Told through a dual timeline, Jennifer is composing a left to her father who is prison, and a television reality show (episode 1, etc). Jenny grew up playing in Big Cypress Swamp with her friends. We get some of the back story from Jenny and the tv show. Jenny is still tormented by the family of the young girl that was taken from her bed. The story does is a well paced, slow burn suspense thriller.

The Final Episode by Lori Roy is a pulse-pounding, atmospheric thriller that masterfully combines small-town secrets with the high-stakes intrigue of a true-crime documentary. Jennifer Jones’s childhood summer in Big Cypress Swamp was supposed to be just another adventure—until Francie Farrow vanished and her father went to prison, and everything changed. Decades later, as a popular TV series inspired by that fateful summer reexamines the case, Jennifer is pulled back into a web of doubt and suspicion. Can the show finally uncover what really happened all those years ago? Or has someone gone to extreme lengths to keep the truth buried? As Jennifer races to find answers, she realizes that some secrets are more dangerous than gators lurking in the swamp—and that the past’s darkness might threaten to swallow her whole. Roy expertly builds tension with each twist and turn, making this a compulsive read from start to finish. The sense of atmospheric dread, combined with Jennifer’s emotional journey of discovery and doubt, will keep you hooked until the final, shocking reveal. While some plot points feel familiar, the storytelling is crisp, and the stakes feel incredibly real. If you love mysteries that peel back the layers of family secrets and leave you guessing until the very last page, The Final Episode is a must-read—just be prepared for a wild ride into the murky depths of the past.

If Lucinda Berry's "The Perfect Child" and Delia Owen's "Where the Crawdad's Sing" had a crossover, this would be that book. The imagery of the swamp, The Old Man, these four wildly different children was evocative and the mystery of what happened to Franny was heartbreaking. Even as the story unfolded and you knew what the terrible conclusion was going to be you don't want it to end.
I was spellbound listening to this audiobook. Top notch storytelling and narration that brings the story to life.

thank you to NetGalley, the author Lori Roy, and Brilliance Audio for my ARC of this audiobook.

Lori Roy mashes Southern gothic vibes with the modern true crime obsession, as Jennifer Jones is forced to revisit the traumatic summer that defined her past—and possibly distorted the truth. The eerie setting of Big Cypress Swamp, a decades-old disappearance, and a reality series digging into long-buried secrets create a rich backdrop for this emotionally charged story.

Roy explores memory, identity, and legacy with a deft hand, delivering twists that feel earned and characters that linger. A compelling, thought-provoking read perfect for fans of true crime with a literary edge.

Thank you Lori Roy, Brilliance, Thomas & Mercer, and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

#thefinalepisode #netgalleyarc #netgalleyreview #netgalley #arcreview #arc #arcreader #review #somanybookssolittletime

I was hooked from the beginning!
It was amazing and engaging.
I was instantly sucked in by the atmosphere and writing style.
The characters were all very well developed .
The writing is exceptional and I was hooked after the first sentence.

I enjoyed this audiobook. Great story wonderful narration I can’t wait for this book to come out. Thank you for this advanced copy. I look forward to giving it a more detailed review soon.

I really enjoyed this book - the plot was structured very creatively and kept me hooked, and I really enjoyed the characterization.

"When a true crime series chronicles the tragic childhood summer that changed her life forever, a young woman must grapple with the truth about her father…and herself."

I don't typically go for child abduction stories cause they're just too awful, but this one sounded interesting, so I gave it a go.

The story begins with the disappearance of a young girl from her bedroom, while her parents are asleep nearby and a friend sleeps in the same room. At Big Cyprus Swamp, Jenny gets ready to turn eleven and gain "second sight" which has been gifted to all her female ancestors. These stories become intertwined and Jenny grows up wondering how everything she knew about her life was wrong.

This was a compelling story, but I felt that Jenny's possible psychic powers were overstated in the description. I expected a bit more of a supernatural aspect to this book, but even without it, I was still invested and wanted to see the story through.

I received a free audiobook copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Ａｕｄｉｏｂｏｏｋ & Ｅｂｏｏｋ Ｒｅｖｉｅｗ
🌟🌟🌟
The final episode by Lori Roy, unfortunately, wasn't for me. I should have DNF'd this book, but I just wanted to see what was going to happen, but not in a happy or good way. Just to say, I finished it. I felt like a lot of nothing happened in this story. I did like the episode-style writing and the dual timeline.

I don't know; I just felt like something was missing and was kind of confused.

The audiobook is narrated by P.J. Morgan, and she did a good job telling the story. She was easy to listen to and understand. Listened at 2x speed.

Thank you, NetGalley, Brilliance Publishing, for the audiobook, and Thomas & Mercer for the ebook in exchange for my honest review.

2.75 stars.
I thought that I would enjoy this book given its premise.
It sounded like it would be great, I love a good thriller/suspense/mystery that also ties into a podcast, however, this just wasn't executed well in my opinion.
I think that the book has good bones but needs a bit a work to increase its rating.
I had a really difficult time connecting with Jennifer Jones. Her characterization and beliefs were flimsy and just didn't make sense to me as the reader. For example, first, she has "always" believed in her Father's innocence (for 20 years), and then the show makes her start to question that? I need a character to be stronger than this, or at least for there to be some context that explains the change, something that truly prompts it.
I also took issue with the plot structure, which is probably why I had such a difficult time staying engaged. The writing felt clunky and disjointed to me. It felt unorganized and choppy. The pace is irrelevant to me because I had such a hard time with the structure. It is very difficult to write dual timelines, and this book proves that a lot of authors struggle with this, and it became increasingly repetitive as the story went on.
I think that there was an effort to have well-developed characters, but again, because of the difficulties with the plot structure, it was hard to appreciate what we were given.
I think that there is potential for this to be a great book despite all of the jumbled plot, however, not in its current state.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
Happy Reading!

