Highly compulsive read - loved the gritty characters, the empty motel in the middle of a blizzard definitely gave Stephen King horror vibes. Will be recommending it!

There are many comparisons out there in reviews (and even mentioned within the book) that this is a modern take on The Shining but with a female lead. I didn't necessarily get that, although I suppose there are a few similarities. That is neither here nor there, but it was a good story. Very creepy, with a dead body that seemingly keeps moving, an actively spiraling alcoholic, friends who might be better described asfrenemies, and plenty of suspects to go around. Add in a winter storm that feels like it's own storyline character, and I was in for the adventure!!!

I didn't finish this book. It moved too slow for me and every that did happen seemed extremely redundant. I didn't plan on DNF-Ing. I thought I'd go back after a break but I didn't think about the book once and have no desire to pick it up again.

It’s a modern day twist on the Shining, as Kerry, an alcoholic, has lost her husband and is struggling to deliver her latest novel on schedule. She offers to be a caretaker for a renovated motel up in the mountains during the off season- but as soon as she arrives she constantly feels like she’s being watched. She then finds a dead body in the snow and tries to figure out what to do as suddenly the body disappears. The alcoholism makes her appear to be a very unreliable narrator for this story that keeps surprises coming until the end. I don’t normally like unreliable narrator books so I didn’t like the beginning to be honest, but then it hooked me.

Kerry, hitting rock bottom, needed a break from reality. She plans to spend a month as a caretaker for an isolated motel, in hopes it'll help her get perspective on life and help her write her very overdue novel. Things take a turn when Kerry stumbles upon an occupied room full of booze and drugs, and things go even worse when she finds a dead body outside.
Told in alternating viewpoints between Kerry and her ex-best friend, Siobhan, this book does a good job of keeping the reader on their toes. The twists and turns along the way as Kerry meets local town folks weren't always as expected.

Thanks NetGalley and Penguin Group for the early read!

This book was very interesting and I loved the mystery that came along with it! I really enjoyed the perspective from multiple points of view and well rounded / sought out characters! Winter hotels are going to make me think about this book!

Thank you Leah Konen, Putnam Books & NetGalley for allowing me to read this Great book!

A feminist take on the shining? Yeah, i was immediately willing to read that! Extremely fast paced (i read it in 3 hours) and tense!! No internet, no landline, no power, three best frenemies, lots of untrustworthy men, and the spookiest setting made for a very fun afternoon.

Leah Konen creates a compelling story with her upcoming novel, The Last Room on the Left. Overall, I enjoyed the book, rating it as 3.5 stars, rounded down to 3. Konen is a skilled storyteller, creating a unique setting for her book: mid-winter in the Catskills Mountain. The main characters develop well throughout the novel, their backstory and relation to the main character unfolding appropriately. As you learn more about the characters, you begin to realize how and when the 'twist' will unfold. Overall, I enjoyed the story and intend to look into other books written by Leah Konen. My average rating reflects my thoughts and placement of this book on a list of best-to-worst thrillers. While it likely isn't going to reinvent to thriller genre, it's an enjoyable and easy-to-read book that I would be quick to recommend to a friend.

Thanks to Leah Konen, the publisher, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Last Room on the Left refers to Room 13 at a roadside motel in the Catskills. The motel is closed for the winter, but employs a caretaker for a month at a time. Caretakers are carefully screened by the owner who is looking for creative people who need time away in order to pursue their projects. The caretaker, Kerry, discovers an apparent murder, but when the somewhat questionable police arrive, there is no body, and no one believes Kerry because of her alcoholism.

I possibly would have enjoyed this book if there had been at least one semi-normal, functional character in it. The plot was great, but I didn't like, nor connect with, a single character. If I had known in advance that the book contains S&M, I wouldn't have selected it to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This was a pretty interesting take on The Shining. I enjoyed it and the gaslighting by many of the characters in the book left you wondering exactly what Siobhan and Kerry were really dealing with.
Lots of characters, then the different POV and timelines made for an interesting read. It was easy to follow too.
Lot of surprises too!
Great book.

A locked room mystery, an unreliable narrator and a snow storm trapping our FMCs at an isolated motel - what could go wrong?! The plot was fast paced & full of drama. It was so atmospheric - I read this in the middle of summer, but it still gave me chills; I can definitely see this being the perfect winter read to cozy up with.

There were lots of twists and I didn’t see the last one coming! I really enjoyed this one.


Many thanks to Putnam books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the Publisher for my arc!

oh my god! this was fantastic. It literally is a feminist retelling of the shining. 10./10 I could not put this down. I've always wanted a eerie creepy winter thriller and this was perfect.

I really liked this book. It was a little slow at first, but it picked up kept me at the edge of my seat. I also really liked that this took place in the Catskills, I am from upstate New York, so this immediately had me interested.

I flew through this book! This book made me nervous, because it had my favorite trope (locked room mystery) and my least favorite (unreliable narrator), but this just worked. I was hooked from the beginning.

The author did a great job creating the characters. No the Kerry and shiban were great characters. They made mistakes but you were rooting for both of them to have a great ending.

There were a lot of characters, but the writing was so well done it wasn’t confusing trying to keep them together. Overall, I loved this book and wil read more by this author.

This book has been compared to a feminist retelling of The Shining. This plot sounds very similar to the Stephen King book, but in this case, the main character is a woman. Her husband has left her, she has a drinking problem, and she is a writer. She takes a position at a hotel and when a blizzard causes her to be stranded, people are being murdered.

I appreciate NetGalley and the publisher for a ARC of this book. My review is based on the plot summary. I'll come back and make any necessary edits if the book is finished.

A classic thriller, middle of nowhere stuck at a lonely motel in the middle of a snowstorm. No service obviously. From the point of view of Kerry, we get an unreliable source since she is an alcoholic and cannot trust if what she’s experiencing is reality or hallucinations. It definitely kept me guessing but at times was a bit repetitive, the end was a little more predictable than I’d like. But I also listen to a lot of true crime.

Thank you for the ARC! It was an enjoyable read.

This was intriguing, and I was kept guessing as to the culprit, suspecting everyone. That, unfortunately, is where the praise ends. The first 20 or so percent of this was achingly slow and I nearly put it down.

Engaging and atmospheric. A recommended purchase for collections where crime and thrillers are popular.

I was SO excited to get my hands on this ARC, and it did not disappoint! This started off slow, but quickly became a roller coaster. I trusted no one, and there were several good little twists! And the ending is so good!!! This is a fun, twisty read that will 100% keep you guessing!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ —

Thank you to @netgalley, @leahkonen, and @putnambooks for this ARC! The Last Room on the Left will be out on January 14, 2025!

This thriller missed the mark for me. It started out slow and very repetitive with Kerry's drinking and thoughts of Frank. The pace did pick up once the chapters on Siobhan were presented, but the repetitiveness continued throughout the story. I did not feel a connection to any of the characters nor did I like any of them. The author's attempt at creating a spooky setting similar to The Shining was lost on me. The descriptions were somewhat confusing and not at all clear. For the life of me, I just couldn't picture it in my head. I also started to confuse the POVs between Siobhan and Kerry, not knowing whose chapter I was reading. The ending was a surprise, but I wasn't wowed by it. I would have liked to have some interaction with Frank since he played such a big part in Kerry's mind. Overall, it was an ok read. I personally wouldn't recommend it. Others seemed to really enjoy it, so maybe it's just me.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and NetGalley for granting me early digital access in exchange for my honest review!