Atmospheric, emotional, and suspenseful, The Last Ferry Out follows Abby as she travels to a remote Caribbean island to investigate the mysterious death of her fiancée, Eszter. What begins as a journey of grief becomes a slow-burning thriller as Abby uncovers secrets among a group of expats and realizes Eszter's death may not have been an accident.

Bartz blends psychological suspense with themes of love, identity, and loss. The lush, eerie island setting enhances the tension, and the characters are layered and intriguing. Though the pacing is slower and more introspective than a typical thriller, the emotional payoff and twisty revelations make this a standout. A must-read for fans of atmospheric mysteries with depth and LGBTQ+ representation.

The Last Ferry Out by @andibartz ⭐️⭐️⭐️

BLURB⛴️ On a trip to the small Mexican island where her fiancé, Eszter died, FMC Abby begins to suspect the death was no accident—and that the killer is still on the island. When she decided to come to Isla Colel, she wasn’t sure what she’d find—if anything at all. She only knew that she needed to see the place where Eszter passed to try and make sense of everything that happened. The island is nothing like Abby expected; it was once a busy tourist attraction, but a hurricane a few years earlier left it a shell of its former self, with only some locals and expats remaining. Abby befriends an alluring group of them, but her sense of unease surges when one of the guys she recently met sends her a message saying, “You deserve to know the truth about Eszter.” Before she can see him, though, he vanishes. Hours turn to days with no sign of him, yet the other expats are weirdly chill about his disappearance. As Abby’s quest for the truth reveals secrets, shady pasts, and lies, she grows more and more determined to find out what happened to the love of her life.

This book was just okay for me. I didn’t really connect with any of the characters in a meaningful way; Abby was almost annoying to me, and I wanted more suspense/thrills. It also felt too long and that it could have been condensed; I got a little tired of all the descriptions of the island. It felt repetitive. But, I still finished it and was glad to read how everything played out. And the epilogue—GREAT way to end!👌🏼

Thank you to @netgalley @randomhouse @ballantinebooks for this advanced reader copy! 💕

#netgalley #netgalleyreads #netgalleyreviewer #netgalleyreview #thelastferryout #booknerd #bookstagram #audiobookstagram #audiobookreview #audiobooklover

✨ Atmospheric. Suspenseful. Haunting. ✨
Andrea Bartz does it again with The Last Ferry Out—a slow-burn thriller laced with grief, secrets, and the terrifying suspicion that the person who killed your fiancée is still within arm’s reach.

When Abby arrives on the remote, hurricane-battered island of Isla Colel to retrace Eszter’s final days, she doesn’t expect to find much—only closure. But the island’s eerie stillness, a vanishing informant, and a group of charming but secretive expats spark a gripping chase for the truth. What really happened to Eszter, and how far is someone willing to go to keep the past buried?

I was completely swept away by this novel’s oppressive island setting, the alternating timelines that explore Abby and Eszter’s beautiful yet complicated relationship, and the constant undercurrent of dread. Abby is a compelling narrator—grieving, gutsy, and unwilling to back down even as the island seems to close in around her.

This one’s for you if you love:
🌴 atmospheric, isolated settings
💔 stories that explore love and loss
🕵️‍♀️ slow-burn thrillers with emotional depth
💥 secrets, lies, and jaw-dropping twists

Every reveal had me reeling, and I never guessed the ending. Another winner from Bartz.

3.5 stars, actually.

I tried really hard to enjoy this book - and I admit there were times when it clicked and my "I'm Lovin' It" meter shot up. But in the end, a plot that seemed a little too contrived and rather unlikable characters led to my final verdict.

The story takes place on the remote Mexican island Isla Colel, which for all intents and purposes is a haven for misfits. The main characters, I suppose, include the hard-driving Abby, who seems to love Eszter (at least she's proposed marriage to her); Eszter, who seems to love Abby but has a love-hate relationship with her dictatorial father; Brady, an Australian who seems to fear his father but a guy everyone else seems to love; and Amari, who seems to be - well, I'm not exactly sure who that is except that she, like Eszter, is gay.

