Atmospheric and haunting, "The Only One Left" by Riley Sager is a great Gothic-style suspense novel that would be a perfect summer read. Although a little predictable, it was compelling enough that you don't want to put it down.

After coming away disappointed in Riley's thriller from last summer, The House Across the Lake, I am happy to report that I felt redemption from The Only One Left! The deception within the final half of the story was laid out well and I was bamboozled by how everything tied together. None the wiser readers like myself will walk away with whiplash from The Only One Left, but in a good and fulfilling way. With lots of characters involved, this story could of gone in many different ways, but I enjoyed how each character had a specific use to bring us to the overall ending. Nothing felt over the top, which has been the case in the past few Sager thrillers.

There's something about Riley's original thrillers from back in the day that I love still more than this one. However, I'm happy to be rating this one in the higher direction than I had been with his last couple of thrillers. I think this will be a great choice for people looking for a fun back and forth whodunnit this summer and for summers to come!

I've found that Riley Sager's book are kind of hit or miss for me. I'm not sure why, to be honest. But I really, really liked The Only One left! While I guessed one of the big twists early on in the book, there were still more that left me with my mouth hanging open! Watching Kit try to restart her life the only way she can was hard, especially with her father being so closed off after the death of her mother. When she begins working at Hope's End for Lenora, her life just gets weirder and weirder. All the people who still work for Lenora behave oddly or don't want to talk about the elephant in the room--the fact that Lenora was accused of murdering her mother, father, and sister, Virginia. This book had a creepy, gothic quality to it, and I really loved the nod to Lizzie Borden, which is a story I am still fascinated with to this day. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to see what Sager comes up with next!

Gothic thriller. Old mansion on a cliff where a murderess has lived. Secrets fucking galore. Say no more. Dual POV's in 1929 and later in the 80's. I ate this up. I didn't care for his last book; although entertaining, it was rather forgettable and eh-inducing. But THIS, had me feeling like I couldn't read fast enough. Ya girl finished this feeling satisfied 😌

The Only One Left by Riley Sager
RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
SPICE: 0️⃣
REVIEW:
How was this my FIRST Riley Sager book? I honestly have no idea. BUT I can tell you with great confidence that it absolutely will not be my last book by Sager.

As one of this summers most anticipated releases, I needed to read it😅 the bookstagram peer pressure gets to you😂

I truly enjoyed this book so much. The more I read, the more I thought I knew. Then things took a little twist here and a big turn there and, suddenly, everything I thought I knew was wrong. Again and again.

I love a good mystery/thriller that keeps me on my toes. This 100% did. If you loved Verity, you’ll love this book too.

At seventeen Lenora Hope
Hung her sister with a rope.
Stabbed her father with a knife
Took her mothers happy life.
“It wasn’t me” Lenora said
But she’s the only one not dead.

But did she really do it? And why?
Read to find out the answers to these questions and so many more you’ll have throughout the book.

You won’t be disappointed.

Creepy, atmospheric and giving all the gothic vibes, The Only One Left by Riley Sager has the perfect Maine coast setting. An eerie children’s rhyme tells a story but those little ditties rarely tell the whole truth.

A cast of characters, all a bit sketchy, within Hope’s End, the mansion, just adds to the sense of unease with their possible duplicitous nature, which had my mind running all kinds of scenarios, most of which were way off. As usual.

Sager weaves a complex tale of secrets, lies and manipulation that climaxes in a bombshell plot twist that I loved.

My thanks to @DuttonBooks for this gifted copy.

Genre: Gothic Mystery Thriller
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️[4/5]
Review written by: J
Thank you NetGalley & Penguin Group for this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review

At seventeen, Lenora Hope
Hung her sister with a rope

Stabbed her father with a knife
Took her mother’s happy life

“It wasn’t me,” Lenora said
But she’s the only one not dead

Read if you like:
- Atmospheric thrillers
- Dual pov / dual timeline
- Book within a book concept
- Houses as characters
- Unpredictable twists

I love the way Sager writes, and he didn’t disappoint. I listened and read this book simultaneously. Listening to the character’s voices enhanced my reading experience and brought the book to life. Even though there were quite a few characters, it’s not hard to follow, even if you’re doing audio-only.

The gothic and atmospheric vibes were exhilarating, along with the details given about the mansion. This book is full of deception, unpredictable twists, and shady characters. The dual POV was beautifully written, and the book within a book concept was just perfect.

I LOVED the MC Kit. She is strong, down to earth, and stays true to herself no matter the situation.

Every time I had to stop reading, I was left wanting more, and my mind worked overtime thinking about multiple theories. As always, most of my ideas were wrong. I did, however, guess the final reveal. I would have been disappointed if it hadn’t happened, LOL.

My only issue with this book was that it went from 0-60 towards the end, and so many far-fetched twists got thrown into the mix. Even if you’re not a fan of improbable twists, try this book, keep an open mind, and enjoy this Mystery Thriller for what it is.

This might be my favorite Riley Sager book yet. P.S. I will never see a house on a cliff the same way again.

Kit McDeere works as a caregiver to the infamous Lenora Hope--the woman accused of murdering her family in 1929. Now 71 years old and living as a mute, paraplegic shut in, she decides to tell the truth about that fateful night. With Kit at her side, Lenora types her story on an antique typewriter, but as the mystery shrouding that night is unraveled, the ladies begin to experience unexplainable events.

THE ONLY ONE LEFT is Riley Sager's first attempt at writing a Gothic mystery, and I'd argue this is his best book yet. I devoured each page, from the spooky setting around a decrepit mansion to the eerie characters inhabiting Hope's End. Twisty, atmospheric, and unputdownable, THE ONLY ONE LEFT is the perfect starter novel for readers eager to dip their toes into Gothic fiction.

