Don't mind the average ratings- this was a good one! Rekulak’s Hidden Pictures was smash hit that rode the line between suspense and horror. The Last One at the Wedding is a thriller, through and through. If you go in expecting this book to be something its not, that is not the book’s fault lmao

Its not often that I read a book written by a male author, with a male MC., and rarer still that I really click with that MC, but Frank in this book was the quintessential middle-class dad archetype and it worked to keep the reader engaged and in the first POV camp. Aside from Frank, most other characters fall into a “rich people behaving badly” theme with a culty vibe. It was very entertaining! Some parts in this book had my jaw on the floor. I couldn’t put it down and finished it in a day.

I wholly recommend this book to thriller readers and give it 4.5 stars. Thank you MacMillan Audio for the ALC of The Last One at the Wedding, which is available now.

After not speaking for years, Frank’s daughter, Maggie, calls him to tell him that she’s getting married. Initially, she is hesitant to tell her father much about her fiancé, who is part of a very, very wealthy family. But once he meets his future son in law, Aiden Gardner, Frank is happy for Maggie and hopeful that this exciting event will help them to mend their previously broken relationship. Frank wants to make sure Maggie is making the right decision by learning more about the Gardner family, but it turns out that they have unimaginable secrets.

Seemingly an unpopular opinion, but I loved this book! This audiobook was fantastic and I couldn’t stop listening! John Pirhalla was an absolutely phenomenal narrator and really brought our main character, Frank, to life.

I went in blind, so didn’t know what to expect. I’ve seen reviews saying that other readers didn’t like any of the characters, but I think that was kind of the point! Frank is an average, blue collar guy- nothing specifically memorable or special about him. But he finds himself in this bizarre situation where his daughter is suddenly marrying into a very wealthy family. I loved reading the story through Frank’s perspective and how innocent he was (ex- offering to pay for the alcohol for the wedding and vastly underestimating how much it would really cost). To me, he was really relatable as a normal person and that kept me invested in the story.

PS- There was one overly descriptive scene that I wish I could block out of my mind…

I enjoyed this one, but his first book is still my favorite. I really did love that he dove into how you can think you know someone, but you never really door or how you can somehow push back those things that you know to be true about the person. This one was shocking and really sad to think that people can be so horrible. I did not see the twist coming. You know something isn't quite right with this wedding, but this kept me guessing.

Overall: 4/5
Audio: 3/5 I had to listen on 1.5-2

What would a dad do for the love of his daughter? I appreciated how the reader was introduced to Frank as a dad estranged from his daughter. When she contact his out of the blue, we are rooting for him to rekindle his relationship. We see Maggie through his adoring eyes. As the story goes on and more details are revealed, we begin to see what Frank has overlooked about his duaghter and the type of person she really is.
There were a few eye opening revelations and the story started to make a lot more sense. But was it better when Frank and the reader only knew surface information? How far would you go to protect the one you loved, even if they don't want to be helped?
This one definitely tugged at the heart strings of any single parent thinking they did all that they could to raise their child to make good choices. <i>The Last One at the Wedding</i> is a great psychological family drama that has short chapters, leading to a quick read. You will have a hard time putting it down because you want to know what is going to be revealed next. And in the same way, the audiobook was very easy to listen to and hard to pause.

I just finished the audio version of The Last One at the Wedding. It was a good mystery that kept you guessing most of the way through it. I liked the main character and also liked the narrator. The book is about a father that tries to be a good man and still wants to help his troubled daughter. He has a hard time when he thinks of compromising his morals to help his daughter. His daughter is a woman with real issues. She has no moral compass and the father finally learns this and has to decide what to do. This book was a fun, mystery read that I would love to read on the beach! I figured out the "villain" before the end but it kept me guessing throughout most of the book. I recommend this book!

This was a fine read; I cannot say that I loved it, but I also didn’t find anything glaringly bad about it. I tend to stray away from books that focus on characters who are rich/incredibly wealthy, and this book has a focus on wealth, wealthy people and the power that they wield with it. The dialogue between the characters was also not my favorite- the conversations felt overly explained, but also were simply weird at times. Overall, if you like this author and don’t mind a heavy focus on wealth, give this a read! I’m giving this 3.5⭐️

This was an intriguing thriller with an interesting premise, but it didn’t fully deliver for me. The family drama and tension held my attention, and the secluded setting added to the suspense. However, the pacing dragged at times, and the twists weren’t as impactful as I expected. It’s an okay read for fans of family-centered thrillers, but it didn’t quite reach its full potential.

I enjoyed this book but it was way more family drama with a side of mystery than a thriller. The audiobook held my attention and I liked the narrators voice.

