Emma Carpenter is not a happy camper. She was raised by an alcoholic mother and, for many years, could not forge normal relationships. As an adult, she made terrible mistakes that cost her everything she valued. Now she is house-sitting in a remote location with her golden retriever as company. Soon, she will have the added burden of matching wits with a homicidal maniac.

Let's give Taylor Adams, author of "The Last Word," the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps this is not meant to be a straightforward tale about a lunatic who targets a lonely female victim. In fact, the heroine herself mocks some of the corny plot devices that Adams employs in this novel. It is conceivable that, in spite of all the blood that is spilled, this is supposed to be a satirical take on the outlandish tropes that make certain far-fetched thrillers more silly than scary.

Whatever Adams' intentions were, this story begins intriguingly. We feel bad for Emma, who is so wracked by guilt that she eats very little and rarely speaks to another human being. However, when for pages on end she matches wits with a sadistic predator, the story becomes increasingly repetitious and absurd. Another irksome issue is the withholding of key information in order to spring bizarre surprises on us later on. Be warned that "The Last Word" has numerous disturbing scenes involving psychopathic behavior, animal cruelty, asphyxiation, dismemberment, and suicidal ideation. Adams wraps up this macabre work of fiction with a conclusion that had me shaking my head in disbelief.

Oh my goodness! If I thought I couldn't put down No Exit, that was nothing compared to The Last Word. Something about Taylor's writing style just will not let go. I was reading at work, in the kitchen, in the car. I could not put it down until I read every word.

The Last Word is the first book that I've read by Taylor Adams and unfortunately it was a miss for me. I never fully connected with the characters or the story and at times I struggled to push through to the end.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for this insane thriller! I LOVED the fast pace of " No Exit", and Taylor Adams newest novel did not disappoint. This story follows a young woman who is living in isolation at a beach house, with her only companion being her dog and her neighbor who she communicates with via white board and telescope. She finds solace in reading mysteries and thrillers, and one day after reading a particularly terrible book, she leaves a 1 star review much to the authors dismay. When she refuses to take it down, terrifying things start occurring at her house, and we wonder is it all in her head or are things really what they appear? I devoured this thriller, and found myself checking to make sure my alarms were set after finishing. I cannot wait to read the next fast paced thriller from this insanely talented author.

Can you even imagine how many times Taylor Adams must have cackled to himself while writing The Last Word knowing reviewers might be scared off from ever writing a negative review again? THE AUDACITY.
In all honesty this one was just fine for me, and felt longer and more drawn out than it should have been. The premise, though, is obviously top notch.

Interesting:
Depressed woman gives a bad review about a book and the author tries to stalk and kill her for his new book...

However - I feel the same as the depressed woman about this book.

This was not one of the best works of Taylor Adams, I expected a lot better.

Am I afraid, that Taylor Adams is going to find me and murders me ?
Absolutely not !

After all, I am not living by the STRAND - which means BEACH - IN GERMAN !
Not sure, if "Beach" is also called "Strand" in the Irish language - like the author claims...

Anyways - I did not like the book, just too brutal for me, while on the other hand it bored me to death.

TLDR; Psychological whiplash 😵‍💫 Also, THE DOG IS OKAY GUYS!!!

⚠️ TW: homicide, violence (very graphic), attempted animal cruelty, suicide, child death —> DM me for more detailed info!

Okay so Adams’ last book - Hairpin Bridge - was a complete and total miss for me. I think I rated it like two stars? Maybe one?! Anyways, I forgive him for wasting my time with that book because this one was a creative masterpiece! …And because I don’t want anyone coming after me for that prior review, lol!

Very, very creative plot. Surprised no one has thought of something like this before. It’s about Emma, who is an avid reader and is going through some family trauma stuff so she prefers to be a recluse out on the Washington coast (my current home state!) She unplugs from the outside world just about fully except for her prized e-reader, a burner phone, and her trusty dog, Laika, who is also lovingly known as “Space Dog.” Emma ends up reading an amateur serial killer horror story from the internet at the joking recommendation of her elderly alcoholic neighbor and it’s so bad, she leaves it a scathing one star review with some colorful language to describe how much she didn’t like it. The author responds… and things start to get real weird from there. A japanese katana and calamari are involved.

