The pace was a little slow for my taste but the premise was interesting. The story explores, love, grief, heartache, and the anxiety surrounding unanswered questions. The supporting cast was well developed and every one was flawed. Abby contacts the ex-pat group that her fiancé had befriended to help her work through her grief and found a lot of surprising information. All in all, a good read!

I liked the book and the setting. Itched all the right scratches for a thriller, even if the MC was literally way too trusting and dumb sometimes.

3.5/5 🌟
A few months after the death of her fiancé, Abby travels to Isla Colel to try to find answers. Now suspicion surrounds everything and Abby has more questions than answers.
I thought this one was decent but it really wasn’t as thrilling as I expected. I thought Abby was grasping at straws a lot as the story went on and things unraveled in a kinda odd way.
The premise to the story was really solid I just don’t think it went the way I was expecting it to because it was super obvious … idk just wasn’t totally it for me.

Read This Book If…you need a beachy thriller for your summer reading list!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
The Last Ferry Out by Andrea Bartz

Genre: Queer thriller
Spice Level: 0/5🌶
Setting: island in the Gulf of Mexico
POV: multiple, 1st person, present tense

My Thoughts:
This was such an interesting read that focused on grief, guilt, and love.

I loved the dichotomy of the expats who refuse to adapt to their surroundings and the locals who prefer to keep themselves isolated. This fictional island and its history made for a perfectly eerie setting.

The premise of this was very interesting, but it took way too long for Abby to grow suspicious and for the thrills to start. I did appreciate the flashbacks we got of the relationship with her fiancée, as well as a few other perspectives sprinkled throughout.

The last few scenes and reveals made up for the slower parts and really got my heart pumping! This would made a perfect beach read for the summer!

Memorable Quote: “Losing someone is like moving to a new country and needing to learn how to live there. How to eat, how to speak.”

Thank you to the publisher for my advance copy!

Thank you NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book more on the slow side for me and at times I was frustrated and annoyed by the FMC. The setting of the book was amazing and what kept me going- but I did struggle to finish this book and this is my second meh novel by this author. I know her books hit with others so this is more a me problem so definitely check out other reviews.

There is definitely trouble in this particular paradise

Off the coast of Mexico sits Isla Colel, once a busy tourist island until a hurricane swept through and decimated it. The once daily ferry service now runs at best once a week, and apart from a small expat community and a smattering of locals the island is as empty as it is isolated. Yet it is to Isla Colel that Abby travels from her native Wisconsin ,in search of answers to her fiancée Eszter's death there while on vacation four months earlier. Abby was supposed to have joined her on the island for the final week of the trip, only to receive the call telling her that Eszter was gone, her death caused by an allergic attack. She is still struggling with her grief, and while she knows that freak accidents can happen she is not convinced that Eszter's death was, in fact, an accident. As she arrives on Colel and gets to know the group of expats with whom Eszter had become friends, she finds herself first liking them all. One of them tells her that he knows things about Eszter's final days that he thinks Abby should know, but then he disappears before he can share them...yet only she finds his disappearance concerning. The more Abby pokes around for answers, the more lies and secrets she uncovers amongst those who live on Colel. Is one of them a killer? Can Abby find the answers she seeks, or will she become another victim?
Author Andrea Bartz has created an intriguing backdrop to this thriller in the Isla Colel, its storm-wrought destruction evoking an eerie vibe amidst the beauties of nature that exist there. The short chapters keep the plot moving along, although the introduction of the varying characters in the opening chapters keeps the pace slow for a while. Abby is not only suffering from the expected grief at the sudden loss of the woman she loves, she also is still grappling with the refusal of Eszter's family to accept the love the two women shared. I found the plot concept interesting, although there were perhaps too many characters introduced to do any of them justice and which made it hard for me to connect with them in a meaningful way. There were twists (not all as unpredictable as I might have wished), and the story finishes with a bang. Overall, a good but not great thriller in my estimation, due in part to the slowish start and the predictability of some of the plot devices. Readers of Ms Bartz's previous novels, as well as fans of Liv Constantine, Lisa Jewell and Megan Miranda might want to give this a try. My thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine Books for allowing me access to this atmospheric thriller in exchange for my honest review.

