The Only One Left by Riley Sager is a Gothic thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end. The novel is set in a decaying mansion on the Maine coast, and tells the story of Kit, a young woman who takes a job caring for an elderly woman named Lenora Hope.

Lenora is accused of murdering her family decades ago, but was never convicted. As Kit gets to know Lenora, she begins to question whether or not she is really innocent. The mansion is also haunted by strange noises and apparitions, and Kit begins to fear for her life.

Sager does a masterful job of creating a sense of suspense and atmosphere in The Only One Left. The mansion is a perfect setting for a Gothic thriller, and it is clear that Sager has done his research on the genre. The characters are also well-developed and believable, and Kit is a sympathetic and relatable protagonist.

The novel is full of twists and turns, and Sager keeps the reader guessing until the very end. Even when you think you have figured out what is going on, there is always another twist to come. The ending is particularly satisfying, and it ties up all of the loose ends.

Overall, The Only One Left is an excellent thriller that I highly recommend to fans of the genre. It is well-written, suspenseful, and full of twists and turns. If you are looking for a book that will keep you guessing until the very end, then this is the book for you.

Here are some specific things that I liked about the novel:

The setting is atmospheric and perfect for a Gothic thriller.
The characters are well-developed and believable.
The plot is full of twists and turns, and the ending is satisfying.
The novel explores themes of guilt, innocence, and the power of secrets in a thought-provoking way.

This wasn’t as bad as his most recent books, but this also wasn’t awesome. Super repetitive and not super shocking.

Great thrilled. I love an isolated book where you feel like you’re right there with the characters! Riley Sager is def an auto read for sure!

Content warning: abuse of power by a male to get sex, stabbing, murder, overdosing, drug abuse, talks of characters committing off-page suicide, teenage pregnancy

This might be my favorite Sager book yet. When the major plot twists were revealed with 2 hours left in the book I knew it couldn't possibly be done yet so I was prepared for more shocking reveals even if I had some suspicions of where the plot was going.

Hope’s End was the perfect setting that added just the right amount of foreboding atmosphere to go with Sager's story. I appreciate that readers are given parts of the Hope family story (via typewriter) somewhat before Kit learns the details (or figures them out herself)... but readers are kept enough in the dark to allow the tension to build.

I thought that how all the players connect were well done (even if some of them were easy to spot), overall this was an enjoyable thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. The ending was satisfying too.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, PENGUIN GROUP Dutton, and Dutton in exchange for an honest review.

That ending!! The setting with the mansion on the cliff and the family murder story that is so reminiscent of the Lizzy Borden murders was fantastic. But that ending had my head spinning in all the best ways. Super creative and fun.

Damn... this book was wild.
It starts off when Kit McDere, disgraced home caregiver, takes a job at the Hope's End mansion caring for Lenora Hope.
Kit is suspected of aiding her mother in ending her own life, as she was suffering from a debilitating illness. Lenore is the last remaining family member after he parents and sister were brutally murdered decades before and needs constant care - and Lenore is Kit's only chance at employment after her own's accusations.

When Kit arrives, she is curious about the decrepit mansion, the mystery surrounding the murders and ... she finds out so much more than she bargained for.

It starts off a little slow... but by the end the twists and turns are crazy! Excellent!

An incredibly fun and fast-paced read, as can be expected from Sager. The Hope family lore is a lot of eerie fun.

Riley Sager never disappoints, definitely and an instant read with anything published.
Great spooky book for the season!

The Only One Left has us following Kit as she's coming off of a leave of absence as a caretaker after her mother's untimely death while under Kit's care. She get's an assignment taking care of Lenora, who was suspected of killing her family many years ago and now needs constant care because she is unable to do anything but move one of her hands. While Kit's taking care of Lenora she finds herself trying to solve the years old mystery and it starts to seem like things are happening that make her wonder how safe the old mansion is that they're living in. This suspense and mystery of this story builds as things start to come to light as Kit digs deeper and digs in to the past. Another winner from Riley Sager.

