This is part family drama and part thriller. The description of the camp or compound the family vacationed at made me feel like I was there. This read was completely entertaining and very binge worthy. I could not stop listening. The narrator was engaging and kept me wanting more.

Jason Rekulak does it again with this tension filled thriller. A very intriguing premise that leads to a very satisfying ending. It’s hard to get into any detail without approaching spoiler territory but I went in to this blind and it did not disappoint! Also brings in some real issues like familial trauma and estrangement.

This was a completely different kind of book that takes you on a rollercoaster of a ride right up until the end.
I found myself rooting for Frank then shaking my head at him then back again on repeat, such an enjoyable read.

I'd say this is 4 to 4.5 stars, but Goodreads won't me do half stars. This was unlike anything in Hidden Pictures but equally as intriguing. The twists start popping off half through, and it just keeps going wild from there. While this was quite suspenseful abs thrilling, it was so equally moving and heartfelt between the MMC and Abigail. I rooted literally ssooooo hard for her, and she wasn't even the FMC. I loved how the narrator portrayed the MMC. It was spot on, and he truly did an amazing job!! If it's Jason Rekulak, I'm 100% going to read it. It's good and has bits of his creative writing abilities you didn't see in Hidden Pictures. Again, still in awe! Ending left me wanting more, but overall, I'd highly recommend this one!

I received this ARC from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.

Perfect alignment with narrator and character POV. Absolutely nailed the dad. This book was very well done and I will be recommending both the audio and print. Thank you for making this version available NetGalley and the publisher.

The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak
Narrated by John Pirhalla

Frank Szatowski seems like such a nice guy. He loves his job and is very good at it. He's a good man and did his best to raise his daughter, Maggie, after his wife had died. But at some point Frank had driven Maggie away and his heart aches for her and the fact that she is no longer in his life. But now Maggie has called him and wants her at his wedding in New Hampshire.

Why does Frank feel so uncomfortable about this wedding and even the fact that Maggie all the sudden wants him in her life? Curiosity thoroughly aroused, Frank and his "plus two" arrive at the very secluded, very luxurious private estate to hang with people he'd never be in the presence of in normal circumstances. Immediately things seem to be off. Maggie and her fiancé hardly look at each other, the fiancé's mom seems to be sequestered in her room, and then there are the things that Franks sees and overhears.

Add to this discomfort of things not being right there are the vermin...not telling you what kind but...ICK!!! This could have all been OTT weirdness but I liked Frank and his "plus two" so much that I just wanted him to get out of there before something bad happened. OOPS!!! Too late! Apparently nothing will get a wealthy people wedding called off though...we are not in a normal world anymore.

This is the sixth narration I've heard by John Pirhalla and I sing his praises every time. He's great as Frank, adding to Frank's "common everyday" guy demeanor. Frank is not a perfect man but it's hard for him to not judge what he is seeing and hearing. How does his daughter fit into all of this? Can he save her from whatever is going on, should he save her? That's for Frank to figure out for himself with a little help for his "plus two".

Thank you to Macmillan Audio/Flatiron Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

Loved this so much & absolutely wasn’t what I expected at all after reading Hidden Pictures.

Definitely more of a mystery this book left little for me to feel was missing. It unfolded in so phenomenal way and made me sad it was over.

Absolutely worth the opportunity to read it if for nothing else you are able to see how well Jason Rekulak can change it up in his ability to write amazing stories!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this amazing story in exchange for my honest review!

Sadly I didn’t realize this is the second book in Jason Rekulak’s series and I didn’t read Hidden Pictures before reading this book, and while I feel like it would have helped…

The Last One at the Wedding had me hooked from the start. With its slow building suspense and intriguing family drama I couldn’t help but want to keep listening!

Frank’s attempt to reconnect with his estranged daughter at her big fancy wedding kept me dying to know what came next, especially as the mystery built between Frank and the mysterious, too good to be true, fiancé and father-in-law.

When the plot reveals a missing woman with connections to the soon to be family it provided the premise for a great thriller! And when it came to the big reveal, and let’s just say it was nothing like I was expecting!

While the twist was definitely a surprise, the way it was presented was a bit too much and nearly derailed the whole story for me…

But overall it was a captivating read. I loved Franks character and his willingness to make sacrifices! I just wish the twist would have been a little more discreet…

***Contained a few MA words, and a brief MA scene

Huge thank you to @netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced audiobook copy!

