This is one of those stories that is both horrifying and impossible to stop reading. Perla is one of the more disturbing characters I've read in a long time, and the story overall is excellently communicated.

Nothing compares to A.R. Torres writing. I will read anything this author writes.

It is suspenseful, thrilling and edge of your seat read.

Don't miss this book.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.

A.R. Torre's The Last Party is a masterclass in psychological thrillers. From the first page, I was hooked by the intricate narrative and complex characters. The story centers on Perla Wultz, a seemingly perfect wife and mother in Pasadena, whose obsession with a decades-old crime unravels in the most unexpected ways.

Torre's writing is sharp and engaging, with each chapter revealing new layers of suspense. The dual timelines and multiple perspectives are handled with precision, keeping the reader on edge throughout. The character development is exceptional, particularly Perla's, whose facade of perfection hides a deeply troubled psyche.

The plot twists are both unpredictable and satisfying, leading to a climax that left me speechless. Torre masterfully explores themes of obsession, deception, and the dark side of human nature. This novel is not just a thriller; it's a deep dive into the complexities of the human mind.

The Last Party is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers. It's a gripping, thought-provoking, and utterly compelling novel that will stay with you long after you've turned the last page.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a thrilling and intellectually stimulating read.

Oh what a tangled web we weave when we practice to deceive!!! Lies, murder and true crime podcast!!! This book is dark and twisty and I ate it up!!! It's fast paced with short chapter's that I devoured!!! Highly recommend this one!!! Thank you Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC in exchange for my review.

Exactly what I want in a thriller. There is NOTHING I love more than when twists can successfully catch me off guard and Torre is fantastic at delivering just that.

I wasn’t ready for all the twists there was happening! I was thinking it was going to go one way but it went a whole other way. I really needed to strap myself in for it.

This was ,my first AR Torre book I’ve read and won’t be my last. It was easy to read and I flew through it. I didn’t want to put it down.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer, AR Torre and NetGalley for a copy of the ebook for a honest review.

There is literally nothing that A.R. Torre writes that wouldn't suck me right in. She is an instant buy, and recommended, author for me. As usual, this one did not disappoint. It comes in hard with a deeply twisted storyline, characters you will love to hate, and mind games you will want to get through quickly. I devoured this one in just two days!

Everytime I read a book by A.R. Torre I go into it expecting a run of the mill thriller and every time I'm pleasantly surprised! This author does a really great job writing suspence and dropping little hints on what's going to happen throughout the story in a way that I never realize what's going to happen until it all starts fitting together. Even though I was figuring things out throughout the story, the ending still caught me off guard! I really had no idea where things were going but as things started making sense I could not stop reading until I knew what happened. Even though I really disliked every character in this book, it was very obvious that it was on purpose. The characters you follow all have some secret or thing about them that makes them unlikable (yes, I even feel this way about the child) but it works well in the context of the story. There was no "omg who did it?" mystery in this book and I think that worked in it's favor. Overall, I had a great time and I had such a hard time putting this book down to sleep that I immediately picked it back up first thing in the morning because I just NEEDED to know how it ended. I keep telling myself I'll read more by this author, and this might have been the push to finally do it.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a little backlogged with my ARCs but working diligently to get caught up. I’ve been recovering from major surgery and this book definitely lifted my spirits! A.R. Torre does it again with this book and it was one I won’t soon forget! I loved all the layers of characters and so many mind blowing twists! I don’t want to give too much away because I always enjoy going into books blind. If you love psychological thrillers and suspense, you need to read this book! 5+ star read for me, and I don’t say that lightly!

Perla Wultz lives with her husband, Grant, and their precious daughter, Sophie, in a gated Pasadena community. Affluent, sociable, and accomplished, Perla plays the part of loving wife and mother to perfection. It seems an ideal life, if not for a decades-old crime that has become Perla’s dark and consuming secret obsession.

Twenty-three years ago, Leewood Folcrum confessed to murdering two young girls during a birthday party. Though he’s been condemned to a life sentence, his crime is not forgotten. Not by Perla, nor by an inquisitive doctoral student interviewing Folcrum for his dissertation. He’s getting the killer to open up—about his motives, his confession, and the truth of what really happened on that horrible night.

As the past and the present entwine, the deceptions behind the infamous murder begin to surface. But who’s deceiving who now? And why? And as an ingeniously twisted plan is set in motion, who will be the next to die?

Such a perfect thriller. So many twists and turns. Will recommend to others.

The premise of this book had been wanting to read it immediately. I did see it recommended on TikTok quite a few times by people I trust with thriller recommendations. My only gripe is that I didn’t pick it up sooner.

