i really enjoyed this book. it was a good, solid, mystery/thriller. i did feel like i wasn’t fully invested at some points, but would absolutely still recommend. the twists kept coming right up until the end and the epilogue was so good!

5/5 Stars – A Taut, Atmospheric Thriller That Keeps You Guessing

Last Ferry Out is Andrea Bartz at her absolute best—moody, suspenseful, and razor-sharp. From the first page, the setting pulls you in with its eerie, almost cinematic isolation, and the tension never lets up. Bartz masterfully weaves together emotional depth and psychological suspense, creating a story that’s as much about survival as it is about self-discovery.

The protagonist is complex and relatable, making every twist hit harder. The pacing is spot-on, with just enough quiet moments to breathe before the next gut-punch reveal. And that ending? Perfectly satisfying without being too neat—exactly what a thriller should aim for.

This is a must-read for fans of smart, character-driven thrillers with a strong sense of place and emotional stakes. Bartz delivers another winner.

I was given an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my review.

The Last Ferry Out by Andrea Barts, abby is heading to a tiny island in the Gulf of Mexico called Ala Cala, in Mexico. It is where her fiancé and the love of her life Esther died from an allergic reaction. as far as Abby knows Esther went there to get some alone time reboot if she was to meet her there the last week of her trip but unfortunately the day before she was to leave she ate cookies with peanuts in it and couldn’t get to her EpiPen in time. it isn’t long before Abby meets the expats from the pictures she found that Abby took on her trip the artist Amari, the naturalist Pedro, the German Rita and the emotional wreck Twink Brody. at first Abby doesn’t know what to make of this carefree group she is a coder and lives a very washed rinse and spin type of life that she loved sharing with Esther. unlike her beloved however Abby is very outgoing and starts hanging with the group but before the first day is over she goes from suspecting there’s more to Esther’s death to knowing it in her bones. So when Brody after a trauma bond session at his house text Abby and tells her she deserves to know the truth and to meet him at the restaurant in the morning needless to say she can barely sleep. Only to show up and Brody doesn’t arrive but it seems no one really cares they say he must’ve left thats just like him and Amari even insinuates he has mental issues. The last thing Esther text Abby was she has to tell her something and that was something Esther would never get to tell Abby because she died so knowing Brody had something to tell her and now he is missing causes Esther to want to find out what happened. The more suspicious she gets the more suspicious they look she even started seeing strange things around her B&B like someone going through her luggage fixing her shoes on the porch and she even gets a call telling her to run get off the island as fast as she can. abby fears for her safety and she will not leave the island the same and soon it looks like she might not leave alive at all. I loved the story. There is so much more to this book than what I put in my review like Esther’s possible balance with Amari, the trouble she has with her family, Abby‘s not feeling like she’s lovable and doubts everything to the backstory of those on the island not to mention Abby‘s aha moment about the ex pats it’s so much more I love the way this book ended once again not with the bang but such a satisfying ending. I have read this author‘s books before but damn I need to read more of her stuff this was a brilliant and beautiful love story/thriller/mystery.#NetGalley,#RandomHouse, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview, #AndreaBarts, #TheLastFairyOut,

It’s painful for me to give a book written by an author I have enjoyed in the past, only three stars. This slow burn thriller reveals the pain that Abby is suffering with following the mysterious death of her fiancée Eszter on the small island of Isla Corel. Abby travels to the island to retrace Eszter’s steps in the hope of solving the mystery. With too many characters and an overload of descriptions, I was pulled away from the intent of the story. On a positive note, the cover was gorgeous with its mysterious vibe. Thank you NetGalley Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books/Ballantine Books for the advanced e-copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This had a promising premise in a unique locale. I enjoyed the setup and was ready for a roller-coaster. However, the pace lagged and it took me forever to finish. I disliked the many flashbacks and chapters in the past, most of which didn't add much to the story and only served to slow it down. I also hate thrillers where none of the villains get their just desserts. The climax proved anticlimactic. I guess this just wasn't for me.

Your fiancé was keeping secrets, and after a fight, she take a solo trip and disappears. Then you learn she died mysteriously from an allergic reaction that she was usually super careful to watch over. What do you do? Of course you visit the practically unheard of island and find a last connection. Then you get trapped among a group of ex-pats who each seem to want to hide things from you. Lots of guesswork, and I mostly guessed some pieces, but the ending was also left a little open-ended to make assumptions about the true hidden roles among the cast of friends, family, and strangers. I enjoyed the book and found myself eager to find out more about each of the characters. I honestly didn't buy the two women together as partners. Even in the historical scenes, it felt forced, as if they knew they didn't belong together but kept trying to make it work. Sometimes relationships aren't easy, so I'll give them credit... but for me, this could've been just friends or a couple. It was the plot that kept me interested.

The Last Ferry Out by Andrea Bartz is a gripping, atmospheric thriller set on a remote Mexican island. Following Abby’s quest to uncover the truth behind her fiancée Eszter’s mysterious death, the novel weaves secrets, betrayal, and suspense into a haunting narrative. Bartz delivers emotional depth, vivid setting, and satisfying twists. Though the pacing occasionally drags, it was a nice read for a rainy spring night—moody, immersive, and just the right touch of eerie.

When Abby’s fiancée Eszter dies suddenly on the remote Mexican island of Isla Colel, Abby is left reeling—and haunted by Eszter’s final, cryptic message: “We need to talk.” Driven by grief and a desperate need for answers, Abby travels to the island in search of closure. There, she finds a tight-knit expat community, each member with their own secrets, and quickly realizes that the truth may be more complicated—and dangerous—than she expected.

