Well done for an audiobook, but this was a miss for me. I liked the narrator; very easy to follow and keep track of the characters/events. This set up of this sounded like it was going to be good, however, it ended up dragging and fell completely short for a thriller. I really enjoyed HIDDEN PICTURES so I’ll still pick up this author in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an early audiobook edition of “The Last One at the Wedding” by Jason Rekulak, narrated by John Pirhalla for an honest review.

What will you do for your child to protect them from bad decisions? This book will make you ask yourself that question.

After three years of not talking to his daughter Maggie, Frank Szatowski gets a phone call inviting him to her wedding. He wouldn’t miss it for the world! But when he meets his future son-in-law, Aiden Gardner for the first time, he is not impressed by the man. He is impressed that his daughter is marrying an extremely wealthy businessman's son. When he arrives at the Gardner’s summer estate in New Hampshire, he knows he’s out of his league, but he tries to make the best of it. However, it seems Aiden is nowhere to be found just days before his wedding, his daughter doesn’t have time to talk to him, and the mother of the groom does not leave her room. Something isn’t right.

The story unfolds with Frank unraveling the mystery of the strange behavior and trying to protect his daughter. Some twists will throw you off and throughout the book, you will ask yourself – “What would I do for my child to protect them?”

The characters were well developed. I found the story a little slow and I was not eager to get through it, other projects attracted me away from reading. It was just an Ok story for me. The narrator did a decent job of narrating the story.

If you are expecting creepy pictures and spooky atmospheric read, this is not it. Not a thriller, this is a story about Frank that gets a call from his estranged daughter about her upcoming nuptials to a son of a wealthy tech company.

Frank's dry humor kept me entertained and I liked how the story unravel with not everything as it seems. The addition of Frank's sister and foster kid added additional humor to the story.

The writing kept me interested to see what Frank finds.

John Pirhalla did a great job with the narration and bringing Frank to life.

Thank you @flatiron_books @macmillan.audio @netgalley for a copy of this ALC.

3.5 stars

I have been anticipating this book for MONTHS after loving Rekulak’s Hidden Pictures. This book has a completely different vibe but the twists are equally as shocking. A middle class father, three years estranged from his daughter receives an invitation to her wedding. As the story unfolds, father, Frank Szatowski continuously learns more and more about not only the very wealthy family his daughter is marrying into but also how much she has changed since she was his little girl. I loved the single POV and the convoluted pieces of the puzzle that finally all came together in the end. Excellent storytelling.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced reader audiobook in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved Hidden Pictures, so I was excited and ready to read the second book by Jason Rekulak. The narration was exceptional, one of the reasons I was hooked and listened to this audiobook in a matter of days BUT, and a big one, I loathe ambiguous endings. The last line left me so confused I had to go back and re-listen to the last chapter because I felt sure I missed something.

Overall, the story was curious, the characters were easy enough to follow… some likable and some
not along with some shocking moments. Don’t expect paranormal activity again or a high plot turning thriller, but overall a good story until the end when I felt like there were WAY too many loose ends. I would’ve loved to see those resolved better in order to rate this novel higher.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for my
honest review.

I went into this thinking it was a murder mystery type of read and by the end of it was utterly confused.

The beginning got me hooked easily but once the wedding was over it fell flat for me and I was bored.

I felt like there were a few plot holes that maybe was used as filler content that didn't make any sense and didn't have relevance to the story.

What was even the point? I feel like there was a lot of information, a lot of words, for very little to actually happen. I loved Hidden Pictures and had high hopes for this book. Sadly, it was a let down

I've been waiting to get my hands on this book. Can I just say I was pleasantly surprised and ended up loving this book.

Frank who is a proud UPS driver and father is excited when his only daughter Maggie contacts him to reveal she is getting married. At first Frank is put off by the marriage as Maggie has only known her fiance for a short time. Frank is more excited because their relationship has not been the best as of late. When Frank arrives at the wedding he finds that the fiance, Aiden seems a bit withdrawn from the festivities of the wedding. Frank puts his best foot forward and does his best to get to know the rich family but something is off. Leave it Frank to solve the mystery.

