A flood in a small Quebec town reveals the body of a child. The remains are very old and unable to be identified but everyone has no question who they belong to. A 9-year-old Michelle had disappeared nearly 40 years ago and everyone is eager to find out what happened to her. Stephanie grew up in this town and is now runs a podcast about the goings on in their small town. Stephanie decides to come back to get to the bottom of Michelle's disappearance once and for all. The secrets she uncovers are shocking.

Nina Laurin delivers a masterclass in psychological suspense with The Last Thing She Saw, a dark and intricately layered thriller that keeps readers teetering on the edge of their seats. From the outset, Laurin draws you into a world of secrets and deception, making you believe you have a grasp on the unfolding events—only to shatter those assumptions with unexpected twists.

The story is infused with an escalating sense of dread, each chapter revealing new complexities that deepen the mystery. Laurin’s prose is taut and evocative, creating an atmosphere of unease that intensifies as the narrative progresses. Her ability to maintain this tension while gradually peeling back layers of the plot is a testament to her skill as a storyteller.

One of the novel’s strongest elements is its pacing. The story builds steadily, with a palpable darkness that grows more oppressive as the truth inches closer to the surface. When the climax arrives, it feels like a tightly wound coil finally snapping—an explosive culmination that is both shocking and satisfying.

Laurin’s characters are well-crafted, each with their own secrets and motivations that add depth to the story. The protagonist’s journey is particularly compelling, as she navigates a labyrinth of danger and uncertainty, forcing readers to question who can truly be trusted.

Overall, The Last Thing She Saw is a gripping and twisted tale that lingers long after the final page. Nina Laurin expertly weaves a narrative filled with suspense, surprise, and psychological depth, making this a must-read for fans of dark and complex thrillers.

Having grown up in a similar Northern town where residents are born there, die there, know everyone's business, gossip, and drink too much, I can relate and understand the feeling of wanting to leave, but also wanting to stay. Steph escaped the small town life to go to college and later make a living as a podcaster. She returns home after losing her job, and starts to investigate the disappearance of a young girl 40 years ago. Steph and her alcoholic mother have a rocky relationship, but all they have is each other. Her ex boyfriend is now married to her former best friend. All Steph wants to do is get back on her feet and get out of there! As she gets one step closer to finding the truth about the missing child, there are stories of witches and devil worship afoot. She continues to find the truth, and ultimately has to decide what to do with it.

This is my second book by this author! Both were so good. This one to me started off slow but I could not put it down!

I love a small town thriller and this fits the bill! Stephanie is trying to find a killer but has to figure out all the small town secrets along the way. The main character isn’t necessarily likeable or reliable and that was fun! There were some unanswered questions and felt rushed at the end but it’s got a good theme and good twist!

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the arc of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

This book started out pretty slow for me. Stephanie returns to Marly as a last resort once she is fired from her publishing job in the big city. She moves into her mother's run down trailer and things are immediately pretty tense between her mother Laura and herself, to say the least. Stephanie runs into her ex Luc, who she hasn't she hasn't seen in years and has since married her ex best friend Cath. Luc is a part of the "it" family in Marly, with his cousin Tony and father Frank the cop still residing there.

Things start to get interesting when the body of a small child is found the the wall of a house after the house was flooded. Two years prior to the start of this book, Stephanie had returned to Marly to work on her podcast that focused on the disappearance of Michelle Fortier, a nine year old from Marly. Immediately, Stephanie believes the body found must be Marly and makes it her personal mission to uncover the truth. Laura is very apprehensive about Stephanie's podcast and her mediocre detective work, which sets off alarm bells for the me. Is she truly an awful person or did she kill Michelle? Also, why is she so damn hateful towards her own daughter?

The remainder of this book is a journey to find out who killed Michelle, as it flashes back to Laura as a teen who babysat Michelle the night she went missing. With the help of Luc and ultimately Laura, Stephanie gets her answers. But with the answer comes near death experiences and facing some hard truths of their own. Some people close to the case aren't as clean as they appear, and Michelle herself had very unsettling behavior prior to disappearing.

Once the book gets going, this was a quick read. The book is well written, and I enjoyed the flashbacks that explained Laura's past. In regards to individual characters, both Laura and Stephanie had a decent character arc, making their characters more likable at the end. Tony was misunderstood his entire life, and it is pretty sad the things he endured considering his probable diagnosis. Frank and Luc ultimately got what they deserved, an arrest and a divorce. Michelle got a proper burial after almost 40 years.

3.5 ⭐ Thanks to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for my ARC.

