A twisted mystery set on a tropical island with some interesting characters. I enjoyed this book and the descriptions of the island make me want to visit.

this thriller has the perfect set up- remote island, mysterious death, a group of people with secrets to hide but sadly it didn’t hit the mark. Some parts really captured what we love to see in thrillers, while others made it a struggle to not only follow the story, but connect with characters. There were some really great twists i never expected, but i struggled with the timelines and numerous POVs which made me had to return back a lot to try to recall what I already read.

really great pieces of the story and writing, but overall fell a little flat for me.

An entertaining murder mystery. While this book was well written, I found it difficult to stay on track. But.... I was happy I stuck it out until the end.
If you enjoy a moody thriller, this book is for you.

Overall this was an enjoyable, atmospheric murder mystery. A little slow at times, but the short chapters made it easy to breeze through. ⛴️

Bottom line - an entertaining thriller to pack for your summer vacay!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine Books for the advanced reader copy! You can grab The Last Ferry Out on May 20th.

3.5 stars The Last Ferry Out is not only a murder mystery but an examination of grief and loss. Abby is devastated when her fiancée Eszter unexpectedly dies from anaphylactic shock while abroad on a remote island, Isla Colel. Determined to find answers to Eszter's death, Abby travels to Isla Colel to ingratiate herself with the other expats that Eszter spent her time with. She suspects foul play as Eszter was always prepared with her epipen. All of the expats behave suspiciously at times, so Abby doesn't know who she can trust. She suspects that the killer is still lurking on the island. Abby's visit on the island alternates chapters with the evolution of Abby and Eszter's relationship, which added depth to the storyline.

This is a solid thriller that I enjoyed and was riveted by certain parts. It is atmospheric where you can get a sense of weather and setting very easily to feel like you are there. It is very much slow burn, but it is filled with tension that kept me turning the pages. I recommend this one if you like slow burn atmospheric thrillers that examine the history of a romantic relationship.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Andrea Bartz for an advance reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

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Although it had some interesting twists at the end , this was just too slow for me . I could skip pages, or even chapters and not miss much 🤷🏼‍♀️
I also didn’t like Abby . She felt a bit controlling and overbearing when it came to Eszter and their relationship and that just rubbed me the wrong way 🤷🏼‍♀️

I have enjoyed other books by thus other much more than this one .. I will certainly continue to read her work

Abby isn’t sure if she can move on after her fiancé Eszter tragically dies. She was visiting Isla Colel when it happened. An allergic reaction, just one of those terrible, terrible things. But where was the EpiPen that she always always carries? Abby heads to the island, desperate for answers.
Abby soon meets a group of expats who live on the island. While she wants to trust them, certain things make her unsure if that is a smart idea. When the author reveal arrived (I assumed that was the only one at the time), I thought, OK, not as twisty as I hoped. All I will say is there was more coming.
I wanted this to be a treadmill read but found it a bit too slow. It wound up taking me longer to finish since I already had my couch reads planned. Not my favorite book by this author, but as I mentioned, I thought the final twist was good. 3.5 stars.

I liked the plot of this book and the short chapters. I felt like I was stuck on a ride I couldn't get off of with the pacing. It was sporadic and very slow in spots. Overall a typical thriller that didn't wow me.

The author really had you asking how well do you know the people you think you know. When what seems will be a nostalgic reminisce of a relationship turns into the character asking was it really the relationship our character thought I was on the edge of my seat.

This was unfortunately a slow read for me, but I did slog through to the end because I wanted to find out what the secret was! I will say that the ending was pretty satisfying and worth the wait.

The Last Ferry Out by Andrea Bartz was fast paced and exciting. Tourist town filled with many suspects and uncertainity. I devoured this book in less than three days and I am an absolute fan of all things Bartz.

Secrets. It’s not always easy to get people to open up when you need answers.

The main character, Abby, was visiting a small group of English-speaking locals on a beautiful small island off the eastern side of Mexico. She went there to experience the last place where her 27-year-old fiancée, Eszter, visited. Abby was told that her true love died from a severe allergy attack at the Airbnb.

