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!

The Last Ferry Out" by Andrea Bartz is a suspenseful thriller that takes readers to the secluded Isla Colel, where Abby seeks answers about her fiancée Eszter's mysterious death. The novel masterfully blends elements of mystery and romance, unraveling secrets within a close-knit expat community. Bartz's vivid descriptions of the island's eerie beauty enhance the atmospheric tension, keeping readers engaged as Abby delves deeper into the enigma surrounding Eszter's demise.​

The narrative's strength lies in its exploration of grief and the complexities of uncovering uncomfortable truths. While some plot twists may feel anticipated, the emotional depth and character development compensate, offering a satisfying reading experience. Fans of Bartz's previous works will appreciate her signature style of intertwining psychological suspense with profound emotional undertones.​

Overall, "The Last Ferry Out" is a compelling read that balances intrigue with an intimate portrayal of love and loss, making it a worthwhile addition to the thriller genre.

Well, I concede that The Last Ferry Out starts a bit slow, but as it headed to the end I was thrilled. This is one fun book and I credit author Andrea Bartz with clever writing resulting in interesting subplots and twists and turns that kept me guessing. As a whole the story takes us to a life on an isolated island and gives us (me) the feeling of being there. No, I don't want to return, but I enjoyed the trip.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

After the death of her fiancé on an island off the coast of Mexico, Abby travels there to get to the bottom of the mysterious circumstances surrounding her death. What she finds is unsettling and not what she expected…

This was enjoyable and kept my interest, but I wouldn’t say it was highly suspenseful or propulsive. I was curious to see how the whole story would play out, but I wasn’t necessarily glued to the pages.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this ebook!

I absolutely couldn’t put this book down—it was so twisty and full of suspense! I felt Eszter’s grief and determination on every page, and I was completely drawn into her need for answers. The descriptions of the island were so vivid that I felt like I was right there with her, walking through the aftermath of the hurricane and experiencing the eerie, desolate atmosphere. I was captivated by the group of expats Abby met—they were mysterious, and I kept trying to figure out who could be trusted. When one of them hinted at knowing the truth about Eszter’s final days and then disappeared, I felt Abby’s frustration and unease so deeply. I was on edge, wondering what would happen next and why the others seemed so indifferent to his absence.

This book kept me guessing right up until the end, and I loved how unpredictable it was. I felt like I was unraveling the mystery right alongside Abby, and every twist and revelation left me wanting more. It was a thrilling and emotional ride, and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a story full of suspense, complex characters, and shocking twists.

Andrea Bartz has a very distinct writing style and I can't decide if I love it or if it just isn't for me? I am caught somewhere in between but overall found myself to really enjoy this one? It was incredibly twisty if at times a bit slow.

The Last Ferry Out was the exact thriller I wanted to devour on vacation. The story focuses on a woman who's girlfriend dies a mysterious death on an island, and she decides to retrace her steps to try to find closure. The twists were good, not completely shocking, but still fulfilling and it was a great read.

I absolutely loved this book, as I have with all of Andrea Bartz's previous novels. I was completely hooked from the start and loved the setting, and the slow unfolding of Abby figuring out what really happened on the island. I couldn't put it down!

I found this one to be a bit slow and it never really hooked me. I didn’t connect with the characters in the way I hoped. Overall, just not the read for me.

The Last Ferry Out
Thank you Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine and Andrea Bartz for the Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review this book!

Andrea Bartz writes some of the most dynamic expressions of oceans and storms and how they can represent inner turmoil in this book. The opening scenes arriving to the island and the main character hiking up to look out over the raging water captured my imagination. This storm carried throughout the novel into the vibrant locations where this story takes place. I really enjoyed the exploration of Isla Colel and the story that unfolds in The Last Ferry Out. The characters’ decisions they make will leave a lasting impression on readers. We’re all choosing our regrets, aren’t we?

The second part of the book moves briskly through the mystery thriller elements masterfully spun into a romance story. In my experience right around where Gloria assist Abby speaking to Marta the chapter endings are extremely strong. The chapter endings begin to feel like a dramatic commercial break on a cold case TV drama. I saw Andrea describe the mystery as ‘puzzle box’ and I think that is a good descriptor. It benefits the reader who pays attention and lets the reader figure it out at a consistent pace. The epilogue leaves some pieces that complete the puzzle but I did not feel it came from nothing. How the allergic cookies got to Eszter remained a mystery so it was satisfying to see how that wrapped up in the ending while expanding the fated/found family theme of the novel.

Some of my favorite quotes/moments:
“It’s a funny word, when you think about it: disappoint. Deprive of a position of power. Snatch back the car keys to life.”
Loc 3482 – Chapter 35
Such a perfect encapsulation of the main character assuming control and pushing forward in an uncomfortable situation where they have already lost so much.

“You couldn’t produce, as if that were its own tragedy, bigger than losing me.” – Eszter
Loc 3895 – Chapter 42
This was such a powerful scene as at a low point we see Abby see Eszter again, or at least in her mind as we come to learn. We get to experience how Abby expects Eszter would receive her after a few months or mourning and it is so well written.

“We’re all choosing our regrets, aren’t we?” – Abby
Loc 4484 – Chapter 47
I love this look into Abby’s inner process through this monologue. It paints the decisions she is making and how she will carry forward.


