Theresa Chamberlain is the sole survivor of an absolutely horrific ordeal five years ago. She is determined to get her life back and decides to spend a month alone at the same beach house where she almost died. She hears footsteps, feels like she's being watched and has an overall sense of utter creepiness from the moment of her arrival.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters are all written in such a way that no one, even Theresa (who changed her name to Tessa) seems overly reliable. The police chief is a condescending jerk always calling Tessa "little lady" and other things that diminishes her feelings. The twist isn't as shocking as it was probably intended to be, simply because I felt like clues were left if you paid attention and read between the lines.

Overall, the creepy atmosphere and general sense of "WHY would you do this to yourself, Tessa?!" makes the story move. The chapters are short and it helps keep the suspense and engagement up.

This is a nervewracking story filled with a sense of suspense and almost continuous tension.

Tessa is the sole survivor of a beach house massacre on Cassadaga Island  off coastal Maine, where three of her friends were killed 5 years ago.

Unable to cope with the continuous sense of fear and trauma that this experience has left her with, Tessa feels compelled to take the (perhaps ill advised?) step of returning to the scene of the crime in the hope of purging herself of the feelings that the aftermath of the tragedy has left her with.

But arriving on the island after the summer tourists have left, she discovers that a series of peculiar incidents begins to take place - including a sense of being surveilled, and strange noises from other parts of the building she is staying in.

The question is, is it all in her imagination or does she actually have reason to fear that this time around, she may not leave the island alive?

This is an absorbing story, and successfully holds the reader's attention. There are plenty of unexpected elements which makes it hard to guess what is actually going on. Definitely worth considering for thriller lovers.

This was a very tense and dark read for me that definitely made me feel nervous at points. I enjoyed the feeling of not knowing what was going to happen next.

I read the John Decker monster hunter series by Anthony M. Strong but haven't read any of the books co-written by Stong and Sargent so I was excited to read this. Tessa is the only girl that survived a murderous rampage at this beach house on an island in Maine 5 years ago. Her life has been a struggle since then and she decides she finally needs to do something about it so she is going back to the island to rent the exact house where the nightmare happened. It's off-season and not much happening on the island this time of year. Will she finally be able to put it behind her? Will her questions be answered.? Will she meet anyone on the island? You will find out why she almost has to go and what happens to her. Crazy things start happening and she isn't sure if it's real or in her head. I don't do spoilers and I will just say expect anything, is anyone safe in these authors books? I really had no idea who was doing anything or who to trust. I read on my kindle and normally read about 15 to 20% a day but I could not put the book down and read the last 60% last night. A great book and I will definitely read more of the books written by this couple.

This book caught me hook, line, and sinker. From the opening chapter to the end, it had me guessing and completely enthralled. Tessa survives a horrific attack that kills 3 of her friends and has to live with the major PTSD each day. To make some money and try to jumpstart her healing journey, she returned to the scene of the crime. The Last Girl Left has all of my favorite ingredients for a "can't put it down" thriller. Thanks NetGalley and the publishing house for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Girl Left releases April 23, 2024

The Last Girl Left feels familiar. The books that come to mind are 'When She Returned' by Lucinda Berry and The Inmate by Frieda McFadden.

I think, when I am back in the mood for psychological thrillers, this will be a book I'll pick up again. As a mood reader, this book took a lot to keep me engrossed. I definitely think my thriller readers will like this one. I just felt it took a little too long to get to the 'point' and the point was a bit dull.

The Last Girl Left takes you on a suspenseful journey through the life of Tessa Chamberlain, the only survivor of a horrific mass murder. I do feel this novel is well-written with tension-filled scenes and eerie ambiance, but some aspects feel predictable and lack originality. The setting is atmospheric, and the character development is compelling, but the lack of surprising plot twists hampers the overall experience.

A solid 3-star book, in my opinion.

I would describe this book as a thriller with some horror mixed in. Tessa is the lone survivor of a mass murder that killed her three best friends, They were in college on a spring break trip. After the death of her friends,Tessa is extremely traumatized and lives with her sister unable to hold down a job or leave the house. She finally decided that she wants to go back to the crime scene and gets a book deal along with it. While back at the house, she keeps getting spooked and meets some interesting people in town. I found this book was long for the amount of action that it had. I also did not like most of the characters

A great suspense read. It felt like someone was watching me from inside the book. I did think that the ending was a little abrupt, but it was overall a good book.

This was a very unique and unexpected story! It definitely held my interest until the end but i feel it was just a little too long, especially in the middle, and was bogged down with Tessa’s “thoughts”. But definitely a really good read that I would recommend. Thank you netgalley for letting me give an honest review of this book.

Tessa has returned to the island off the coast of Maine where three of her friends were murdered. She’s come back during the cold, dark days of winter to try face the fears she’s been trying to outrun for five years. But with the freezing winds and empty desolate island, she begins to wonder if she would have been better off leaving the past buried. Better the past then Tessa herself

This engaging story invites readers in, skillfully introducing a sense of doubt around each character, including the main protagonist, whose sanity is left uncertain. The unexpected twist, though not easily foreseen, adds complexity, prompting reflection after finishing the book. While the conclusion may raise questions about the main character's established history, the overall experience is quite pleasant.

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
The Last Girl Left releases April 23, 2024

2.5

Tessa is the lone survivor of a mass murder that left three of her friends dead while they were vacationing on Cassadaga Island.
Five years later with no progress made through therapy, Tessa has decided to face her trauma head on by returning to the place where she was almost killed.
When her sister refuses to fund Tessa’s month long trip, she reaches out to a publishing house and offers them the exclusive rights to her story with the stipulation that the first draft must be completed while staying at the beach house where the murders happened.

Will Tessa be able to overcome her fears long enough to recount her experience in great detail while learning how to write a novel for the first time? Or will the remote setting paired with her paranoia and frightening memories of that fateful night get the best of her?

If you’re looking for your next serial killer thriller, this might be the book for you. However, I personally felt that it was a little too long in comparison to how little actually happened.
Nothing particularly shocked me, and there wasn't enough focus on her inner healing/closure or writing process.

cw: mentions of past rape

This is the perfect book to read in the spring. I loved the setting. It was damp and all consuming. Definitely felt unsettled while I was reading this.

This was quite haunting and disturbing!!!
Almost like a horror that will keep you haunting and all your guesses might come true but will come with a cost of not just a simple who dunnit.

As always I am not going to write anything about the blurb or the plot in my review when it comes to thrillers. I will just say there’s a traumatised character who survived a mass murder and is haunted by the killer all her life.

The writing is quite interesting and I would say there’s not a boring moment. The chapters are short and the characters stand out. I would say the plot twist would not make your jaw drop but expect very nasty twists and scenes. The ending is good!

Damn. I had quite a fun time reading this one. Perfect for picking up during travel, vacations and weekends.

Thank you, Thomas & Mercer, for the advance reading copy.