The Only One Left

This captivated me from the very beginning. I spent the whole book trying to figure out the truth from the fragments we learn. But everytime I thought I had it figured out a twist would change things.
When it came to Kit and her past. I kind of figured it out but even then a twist changed things at the very end.
How everyone was connected and the truth surprised me. I hadn't suspected outside characters to play big roles.

The atmosphere here was unsettling. Not only the fact there was a potential murderer in the house telling the story. But the house itself is falling off a cliff.

Just like Lenora, I have a shameful secret myself that I feel I should reveal before I go any further…….

This is the first book I have read by Riley Sager 😱

I know he has a huge following and all his books sound really good, but for some reason they have been lost amongst my mountain of tbr pile of books. However, after reading this one I will definitely fix that massive mistake asap!

This book not only exceeds the hype surrounding it, it super exceeds any expectations completely, for previous readers of his work, but also for new readers such as myself! This is a book that should be on the very, very top of everyone’s tbr pile. Do NOT let this book pass you by otherwise you will miss out on an instant number one bestseller that has more hooks in it to drag you in than in Hellraiser 😹 (the book isn’t a horror, I just couldn’t think of anything else with thousands of hooks!)

After a six month suspension from work and an investigation into the death of her mother, Kit is ready to go back to work as a care giver, the only issue with that is the only job offered to her is to take on the care of the notorious Lenora Hope and staying in the equally notorious mansion, Hope End, the very house that Lenora killed her family.

After Kit was supject to an investigation into her mother’s death she is in no position to turn down the job. Kit has always been adament of her innocence, just as Lenora has always professed her innocence, so at least they both have something in common.

Kit’s new patient Lenora has suffered strokes that have left her completely immobile except the limited use of her left arm, unable to talk or move she is confined to her bedroom. Even so, Kit still doesn’t feel safe with her new patient, made worse by given the room that connects to Lenora’s bedroom with only a door to separate them.

But how dangerous can Lenora still be?

From her first night there Kit hears strange noises coming from the bedroom next door and as time passes other unexplained sights, shadows and noises keep escalating.

Just when you think you know where this book is headed it twists the plot 360 degrees and you are back to trying to work out what is actually happening at Hope End and all its residents.

As plot twist after plot twist reveals itself some are so unexpected they come as real surprises and some have you having to remind yourself to breath!

Whether you are already a fan or if you are new to his work as I am, this is an unbelievable, extremely clever novel that contains actual, genuine shock after shock and I cannot recommend it highly enough to anyone and everyone, it honestly is that good!

I've said it before & I'll say it again… Riley Sager is one of the best thriller/mystery writers of our time. Every novel I read from him is enjoyable & clever & I simply adore his style.

'The Only One Left' was no exception. It was fantastic!

It was edgy, full on intrigue & a totally original story that had me hooked, so much so that I practically finished about 80% of the book in one afternoon. I could NOT put it down!

As with all of Riley Sager's works, the twists(!!) were gooood. I feel that I've read many thriller-with-a-twist type books now that it can be easy to see the turn coming, but with this book, I didn't stand a chance.

'The Only One Left' only left me wanting even MORE from Riley Sager than I already did.

A full 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley, Riley Sage & Hodder & Stoughton for allowing me to read & review the ARC of 'The Only One Left'; all views are honest & my own.

Everyone believes that Lenora Hope is a mass murderer. She is the only survivor of her murdered family, decades ago, now living mute and paralysed, confined to a wheelchair. Except now, she wants to tell her new carer, Kit, her story and they may have found a way with a typewriter. As Kit helps Lenora tell her story, she realises the mansion at Hope's End holds many secrets, but they are ones she is not going to like.

The format of this novel was perfect, with the interspersed typewritten notes by Leonora, telling of her past. The deserted mansion, with the sparse housekeeping staff and groundsman all added to the eerie setting and dark history of the location. Sager leaves a trail of breadcrumbs as you go along, hinting all the while at the secrets that are about to unfold. That said, I could not possibly have predicted those twists and the outrageously good ending that the author is so well known for. Another fabulous novel that I highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the gifted review copy.

Riley Sager is definitely the master of twists and turns and this book proves no exception on his previous work. I loved how suspenseful it was, never quite sure whether there was something supernatural or just plain old mystery. I liked the character of Kit although I did get annoyed at times as she seemed to be her own worst enemy but you can’t help but admire that level of tenacity. I think my favourite part of the book was how seemlessly the past and the present blended together and the ending blew me away and even when I thought the shocks were done, there were still more to come.

What an absolutely awesome read for my first book in May!!

This just had everything! Historical murders, a modern-day murder, intrigue, suspicion, a crumbling mansion, secrets galore, and a HUGE twist!!

When Kit returns to work after her suspension, she is assigned to be the live-in caregiver for a lady in her seventies. She is shocked to realise that her new patient is none other than suspected murderer Leonora Hope, who still lives in the mansion where her family were killed over 50 years ago. Leonora is mute and paralysed but is the only key to all of the answers, and Kit desperately wants to get to the truth! Is she living under the same roof as and caring for a murderer? What happened and why? What drove the previous nurse away?

