Locals play a game of last-(wo)man standing

Downloaded this bad boy and read it in two days (would’ve been one if I didn’t have to adult).

I’m always down to read about an isolated setting, especially a place where the handful of locals who make up the town are all acting suspect.

This story has it all: secrets between lovers, a search for clues to a long-held mystery, and just the faintest hint of paranormal. I’ve devoured all of Andrea Bartz’s books and can’t wait for the next.

Such a great read. Kept me on my toes and tugged at my heart. It had an interesting setting, well developed characters, and twists that made sense once you thought back on them, but that were still surprising!

This book was fantastic! So many twists, and it kept me engaged throughout the whole thing. Exceedingly creepy, Bartz never fails!

Thank you Ballentine Books and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. This one kept me guessing! Abby’s fiancée, Estzer, died while she was on a small island. That that is only accesible by boat. Now Abby is headed to the island herself, she wants to see what she can find. Something about Estzer’s death doesn’t sit really with her, especially not from the last communication they had with each other. While there Estzer had sent Abby photos of all these new friends she was making. Abby is determined to find them and see what they know. As she looks down into what happened she’ll find that everyone has secrets of their own and now everything is what it seems. Can she find out what happened to Estzer? And will she like what she finds? A thrill ride that kept me on edge! The setting added to the intrigue and Andrea Bartz had readers feelin the island vibes! Full of interesting characters, I love when there’s a character with my name! Secrets and murder make for an intense mystery that I couldn’t put down!

Abby is off to an island to see where her fiancé spent her last days before her sudden death. But Abby is starting to think that’s not everything is what it seemed to be! A fun, slower paced thriller to start then picks up as the book goes on! I was very curious of what happened to Eszter and became suspicious of every person Abby spoke to, including her “friend” group. I do feel like the middle of the book dragged on, they kept emphasizing the same points of Eszter lying, I wish they got on with the point a little sooner. I really didn’t see the twists in this one coming! Overall, this book was 3 stars for me. I enjoyed the story line but didn’t necessarily feel myself grabbing for it. It really dragged at some parts for me and the ending didn’t really make up for the slow middle. I would definetly recommend to a friend to try, just because it wasn’t for me doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be for someone else. I also would read another one by this author.

Entertaining and easy read but nothing new to the mystery/thriller realm.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/219301720

Big thanks to Net Galley, Random House - Ballantine for the ARC of this book.

There’s a lot to this book, and at time maybe a little too much. There’s story draws you in with a compelling grief inspired journey, and lets the idea of danger linger. The setting really takes you to the island and might make you want to quit your job to move to a remote island. But it felt like there were maybe too many turns and then development of the story didn’t feel natural.

Wow wow! While it did take me a little to get into this book i did end up wanting to read more. Every time i put this book down all I kept wondering is what was going to happen next. Did not expect the ending definitely worth the read!

I've been a faithful Andrea Bartz fan since I first picked up The Lost Night and was thrilled to get my hands on an ARC of The Last Ferry Out. It's admittedly been a few years (and hundreds of books) since I read We Were Never Here, but I felt similar parallels between the two books in the back of my mind as I read The Last Ferry Out. The Stephen King-esque Easter egg mid-book also seemed to confirm my suspicions. Once again, Bartz delivered an unputdownable book!

The last Ferry out by Andrea Bartz

This book started out strong and then just lulled for me. I have loved previous books from this author and while I was waiting for a Jam Packed mystery this one left me hanging.

Abby’s fiancée passed say while visiting a small dreamy island, Eszter while visiting this strong wracked island had taken pictures of friends she had made along the way. However, Abby feels there is something missing and heads to the desolate island to find answers and after digging she feels the friends Eszter has made aren’t being honest about the disappearance.

Thank you NetGalley and Random house for this arc.

I always devour Andi Bartz's books, and this one was no exception!

After her fiancee, Estzer's, death, Abby travels to Isla Colel, a remote Mexican island that can only be reached by boat. She's there to figure out what happened to Estzer, who died of an allergy attack, and also texted Abby that she "needed to talk to her" shortly before she died. Abby is certain there's something about Estzer and her death that she doesn't know, and she's determined to find out. She links up with a group of expats on the island, all with secrets of their own, and attempts to figure out Estzer's final days. What she discovers is more than she could have ever imagined.

As someone who has been an expat, Bartz nailed the transientness and social structure of how they operate. It all felt very real to me, and was one of the reasons I really liked it! The whole book kept me guessing about what happened to Estzer, and I was invested in solving the mystery right along with Abby.

A twisty thriller set on a gorgeous remote tropical island with several unique characters-sweet Brady, sexy Amara, motherly Rita and Abby and Eszter, a couple who have plenty of secrets. I was caught up in the characters and the mystery right away and really enjoyed the story. The setting was wonderful and added so much to the plot. I could see the abandoned hotel on the cliff so clearly and the jungle animals and tropical flowers-the writing was so descriptive and lush that I really enjoyed reading this book . Another winner for Bartz! Thank you NetGalley for the advance digital copy.

