Last One Alive is a page-turning, thrilling murder mystery with a great creepy, witchy atmosphere. After her friend Marianne passes away, Penelope decides to go on the trip that Marianne had been planning to Stone Point, where rumours of a witch have circulated for over a century. Once the team of researchers arrives, team members start dwindling, and the purpose of the trip quickly turns from research to staying alive.

Some interesting characters are introduced in this thriller and the plot is certainly interesting. I really enjoyed the historical tidbits about mining in BC. A solid thriller for anyone who likes an Agatha Christie-style book or Lucy Foley.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was just ok. I do read a lot of thrillers so maybe I am too picky with this genre now. I think some people will enjoy it

Thank you Amber Cowie for this beautiful signed copy of your latest novel

I’ve got to say that this is my favourite of Cowie’s yet! It’s fast paced, intriguing, dark and thrilling! I loved the twists and I couldn’t stop reading - I finished this one in a little less than 24 hours. Seriously guys, I loved Rapid Falls, but Last One Alive is a MUST READ! This one is honestly so so addicting so I 100% recommend!

This was a quick, popcorn style thriller. I enjoyed the local setting and the lore. However, I did eventually figure out who the perpetrator was! Either way it was still an enjoyable, nail biting read.

As a thriller lover I had this book on my list since I saw it shared through CBC Books. Needless to say I was not expecting what I read. This was a trip. I do read a lot of thrillers but this one had me reading it in the daylight.

Essentially Amber has created a world where a group of researchers find themselves at Stone Point, a remote costal outcropping in the Pacific Northwest, exploring a myth of a witch. But the longer they stay the numbers mysteriously start to dwindle….

The isolated, eerie setting is what made this book for me. Through description Amber really helped the reader to immerse themselves in the story. There is a lot of action, a lot of who done it, a lot of secrets and an intense ending.

If you are a thriller lover I totally encourage you to pick this up!

Thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada and Netgalley for an early reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This thriller had me guessing until the very end. When a group of people begin to die one by one, is it the witches? Is it someone else on the island? I couldn't figure it out and all my guesses were always wrong.
Such a good book and I can't wait to read more by amber!

This was a creepy read! Penelope and her boyfriend organize a research trip to a isolated island to research her next book. It is rumoured to be the home of the spirit of a witch and many mysterious deaths and disappearances are connected to it. This one I definitely had to read with the lights on, lots of moving parts in the first part and the last part. I did find some of the middle to be a little repetitive but you do have the mystery of trying to figure out who might be behind it all to keep you interested. If you like Ruth Ware or locked room type mystery reads with a little paranormal lore behind it, this one might be for you!

The premise of Amber Cowie's new book, Last One Alive, hooked me right away.

What's it about? From the publisher: "A team of researchers exploring the myth of a witch find their numbers mysteriously dwindling in this irresistible psychological thriller for fans of Ruth Ware, Shari Lapena, and Lucy Foley."

I love 'locked room' mysteries. In this case, it's ten people on the site of an historic crime. And yes, one by one they die. But here's the thing that kept me guessing 'til the final pages. Is it the curse of the witch? Is there really something to the legends? Or is one of the ten turning on their fellow researchers?

Penelope is the organizer of the trip. While she has a good reason for the trip and says and does all the right things, I didn't like her. Or any of the ten for that matter. There's something 'off' with each and every one of them. Which only serves to have more suspects!

The setting descriptions easily conjured up a detailed picture in my mind. The isolation, the forest, the rocky beach, the old outbuildings and more all add to the unsettled feeling of the endeavor.

But what I enjoyed the most was trying to solve the whodunit - keeping track of who was where at a certain time, who was together, what was overheard, what was found. (I always wanted to be Nancy Drew.)

I did find some chapters ended quite abruptly and I would have to flip back to make sure I hadn't missed something.

Cowie's book is well written, not easy to suss out and kept me interested right through to the final pages.

An intriguing thriller , Penelope’s best friend passes away while writing a manuscript and leaving last wishes to bring a group of people together on a deserted resort know for stories of a stone witch who killed the past owners. The story was a bit slow in the beginning but picked up as I read. I had a few ideas for the ending and was able to get most right. I gave the book 4 stars for those reasons .