“Which kind of family is more important, one bound by friendship or by fate?” -Abby
Loc 4657 – Chapter 48
This sums up so many of themes of the novel. Eszter and Abby’s struggle with fated and found family and how all the characters address those challenges, up to and including the biting epilogue.

Possible Corrections/Errors
*I noticed one potential editing point/error. Loc 2761 – Chapter 28 in a chapter narrated by Eszter ‘Then’, Hilde calls out to Eszter but in my copy it says “Abby”… “Abby!” Hilde waves from across the town square. I noticed this at the time and highlighted it, but also this goes against the ending chapters where we see Abby learn about Hilde the woman in the photo. Also with learning more about Hilde’s experience prior to Abby’s arrival in the epilogue.

Thank you to the author and publisher for an arc copy provided by net galley.

I enjoyed the book, it’s a mix of thriller with some romance. I’ve given it a 3.5 * because it starts off a little slow and the thrills mostly come near the end. Still a good read!!

While I was intrigued by the concept of this book, it feels a little flat for me. I was looking for a little more drama and instead it just felt more chaotic. I also thought the last chapter, the reveal, should have happened 50 pages earlier, so as a reader we could have more context. It was still an entertaining read.

Very unique and atmospheric murder mystery. My rating ended on 3.75 stars rounded to 4.

I loved the story and setting of the novel so much and found myself excited to read about the island and the mysteries it held. It was a very long but easy read because of my shear need to know the truth.

Where I found this novel lacking was our characters. I had no connection to anyone and that made it hard to care about their wellbeing.

I would recommend to anyone looking for a very twisted and suspenseful murder mystery.

Thank you to the publisher for the arc through NetGalley! All opinions are my own honest opinions.

*The Last Ferry Out* is a gripping and atmospheric read, blending suspense with emotional depth. Set against an ominous backdrop, the story follows characters facing impossible choices as they attempt to escape before it’s too late. The tension builds steadily, and the vivid descriptions pull you into the setting.

While some moments feel slightly predictable, the novel’s strong pacing and well-drawn characters make up for it. *The Last Ferry Out* is an engaging, thought-provoking read that lingers after the final page.

Abby is geiving the death of her fiancée Eszter while on a trip to Isla Colel, a small island in Mexico. Abby is looking to find why this happened to Eszter and to get to know the expats that Eszter was with the last 2 weeks before her death. The more Abby hangs out with the expats the more she is convinced that they are not telling her the whole truth. They are known to keep their secrets close to their hearts. When Abby recieves a cryptic text from Brady to meet him the next morning , she finally thinks that she will get the truth. When Brady is a no show to their meeting spot the other expats blow her off. Now Abby is trying to piece together the clues to not only find where Brady might be and the truth about Eszter's death. This is a quick read that will have you on the edge of your seat until the very end. I would like to thank both NetGalley and Ballantine Books for letting me read an advanced copy of this novel.

This is a thriller that held my interest and attention to the end but left me feeling a bit disappointed.
The story was intriguing- Abby goes to a remote island where her fiancée recently died. She is hoping to connect with those there who knew her and learn more about her life and death.
The characters are a band of expats and locals who are living in paradise but had their economy ruined by a devastating hurricane. Conveniently this makes it very hard to get on and OFF the island - hence the title. The characters all felt unreliable and there were so many twists at times there were just too many …. Sometimes a good story can just feel overdone. The ending was difficult for me.
I did joy the atmospheric setting to this book. The writer did a great job conveying the dangers and suffocating feeling of being trapped on a remote island.
This is a writer who I feel has lots of intriguing ideas and has a style which is pleasant to read so I would be interested in more from .

A well written F/F romance that is ALSO a murder mystery? Say less. I was so excited to read this on the premise alone.

The last ferry out is such a twisty journey! I got whiplash from most of the pace but it got a little slow in the build up. Abby is trying to find answers about how her partner spent her last days before a tragic death. She runs into the same group of expats and suddenly nothing is the same. This is my first book from this author and it was a fun quick read. Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this preview.

This one was not working for me. I suspect it's the author's writing style that I don't enjoy. The plot felt very slow and repetitive also.

“The Last Ferry Out” is by Andrea Bartz. This book checked a lot of checkboxes for me - remote island, expats with secrets, and a mystery to solve. However, I found myself underwhelmed. The island is described well - danger lurking along cliffs, overwhelming dampness, destruction from the past hurricane - but while that kept me engaged, it wasn’t enough. The pacing of this book was extremely slow for a good chunk of the book, though things did pick up near the end - but at times it felt like a slog to get the plot moving forward. Abby, the main character, just didn’t click for me - maybe it was all her introspection, maybe it was that for a person who regards data (numbers, facts, patterns) as how she sees the world, she certainly used some curiously colorful phrases when describing things. This book also has multiple points of view, which sometimes felt like they hindered the over all story instead of enhancing and moving the plot along. I had high hopes for this book, but it didn’t work for me. However, slow-burn mysteries are not always my cup of tea. If those are your jam and if you like atmospheric books this might be one for you to pick up. This is the first book I’ve read by this author, but I’m willing to pick up another book by her - because I found the writing style enjoyable.