Having just visited Florida, I was up for a mystery set in the swamps of this southern state.

A young girl goes missing in the night. She is taken from her bedroom, and the only witness is another young girl staying in the same bedroom. Nora. Nora befriends three other young girls in the community, who will forever be woven into this tragic story. This incident leaves a wake of devastated families, unanswered questions, loose accusations, and shocking secrets. This is a story told over a course of two decades. I found it somewhat predictable, but there was enough surprising elements to keep me entertained.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer for the advanced copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are entirely my own.

Four and a half stars rounded up. Lori Roy’s “The Final Episode” was the first book I read of hers. The summer Jennifer Jones turns eleven, she has high hopes she’ll gain the “second sight” the women in her family are said to get when they turn eleven. That summer is life-changing for many people, but not necessarily in the way Jennifer hopes.

When the book begins, Francie Farrow has gone missing while having a friend, Nora Banks, stay over. Nora tells Francie’s parents that a man took Francie out of her bedroom. By the time the summer has ended, Francie has not yet been found and Jennifer’s father, Paul Jones, has been arrested after Nora is attacked.

The book alternates timelines between the summer of Francie’s disappearance and present day. The summer of Francie’s disappearance is revealed as episodes from Inspired by True Events, a series that looks at unsolved crimes. As Jennifer watches each episode, she grapples with the father she remembers growing up versus that fateful summer. She has long believed in his innocence, but she starts to doubt him, as well as herself.

I enjoyed reading about Jennifer reconnecting with Tia, one of her few childhood friends. I was distrustful of one of the characters long before a few reveals were done. However, there were still a few surprises in store for me from the author.

Overall, I recommend this book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

👀 T R A G I C T U E S D A Y review 👀 featuring “The Final Episode” by Lori Roy!

Jennifer Jones and her childhood friends grew up spending their summers at the Big Cypress Swamp in Florida. The summer she’s about to turn 11, a young girl named Francie Farrow goes missing and Jennifer’s own father gets sent to prison for it.

Now 22 years later, a TV show called “Inspired by True Events” is investigating the cold case of Francie Farrow. The show starts digging up the haunting past of a little girl who disappeared from her bed and was never seen again. Jennifer is forced to relive the nightmare, while putting up with threats against her as the final episode approaches its air date.

I enjoyed how the story was told in alternating timelines and from the POVS of multiple characters through the episodes of the true crime show and letters written to Jennifer’s father in prison. This book is intense and twisty and has you questioning EVERYTHING going on and EVERYONE involved!

Thank you kindly to @lori_roy_author @thomasmerceruk @amazonpublishing @netgalley for my #gifted advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review. This book releases on June 24, 2025!

Okay this book was a solid 4.25 for me. It has me guessing every which way except the right way. Told from the POV of an 11 year old and again when she is in her 30s. I enjoyed the different looks on things from before and now. I gasped at one of the reveals. Thank you NetGalley for early access to this book

This book was amazing! It was more than a thriller: it was about family, friendship, childhood, grief, mental health.
It was a heart-wrenching story about a missing person case and the circumstances and consequences it had on all the families involved. Reading the children’s POV made it even more emotional.
The writing was excellent, I loved the magical elements and I’ll definitely check out Lori Roy’s other books as well.
4.5 ⭐️ rounded up

It started off slow for me and I couldn't get use to bouncing back and forth between the story and the show. It was a great idea and I wish I could have gotten the hang of it.

