I feel like Riley Sager has gotten his formula down. His horror/thrillers are great for summer recommendations. A solid purchase for libraries.

Riley Sager's latest thriller, The Only One Left, definitely outshines some of the author's earlier works. It's packed with twists and turns, and while some of them were a bit predictable, the sheer number kept me on my toes, and I was frequently second-guessing myself.

The story was engaging and suspenseful, but I couldn't shake the feeling that many plot points felt too familiar to other popular novels I've read in the past few years. Sager's writing style and pacing were on point, though, making it easy to get sucked into the story. The characters felt developed and the chilling house created a perfect backdrop for the suspenseful plot. It's clear that Sager has a talent for crafting atmospheric locations.

Overall, 4/5 stars. It's a solid thriller that fans of Sager's previous works will definitely appreciate. If you're looking for a suspenseful, super twisty read that'll keep you hooked, this one is worth checking out. Just keep in mind that it might feel a bit familiar if you're well-versed in the genre.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. This book was Sager at his best! I was gripped from the beginning until the end. There were so many great twists with perfect red herrings mixed with the most subtle of clues that you didn't catch until the end when things became clear.

The main character, Kit McDeere, finds herself in a precarious situation in her life and ends up at Hope's End as a caretaker for the town's most infamous alleged criminal, Lenora Hope. Lenora was the sole survivor of a brutal massacre at her family's mansion when she was seventeen. The town's children use her as a local boogeyman and playground taunt-
"At seventeen, Lenora Hope
Hung her sister with a rope
Stabbed her father with a knife"

Kit, out of options, takes the job, and becomes consumed with trying to understand what really happened that fateful night.

I love Sager's writing and his formula. I didn't love his last book too much, but this one redeemed him for me. His ability to keep me turning the page, while also extending the tension with details mixed in at the height of suspense moments is astounding.

Besides the eccentric mix of characters, Hope's End was the perfect setting for the ominous mood set throughout the story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found myself savoring the story and reading it slowly because I didn't want it to be over. I've been a fan since "Final Girls," and will continue to be a fan.

This was the absolute best book by Riley sager! He is a master storyteller! Suspense, twists and turns and all the feels! This is my favorite by him!

This was my first Riley Sager and definitely not my last. I loved this! There were parts that I found slow moving and maybe unnecessary until I got to the 3rd act and started to put together all of the little details about people at and around Hope’s End. I guessed some of the things that happened but not the people that did them/things happened too. I wanted a bit more but I guess I’m always going to want to read more of a good story.

This ARC was provided for free by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

#TheOnlyOneLeft #NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-Arc copy of this novel. Excellent thriller!

The Only One Left is a fast paced thriller with elements of ghosts and supernatural events that add to an atmosphere of dread. The twists and turns are unexpected yet work within the story. Each chapter leaves the reader with the need to keep on reading. Highly recommend.

Set in 1983, the story centers around a home health aide, Kit McDeere, who just got a new assignment after being suspended from her company after one of her patients died in unforeseen circumstances. Kit’s company gave her one more chance, and her new job was to take care of Lenora Hope, who was accused of murdering her entire family. Lenora Hope is confined to a wheelchair and cannot talk and has been living at Hope’s Ends her whole life. Kit soon realizes that nothing at Hope’s End appears as it seems, and she is starting to fear for her life.

I am an avid reader of Riley Sager, and The Only One Lying is my new favorite book by him and his best work by far. The book blew my mind even after being on a huge thriller kick. Sager really stepped up his writing for this book. The premise was insane and was filled with twist after twist. I loved the scary and gothic feel of the cliffside mansion and the mind-blowing twists. The last part of the book was a wild ride, and it sealed everything for me. I was utterly shocked! As I am writing this, I am still reeling myself in from finishing this book and still processing how good the story was. Highly recommended read!

Thank you to NetGallery and to Penguin Group Dutton for giving me a copy of the book.

Absolutely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys horror, Riley Sager, or interested in the horror genre. I love Sager's writing so much. The Only One Left is a perfect gothic horror with incredible characters, and I could not put it down.

Riley doesn’t miss! This is another excellent gothic thriller with a twist. Twists! The setting, atmosphere, characters, and action are all top notch. This will be a hit for returning Riley Sager fans and new readers alike.

Kit McDeere is a caregiver trying to rehabilitate her reputation after being accused of euthanizing her mom. She is given one more chance by her boss and sent to care for Lenora Hope, an elderly woman accused of killing her whole family. Lenora quickly draws Kit into her story, declaring her innocence and wanting Kit to believe her side of the story. The more Kit learns the more she doubts Lenora and herself and soon finds that she is in danger herself. Some twists and red herrings will keep the reader turning pages.

