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.

I loved Last Girl Seen, so I was so excited to read The Last Thing She Saw! It was SO good!! I absolutely love Nina Laurins writing, and it amazed me how good this book was too. Highly recommend! Well done.

Just finished "The Last Thing She Saw" by Nina Laurin and had a blast with it! The dual timelines and small-town vibes were totally gripping. The mystery kept me hooked, and I loved how the story wove together past and present. There were plenty of twists, and while some parts felt a bit slow, the overall ride was super engaging. Definitely recommend it for anyone who loves a good suspenseful read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC!

This was a really good read! I had previously read and enjoyed Girl last Seen so was excited for this one. I love dual storylines, true-crime type mysteries and cold-case stories. All included here, so YAY! Michelle, a child of an affluent family disappears way back in 1979. Stephanie grew up hearing the tales and years later leaves town and starts a podcast. Her career in the toilet and the recent discovery of a child's body sends her back to her old hometown. Is this the body of missing Michelle? Stephanie starts investigating. Along the way we meet Laura, her alcoholic mother and Luc, her old high-school sweetheart. There are also a lot of other characters to keep up with, but they all have a place. Very atmospheric, creepy small-town vibes. I liked the witchy rumors and feel this would be a good Fall story. Some good twists and turns and an overall good read. I look forward to more from Nina Laurin.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Nina Laurin and Grand Central Publishing for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Unfortunately, this one did not work for me. The dual timelines were interesting but there were SO many characters to keep track of. Many of which did not enhance the plot in any way. This was entirely too long and could have used a good edit to make it move investing for the reader. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Last Thing She Saw is a solid, dual-timeline suspense that I was able to relate to. I live across the border from Quebec, and Nina Lauren's description of the town and the character's personalities resonated with me. Although I was hoping for a little more grit and darker reveals, I enjoyed this latest book, and I will definitely be picking up whatever she writes next!

Nina Laurin is a great author! Love her books. This one though did not his the thriller hype for me. I was waiting for her twist and it did not happen. Otherwise a great story!

This is newly released on the 23rd of July. Give this book a try.

Thanks for the arc net galley 🫶🏼

This was genuinely a GOOD READ. I couldn't put it down it had me drawn in. So much gratitude given to NetGalley & Grand Central Publishing for eARC.

What to generally expect:
⭐ Dual story Lines
⭐ Past & present story telling
⭐ An overarching story of small town life that has dark secrets
⭐ Decades old Cold Case

The story itself is what pulled me in to begin with. I am a true crime junkie interested in all the workings of the story, but also captivated by the people involved. In this case there are MANY characters involved and each of them in the small town play a role in the whole journey of this specific story. Characters you are rooting for and committed to seeing them on the other side of it all. Others you are hoping are involved in the case to the point of being charged with the disappearance.

I also love that until the end of this story you really have ZERO idea who was actually involved in the disappearance in the first place. I thought I had it figured out early on, only to find I was definitely wrong.

Nina writes so much depth in to each of the characters of this story, this includes 3rd layer character. In my opinion this is what genuinely helps a reader dive deep in to the story and feel connected. The overall story is heartbreaking yet hopeful, at least that is how I saw the way it ended. She also envelopes you in the small town with the characters, the feel and nonsense of a small town life. Secrets and rumors will run amuck but the truth comes out in the end!

Synopsis:
After a flood destroys the historic center of a small Quebec town, a child’s body is discovered. The remains are decades-old and nearly impossible to identify, yet everyone knows at once who they belong to. Nine-year-old Michelle Fortier vanished without a trace in 1979, and her fate has remained unknown—until now.

Stephanie O’Malley grew up in her mother’s crumbling trailer listening to stories of Michelle’s disappearance, stories she once tried to turn into a podcast without much success. Although Stephanie left Marly fifteen years ago and vowed never to return, she finds herself back with her tempestuous mother Laura, her high school sweetheart Luc, and the entire community in an uproar.

While Stephanie struggles to separate the truth from wild rumors about witchcraft and town-wide conspiracies, Laura is consumed by the strange feeling that all this has happened before. But then a bombshell drops: the body might not be Michelle after all.