While the story unfolds at a slower pace, the well-developed characters and the steady undercurrent of mystery kept me invested. The atmosphere of Isla Colel adds a lush, slightly eerie backdrop that enhances the tension. It’s not a twist-a-minute thriller, but there’s enough suspense and emotional depth to make it a compelling read.

If you’re looking for a moody, character-driven mystery with a touch of psychological intrigue, this one is worth checking out. A solid, satisfying read.

Very slow paced suspense story about Abby, a young woman who travels to an island in the Gulf of Mexico where her fiancée Ezster tragically died. As Abby tries to get more information about the events leading up to Ezster's tragic death, she meets her fiancee's friend group and feels a real sense of menace. Did one of them have something to do with it?

With more atmosphere than plot, this is for those readers who are okay with a White Lotus pace. If you need a book with a lot of twists and turns to keep you gripped, this will not be it!

I did appreciate the f/f aspect of the story, as domestic suspense always seems to be about straight couples.

One of the first books that pulled me back into reading was Andrea Bartz’s We Were Never Here—it completely hooked me. So when I saw The Last Ferry Out was going to be in a similar style, I couldn’t wait to dive in. And it absolutely delivered.

From the very first page, I was pulled in, and the story held my attention all the way through. I thought I had the ending figured out... but I was so wrong (in the best way). Bartz does an amazing job dropping little breadcrumbs that all come together in such a satisfying way.

What really stood out, though, was the character building. The family dynamics and drama felt so authentic, and the book tackled real-life issues with a lot of heart and nuance. Even if you're not part of the LGBTQ+ community, the themes of identity, belonging, and complicated family ties are incredibly relatable.

By the time I hit the last 25%, I literally couldn’t put it down. It’s twisty, emotional, and so well written. Highly recommend if you're into psychological thrillers that hit you on more than one level.

I have enjoyed Andrea Bartz books in the past but this wasn't my favorite from her. It felt a bit uneven at times and I didn't love the characters or their actions. But it was still an atmospheric novel and I feel Bartz really excels at that.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The synopsis of this book sounded interesting to me so I requested a copy to read.
Unfortunately, I have tried reading this book on 2 separate occasions and during this 2nd attempt, I have decided to stop reading this book
and state that this book just wasn't for me.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

Thank you to NetGalley, Andrea Bartz and Ballentine Books for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This was less thriller than I thought it would be, until the last quarter. I loved books where they are stuck somewhere and can’t get away. This was such a well written and entertaining story with such different characters.

(Apologies, I copied in the wrong review the first time)
I loved the premise of this. I love 'locked room' novels and this worked with the remote island, mysterious death, secrets and mysteries. It was definitely staged so perfectly.

The island setting was beautifully eerie and practically jumped off the page. I LOVE when setting serves as a character and this definitely delivered. The twists were gripping, the topics of love and loss were really interesting, and I enjoyed the through line of tension. I will say: I am usually a HUGE multi POV person. But in this case I think it almost took you out of the story and messed with the plot. I found myself skimming to get back to where I was in the action.

Another 5 star read from Andrea Bartz. You should know just by seeing her name that the book will be a great read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/Ballantine Books for this ARC! I'm a fan of the other Andrea Bartz books I've read, so I was excited to get this one. After Abby's fiancee Eszther dies of an allergic reaction while on vacation on the remote island of Isla Colel in Mexico, Abby decides to take a trip there herself to try and get some closure. She has a feeling that there are some unanswered questions waiting for her surrounding Eszther's death, so she seeks out some other expats that Eszther had befriended while she was there. But the longer she stays on the island, the more she suspects that there might have been some foul play involved, and that Eszther's friends are hiding something from her. Will she leave with her questions answered, or with more questions than she started with? This was definitely a slow burn, but got pretty exciting towards the end. There were some twists that I wasn't expecting. I loved the eerie tropical island setting, but for some reason the characters felt really flat to me. I never really found myself rooting for any of them. I also remember not being able to put down the last Bartz book I read, but this one I felt like I had to force myself to read - it just didn't pull me in for some reason. 3.5/5 stars

I thought this was going somewhere really wild and I was all strapped in for it, and then it just sort of… fizzled. I enjoyed the story, the flashes between past and present, and the uncovering of the lies that brought Abby to the island to try to understand her fiancé, but I really wish the truth didn’t make what came before feel so over the top and insane - I wanted an equally insane conclusion. Despite that, tight writing, lots of mystery, and great characters, so definitely worth a read.

The Last Ferry Out by Reese's Book Club author, Andrea Bartz, is a thriller set on an island. The tropical setting creates an atmosphere that is perfect for summer reading by a beach, pool, or lake.

This story is about a young woman who goes back to an isolated island to find out the truth: The main character suspects her fiance may not have died on accident. She goes back to the remote island to find out what happenend. Read this book if you like atmospheric settings (like a topical island), suspense, slow burn, and mysterious circumstances that keep you guessing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC of The Last Ferry Out by Andrea Bartz.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Enjoyed this one, but hard to write a review without spoilers! Eszter and Abby are dating despite concerns from Eszter’s family, engaged even. Unfortunately, Eszter had went to a small island ahead of Abby, and she’s to join her for the last week. Though Eszter’s has a tragic accident. Abby still goes to see the place and try to figure out why this happened. In the process she befriends several people on the island and learns a lot more than she expected. Another good one by Andrea Bartz!

This mystery was interesting and unpredictable. The reason I didn't rate it higher is because most of it didn't stick with me. I felt like the characters weren't that interesting. The most interesting part actually was the setting. I liked that there wasn't really a huge shocking twist because I am tired of them. There were twists just not of the kind that completely change what you've read so far.

with gratitude to netgalley and Ballantine Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review