It took me a while to get into this book but once I did I was hooked. I loved the dual timeline and found the way the story line played out really fresh and unique. I found myself not wanting to put it down so I could find out what happens next

Thank you, Thomas & Mercer for providing the copy of The Final Episode by Lori Roy. I’m not sure why this book didn’t catch my interest. I didn’t enjoy the episodes of the true crime series, and I’m not sure what it really added to the story having them be a TV series. They just seemed like a different timeline to me. The chapters that were supposed to be letters from Jennifer to her dad were the same way; they didn’t feel like letters, so what was the point? If you love a surprise ending, you will love this book. I’m not sure the book was for me, though. 3 stars

I haven't really been able to get into Lori Roy's prevous books, but the exception was the recent Lake County. So I was optimistic about The Final Episode. I guess I should have been forewarned by the title of the book... but the episode chapters were boring. The premise sounded okay, but I did not enjoy this book. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Lori Roy’s “The Final Episode” is a haunting, atmospheric suspense book that masterfully combines past and present, revealing the long shadows that youthful mistakes and family secrets can cast over a lifetime. Roy delivers an immersive story full of rich character work, slow-burning tension, and a setting so vivid you can almost feel the humid press of Big Cypress Swamp.

The story follows Jennifer Jones, who spent her childhood summers playing with friends among the dangers of the swamp, dreaming of tapping into her family’s fabled "second sight." But when she was eleven, her world cracked apart—young Francie Farrow vanished, and Jennifer’s father was imprisoned for a crime he may or may not have committed. Twenty-two years later, Jennifer has worked hard to escape her past. But when Inspired by “True Events”—a popular true crime TV series—decides to revisit the case, Jennifer is pulled back into the swamp of half-truths, suspicions, and buried trauma.

Told through two different timelines—one a contemporary letter from Jennifer to her incarcerated father, the other a series of dramatized “TV episodes” reconstructing that fateful summer—"The Final Episode” cleverly plays with narrative form and your own expectations for how the story is delivered. You will either enjoy the experimental structure or you may find it confusing/uneven (the "episodes" often read more like introspective flashbacks than believable televised reenactments), the overall effect builds a layered mystery that mirrors the way memory and media can distort reality.

Roy’s greatest strength lies in her evocative writing. The swamp setting becomes a character in its own right—haunting, claustrophobic, and unforgettable. Her characters, too, are vividly drawn: flawed, haunted, and achingly human. Jennifer’s struggle to reconcile her memories with the new revelations dredged up by the show feels poignant and real, and her fraught relationship with her father underpins the emotional heart of the story.

That said, the pacing was a bit of a challenge. “The Final Episode” moves deliberately, allowing suspense to build slowly like the rising swamp water. While the mystery unravels gradually, the emotional payoff is well worth it. The final chapters tie up the mystery in a satisfying, bittersweet way, even if the ultimate revelations may not shock seasoned mystery readers.

Overall, “The Final Episode” is a thoughtful, slow-burn thriller that lingers long after the final page. While its experimental narrative structure may be a bit unexpected, those willing to immerse themselves in its richly atmospheric world and complex emotional landscape will find a rewarding story about guilt, memory, and the struggle to claim your own identity beyond the shadows of your past. Highly recommended for fans of literary mysteries, dark southern settings, and character-driven suspense novels with a psychological twist.

3.5 Stars
Jennifer Jones and her childhood friends spend every summer at Big Cypress Swamp, up until the summer Jennifer turns eleven. That summer a young girl, Francie Farrow, goes missing and Jennifer’s father ends up in prison. Twenty-two years later, Inspired by True Events—a TV show with a history of solving cold cases—revisits the unsolved case of Francie Farrow.

The Final Episode is told in two alternating timelines. One consists of eight dramatized episodes recreating the events of that summer twenty-two years ago, as told through multiple character POVs. The other— framed as a letter to her father who is in prison—follows Jennifer’s perspective of the events happening in the present surrounding the airing of the final episode.

Lori Roy does an excellent job immersing readers in the setting. Her vivid descriptions make you feel like you’re truly in a haunting Florida swamp town. She also excels at character development—each POV has a distinct voice, and the characters are fully fleshed out.

Narratively, I loved the concept of telling part of the story through TV episodes. However, the execution of this fell short for me. These “episode” chapters read like traditional flashbacks, and just do not make sense as TV episodes. It wasn’t believable that the characters were watching exactly what we were reading, due to the extensive inner dialogue and character introspection in these chapters. These inner dialogues are what give the reader greater insight into who these characters are and their motives—elements that would not realistically be portrayed on screen.

