I’ve read everything Bartz has written but this ended up being my least favorite. Too much of a slow burn, with the “mystery” really not being all that compelling until the last 25%. I pushed through to get there but just didn’t feel intrigued enough by the plot the way I normally do in her suspense novels!

The Last Ferry out is another winner from Andrea Bartz. Beautifully written, the story follows data scientist Abby as she unravels the mystery surrounding her fiancee's death. Family drama, an eerie, isolated island, and plenty of twists and turns makes this one a must-read for psychological-suspense lovers like me! Highly recommend!

This was one of my most anticipate Mystery/Thrillers of 2025. Andrea Bartz is quickly becoming a automatic pick-up for me and I enjoyed The Ferry Out. The story takes place from multiple POV's and time periods but we mainly follow Abby and Eszter a newly engaged couple who live in Madison, Wisconsin. Eszter who has severe allergies died while on Vacation in Isla Colel a secluded island outside of Cancun. Abby who was supposed to meet her there takes a trip a few months after her death still distraught and grieving. She thinks visiting the island and meeting some of Abby's new friends will bring her answers or closure.

The story is a unique and interesting one. It's more of a character driven novel than a straight thriller and I loved the unwinding of Abby as she discovers the betrayals and secrets that her partner was keeping for. The remoteness of Isla Colel and the storms that trap our characters on the island without a way out were great plot points. I didn't see the twists coming and there were a few good red herrings. However we don't get very much depth from most of the expat friends of Eszter and most of them are pretty unlikable. There also seems to some unevenness to the story and that grip that some Thrillers have on you where you can't put it down, escapes you as we get some unnecessarily extended background on family history.

3.5 Stars

This is a really well thought out and plotted mystery. While I went in expecting a thriller, I would say this is more of a character driven novel. While there is a plot to move things along, we also spend a lot of time exploring grief, ambition, friendship, and family relationships. I enjoyed it.

Review of Uncorrected eBook File
Three and one-half stars

Abby, distraught over the death of her fiancé Eszter and hoping to find some answers, takes a trip to Isla Colel, the place where Eszter died. She hopes to find some peace by experiencing what Eszter experienced.

Welcomed by the expats living on the small island, they share stories of their time with Eszter. But when one of the group goes missing, no one seems to be worried about it.

Could one of them have hurt Eszter?

=========

The story, told from multiple points of view and in various timelines, keeps readers guessing. Everyone on the island has secrets; they all adhere to the philosophy that the past should be left in the past and everyone who comes to the island has the opportunity to start anew.

A strong sense of place and well-defined characters give strength to the telling of the tale even though not everyone is particularly likeable. The twisty plot keeps the pages turning as slowly-revealed secrets come to light as unexpected surprises for the reader, leading to a denouement few will see coming.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine / Ballantine Books and NetGalley
#TheLastFerryOut #NetGalley

Abby has headed to Isla Cole in desperate search of answers about what happened to her fiancé when she died on the tiny island located off the coast of Mexico. Two hours from the mainland and only reachable by tense ferry ride, Abby makes friends with the locals in the ex-pat community. Amari, Brady, Rita and Pedro are friendly enough—could one of them really have done something to Esterz?

A twisty, satisfying thriller. The characters were phenomenally written with well defined personalities and emotions that added spookiness and depth to the drama. The plot keeps you guessing, and I had no idea what the ending had in store. 4.5 stars rounded to 5.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy!
I enjoyed this book - there were many stories to keep straight and a few plot twists to keep things interesting!
I would definitely read another book by this author!

3.75 stars

Wow! This was a really great mystery. I felt it was a bit slow in some areas, however, overall did keep me hooked. I enjoyed the multi POVs as well.

