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.

This was a good physiological thriller. Definitely didn’t see the end coming. This was my second book by this author. Hidden Pictures was my first! Looking forward to reading more books by the author. I feel like the ending left me with some questions though.

The Last One at the Wedding was the first book that I had the pleasure of reading by Jason Rekulak. I would describe it as as a book that portrayed serious family drama but that also had some elements of a good thriller in it. It took place in Pennsylvania, the Boston area and in New Hampshire. The Last One at the Wedding was well plotted and held my attention throughout. There were a couple of mysteries that had me guessing up until the end. Jason Rekulak was able to include characters that were both complex and well developed and some more likable than others. I listened to the audiobook that was well narrated by John Pirhalla.

Frank Szatowski and his impressionable young daughter, Maggie, lost the woman that held their family together way too early. Maggie was a young girl when her mother died. Her father, Frank Szatowski, did his best to raise her in a one parent household. Frank called upon his sister, Tammy, to help when he felt overwhelmed or just needed her help. Maggie and her aunt Tammy forged a close relationship as a result. Frank had served in the Gulf War before he and his wife had had Maggie. He was very devoted to Maggie, but somehow the two of them had had words and differences of opinions and had become estranged. Frank was a UPS driver. He was very proud of his exemplary record with the company. Frank had worked as a UPS driver for twenty-six years and could boast that during that time he had never had an accident or any problems. Maggie always aspired for more. She wanted a career that was both lucrative and satisfying. She wanted to leave Pennsylvania behind and never look back. Maggie was looking to be recognized for her talents and ambitions.

Frank had not heard from his daughter for almost three years when out of the blue he received a phone call from her. Maggie was about to offer her father an olive branch but for something that was the last thing he ever expected. Frank received a phone call from Maggie that informed him that she was getting married in a little over three months and wanted him to not only attend the wedding but walk her down the aisle. As surprised as Frank was at this revelation, he wanted to do this for Maggie. He hoped that they could resurrect their relationship. She informed her father that she was marrying Aidan Gardner, the only son of the billionaire CEO of the tech company she worked for. Maggie invited her father to have dinner with her and Aidan at their apartment in Boston. Frank was not prepared for everything that he experienced that night but he held his questions and comments in for the sheer joy of being reunited with Maggie and being able to see his daughter get married. Maggie informed her father that Mr. and Mrs. Gardner were hosting the wedding at the Gardner retreat in New Hampshire. There was nothing that Frank needed to do but show up. Being the proud father of the bride, Frank insisted on paying for the alcohol. That was the least he could do.

As the wedding date finally approached, Frank had offered to drive his sister and himself to the venue in New Hampshire. When he arrived at his sister’s home, he learned that his sister planned on bringing the foster child in her care to the wedding as well. Other arrangements were not able to made for Abigail so there she was ready to make the trip to New Hampshire for Maggie’s wedding with Frank and Tammy. She was a sweet girl and very trusting but Frank was annoyed at his sister for burdening him with Abigail’s presence. When Frank, Tammy and Abigail finally arrived at Camp Gardner, Frank was not prepared for everything that would follow. From being asked to sign a non disclosure agreement amounting to over a hundred pages when he first arrived, to not being introduced to Aidan’s family upon arrival, to Maggie’s lack of time she claimed to have to spend with Frank and Aiden’s elusiveness, Frank suspected that something was not quite right. There were so many red flags. Will Frank be able to uncover what was wrong?

I really enjoyed The Last One at the Wedding. Jason Rekulak proved to me that he is a masterful storyteller. I appreciated all the twists and turns throughout the book. They definitely kept me guessing. I enjoyed Frank’s character and the relationship he developed with Abigail over time. Even though this was the first book that I had the opportunity to read by this author it will not be the last. I will look forward to reading more books by Jason Rekulak in the future. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak through Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

The Last One at the Wedding was a well done audiobook. I thought John Pirhalla did a great job of capturing the character of Frank and really adding a layer that I may not have gotten in print.
This was a family/rich person drama/mystery where you know something isn't as it seems or something sinister is happening, but you aren't sure what. It was a bit too slow of a burn for me, but when all the parts come together, there were some twists I didn't expect. I felt like what happens to Frank in his work situation was kind of .. convenient? I don't know, it just felt off for me. Overall, I think Jason Rekulak did a great job of creating a bunch of unlikable characters and having a 'who do I trust' scenario. I felt for Frank as a father and being in such an impossible situation.
Thank you Macmillan Audio for the copy through NetGalley in exchange for the review.

I truly adored Frank but most of the cast of characters was otherwise quite unlikeable. This was more domestic suspense than thriller and definitely had the rich people behaving badly trope. The ending threw me off a little. Overall it was an enjoyable listen and the narrator did a great job. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the audiobook ARC of this one. Publication date 10/8/24

Frank Szatowski is an estranged from his only daughter, so he is surprised do not only receive a phone call from her out of the blue, but be invited to her upcoming wedding!

Frank has been wanting this reunion with his daughter for a long time, so he makes every effort to be a good father of the bride and be involved in the wedding as much as possible … this isn’t your ordinary wedding and his daughter Maggie doesn’t seem to have time or want any help from him… and this is the least strange thing about this wedding!

The story is told from the point of view of Frank and I loved how you get to know him and his desires and his eagerness to create this familial bond with his daughter, all the while, looking at the world in a black and white good/bad mentality. His motivations fuel this mystery and creates a thrilling wedding weekend!

The audio narrated by John Pirhalla perfectly captures the working class, New Jersey voice of Frank. I felt his character come alive as the narrator embodied not only the voice and accent, but the emphasis of his speech. The other characters in the book are well done as well and easily distinguished, but since this is Frank’s story, his character really stands out.

This is one of those books that I did not see where it was going, and I was pleasantly surprised after working through the twist and turns at where it ended!