I hadn't read anything by this author before, but I was pleasantly surprised! There were so many twists, turns, and secrets.

The audiobook version that I received was actually really good! I loved the narrator. He kept great pacing, and his character voices never leaned too cringy. It reminded me of listening to old murder mysteries with my grandpa.

Some of the story was mildly repetitive and slow, which is the only reason why I removed a star.

✦ Domestic Thriller
✦ Family secrets
✦ North East setting
✦ Class differences
✦ Single POV

⚠️ - Yes (murder, suicide, lice, spiders, etc)
👥 - 3/5
🌎 - 3/5
🗡️ - 2/5
💀 - 1/5


Thank you #netgalley and #macmillanaudio for the ARC of this book and giving me the chance to read and review it with my own thoughts and opinions

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced version of this title. The audiobook reader sounds exactly as I envision the main character and keeps a steady pace throughout the book. There is so much to unravel in this book you aren’t sure where to turn. Just when you think you have the gotcha moment another twist comes barreling at you. Be ready for the book to take a little bit to get you to where it is going but the journey is worth the wait.

Gripping, entertaining, twisted and intense, The Last One at the Wedding is another intriguing book by Jason Rekulak! This book is full of secrets, lies, twists, drama, family issues, and atmosphere.

Frank is shocked when his daughter, Maggie, calls him after three years of estrangement to let him know that she is going to get married in New Hampshire soon! She wants him to be there, and he is more than happy to hear from her and to be back in her life! Her finance, Aidan, is an artist who seems a little aloof, but Frank is willing to give him time. Prior to arriving to Aidan's family estate, Frank receives an ominous letter. When Frank, his sister and her foster daughter arrive at for the wedding festivities in New Hampshire, he learns that the locals have their own thoughts on the Gardner family.

This was a twisted and engaging book which kept me on my toes as it became clear that all that glitters, as the saying goes, was not gold. Things are bubbling underneath the surface of the perfect setting and posh lifestyle of the Gardner family. As Frank becomes more concerned, the tension and sense of dread begin to emanate and flow throughout the book.

I kept trying to figure out how things were going to turn out and I thought I was quite clever but then the author threw in a twist, and I found that I was far from the truth! I love when that happens.

I have read one other book by this author, Hidden Pictures, and enjoyed how this book was completely different from that book. This book is completely different, and I appreciate how the author went in another direction for this book.

I enjoyed the drama, the suspense, the tension, the twists, deception, and secrets in this book. I found this book to be well written, well thought out, and gripping. I also enjoyed the beautiful New England setting which provided atmosphere.

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narration.

Centering this story around a wedding gave it a wonderful structure, even if the action extends beyond the actual wedding day. It is the tale of a complicated family: widower Frank and his estranged daughter Maggie, Frank’s sister Tammy and her foster daughter Abigail, and the extremely wealthy family into which Maggie is marrying. The conflicts that ensue—largely regarding money, status, and class (but also privacy, power, and control)—pervade the book, and create a tense atmosphere for a wedding about to take place between a couple who do not seem to be very much in love. The relationship between Maggie and Aiden is reminiscent of an arranged marriage and made me wonder why this could be so…and I did eventually get my answer. I found myself totally engaged in this book and all of the often-puzzling actions of the central characters. Many things made me cringe—from Frank’s over-eager attempts to reconcile with his daughter, to Tammy’s insistence on including her foster daughter in events with often-disastrous consequences, to the never-ending secrets and lies of the Gardners—but I found the mystery and the drama so compelling. The audiobook was excellent, with the perfect narrator for Frank’s distinctive character and voice; I highly recommend this format. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to provide an honest review of this audiobook.

Title: The Last One at the Wedding
Author: Jason Rekulak- Author of Hidden Pictures ( 5 stars)
Publishing Co.: Macmillan Audio
Narrator: Jon Pirhalia
Publication Date: October 8, 2024
length: 50 Chapters
352 Pages
Listening time: 9 hours 45 minutes
Trigger Warnings: *Murder
*Suicide
*Extra Marital Affairs
* Use of Drugs
* Family Secrets/Estrangement
*Arson

If you're expecting a Hidden Pictures sequel this is not the book for you! However, if you are looking for a slow-burn mystery/thriller then by all, means cozy up or listen to Jason Rekulak's The Last One at the Wedding. should be added to your fall TBR!