The premise of this book started out really great- a woman looking for answers in her partners death. Unfortunately it fell a little flat for me. I found the pacing of the story to be slow, and a lot of the characters unlikable, or juvenile. It was not my favorite book of hers.

The Last Ferry out has a really great premise. It's a slower burn story, with some unpredictable twists. I was not able to really get invested in the characters in this book, though. I enjoyed the setting, and the writer did a great job describing the island setting.
Overall, this was a solid, slow burn thriller.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

As usual, Andrea Bartz does not disappoint. In this story, Abby comes to Isla Colel to trace the last days of her recently-deceased fiance, Eszter, who died from anaphylaxis. She soon meets a crew of expats and becomes enmeshed in their circle -- but an offhanded comment raises questions about if Eszter's death was as simple as it seemed. An expat with answers disappears, and Abby begins a hunt to find the truth.

The setting in this story is excellent. The island seems gorgeous but just a little haunting, and the dynamics of an English-speaking group of expats barely even trying to integrate on the Mexican island is a perfect backdrop to the drama that unfolds. Many of the twists were surprising, and the characters' relationships kept me on my toes.

Abby is devastated, her fiancé Eszter has suddenly died on an isolated island. Trying to get answers to her growing list of questions, she travels to Isla Colel. She meets a group of expats, who were Eszter’s friends on the islands. Mystery and lies surround this group. Abby also questions her relationship with Eszter.

This book so beautifully describes the terrain of rocky shores, dangerous coastline, beautiful scenery not to mention the colorful characters and island cuisine. The story itself was a slow burn, I felt myself getting frustrated and wanting to get to the point. There was so much back and forth with the characters that I sometimes lost track. I had a hard time connecting with Abby’s personality, but yet sympathized with Eszter. The ending left me somewhat unsatisfied after all the twists.

Thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.

I think this book had a lot of great suspense, a mystery to carry the plot along, and a bunch of red herrings that have you guessing which person will lead to the final answers that we’re searching for.

I didn’t have this book figured out, which was kinda nice. It kept me guessing. There were some smaller parts that I did see coming, but I feel like the bigger revelations at the end were kept a pretty good secret until it was time for them to be known.

I won’t give away any spoilers, but I will say something that is very evident throughout the reading of this book: and that was a message to slow down and enjoy the smaller things in life, rather than just rushing around to do or be the next best thing. And I think that’s super important and could probably use that advice myself.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book to review.

This was a great thriller novel, and I enjoyed it a lot. I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

Reading and finishing this book was an absolute torture. The only reason I didn’t DNF is because it’s an ARC and I felt obligated to read it and review it. The book is described as a moody, atmospheric, slow burn thriller. For me this was a dragged out, barely any substance thriller. I absolutely couldn’t stand the main character. Her actions just didn’t make sense. She went from trusting each character to thinking they were guilty extremely quickly. She jumped from trusting everyone to no one way too quickly. I know grief can make people so unbearable things, but this was just too much. The “villains” in the story were supposed to be all not really evil and their characters were supposed to be morally gray, but in the end I just didn’t care why they did what they did. At 60% the story finally started to pick up, but by then it was too little too late. Even with all the twists in the end, and there were a lot, the character’s’ motivations just didn’t make it any better or more interesting. Eszter’s flashbacks were the highlights of the book, but most of Abby’s made the book slow down and pointless.
Thank you NetGally for this advanced copy.
Thank you NetGally for this advanced copy.

📚: The Last Ferry Out by Andrea Bartz
⭐️: 3/5

Abby is searching for peace. After her fiancé, Eszter, tragically dies in Isla Colel, Abby sets off to the island to find answers — and to connect with those that she connected with. There, she meets a whole group of expats who aren’t completely what meets the eye.

This book landed as an average thriller for me. A few pacing issues had this story feel slow in spots, and a predictable twist. But the biggest issue I found was a glaring hole in the twist reveal that was a loose thread and will drive me crazy for days.

Thank you to Random House - Ballantine via @netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Last Ferry Out is out now.

This was my first Andrea Bartz book and I had such high hopes going into it - a remote island where the mysterious death of the main character's fiance took place, sign me up!

