Ok, whoops, this jumped to the front of my TBR, even though it doesn't come out for months, because Andrea Bartz always delivers with the suspense! I wanted a popcorn read - as in, the kind that makes you feel like you're in a movie theater with a giant bucket of popcorn.

The size of the cast of characters did make me with I could see them like a movie (I'm terrible at picturing anything in my mind), but it's mostly a small core group that is relevant and I was able to get a handle on everyone.

I don't want to get too into the ending, but I appreciated that it went in a less horror-movie direction. Often, locked room (or island) thrillers become a situation where everyone around you is a sociopath and that wasn't the case.

This book was quite different from the previous books the author has written. This book was more of an atmospheric, at times emotional mystery with a heavy focus on love, friendship, loss, and the feelings of not always being accepted. I prefer the edge of your seat, provocative thrillers the author has written in the past.

I absolutely couldn’t put this book down—I devoured it in one sitting! The tropical, stormy setting of Isla Colel was vividly atmospheric and perfectly complemented the layers of suspense and intrigue in the story. Abby’s journey to uncover the truth about Eszter’s death kept me hooked with twists I didn’t see coming and emotional depth that added so much to the narrative.

Andrea Bartz has delivered a masterful thriller with compelling characters and a pace that doesn’t let up. The balance of suspense and emotional resonance makes this book stand out in the genre, and I believe it will resonate strongly with readers who love psychological thrillers with depth and complexity.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this advance copy! I’m confident this book will be a hit with thriller fans.

This is a fairly standard “white lady thriller”, very atmospheric, fantastic red herrings. Some of the pacing felt a little uneven — I was surprised how much happened in one day — and Abby’s high tech job didn’t seem to mesh with some of her choices and the way she spoke. BUT, easy and escapism enough, perfect for upcoming summer beach reads.. I will definitely seek out more from this author.

I was drawn in by the first few pages of The Last Ferry Out by Andrea Bartz. I did not expect the story to go where it did after these first few pages. The characters are likeable, yet mysterious. There are many red herrings, as well as twists in the story that I did not see coming. The story flows nicely theu the multiple timelines. 4 stars

I love the crazy plot twists that this author infuses into her books, I’ll definitely be thinking about this one for a while. I really loved it and I’m so grateful that I got the chance to read it!

I really liked the setting of this book. The island provided a sense of suspense and anxiety when the story fell a bit flat. There were a lot of characters to keep track of, and everyone was identified as being untrustworthy.
The main mystery involves what happened to Abby's fiancee. We know she died of an allergic reaction, but many questions and suspicions remain. I thought the premise was interesting, but it was a bit slow at times. I continued reading because I wanted to know what happened, but it wasn't overly pressing at the same time. I wasn't emotionally involved enough with the characters. I found Abby especially to be a bit abrasive.
Thanks to Net Galley for the book to review.

I was invited by the publisher to review this book. Abby heads to Mexico, where her fiancé died, in order to get some clarity and answers regarding her death. The island she visits is not its once glorious state after a hurricane upends everything. Of the few remaining expats there, she meets one who seems to have some answers, but he disappears and the others are nonchalant about his disappearance. As Abby starts to dig deeper, she becomes convinced the group of expats knows more than they are willing to admit.

The setting in this book is very well-written; a great atmosphere is created of this island and the eerie remnants of what was and now is. I could not really relate to any character, whether it was Abby or the expats; the grief and loss scenes were fleshed out well, but Abby was hard to rally behind. I enjoyed the different timelines and I liked the perspective that that provided. There were also some decent twists in this book, so the reader did not easily figure out the ending.

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

Andrea Bartz always has a way of making me feel so anxious I need to put down the book for a minute but also so engrossed in the story I cant wait for more. Ever since I read "We Were Never Here", Andrea has been on my auto read author list, no synopsis needed, and "The Last Ferry Out" did not disappoint. From the island scenery to the unexpected twists, this book was a fun ride!

I'm not sure about this one. The whole "isolated island with secrets and sketchy expats" vibe was totally my thing, but somewhere along the way, it just didn’t fully deliver. The setting was gorgeously creepy—think rundown paradise with hurricane vibes—but the pacing? A little all over the place.

Abby’s journey to uncover what really happened to her fiancée had some solid moments of tension, and I was definitely flipping pages to figure out what was up. But Abby herself? Girlie made some choices that had me going, “Really??” And don’t even get me started on the expats—they were shady in all the right ways, but also felt a little too one-note sometimes.

Also, the big twists were cool, but they didn’t hit quite as hard as I wanted them to. Like, I wanted gasps, and instead, I was like, “Oh… okay.” But hey, I’ll give props for the atmospheric writing and the whole "who can you trust" game—it kept me guessing, even if the payoff wasn’t totally there. All in all, it’s a decent thriller if you’re into moody settings and messy secrets.

Big thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you NetGalley Random House Publishing for the eARC.
Abby is heartbroken, her fiancee, Eszter, died unexpectedly on a trip to a small Mexican island. She's determined to find out exactly what happened and travels there. She meets a group of expats who knew Eszter and tries to find out the truth by befriending and questioning them. She's grieving and stressed out and doesn't know who to trust. And did Eszter betray her?
I liked the book to begin with, but as it continued I did get a little restless and wanted the read to hurry up and answer my questions. The ending was a surprise.