The story follows the impended nuptials of the Garnder ( Aidan, son of a tech billionaire) & Szatowski (blue-collar) families

MMC Blue-collar UPS driver Frank Szatowsk a widower and sole caregiver for their little daughter Maggie (Margaret) after his wife Colleen passed away unexpectedly from a brain aneurysm. Tammy, Frank's sister, and a licensed foster parent, helps Frank raise Maggie until their father and daughter grow apart for reasons the novel gradually reveals to the reader.

FMC After three years without speaking, Maggie Szatowsk phones her father to extend an invitation to her approaching wedding to Aidan Garnder, an artist and teacher and the son of a tech billionaire. Maggie is not the girl/lady her family believes her to be, and their connection is not what it looks like.

The plot along with character development was done extremely well by Mr. Rekulak. The Last One at the Wedding has more of a mystery thriller feel than its predecessor Hidden Pictures, which had a horror/paranormal vibe.

Overall I enjoyed the book and I would recommend it to family, friends, etc. to check it out.

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillian Audio for an advance listening copy in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 ARC review 🎧 The Last Person at The Wedding by Jason Rekulak. This is a bit of a slow burn domestic suspense.

Frank and his daughter Maggie have an on again off again relationship. Maggie calls her father out of the blue telling him she is getting married. Frank reminisces about Maggie as a child and finds it hard to believe she is already getting married, even though she is 30. He desperately wants to rekindle their strained relationship.

Since the death of his wife, Frank’s sister, Tammy has been a big part of Maggie’s upbringing. They both attend the wedding at Osprey Cove, a the lodge retreat owned by Aiden’s (the groom) family. Instantly Frank starts to discover how insanely wealthy and eccentric this family really is.

Once at the Lodge things start to reveal themselves for what they really are and not what they seem. Twists, turns, deceit, shocking betrayals.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for this opportunity. This is my honest review.

I felt so uneasy during the first 50% of the books, the slow burn really was getting under my skin. However, after that the ride was fast, throwing curve balls, and I finished it in one sitting.

I had some feelings towards the outcome, but damn some of it I did not see coming. This story is insane!

The narrator did a great job with this story!

This was a great audiobook! The narrator was very entertaining and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire book!

Hidden Pictures made a huge impact when it came out in 2022. It’s a hard act to follow for sure.

I was excited to read his latest book, The Last One at the Wedding. I was expecting twists and turns and an element of paranormal.

The narrator, John Pirhalla, voiced the main character perfectly. But I will say I didn’t love hearing his voices for the female characters. They all sounded like an elderly grandma instead of young, intelligent women. But I think that’s something a lot of male narrators struggle with. I think if I read the physical book I would’ve enjoyed some of the story more. I didn’t see Maggie has being a strong woman because his voice made her sound timid and weak.

For most of the book I felt like something was coming just around the corner that would turn the story into something really disturbing. I wasn’t sure if it would be a disgusting creature or a cult but I was sure it would be creepy. I have to say I felt a little disappointed in that regard.

Also, what’s with the daddy long legs?!

While the story is well thought out and described, I was hoping for something a little more unique. But don’t want to give any spoilers! If you are interested check it out for yourself!

Thanks to NetGalley, Jason Rekulak, John Pirhalla, Flatiron Books and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read it! I have written this review voluntarily.

Frank Szatowski has been estranged from his daughter Maggie for the last few years, so it’s a welcome surprise when she invites him to attend her upcoming wedding. It’s even more of a surprise that Maggie is marrying the son of a famous tech billionaire. When Frank arrives at the luxurious private estate where the wedding will be held, he finds there’s a lot of weirdness going on. Although he tries to focus on the wedding and reconnecting with Maggie, things soon take a dark and dangerous turn.

The Last One at the Wedding is a suspenseful family drama of a thriller that starts off as a slow burn, but one that really held my attention, eager to see where the story was going. Around the 60% mark, things take off with some shocking twists and I couldn’t put it down! Besides a great plot, the characters are so well developed! I loved Frank, a real salt of the earth guy, a career UPS driver who just wants to be a good dad. The contrast between him and the groom’s morally bankrupt family members was excellent and the resolution was very satisfying!

Narrator John Pirhalla IS Frank! The way he infuses Frank with an earnest “dad-ness” is perfection! His narration added so much to my enjoyment of this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me an advance copy of this audiobook.

Frank has not spoken to his daughter Maggie in three years. Imagine his surprise when she contacts him and invites him to her wedding in New Hampshire. Of course he accepts the invitation and he’s looking forward to being reunited with his daughter and getting to know Aiden, his future son-in-law. When he arrives with his sister Tammy and her foster daughter Abigail, things aren’t quite as they seem. Frank discovers that Aidan’s and his family have a lot of secrets. The story is a bit of a slow burn and there’s a lot of mystery and suspense which was entertaining. The characters are unlikeable and I enjoyed the family drama and rich people behaving badly. I wanted a bit more from the ending but overall I enjoyed it! The narrator did such a fantastic job at setting the scene and bringing the characters to life.