I had similar issues with the letter format in the present day chapters. Great in theory, poor in execution. We would get sporadic instances of Jennifer directing something to her dad (us the reader), but the majority of the writing just felt like a standard first person POV narrative in the past tense. I did not feel as if I was reading a letter. Based on how the story is told and how it ends, I’m also not even sure I understand the purpose of the letter or at what point Jennifer is even writing it.

Had these ideas been executed better, my rating would definitely be higher, because I did really enjoy Roy’s writing despite my issues with the narration style.

The plot was well thought out and tied up nicely in the end. While I personally wasn’t surprised by the plot twists (I’m rarely shocked by plot twists), they were timed and executed well. The pacing and level of detail throughout the book were also very well done.

I would recommend this book to lovers of suspenseful mysteries/thrillers with atmospheric settings and complex characters. Especially those who are open to unique narrative styles.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an early digital copy.

It was a pretty good book I was anticipating each chapter each page. It kept me interested I will recommend.

Lori Roy's The Final Episode is a compelling psychological thriller that delves into the haunting aftermath of a childhood tragedy. The narrative centers on Jennifer, whose father was convicted of a crime that shattered their family. Two decades later, a true crime television series reopens old wounds, forcing Jennifer to confront buried memories and question the truth about her father's guilt. Roy masterfully intertwines past and present, creating a suspenseful tale that explores themes of memory, identity, and the influence of media on personal narratives. With its intricate plot and emotional depth, The Final Episode offers a thought-provoking read that keeps readers engaged until the very end.

I loved the format, chapters were either present day in the FMC perspective or an episode in a true crime missing person series. Easy to get sucked in and it kept pulling you through to the very end. Loved the way it turned out. Liked all the characters they were well developed

The Final Episode is an atmospheric, slow-burn mystery with a refreshingly original premise that immediately drew me in. A true crime show is airing episodes about a decades-old case, and as the story unfolds, we shift between past and present, slowly uncovering the truth alongside the characters. The structure is so clever—layered and tense without ever feeling rushed or confusing.

Lori Roy’s writing is sharp and immersive. The setting is haunting, the characters feel real, and the pacing kept me turning pages late into the night. The way the mystery unravels is incredibly satisfying, and the final reveal lands perfectly. This story stuck with me long after I finished it, and I’ve already been recommending it to fellow readers. It’s a standout read—thoughtful, gripping, and expertly told.

I struggled with how to rate this book. But I settled on four stars, though I’m thinking it was more like 3.5.

This book is written in the unique style, in that in some chapters, it chronicles the episodes of a true crime TV show which is depicting the events of 20 years ago when a young girl disappeared and “something bad,” happened to another young girl, so we don’t know what until the end, which and landed Jenny Jones’ father in prison for 25 years, and under the eternal suspicion that he killed young Francie. The other chapters are written in the style of a letter that Jenny is writing to her father in prison. Although most of the time these “letters” read just like chapters with intermittent fourth wall references to Jenny’s dad.

Anyway, the book chronicles, the episodes of the series which depicts the event events of the past that led to Jenny’s father’s arrest, and the events in the present day leading up to the titular final episode, which based on the previous season of the show, is believed to contain a bombshell revelation. But what that will be, no one knows. The show follows the story of what happened during a faithful summer 20 years prior when young Francie Farrow disappeared from her bed, and meanwhile the summer friendships in the swamp neighborhood where Jenny spends her time or upended when a new girl and her family move in.

This book has plenty of suspense, and the mystery of Francie’s disappearance and an additional mystery of who is seemingly stalking and threatening Jenny in the present day are both very intense and ridiculously interesting. I was definitely hooked trying to figure out what happened and anticipating reading what was going to drop in that last episode. And it was definitely worth the wait.

But there were some parts of the book that I felt dragged on a little bit too long, and that was really the only reason this wasn’t a five star read. I think some of the episode contents from the middle episodes could’ve been cut down a little. Although I have to say, they did help in terms of character development and setting up some of the final resolution.