I enjoyed the theme of family, reconnecting, accepting and being true to yourself. Jason rekulak knows how to add the right about if mystery and drama to craft a well put together story line. Such a great read@

This thriller had me hooked from the start. The way it dove into the tension and secrets between the two families was so gripping. The complex relationships, all the hidden layers—it was the kind of drama that kept me guessing and wanting more with every chapter. I loved how it built up the suspense without ever feeling over the top.

The main character was definitely my favorite part. They felt so real—flawed but relatable, and I was completely invested in their journey. The audiobook made it even better because the narrator nailed it. The way they voiced the character’s emotions really added depth and made me feel like I was right there in the middle of everything.

If I had one gripe, it’s the ending. It went in a direction I wasn’t totally on board with, and it felt like maybe one twist too many. Still, that didn’t take away from how much I enjoyed the ride. The story had me on edge the entire time, and even when I wasn’t sure where it was going, I was fully along for the journey.

Honestly, I’m glad I picked this up. It was intense, emotional, and the audio performance really made it stand out for me.

I loved this book. There was a lot of drama some that I did not expect. It does show the power of money!!!

This author is a no-go for me. My second read by him, the other being Hidden Pictures, which I only sort of liked. At least I was intrigued.

This book was awful, but I finished it, hence the 2 stars instead of one. The only thing I liked was how things ended with Abigail, all I’ll say to avoid spoilers.

For starters, I did the audio version and the narrator sounded like Casey Kasem, a cheesy 80’s top 40 radio host if you aren’t old enough to know who that is. Killed the vibe entirely.

Secondly, the two characters we spent the most time with, Frank and his sister, whose name I can’t even remember, brought images to mind of Kitty and Red Forman, the parents from That 70’s Show…just cheesy and old-fashioned. Maybe the author thinks that’s what people in their 50’s are like? I can assure you, he is very mistaken. Other than these two, every other character was completely flat and forgettable.

There was zero suspense for me, zero build up, zero thrill, zero payoff. I was bored to tears.

Ironically, Frank is a UPS driver, which makes sense because the first half of this book felt like a rundown of logistics for travel and wedding itinerary. FUN 🙄

SKIP this one. At the very least, skip the audio.

***I also have to mention a MASSIVE TRIGGER WARNING for suicide because this one was written with the least sensitivity I have ever read. Unnecessary to say the least!***

Holy cow...this is the first Jason Rekulak book I have "read" but it won't be the last! I look forward to future books, as well as reading the previous ones. This story had me hooked....i could not stop listening. While I wasn't a huge fan of the narrator, the story was so engrossing! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced listen.

Frank Szatowski is thrilled to hear from his daughter, Maggie, after three years of estrangement. Maggie is marrying the son so Al a wealthy man, and she wants her Dad there.But Frank finds an unsolved disappearance associated with his future in-laws, and suddenly begins to doubt everything he knows about Maggie.

This was a well narrated audiobook of a fantastic story. I love Rekulak:s storytelling.

The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak offers a slow burn of a story, but it left me feeling underwhelmed in the end. Frank, our narrator, is a complicated protagonist who seems intentionally crafted to be unlikable. His off-putting judgment of 10-year-old Abigail was one of several moments where his character felt particularly hard to connect with. While it seemed like this might have been a setup for his character development, it didn’t feel fully earned by the end.

There are many unlikeable characters in this novel, and Frank's commentary, especially his offhand remark about his workplace trying to hire more women because of "me too and everything," felt particularly cringeworthy. The first-person narration had moments that were similarly overdone, though perhaps this was intentional to highlight Frank's flawed personality.

I kept waiting for a big twist to shake things up, but it never quite delivered. The story unfolded slowly, with the tension building but never truly reaching a satisfying payoff. It was more of a character-driven slow burn than a thriller (with unlikeable characters), and while that can work for some books, here it left little room for satisfaction by the end.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The narrator for this book sounds exactly how I picture the character would. A+ casting. I listened to the whole book in 1.75x speed and had no problems with clarity.

