I think this is my new favorite Sager book! I love that we can always expect a little paranormal vibes with each book but I think this one was done so well!

Riley Sager is the king of a setting up an eerie vibe. This was no different- spooky mansion, frozen in time, the place of a horrific murder, perched on the edge of a cliff that is is slowly falling apart threatening to plummet into the water below! Enter a home health aide who is running of a past of her own. Kit is sent to be the home health aide for Lenora Hope who if there is any truth to the dark nursery rhyme, hung her sister with a rope. Stabbed her father with a knife, and took her mothers happy life. Although never convicted she is the only one left, and now she wants to tell her story to Kit.

With twist after twist I couldn’t stop! Thank you so to Dutton books, Riley Sager, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Kit arrives at Hope’s End to care for its notorious resident, Lenora Hope. Lenora was accused of killing her family as a teen. Now she’s elderly and has secrets for Kit to unravel.

Riley Sager is often hit or miss for me. I’m sorry to say this one was a miss. The one thing it has going for it; it’s certainly not boring. There’s a lot going on but it was too unrealistic and exaggerated for me.

“The thing I remember the most - the thing I still have nightmares about - is when it was all but over.”

The Only One Left comes out 6/20.

It took me a little longer than usual to get into Riley Sagers newest novel but about 1/3 of the way through I started getting really invested. I really loved the atmosphere of the old house and how it was tilted the way it was. The ending was fabulous with multiple twists and a very satisfactory conclusion!

Might change to 4.5?! Honestly I’m confused at some of the initial iffy reviews on this one because I wildly enjoyed this!!

It was engaging from start to finish, had more than one mystery to solve, and had pleeeeenty of twists 🌪️

Was some of it unbelievable? Well of course! But it didn’t take away anything for me! I highly recommend!

I was wary going in because Sager’s last books have been iffy, and the pacing felt a little slow to start. I enjoyed the creepy mansion on a cliff setting, and by the end the twists and reveals were wild and kept me engaged. It may have all been a little too outlandish, but it kind of worked for me..

The book gives a bit of “The Last Great American Dynasty” Taylor Swift vibes if that sells it!

Oh I had high hopes. It started off strong. I loved the creepy factor. I just wasn’t shocked even though there are a few twists.

Thanks for my arc in exchange for my honest review.

Publish date: June 20, 2023

This is Riley Sager at his best, in my opinion -- haunting, deliciously spooky, and filled with all-but-unpredictable plot twists -- and when you do get an inkling of what is about to be revealed, it immediately evokes that "holy-sh&t-I-knew-it!" squeal of delight (even though you did not, in fact, know it but it makes you feel good to say so). Absolutely loved it!

The Only One Left by Riley Sager is one of his best books yet. The book takes place in both 1929 and the 1980's. Hope Ends is the mansion built by wealthy "new" money Winston Hope on top of the sea cliffs with beautiful ocean views.. When his family is murdered and only Lenora, his oldest daughter is left alive it makes her the only one that could have done it. When Lenora is found by the police she is covered in blood. Her parents have been stabbed to death and her sister is found in the ballroom hanging from a rope. 50 years later, Kit is assigned to work as a live in caregiver for Lenora Hope. Once a picturesque mansion, it is run down and the cliff it sits upon is slowly eroading by the sea. Though Kit is afraid of Lenora she needs the money and to be away from her father. The more time she spends with Lenora she realizes that she may have not been the killer all those years ago. The previous caregiver Mary, has up and left in the middle of the night a week before Kit started to work at Hope End's. Now it is up to Kit to solve the crime of the century and what really happened to Mary. This book has so many twists and turns it will keep you up til the wee hours of the morning just so you can finish it. (I was up until 1 am finishing this one).

Rife with potential, yet falls a bit short. Like with every other Sager book, I went in with high hopes, and this initially has plenty going for it: an intriguing decades-old mystery, a potentially felonious protagonist, an ominous setting, and revelations from the past doled out amidst the unfolding present-day events that had me constantly second-guessing my theories and the characters' intentions. Unfortunately, the pace is much slower than I'd prefer and requires a lot of patience until the developments start picking up late in the story. Although I expected plot twists, there are so many near the end that result in the tale feeling incredibly convoluted. At the very least, it's a step up from Sager's previous offering, but this feels like faint praise.

