Perla Wultz lives in a high-class gated community with her husband Grant and daughter Sophie. She appears to live a picture-perfect life, if not for the fact that she's hiding some dark secrets from 23 years ago. In another perspective, we follow an inmate named Leewood Folcrum, who was convicted of killing two young girls at his daughter's birthday party 23 years ago. He confessed to these murders and does not deny guilt, nor is he trying to appeal his conviction. As we follow along from the different POVs (Perla, Grant, Sophie, and Leewood), we start to see how the past and present are connected.

I really wanted to like this book. I've heard great things about A.R. Torre in the thriller book community, and I was excited to get my hands on this ARC. However, this book fell short in a lot of ways for me. I predicted the plot twist at 25% into the book. I struggled to connect with any of the characters.

**SPOILER ALERT**
I was struggling to understand why Grant would have wanted to even marry the friend of his little sister, who was murdered. It didn't seem like something he would want to do. It didn't make any sense that he didn't see any warning signs with her, with all the weird stuff she would lie about.
**END SPOILER**

I don't know. I don't mind suspending belief for the sake of enjoying a book, but this just seemed super far-fetched. I wasn't shocked by anything that happened; I predicted everything, and I really didn't care about any of the characters enough to care what happened. The last 20% of the book felt super dragged out and unnecessary. It only needed a final chapter to wrap up the last 20%. It wasn't enjoyable for me. It felt stale and lacked depth. I will say, though, that it was well written, and I would check out other books from this author. This one just wasn't for me.

Thank you A.R. Torre, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

📖Book Review 📚

Title: The Last Party
By: A.R. Torre
Pub Date: August 20, 2024

A huge thank you to author @alessandratorre4 for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of The Last Party. As a thriller lover and reviewer with the team @thrillerbookloversthepulse I can tell you this book is one you’ll be talking about for a long time.

Perla Wultz is a loving mother and devoted wife living an upscale life in a gated Pasadena community. Perla is also obsessed with the decades old murder by the infamous Leewood Fulcrum. Twenty-three years ago, Leewood confessed to murdering two girls during a 12-year olds birthday party. While Leewood is serving his sentence, Perla can’t let go of the story, especially as her own daughter’s 12th birthday quickly approaches. While Perla plans the perfect party, an inquisitive doctoral student is searching for answers from Leewood. Why did he commit these horrible crimes and why can’t Perla let Leewood go?

This was a dark, captivating page-turner about the lengths a parent will go to protect their child. I would definitely recommend checking out the Last Party.

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Perla Wultz maintains a seemingly perfect life, living in a wealthy community with her husband, Grant, and daughter, Sophie. But she harbors a dark obsession with a decades-old crime.

Convicted murderer Leewood Folcrum is living out a life sentence for a murder committed 23 years ago. His is a crime not forgotten… not by Perla, nor by the doctoral student interviewing him. He is getting Folcrum to open up about the truth of what really happened that night.

As past secrets resurface and new deceptions emerge, a twisted plan unfolds, leaving questions of who will be the next victim and who is pulling the strings.

This book was definitely dark, but sooo good! It’s fast paced, easy to read, and addictive. One of the characters is so totally unlikeable but you’ll be on the edge of your seat waiting to see what he/she does next. And once you figure out the connection? And the ending? A+

Definitely move this one to the top of your TBR!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Torre may have just delivered her BEST book yet! We follow a mother who becomes obsessed with recreating a murder and that’s really all you should know going into it - the reveals start early into the book and the way the pieces connect is so well done.

There’s nothing I love more than being able to give a book five stars and this book SLAYED! I was hooked from page one and couldn’t put this one down. This was dark and twisty (just how I like it!), the writing was incredible and the characters were perfectly depicted. This was my first read by this author and I’ve now added quite a few to my TBR. I loved the multiple POV and when everything came together I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. There were so many reveals and there was no way to predict what was coming next. HIGHLY recommend for my thriller loving friends!

Thank you to the author and publisher (Thomas & Mercer) for this incredible read!

An unusual book, inventive, original, humorous, insightful about a sociopath and her obsession with murders that happened when she was younger. While it might not be appropriate for my younger students, I think the older ones will really like it.

This was deliciously dark and twisty. I loved it!

Thank you to Netgalley & Thomas & Mercer for my ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This book has been getting the best hype from other thriller readers. I had to drop everything that I was doing to get my hands on this book, and I do not regret it. The novel hooks you in immediately. There is not a chapter, page, or word wasted when it comes to encaptivating the reader. Each chapter starts with a testimony from someone related to the story and each statement just kept elevating the stakes and making you want to turn the page quicker than the last. The storyline was constantly moving, and never felt stagnant. It had a great flow, and all of the details tied together beautifully. The characters are dynamic with a hint of unreliability that makes you question every single one of their motives. And let me say….some of these motives are WICKED. My only critique was that I predicted the main climax, but in a way that made the journey even more fun to read.

Thank you to Netgalley, Thomas & Mercer, and A.R. Torre for an advanced ebook with the promise of a honest review.

AHHHHH I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you ever start a book and less than a page in you're saying to yourself, "yup, this is going to be good". Well that was me with The Last Party. From page 1 Torre had me hook, line, and sinker.

Such a unique plot, the multiple narrators, interjections of bystander opinions, a podcast, and the general sense of "wtf is going on here?!" that permeated every page was absolute perfection.