I liked it but didn't love it. It was definitely atmospheric and kept my attention throughout the book. There were multiple twists at the end!

Probably my favorite Riley Sager book so far! The right amount of suspense and thrill without the plot being convoluted. Will definitely be recommending!

*Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for the advanced reader digital copy of this book.

For starters, I was blown away by this novel. The premise of a Lizzie Borden-esque murder immediately caught my attention. Lenora Hope killed her whole family, or so the rhyme goes. She is confined to a wheelchair and needs a caregiver, enter Kit. Sager's novel is filled with intricately worked details that immerse the reader into the story. It is one of the most unique mystery thrillers I have ever read and I am still reeling. I have an extreme dislike for a mystery that I can figure out in the first half of the book, and while I was able to speculate I was never able to solidify my guesses until the end of the novel. I would definitely recommend this one for those who enjoy psychological thrillers and mysteries.

“At seventeen, Lenora Hope
Hung her sister with a rope
Stabbed her father with a knife
Took her mothers happy life
“But it wasn’t me” Lenora said
But she’s the only one not dead”

This gothic thriller was SO eerie and had me on the edge of my seat the entire time! I loved the creepy atmospheric setting of the dilapidated cliff side manner of Hope’s End and all of the characters.

There were SO MANY plot twists along the way as Kit, the caregiver hired to take care of Lenora, learns more about what really happened the night that Lenora’s family was murdered in 1929. Lots of twists and turns that left me audibly gasping!

If you’re a thriller fan, you have got to pick this one up!! 10/10 recommend!👍🏼

Hope’s End may be one of my favorite settings. I felt the wrongness of the house and how everything could crash at anytime. I appreciate how the author paid attention to the details and atmosphere. It was everything I like about a thriller and I will definitely be encouraging others to read it. Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This Sager novel keeps you guessing until the very end. Set in the 80s, the house where the story takes place takes on a fascinating role of it's own. Recommended for Sager fans, but will also serve as a gateway book to get readers into the Sager repertoire.

This book was one of my favourite's by Riley Sager. Sager is really good at giving the suspense while adding spooky elements, which really makes you wonder where the story is going to go. I truly did not expect the twists, and I thought this book so well done not only in terms of suspense and thrills, but the with the storylines and characters.

A very twisty thriller - I like thrillers and are usually willing to suspend reality and common sense to a certain degree. But this one had me rolling my eyes as plot twists piled up!
Entertaining? Absolutely, but a bit over the top for me.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review this ARC.

In the grand scheme of Riley Sager novels, this one is probably higher in rating than his previous installments. There was a good classic mystery, with just a touch of paranormal, and of course about eight different twists throughout the book. The final, final twist felt deeply excessive to me, but what do I know? Some people may find his “…but then!” style of writing to be interesting, but for me it reads a little desperate and too much of an after thought. I liked Kit, I thought she was a good main character if a little Mary sue. Most of the characters, particularly those in the mansion, felt relatively fleshed out. It’s not a major win, but it’s nothing as bad as Last Time I Lied.

I'm a huge Riley Sager fan, so I wanted to read this book before I even knew what it was about. His last novel, The House Across The Lake, was a bit disappointing (especially as a fan) in that I found it a little over the top and the characters a bit cliche. The Only One Left was completely different, and I loved it! In this story, we follow an at-home caregiver, Kit, who takes on the job of caring for alleged murderer Lenora Hope. Lenora wants to tell Kit what really happened that night, but she can only communicate via typewriter. As she tells her story, even more surprises unfold, and Kit has to figure out if she believes Lenora's story or not. This novel had so many twists and turns that I did not see coming and kept me wanting to read more after each chapter. I read it over one weekend because I couldn't wait to read the ending! The only reason I gave this four stars instead of five is because the ending was a little too neat for me, but otherwise, this was fantastic!

At 29, Alix Maza read The Only One Left
and thought it was fine.
The latest Sager wasn't great or outstanding
but still a read that's entertaining!

Of course I had to start my review with a poem, I am who I am and yes that person is extra AF.

A Sager book will always have me enthralled. This is a classic example of saying "just one more chapter" then reading 100 pages. His writing is so simple yet so complex.

The chapters were short, but they weren't just cut- like the way the ended left you needing to know more, but also left you satisfied.

The setting felt so very gothic. A crumbling mansion right on the ME coast with a grand staircase with a ballroom, a strained family, secrets upon secrets and portraits shrouded in black? So very gothic. And guess what? There weren't any woods to stay out of (IYKYK).

I'm a big believer in repeated exposure twist prediction. Which is a psychological phenomenon that I just made up. I'm sure there are already studies and scholarly articles about this so if you see any please send me the link.

Repeated exposure twist prediction (RETP) is the theory that the more books you read of by a particular author, the more you understand the way they think and write therefore you predict the plot twist.

That was a long winded way of saying that I saw the twist coming from the first quarter of the book. And if you're familiar with Sager's books, I think you will too. So if you're expecting a jaw dropping twist, this book does not have it.

But if you're looking for a well written, mysterious, gothic, summer thriller- you've found it.

Book mashups: Verity, Lizzie Borden, care giving and REPT.

I thought that I’d sworn off Riley Sager after disappointment in The House Across the Lake but I’m very easily influenced and saw a lot of good reviews popping up for this one and I’m real glad I gave him another shot. I was hooked right into this one and it left me guessing and intrigued the whole time. There did seem like a lot of characters to keep track of, but it all came together in a way that was surprising in the end. Thank you @NetGalley and @prhaudio for the advanced copy of The Last One Left, I enjoyed diving back into Riley Sager’s twisted mysteries with this one! #prhaudiopartner