However, the first fifty pages or so almost made me DNF the book. Abby's thought processes and conversations basically chased their tail in circles over and over, and it was a little annoying. I spent pages 50-100 going back and forth about DNFing. By that point, I was so engrossed in the story, I was willing to forget the rocky start.

And I'm glad I did.

Bartz did an incredible job bringing the island to life and I love how it acted as a character in its own right. The characters all annoyed me in their own ways, but I think their unlikability helped to cast suspicion on everyone and keep the reader on their toes. I was honestly shocked by the ultimate truth that came out.

The last hundred pages of the novel worked really well for me. I thought they were perfectly paced and that Abby really came to life. One of the twists was so realistic through Abby's eyes that I could truly picture myself there and was SHOCKEDDDD by the outcome.

All in all, the book had its ups and its downs, but the good parts outweighed the bad and I had a pretty good time reading this and would honestly recommend it!

Thank you to Ballantine Books, Andrea Bartz, and Netgalley for my eARC!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the digital ARC of ”The Last Ferry Out” in exchange for my honest opinion. This story starts very close to the action. Several characters are introduced quite quickly, but the reader doesn’t have time to get to know them well enough to really care about or connect with them. The plot seemed to stick at points and was fairly predictable. The chapters that went back in time weren’t super helpful in keeping the plot moving. I would teach my students to “show and not tell” in their writing, but there was so much telling in this book that it just didn’t keep my interest. I found myself wanting to finish so I could move on to my next book.

Andrea Bartz delivers another knockout with The Last Ferry Out—a suspenseful, emotionally charged thriller set on a crumbling island paradise that’s as eerie as beautiful. From the moment Abby steps onto Isla Colel to uncover the truth behind her fiancée Eszter’s mysterious death, the tension is palpable, and the stakes only rise.

Bartz masterfully builds a sense of isolation and dread, using the island’s decaying charm and the elusive expat community to create a setting that feels both dreamlike and dangerous. The mystery unfolds with precision, each twist more chilling than the last, and Abby’s emotional journey adds real depth to the suspense.

What I loved most was how Bartz blends psychological insight with gripping storytelling. The characters are complex, the pacing is tight, and the final reveal is shocking and satisfying. It’s a story about grief, obsession, and the lengths we go to for closure—and it’s unputdownable.

If you’re a fan of intelligent, atmospheric thrillers with a strong female lead and a setting that feels like a character in itself, The Last Ferry Out is a must-read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Andrea Bartz, and Ballantine Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I think I’ve found my favorite thriller of the year so far!! I have loved all of Andrea’s books, but this one is just stellar in every way! The plot and different characters/timelines flow seamlessly, weaving into a twisty mystery that kept me guessing until the very end. I loved that the main character felt relatable and each move she made felt logical. The atmosphere was so well crafted and I loved the mix of characters and their narratives. Such an incredible book!

The Last Ferry Out
By Andrea Bartz

I need to tell you something” are the last words Abby’s fiancé Eszter says to her
before she dies from anaphylactic shock. Abby is devastated by this and decides to
travel to the secluded island where it happened. determined to retrace the final
days leading up to her fiancés death.Everyone on this island is hiding a past that
they’d rather forget. A community of expats, they don’t care what you did in your
past. The characters are very fleshed out. The first 20 or so percent of the book is
full of back stories and character introductions. As Abby tries to get more
information about what happened, she meets her Easter's friend group and begins
to feel a real sense of menace.
Set on a remote island in the Mexican Caribbean, Isal Colel is known for amazing
sunsets and wildlife until a hurricane destroyed their tourism. Now sparsely
populated with eccentric expats. The emptiness and lack of regular transport lend
a very Atmospheric and descriptive story. a great deal of time is spent describing
the tropical island topography.
Another slow paced suspenseful destination thriller with tons of twists and turns.
Told through multiple alternating timelines and POV’s there is a driving sense of
Dred that makes you want to figure out what happened.

This book was everything I hoped for and so much more. A twisty thriller. A group of complex and dynamic characters. A palpable representation of grief and its stages.

My heart broke so many times for Abby on her journey to find peace about her fiancee Eszter’s death and I was shocked when the events of that night were revealed. You will continue being shocked right until the end!