SYNOPSIS: When Abby steps foot on Isla Colel, she isn’t sure what—if anything—she’ll find. She only knows that she needs to see the place where her fiancée, Eszter, died to try and make sense of the tragic accident. The island is nothing like Abby expected: Though it was once a bustling tourist hub, a hurricane has left it a shell of its former self, with only a handful of residents remaining. Even the once-daily ferry to the mainland now runs every week or so. There, Abby befriends an alluring group of expats, but her sense of unease surges when one of them says he knows the truth about Eszter’s final days. Before he can tell her more, though, he vanishes from the island. Hours turn to days with no sign of him, and the others are chillingly cavalier about his disappearance. As her quest for the truth unearths dark secrets, shady pasts, and a web of lies, Abby grows more determined than ever to find out what happened to the love of her life. And the deeper she gets in the close-knit expat community, the more she suspects that one of them is Eszter’s killer—and will do anything to keep the truth buried. But will Abby discover who it is before she becomes the island’s next victim?

The setting of this book is gorgeous, and I felt like the plot was suspenseful and kept me interested the whole way through. I did find the characters a little unlikable, and there was some predictability with the story, but overall I enjoyed this read. I'll definitely keep an eye out for more books by Bartz!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Abby visits the remote island of Isla Colel, where her fiance, Eszter, spent her last days before her death. But nothing is what she imagined. The island is isolated and almost deserted, far from the vibrant tourist spot she imagined. Even the ferry now has reduced hours, not running every day. Abby meets a group of expats on the island and one of them seems to know more about Eszter's final days, but then he disappears.

I thoroughly enjoyed the setting in this one and the isolated remote island and the mystery around Eszter certainly kept the pages turning. While I didn't connect with the characters in this one as much, I will read anything this author writes and look forward to her next installment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this gifted review copy.

Abby comes to Isla Colel for answers. This tiny island a ferry ride from Cancun is where her fiancé Ezster suddenly died a few months previously and Abby has more questions than answers surrounding Ezster's death.

Along the way she meets the group of Ex-Pats that Ezster befriended including Amari, a beautiful gay artist, Brady from Australia and Pedro who will do anything he can to protect the nature and wildlife of this remote Island along with Rita who arrived after Ezster died along with . She knows that someone can shed light on what happened to Ezster, but in finding out - will she become the next casualty?

The book goes back and forth from before Ezster's death to Abby's dealing with it months later and along the way, you do have to read very carefully to pick up the clues, but although it was meandering, it was also engrossing and kept me coming back. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the opportunity to reach this Advance Reader copy.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for this ARC of The Last Ferry Out. This is my first book by Andrea Bartz. The book takes place in a remote island in Mexico where Abby’s fiancé mysteriously died. Abby travels back to the island to try and understand what happened and she meets several expats who live there. The pace of the book was slow until just over halfway. Things quickly picked up pace and kept me interested until the end which had several surprises. Not my favorite book of 2025.

This suspenseful thriller contains some plot points that feel slightly contrived, but the overall tension makes it an adequate read for mystery lovers. Not the greatest or most original storyline, and it should have been designated as LGBT. 3/5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the advance copy.

I couldn’t put down The Last Ferry Out by Andrea Bartz—I devoured it in one sitting! The eerie, tropical setting of Isla Colel combined with the layers of secrets and lies had me completely hooked from the first page to the last. Abby’s journey to uncover the truth about Eszter’s death is full of twists, suspense, and emotional depth, and I genuinely didn’t see the ending coming.

Andrea Bartz delivers another gripping thriller that’s impossible to forget. If you love a story that keeps you guessing, this one is a must-read!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Last Ferry Out.

The author is hit or miss for me, but I like her writing. I didn't know if NetGalley would approve my request but I'm grateful they did.

The premise isn't original; when her beloved fiancee, Eszter, dies of an allergic reaction a few months ago, Abby feels she can only find closure if she visits the island where she died.

But Abby soon discovers Eszter had not been entirely truthful about her life and Abby suspects her secrets may have led to her untimely death.

I like how the author describes Isla Colel, the locals, the cuisine, the relaxed vibe and atmosphere, the rocky shores and dangerous coastline.

But readers can't live on descriptions alone.

There's little to no suspense or urgency with typical tropes that include Abby thinking she's being followed and all the expats hiding something so naturally, they're all suspects.

There's unnecessary chapters from the POV of the landlady and ex-pats that read as filler and make a narrative already 100 pages too long even longer.

These additional sidebars don't add anything to the narrative.

That goes for the flashbacks into how Abby and Eszter got together and the latter's rocky relationship with her hard-working immigrant parents.

I didn't like Abby, nor did I dislike her; in fact, she seemed a bit naive and immature despite her tumultuous upbringing. You'd think she'd be more street smart.

The twist, if you can call it that, is anti-climatic and a letdown after the slow pace, lack of suspense and unmemorable supporting characters.

I received an ARC of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley.