The Only One Left is a unique thriller that moved slowly at first but towards the end it had a lot of twists and turns. Only because she's out of options, Kit takes a job as a caretaker for the infamous Lenora Hope. Everyone says Lenora brutally killed her family. No one has seen her leave her house and Kit soon finds out that she's unable to speak or move anything besides one arm. Throughout the book, Kit is trying to get answers from Lenora. Did she really kill her family? Why? But the longer she stays at the house, the more confusing everything gets.

There's a "locked room" feel to the book even though only one character is really unable to leave. All of the characters make good suspects and have interesting relationships with Lenora. I thought I had at least a little of the ending figured out, but turns out I didn't at all. I'll be recommending this to every thriller/mystery fan!

The Only One Left is one of Sager’s best works. Staying away from the supernatural or overly cliché plot lines served this story very well. The twists kept coming and had me guessing what was going to happen the entire time. An enjoyable read.

This wasn't bad by any means, but I just never LOVED it. I think it's a book made to be read in a ripped up paperback while you're camping or something like that. Reading it in a sunny apartment in April just doesn't really work because it doesn't build the atmosphere enough.

Riley Sager writes thrillers with a paranormal angle better than anyone. This is his 7th book and I have loved every one.
Kit is back at work after an extended leave that started when a police investigations was opened against her when she lost a patient. Kit works as a full time caregiver, and now that she's back, there's only one client that her boss will assign her to. Lenora Hope. The woman that was accused of murdering her entire family in the 1920s. Lenora is now in her seventies and has suffered a stroke. She can only communicate by typing on a typewriter. Soon she agrees to tell Kit the truth of what happened that night.
This was so fantastically creepy. I loved all the twists and never saw the end coming.

Riley Sager always packs a powerful punch and The Only One Left is no exception.

A house on the water that is falling apart. A woman accused of a murder as a young woman who is now wheelchair bound and in need of a caretaker. Haunting and the search for lies in the truth kept me reading way past bedtime

Kit is forced to take a job as a caregiver to local rich suspected murderess Lenora Hope after she herself is accused of assisting her mother with suicide. Lenora has been a bedridden invalid for years. Her last nurse left under mysterious circumstances. The mansion is on a decaying cliff and is tilted towards the edge.- a disaster waiting to happen. The staff is creepy. The ghost of Virginia, Lenora’s sister , may be hanging about…or perhaps Lenora isn’t as disabled as she seems. Kit must figure out did Lenora really kill her parents as it becomes clear that the next victim could be Kit herself.
It’s a page turner!
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC

I will read absolutely anything Riley Sager writes, and based on the cover alone, I was very excited to read The Only One Left. If there's a creepy, dilapidated house— I'm in.

Kit McDeere is a home-health aide and her newest patient Lenora Hope has a terrifying backstory. 50 years ago, the Hope family murders occurred at a cliffside mansion where Lenora still resides. Even though most people think that Lenora was responsible for the murders, she was never convicted because the police simply did not have enough proof.

Now in her 70s, Lenora is mute and confined to a wheelchair. As her new aide, Kit is weary at first, but quickly forms a connection with Lenora despite her grisly past. Lenora begins to communicate with Kit via a typewriter, and tells her that she wants to confess everything that really happened the night of the Hope family murders.

I read this very quickly, anxious to hear Lenora's story and find out what really happened the night of those murders. While I was very invested in this story, I failed to feel connected to the characters and I didn't find any of them particularly likeable. While this isn't always necessary for thrillers, it would have made me up my rating a bit. Now let's talk twists— the ending is chock full of them. Be prepared to get your fill of "Huh??" and "Wait, what?". Many of these twists got me, but in the end I felt like there was just to many to make it even sort of believable. But overall, I still enjoyed this and Sager still keeps his title of one of my favorite thriller authors.

Thank you to Dutton and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Riley Sager is a master at keeping the reader guessing, and this novel is a brilliant example of misdirection. Set in a crumbling mansion atop a cliff overlooking the Maine coast, it's the scene of three grisly murders from the 1920's with a lone survivor- Lenora Hope, who most people believe murdered her father, mother, and sister one dark and stormy night. Flash forward 50 years to the 1980's, Lenora is now a bed bound invalid unable to speak or move anything other than her left hand, in need of constant care. After her previous nurse leaves unexpectedly, Kit McDeere is sent by the nursing company as a replacement. Kit has her own personal baggage to contend with, but soon comes to form an uneasy bond with Lenora, not least is the tantalizing possibility of knowing what really happened the night of the murders. Peopled with an interesting cast of characters, this book kept me guessing until the very end!

I would recommend this book to fans of mystery, gothic novels, and horror. There are some graphic scenes that may affect more sensitive readers, but overall the book is very readable. Definitely an engrossing summer beach read!

Wow. What else can I say but, wow. This is my second novel by Riley Sager and I am blown away. The characters, the atmosphere, the plot - it was all perfect. Truly, this kept me guessing until the literal last page. I will be thinking about this book, and recommending this book, for a very long time!