This book gave me psychological whiplash from all of the INSANE plot twists 😵‍💫 I’ve had to double check all my doors were locked and a katana wielding killer with a fedora wasn’t behind my shower curtain for DAYS now. It was highly bingeable and I read just about all of it in one single day, which is quite abnormal for me. It definitely is more horror-y and depicts very violent graphic scenes and attempted hurting of the dog (who I promise is okay in the end!) I did think it was a litttttle long and by the end wanted it to just go ahead and wrap up without more conflicts. Overall, 4/5 ⭐️s.

I enjoyed this one enough to also snag a Book of the Month copy for my shelves!

Thank you to William Morrow, the author and NetGalley for the e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is my new favorite from Taylor Adams. Non stop twists and turns! I felt physical dread while reading this. It reminded me of how I felt watching the movie The Strangers. I even had to stop reading before bed because it was freaking me out! Atmospheric, nuanced, clever, and downright scary is how I'd describe The Last Word. Be sure to add this to your list if you're a fan of action packed thrill rides!

I binged this book in a solid 8 hours - no joke.
I’ve been in a weird slump and this book pulled me right out of it. I couldn’t put this one down, constant twists and just when you thought you knew what was going on; YOU DIDNT. This is my first Taylor Adams novel but i’ll be happy to jump into another one asap.
This book will certainly make you think twice before leaving a bad review on a writers work.

This book gripped me from the beginning, then I got a little lost in all of the violence in the middle, but it sucked me back in at the end! There was a lot of violence, but I absolutely loved the twists and turns this book threw at me. The way everything was wrapped up at the end was perfection. Chef’s kiss.

Wow! What a unique book! I am not sure how to review it. It is a book within a book told by several unreliable narrators. Sometimes I wasn't sure who was talking but I caught on quickly. The setting, on the stormy tip of Strand Beach, where all the homes are closed for the winter except for the one Emma is housesitting and the one next to it, is suitably eerie. Emma is alone with her dog Laika in this huge house with huge glass walls. She communicates with the neighbor by playing Hangman on a board in their windows which they view through telescopes. She reads a really terrible gory mystery, that incorporates all the usual tropes of a horror story. She leaves a one star review, and the author threatens her if she doesn't take it down. The tension and suspense ramp up throughout the book. I wasn't sure exactly what was going on but I knew something bad was going to happen. The same tropes found in the terrible book Emma read were employed in this book. Twists were thrown in throughout the book, things didn't happen that I was sure would, and things happen that I definitely didn't see coming. Just when I thought I had reached the end, the book continued. The characters developed slowly throughout the book until we really knew them. I read this book in one sitting, finishing it in the wee hours of the morning. I loved it!! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of one of the best thrillers I have read this year. I am glad to leave this honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read The Last Word as an ARC. I really enjoy Taylor Adams books. I do know now that I’ve read two of them that there’s a twist coming, but what I like about his writing is I can’t figure out the twist- he really does keep me guessing until the end! This story is about Quinn who has suffered loss in her life. You’ll find out more details as you read. She has chosen to housesit in a very isolated area on the shoreline in Washington state. One day when she finishes a book, she leaves a book review of one star about how terrible this horror book is. Little does she know that that review will come back to haunt her and terrify her. Taylor Adams writes books that keep you guessing until the end, keep you on the edge of your seat, and keep you reading way past your bedtime. So don’t start his books if you need to get to bed at any reasonable hour. I really enjoyed reading this book and will be reading more of his books!

Received a free digital copy from NetGalley.

I love Taylor Adams! I was so excited to receive a copy of her new book.

Emma Carpenter, isolates herself with her dog, Laika, in beach house in Washington state. Her only companion besides her dog, is a distant neighbor who she communicates with via a dry erase board and telescope. Emma reads thriller, murder, type books on her kindle. Her neighbor recommends a book to read. After Emma reads it, giving it a one start review, all hell breaks loose.