This was a quick read for me. I enjoyed the dual timelines and how the mother and daughters stories tied together. It kept my interest and even though it wasn't the thriller I expected it to be, I still enjoyed the read.

Book Review 📚🔎
The Last Thing She Saw by Nina Laurin

An untriumphant return to a childhood small town ✅
An unsolved murder ✅
A podcast to go along with it ✅

The Last Thing She Saw has all the elements needed for a satisfying thriller. Buckle up for a ride that will give you more questions before you get answers. While our heroine can sometimes be immature or juvenile with her outlook, it lends to a genuine and relatable struggle one may experience when faced with family and the past. It added an element to this story!

This psychological thriller unfolds through two alternating timelines from the perspectives of a mother and daughter, set in a small, unremarkable town in Quebec. I enjoyed the suspenseful atmosphere and the run-down setting, complete with toxic, gossipy locals, and the has-beens. The story captured the charm of returning to a first love and the complex dynamics of the mother-daughter relationship. It had the vibes of true crime paired with a cold case, which I found engaging. There are a few red herons and a couple twists. While the big reveal felt a bit messy and left me with a few questions, it was still entertaining and enjoyable, even if not a true page-turner.

Thank you to the author publisher and NetGalley for this arc to review.

This is a great read, I really enjoyed it! The strange, close nit small town adds to the mystery. I was drawn into the story right away with great writing. I love how the ladies finally lined up outside to tell their tales. A gritty and gripping read, with a great ending.

Stephanie O’Malley, a journalist and rookie podcaster, has returned to her small hometown in Quebec, Canada. She plans to live with her mother while she regroups after losing her job in Montreal. The town has experienced some dramatic flooding, damaging many main street buildings and revealing the remains of a child. Still hopeful that she can produce a true crime podcast, Stephanie delves into the mystery and what really happened forty years ago.

I enjoyed many aspects of The Last Thing She Saw. It has an interesting premise, I enjoyed the setting, and the story is revealed through several time lines. I usually enjoy this type of format, but I found it somewhat difficult to follow as it bounced back and forth. The chapters often ended with a cliffhanger and then picked up again several chapters later. This definitely kept me on my toes.

Meanwhile, many of the characters could be quite unappealing. Stephanie was often annoying. She has trouble moving forward and she often justified some of her actions and decisions as a means to help her community or find justice, instead of admitting she was just being self-serving.

The satanic aspects that were introduced seemed to be unnecessary and distracting. Ditto for the insertion of the high school sweetheart who had married Stephanie’s best friend. But, I can also see that the addition of the former boyfriend provided someone who could offer Stephanie needed support.

Finally, the ending seemed to be plucked out of (mostly) thin air. It could be called an unexpected twist, but for me it was more like a sharp, ninety-degree turn. The Last Thing She Saw is 3.5 stars for me. NetGalley provided an advance copy.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for the digital copy to review.

This was not what I was expecting, as it is not exactly a thriller as categorized, and there are a lot of things going on in the beginning to keep track of, both from a character perspective and a timeline perspective. It came together in the second half and I liked this one overall, and the audio was great as well, but it was a slow start to get there.

A long ago unsolved disappearance of a child, small town lore, a girl who escaped to the city coming home to investigate, and more secrets being revealed. This book builds the story slowly, but then it reveals the twists and secrets in the end. I figured out a couple of things before they were revealed, but I don’t think it took away from the story, and I enjoyed the ride.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was very thrilling and it definitely kept me guessing.

I really liked the flashback chapters because it gave the reader an idea of what was going on and how it added to the story.

I definitely plan to read more from this author!

THE LAST THING SHE SAW by Nina Laurin was an edge-of-your-seat thriller told in two different time lines and POVs that had twists and turns everywhere.

Stephanie O’Malley left Marley, Quebec fifteen years ago, hoping to leave behind her alcoholic mother, Laura, her ‘white trashy’ existence in the trailer park and all the stories about nine year-old Michelle Fortier, who went missing in 1979. After losing her journalism job, she returns home to the life she fought so hard to leave behind. When a massive flood leads to the discovery of remains of a child in the walls of an abandoned mansion, Stephanie sees it as a way to revitalise a failed podcast regarding the case of the missing Michelle. Small town secrets, lies and superstitions abound. Stephanie tries to peace together what happens all those years ago. She is also confronted with seeing her ex, Luc, who betrayed her long ago. And just maybe she can begin to rebuild a relationship with her mother and find out why she is so deep in the bottle.

I always love a story about true crime podcasts, dual timelines and differing point of view. I had read Nina Laurin’s previous novel and enjoyed that one so I was excited to read this one and it did not disappoint. Her writing is clear and concise and leads to an enjoyable read. It is always a good day when I can find a new writer of psychological suspense. She will definitely be on my list of authors to watch. I can’t wait to see where she takes me next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

4.25 rounded down.