The book itself kept my attention but didn't blow me away with a big twist or anything. None of the creepy vibes that Hidden Pictures had, just a strait forward thriller. It honestly felt more realistic than most thrillers nowadays do. The MMC is a UPS driver, not a retired cop or anything painfully predictable like that. You could tell me this was based off a true story and I'd believe you.

Thank you for this early audio ARC! I really enjoyed listening to this book as the narrator had such a soothing voice! I wouldn’t consider The Last One At The Wedding to be a thriller but more a mystery/full of suspense. There were a ton of twist in this book that kept me engaged but it was a little on the slower side. Overall, 4 stars for me!

4.5⭐️ rounded up
I am thankful to have gotten the audio ALC for free from Netgalley and MacMillian Audio so I can leave my voluntary review.


Wow! I ended up liking this book more than I expected to. I listened to it on 2x the speed rate as I was so interested in figuring out what was going on.

The narrator was just ok. I didn’t overly enjoy his natural voice but when sped up it made it listenable for me.

I would say this is more a psychological thriller. It’s different as there isn’t a suspense which usually accompanies thrillers. It’s more like the story is unfolding for the father getting a new perspective on his daughter. It was a good glimpse into people thinking one thing but reality being completely different. And that is because of emotion impacting people’s recollections.

I’ve never read this author before but I expect this one isn’t as fast paced as his last book from comments I’ve heard. So you need to take it as its own book and not compare it.

I don’t usually round up but my experience and enjoyment warranted me doing so in this instance.

It comes out on October 8th 2024 so get it on your TBR!’
My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

I had heard phenomenal things about this author and was eager to jump into this book. Rekulak did a phenomenal job setting up fascinating characters and a mystery where something just not right flickers in the periphery.

A reveal occurs that causes both the main character and the reader to contemplate some heavy concepts. I think Rekulak deftly segues into this part of the story (and I enjoy thought provoking books). However, the reveal itself felt odd and like bit of a stretch to me—so much so that I ended up disliking the remainder of the book.

Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listener copy - pub day is Oct 8! I have never read any of Jason Rekulak’s other books so when other bookstagrammers said he leans more into horror I was wary but was told this had none of that; it is purely a thriller, and they were correct it has no horror aspects.

I’ll just give it to you straight: I didn’t like it and almost abandoned it several times. 1.5 rounded up to 2.

Frank gives us his POV as he recalls everything from the phone call he receives from his estranged daughter when she tells him she’s getting married up to the present moment. There’s a constant foreboding as little red flags continuously pop up. However, I felt that it dragged on for the first 60% or so, despite listening at 2x speed which is very unusual for me, and there was a lot of unnecessary “filler content” to make it longer than it needed to be (also to be honest, Frank’s sister and her foster daughter drove me nuts! I could’ve done without them. I almost DNF’d because of them, though, really, basically everyone is an unlikable or untrustworthy character (I found myself shaking my head and cringing so many times with the ridiculous and annoying antics). Also, there were too many scenes with spiders (if you’re squeamish like me about them the audiobook makes it hard to skip these). Finally, then when a body turns up the day before the wedding, I decided to continue on. From there it starts to gain more steam, almost too much, so that at 82% I was left wondering how there could still be 2 hours left to listen to. And then the ending felt so rushed and abrupt.

Warnings include death of spouse/parent, familial estrangement, a character refers to being mugged and assaulted, some profanity, brief sexual content and infidelity, some violence, murder and suicide, drug use. Can’t say that I was impressed by this author, and due to my preferences and given his tendencies to go into genres I don’t read, I’m pretty unlikely to pick up his others. I really pushed myself through this one for the sake of providing an honest review.

The Last One at the Wedding" is billed as a psychological thriller, but I’m not convinced it fully lives up to that label. While it hints at tension and intrigue and has a little mystery, the characters lack the depth to drive a compelling psychological narrative. The main event, which should have been the crux of the mystery, falls flat, leaving the reader wanting more suspense and surprise. Though there are moments of promise, the book ultimately doesn't deliver the twists and layers that fans of the genre might expect.