atmospheric thriller that follows Abby, who journeys to the remote Isla Colel to uncover the truth about her fiancée Eszter’s sudden death. Stranded by a storm and surrounded by a tight-knit group of mysterious expats, Abby’s investigation rapidly spirals into a chilling mystery with unexpected twists. Bartz delivers evocative prose, rich in setting and emotional depth, exploring profound themes like grief, identity, and the elusive nature of love. While some readers find the pacing and flashback-heavy structure uneven, the novel remains compelling, marrying suspense with a poignant, character-driven core.

than you netgalley for the arc

I really enjoy the author's other thrillers. This was not my favorite, but it was entertaining and the perfect summer read.

3.1/5 ⭐️ Stars - Thank you to NetGalley & the publishers for an ALC of 'The Last Ferry Out' by Andrea Bartz. This one had an intriguing setup, told through multiple POVs across shifting timelines, but it ultimately felt like a very slow burn.

The Premise: Abby’s fiancée, Eszter, dies unexpectedly while on vacation at Isla Colel. Determined to uncover the truth, Abby travels to the island and becomes entangled with the group of expats Eszter spent time with. Just as one of them hints at knowing more about Eszter’s death, he suddenly goes missing. What follows is a night of unraveling secrets, where Abby is finally forced to confront what really happened.

While I kept waiting for that shocking twist, the big reveal near the end felt underwhelming—more “meh” than jaw-dropping. Given that this is from an author whose previous book was a Reese’s Book Club pick, I think I just expected more. Still, the atmosphere and mystery of Isla Colel make this a solid suspense read. My rating likely comes down to high expectations and the fact that I’ve listened to some stronger mystery thrillers recently.

While I have only read one other title by Andrea Bartz (We Were Never Here), the author has a reputation of writing twisted suspense and thrillers. The Last Ferry Out is definitely a more "toned down" suspense novel which may appeal to a reading audience that may find that Bartz took it a little too far in her previous books. However, this one disappointed me and was not the page-turner I expected. Perhaps it's because it recycles the same recipe we see in way too many thrillers: an island, a death, and a storm trapping the MC on the island with a suspicious group of people.

But for those looking for a milder suspense novel, this may be up your alley if you don't want to be kept up at night by the "heebie jeebies"! But for seasoned thriller and suspense fans, this isn't one I would recommend prioritizing on your tbr shelf.

🙏Thank you Random House Publishing and NetGalley for a gifted advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

⚠️ Potential Trigger Warnings (may not be an exhaustive list): self-harm, suicidal ideation, family conflict.

I am very torn about giving this review 3 or 4 stars. I loved the atmosphere of Isla Colel and I felt that Abby’s character was genuine. I can understand her wanting to return to the island to give the goodbye she wasn’t able to give after Eszter’s death.

High-achieving Eszter had a lot going on; between her school project, her family issues, and making future plans with Abby, she was a bit overwhelmed and needed the island escape.

The island characters were believable in their backstories but certain actions had less believability as the story went on.

I liked the few chapters that showed the perspective of other characters, but I felt at times they were just to advance the plot in a lazy way.

Overall I enjoyed reading this but I think a few edits could have turned this novel from a good one to a great one.

Thanks again to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for providing me with a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Love Andrea bartz’s thrillers - always unique and engrossing with a lot of momentum. Interesting location for this one.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a readers copy of this story. My reviews never contain spoilers and are freely provided.
This is a compelling mystery. A young woman named Abby travels to a secluded tropical island where her fiancée died. She had made friends with a group of expats that Abby now hopes to connect with in order to uncover the details of what exactly happened. Abby is a very suspicious person and is quite reckless in her approach to digging for information. That was the biggest downfall in the story for me. I found it a reach to believe that someone would be that brazen confronting people that they have just met in the way that Abby does.
Overall, not a bad read, it was just a bit of a stretch for me.

Abby’s finance mysteriously dies on a secluded island and she feels the need to retrace her last week or so to determine what really happened. Along the way she meets a group of expats each with their own history casting suspicion far and wide.

The main thing I liked about this book was the unsettling island vibe! Almost everything else was a miss: characterization of Abby, uneven pacing, a lackluster ending, and a needlessly puzzling epilogue. I don’t think I’ll read this author again. Thanks to NetGalley for the early digital copy!

𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read if you love:
🚨 slow burns
🚨 Tropical settings

After Abby’s finance dies from a tragic accident in the beautiful Isla Colel, Abby travels there to restep Ezster’s trip and try to relive her memories as a way to be close to her. However she is suspicious after she meets the group of expats that Ezster was friendly with.

This story is really a look at grief and how it affects our decisions. The main character is grieving as she investigates her finance’s death. The atmosphere is a major component of the story and we get a great feel for Isla Colel. While I was curious how it would end, I did not connect with the main character or story in a major way. It is a fast read and good for if you’re in the mood for a slower mystery.

“Everyone here is so dang nice. This place is a kind of paradise. So how could it have taken the love of my life from me?”

Thank you NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the arc.

Atmospheric murders mystery. Lots of good twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat.

I received an arc from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Beginning was dragged out a bit, but I finally got past the whining and obsession. Abby’s fiancé has tragically died on Isle Colel from an allergic reaction. Abby relentlessly comes to the island desperately searching for answers. Lots of lies and unanswered question almost cause another tragedy.

Put some people in a remote place and make it a thriller, gets me every single time. The Last Ferry Out is my favorite type of thriller novel, and Andrea Bartz has impressed me, yet again!

There’s some great points about this book. Andrea Bartz sets the scenes perfectly that you feel like you are in the book. I wish the book was paced better. It dragged at a lot of point. Not a favorite by her but would still recommend books by her!

Abby goes to Isla Colel to see the place where her fiancé disappeared. When she gets there, it is nothing like she expected. She meets a group of friends who knew her fiancé. When one of them goes missing, she realizes how disturbing this is and how much she doesn't know. Can she solve the murder of her fiancé, or will the killer get her first?

When Abby visits Isla Colel to understand the mysterious death of her fiancée, Eszter, she expects closure. Instead, she discovers a fractured community of expats, cryptic secrets, and an ominous undercurrent of danger. With the ferry service reduced to once a week after a devastating hurricane, the island becomes both refuge and prison as Abby unravels a puzzle that’s more complicated—and deadly—than she anticipated.

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

This one was just okay for me. I didn’t care for the main character and thought most of her choices were infuriating. While this one had a decent storyline I feel like it could have been executed better.

I usually love an Andrea Bartz thriller but this one really did not work for me. It took me like a month to get through as I just couldn't get into the rhythm, and ultimately the finale was not believable or satisfying. Bummer.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this eARC. All opinions are my own.

This was an enjoyable reading experience.

What a great read! Kept me wanting more!

Abby's fiance Eszter recenty passed away, and Abby decides she wants to return to the place where she passed away. Eszter had some very serious allergies and somehow or another, no matter how careful she typically was, she managed to eat something she should not have and was not able to get to her medicine in time.

Abby arrived to Isla Colel and wasnt intending on staying long, until she really found herself questioning if what she was told about Eszters death was really true. Abby started to become close with the group of "Expats" that Eszter was friends with, and started asking a whole lot of questions. Thats when things started to really unravel.