Emma Carpenter was relatable. At times, I like to retreat away the rest of the world and work through any grief, or other issues. We think we see things and wonder if we are going crazy or if what we are saying is reality. I love to read and sometimes don't like to be disturbed. I also was drawn in for her love for her dog. Who doesn't love the pet and want them to live forever?

The storyline was easy to follow, suspenseful, and I couldn't put it down trying to figure out how it was going to go down.It had twists, turns, and surprised. I also loved the fact that Emma tried to problem solve and surpass what actors/readers would do in the movies/books and learn from their choices for a chance at survival.

Although Emma was the main narrator, I love that we other narrators and you have to figure out which is the real story of how things started and ended. Who is the reliable and most trustyworthy narrator.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was suspenseful with just the right amount of scary. This book might make people rethink what they post online….

I was a big fan of No Exit, so I was interested to see what Taylor Adams had up next. I was gripped by this book. Emma is house sitting in an isolated Washington beach town. After leaving a bad review for a book, she starts to think the author has tracked her down and is messing with her. You think you know whats happening, but you have no idea. And thats what I love about Adams, his writing is twisty, and I'm a fan. And just a PSA, the dog is fine. Thanks to Netgallly for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

If there was ever a Taylor Adams book that I knew I needed to own, it is his latest The Last Word which has just taken the top spot in my favorites away from No Exit. While this definitely has disturbing content and basically nonstop action, it also has a lot of lighter and humorous moments, which was just what I needed to make this the perfect read. I really dislike animal abuse/cruelty in my books and while what happens here wasn't gratuitous, it was still tough to read. Luckily there wasn't TOO much of it and things could have been much worse for poor Laika. There were quite a few twists and turns, and I was surprised by almost every single one of them, PLUS I loved the format Adams decided to use to tell the story. This was an especially great concept for audio, and that is where I'm going next in my review.

Carlotta Brentan & Jim Meskimen narrate the audiobook and I am not lying when I say this is going to rank up there with one of my very favorite audiobooks ever. It was exceptionally well done in both style and quality, and I loved both Brentan AND Meskimen. I couldn't have chosen better people myself, and they helped make The Last Word an extra special experience. I LOVED the ending so much and for me, it was absolutely perfect. Really there are a lot of things that were absolutely perfect, including Emma's quick wit. I feel like this makes you think twice about giving a random author a 1-star review and I appreciated Adams' tongue-in-cheek approach to this topic. I have no idea what anyone else will think but I think that The Last Word was a nonstop ride that was entirely satisfying and clever. I never know what to expect from this author, but I am always ALWAYS here for it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Release April 25 2023

I am nearly speechless at how powerfully THE LAST WORD blew me away. Literally from Page One I was intensely engrossed. Definitely a premise which is relatable! Although I am certain most online reviewers don't suffer to this extent (thankfully), I know that in the Internet-verse which brings us together, it also enables hatred and rage and unfair, unfounded, criticism. It also allows users to publicly (albeit "anonymously") "hate" books and/or authors, and authors to respond with criticism. It happens!

Emma Carpenter is one incredible woman. If author Taylor Adams had not taken especial care to present her as a three-dimensional, flawed, sometimes failing and flailing, individual, she might have been unbelievable. But she is very human, very understandable, and it's simple easy to root for her to survive, to persevere, and to succeed.

What Taylor Adams does with his other characters is likewise incredible (even the few tertiary characters are super well-delineated). There wasn't a moment of this novel that I "looked away" from the story: I was completely absorbed. I must read all his other novels, and I highly recommend THE LAST WORD, which will compel any reader to think multiple times before hitting "Send" on an online review!

Obsessed with this book. This was so good I loved all the twists! I couldn’t put this one down. I really didn’t like hairpin bridge but this one was excellent.

This book had my anxiety on a level 10 the whole time! I absolutely loved it!! I was completely immersed in the story and there were so many times when I was afraid to read ahead!! It’s so creepy, atmospheric, heart pounding, and addictive! It’s non stop action and twist after twist.

The Last Word is another hit for Taylor Adams! Once I finished this book, I felt like a huge adrenaline rush was over - it was exhilarating. The suspense from the start to finish was right up my alley. Four of five strong stars!