Scan barcode
A review by joyceheinen
The Only One Left by Riley Sager
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I’m a big fan of Riley Sager and I have loved all but one book that I have rea by him. My favorites are “Lock Every Door” and “Home Before Dark”, with a more gothic vibe to them. If that’s your thing, and these are also your favorite by this author, “The Only One Left” is right up your alley. Sager most definitely does gothic thriller best.
From the first page I was hooked. The atmosphere is set immediately and the setting of Hope’s End is perfect for a thriller. It’s an old, decaying mansion, set on a coastal cliff, far away from everyone. If that doesn’t get peak your interest, this book is not for you. Because this book relies on atmosphere for a big portion of it. Just like Sager did in the aforementioned books with the same gothic vibes.
Kit is new in this big house, where she has to take care of Lenora, the woman everyone thinks has killed her entire family when she was seventeen. Kit stays professional, but is still curious and tries to figure out what really happened that night. Kit is not the only staff member, they are also keeping secrets of their own.
We follow the story through Kit’s perspective, but also have chapters dedicated to the story that Lenora is typing. The book wouldn’t be a really Riley Sager book if it didn’t have some twists and reveals that you wouldn’t see coming. And most of them are really good, unexpected and surprising. There were two things I kind of predicted, but they weren’t obvious. And that finale is insane. It is absolutely crazy and I loved it.
When I’m excited for a new book by an author I love, I’m always scared to be disappointed. Sager did not let me down, loved every minute of reading this insane thriller. An new all-time favorite and my best book of 2023.
From the first page I was hooked. The atmosphere is set immediately and the setting of Hope’s End is perfect for a thriller. It’s an old, decaying mansion, set on a coastal cliff, far away from everyone. If that doesn’t get peak your interest, this book is not for you. Because this book relies on atmosphere for a big portion of it. Just like Sager did in the aforementioned books with the same gothic vibes.
Kit is new in this big house, where she has to take care of Lenora, the woman everyone thinks has killed her entire family when she was seventeen. Kit stays professional, but is still curious and tries to figure out what really happened that night. Kit is not the only staff member, they are also keeping secrets of their own.
We follow the story through Kit’s perspective, but also have chapters dedicated to the story that Lenora is typing. The book wouldn’t be a really Riley Sager book if it didn’t have some twists and reveals that you wouldn’t see coming. And most of them are really good, unexpected and surprising. There were two things I kind of predicted, but they weren’t obvious. And that finale is insane. It is absolutely crazy and I loved it.
When I’m excited for a new book by an author I love, I’m always scared to be disappointed. Sager did not let me down, loved every minute of reading this insane thriller. An new all-time favorite and my best book of 2023.