Riley Sager does a great thriller. This one has a spooky twist! It will definitely grab you right away?

I have a very interesting relationship with Riley Sager books. I never think they are amazing, but I always pick them up and have a good enough time reading them. This was the last Riley Sager book I will probably ever read, though.

The Only One Left is set in the 1980s and follows a young woman working as a caregiver. She is assigned to work in the mansion of a woman named Lenora Hope, a woman who everyone assumes killed her whole family.

I think this book is ableist. Lenora is in a wheelchair and does not move or talk, and the entire book we are supposed to be figuring out if she is faking her disability. IN 2023?! CONTEMPLATING IF A CHARACTER IS FAKING THEIR DISABILITY??! How did this make it through publication without this aspect being removed. I truly think without this - the book would have been the exact same suspense/plot wise. It was completely unnecessary and offensive.

Aside from the ableism, there were a lot of other issues with this one.

- It felt like there was zero intention regarding the book being set in the 80s, other than the fact that there weren't smartphones around. I could not even tell the book was supposed to be set in the 80s until I went back and read the synopsis. This felt very lazy. Setting is such an important part of any book in my opinion, and this just seemed careless and undeveloped.

- PLOT HOLESSSS. I can't even list them here but there was so much stuff that did not make sense at all.

I do have to give credit that the book was fast paced and thrilling, but obviously that does not make up for the ableism.

I am very disappointed in this and cannot recommend it.

*Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

"The Only One Left" by Riley Sager is a tense and gripping thriller that had me hooked from the very beginning. This novel is a captivating blend of suspense, mystery, and the chilling exploration of the human psyche.

Sager's writing style is immersive and atmospheric, creating a sense of unease that lingers throughout the story. The characters in the novel are complex and layered, each with their own secrets and motivations that contribute to the depth of the narrative.

At the heart of the narrative is a chilling mystery that unfolds in a way that keeps the reader guessing and engaged. The author skillfully builds tension and suspense, creating a narrative that is both unsettling and compulsively readable.

"The Only One Left" successfully balances the psychological aspects of the story with the emotional depth of the characters' experiences. The exploration of fear, paranoia, and the impact of past traumas adds complexity to the plot.

In conclusion, "The Only One Left" is a masterfully crafted thriller that delivers a roller-coaster of suspense and intrigue. If you're looking for a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat and guessing until the very end, this novel offers a chilling and satisfying narrative that will leave you captivated.

I have loved every Riley Sager book and this one holds up to the others. I'll admit, it was a tad bit slow at first, but I did love how the second half pulled everything together. Unexpected twists kept me reading late into the night. Hope to see another book from this author out next year!

I am a Riley Sager fan because his stories are often intricately plotted with well-develoved characters. and include a sprinkling of the supernatural! In this case. we learn of the Hope family's tragedy, which is vaguely reminiscent of the mystery
surrounding Lizzie Borden's family story-- intriguing to say the least!

Hope's End, a once impressive estate on a deteriorating & precarious cliff, is the perfect setting against which our protagonist races to learn how Lenora came to be The Only One Left in her family! You have to read until the very end for a twist vou might not see coming!

The Only One Left is good choice for those who liked The Sundown Motel by Simone St
James, The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware, or The Village by Camilla Sten.

Everyone believes that seventeen-year-old Lenora Hope was responsible for the deaths of her parents and her sister in 1929. Now, in 1983, Kit McDeere is sent to act as a caregiver to Lenora. Kit has to take the job after an incident at her last placement. Kit is a little uneasy about working for Lenora, since she’s suspected to be a murderer. However, Lenora is confined to a wheelchair without the ability to speak. She can only move her left hand. One night, Lenora gets Kit to bring her a typewriter. She tells Kit she will tell her everything about the infamous massacre. Kit is eager to find out, but as more details are revealed, Kit realizes she might be in more danger than she thought.

This was one of those books that I couldn’t put down. I needed to get to the end as quickly as I could to find out what happened. I don’t want to give anything away, so I’ll just say this was such a twisty thriller. There were a couple of things that I suspected throughout the story, but the ending literally made my jaw drop. It’s one of the best endings I’ve ever read!

The Only One Left is an intense and fast-paced thriller!

Thank you Dutton for providing a digital copy of this book!

Content warnings: death of parents, stabbing, attempted suicide

Thank you so much @DuttonBooks for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 20 June 2023)

SYNOPSIS | After a 6 month suspension, Kit is sent as a home health aide to care for Lenora. She lives in a historic mansion on an isolated crumbling cliff by the sea & was accused of killing her parents & sister in 1929. After a series of health issues she is confined to a wheelchair, but Kit suspects she is capable of more than she is letting on.

WHAT I LIKED:
- slow, creepy & unsettling gothic vibes
- perfectly bingeworthy mystery

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- the story got quite convoluted in parts
- I love an over-the-top ending but I just didn't vibe with this one
- I also wasn’t a fan of the reveal after reveal after reveal… it all started to lose its shock value for me

hank you NETGALLEY for connecting me with one of my favourite reads of 2023. This is an honest review *


My fave auto-buy author strikes again!! Sager has an incredible talent of creating such a vivid atmosphere in his books that it literally transports the reader into the book along with the characters.

This story is Haunting of Hill House meets Cluedo meets Lizzie Bennet. SAY NO MORE. This is perfect for any mystery fan, true crime addict and dare I say, even fantasy lovers looking to dip their does in the thriller genre.

I just can’t get over how much of a wild and entertaining ride this book was. Another incredible win for Riley Sager!!