I really enjoyed this and flew through it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

I received a complimentary copy of this book "The Last Thing She Saw" and all opinions expressed are my own. I didn't feel the thriller part of this book. More of a drama. Overall okay.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the eARC.

This book was twisty and fun. I loved the dual timeline and how the story wove itself together. I couldn't fully predict where the story was going or what was going to happen and for me that makes the book un-put-downable. :) Looking forward to more by this author.

In 2017, flood damage in a small Quebec town lead to the discovery of a child’s body that appears to be decades old. Locals suspect that the remains are that of Michelle Fortier, the nine-year-old daughter of an affluent family who disappeared in 1979.

Stephanie O’Malley returns to her hometown of Marly, Quebec, after her career hits a downward spiral as a result of her failed podcast, which was based on Michelle’s case. Fifteen years ago, she had left Marly with hopes for a better future, leaving her mother Laura and high-school sweetheart Luc behind. Her relationship with her mother is strained and Luc has moved on. Stephanie keenly follows the renewed interest and investigation into the cold case in hopes of reviving her podcast. As the narrative progresses, Stephanie finds herself drawn into a complex web of lies, secrets and cover-ups.

I found the premise of The Last Thing She Saw by Nina Laurin intriguing and appreciated the suspenseful vibe, the atmospheric setting and the depiction of small-town life and the dynamics within the community. The narrative is structured in dual timelines. In the present timeline (2017), we follow Stephanie as she pursues her own investigation into Michelle’s disappearance while navigating her relationship with her mother and her dynamic with Luc. The 1979 timeline is presented from Laura’s perspective and focuses on Laura’s life as a teenager in Marly, while the events that led to Michelle’s disappearance are gradually revealed. Stephanie wasn’t a particularly interesting protagonist, and I wasn’t a fan of how the author chose to develop her story. Laura was a more complex character, but I felt the present timeline didn’t do her justice. The writing was stilted, resulting in a somewhat disjointed narrative that lacked cohesiveness. I also thought a few plot points were unnecessary (a few of the more common tropes no longer work for me ) and of no consequence to the story. The final reveal wasn’t entirely unpredictable (I do have a few questions, though) but was well-executed.

While I didn’t dislike this book in its entirety, I also didn’t find it to be the tightly woven, gripping thriller that I was expecting.

Many thanks to Grand Central Publishing for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The Last Thing She Saw by Nina Laurin is a small town murder mystery/thriller. There is a flood in Marly, a small Quebec town that reveals remains of a child. Stephanie, a former resident of Marly who left fifteen years ago, is now sent back to her hometown to uncover the mystery for a podcast. This causes many things that happened in this town to be brought up as the truth is being discovered.

This story kept me interested since I was unable to guess who all was tied to the crimes and secrets. What was revealed at the end was surprising! This story is written in two timelines, present day 2017 from Stephanie and 1979 from her mother Laura. Having the point of view from the past was able to give insight of the events that were being uncovered. I felt like this book was fast paced and I enjoyed it being non predictable.

Thank you to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing and Nina Laurin for providing me with this ARC in return for my honest review.

The Last Thing She Saw starts off in 1979 with 9-year-old Michelle going missing. Her fate has remained unknown until now. Flash forward to the present day Stephanie returns home because of a flood in her hometown. Stephanie grew up listening to stories of Michelle's disappearance. She left her town 15 years ago. But now she is back and is determined to find out what really happened to Michelle.

I am a big fan of Nina Laurin. So when this book was announced I was so excited. I loved this book. This was a fast paced edge of your seat thriller. This book had a lot of twists and turns. I also liked that this book was told and both the past and present. Nina Laurin just knows how to write a good thriller. All of her books are just so good. I feel like I want to go back and reread this how that I know what happens.

Thank you Nina Laurin and Grand Central Pub for the ARC of this book

I have read one other Nina Laurin book and I was pleasantly surprised at this one. I finished it fairly quickly and enjoyed this spooky town and storyline about how corrupt a small town can be. I haven't read many books based in Canada so getting this setting was fresh and fun!