Perla was a very different character to say the least. I have not read any book where the main character is like her. She was so conniving and manipulative and honestly, I love to hate her.

I was on the edge of my seat most of the book, even though I definitely guessed one of the twists.

My thanks to Thomas and Mercer, A.R. Torre and Netgalley.
A.R. Torre usually nails it. This was not it.
Still a good effort, but nowhere near the usual "holy heck! What was that?!" Effort.
I'll confess that just lately I've been annoyed as shit from some of my favored authors. Not their fault. I suppose its just me. Life. Health. Stuff.
So, this may be a book that I should have read next year.
I'm not leaving any type of review for or against. Honestly? I just can't remember what it was about.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

While I love the cover of this one and it sounds intriuging, I just had a hard time getting into the story. I thought that the characters were all pretty unlikeable and the twists were just too unrealistic. It was also just a bit too gritty and dark for my taste.

I hope others love this one but it wasn't for me.

Excellent!!
This book had me hooked right from the start. A.R. Torre is quickly becoming a must read author to me. A married woman becomes obsessed with a man in prison. He has been charged with the brutal deaths of young girls at a slumber party years ago.
Meet Perla, Grant and their daughter Sophie. They seem to have it all, but very quickly we learn, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Perla is one of the most unhinged characters I have ever met. The author takes us on a roller coaster ride. and this isn’t Disneyland,
This book is dark, suspenseful and down right fabulous. I loved the writing style and the way it all comes together. One of my top Thrillers I have read this year.
Read it! You won’t be disappointed.
Buckle up, the ride is about to start…

Thank You to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for the advanced copy.

Sometimes you want a book with a little cray cray mixed in. This book is that, except with a very dark and sinister flavor of crazy. Short chapters and a wild premise kept me flipping pages.

Some twists you might see coming, some you may not. It could certainly keep you guessing, and if you are a trigger-free reader I would go in blind!

3.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer.

There was way too much going on in this one to adequately summarize the plot so I'm skipping that part of my review.

I'll get right to the good part: my head spinning! This book had me literally stopping and looking up to do calculations on my head. I swear if my mind could be read it would show one of those huge boards with slips of paper all pieced together with string as I tried to make sense of all this and the crazy connections across these two birthday parties! I knew the author was dropping breadcrumbs and clues over and over but felt like I was struggling to make it all make sense. I may have to reread it to make sure I get the full reader experience. Either way, it was a FUN ride! I am left wondering what were the papers in the package Leewood left for Sophie, for one. I feel like I need a neck brace from the whiplash of this one!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this digital copy.
3.5 rounded down. This book was a ride. I enjoyed going where the author took, I tried not to guess anything!! Following along a multigenerational dysfunctional family, there was over a decade gap the crazy had hibernated. As far as recommending goes, this one has a few triggers that may not be for all.

Read if you like:
👨‍👩‍👧Multiple POV
🌀Twisted, messed up characters
📖Mixed media
🦹‍♀️Villains POV
😳Insane family dynamics

Wow!! What a wild ride this was. This was my second book by A.R. Torre and I think I loved this one even more. What makes this book amazing was the crazy characters!! Perla was one of the most psychotic, twisted characters I’ve read in a long time and it was absolutely thrilling to read her POV and how her messed up brain worked (especially as a mom- speechless) I loved getting the POV’s of Sophie (her daughter) through her journal entries and also Leeward in prison. The characters really made the book especially crazy and I was here for it.

The twists in this book were just so crazy and let me with my jaw dropped more than once. I absolutely loved it and the ending was amazing!!

I also had the privilege of listening to this on audio which was a treat. Amy Bentley and Will Damron did such a great job bring the characters to life and making the book extra thrilling.

⚠️Triggers: child murder, pedophilia, murder, psychopathic behavior

If you are looking for a book with messed up characters and just jaw dropping twists, definitely pick this one up!

The Last Party by A.R. Torre centers on Perla Wultz, who lives in a secure, affluent community with her husband and young daughter. Outwardly, she seems to have it all.

However, her life is shadowed by an obsession with a decades-old crime: twenty-three years ago, Leewood Folcrum confessed to the murder of two girls during a birthday party. Now serving a life sentence, Folcrum is the subject of a doctoral student’s research, and as he begins to share details of his motives, hidden truths about that fateful night start surfacing.

Perla is drawn into this exploration, balancing the seemingly ideal life she presents with a quest to uncover the truth about this long-buried crime, unsure of whom she can trust as events take increasingly dangerous turns.

This was another fabulously chilling story that I've come to trust and expect the author to deliver!

A.R. Torre is an auto buy author for me. The Last Party was everything I want and look for in a thriller. Such an incredible read that I can't recommend enough.