhood innocence with adult disillusionment. The narrative structure, alternating between Jennifer’s recollections, letters to her imprisoned father, and episodes of the TV series, keeps readers on their toes. It’s like binge-watching a thriller while reading a diary. It's intimate, suspenseful, and occasionally unsettling.

While some plot twists might be as predictable as a Florida thunderstorm, others strike with the surprise of a snapping turtle. The pacing starts leisurely, much like a lazy summer day, but soon accelerates, pulling readers into a whirlpool of revelations and reckonings.

The Final Episode is a compelling concoction of mystery, memory, and media. It’s a reminder that the past, much like the swamp, has a way of resurfacing when you least expect it. So, grab your bug spray, keep your wits about you, and dive into this atmospheric tale. You might just find yourself bewitched by its murky charm.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC!

Wow this was a fantastic book! I flew threw it in two days because I just had to see how this story unfolded.

I've read a lot of books with podcast in them and they are always great. This was an interesting twist because it was true crime TV. It reminded me of watching the Jinx unfold back a few years ago. While we all held our breath if they solved the crime.

The book goes back and forth with episodes of a reenactment of 20 years ago and the modern day characters waiting for the final episode to drop to see if they solved Francie's disappearance.

The characters were amazing and I loved them all so much! The twists were great, I did not see many of them coming. The ending wrapped up well.

This is definitely a great read and I highly recommend it!

A slow burn that uses episodes of a true crime television show to examine the mystery of young Francie, who disappeared years ago. Jennifer's father is in prison and she's always struggled not only with that but with her own understanding of what happened that summer when she was 11 and everything blew up. Each episode pulls more from her mind and roils her even more. You'll feel Jennifer's distress and be pulled along to fund out the truth. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

This was the perfect summer read, quick moving, and un- put downable!
It is a great storyline with lots of twists and turns.

Jenny has not had the best childhood, her mom died giving birth to her and as loving as her dad is, she feels like an outsider except when summer rolls around and they pack up to spend time together at their cottage near the swamp, where Tia and Mandy spend summers as well, Tia is Jenny's best and only friend but everything changes when Nora and her mom show up trying to outrun the media frenzy surrounding them because of their connection to a local missing little girl named Francie who is about the same age as the girls. This summer will be very different for many reasons, danger, betrayal, and heartbreak.

Fast-forward 20+ years later, a television series about Francie is causing Jenny to relive the summer that changed her life forever, and not everyone involved is happy about it.

I truly enjoyed the way the author made you feel you were 11 again how it felt to want to have a friend, to fit in, the anxiousness of it all, being a kid is tough and the author was able to transport me right back to that time. I felt the butterflies, the anticipation, fear, and pure joy right along with those girls. I enthusiastically recommend "The last episode" by Lori Roy