This story was very interesting. It started off strong but quickly became a slow burn, which I didn’t mind. It kept my attention all the way to the end. I was fascinated by these characters, some with no morals at all 😳 which made it really hard to root for any of them. Even though it is a thriller there were some very touching moments in the book between Frank and his sister’s foster child. I also loved the narrator! He really brought the story to life!

Read if you enjoy:
▪️slow burn suspense
▪️weddings
▪️family drama
▪️spiders
▪️untrustworthy characters
▪️New England setting

The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak
Release Date: 10/8/24
Format: audio
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Oof. Another highly anticipated thriller of the year that fell flat for me. I loved Hidden Pictures so so much and could not wait for this book. I was so thrilled to get the advanced listening copy (thank you @netgalley) after being immediately rejected for the eARC and dove right in!

This book just unfortunately never had any character or plot line that drew me in or made me invested. Nothing was overly engaging or mysterious, and even the character I was rooting for the most (our girl Abigail who was hated so much by Frank for no reason) felt written a bit like a caricature.

I wasn’t expected Hidden Pictures vibes, but I am a bit disappointed by the story and lack of momentum. Will still check out whatever he writes next but will not be writing a full review on my page as he is from my community and I do respect him a great deal. I will review briefly on goodreads and still wish him a happy pub day on 10/8 through my page.

The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak
Expertly narrated by John Pirhalla
11 hrs 13 minutes at 1x speed
7 hrs 29 minutes at 1.5x speed
5 hrs 37 minutes at 2x speed

This book is COMPLETELY different from “Hidden Pictures” ( no Supernatural vibes) but equally as SURPRISING!

Frank Szatowski has been estranged from his daughter Maggie for three years.

So, he is shocked when she calls him to invite him to her wedding. And, he is even more surprised when he finds out that she is marrying Aidan Gardner, the son of the famous tech billionaire, Errol Gardner.

When they meet for dinner at the young couple’s luxury apartment, Aidan is withdrawn, and evasive. He doesn’t show any interest in getting to know his new father-in-law to be. The red flags 🚩 start waving.

The wedding will be held at a secluded private estate—which can host the 300+ guests with ease. Frank, a UPS driver feels completely out of his league, and just wants to spend time with his daughter to make up for the past three years but Maggie doesn’t seem to have any time for him.

When he receives an anonymous warning about Aidan, he tries to get answers from Maggie about the accusations being made-but she brushes him off. He becomes more and more exasperated, fearing that Maggie is about to make a terrible mistake-but he can’t risk pushing her away again so soon after getting her back!

He will have to do some digging on his own…

The book sets up the family dynamics in the first half, with the likable Frank, your “everyday” kind of father, narrating. And, around the 50% point the book delivers its FIRST shocking revelation! And, they keep on coming!

Be prepared to now question everything you thought you knew.

I was riveted-a book I definitely couldn’t wait to return to-every chance that I got.

And, best of all-you don’t have to wait long to find out exactly what was happening for yourself-
Expected publication date-October 8, 2024

Thank You to Macmillan Audio for the gifted ARC provided by NetGalley Shelf. As always, these are my candid thoughts!

First, let me say how truly excited I was to be approved for this ARC! This was also my first netgalley audiobook and I wasn't what to expect with narration or recording quality. However, I had no reason to worry, because this narrator is fantastic. He lends depth and character to all aspects of the story, and his voice is perfect for the first-person narration used throughout this novel. With that being said, I do have some complaint about the book itself....
First, I loved the foster kid angle and the author's attempt to bring a voice to kids with difficult upbringings. With that being said, I found this particular character fairly purposeless throughout the story. While there were some redeeming aspects to her character at the end of the story, the majority of her interaction in the plot line felt more frustrating than useful. I respect Rekulak's attempt to speak to the difficulties of foster children, but the way this character was written became more annoying then anything else.
Second, I was hugely disappointed in the ending of this story. Rekulak's first book, Hidden Pictures had an amazing ending which I found incredibly well-written and satisfying, however, I cannot say the same for the ending of this book. Actually, the novel ended and I looked up from what I was doing to double check that I was actually at the end of the story. I didn't really connect with Maggie at all, and the way her storyline ended fell completely flat. I was very invested in the plot of this book, and it definitely kept me reading, but I was bummed by the abrupt halt that comprised this conclusion.
Overall, good, but not great (excluding the quality of the narrator, who was fantastic). Would I recommend? Maybe... was his other book WAY better? Absolutely!