This is my first Riley Sagar book and it won't be my last. This was a twisty and fun rollercoaster of a ride. I devoured this book. It had me on the edge of my seat and my jaw on the floor. I thought I had it figured out and then BAM no I did not. This was chaotic, and it gave me whiplash but in the best way! I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait to read more books by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Book Dutton for the E-ARC

All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.

Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

What a twisted, gothic story about a caregiver named Kit whose patient is the infamous Lenora Hope who supposedly murdered her whole family. While Lenora has suffered from many strokes and illnesses she types out her story and what really happened the night of her murders one letter at a time. With all of the twists and turns I could not put this book down. Thanks, Sager for another awesome read!

Maybe it's just time to admit I'm not a big Riley Sager fan. I always go in with the best intentions, but just find I am continuously more and more disappointed with each new release.
"The Only One Left" is not exempt from this trend. It should be interesting, though. The premise and setting are especially intriguing. However, the characters feel repetitive, as do the plotlines. Certain elements just feel completely nonsensical and the movement of the plot relies far too much on coincidence. It's just twist after twist that I was completely indifferent when we finally reached what was intended to be the "shocking" final reveal.
Overall, this one is fine — a solid 2.5 from me. I'm not sure if I'll return for Sager's next release.
Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Dutton for sharing this advance copy with me in exchange for my honest review.

* Thanks Netgalley for the free e-arc of this book.

This was my first Riley Sager book and WOW. I have never read a mystery/thriller that gave me literal chills! There were lots of revelations and plot twists that caught me off guard, making me not want to put this book down! I thought I knew how this story would end, but I never saw the ending coming!!

Definitely looking forward to reading another Riley Sager book in the future.

As soon as I saw Riley Sager had a new book, I requested without even reading the description! The Only One Left didn't disappoint. Kit is out of options and needs this caretaking job, but is put in a position where she's cut off from others in a crumbling mansion where nobody is what they seem. Suspenseful and surprising.

After becoming the subject of a scandal, caregiver Kit McDeere is desperate to hold onto her job. However, the only client that will take her is Lenora Hope -- a woman who may or may not have killed her entire family 54 years ago. When Kit arrives, Lenora is incapacitated, only having use of her left arm. But as time goes on, Kit learns the one thing Lenora CAN do is type. And she's finally ready to reveal the real truth about what actually went down that fateful night 54 years ago.

Thank you NetGalley for the e-ARC. I'm a huge fan of Riley Sager's writing. Every single book is a page turner. And The Only One Left was no exception. The final reveal was a little batshit bananas tiny-townish, but the ride was so fun and the characters were so interesting, I didn't care. As far as Riley's books go, this is one of my favorites. He does a great job capturing atmosphere, and this one was especially disorienting (ie. The entire house stands at a tilt due to it's placement on a cliff. Only heightening each characters fear that they may be going insane -- genius!)

Can't wait for Riley's next book!

Excellent novel with some great characters and a captivating story. I felt intense vertigo when reading some of the scenes involving Hope’s End. Such vivid descriptions and intensely gripping dialogue.
I was rooting for Kit to succeed. Without giving away any details, I was satisfied with the ending. Look forward to reading more by this author.

4/5 Stars

Wow. Now this feels like OG Riley Sager with so many twists and turns you might need a “The Only One Left- Ending Explained” video.

I know Thais has been compared a lot to a fictional Lizzie Bordón novel but despite having one of our characters be the sole survivor of a family massacre I didn’t feel like the real life crime played any role in the writing of the plot.

I loved the back and forth between perspectives and I will say at times if felt like a dark Victorian version of clue (which I was strangely here for). The characters were very well developed and the twists weren’t so twisted they couldn’t be guessed but weren’t so obvious they’d be easily done so (aka the perfect amount).

Besides having me pulling out my hair to know EXACTLY what happened all those years ago, the plot was well paced and satisfying.

Excellent read that I would recommend for anyone who loves a good whodunit!

Thank you to Netgalley and Riley Sager for the advanced read of “The Only One Left” in exchange for an honest review!

Riley Sager knows how to turn suspenseful tropes on their head. This mystery takes place in an eerie, old cliff house in Maine that is slowly sinking into the sea. Old secrets, compelling characters, and twists and turns make this a great summer page turner!

At seventeen, Lenora Hope
Hung her sister with a rope

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

Riley Sager does it again with The Only One left! This atmospheric gothic mystery is perfect for those who like thrillers with clever twist and turns and unreliable (or are they?!) narrators.

Reminiscent of real life murder suspect, Lizzie Bordon, Only One Left takes us to Hope's End where Lenora Hope's entire family have been killed and she is the only one left on the crumbling estate that is literally falling into the sea. Becoming a recluse, Lenora is now an older women needing round the clock care and in need of a new caregiver. Her last caregiver disappeared in the middle of the night under mysterious circumstances leading our main character, Kit, to take over her role. But Kit has her own accusations following her to Hope's End. Will the two connect over being wrongly accused or do we have two murderers?

Readers will devour this novel as they try to figure out who killed the Hope family and what exactly happened so long ago. Can our narrator Kit be trusted?

Highly recommend and will suggest to all our patrons looking for a creepy thriller. Riley Sager is a must read!

My first Riley Sager book and I can’t wait to read more of his books. I’m always a bit nervous going into thrillers, so many are predictable and feel the same. But I wanted go try a Sager book and saw the buzz this one was getting. If you haven’t, I definitely recommend picking this book up! It’s a twisty, dark, atmospheric book about a caregiver who is down on her luck, and forced into caring for an elderly community member who had been rumoured to have killed her entire family. You can’t help but love the characters and the setting is delicious!

This is my favorite Riley Sager so far. I really enjoyed the story, writting and all the twists. The last twist in the story really had me surprised. It was just perfect, loved that it was set in the 80s and will be re-reading this fall.