This book was well-written, like the rest of Andrea Bartz's books, but was nothing to write home about. The setting was very atmospheric and the premise was promising. I liked the main character, but the rest of them kind of got on my nerves. I kept waiting for something big to happen and it never did.

The last book I read by this author wasn’t my favorite. Seemed a little far fetched. I would say that this one impressed me and kept me hooked a lot more! I would recommend. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

Okay so I have read a few of Andrea Bartz's books but unfortunately this one fell a little flat for me! I thought the location sounded gorg, and I did like the concept but there were just a few components that felt off to me. The characters kind of annoyed me and I felt as though none of them were truly fleshed out. I thought the ending was extremely anticlimactic I was waiting for a little more oomph behind the reveal of what happened to the main character's fiancée. I will also say I was not ever really on the edge of my seat dying to know what happened. However the epilogue did surprise me which was nice. Overall, I think if you like some of the previous books from this author you may like this, but it was not my favorite.

I'm an Andrea Bartz fan and that fact remains the same after reading her latest story, "The Last Ferry Out".
This book is a tropical thriller that proves paradise is just one dead fiancée away from a nightmare. When Abby travels to Isla Colel to uncover the truth behind her fiancée, Eszter’s mysterious death, she finds herself stuck with a shady group of expats, an ominous storm, and a ferry schedule that really doesn't care about her survival. Packed with twists, island vibes, and just enough paranoia to make you reconsider your next vacation, this one’s a wild, sun-soaked ride—if you can get off the island in time.
Bartz has an incredible way with imagery that puts you right on Isla Colel along with the rest of the expats. You're not going to want to put this book down!
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books for gifting me an arc to read. Read it for yourself when it comes out on May 20th, 2025.

The Last Ferry Out by Andrea Bartz is a thrilling ride from start to finish. The story follows Abby as she travels to Isla Colel, the tropical paradise where her fiancée, Eszter, tragically died. Abby’s quest to uncover the truth about Eszter’s death quickly turns into a suspenseful mystery filled with dark secrets and unexpected twists.

Bartz masterfully creates an eerie and atmospheric setting on the island, which adds to the tension and suspense. The characters are well-developed, and the shifting perspectives and flashbacks provide a deeper understanding of their motivations and secrets. One of the standout elements of the book is the way it keeps you guessing until the very end.

While the pacing can be a bit slow at times, the engaging writing style and the intriguing plot make up for it. The final reveal is both surprising and satisfying, tying up the story in a way that leaves you thinking long after you’ve finished the book.

Overall, The Last Ferry Out is a solid thriller that fans of mystery and suspense will enjoy. I would rate it 4 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This one was way too slow for me. It felt more like a chore to read than anything. I was really excited to read this one based on the premise, but it ultimately fell very flat. Nothing in particular drew me in or made me want to continue reading.

It was hard for me to finish this book because of how slow it was, I continued reading because I wanted to see what the big secret was.

Abby goes looking for answers on how her fiancé died and goes to the last spot she was at, a remote island. She tracks down the expats that were her friends. The expats all have secrets they are hiding. She realized as well that she didn’t know her fiancé as well as she thought and her fiancé had secrets too.

The plot took too long, in my opinion, and none of the characters I feel were particularly likable. They were all just there living. There were several reveals toward the end, but none of them were particularly surprising or exciting.

This book did not impress me and I didn't feel any wow factors while reading it. I did find myself skimming the pages to get the end.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine/Ballantine Books for an ARC.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the setting of a remote tropical island and the cast of characters - a kind of misfit group of expats all running from something that have taken up residence there. The main character Abby is good though not great - I think she can be a little annoying and unreliable at times but did enjoy her growth arc through her time on the island and loss of her fiancé Ezsther.
This book was slower paced throughout the first 50% or so. It does pick up towards the end and that twist! It was so unexpected. I read a lot of mysteries and thrillers and it's not very often that I am completely surprised by a twist.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I read Andrea Bartz's debut and thought it was an okay thriller, this one was much more enjoyable. It kept me on the edge of my seat. I really loved the setting and also the cover is just so eye catching. Would recommend!

I'd honestly say this was kind of 'meh'. It was very slow going, not much really happened till like the middle/closer to the end. The other characters were annoying at times. The big secret was also kind of boring.

Great writing but overall little boring.

For me this book was just okay, it fell short from the other 2 books I've read by Andrea Bartz and enjoyed. It was a very slow start, I didnt really get into it until about 65% through. The epiloge was perfect though and tied up some nagging suspicions I had while reading.

Abby goes to an island where her fiancé died to get answers and possibly done closure. She meets some interesting people and the locals are friendly but is anyone telling the truth? She gets jerked around a lot especially by her fiancé’s father who had a scheme to renovate part of the island (and hotel) which some of the locals wouldn’t want.

Oh my goodness - another novel set on a remote island filled with locals and a few expats that features a murder. And of course the partner/friend/lover of that murder victim must come to the island to uncover what really happened. What a novel concept!

Done better than the last few - but nothing that was exceptional or revolutionary as far as mystery or storyline.