Perla's character was remarkable and Torre gave me the best mental images. I could see this woman so vividly scrutinizing her every move, manipulating and controlling every detail in her environment, and just being so darned pleased with herself! She absolutely captivated me and as the pages unfolded, her character became more and more intriguing to me.

This book was so layered. Between the podcast coverage, visits to the prison, and such strong and dynamic characters, it really had everything for me.

This was a very easy five stars and the best introduction to A. R. Torre. I'm super excited to check out more of her work and it's very obvious to me why everyone at THE PULSE has been talking about this one non-stop for weeks. This is a book for your shelves so definitely pre-order now!

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer for sharing this stellar novel with me.

Thank you so much to the publisher for this e-arc! This was a surprisingly dark, witty thriller about an old murder of 3 girls at a birthday, someone possibly wrongfully convicted, and a super twisted mother. Highly recommend!!

This twisty book kept me hooked from the first page to the last page. I loved the fast paced action and how many twists the author fit in. This book will have you thinking twice about sending your kids to a sleepover!

Perla Wultz lives in an affluent gated community with her handsome, nerdy husband Grant and their preteen daughter Sophie. On the surface, Perla is a polished and perfect wife and mother, but a dark obsession lurks just beneath her surface. About an hour away from the Wultzes’ seemingly idyllic life, Leewood Folcrum is serving a life prison sentence for a horrific crime that occurred over twenty years ago. What really happened on that terrible night, and how are the Wultzes connected?

Holy cow, what did I just read??!! To call this book a page turner is the understatement of the century; twists galore and short snappy chapters had me whipping through fast-paced thriller. I loved the little snippets at the beginning of each chapter from people related to the story (friends, neighbors, prison guards) that provided insights into the main characters and foreshadowed the events to come. If you love twisty, turny plotlines and dark and devious characters, this gripping wild ride is for you! My fellow team members at Thriller Book Lovers The Pulse can’t get enough of this one!

The Last Party by A.R Torre
My rating:
5/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Perla and Grant live in an affluent neighborhood with their daughter Sophie. What Grant does not know is that Perla has an obsession with a murderer Leewood Folcrum who confessed to the crime of murdering two young girls during a birthday party. Will this obsession hurt their marriage or their family!?


There is just something about A.R Torre’s writing that just hits different. I love the short chapters, fast pace and she writes characters that you love to hate. I went into this one completely blind and I’m so glad I did!

I would absolutely recommend this thriller. While it is very dark at times, I was never bored and just loved it. I will say that I thought the end was a bit long, but it wrapped up everything nicely and left me with zero questions.

While I did figure out a few of the twists in this, I was pleasantly surprised and still found this story very satisfying even with figuring out some of the pieces.

Thank you netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC! You can read this August 20th, 2024, so add it to your TBR now so you remember to pick it up on pub day!

I loved this book! I love AR Torre she has a way of writing a book that is so unique and so intriguing.
This was a great story.

This was perfect to read in one sitting. It’s going to be a great beach read. It’s predictable if you read a lot of thrillers and the main character is unlikeable but that doesn’t mean it’s not an enjoyable and crave worthy read.

Grant and Perla are getting ready to celebrate their daughter Sophia’s birthday party. Meanwhile, Leewood has been in prison for 23 years murdering 2 girls at his daughters birthday party and still people are fascinated by his crime. A doctoral student has convinced him to talk for the first time…. Will anything he reveals change the past and what surprises await the Wultz family?

NetGalley Review — my rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

“The Last Party” by A.R. Torre is a twisty tale where the truths are hidden amongst the lies. Who is telling the real story? What is the real story?

Perla is a suburban rich housewife with a big fat secret — she’s obsessed with a local killer and wants to recreate his crime with her own family 😱 Grant is Perla’s husband with his own past he’s haunted by. Watch as the story unravels and figure out who’s telling the truth!

I quite enjoyed this one all the way till the end where it dragged a bit with no real reason why. But overall, what a ride! It was twisty and turny and I buddy read it with @findinglogan so it was good to get to talk it through with someone.

100% recommend — big thanks to Thomas & Mercer Publishing for the ARC!

You’ll be waiting for this one so get it on the TBR now! Publish date is August 20!

#netgalley #thelastparty #artorre #thomasandmercer #arc

Perla lives with her husband and 11 year old daughter in an affluent gated community. She’s a doting wife, but with a secret: she’s obsessed with an infamous murder 23 years ago. Meanwhile, the convicted killer of those crimes agrees to be interviewed by a student studying for his doctorate, and the two worlds are about to collide. The Last Party is one rip-roaring story from start to finish. The story unfolds in a brilliant format, with dual plot lines that keep the reader on edge. The characters are all highly entertaining and interesting, the dialogue is crisp, and the plot continues to confound the reader, adding to the intrigue of this novel. This was an absolute delight to read, and I couldn’t finish this fast enough. Fantastic read, five full stars! I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, Mrs Torre, you've done it again...
I read this in one-sitting...
This was SERIOUSLY sooooooo good...

Guys & gals, do yourselves a favor, read this!

Novel: The Last Party (Kindle Edition)
Author: A. R. Torre
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Review Rating: 5 Stars
Cover: 7/10
Characters, interaction, and plot layout: 5/5
Publication Date: 20 August 2024
Do I recommend this: Absolutely
Would I buy this book for myself or a friend: Yes

Shout out to A. R. Torre & Netgalley for providing me with an ARC.

This was my first book by this author and it did not disappoint!
The storyline was extremely gripping from the very beginning with quite a few jaw dropping moments.
Fantastic!