3.5 stars rounded up. I really appreciate Andrea’s ability to write thrillers where I’m never quite sure what the twist is going to be and where it comes from. Her plot pacing is always excellent. I struggled a bit with this main character but I still enjoyed this & read it in just a couple days.

Andrea Bartz is a master at crafting thrillers that keep readers on the edge of their seats, and her latest novel, “The Last Ferry Out”, is a perfect example of this! This fast-paced story follows Abby, who is grieving the loss of her fiancé, Eszter. Since Eszter died while on an island, Abby decides to travel there, hoping to find clarity and closure regarding the circumstances of her death. However, Abby's journey opens a Pandora's box of unexpected revelations.

I was completely hooked on this addictive novel! The many twists and turns left my head spinning. In true Andrea Bartz fashion, I was kept guessing until the very end, which I love! “The Last Ferry Out” is a solid, captivating read that deserves a full five stars and will surely enthrall every mystery and thriller fan!

The Last Ferry Out is the first book I have read by Andrea Bartz. The prologue had my attention captured right away. The setting and description of the remote island was fascinating and eerie at times. I found this book to be a slow, steady read. I wasn't exactly staying up all night binge reading because I couldn't put it down, but I was curious to find out where the narrative was going. I found myself slightly bored and wanting to "fast forward" during the flashback chapters. In my opinion the questions and searching for answers dragged on a little too long. The book didn't really pick up for me until I was about 85% finished. However, the answers that we finally did get I didn't find satisfying. There was a plot twist that I didn't see coming in the epilogue and it was probably the best part about the book. Overall, not a bad read, but not my favorite. I would be interested to give another one of Bartz's books a try.
Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to explore a new author and read this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing, and Ballantine Books for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This 320-page hardcover thriller comes out on May 20, 2025, and will be available at major retailers for around $30. Featuring different POVs throughout the book, the story keeps you on your toes from the start.

There was a gripping prologue and a cast of unreliable characters with seemingly hidden agendas and dark pasts. Abby travels to Isla Colel, a remote island a two-hour ferry ride away from mainland Mexico, to unravel the last days of her fiancee who died there four months ago. She talks to the locals and befriends the same group of expats that her fiancee hung out with, but they all seem to be hiding something.

This book was great - until the end. The last 15% or so felt like the author took the teeth out of it and wrecked the ending. At 64%, it was obviously leading us down one path, but then it does a 180 that feels like it doesn’t even belong in the same book.

My review on gmpotter.com is live now, and my YouTube review will be live on 3/13/2025

Andrea Bartz is a stunning writer, and her descriptive prose really shines in this book. I could feel the humidity in the air, smell the seaweed choking the beaches, and sense the tangible grief that underscores the entire story. Few books are able to transplant emotions so vividly—this one had me walking around feeling its weight long after I finished reading.

I also appreciated how the book handled the isolation trope. It’s a familiar setup, but accidentally dropping your phone while hiking? That’s believable. Pair it with an island with limited access to the outside world, and it sets the perfect stage for a gripping plot.

The book explores compelling questions about land ownership, the interesting (and secretive!) friendships among expats, and the overwhelming grief of an unresolved death. These themes added depth to the story, though I wish the characters’ decisions had been explored more thoroughly. The protagonist is refreshingly direct, asking questions and piecing things together without the frustrating hesitation you often see in thrillers. That being said, she falters at the story’s climax—making inexplicable decisions, like going outside repeatedly during a tropical storm. Sit down! Stay inside! You’re not making sense!

Some of the supporting characters felt underdeveloped, even when they had POV chapters. Their decisions lacked the depth and introspection we see from the main character, leaving me wanting more context behind their actions.

At the end of the day, I simply liked this book. While it highlights Bartz’s undeniable writing talent, it didn’t quite resonate with me the way her other works have. It’s a solid story, but compared to her previous books, it feels a bit middle of the road. I wanted to love it and rate it higher, but ultimately, it just didn’t reach that next level for me. Still would recommend, though!

Thank you to: Random House Publishing, Ballantine Books & NetGalley for this ARC ebook by Andrea Bartz
Release date is set for: May 20, 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Abby's fiancee dies while visiting a remote island. Abby heads to the island to get closure. While there, she met many friends that her fiancee had met and soon it became clear they were not being honest about her death & now Abby wants answers. She discovers secrets & lies & is determined to get the truth.

This book started out strong & I am sad to say, it then fell flat & was quite slow to me. There was so much about the family history that it was loosing my interest. The plot was good, which I enjoyed, but I just wish the pacing of the book was better & not so slow to get where it was going.

Once again, thank you to Random House Publishing, Ballantine Books & NetGalley for this advance ebook copy.

#RandomHousePublishing #BallantineBooks #NetGalley #TheLastFerryOut

What’s better than an island murder mystery? An island murder mystery by Bartz, of course! I love when a book delivers twists I can’t predict, and this book achieved that. Addictive and entertaining!

Solid thriller with the twists and turns that make it exciting. Leah is an interesting character with grit and tenacity. Great book!

