I absolutely devoured this book. I was hooked from the very first page and stayed up into the early hours of the morning reading it (despite needing to get up early). I guessed who the culprit was, but there were quite a few twists and turns that I wasn't expecting, including what actually happened. I cried once or twice too as some moments really tugged on my heart strings. Definitely buying this book as gifts for a few people when it is released.

The Final Episode has an interesting premise - a girl, Frannie Farrow, goes missing and Jenny's father goes to prison for it... except Frannie is never found. Now, years later, a true crime documentary is airing about what happened and everyone, including Jennifer, is waiting for the big reveal - was it actually her father who did it? And what happened to Frannie?

Unfortunately, the execution fell flat for me. The book switches between 'Episodes,' which are basically the episode of the documentary that recount what happened in the past, and 'Chapters' - which are actually letters Jenny writes to her dad in the present. Sometimes the 'episode' would be interesting, but the chapter would feel draggy, or vice versa. I didn't find myself invested in the characters all that much - especially when suspicions would fall on a character at the drop of a hat. It felt like there was a lot of telling instead of showing. Sometimes I couldn't understand why Jenny would do something, or how she arrived at a conclusion.

I did like the idea of the narrative switching between past and present through episodes, so we felt what the characters were feeling as they watched the documentary. There was one twist I didn't see coming, but mainly because there was no build up to it whatsoever. The big reveal in the final episode felt kind of lackluster and everything after that felt draggy, especially when the author decided to add one final twist. The book couldn't keep the momentum going of its own premise.

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for providing an ARC

Twenty years ago, Jenny's father was arrested after a young girl disappeared. Now there is a podcast devoted to the story of Francie Farrow's disappearance, and Jenny and the rest of the world wait for the final episode to reveal what really happened to Francie. As the episode nears, it seems someone might not want anyone to know the truth. This was okay. I felt a bit let down by some aspects of the ending, but it wasn't a bad read. 3 stars.

This is the first book I've read by Lori Roy and its a well done book. It follows the story of Jenny Jones and the mystery surrounding a missing girl. It follows the point of view of Jenny as well as the tv show that is used to describe the events of the night.

The setting of the book is easy to follow, and the main focus is on a small cast of characters and surprisingly the characters were all very likeable. The pacing of the book is fast and I couldn't stop reading this book till 2am when I finished it. It gripped me because of how fast the story went.

The one issue I had about the book was a small one which is the mention of the witch trials in the book. I felt it is rather disjointed with the story and couldn't understand the whole point of it. The ending also kinda threw me off a little because it wasn't what I expected at all

Overall this book is good, fast paced and it's a book for in between a series you're reading.

Jennifer Jones childhood ended when her father was arrested and sent to prison. Many years have passed and a show, Inspired by True Events attempts to finally solve a long time mystery. What happened to Francie Farrow? This little girl was taken from her bed, and many believe Jennifer’s father was responsible (and maybe Jennifer knows the truth).
Told in the present by Jennifer, we see how her father’s shadow has shaped her life. The past is exposed by episodes of the TV show. Will The Final Episode finally reveal who took Francie? Will this finally free Jennifer or make her life even worse?
I had my suspicions about who was guilty but could not figure out the how. I really enjoyed the way the story unfolded. So many twists and turns and wow did I wish someone had seen the guilty party’s true nature many many years ago.

I love the way in which this flicks between now and then! really unique and I loved the TV show element.

Amazing book, genuinely had me guessing till the end, I thought I’d cracked it and I’d figured out what had happened but I was so wrong.

The twists and turns were interesting and the plot was great. Overall a great book, I’d highly recommend :)

When you think of a book with a strong setting that propels the plot THIS is it! Gave me a lot of "Where the Crawdads Sing" vibes with a little bit of a paranormal twist? Such a well-developed and twisty story about family, friendship, loyalty, and growing up. I loved loved LOVED Jenny and Tia! Some of the timelines were a little hard to follow and other parts dragged on, but overall this was a fun and suspenseful read.

