The blurb for this book really drew me in, the premise of starting out on a cruise with your partner to wake and find yourself alone is a truly terrifying concept! This book quickly gathers pace as we learn more about the main character Caroline Ripley (Caz). We learn all about her home life and background and the things that make her tick and when we are introduced to other people we learn about them and their drivers to get off the ship alive. It is very hard to review this book without giving too much away but if you have read any other of Will Dean’s books you know how he has an amazing ability to draw you into his character’s worlds and you almost feel yourself there with them and can imagine how you would feel and what you would do if you were in their position. The sheer terror that they feel and the situations they are put in makes your heart beat quicker! I would recommend this book to anybody who enjoys a fast paced and thought provoking novel which really delves into the human mind!

I Was lucky enough to be given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Having read one of his previous books and absolutely loved it, I was really keen to see where this went. The story itself is quite intriguing, and is written in a way that you struggle to see where it will go. It easily holds your attention and has just about enough to make for a fascinating read, building to a decent ending.

I would say that I found it hard to like the main character. Compared to the star of 'The Last Thing To Burn' she seems a bit...meh. The insistence it be called 'Caz' was slightly grating, but overall it was a book I'd definitely recommend

Caz wakes up on a luxury cruise ship – sorry, ocean liner – to discover that everyone has disappeared. With such an audacious opening premise, you’re sometimes left wondering if the author will be able to pull of a satisfactory ending. That’s not the case here.

This is a twisty thriller, which is as dark and deep as the ocean itself, and it keeps you on edge throughout. By the time I got to the final page, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

The most unsettling aspect of this book is that it’s terrifyingly believable.

*SPOILERS*
Sounds good, doesn't it?

After waking up to find the ocean linee is deserted, she eventually comes across 3 other people... Daniel, Frannie, and Smith.

It turns out someone is controlling the ship remotely. Limiting their access to food stores, water, heating, etc.
All becomes apparent, days later, when starved, dehydrated, wet, cold, and mentally confused, they find out they have inadvertently become part of a reality TV show with the chance to win some money.

At this point, they are given the chance to leave or to stay and each complete a task. After all they had already been through, they decided to stay! They were given a taste of what hell they would endure and still they stayed. Maybe if they had not known how bad it would be, I could understand the temptation but not after what they had already experienced.

One thing I will give it credit for is it was a proper page turner, and I was eager to find out what was going to happen in the end. This was what pushed me to keep reading even though it was one of the most far-fetched books I've ever read.

I invested my time on nearly 500 pages of what I can only describe as amateur storytelling. I can almost imagine the author typing away, and then suddenly, an outlandish idea pops in his head, and he thinks, "Yes! Brilliant" and just adds it with no thought as to whether it fits or makes sense.

Ultimately, I found it frustrating, annoying, and ridiculous. And don't even get me started on the ending...

Caz Ripley is going on a romantic cruise with her boyfriend, Pete, aboard the Atlantica - the most impressive mid-sized liner to grace the open seas. The day after boarding, Caz awakes to find the ship empty. This is a hell of a hook from Will Dean, who is one of the most compelling thriller writers working today, and it doesn't disappoint in its execution, either. This review is pretty general as to spoil any part of this would be an injustice, tbh.

I was consumed by The Last Passenger from start to finish - it's a really ambitious concept and at just shy of 500 pages it can seem intimidating. But I flew threw its short, punchy chapters. Dean writes with fluidity and captures the heightened emotions of his POV character so well. The pacing is incredibly tight and I was desperate to know how everything unfolded and so I physically struggled to put this one down.

The novel takes place almost entirely aboard the Atlantica, and this adds to the tension so much - repeatedly, references are made to how trapped you are, somewhat paradoxically, in the open ocean, and this claustrophobic atmosphere is dialled up as the novel progresses. I also loved the ironic juxtaposition of being trapped on a luxury liner, and all that it entails.

The plot Dean weaves takes the reader to very unexpected places and as someone who finds a lot of thrillers a bit samey, I was so impressed with The Last Passenger's ability to surprise and shock me. Not all of the (many, many!!) plot twists worked for me; some were resolved too quickly but that's the only real complaint I have. Like Caz, I was duped over and over again by the novel's red herrings and deceptions - it is a fantastically clever book that not only keeps the reader on its toes but keeps its tongue firmly in its cheek doing so. I can't abide a self-serious thriller writer and I am glad to report that Dean is not that - so much so that the ending of this one made me laugh out loud. If you know, you know.

Gripping, creepy and dark, The Last Passenger is a brilliant, high-concept thriller that deserves to be the Beach Book of the Summer. Just maybe don't bring it on any boats.