Abby is mourning the loss of her fiancee, Eszter, when she decides to travel to Isla Colel, where Eszter passed away a few months back. She feels that she'll get the closure she needs by going to the island and immersing herself in everything Eszter was experiencing. Upon arriving on the tiny island, she's welcomed by a group of friends that Eszter had made and she enjoys spending time with them and hearing stories about Eszter on the island. But her gut soon starts feeling that something is off. It's confirmed when one of the group disappears and no one seems the slightest bit worried. They all abide by the island attitude of starting fresh and leaving the past in the past, making sure everyone's secrets are safe. She understands that to a degree, but if there was more to Eszter's death, how would she ever get the truth out of these people who are full of secrets? And how far will they go to ensure Abby never learns what really happened?

I enjoyed the plot of the book because it's more intricate than you expect, but the writing style grated on me almost from the beginning. There are way too many similies and metaphors in this story. It's a huge pet peeve of mine because no one can immerse themselves in a story that reads like a bad creative writing assignment. This is no exaggeration, it's completely overloaded and there's no need in a mystery./thriller like this. Especially when the main character is a data scientist (she talks about it enough throughout). She's all about numbers, patterns, logic, etc. yet she constantly expresses herself in flowery words and phrases (similies). What data scientist would ever describe a shade of pink as "a blushing ear"? It just took me right out of the story. It's like the book was conceived as romantic fiction with a bit of mystery thrown in and then Abby and Eszter's characters were given careers that completely didn't fit, but the author wanted them portrayed as super intelligent and ambitious so she just left it with the disparity. I don't know, it just didn't work for me.

I would read more by this author because I enjoyed "The Herd" and I don't recall the writing being like this book so maybe it's just a one-off. And I loved the conclusion of this book, how every tiny question you may have had was answered but probably not in the way you expected.

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read if you like:
📍 mexico
👯 queer romances
🤷🏻‍♀️ mysterious deaths

summary:
I loved WE WERE NEVER HERE when it came out a few years ago, so I jumped on the chance to read Andrea Bartz’ newest book! It follows Abby, who lost her fiancée Eszter several months prior in a tragic deadly allergic reaction on a remote island in Mexico, Isla Colel. Her last words to Abby came in a text, saying “I need to tell you something”, and Abby can’t sleep without knowing what Eszter was referring to. She decides to head to Isla Colel herself, to meet the expats in Eszter’s pictures, and to learn better what happened in her final days. She finds the island remote and desolate, run down after a hurricane demolished the tourist industry there years prior. She finds the people in Eszter’s pictures though, who remember her and her death well. After their first night, Abby gets a text from one of them, saying he knows what really happened to Eszter that night. But when he’s supposed to meet Abby to tell her, she finds he’s disappeared. Abby goes on a quest to find him, realizing she doesn’t know who she can trust, and who might know more than they’re letting on. What really happened to Eszter, and which of her new “friends” might have been a part of it?

I finished this book in a day. It’s a fast paced, edge-of-your-seat thriller that you won’t be able to put down. Abby’s character is incredibly relatable — can’t all of us relate to trying to solve a personal problem while also juggling working remotely? I could also relate to trying to figure out who she could trust, and having all of these new friends with mysterious backgrounds and trying to work through who would be on her side. The author also does a great job of setting the scene on the beautiful island in Mexico — I could put myself in her shoes, walking down the streets and taking in the world her fiancee fell in love with.

Like I said, the book moves quickly, cutting between Abby and Eszter’s POV’s both in the past and present. We get a complete picture of their relationship and its dynamics, which makes the ending feel so much more complete — and heartbreaking.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine Books for the advanced copy. This NEEDS to be on your list of must reads in 2025 when it releases on May 20!

Abby heads to Isla Colel to try and find out the circumstances of her fiance, Eszter's death. She meets the group of expats that befriended Eszter, and one of them, Brady, texts her to meet him in the morning. He has something to tell her. But the next morning, he is nowhere to be found. What secrets is Isla Colel keeping?
I really enjoyed this book. It was very well written and the character of Abby well defined. It kept me enthralled from the first page to the last. I definitely didn't see the clever plot twist coming. Highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

A story about love, friendship, and secrets. Told in multiple timelines from multiple points of view. I felt it was easy enough to follow. It was a slow moving drama, with some closure at the end. I liked most of the characters, except the two main ones, Abby and Eszter.