While the paranormal aspect with the lilies was fun, I felt like it was undeveloped and kind of forgotten. Or maybe it was meant to be symbolic? I also didn't care for the second person POV - it felt unnatural and out of place at times. Thanks so much for this ARC - I'm already looking forward for more from Roy!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for allowing me this digital arc.

The story is told in dual timelines: the night of the disappearance and what happened after until an arrest was made and present day where a documentary is being aired about said disappearance.

The present timeline is mostly told through Jenny addressing her father in a letter. In a way she is recounting what happened in the past and finding out new information that she wasn't privy to in the past as a child.

As the final episode draws nearer, the truth unfolds about what really happened to Francie and who was responsible for her disappearance.

I really enjoyed the story... I was so drawn into the mystery. There were a few twists that surprised me and I didn't expect a certain thing to happen towards the end of the book and whew, okay!

Not only that but the relationships that the characters had with each other and how it led to certain events happening. This story wasn't just about a crime that occurred, it showed how our deepest emotions, (ie: grief, guilt, shame, fear) can shape us all.

This was my first read from this author but it has me looking up her other works and adding to my tbr.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a digital arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This one did not work for me. This one follows Jennifer Jones in two timelines. Twenty years in the past, a girl named Francie Farrow banishes and Jennifer's dad goes to prison. Now, a television series tells the story of Francie's disappearance and the book picks up before the final episode airs.

The book's premise intrigued me. I thought this would be another one much like Amy Tintera's Listen for the Lie, which had a very similar premise. The chapters where the reader is (supposed?) to be reliving each episode were incredibly confusing and frankly took me out of the story. They are not written in any mixed-media format, such as a screenplay. In fact, there was no information about what type of show this was. Were there actors? Was this a documentary? A combination thereof? The TV show chapters followed a standard narrative structure, with plenty of inner monologues from the characters. But, that was incredibly confusing to me because I kept wondering what the fictional viewers were actually seeing. Were the characters inner monologues being presented to the TV audience? Despite the TV chapters being a complete slog, nothing really happens in them, begging further questions of what exactly the fictional audience is absorbing. How long are these episodes, really? Not to mention, the TV chapters bounce around from character to character and so how each character refers to each other changes drastically and it is really hard to keep up with.

The book started off well enough, but it soon became a complete chore to get through. It was incredibly repetitive. If I were watching this TV show, I would have waited until the last episode to just figure out what happened, because the characters and the overall mystery were just not that interesting.

It's been twenty years since the summer Jennifer Jones's father, Paul, was arrested. A new TV series chronicles a different crime he was never convicted of but always assumed guilty of - the disappearance of Francie Farrow. It was huge news and the case was technically never solved. But everyone believes it was Paul that took her and Jennifer's not sure what this new show will reveal. Can they finally prove it was him or has new evidence been discovered proving it wasn't him? That's the mystery at the heart of this story, told in the present and the past as the series unfolds. Each episode is a passage from that time, where the reader learns about Jennifer's time in Big Cypress Swamp.

Her upcoming eleventh birthday is all she can think about as she hangs out with her summer friends by the swamp. A new family on the street stirs up drama among the girls who already worry about the disappearance of Francie, another young girl like them. They love exploring outside, staying clear of the dangerous gators, but could there be a more dangerous predator after them as well?

Much of the current timeframe is spent with Jennifer returning to the swamp, reliving that summer, and trying to decide if her father could actually be innocent. There's plenty of suspicious behavior from that time that she sees in a new light now that she's older. But it's obvious fairly early on to the reader that certain characters are not what they seem and should have been looked at harder at the time. Everything known about Francie's disappearance was based on the word of another witness at the time and that's no way to build a case. And there's another twist near the end that was pretty far-fetched. You'd have to be blind not to have noticed is all I can say about that.