I’ve read everything Bartz has written but this ended up being my least favorite. Too much of a slow burn, with the “mystery” really not being all that compelling until the last 25%. I pushed through to get there but just didn’t feel intrigued enough by the plot the way I normally do in her suspense novels!

The Last Ferry out is another winner from Andrea Bartz. Beautifully written, the story follows data scientist Abby as she unravels the mystery surrounding her fiancee's death. Family drama, an eerie, isolated island, and plenty of twists and turns makes this one a must-read for psychological-suspense lovers like me! Highly recommend!

This was one of my most anticipate Mystery/Thrillers of 2025. Andrea Bartz is quickly becoming a automatic pick-up for me and I enjoyed The Ferry Out. The story takes place from multiple POV's and time periods but we mainly follow Abby and Eszter a newly engaged couple who live in Madison, Wisconsin. Eszter who has severe allergies died while on Vacation in Isla Colel a secluded island outside of Cancun. Abby who was supposed to meet her there takes a trip a few months after her death still distraught and grieving. She thinks visiting the island and meeting some of Abby's new friends will bring her answers or closure.

The story is a unique and interesting one. It's more of a character driven novel than a straight thriller and I loved the unwinding of Abby as she discovers the betrayals and secrets that her partner was keeping for. The remoteness of Isla Colel and the storms that trap our characters on the island without a way out were great plot points. I didn't see the twists coming and there were a few good red herrings. However we don't get very much depth from most of the expat friends of Eszter and most of them are pretty unlikable. There also seems to some unevenness to the story and that grip that some Thrillers have on you where you can't put it down, escapes you as we get some unnecessarily extended background on family history.

3.5 Stars

This is a really well thought out and plotted mystery. While I went in expecting a thriller, I would say this is more of a character driven novel. While there is a plot to move things along, we also spend a lot of time exploring grief, ambition, friendship, and family relationships. I enjoyed it.

Review of Uncorrected eBook File
Three and one-half stars

Abby, distraught over the death of her fiancé Eszter and hoping to find some answers, takes a trip to Isla Colel, the place where Eszter died. She hopes to find some peace by experiencing what Eszter experienced.

Welcomed by the expats living on the small island, they share stories of their time with Eszter. But when one of the group goes missing, no one seems to be worried about it.

Could one of them have hurt Eszter?

=========

The story, told from multiple points of view and in various timelines, keeps readers guessing. Everyone on the island has secrets; they all adhere to the philosophy that the past should be left in the past and everyone who comes to the island has the opportunity to start anew.

A strong sense of place and well-defined characters give strength to the telling of the tale even though not everyone is particularly likeable. The twisty plot keeps the pages turning as slowly-revealed secrets come to light as unexpected surprises for the reader, leading to a denouement few will see coming.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine / Ballantine Books and NetGalley
#TheLastFerryOut #NetGalley

Abby has headed to Isla Cole in desperate search of answers about what happened to her fiancé when she died on the tiny island located off the coast of Mexico. Two hours from the mainland and only reachable by tense ferry ride, Abby makes friends with the locals in the ex-pat community. Amari, Brady, Rita and Pedro are friendly enough—could one of them really have done something to Esterz?

A twisty, satisfying thriller. The characters were phenomenally written with well defined personalities and emotions that added spookiness and depth to the drama. The plot keeps you guessing, and I had no idea what the ending had in store. 4.5 stars rounded to 5.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy!
I enjoyed this book - there were many stories to keep straight and a few plot twists to keep things interesting!
I would definitely read another book by this author!

3.75 stars

Wow! This was a really great mystery. I felt it was a bit slow in some areas, however, overall did keep me hooked. I enjoyed the multi POVs as well.

Abby is mourning the loss of her fiancee, Eszter, when she decides to travel to Isla Colel, where Eszter passed away a few months back. She feels that she'll get the closure she needs by going to the island and immersing herself in everything Eszter was experiencing. Upon arriving on the tiny island, she's welcomed by a group of friends that Eszter had made and she enjoys spending time with them and hearing stories about Eszter on the island. But her gut soon starts feeling that something is off. It's confirmed when one of the group disappears and no one seems the slightest bit worried. They all abide by the island attitude of starting fresh and leaving the past in the past, making sure everyone's secrets are safe. She understands that to a degree, but if there was more to Eszter's death, how would she ever get the truth out of these people who are full of secrets? And how far will they go to ensure Abby never learns what really happened?

I enjoyed the plot of the book because it's more intricate than you expect, but the writing style grated on me almost from the beginning. There are way too many similies and metaphors in this story. It's a huge pet peeve of mine because no one can immerse themselves in a story that reads like a bad creative writing assignment. This is no exaggeration, it's completely overloaded and there's no need in a mystery./thriller like this. Especially when the main character is a data scientist (she talks about it enough throughout). She's all about numbers, patterns, logic, etc. yet she constantly expresses herself in flowery words and phrases (similies). What data scientist would ever describe a shade of pink as "a blushing ear"? It just took me right out of the story. It's like the book was conceived as romantic fiction with a bit of mystery thrown in and then Abby and Eszter's characters were given careers that completely didn't fit, but the author wanted them portrayed as super intelligent and ambitious so she just left it with the disparity. I don't know, it just didn't work for me.

I would read more by this author because I enjoyed "The Herd" and I don't recall the writing being like this book so maybe it's just a one-off. And I loved the conclusion of this book, how every tiny question you may have had was answered but probably not in the way you expected.

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