Locals play a game of last-(wo)man standing

Downloaded this bad boy and read it in two days (would’ve been one if I didn’t have to adult).

I’m always down to read about an isolated setting, especially a place where the handful of locals who make up the town are all acting suspect.

This story has it all: secrets between lovers, a search for clues to a long-held mystery, and just the faintest hint of paranormal. I’ve devoured all of Andrea Bartz’s books and can’t wait for the next.

Such a great read. Kept me on my toes and tugged at my heart. It had an interesting setting, well developed characters, and twists that made sense once you thought back on them, but that were still surprising!

This book was fantastic! So many twists, and it kept me engaged throughout the whole thing. Exceedingly creepy, Bartz never fails!

Thank you Ballentine Books and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. This one kept me guessing! Abby’s fiancée, Estzer, died while she was on a small island. That that is only accesible by boat. Now Abby is headed to the island herself, she wants to see what she can find. Something about Estzer’s death doesn’t sit really with her, especially not from the last communication they had with each other. While there Estzer had sent Abby photos of all these new friends she was making. Abby is determined to find them and see what they know. As she looks down into what happened she’ll find that everyone has secrets of their own and now everything is what it seems. Can she find out what happened to Estzer? And will she like what she finds? A thrill ride that kept me on edge! The setting added to the intrigue and Andrea Bartz had readers feelin the island vibes! Full of interesting characters, I love when there’s a character with my name! Secrets and murder make for an intense mystery that I couldn’t put down!

Abby is off to an island to see where her fiancé spent her last days before her sudden death. But Abby is starting to think that’s not everything is what it seemed to be! A fun, slower paced thriller to start then picks up as the book goes on! I was very curious of what happened to Eszter and became suspicious of every person Abby spoke to, including her “friend” group. I do feel like the middle of the book dragged on, they kept emphasizing the same points of Eszter lying, I wish they got on with the point a little sooner. I really didn’t see the twists in this one coming! Overall, this book was 3 stars for me. I enjoyed the story line but didn’t necessarily feel myself grabbing for it. It really dragged at some parts for me and the ending didn’t really make up for the slow middle. I would definetly recommend to a friend to try, just because it wasn’t for me doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be for someone else. I also would read another one by this author.

Entertaining and easy read but nothing new to the mystery/thriller realm.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/219301720

Big thanks to Net Galley, Random House - Ballantine for the ARC of this book.

There’s a lot to this book, and at time maybe a little too much. There’s story draws you in with a compelling grief inspired journey, and lets the idea of danger linger. The setting really takes you to the island and might make you want to quit your job to move to a remote island. But it felt like there were maybe too many turns and then development of the story didn’t feel natural.

Wow wow! While it did take me a little to get into this book i did end up wanting to read more. Every time i put this book down all I kept wondering is what was going to happen next. Did not expect the ending definitely worth the read!

I've been a faithful Andrea Bartz fan since I first picked up The Lost Night and was thrilled to get my hands on an ARC of The Last Ferry Out. It's admittedly been a few years (and hundreds of books) since I read We Were Never Here, but I felt similar parallels between the two books in the back of my mind as I read The Last Ferry Out. The Stephen King-esque Easter egg mid-book also seemed to confirm my suspicions. Once again, Bartz delivered an unputdownable book!

The last Ferry out by Andrea Bartz

This book started out strong and then just lulled for me. I have loved previous books from this author and while I was waiting for a Jam Packed mystery this one left me hanging.

Abby’s fiancée passed say while visiting a small dreamy island, Eszter while visiting this strong wracked island had taken pictures of friends she had made along the way. However, Abby feels there is something missing and heads to the desolate island to find answers and after digging she feels the friends Eszter has made aren’t being honest about the disappearance.

Thank you NetGalley and Random house for this arc.

I always devour Andi Bartz's books, and this one was no exception!

After her fiancee, Estzer's, death, Abby travels to Isla Colel, a remote Mexican island that can only be reached by boat. She's there to figure out what happened to Estzer, who died of an allergy attack, and also texted Abby that she "needed to talk to her" shortly before she died. Abby is certain there's something about Estzer and her death that she doesn't know, and she's determined to find out. She links up with a group of expats on the island, all with secrets of their own, and attempts to figure out Estzer's final days. What she discovers is more than she could have ever imagined.

As someone who has been an expat, Bartz nailed the transientness and social structure of how they operate. It all felt very real to me, and was one of the reasons I really liked it! The whole book kept me guessing about what happened to Estzer, and I was invested in solving the mystery right along with Abby.

A twisty thriller set on a gorgeous remote tropical island with several unique characters-sweet Brady, sexy Amara, motherly Rita and Abby and Eszter, a couple who have plenty of secrets. I was caught up in the characters and the mystery right away and really enjoyed the story. The setting was wonderful and added so much to the plot. I could see the abandoned hotel on the cliff so clearly and the jungle animals and tropical flowers-the writing was so descriptive and lush that I really enjoyed reading this book . Another winner for Bartz! Thank you NetGalley for the advance digital copy.