While the plot might be a bit dubious, the author tells it compellingly, and it was one of those books you have no trouble immersing yourself in. The descriptions of the summer heat and the dangerous swamp make you feel like you're there in the thick of it. You also feel nostalgic for those simpler times as a child, content to explore nature and stay young just a little while longer.

I finished this book in a day. I was fully engrossed and couldn’t put it down until I knew exactly what happened to Francie Farrow. My jaw dropped and I let out audible gasps multiple times as I was reading. The twists and truth of the plot caught me completely by surprise. I love the uniqueness of the format, the present letter’s to Jenny’s father and the past being set up and the show. I read a lot of thrillers and I am very critical but I can truly say Lori Roy caught me off guard with this missing girl story and I cannot wait to read more from her!

Thank you so much to the publishers, author, and NetGalley for this Arc. An incredible read that left me on the edge of my seat!

I really loved this book and stayed up until 3am to finish it. I thought the story was unique and enthralling!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I have had this author in my sights and on my to-read list for a while, when gifted with this copy I dove in and I am so glad I did. I loved her writing style and will be reading more.

Jenny's life wasn't easy at all; having difficulty moving forward in her life when the past doesn't let her go. Especially when her father was blamed for a crime that she doesn't know if he truly committed. A true-crime tv show achieves the reopening of the case some time later with new evidence that will reveal more about the missing girl and what truly happened. Everyone wants to know the truth, which they will find out in the final episode. I think that the combination between the TV show and the reality of the characters was interesting, but I would have liked a better balance between reality and the TV show. The mystery/thriller was gripping enough and the pacing was okay, although it was a bit slow at first. It takes its time to set up the narrative, but when it does, you don't want to detach yourself from it. The setting was chilling and creepy, it had that vibe that something was wrong. I would have liked it to be clearer who was narrating at some moments, sometimes it was partially confusing, especially when at some moments the narrative seemed aimed at the reader but in reality it was to another character. It was difficult to follow the book until I became familiar with those who narrated, but in the same way, it does seem necessary to make better distinctions between present and past, as well as the narrator. It was quite ingenious to have two different timelines, as I feel that in that way it kept me more caught up in the story. And when I thought I had guessed all the plot twists, I was impressed that they were not yet finished until the last stretch. It had a solid but bittersweet conclusion and for me, it left no loose ends.




Thanks Netgalley for this ARC

2.75 stars

This is only an ok book

The concept is great the execution not so much. I won’t get into it too much, but it’s kind of not very well put together. None of the characters are very likable, and though I know it’s fiction most of this particular story is quite a reach.

I have the privilege of reading—and reviewing—a book that won't be published for another five months, and I have some things to say. I do not like this book. I genuinely do not. From the confusingly created story to the writing I do not understand nor fully appreciate the gist of this book.
To give a rundown, a tragic event occurs to a girl, and years later, said occurrence becomes a TV series. The woman now has to rely on the TV series to accept who is the perpetrator of said tragic thing that happened. How does that make sense?

If someone goes through a tragedy and a TV series gets made out of it, when does the victim need to throw so much attention on the TV series and not on what IN REALITY happened to her? The book is divided into unnecessary long episodes and short and boring chapters. Nothing of value or importance is happening in the book. If this TV series had lied about this tragic happening, and the victim did everything she could to PROVE WHAT HAPPENED TO DEFY THE LIES, I WOULD STAND BEHIND.

To top it off, the writing is often exhausting to read. The characters don't matter to me, nor do they create any spark in me wanting to learn more about them—granted, I did not learn anything about them. The book also behaves as if it is a sequel of something even though it seems to be a standalone.

Based on this tragic happening and the TV series set up - the book is divided into episodes and chapters: if the author is willing to keep that, the episode and chapter must go hand in hand and give the reader more information about this tragic thing that happened. For example: an episode starts with the childhood of our main character, we then move on to a chapter and get a further intro into the main character`s childhood to get a better picture. They should not act so differently from one another but rather come together to fully explain the tragic thing that did happen.