I received a free advanced copy from NetGalley and all opinions are my own.

I would recommend this book to friends and my book club

A very similar creepy and thrilling novel to One by One by Ruth Ware or And then there were none by Agatha Christie.

I did quite enjoy the twist on the story, as Penelope was looking for a story for her next novel. I am finding this type of novel to be very popular as of late, so an interesting twist on the story is very important.

I definitely found the book to be interesting and well written, so even though the story was familiar, it was still worth a read! I will definitely be checking out more from this author as it comes out.

Well-done thriller set on a creepy isolated island. A small group sets out to investigate the violent history of the island (allegedly haunted by a witch) as one of them wants to write a book about its past. But almost as soon as they arrive, one by one, members of the group start dying and there is no way off the island. Eerie setting which is very well described, which really serves to embed the reader within the story. Fast-paced with lots of action, secrets that come to light, and a tense, satisfying ending. There have been lots of these locked room types of thrillers and this one stands out due to its solid execution.

Thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada and Netgalley for an early reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this fast-paced, unpredictable thriller. Its author, Canadian writer Amber Cowie, evokes a powerful, vivid sense of place. A diverse group of intriguing characters travel to a remote peninsula extending into the sea off the coast of BC. The atmosphere is strong and immersive, with torrential rainfall, chill and mud, forests, dangerous cliffs, and underground tunnels. The location can be reached only by boat.

Penelope Berkowitz needs inspiration for a follow-up to her bestselling novel. Her publisher is growing impatient. She is without an idea for a second book and is distraught over the death of her best friend, Marianne, who encouraged and supported her while writing her first novel. Penelope finds a list of 10 contacts Marianne intended to invite on a weekend escape.

When Penelope learns that the getaway was to be held at a vacant, isolated lodge in an area where a young woman regarded as a witch and killer lived a century before and is said to haunt the region still. Further history indicated that the young couple who built the retreat hoping to attract guests by its eerie folklore mysteriously disappeared. This history gives Penelope the inspiration needed to research her next novel.

Penelope and her new boyfriend, a doctor, travel to the lodge by boat and will join the characters on Marianne's list for a weekend of organized hikes, good food, and relaxation. The group members all have secrets and their own reasons to attend. Not everyone is what they seem to be.

Penelope and her boyfriend were inept organizers. Penelope is a flawed protagonist. She hoped to influence cohesiveness in the group under her leadership. From the beginning, she exhibits a whole gamut of emotions, few of them positive. As the story unfolds, there is frequent and growing mention of her trembling, lack of confidence, and feeling sick to her stomach. Her pessimism and suspicions grow as the trip goes very wrong. The book would have worked better for me had there been a stronger protagonist. There were some surprising twists and turns, but a few plot holes and dead ends needed further elaboration.

Frightening and eerie events begin to occur. There is a hostile atmosphere. In a macabre series of events, one by one, the guests start to disappear or die. Are the deaths accidental, a coincidence, or the result of murder? Is witchcraft involved, is some unknown person hiding in the woods and targeting them, or is a member of the group a killer? What could be the motivation? With each death, the survivor's only hope is to escape the area. The phones needed to contact a boat for an early rescue are missing, the lodge is wrecked in a violent storm and thrown into darkness. The survivors' predicament becomes very intense and frightening. Will any escape alive?

Recommend to those who enjoy scary adventure thrillers of this type, where group members meet disaster. There is much suspicion, and each group member is blamed at various times. Why are they being targeted? Will rescue come before they all die? A story of revenge, folklore, and possible redemption.

This was a super chilling & eerie read. It was a roller coaster ride of a cat & mouse adventure.

I’m a really big Ruth Ware fan so when I seen that Amber Cowie’s style was comparable, I was super excited!

I loved the rich description of details throughout the book. The details made me really appreciate the plot. Especially of the characters! I really enjoyed reading about them.

I would totally recommend this book to anyone who loves a haunting, page- turning thriller that will keep you up reading all night & I can’t wait to read more by this author!