This book is full of secrets, rumors, and deception. With dual timelines it's incredibly suspenseful and spooky, with fascinating characters. The creepy mansion and the overall dark, suspenseful gothic vibe draw you in immediately. Not one character in this story was one you could trust. Everyone was shady. I recommend this novel! #TheOnlyOneLeft

🏡 BOOK / REVIEW 🏡

OKKKK. Finally, a book by #rileysager that I loved!! His writing has been hit or miss for me, so I prepared myself to hate #theonlyoneleft, but I ended up LOVING it.

Thank you, @prhaudio and @duttonbooks, for my #gifted #audiobook - I thought this was done brilliantly 👏.

💭 My thoughts:

-This is a fun read for fall. While it isn't super "spooky," there was a ton of mystery that made this book bingeable. There are a TON of twists that keep you on the edge of your seat!

-Everything falls apart in this book, including the house. I absolutely loved how atmospheric and chilling Hope's End turned out to be. You can’t help but be transported in time!

-The characters are puzzling - in the best way possible. The family endured a LOT and Sager does a wonderful job of tying up SO MANY LOOSE ENDS. And while this was a #thriller, this book ended on a happy note!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Riley Sager is a perennial favorite, it seems. For fans of mysterious family history, family drama, twists and turns, The Only One Left was intriguing and propulsive but overall didn't leave a lasting impression. Definitely worth reading for those with the very particular taste, though.

Bravo! This was amazing. It didn't let up from the first page to the last. Just when I thought I had figured it out, there would be another twist. Excellent work!

This is only the second Riley Sager book I've read with the first being Final Girls which I really didn't enjoy very much. This one though, was really fun!

The atmosphere was moody, gothic, and unsettling. Perfect story for the fall time! The crumbling cliffside mansion hovers over the edge of the Atlantic with haunting descriptions of the seaside home, its cracking walls, slanting floors, shadows, and mysterious noises in the night.

The story is told between our main character, Kit, in the present and the typewritten account of the Hope family's incident. The tension mounts as the past and present collide in this decaying old mansion perched high on the cliff. I enjoyed the sense of unease and frequently pondered the motivations of several of the characters. There are many plot twists in this and I enjoyed the journey even though I was able to predict some things about halfway in. Full of secrets and deception, this book is a crazy ride!

This thriller left me guessing until the very last page. Riley Sager continues to write intriguing page turners, I am always exciting for the next novel.

So, I am definitely a fan of Riley Sager and was sad that I didn't care for The House Across the Lake but woo-eee what a ride The Only One Left was! Starting with the creeptastic rhyme "At 17 Lenora Hope hung her sister with a rope, stabbed her father with a knife, ended her mother's happy life". In the 1920's the Hope's were a very rich new money family until it all came crashing down with the murder of 3 of 4 members of the family. Everyone has always suspected the lone survivor Lenora Hope of doing the dastardly deed but could never prove it. Now years later, after a scandal of her own, Kit McDeere takes on the job of caretaker to the infamous Lenora in the now crumbling estate. After a series of strokes that left her mute and paralyzed, Lenora indicates to Kit she is ready to reveal all by typing out her story with her one good working hand on an old typewriter. Will the truth finally be revealed or are there those out there that still want it buried after all these years. This book had the perfect amount of everything-suspense, twists, old manor creepiness, love triangles and a very unexpected ending. Got a little confused as the book was concluding-I mean what in the ? was happening??? But it was ultimately satisfying and surprising. I think this one is up there with Final Girls for me.

“‘If I were you, I wouldn’t spend too much time typing with Miss Hope,’ he says. ‘The past is in the past. It doe no one any good to start digging it up.’”

Wow. I think I can honestly say I’ve never read a book with this many shocking twists and turns. In fact, once I hit the halfway point, it felt like every chapter had a mind-boggling reveal that had my eyes widening and my breath catching. Riley Sager truly outdid himself this time, and while I was able to predict some of the outcomes, I doubt anyone on Earth could’ve known everything that was going to go down at Hope’s End.