The Last Episode by Lori Ray is a novel I was genuinely excited to read. However, much like the setting, it felt as though I was slogging through a sticky swamp—struggling to make progress. I had to skim to finish the novel; while I couldn’t bring myself to DNF it, I came dangerously close several times. The mystery and pursuit of the truth kept me slightly gripped, but the novel lacked crucial elements needed for me to fully understand the events leading up to the climax.

Before I proceed with the rest of the review, I would like to note a few triggers:

- alcoholism
- kidnapping

If any of the aforementioned triggers may be unsettling for you, please approach this novel with caution.

Moving along, the story follows Jennifer Jones and her best friends, who spend every summer at Big Cypress Swamp. As she turns eleven, Jennifer hopes to gain the “second sight” foretold by her family legend and fulfill her destiny. Instead, the swamp reveals dangers greater than the lurking gators on Halfway Creek. Little Francie Farrow vanishes—and Jennifer’s father, Paul Jones, is imprisoned. Fast forward twenty years, and Jennifer has almost managed to shed the label of “Paul Jones’s daughter.” However, her past comes rushing back when Inspired by True Events, a TV series that solves unsolvable cases, recreates that fateful summer. As the series airs, Jennifer begins to wonder: Has the show finally uncovered the truth about Francie Farrow? And is her father truly guilty? As the finale looms, Jennifer must confront the reality of her family’s legacy and what it means for her.

Within the first 40 pages, I sensed that this novel was going to be a struggle. And I was right. While the ending provided a satisfying resolution, I couldn’t enjoy the story because I spent most of my time rewinding pages, trying to figure out whether I was in the past or present, and who was narrating. By page 100, I gave up and began skimming. Even then, nothing juicy had occurred. If Ray had provided clear distinctions between timelines and characters—perhaps using chapter headers or transitions—it would have helped immensely. Instead, the narrative frequently flipped between past and present in the middle of chapters without warning, leaving me utterly lost.

For me, once I can’t understand what’s happening—despite going back to reread—the book loses me entirely. A wave of frustration washes over, and it’s difficult to recover. While novels can feature complex characters and timelines, they need to be executed with clarity, and unfortunately, this one was not. Additionally, Jennifer often referred to “you” in her narration, which the context eventually revealed to mean her father. However, it was poorly established, making it feel more confusing than mysterious.

That said, the setting of Big Cypress Swamp was haunting and atmospheric, and I appreciated the chilling energy of the characters. It felt like the framework for a blood-curdling mystery was there, but the execution fell flat.

Overall, The Last Episode earned a 2/5 because I was unable to enjoy the investigative adventures or the mystery itself, as I was too preoccupied with distinguishing past from present and deciphering who was speaking. While I did partially enjoy the appalling denouement, I was left with lingering confusion that dulled its impact.

Thank you to Thomas and Mercer and Netgalley for providing me with this Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Final Episode is a mystery/thriller that weaves two timelines together, and unveil the mystery about a missing girl, Francie Farrow. Francie was missing from 20 years ago when she was 10 years old, and a new documentary in the present time about the old case opened the investigation of all the secrets from years ago. The documentary will reveal the truth of the disappearance at the end of the sho, and everyone involved in the old missing girl case are now eagerly waiting for the airing of the final episode.

Lori Roy told the suspenseful story expertly. I couldn't put it down and can't wait to find out about the truth. All the build up comes to a satisfying ending. Definitely recommend a read!

4.5/5

Woah.
This book is incredible. I couldn’t put it down. The book is told in two different timelines. The twist and turns are excellent. The book is told in Jenny’s point of view in during a tragic childhood summer and her adult life. A show digs up her past and each chapter in the book is an episode of the show.

This book is 100% worth the read.