The richness of the characters and the setting of this story really brings it to life and takes you right into the journey of the storylines, past and present.

There are several twists and turns with a fair humdinger of a one towards the end, none of which I saw coming at all!

I just loved this and would highly recommend it to anyone and everyone!!

xx

The Only One Left - Riley Sager

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Set in the 1980’s, this novel follows Kit McDeeree, a 31-year-old caregiver from Maine, as she arrives for her new live-in position at Hopes End, a collapsing Gothic mansion set atop a coastal cliff. Here she meets her new patient, Lenora Hope, a 71-year-old who has suffered a series of health complications which have left her with little-to-no movement and unable to speak.
But Lenora is no typical patient. She has become local legend, Maine’s own bogeyman, for when she was 17 she was accused of a Lizzie Borden-style crime - the murder of her entire family in a single night.

‘At seventeen, Lenora Hope
Hung her sister with a rope
…
Stabbed her father with a knife
Took her mother’s happy life
…
“It wasn’t me,” Lenora said
But she’s the only one not dead’.

But the police could never prove it and Lenora was never convicted. So what really happened at Hope’s End that fateful night in 1929? Will Kit find the answers before the mansion finally falls? And what secrets might Kit be harbouring herself? Nothing is as it seems in this delightfully atmospheric and twisty thriller.

This one has a pinch of everything I love best: the isolated Gothic mansion; unreliable characters; a dark and suspenseful storyline; and plenty of clever twists and turns that kept me guessing till the very end. This novel delivers on all counts. Having read the entirety of Sager’s works thus far, I’m pleased to say that he’s back and he’s on top form! This one is right up there with what I believe are his strongest books, Home Before Dark and Lock Every Door.

The Only One Left gets a big 5 star rating from me ⭐️
This book was extremely hard to put down.
If you read any thriller this year, make it this one!

Huge thank you to @netgalley and @HodderBooks for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I am so impressed! Every chance I got, I was sneaking in a few pages of this thrilling book… Gripped my attention in a way not many books do

Thrilling, shocking, chilling, and unputdownable!… Not one to be missed!’

‘Leonora Hope, hung her sister with a rope’. Everyone knows the childhood rhyme about the tragic events of one evening in 1929 where Leonora slayed her entire family, but no evidence to convict her. Now 50 years on Kit, a caregiver, who just back from job suspension can’t afford to turn down the appointment to care for Leonora, now paralysed and bed bound after polio and a series of strokes. Kit and Leonora form an unlikely bond and Kit encourages Leonora to use the typewriter with her one hand she has control of, and Leonora starts to tell the story of what happened that dreadful night. There is more to this family than meets the eye.
This book will leave you thinking about the characters long after you finish reading. Layer upon layer of twists and unexpected turns, another epic read from Riley Sager, a true gothic thriller, I completely devoured this book, needing to know what happened next and the truth about what really happened at Hope Ends.

WOW!

At seventeen Lenora Hope,
Hung her sister with a rope,
Stabbed her father with a knife,
Took her mother's happy life.

Kit doesn't have many options after being suspended from work. She needs a job and the only one offered to her, as a caregiver, is with Lenora Hope. A woman suspected of murdering her family. Shortly after arriving, she begins to notice that things are not as they seem and she is determined to undercover the secrets at Hope's End.

I was captivated from the very beginning. Each chapter kept me in anticipation and ended with a hook compelling me to read just one more chapter. So many plot twists that I didn't see coming. I had so many mixed feelings about the characters - one minute I liked them, then disliked them and other times I felt sympathy towards them. The story was cleverly woven together - every time I was left with a question, Riley answered it very soon after.

This book was fascinating with how creepy, yet delightful, it was. I mean that by ‘creepy’ is the setting and noises at night, and ‘delightful’ with how friendships are formed from something so sinister.
It’s a book that is knee-deep full of surprises. Once you think you’ve solved the mystery, you haven’t, and more bombs are thrown at you.
Riley really spins a good tale and he’s a go-to author for me without a doubt.

This was such a good read that I just didn't want to put it down. It had a similar vibe to Rebecca, which I loved.

Set mainly in the present day, Kit has been hired as a replacement caregiver for a woman who is believed to have murdered her family. Through a series of letters from Miss Hope, the storyline flits to the past to reveal the truth.

I loved watching the storyline play out as you tried to work out if she did it or not. With lots of twists along the way, I loved this from cover to cover.

Riley Sager takes on the Gothic thriller genre with huge success, as he draws you into this stunning atmospheric world.

I have a love hate relationship with this author and always want to read their latest book. The Only One Left is just mind blowing. Just when you think that you have worked it out this reader throws you a curve ball. Yes reader but not just one they run through the whole story. Nothing could prepare me for this gothic, whodunit masterpiece. I devoured this book in one sitting and finally turned the last page at 2am I Had To Know The Truth!!!!! Atmospheric, gripping and so good. A masterpiece in storytelling and with just enough tension and suspense to keep glued to my seat. Absolutely loved It!!!!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review.