I really enjoyed the build up of suspense and the creepy atmosphere of this book, However, I was disappointed in the ending, because it seemed a bit arbitrary, as several other characters could have plausibly “done it.” Overall, this didn’t quite work for me, but I think it will have many fans in readers who enjoy horror-tinged suspense. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Feminist take on The Shining - no.
A run-of-the-mill psychological thriller - yes.

Kerry is away for the month on a 'writer's retreat'. She's the caretaker at an Instagram-worthy roadside motel catering to New York City creatives. On paper, she's there to finish her newest book. In reality, she's escaping her life. Her husband has left her, she's isolated herself from her friends, and she's dealing with a pretty severe drinking problem.

When she arrives, the room assigned to her is in disarray. The previous month's caretaker clearly had a party and left everything behind. But...why? Kerry investigates early the following day, walking the property, and sees a horrible sight - red fingernails on a hand attached to the body of the missing caretaker.

After encountering her neighbors and calling the police, Kerry returns, but the body is missing.

Kerry has to find out what happened to the previous tenant while trying to stay sober and make sure she's not the next victim.
----
Great premise, right? Too bad it kind of fizzled out. There were too many characters for a story about isolation and sanity. The weird sex stuff - completely unnecessary. There are more creative ways to connect people. I also felt that the tension that this story needed, especially given the timeline of two days time. There seems to be a lot of walking and back and forth for a matter of 24/48 hours.

Roadside motels are excellent places for thrillers, with Psycho being the prime example. However, this felt a little too modern. Although the references were very current, larger issues were never discussed. Music and TV references are often used, but things like social media and 'find my friend' are left by the wayside.

The resolution and culprit are fairly predictable. It's a locked room mystery but there's plenty of escapes from the room.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.

WHOA!!!! What a perfect ‘who done it’! Honestly, I thought I had it figured out about half way through but boy was I wrong! Wonderful development of the characters and the ending was all wrapped up with a perfect bow. Well done, 5+ stars!

Spooky and suspenseful! I found this author for the first time and will definitely be reading more! I enjoyed the storyline and found it to move quickly. Recommend to fans of the genre!

A brilliant story for wintertime. Fast-paced and eerie most of the time. I liked this one so much. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

The story is a fresh start for the FMC. It turns into a nightmare for her.
It gives off a “Bates Motel” vibe (the one with Vera Farmiga) in the beginning.

*This is an #ARC provided by #NetGalley and #PenguinGroupPutnam. The opinions expressed are my own. Publishing Date: January 14, 2025.
#TheLastRoomontheLeft

I received an ARC of this book from Penguin Group Putnam in exchange for my honest feedback. This was a pretty sold thriller for me. The author does a great job setting up the isolation with all the snow, no power, no cell service, etc. (As an aside, I can't imagine willingly placing myself in this situation, and I imagine many readers feel similarly!) There are quite a few twists, and after the first one, I thought the novel was going in a particular direction which was not what happened at all. I always enjoy being surprised in thrillers. Insinuations and suspicions abound till you eventually suspect everyone; this was quite well done and makes you really question who the villain is right till the end. Many seemed plausible after all the various clues. I was eager to pick the book back up each time I stopped reading, which is also something I am always looking for.

While not a “feminist take on The Shining”, The Last Room on the Left is a dark, atmospheric, brooding take on the cliched horror story. An alcoholic writer signs on as caretaker at a hipster motel in a desolate Catskills location during the off season…right before a record snow storm knocks out the power. What could go wrong? Written in dual timelines in a screenplay style, this is a quick read. Wonderfully flawed female characters drive the story. This would make a great Netflix limited series.

While I found this book to be an overall easy and engaging read, it doesn't match the author's described premise as "a feminist take on The Shining." Unfortunately, when a book can't possibly live up to the expectations set forth, there's no way you can enjoy it. First of all, I struggle to see feminism in any of the characters. The females have problematic relationships and are questioning themselves constantly. The two main characters are reliant upon the male characters in all kinds of ways (financially, physically, emotionally), and they're willing to overlook a TON of red flags from the male characters they interact with. As for "The Shining" comparison: the only association to be made with King's famed novel is that it's got an alcoholic writer who signs on to be caretaker in an isolated motel that's closed down for the winter. Unlike "The Shining," however, the alcoholic writer isn't being prodded by ghosts to go on a killing spree. There are no ghosts; she's just afraid of being the next victim.

It's hard to say I wouldn't have enjoyed the book if it hadn't been described in such a misleading way. I can't really give a fair assessment. Still, I appreciate the chance to read in exchange for review.

The Last Room on the Left is a darkly woven philological thriller that takes place in the mountains of the Catskills in New York during the winter and presents the reader with an immensely isolated, and claustrophobic setting.

The story is told in Kerry’s, Siobhan’s, and Allison’s point of view. Kerry- whose husband has left her because of her drinking problems and Kerry needing to finish writing a book due to a deadline- takes a job as caretaker at a motel. When she arrives, almost immediately, bizarre and creepy things start to happen. Not only that, she also discovers a dead and frozen body in the snow, and the mystery of who the victim is and what happened, begins to take shape, and unfold in the most astonishing way.

The reader quickly begins to doubt Kerry’s perspective due to alcohol and pills in the mix. As the story further escalates, all three of the women end up heavily drinking while emotions are running high. This highly charged element makes an interesting mix of dysfunction and drama among them to say the least.