Grieving the unexpected loss of her fiancée, Abby makes the trip out to Isla Colel to try and piece together Eszter’s last days. The more Abby digs for answers, the more questions that need answers. Will she be able to determine what Eszter experienced on the island?

Overall a pretty solid read, but I found Abby’s almost immediate trust for everyone a little jarring. I didn’t know what to expect when starting this book, but the last few chapters had me picking my jaw off the floor. The level of suspense toward the end had me on the edge of my seat just waiting for the time I could pick it up again.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have read one of this author’s short stories, and enjoyed it, but I was not able to get into this book. The story felt repetitive and the plot was too slow for me. Unfortunately, I had to DNF at 23%.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

On a fictional island off the coast of Cancun lies trouble for this group of ex-pats that are living the low-impact high life when one of their own is found dead. The girl's lover arrives and she tries to put the pieces together and what happened to her partner and why. The mystery moves along at a good pace, and the supporting cast of ex-pats is interesting, sometimes amusing, sometimes dark and potentially dangerous. The island holds many secrets as you will find out (but not from me here) and many interlocking relationships that can be at odds with the simple island life that is initially portrayed in the opening chapters. I thought the combination of plot, characters and mystery was just the right mix, and kept my interest until the final resolution of what happened to the poor victim.

After hearing so much buzz about both this book and the author I was elated to receive an ARC copy via NetGalley. Unfortunately from the very first page I had mixed feelings about this book. I was surprised to see the trigger warning before the book started since I know a lot of authors usually don’t add that but was really glad the author included it in this book. I struggled with whether or not to start reading this book because of the content warning but went ahead and decided to read it. I wanted to connect to the characters especially the main character Abby but she seemed very dull and immature. Honestly all the characters weren’t likable the only one I understood and sympathized with was Brady. The plot development and pace were slow and some parts seemed repetitive or unnecessary, I found myself skimming through a lot of the chapters particularly the “Then” chapters of Abby and Eszter. I really don’t think so much back story was required for the book to work, I think if the author went a different direction and removed a lot of excess plot then this could be a great thriller. I’ll admit I did get emotional concerning how Eszter passed away since I battle with food allergies as well and was horrified to know her cause of death, how it happened and who caused it. The graphic imagery and details of a certain character who is suicidal was very alarming to me as I personally experienced this and I understand the trigger warning from the start. I expected this to be more of a thriller and mystery but there was more trauma and drama for my liking. There were various bombshells revealed towards the end but I couldn’t really grasp and wrap my head around them to make any sense. I thought certain characters seemed suspicious and the author could’ve done a better job at recreating the storyline and changing who the “villain” turned out to be. The ending was unbelievable and farfetched to say the least. I really don’t think that epilogue was necessary since it seems more like the author just added that at the very end to make the story make sense but it did the exact opposite and frankly was annoying to me as a reader. In my opinion this book needs way more revision and editing so I hope the author looks carefully at all the negative criticisms and feedback and decides to change some things. I know there are mixed reviews early on but I’m baffled as to those people who gave this anything above 3 stars. It makes me wonder whether I read the exact same ARC as all those high reviewers. I hate leaving such disappointing feedback but with this book I feel it is crucial to revise it and it has the potential to be a really great thriller. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this ARC copy in exchange for my honest feedback and review.

The Last Ferry Out is a great thriller! I would read this on the beach or on vacation due to the tropical setting. I could see it being made into a TV show or movie!

THRILLER ALERT! This book had all the ingredients for a juicy mystery - isolated island, secrets, murder... but somehow it fell flat for me. Loved the creepy vibes at first, but the narrative's pacing suffered as the story progressed. Multiple POVs and timelines = confusing. Despite this, I appreciated the novel's suspenseful nature and unexpected twists, earning it 3.5 stars. Would I recommend? Yeah, if you're into moody settings, mysterious secrets and don’t mind a slow burn!
I received a complimentary copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Chapter one lays a very endearing framework. I genuinely want to know what happened to Eszter, what her last argument with Abby was about, who the people in the photos are, and if the abandoned resort means anything. But as the book went on, I liked it less and less. Many plot holes and last minute explanations used to pull everything together. Without giving too much away, I really dislike when legal proceedings are used to reveal hidden information. It’s lazy. Throughout, there was minimal suspense or thrill. Mystery? Yes; but the epilogue was the only moment I felt that gave me a true “thriller” feeling. The title is misleading. It’s not about the ferry or even leaving the island. If anything, it’s about why people go to the island.

Really good read. It was my first book by this author and i definitely plan on reading more !!! Four stars!!!