This book describes a very clever new reality game show with unsuspecting contestants. An interesting concept and the writer takes you through the highs and lows in a very descriptive manner. Recommended.

I'm a huge fan of Will's work, especially the Tuva series, and couldn't wait to get started on his latest standalone, The Last Passenger.

Instantly hooked, I knew this was going to be one heck of a ride! This is such an ambitious and exciting concept that I was torn between savouring every brilliantly-written word and getting to the end to discover the solution to the mystery.

A fantastic idea, brilliantly executed in true Will Dean style. He knows how to tell a cracking story and he always knows what the reader wants. I can't wait to read his next book!

I was intrigued by the premise of this book and delighted to receive an arc!
Caz Ripley is on the RMS Atlantica with her boyfriend, but when she wakes up on the first morning she finds that she is the only passenger on board and the ship is steaming across the Atlantic Ocean.

I really enjoyed reading this book and found it hard to put down.
Is the plot far fetched and unlikely to happen? Yes, but who cares! You only have to read the news to see far-fetched and unlikely to happen in real life.
It's a gripping, fast paced read and I was happily dragged along with it!

Thank you to Will Dean, NetGalley and to Hodder and Stoughton for the opportunity to read this advanced copy.

I've heard so much about the author so was very excited too get an ARC of this novel.
I just found the storyline to unbelievable and the ending even more so.

I did however think the writing was excellent and I will definitely try another book by the author

This is such a unique book with a concept I have never come across before. After reading The last thing to burn by this author I knew I had to read this one. After getting on the cruise ship Atlantica and having a lovely evening with her boyfriend, Caz wakes up the next morning to find no one on the ship. No passengers, no crew. Where did everyone go, and how? And why was she left alone?

This book gives you so many questions and not a lot of answers for a long time. Explaining anything about this book will give it away, so I can't say much. But the plot was not what I was expecting, but it was a really interesting idea.

The characters - Caroline (Caz) was a good enough main character, she repeated her life story a lot and talked about the same things all the time, but she was nice and a good character. I was conflicted with Smith because he wasn't very likeable but in the end he did grow on me. Daniel and Frannie I did like, but by the end I didn't. I don't want to give anything away but if you read this book you'll hopefully understand why I felt like this.

This was very interesting and really made me think about how certain situations could make people feel and how deceiving and confusing it must be. It was very tense, especially when the stakes got higher and we got closer to the end of the book. Part of me liked the ending and part of me didn't. One thing that confused me was the ending on the airplane, I think that could have been left out but does set up for a second book if that is the authors intention.

Overall this was an interesting and gripping book that got more and more tense as you got closer to the end. I thought it was going to be more of a murder mystery thriller and it went in a different direction to what I expected, but it was still a good read.

Caz wakes up on the second morning of her cruise ship holiday completely alone.. From the events take a sinister turn, and a journey like no other begins. I felt this book wasn't as strong as his other ones, and the ending of the book really let it down. A good read overall, but I didn't enjoy the ending at all

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Caz Ripley and her boyfriend Pete board the Atlantica for a luxury crossing to New York. When Caz wakes up in their cabin the first morning Pete is not there and nor is anyone else! The ship appears deserted without even a crew. Caz discovers 3 other people on board and the 4 of them find themselves taking part in a deadly game of survival. This is a fast paced, exciting story which will keep you on the edge of your seat to the very end. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

Caroline (Caz) is on a cruise with her new partner Pete. They enjoy their first evening and then everything goes wrong. Caz wakes up, wonders where Pete has gone and decides he must be at breakfast. She leaves the cabin in search of him. Suddenly as she wanders around the ship she realises that there is no one around which is crazy on a large cruise ship. She wonders what has happened and then realises that she is alone on the ship, Atlantica, on the ocean with no land in sight. What is happening? She is freaked out and frantically goes all around the ship looking for signs of life. As she continues to search the ship she finally comes across three other passengers, Daniel, Franny and a guy who only wants to be known as Smith. They discuss what could have happened and organise a plan which includes going to the bridge to try and send a distress signal. Things go from bad to worse. Eventually they are told that they are in a competition against each other for a large fee which is another shock to the system for Caz. There will be tasks and the four have to decide who does what before they are told what they actually entail. I feel I cannot say too much about the book story wise as I could so easily give the plot away. What I will say is that I enjoyed the ups and downs of the four passengers and did find it weird in some ways but as you get to the ending you realise the reasons for this. The ending – ummmmm

Excellent! A book you can get completely immersed in- I read it in one sitting!I should say well done Will, but I know I’ll definitely be keeping more aware of my surroundings on my next cruise!