3.75 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This one had a compelling premise and strong emotional undercurrents, but I had a hard time getting into it at first. It could’ve been the narrator—sometimes a performance can make or break the experience—and in this case, I struggled to connect early on.

That said, once the story found its rhythm, I appreciated the themes of closure, identity, and the long tail of unresolved relationships. Beth Vandenberg writes with empathy and a sharp eye for emotional nuance, and that really shines through in the later chapters.

A solid read with a slow build. Might land better in print than audio for some readers.

I went through this book both by reading and listening, depending on where I was or how I felt — and somehow, that combination made the experience even more intense. The story had this thick, gothic atmosphere that settled in from the very beginning. It wasn’t easy. At times it felt like I was wandering through a fog — everything dark, a little disorienting, sometimes even emotionally heavy. But I couldn’t stop. Whether I had the book in my hands or the narrator’s voice in my ears, something kept pulling me deeper.

There was a quiet momentum to it all, like things were slowly unraveling but always heading toward something. I didn’t always understand where it was taking me, but I felt like I had to trust it. And in the end, I was glad I did.

It was hard, in a strange, beautiful way. Not the kind of story you rush through — more like one you have to feel your way through, piece by piece. Listening gave me the tone and texture, while reading let me sink into the details. Together, it all came alive.

This one wasn’t quite for me, but it might be for you. I found it hard to keep track of the characters at times and had to replay sections, which pulled me out of the story and made it tough to stay engaged. That said, it could just be a personal thing, so don’t let my experience stop you from giving it a try!

I love the idea of shows and podcasts solving crimes, but it was odd the way this one worked, and I had trouble following when it kept changing from the past to the present. And then it didn't feel like a lot really happened, but then the ending was definitely something that could have made sense based on what the characters did earlier, and it was a sad, shocking ending. Although there was a twist at the end that I enjoyed, so it was satisfying. I did think the narrator had the right voice and did a good job with this audiobook.

The narrator of the audiobook is a bit flat making this book feel like a slog to get through without the usual animation that comes from good narration. Because of that, I didn't finish this book as there was a lack of interest. Sorry

I will always give a murder mystery genre that ties into a podcast a try, because on multiple occasions they’ve been some of my favourite books. This is a new author for me so I wasn’t sure what to expect.

The premise starts out with the events that take place the night a young girl goes missing from her home. This situation is definitely unsettling, the thought of being a parent who sleeps through the apparent abduction of their child from their bed down the hallway is just unthinkable. We then get the perspective of another child whose father becomes the prime suspect for the abduction.

After this introduction there is a jarring catapult into the future where the second girl is now fully grown up and still being harassed by the mother of the missing child. We learn that there is currently a podcast covering the events which is soon due to air its final episode. The final episode typically solves the case so to say everyone is on edge is understating it.

Overall the book was interesting, although the pacing is definitely a slow burn and as you know you’re waiting for the entire book for the big reveal it can make things feel like they are dragging on at times.

I definitely felt sorry for the main characters, this one event effectively shaped the rest of their lives, unable to move on either from grief, loss or being constantly reminded or accused of having involvement.

The ended definitely gave answers although I feel like it could have given a little more than it did, it felt like some things were maybe missing or not quite wrapped up in a satisfying way.

I’d recommend giving it a go if you enjoy podcast style books / true crime etc

Thank you for the gifted copy!

Publish date 📆 June 24th

This book was really slow paced and I had a hard time keeping my attention on it. I feel like there was a lot going on and not enough going on at the same time. I almost didn’t finish but the ending was good. 🫠

This was compelling enough that I read most of it in a day wanting to find out what happened, but boring enough that I listened at 2x to get through it.

I liked the premise, with the subjects of a true crime documentary in limbo waiting for the big reveal in the last episode. I was as obsessed with Serial as everyone else in 2014, and I remember the frenzy as we waited for the final episode. We've problematised the genre a lot since then, but until reading this I'd never actually thought about what that very particular window must be like for the people actually involved.

The writing isn't bad overall, but I was increasingly annoyed by the telling-not-showing: we repeatedly get variations on "he shook his head, indicating no" or "she shrugged, showing that she didn't know" as if I might not know what those gestures mean?

We have a similar problem with the part of the narrative set in the past. I think that presenting it through the lens of the true crime show could have been really effective, but I don't feel like it was executed well here. It's presented as a TV show re-enactment/dramatisation, but we get the interior thoughts of the various characters, which couldn't possibly be portrayed like that in the format. We're told exactly what most of the characters are feeling and thinking, which would have been a bit much in a straightforward narrative, but really took me out of being able to believe that we're somehow being shown this on TV.

As for the impact of the big final episode reveal, the evidence for the original conviction and the evidence uncovered by the show both felt too weak to be definitive. This could also have ended a chapter or two sooner. A sudden uptick in the action after everything seemed resolved didn't work for me here.

This wasn't an unpleasant reading experience - just not quite what I was hoping for.