At issue is Eszter's untimely death as she's visiting the island on her own - a peaceful place she found and wanted to check out, or so she told Abby before she left. Her death was even more unexpected since it was a result of anaphylactic shock; with multiple life-threatening allergies, Eszter has an EpiPen with her at all times - except this once, when somehow she didn't. Devastated, Abby heads to the island (by way of a ferry) to learn what she can and, hopefully, walk in the same places and talk with the same people Eszter did during her final days.

As an island newbie, Abby doesn't know what to expect, but what she does get from the close-knit group of "expats" doesn't seem to do much besides confuse her even more - as does the presence of a now-closed but once-thriving resort with a mysterious past. Her behavior turns almost paranoid; who's telling the truth? Who's lying? Why? What secrets do the walls of the resort hold? Why didn't Eszter have her EpiPen near her when it counted most? As she tries to ferret out what really happened, Abby grieves for her forever-lost bride-to-be - well, except maybe when she gets the hots for another hot islander.

Of course, the plot follows Abby's quest to find out how Eszter died and prove whether or not their love was a one-sided affair. The answer is complex, often meandering, and when it comes it didn't shake up my world nearly as much as I'd hoped it would. Overall, though, it's quite readable - a good one to help pass the time on a lazy beach with the book in one hand and a margarita in the other, in fact. While it won't make my list of Top 10 all-time favorite books, I really did enjoy it, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for giving me the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

I liked the island location.
I was drawn to the premise becssje I always winder well what happens to people.
Unfortunately, this book was a miss for me. I couldn’t develop any synergy with the characters and I found the story was very slow.

Abby isn't sure what to expect when she goes to Isla Coles, but she needs to see where her fiancée died. Once there, she befriends a group of expats, but the feeling of uneasiness never lets up... and when one of them says he knows what happened in the final days of Ester's life, she finally has hope she'll learn what really occurred. But then he disappears, and no one seems to care. As Abby tries to find out the truth, she realizes she's caught in an ever growing web of lies, a mystery she'll need to solve before she becomes the next victim. This was another twisty thriller from Andrea Bartz!

I found this a very very slow burn, the pace was too slow to catch my interest early. The characters were however well developed but the first half of the book was hard to get into. Once it got going though, I did find it more interesting and I found myself guessing the outcome more and more, it just took a while to get there. Overall, it was a good read but I had to give it a 3 star rating just for the pace, I felt like the first half needed some more action to hold my interest.

This was my first Andrea Bartz book and it did not disappoint! Her writing is atmospheric and cerebral—I could visualize every scene so vividly.

Told through multiple POVs and timelines, the structure was layered but never confusing. I usually struggle with that format, but the storytelling flowed seamlessly. The chapter-end cliffhangers kept me fully hooked and turning pages.

It features one of my favorite tropes: serial killers and the desperate need for closure after a tragic death. Add in a nuanced LGBTQ+ romance (not your typical love story), and this became such a compelling and refreshing read.

💫 Big thank you to Andrea Bartz, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for the complimentary copy!

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 stars)

The Last Ferry Out was just okay for me. I’ve enjoyed Andrea Bartz’s writing before, but this one didn’t quite land. The tropical, mysterious setting had potential, but it felt underused. The main character’s challenges were quickly and conveniently solved, and the extra POVs didn’t add much — they mostly dragged the story out.

The main character’s inner monologue was repetitive, and I got tired of the constant oversharing framed as being “outgoing.” The tension felt forced, the side characters didn’t leave an impression, and by the end, I was just ready to be done.

I’ll still check out Bartz’s future work, but this one wasn’t a favorite.

3.5 stars rounded up.

I actually had low expectations because I didn’t like the book We Were Never Here. But I figured it was just a one off and I’m glad I was right. This book kept me hooked from the very beginning! I was a little upset with the main character because she was being really stupid and trusting too many people off the bat.