The whole “feminist take on The Shining” by Stephen King mention as a “praiseworthy” comparison in the description of this book is quite a stretch. I did not see any sense of true feminism in this story whatsoever. If anything, there are few thoughts on two of the white males from two of the female’s perspective that are straight up assumptions at best. Not sure what Konen was trying to achieve with this. As for the comparison to “The Shining”, it isn’t in the least bit like it. There are literally zero supernatural elements, nor are the characters going totally mental in this story. Harsh, I know, but it is too glaring for me not to point out

Despite my criticisms, Konen is a great storyteller, and I enjoyed this fast pace physiological thriller. There are a lot of twists and turns that leave the reader guessing as to what is really going on and there is suspense in all the right places. Everyone is a suspect and Konen did a terrific job in portraying that. An atmospheric, chilling and a perfect read to hunker down with during the winter season.

Stephanie

I had high hopes for this thriller but sadly, it was a bit disappointing. I enjoyed the multiple narrators but found the characters difficult to like. That may have been the intention but it made the book drag down at times. Some of the thriller aspects were a bit too derivative.

Review of Uncorrected eBook Proof

Kerry Walsh is facing her last chance. Her due-to-the-publisher deadline is looming and her book, a novelization of her short story, is not written. She’s lied about her continued drinking; her husband, Frank, went to visit his brother, Danny, in New Jersey and did not return. She’s blocked from her former best friend, Siobhan Jones, and, with the unreliable power and wi-fi at the motel, she’s counting on being disconnected from everyone.

She’s arranged for a month’s stay in the Catskills at the Twilite Motel, closed for the season, but a place she can be alone and write. In the winter snow and cold, with no guests at the motel, the caretaker position seemed perfect as it would give her a solitary place to figure out how to quit drinking and spend lots of time with her writing.

Surprised to discover that someone seems to be staying in the room Maisy, the motel’s owner, told her to use, Kerry takes the room next door. She wonders who’s in the motel when it’s closed and she’s supposed to be the only one there.

And then she discovers a body buried in the snow . . . .

=========

Although this isn’t exactly a feminist version of “The Shining,” it is a decent thriller. The characters aren’t particularly likeable, their various relationships are in shambles, and Kerry has an unfortunate tendency to make questionable decisions [such as mixing alcohol and prescription medication].

Short chapters keep the narrative moving along at a decent pace; suspense builds as the telling of the tale keeps readers wondering if Kerry is in danger or if everything is simply an alcohol-fueled hallucination.

Unreliable characters, some unexpected plot twists, and a jaw-dropping denouement all work together to make this book one mystery lovers are sure to enjoy.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from PENGUIN GROUP Putnam / G.P. Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley
#TheLastRoomontheLeft #NetGalley

The tagline of "feminist version of the Shining" is in NO way what this is in ANY sense, so be warned. It's a fairly standard psychological thriller, a bit predictable at points but able to keep itself afloat. 3.5 stars, rounded up. tysm for the arc.

This is a heartstopper that will keep you in suspense and wondering rapidly reading to discover what happened in the last room on the left.. One of my favorites in the mystery genre. Keep up the super writing, Leah..

Kerry grabs the opportunity to caretake a trendy Catskills motel when her marriage implodes, and she needs a fresh start to finish her book. All seems to be well until she spies a body part, and the locked room suspense that follows is tense. It’s an easy one to read that will have you second guessing that weekend trip to the mountains.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free e-arc of this book that will be publishing mid-January of 2025.

To compare this to The Shining is a fallacy. Yes there are alcoholic caretakers of a hotel/motel out in the middle of nowhere during winter when a storm blows through adding to the ambiance, and we see how the alcoholism does affect the mind of the main character in some ways, but that is literally it.

There are no ghosts or strange happenings suggestive of the paranormal around the place. We don't really see the main character slowly going mad. It really is just a bunch of friend and relationship drama with a little bit of murder mystery thrown into the mix. To also call this feminist when it was in no way, shape, or form is reaching. I don't understand what is feminist about it, that there's mainly female characters and that all men are "evil"? I digress...

The twist at the end wasn't even that surprising. It's just very basic. It's a quick read if you just want to add it to your read list this year, but the book, unfortunately, was nothing new, original, or mind-blowing.

I normally really enjoy Leah Konen's books, but The Last Room on the Left moved really slowly. The storyline itself was good, but I just thought the pacing was off. To be fair, though, I would imagine it is hard to have a story featuring largely just one person. The author needs to tell you what the character is doing or thinking, and most of our thoughts just are not that interesting. Which brings me to my second criticism: I just didn't like the main character very much. I understand that she was supposed to be flawed, but I didn't like her or care enough about her to be vested in her story. The Last Room on the Left it was probably 3 and 1/2 out of 5 star read. It just wasn't quite as enjoyable for me as her other books.

This book creeps me out in the best way! A thrilling mystery with plots as bd twists. It kelgg TV me guessing the entire book! Read this one for a great time!!!

Creepy tale about how friendships and relationships can strain under the effects of alcoholism. Throw in a murder with the villain hiding in plain sight.

So the biggest mistake of all is that an editor or publisher or even the author themselves decided to describe this as a feminist take on The Shining.

Yeah…it’s not.

I mean, it’s in a motel and our MC is an alcoholic caretaker. And all comparisons to The Shining abruptly cease there.

The feminist part? I mean…there are some important things in the book about consent and daring to speak up for other women, but it’s late in the book and incredibly unimportant to the plot.

What you do have is a very serviceable dual timeline mystery. I was curious about what was happening, concerned for our women, and was definitely surprised by the *who* of everything. And if I weren’t set up to think I was getting some eerie Shining homage, I likely would have been much more satisfied.

Read it for what it actually is…not what it says it is.

• ARC via publisher