Summary:
Kit McDeere is a caretaker. After six months of unpaid leave due to an incident involving her previous patient, Kit is given a second chance by her employer to start working again. However there’s a catch: her patient would be the infamous Lenora Hope, who allegedly killed her entire family fifty years ago when she was only 17.

Unable to earn any money elsewhere, Kit begrudgingly takes the job, afraid of Lenora, but also recognizing what it means to be a falsely accused young woman. As she settles into the creepy, run down, former mansion of Hope’s End, Kit begins to realize there’s more to the story. After all, the previous nurse disappeared in the middle of the night with no warning, Mrs. Baker—the home runner—has incredibly strict rules when it comes to interacting with Lenora, and to top it off, Kit has started to hear strange noises coming from Lenora’s room at night, which shouldn’t be possible, considering Lenora is paralyzed.

When Lenora indicates to Kit that she will reveal her whole story through the use of a typewriter, Kit is intrigued. Curious beyond belief, and desperate to stop feeling afraid, Kit agrees, helping Lenora type letter by letter. But as the pages accrue, things seem to make less sense than ever. Suddenly, Kit finds herself in a web of secrets that no one seems to want untangled, including Lenora herself. Will Kit be able to figure out what happened that fateful night in 1929, or will she be buried under the weight of Hope’s End’s secrets?

Thoughts:
I am truly impressed by Riley Sager. The Only One Left was not only well-written, but well-timed, with reveals coming at the perfect moment to keep readers hooked and a plot just convoluted enough to keep me intrigued rather than confused. The cast of characters at Hope’s End added even more mystery to the story, including the mansion itself, leaning more and more precariously over the cliff with each night, willing itself not to collapse into the sea.

This is only my second Riley Sager, but after The Only One Left, consider me a fan! I audibly gasped multiple times throughout this book, and was unable to predict every reveal, which is a win for a mystery lover like myself.

Fans of Verity by Colleen Hoover, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, and The Woman in the Window by AJ Finn will love The Only One Left by Riley Sager.

4.5/5 stars.

If Riley Sager writes it, I will consume it. I loved this new book. It was much slower starting than I would have liked and not the best book in his catalogue however I love how different this one was. Each of his books feel like they take a chilling tale that you think you know and then turns them on you into twists. I really liked this one and will be recommending it

I’m a huge Riley Sager fan but this book was not a favorite of mine. I really enjoyed the first 75% of this book but felt like it hit a lull for the last third. The big plot twist just wasn’t very satisfying for me at all. I still recommend reading this if you’re a huge Sager fan, but do not recommend if this is your first experience with this author. Sager has much better books.

Riley Sager's "The Only One Left" delivers a unique premise that drew me in from the start. The concept of being a caregiver to a potential murderer is utterly gripping, especially considering the inherent empathy required in such a role.

This book, my introduction to Sager's work, offered a robust atmosphere that was a standout feature. It carried me through some of the slower parts, which did affect the pacing a bit. At times, I found myself impatiently wanting to push the story forward, and wishing the reveals had come a few chapters earlier for a more engaging experience.

The main character's unlikeable nature persisted throughout the narrative, leaving me without a strong emotional connection to her. This detachment somewhat dampened the impact of certain revelations. While she did possess a thread of personality crucial to the plot, it felt like the sole point of interest in an otherwise bland character. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the insights into the history of the house and its residents.

Lenora, on the other hand, was a surprisingly well-developed character with a compelling backstory. The major plot points related to her character, much like the rest of the story, suffered from delayed reveals that, in my opinion, could have been more impactful with earlier disclosure.

Despite these quibbles, I did find enjoyment in the book and am now eager to explore more of Sager's works. "The Only One Left" weaves a chilling narrative of secrets and suspicion, offering a haunting tale that kept me engaged from beginning to end.