And that final solution was really intense in that there were plenty of twists that I did not see coming. This book really is a great book in terms of how you read human nature and how the past can come back and find you at any point in your life.

I do recommend this book to anyone looking for a great summer read and a great mystery. It has a lot going for it and is plenty suspenseful.

I loved everything about this premise. A dad in jail and a daughter’s friend? Count me in! This was a dual POV book that was a WILD ride. I loved how each chapter was a different episode of the show that dug up the past of Jenny. This was incredible and I highly recommend it.

2.5 stars out of 5

While the premise of this novel was compelling, sadly the execution fell horribly flat for me.

To begin with there are two things that stuck out to me right away. One with such as basic name as Jennifer Jones, why didn't she just move somewhere else and start over? No one would have known who she was, and when the story first started airing if people had asked she could have denied it. The second thing that stuck out to me was why, if she had clung to the belief that her father was innocent for twenty years did this show suddenly have her questioning that belief? Yes, she was too young to really understand things when they happened, but surely over the years she would have looked into what had been written about the case? I know I would have in her shoes. It would have been more interesting had the television show presented new facts, or something that went against what she knew and didn't just paint her father as the bad guy in the second to last episode something she had to expect considering he had been arrested (albeit for something else, but it still made it seem likely he was involved in Francie's disappearance as well).

Then there is the fact that the story itself was all over the place. I understood that we would likely be getting flashbacks of the past due to the television series. What I did not expect was how we would also be getting them other times. Nor did I expect how often the story would jump narratives. Sometimes these things happened mid-chapter without warning, and I was left having to go back and re-read passages more than once just to make sure I was understanding things correctly.

I had also thought that the television series was going to actually mean something to the plot. And sure it did for one final part of it, as that was the key Jennifer needed to put the whole thing together, but other than that it seemed wholly unnecessary with Jennifer's "present day" letters to her father talking about those events that happened that summer as well. Personally, I would have found it to be more interesting had the television show tried to present facts that weren't entirely truthful, lighting a fire under her to prove them wrong.

There were a few other sub-plots that I know were thrown in for shock value, but I didn't find them to be particularly shocking or entirely needed. One in particular I feel definitely could have been handled better considering everything that had happened and not only to poor Francie.

In the end, however, I do think this novel will work for other people and I would give this author another shot down the road.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

I was really looking forward to this, but it just didn’t hit for me: I’m not sure why. Sometimes dual pov throws me off. I believe that I’ll try it again in the future and see if there’s a different result. The writing was great.

Lori Roy is such an enigma for me. I absolutely LOVE some of her books and don't care at all for others that she's written. However, when she writes suspenseful books set in her own home state of Florida, I honestly don't think many do a better job of conveying Southern Noir than Roy. And that is exactly what she's done in her latest book, The Final Episode.

Our story is set in the glades, in the backwoods just outside of Naples. It mostly takes place in the summer and you can feel the humidity pouring from your pores, smell the swamp, taste that southern sweet tea that only a true southern woman can make. Roy immerses you so deep in the sounds, colors, smells and flavors of that terrible southern summer that you will forget where you are in reality.

Told in two timelines, one point of view is a podcast but, unlike most current podcast books this one just gives you the transcript of the podcast episode itself - no producer notes, background, or introduction. That comes from the current time line conveyed to the reader via letters written by Jenny to her father who is in prison and has been for twenty years. Jenny hasn't spoken to him once in those twenty years, since her birthday when everything went wrong that terrible summer night.

While this is a suspenseful mystery, knowing "whodunnit" is secondary to the why, the angst, emotions and undercurrent of emotions that those who were and still are caught up in the events of that summer are feeling so deep in their bones. It's been ages since I've felt a book so viscerally in my own soul as I did The Final Episode and that is down to the incredible writing of Lori Roy.

If you love mysteries or suspense, you will love this book. If you really like character driven, emotionally impactful books then you will devour The Final Episode. It's simply incredible. Really.