Listened at 2.5x speed with no issues. Thought the narrator did a nice job with the full cast of characters.

This story wasn't my favorite. Frank was a nice guy, so the way that multiple other characters treated him hurt my heart a bit... and the aunt was just a little too laidback to be fully believable. The story was a bit of a rollercoaster in terms of keeping me engaged. It was not as "dark" of a story as was promoted, and read much more like a YA thriller.

Overall: 3 stars (I liked it)

**Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for the free ALC. All opinions expressed are my own.**

This was a ride! Can’t definitely say I didn’t see these twists coming. Although some parts made me cringe be abuse of awkward situations I really enjoyed the dad and aunt. Super satisfying ending until the last few lines haha

Despite having HIDDEN PICTURES on my shelf for far too long, this was my first Jason Rekulak book. I found it to be mediocre. At first I couldn't jive with the male narrator, but I think that's more because I didn't jive with Frank. He grew on me though (both the character and the narrator) as the book progressed and I could feel all of Frank's dad energy (though I personally found him to be quite the dimwit). The storyline was okay! It wasn't anything I haven't read before, but I did enjoy how things turned out for Maggie in the end so all wasn't lost.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for my ALC in exchange for a review.

4 Stars
I pulled an all-nighter until 2:00 a.m. to finish this captivating read! I paired my eagerly awaited pre-ordered hard copy with an Advanced Listening Copy (ALC) from the publisher. Immersing myself in the pages was a far superior experience compared to the audiobook. Unfortunately, the narration wasn’t my cup of tea; whenever the male narrator, John Pirhalla, attempted female voices, it came across as overly whiny, which prompted me to switch back to reading quickly.

This book indeed took hold of me—it was well-paced, and I couldn’t put it down. Even when I did, my mind reverted to the plot’s twists and turns. If you’re a fan of unreliable narrators, secrets, manipulation, and a tension-filled atmosphere where trust is a rare commodity, this book is a must-read! Trust me—you won’t want to miss out on the immersive journey it offers.

Prepare yourself for a gripping journey where family bonds and dark secrets intertwine in a suspense-filled drama that will keep you on the edge of your seat. In the vein of supernatural mysteries like *Hidden Pictures*, Jason Rekulak masterfully crafts a narrative that explores the complexities of human nature—where nothing is quite what it seems. Adults weave intricate lies and the line between good and evil blurs. At its heart, this tale challenges our instinctual drive to shield children's innocence from the darkness lurking in the world.

Meet Frank Szatowski, a father estranged from his daughter Maggie for three long years following a bitter confrontation. Just when he least expects it, he receives a call that flips his world upside down—Maggie is getting married in New Hampshire, and she wants him to be there. Frank's heart swells with joy at hearing her voice, but unease creeps in as he realizes he knows little about her fiancé, Aiden, except that he comes from a wealthy family.

When an ominous photograph arrives in the mail, suggesting that Aiden may be involved in the murder of a local girl, Frank's protective instincts kick into overdrive. Doubt gnaws at him, and he can’t shake the unsettling feeling that something is wrong.

As Frank journeys to the grand Gardner estate with his sister and her foster daughter, the atmosphere thickens with taut suspense and mystery. What he encounters there is far stranger and more unsettling than he could have imagined. This gripping tale touches on the lengths a father will go to for his child's safety, testing the boundaries of ethics and the consequences of his actions.

Prepare for a shocking revelation that will leave you breathless. The truth is darker than you think; nothing will be the same again once the dark veil of dark family secrets is lifted and brought into the light.

I want to thank Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

How far does a father’s love go?
Frank is about to find out in this domestic suspense. Frank, who has been estranged from his daughter Maggie for several years, is surprised when she calls him out of the blue and invites him to her wedding. Frank, is excited about finally hearing from his daughter after all this time is willing to put any red flags aside to make his daughter happy.
Let me tell you, this book surprised me several times. At times I didn’t think I heard the narrator correctly, and I would go back to replay it and yes…jaw dropped a few times. This is a slow burn but stay with it because it will all be worth it in the end.
Narrated by John Pirhalla, who did a phenomenal job portraying all of the characters in this book. John kept me engaged till the very end.
Perfect for lovers of domestic suspense, and father/daughter relationship.

The Last One at the Wedding is a mystery thriller about Frank Szatowski, an aging father and military veteran who is proud of his humble background and hard work ethic. He receives a call from his estranged daughter who says she is marrying into a wealthy family, and she hopes that he will attend and walk her down the aisle. Frank is delighted to reunite with his daughter, and hopes that they can repair the rift, but after meeting with the groom and his family, Frank senses that there is something off about the groom’s family, and possibly the wedding itself. Despite its misgivings, Frank attends the wedding with his sister and her foster daughter, and soon he finds himself knee-deep in his new future in-laws’ family secrets.