The plot managed to surprise me and actually entertain me. I was also legitimately scared at multiple moments. Overall a very successful thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love the world and conceit of this book.. It was a bit too slow burn for my taste, but overall really enjoyed it.

So I liked this one but I didn't love it. Abby goes to Isla Colel after the death of her fiancee occurs there. She meets a group of expats that she quickly bonds with and finds they knew her fiancee too. Something doesn't sit right with Abby about Eszter's final days and the more she digs, and with weird things that just keep happening, the more she is convinced her senses are right. This book had a great premise but it was really slow going for me and it wasn't as suspenseful as I was expecting. The expat characters were interesting but the big reveal of what happened to Eszter was kind of a let down.

Andrea Bartz delivers a moody, atmospheric thriller in The Last Ferry Out, set on an isolated island threatened by rising tides and buried secrets. When Abby visits Isla Colel she doesn't know quite what to expect, just that she feels a need to see the last place her fiancee Eszter was alive, but she uncovers more than she bargained for—both in the landscape and its people. With sharp writing and a creeping sense of unease, Bartz explores privilege, denial, and the dangers we choose not to see. Though the pace is slow at first, the tension builds steadily, leading to some clever and unsettling turns. A smart, timely thriller perfect for fans of psychological suspense with a social edge that will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat. Not my favorite of Bartz but definitely a perfect choice for an exciting beach reach.

The Last Ferry Out is one of those rare books that stays with you long after you’ve finished the final page. Equal parts suspenseful and emotionally resonant, it shows us how we can be tied to a place no matter what— even when everything else is falling apart. Highly recommended for fans of literary suspense

I have enjoyed books by Andrea Bartz in the past, but this one just didn't land for me.

The setting, which seemed to have potential (tropical! mysterious! isolated!) felt somewhat irrelevant. The plot is set up with various challenges that the character needs to overcome (lost phone, she doesn't speak the language, etc.) which are quickly resolved (someone randomly gives her a phone! she immediately links up with a group of English-speaking ex-pats!). The additional POVs don't add much intrigue, and seem to just drag out a story that takes too long to find its resolution. The main POV character's inner dialogue is repetitive and meandering, and I lost patience with the number of times she unloaded her personal history on people because she's "so outgoing." The tension felt manufactured, the side characters generic, and by the time I got to the end I was just happy to see things tied up and no longer invested enough to care about any last minute twists.

I'll hold out hope that Bartz's next book is a better fit for me, as I've enjoyed some of her works in the past!

This was a very intense and mysterious book! I thought I had it slll figured out but I was so wrong! Love a book that keeps me on my toes!

2.5 stars

After Abby’s fiancé Eszter passes away on the Mexican island of Isla Colel, Abby decides to visit and learn more about Eszter’s death. What looked like a tragic allergic reaction appears to be more than that after secrets and deceptions are revealed.

This book was too much of a slow burn for me. There were a few small twists, but I just could not get into the book or care about any of the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for a copy of this novel.

Unfortunately, could not finish this read, which is a shame because I have loved several other books by Bartz! Made it to page 137. I found it very hard to read through the POV of the main character. Every inner thought is narrated, and a lot of it felt unnecessary to the plot. The whole goal of the book was to find her missing/dead fiancée on a remote island. I could tell this was the buildup to a great story and think that there was a set up for a great plot twist and ending! Will continue to read more from this author and will hopefully try to finish it again!

I started, but it was way too slow for my liking and I was just bored. Another reviewer labeled this as "just vibes" and that makes sense because the plot was trudging.

**The Last Ferry Out** by Andrea Bartz is a gripping, edge‑of‑your‑seat thriller with a sun‑drenched Bahamas backdrop that feels both glamorous and dangerous. The suspense builds expertly as secrets ripple through a group of former college friends reunited on an idyllic island—until a sudden storm strands them and someone goes missing. Bartz’s clean, cinematic writing keeps tension taut, and the beautifully flawed characters make every twist personal and pulse‑pounding. A perfect escape for readers who love high-stakes secrets, tropical settings, and a twisty ride that sticks with you long after the last page.