It took me a little bit to get into this story. Not in a cannot get into it at all kind of a way, just in a sucked me in kind of way. But once I was in it? I absolutely had to know what happened to Michelle Fortier and who was responsible.

Several folks seem like the obvious choice to whom may have had to do with Michelle’s disappearance and the author definitely leans a bit heavy on a couple of them. Then, Stephanie’s mother Laura is woven into the story and it becomes more confusing, but in a good way. In the end, I did have a couple of questions, but felt satisfied with the ending and the arc for the main characters.

Advance reader copy provided by Grand Central Publishing but all opinions are my own.

Not very thrilling for a thriller? The set-up sounds like a great premise: small-town setting, dual-timelines, dark secrets, cold case investigation... but it just wasn't executed well for me. I never felt fully invested nor connected to the characters and plot. It felt more like a domestic drama/suspense. I ended up DNFing unfortunately. I just needed more from it, it wasn't bringing me anything that felt new, fresh, or exciting from the genre - which might not be an issue for someone who doesn't read as many mystery/thrillers.

Note: Thank you to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing, and author Nina Laurin for the advanced reader copy of this book. What follows is my unbiased review of the book.

Small town secrets are at the center of this novel which takes place in a rural Quebec community. Stephanie O’Malley left the town more than a decade ago without looking back. With a degree in journalism and a true-crime podcast, she returned once before to try and shed light on a decades-old missing child case only to face resistance from the townspeople. This time, she's lost her job and is looking for a bit of a respite as well as a possible break in the story she previously was interested in. Spring flooding affected the town worse than it ever had before, and during the cleanup, the body of a child was found hidden in the walls of a basement.

The story is told in the "present day" of Stephanie's life as well as in flashbacks to her mother's life growing up in the same small town. The chapters aren't titled with which point of view they're presenting, so on some occasions, it took a little while to figure out which one I was following. I thought the parallels between the two lives were interesting as Laura, the mother, is shown as having a great spirit when she was young that somehow disappeared. The two women haven't really talked over the past decade, and Stephanie still harbors teenage resentment against Laura.

The mystery of the disappearance of Michelle Fortier when Laura was young is at the heart of the story, even as Stephanie is coming to terms with how much the town is a part of her. Stephanie is digging into the story as well as the people involved in it but still coming up empty for the most part. I had a number of different guesses, but couldn't figure out what had happened until it was spelled out in front of me. It's a good mystery, if a bit gruesome.

The one part I didn't feel worked very well was Stephanie reconnecting with her high school love, Luc. Stephanie left the night of the senior prom, after a fight with him, and he ended up marrying her best friend, Cath. Cath is more of a frienemy now, although why is not revealed until near the end. Stephanie has to grow in a way she wasn't able to with the abrupt way she left town, and the two of them easily drifting back into each other's lives felt fake. They both know what small-town gossip is like and neither of them seems to worry about what it will mean to be seen together so much, except to constantly bring it up.

In general, though, The Last Thing She Saw was a good book. The mystery kept me turning the pages, even if the small-town vibe was a bit overdone at times. The character of Laura, especially, was more complex than she initially seemed and developed into much more by the end of the book. Stephanie had to grow, and did, although I don't know much about what her future holds after this. Still, people aren't perfect and not all stories have fairy-tale endings.

After a flood ravages the historic center of a small town in Quebec, the discovery of a child's body sends shockwaves through the community. The remains, decades old and nearly unidentifiable, are instantly recognized as belonging to nine-year-old Michelle Fortier, who disappeared in 1979, leaving her fate a mystery until now.
Stephanie O’Malley, who grew up listening to tales of Michelle's vanishing in her mother's dilapidated trailer, once attempted to create a podcast about the case, but to no avail. Despite a fifteen-year absence and a promise to herself never to return, Stephanie is drawn back to Marly, where she reunites with her volatile mother Laura, her former love Luc, and a community in turmoil.
As Stephanie endeavors to sift fact from fiction amidst rampant speculation of witchcraft and conspiracies, Laura is haunted by a nagging sense that history is repeating itself. The investigation takes a startling turn when it's revealed that the body may not be Michelle's after all.

I was puzzled during my reading of this book.
I kept asking about both Laura and Stephanie what is their deal??
I didn’t care for Stephanie. I thought she had an ax to grind and couldn’t or wouldn’t let go of some things.
The story has a lot of silt and sludge to filter out and at the end, a few of the things I had been puzzled about were explained.