The setting of this island was described as a place with great beauty with the high peaks overlooking the ocean. It would be on anyone’s vacation list. However, some of the issues weren’t as lovely. There were a number of hot topics: drugs, emotional abuse, corrupt politicians and the effects of hurricanes.

When Abby met Eszter’s friends, she naturally asked questions about her last days. However, there was a feeling that they were hiding information. She felt like there were lies everywhere. You could feel her high anxiety levels. It also bothered her immensely that Eszter’s parents didn’t accept their relationship.

The book was so smoothly written that I started to drift in a few places. The chapters were short with unexpected twists. I thought I figured out how it was going to wrap up, but I was far from it. I will put the author’s other books on my list.

My thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of May 20, 2025.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for sharing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book was a bit slow for me at first but the more I got into it the more hooked I became. Good choice if you are looking for a thrilling summer read. Nice twist, I would recommend.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group/Ballentine Books and NetGalley for sharing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When Abby's fiance Eszter dies suddenly on the small Mexican island of Isla Colel Abby sets out in search of answers. Before she passed away Eszter sent Abby a grim text that no one wants to get...'we need to talk'. On her search for closure and answers Abby runs into a group of expats living on the island that she hopes can help her, however, she ends up unsure of who she can trust and what to believe.

Overall I thought this was a good read despite being a bit slow. Luckily the characters were well written and there was enough intrigue to keep me engaged. While there were no blow your mind moments this was still a solid read and is worth checking out.

this is one of the saddest and yet uplifting mystery stories I have read. The characters are believable. There are lot of twists and plenty of suspense.
The ending was a big surprise . I could not put is down

I think the reason why this one wasn't a hit for me was because I had such high hopes. Some of Andrea's previous works are among my favorite reads, but this one felt like a miss for me. It was slow and felt impossible to get into. And once I finally did, the characters felt one-dimensional and I was just confused from the beginning. I didn't end up finishing this one, giving up about 60 percent of the way through. I'm hopeful that this book will find its audience, it's just not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballentine Books for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book comes out on May 20th, so this is a little early! This was definitely a slow burn, much of it focusing on the relationship between Abby and Eszther. I liked the random POVs thrown in to tie the story together and help the reader piece together what happened. The twist at the end was good as well. Definitely had the “locked room” feel with Abby not being able to get off the island and a lot of suspicious characters thrown in the mix. I personally wish there wasn’t so much focus on Abby and Eszther’s relationship and more on the mystery. It took me a bit out of the story and I found myself losing interest. Again, this could’ve been where I was when I read it and maybe wouldn’t have minded that so much if it were read at a different time!

This is such a tragic tale. There are twists and turns. There are scenes that caused me to hold my breath. It was a very interesting book loaded with characters who harbored secrets. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

The Last Ferry Out by Andrea Bartz is a tense, atmospheric thriller that keeps you on edge from the very first page. Set against the backdrop of an impending disaster, the novel masterfully weaves suspense, moral dilemmas, and the desperate choices people make to survive. Bartz’s sharp prose and layered characters make every twist feel both shocking and inevitable. If you love thrillers that blend psychological depth with pulse-pounding action, this one is a must-read.

Andrea Bartz never disappoints and The Last Ferry Out kept me hooked from page 1 !

Abby comes to Isla Colel for closure. She wants to see the last place her fiancee died. She aches for Eszter and hopes this will provide her the closure she needs. Instead, she ends up with more than she could ever bargain for.

A beautiful island, filled with beautiful plants and interesting people, Abby seems to fit right in. While a hurricane took down the bustling tourist business of the past, the island maintains its slow, but beautiful life. Abby finds and befriends the group Eszter once befriended and after getting to know the members, her eyes are opened to all the secrets that they, and the island, hold. The dark secrets revealed take Abby on a jouney one hopes she will survive.

Gripping, suspenseful, and intriguing, The Last Ferry Out is not one to miss!