I don’t even know where to start reviewing this book. It’s twisty and dark, very compelling. I feel like you’ll either love it or hate it, and I very much loved it.

It’s hard to say much without ruining any of the story but it is essentially a story of survival, when Caz wakes up on a cruise ship and finds all the other passengers and crew missing. A lot happens and her situation gets worse and worse.

I have to say though, I did not like the final page in the slightest, it felt totally cheap and could easily ruin the whole story if you focus on it too much. I have chosen not to dwell on 1 page of an otherwise brilliant story though, and would definitely recommend giving it a read if you enjoy books about survival.

Imagine waking up on a luxury cruise ship to find everyone has disappeared and you are alone on the open sea. This is the amazing premise from Will Dean, author of the brilliant The Last Thing to Burn which I awarded one of my Kindig Gems of the Year for 2021.

I have been so excited to have this book on my ‘to read’ list which can sometimes spell disaster as expectations run high. However, I’m so happy to report that although this book is on the long side (almost 500 pages), I was completely hooked and could not put it down. A big part of my enjoyment was that I just could not predict or guess what was going to happen next. Particularly at the beginning we are hit with twist after twist and I was left gasping with shock at every turn.

The setting of an abandoned cruise ship is also a perfect one - atmospheric and creepy and it is pictured perfectly. I’ll try not to give too much away but when the actual crux of the book is revealed, it then becomes an interesting moral dilemma and has a lot to say about us as a society. The characters are interesting, I would just say I felt like we got a little too many flashbacks into Caz’s past, all of which seemed to give the same information. I think some of this could have been edited down to make for a more concise read as they didn’t add to further the plot.

The ending did feel a little rushed – almost as if Will Dean couldn’t work out how to top the beginning of the book and it did leave me with a few questions, particularly with regards to the other characters. However, it’s a hard hitting last chapter and left me with a smile on my face as to how it all gets wrapped up.

The Last Passenger is one of those books that is better going in not knowing much about - don’t read any spoilers, just sit back and enjoy those twists and turns! It’s definitely a Kindig Gem for 2023 and one of my favourite reads this year. Thank you to NetGalley & Hodder & Stoughton for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Bloody hell I can't actually think straight after reading this, it is so mindbendingly good and evil and twisted, I have been raving about it to anyone who comes close. I had to send Will Dean a gushing message of appreciation afterwards, telling him he was a twisted evil genius (that's a compliment I hope!)

I can't say much without spoilers but imagine setting off on a cruise, luxury lifestyle where nothing is too much, finest food and champagne, towering ice sculptures, the works. You fall asleep in the fanciest bed - wake up, and BAM, everyone has disappeared. Not your partner, not the serving staff, and the ship is still sailing full steam ahead into the ocean.

What happens next plays into all your greatest fears and phobias, each chapter pulls away another comfort blanket that you didn't even know you were holding onto. I was terrified and hooked in equal measure. Each chapter, each twist made me want to curl up and hide, but I needed to know what was going to happen.

When I finished it, I couldn't speak - just had to find people on twitter who'd already read it so I could decompress with people who'd been there too.

The KING of MISDIRECTION is back with a shocking, twisted, edge of your seat thriller, which kept me gripped from the off. I love a book where I can imagine myself as one of the characters and I was so immersed in this one, everything Caz went through I went through. It's such an emotional, tension filled story, but it's also horrifying, creepy, cruel and bloody PHENOMENAL. Will Dean is a MASTER storyteller and he knows how to shock his readers to the core. It's quite hard to write a review for Will Dean's books, because I really don't want to spoil the twist and turns that happen throughout, the ending is just WOW!, I will end this review by saying, I BLOODY LOVED EVERY CHARACTER, EVERY TWIST, EVERY SHOCK, EVERY MISDIRECTION, PAGE TURNING PLOT, A PHENOMENAL READ AND I HIGHLY RECOMMEND. Plus if this isn't picked up by Netflix, Amazon or another streaming service then they are making a HUGE mistake. CONGRATULATIONS WILL DEAN, ON ANOTHER NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER.

I’m such a big fan of Will Dean but it’s been a while since I’ve read his books so when I saw this one pop up I thought I’d give it a go. To be honest, much as I loved his previous books, I just couldn’t get on with The Last Passenger at all. I’m a sucker for books set on boats and all things nautical but this one went in an entirely different direction, one which I wasn’t expecting and wasn’t really a fan of.

This book delivers in all areas. It's a mystery and a thriller. It's got lots of short chapters, often ending with cliffhangers that make you want to read another. And another... There are more twists and turns than a bowl of spaghetti. Overall, a good story very well told.