The Only One Left: A Novel

This book completely pulled me in! The first third was a little slow, but totally worth it once things picked up. The twists were wild—just when I thought I had it figured out, everything flipped. I didn’t see that ending coming at all.The character development was on point, and the story was so intense and vivid I could picture every scene. It honestly felt like watching a movie—I’d love to see this one adapted

This was my first Riley Sager book, and The Only One Left pulled me into its twisty, gothic world with a constant creeping sense of dread and a steady stream of jaw-dropping reveals. For this book I purchased both the Kindle and Audible versions to access the Whispersync feature; the audiobook was narrated by Christine Lakin & Dawn HarveySet in the 1980s at a crumbling cliffside mansion ominously named Hope’s End, the story follows Kit, a caregiver with a recently deceased patient, as she begins working with Lenora Hope, a woman long suspected of murdering her entire family in 1929. Lenora now lives in silence and near-paralysis after multiple strokes and other health issues, communicating only by tapping on a typewriter. She begins to tell Kit her side of the story, and from there, the mystery slowly unravels…and then unravels again and again.The dual timeline structure works well here. The majority of the storyline is from Kit’s 1980s POV, narrated brilliantly by Christine Lakin, whose performance I was thrilled to hear again after recently loving her work in Into the Drowning Deep. The flashback chapters, set in 1929 from Lenora’s perspective, are narrated by Dawn Harvey, who also does a great job bringing a younger Lenora to life with unsettling depth.The supporting characters at Hope’s End include Carter, the quiet groundskeeper; Mrs. Baker, the suspiciously loyal housekeeper; Archie, the longtime cook; and Jessica, the too-cheerful maid, and they all add layers of intrigue to the story. You get the sense that almost everyone is hiding something.Sager masterfully sets the tone, and the setting itself becomes a character. The tilting mansion teetering on the edge of a cliff, random night noises, and unexplained occurrences all add to the claustrophobic tension. That said, there were moments where the pacing dragged and I stalled out, but just when I was about to lose focus, a twist would drop and pull me right back in. The last 20% is wild 😳 packed with reveals, betrayals, and “wait, WHAT?!” moments that hit like dominoes falling.If you enjoy gothic settings, morally complex characters, and stories that keep twisting right up until the final page, The Only One Left is worth reading, even if it runs a bit long. I’ll be picking up more by Riley Sager after this one.

I would give this book 10 stars if I could! Extremely well written, so many twists and turns thought! I couldn't put it down and finished in one sitting. Love love love this book.

Such a good book. A lot of suspense. Well known author. You're not gonna want to put it down.

The Only One Left is a thrilling page-turner that kept me hooked the entire time. I read it in one day. The suspense and eerie mansion setting create a tense atmosphere that makes it hard to put down. The characters and their secrets kept me invested, and the mystery surrounding the house only added to the tension.However, I had some issues with the storyline. The house’s slow collapse into the ocean builds suspense throughout the book, but when it finally fell at the end, it felt a little too dramatic. It didn’t feel like a natural conclusion to the story, more like a prolonged unnecessary twist to ramp up the action.Despite this, the rest of the book was great, full of twists and a gripping plot. I’d definitely recommend The Only One Left to thriller fans, though the ending regarding the house might not be for everyone.

Just when you think you get an idea about where this story is headed, you're hit with another twist! Easy read, gripping, and one that you probably could put down..... but why would you?I enjoyed the story and watching the characters develop. I'm very happy with the end.

Twisty twists keep twisting. This one had me entranced the entire time. Everything unravels at the end & there is no way you’ll see it coming. Very well done. Excellent story that will blindside you several times. These characters will haunt me for a while.

Loved the twists and turns Riley Safer wove while writing this story! I gasped a few times, highly recommended this story.