I was blown away by the character development in this book. Frank follows a fairly classic archetype: he’s a widower who is settled in his life, happy with his blue collar job, and lives his life based on his own moral compass. He loves his daughter but their estrangement three years ago has left him feeling like he failed her as a father. He is quickly overwhelmed by his daughter Maggie’s new lifestyle and wealthy in-laws, and instead of trying to fit in, he views the wedding as a test to his character: he reaches out to Maggie’s future father-in-law to have a man-to-man conversation, makes plans to contribute financially to the wedding as best he can, and earnestly tries to connect with his future son-in-law Aidan, despite how withdrawn and emotionally unavailable the young man seems to be. It is clear to the reader from the very beginning that Frank is missing some of the contextual clues around him, and some of that seems to be intentional: he does not want to play the games of the wealthy and powerful. Frank is there to support his daughter and walk away at the end of the wedding unchanged. However, Frank has other responsibilities as well: his sister and her foster child are present, and Frank feels responsible for their wellbeing. It is also clear to the reader that Maggie’s motivations are more complicated than they appear on the surface, and occasional slips of her mask reveal another story about how and why her relationship with Aidan developed. Unfortunately I feel like I can’t say much more about Maggie and her secrets without revealing spoilers, but overall she and Aidan are well-rounded characters with backstories that I enjoyed discovering.

The entire narrative is filtered through Frank’s perspective, and while it is clear from the beginning that he may be an unreliable narrator, his own knowledge gaps give the reader a chance to see where the plot might be headed. I usually have mixed feelings about unreliable narrators because it’s a difficult strategy to implement while still feeling natural, but I think it works so well in this book because it’s built upon Frank’s own willful ignorance as a character. Because Frank is well developed and trustworthy as a person, his failure to grasp the situation around him comes across as believable and endearing rather than feeling contrived. I loved feeling like a detective as I tried to see through Frank’s own filter on the world, and I was happy to find that the payoff at the end of the novel was absolutely worth the work.

Overall, I’ll give The Last One at the Wedding a 9 out of 10. This is an incredibly well-written thriller with believable characters and an interesting mystery. I think most readers will find it to be an enjoyable read.

Very different from Hidden Pictures- there's no supernatural vibe here. Just a straight up, domestic thriller with a us vs them class and culture clash. Good suggestion for those readers looking for an engaging page-turner with characters motivated by family.

Audiobook was excellently narrated and a delight to listen to.

Personally it wasn’t for me, but It is an entertaining audiobook, our mystery lovers will have fun trying to figure out what really is happening in this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for making this title available to review.

I almost didn't hit the request button for this title. The authors last book, Hidden Pictures left me with a funny taste. If you are a fan of domestic thrillers that are full of lies, deceit, and murder, then this book is for you. This book takes a father-daughter relationship and twists it into something dark. The books takes the idea of how far one would go for ones children to a whole different level. I gave it 3 and a half stars.

This is my first book by Jason Rekulak and I'm a little unsure how I feel about it.

It had some good twists, the narration was good, it didn't end with a horrible ambiguous ending (I hate when that happens with thrillers), BUT I could not stand ANY of the characters. Their constant whining and complaining, their aloofness and disregard for others, and OMG the decisions they made that were ALWAYS a bad idea. Common sense was not a trait I could attribute to any of them.

Was I entertained? Yes. Did I also roll my eyes multiple times at the situations the characters got themselves into? Also yes.

A very conflicting read that I think I would still recommend to certain readers.

3.5/5

Widowed father Frank gets an unexpected wedding invitation from his estranged daughter Maggie, who is marrying the heir to an electric vehicle battery magnate. But something feels off as soon as Frank arrives at Maggie's apartment to meet his future son-in-law, and things only get weirder during the wedding weekend in New Hampshire...

Wow, what a crazy story full of twists and turns. A missing ex-girlfriend of the groom, an absent mother of the groom, an emotionally distant fiancé, Maggie's troubled past, and so much more. I loved the New England settings of this book, and it had characters ranging from warm and charming to cool and diabolical. The story is well paced and it never lags. I highly recommend this one, especially in audiobook form. The narrator did a great job voicing all of the characters.

I am giving this 4 stars. I really liked the narrator. He had the voices down great and it was easy to understand who was who. The details of the book were great. I would love to read more from this author.
I found the beginning a bit on the slower pace but it really picked up and it was hard to put down. The end I felt was a bit disappointing tho. I would have liked a bit more.
I would definitely recommend this to someone who enjoys a good family drama/ mystery.