Thank you to NetGalley, the Jason Rekulak, and the publisher for this audio ARC!
When I got approved for this book, I think I actually squealed out loud - it is one of my most highly anticipated books of 2024!
And wow, it did not disappoint. First, as an audiobook, the narrator was excellent. Whether it was the material itself, of the cadence of the narrator, I am not sure - but I was entirely pulled into the story and stayed there for the entirety of the book.
I found the main character, Frank Szatowski, to be extremely likable along with his sister, Tammy, and her foster child, Abigail.
While I do not want to spoil the story, I greatly appreciated how the author structured this story to naturally unfold, and I found the complexity of being a parent well-represented in this book.
I am so glad I was granted the pleasure of reading this one early. It is a must-read!

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of the audiobook.

The narrator was fantastic. His voice was easy to listen to and really played off the story.

I had high hopes for this book after his last. This was good although it was underwhelming. It was very slow to start. I think it was about 66% the way thru and things finally started happening. It was more family drama than thriller. Maggie was basically the bad daughter who didn't understand right from wrong. Or just cared herself. Her poor naive father! He loved her so much and couldn't see thru the love. He was a good man who wanted The best for his daughter!

The ending wrapped up fairly quickly and left some unanswered questions for me.

I will say, I will read more by Jason Rekulak and look forward to his next book.

I absolutely loved the narrator of this book but that’s about it. I was liking this a lot but then I felt like absolutely nothing was happening. It felt way too long and when I thought it would be over it just kept going. Not my favorite.

Based on Hidden Pictures, I was super excited to read this new book from the author. This book did not live up to my expectations. The story was good but it did start a little slow and the dad got on my nerves with all his worrying, begging, and enabling. The end was a bit shocking and had a good twist. The narrator was good. I did have to speed it up because he talked a little slow for me, but he did a good job.

This was a slow burn mystery that I found to be a bit underwhelming. There weren’t really any thrilling aspects so I would consider it more of a family drama. I did enjoy the narrator though and would read this author again.

I finished this in 2 days! I was hooked!!!! One of my most anticipated releases after loving Hidden Pictures so so much! This blew me away though was also not what I expected at all! It is not a spooky, paranormal thriller like his last. This has a lot of suspense and mystery but is all grounded in “regular” people on this earth behaving badly lol. And boy did they!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced audiobook. Honestly I’m so happy I got this on audio - Frank’s narration was superb and it really put me in his working dad, salt of the earth perspective as he discovered this wild world of wealth, tech mogul, having your lawyer on standby bs.

So many thrillers follow similar premises and I appreciate how this was something new and different for me! Definitely rich ppl behaving badly but also some tropes you normally don’t see in thrillers lol. And I think Jason is a master at unveiling the story through only the bit of info we need to know - and using Frank as a way to do that was so smart and well done.

I will certainly read his next book and cannot wait to see what all my friends think of this one! Thank you again for the preview copy.

As someone who just got I to audio books this was such a delight to listen to. The narrator sets the tone and image perfectly and it was a perfect match to the story. The book itself, although different from his other hit Hidden Pictures, was still entertaining and thrilling. Holding suspense up till the very end, just when you think it ends it doesn’t. And who doesn’t enjoy a wedding with a thrilling story around it.

The narrator did a very great job adding an air of mystery to the story.

Do not pick this up thinking you’re going to have another Hidden Pictures because it’s very different. HP is way more suspenseful while TLOATW is very domestic thriller-ish, slower moving. Things don’t really pick up until about the 63%-ish mark.

The one thing that didn’t work for me was the end. I feel like I was missing something. It didn’t connect. There was no resolution. I felt like I was missing a chapter or at least another 3 minutes in the last chapter with some clarity on why it was ending the way that it ended. 🤔

This was my first book by author Jason Rekulak. I've had Hidden Pictures on my TBR but have yet to read it. I will say that reading this new book was a surprise to me. It felt like a fast paced mystery novel that never let up. The twists and turns in this book had me on the edge of my seat. Some of the reveals in this book had me gasping. The audiobook, narrated by John Pirhalla, added to the pacing of the story. The narrator captured the essence of a father trying to do everything right by the way of his daughter but also having a moral code.

I really enjoyed The Last One at the Wedding. It kept my interest and I'm excited to dive into Hidden Pictures next.