Thank you for letting me listen!
This review is posted to my goodreads account as of 09/27/2024

First I would like to thank Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced audiobook.

I loved Hidden Pictures last year and was very much looking forward to this one as well. I didn’t like this one quite as much but it was still an enjoyable listen. I do think this book is less thriller and more mystery. It didn’t have me on the edge of my seat and I was never seriously worried for anyone’s safety.

My favorite parts were everything that had to do with Frank’s sister and Abigail. They added so much to the story and really helped bring Frank’s character to life. I struggled to really connect with Frank. He just seemed to be angry and untrusting throughout the whole story and I didn’t understand why he was so angry with Abigail throughout most of the story.

The narration of the story was fantastic and really helped bring the story to life.

I rated it 3.5/5 stars rounded up to 4 for this review.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was amazing- I quickly added his name to my list of narrators that I look for. The storyline was interesting but I didn’t feel like it was anything exceptional. I loved the first book by this author so I was a little disappointed that I wasn’t hooked by this one too. I’m sure this will be a favorite for some but it was not the book for me.

The Last One at the Wedding explores the story of a father grappling with the estranged relationship he has with his soon-to-be-wed daughter. At first, Frank is ecstatic to hear from his daughter, Maggie, and learn of her upcoming nuptials, hoping this is the perfect time to repair their broken relationship. Unfortunately, not all is what it seems when it comes to Frank’s future son-in-law and his family. This rich family has secrets they’ll do anything to keep hidden.

As you can assume based on the above summary, this is a vastly different read than Hidden Pictures. While this author’s previous work was chocked full of suspense and thrill, this is a much tamer book. I’m not so sure I’d call it a thriller – perhaps a slow burn domestic suspense? Even that feels like a bit of a stretch. The cast consists of all extremely unlikeable characters, which is no surprise when you’re dealing with the rich and snooty. Anyone can get away with murder if they have enough money to cover it up right? Even the “feel good” character, Frank, while relatable, he still wasn’t overly likeable. It makes the story a lot harder to get fully invested in when there’s truly no characters you’re rooting for.

Audio review: At first, I wasn't fond of the narrator's voice, but as the story unfolded, it surprisingly became a perfect fit for the father’s character. It definitely worked well for this story, and overall was easy to follow along with.

Random trigger – but there’s awkward mentions of bugs such as spiders and lice in this book. It’s a bit cringey.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to review this ALC. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book was fantastic! I had no idea any direction it was going to go and those are the best kinds. I was hooked from the first few minutes of the book. The narrator was also wonderful, made it super easy to follow along. I was able to imagine everything happening, it was so descriptive. The twists were phenomenal. I totally have another favorite author to add to my list.

Not my favorite but still had some solid moments. The pacing felt off at times, which also diminished my experience. I thought the narrator was just ok. Overall, I'd say this one could be worth the listen but isn't one to bump to the top of your list.

I really enjoyed this book. The story was great and the narrator was wonderful. I will read more from this author.

I genuinely enjoyed the narrator, Frank's point of view throughout this story. I'm a sucker for the uber rich celebrating a wedding at a getaway location with some murder involved.

Rekulak does a great job developing some seemingly ever-changing characters that do the last thing you would suspect. This story does a great job weaving relationships and makes you question what you would do to protect your own family (or your own wealth?)

Would highly recommend as an entertaining mystery read (the audiobook narrator was 10/10 as well).

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I went into this audiobook with zero expectations, but I was really blown away by how great it turned out to be. The drama, suspense, and tension had me hooked, and the unexpected twists and hidden secrets kept me on my toes. I was so into the story that I just couldn’t hit pause!

John Pirhalla's narration was a highlight for me; he truly brought the book to life. The story is told from a first-person perspective, and Pirhalla made the main character, Frank, feel incredibly authentic, which made the whole experience even more captivating. The audio quality was also impressive, which is always a nice bonus.

A big thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for giving me the chance to listen to this advanced reader copy.

Official release on October 8th, 2024!