Abby heads to the tiny secluded island of Isla Colel for answers into the death of her fiancée, Eszter. She meets a group of expats and quickly learns everyone has a past they’re running from. Told over three days, Abby grows fond of the island, but learns the islanders aren’t the only ones with secrets,

A slow burn, but the last 20% really picked up with twists and turns that shocked and delighted. Some lingering confusion on the encounter in the cave has me still scratching my head, but overall an enjoyable story with a fun ending.

I had high hopes for this book but my hopes were not met. This book did not grab my attention. It was very hard for me to pay attention and follow the storyline. The story wasn’t relatable and at times very confusing. Lots of characters and lots of different stories happening all at the same time.

This was an interesting read, had me intrigued at some points but it didn't capture me.

Thank you netgalley for an advanced copy. My opinions are my own.

Thank you for sending an invitation to read this book. I was entranced from the start and couldn't put it down. Pulled a all-nighter trying to finish it in one go. I loved it so much. I loved the characters and twists.

I enjoyed this plot-driven novel that has a lot of twists. A young woman travels to an island off the coast of Mexico to find the truth about her fiancee's death--and has to unravel all kinds of secrets. I liked the characters and the setting, and the story kept me reading. Two reasons that this is only four stars: first, the ending was kind of rushed and it took me a few tries to figure out exactly what was happening. Second, I don't like when books that begin with a prologue where someone (you don't know who) is in trouble (you don't know where, or when). I think these types of prologues rarely add anything to the story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

The Last Ferry Out will keep twisting and turning until everyone seems like a villain and no one the hero. It definitely has all the warnings that the author gives in the intro. It is quite enjoyable to absorb.

Nothing is quite as it seems in this thriller when Abby travels to the Mexican island where her fiancée Eszter took her last breaths. Told in dual timelines, The Last Ferry Out tells the story of Abby’s investigation into Eszter’s death and the mysterious last message that she received from her that indicated there were secrets in their relationships. The other timeline moves backwards in time and explores Eszter’s time on the island, her relationship with Abby, her relationship with her strict immigrant family, and more.

The cast of side characters is quite entertaining as well and will add to the veil of uncertainty readers feel as they try to determine the exact circumstances behind Eszter’s death and whether Abby is safe on the island.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced digital copy!

A Solid but Uneven Thriller from a Favorite Author

I’ve been a fan of Andrea Bartz’s work for a while now, so I was excited to dive into her latest thriller. A remote, storm-battered island? A fiancée’s mysterious death? A group of enigmatic expats with secrets to hide? It all sounded like the perfect setup for a locked-room-style mystery. And while there were definitely moments that delivered on that promise, overall, I found myself wishing for more.

The island setting was beautifully eerie—Bartz captured the desolation and danger of the place so well that I could almost feel the damp air and hear the ominous silence. That part kept me hooked. But the characters didn’t quite click for me. Abby’s grief and determination were relatable in some ways, but her choices sometimes felt hard to understand, which made it tricky to root for her. The alternating timelines and multiple perspectives added depth, but they occasionally felt jarring and slowed things down.

That said, there were some genuinely gripping twists, and I appreciated the way the book explored themes of love, loss, and trust. Even though the pacing dragged at times and the ending didn’t have the impact I was hoping for, the story still had enough tension to keep me turning pages.

While this wasn’t my favorite Bartz novel, I’d still recommend it to anyone who loves a moody, atmospheric thriller. There’s a lot to admire here, and it’s clear Bartz knows how to craft a suspenseful tale—I just didn’t connect with this one as much as I hoped I would. Three stars, but I’m still excited to see what she writes next.

A very huge thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/ Ballantine Books for sharing this anticipated thriller's arc copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.