If you are a fan of amalgamations of movies artfully written into a suspenseful book, look no further. Misery meets Lizzie Borden meets Whatever Happened to Baby Jane are all components of this mysterious and thrilling book. Set upon the riptides and currents of New England, the reader will descend into the mystery that is The Only One Left.

Holy cow I really freaking loved this. Devoured it in 24 hours. The characters are great, problematic yet lovable, and the plot twists were divine.

Lenora Hope was just a teen when she was accused of killing her whole family. Decades later, Kit is coming back from administrative leave as a caregiver. Her newest assignment is to live with and care for Lenora. Does Kit believe Lenora killed her whole family? As secrets emerge about Kit, Lenora, and the other workers at Hope Manor, the truth of what happened all those years ago has deadly consequences.

It should be said first that no matter what, if Riley Sager writes it, I'm going to read it. He is an auto buy author for me. This book did not disappoint! I don't want to say much about the plot because I truly think you should go in to this one blind. I wasn't in love with his last book, but this one sure made up for it. I loved the gothic feel of this and the story was well done. I liked the character of Kit because she was realistic. She questioned things but also took action. There were a few points I was screaming "OH COME ON" to her but such is life! I recommend this book I you like thrillers, quick paced books, and Riley Sager!

Overall, I give this one a 4/5 stars. My loss of one star was because the ending was a bit rushed for my liking, but thats a personal preference

In 1929, a teenage Lenora Hope was accused, but never convicted, of killing her parents and her sister. For decades, ever since polio left her unable to speak or move anything but her left hand, Lenora has remained in her family's Maine estate. In 1983, after a six-month suspension after a patient's death, Kit McDeere has no choice but to accept an assignment as Lenora's home health aide. When Lenora begins to type out her story to Kit, Kit suspects that the old lady might not be as harmless as she appears.

Riley Sager's thrillers are usually a summer staple for me, but The Only One Left was a struggle to read. The plot is mind-numbingly slow. Admittedly, it's hard to introduce drama when your prime suspect is a paralyzed old lady who can't talk. The first half of the book spends most of the time in Kit's head, looping on the same anxious thoughts. The book finally picks up near the end, adding in some unexpected twists, but it took way too much forced reading to get to that point.

Kit McDeere is starting a new assignment as a caregiver. If she had a choice, she wouldn't choose to be a caregiver for a suspected family annihilator like Lenora Hope. Lenora is wheelchair-bound, unable to speak, and only has the use of her left hand. Although now elderly, when she was 17 her parents were stabbed to death and her sister hanged in the family's grand hilltop mansion Hope's End. Lenora was the only one home at the time and the only survivor, so who else could have committed the murders? The police were never able to prove she was the killer, so she's spent the rest of her life in the crumbling mansion with a small group of servants and a full-time live-in caregiver. The most recent one left abruptly, so Kit is offered the job. Kit herself has only recently come off a suspension from her job, suspected of negligence with a patient. Mrs. Baker, the housekeeper, has been with Lenora since starting as her governess. She doesn't seem bothered that Kit was under suspicion for her last job. Kit moves into the crumbling, slanting mansion and soon learns that Lenora's mind is sharp as ever, although trapped in a damaged body. When Kit realizes Lenora can communicate by typing, she encourages Lenora to tell her story. Will Kit finally get to the bottom of what really happened the night Lenora's family died?

I enjoyed the spooky house mystery with the requisite strange sounds and events. The story is set in the 1980s, so it is filled with cassette tapes, typewriters, and a Walkman. Kit's insistence on getting to the bottom of what happened to Lenora's family, right from the start, was a bit odd. Of course she would be curious, but she seemed to want to force Lenora to confess or explain, almost from day one. Still, it was an enjoyably creepy setting and story, with a satisfying epilogue.

This was my least favorite Riley Sager book and I've read his entire backlist.

There was very little character development and the plot moved really slowly. I was not very engaged through the first 70% or so. Then, when the twists started happening, they barely made any sense. Also, the twists were over the top and there was no foundation laid for them earlier in the book.

