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 When Frank arrives at the wedding he finds that the fiance, Aiden seems a bit withdrawn from the festivities of the wedding.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.

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!