Nothing says summer like a new Riley Sager thriller for so I was excited to kick off my own summer reading with his latest. This one was pretty wild with some solid twists but things did feel a little unnecessarily complicated and convenient at times. Not a huge deal for me, I was super entertained but something to keep in mind if suspending disbelief is an issue for you. The setting of this one was so good, a creepy and crumbling old mansion set on a precarious cliff side?! Say less. For some reason when I started this I didn’t recall that it was set in the early eighties but when I realized it I was even more excited. Something about a creepy and sinister house in the past just worked for me. If you like solving long buried mysteries, fantastic settings and plenty of delicious twists this was fun!

I received a free ebook ARC from Penguin Group Dutton via NetGalley. Riley Sager stories move forward at a good pace. Set in the 1980’s this atmospheric story is set at a mansion on a cliffside. Down and out caregiver Kit is tasked with taking care of a mute, immobile senior who was said to have killed her whole family back in 1929.

There is an estate full of people Kit can’t trust. As Kit tries to get to the truth of 1929, more and more keeps piling onto the story, taking twists and turns a plenty. The last 25% of the book just got more and more convoluted. It was a bit confusing and the ending made me want to shake the book and throw it across the room. Generously 2.5 stars.

I find myself to be not much of a thriller lover, yet every time Riley Sager publishes a new book, I must read it. So I did with this one. I really liked the premise of this one, but things started to feel a little too familiar pretty quickly.
Creepy setting - ✅
Narrator with a suspicious past who is somewhat unreliable ✅
Handsome handyman who comes with the setting but is also possibly suspicious ✅

Ultimately the reveal and the ending didn’t have much to do with any of those things and honestly felt a little ridiculous.

Probably my least favorite Sager book so far.

Unsettling and atmospheric, Riley Sager's latest novel delivers a chilling Gothic tale that will haunt readers long after the final page. With a backdrop reminiscent of the infamous Lizzie Borden case, the story immerses us in a web of mystery and suspense, blending the past and present in a masterful way.

The narrative revolves around Kit McDeere, a young caregiver assigned to Lenora Hope, the woman accused of a horrific massacre decades earlier. The vivid imagery and rhythmic schoolyard chant that accompanies the introduction instantly grabbed my attention, setting the stage for an unsettling journey into the depths of the human psyche.

Hope's End, the cliffside mansion where the massacre occurred, becomes a character in itself, its decaying grandeur providing a gothic backdrop for the unfolding events. Sager's descriptive prowess transports readers to this eerie setting, where secrets are buried and the line between reality and illusion blurs.

As Kit begins her caregiving duties, the author masterfully builds tension by gradually unveiling the dark history of the Hope family. Lenora, confined to a wheelchair and rendered mute, communicates with Kit through an old typewriter, tapping out sentences that gradually expose the hidden truths surrounding the fateful night. The interplay between Kit and Lenora is captivating, with each revelation deepening the sense of unease and suspicion.

The brilliance of Sager's storytelling lies in the duality of Lenora's character. On one hand, she is a frail and seemingly harmless woman in need of care, but on the other hand, there is an undercurrent of danger and manipulation that lingers beneath the surface. The author skillfully weaves a web of uncertainty, leaving readers questioning Lenora's intentions and the extent of her involvement in the tragedy.

The intricate plot unfolds through Kit's perspective, as she becomes increasingly drawn into the twisted history of Hope's End. The author deftly incorporates elements of psychological suspense, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as they uncover the truth alongside the protagonist. The pacing is expertly controlled, with every chapter building upon the previous one, leading to a stunning climax that left me breathless.

Beyond the gripping plot, Sager excels at crafting complex and multidimensional characters. Kit's determination and vulnerability make her a relatable and compelling protagonist. The exploration of themes such as guilt, redemption, and the darkness that lies within us all adds a layer of depth to the narrative, elevating it from a mere thriller to a thought-provoking examination of the human condition.

With "The Only One Left," Riley Sager proves once again why he is a master of the suspense genre. This five-star book is a hauntingly addictive page-turner that will keep readers guessing until the very end. It is a must-read for fans of Gothic literature, psychological thrillers, and anyone who enjoys a skillfully crafted tale that lingers in the mind long after the final page is turned.

Thank you so much publisher and netgalley for an e-arc of this book to review. I really enjoyed this read and never anticipated the twists. I enjoyed this book until the very last page. This gave spooky haunted house vibes but also gave off some Verity vibes. Overall, this is one of my top favorite reads from this author. I love how he adapts his stories from some older films and the outlandish endings always get me. This book will have you on the edge of your seats. I definately recommend this read.