Horror Book of the Week: The Only One Left

 

This week’s must-read horror book is THE ONLY ONE LEFT. Written by Riley Sager, this novel was published in June 2023 and has already found its way at the top of the Bestsellers list for Horror Suspense. 

The book has been highly praised by critics for its jaw-dropping twists and turns while lauding the author for his writing style and captivating mystery. 

Customers who bought this book have also found this book to have many surprising twists and turns and fast-paced as well. They also appreciated the setting and the atmospheric tension that was palpable on every page. 

Many of them found the protagonist to be realistic, interesting, and compelling. 

Although, some of the readers found that the author has used similar plot devices in his previous books and created identical protagonists who are usually women with a troubled past. 

 Quick Review based on Sample:

After an intriguing start, we meet Kit McDeere and the author wastes no time in establishing that the protagonist is deeply troubled. She has just been subjected to an unfair investigation which has resulted in her being given fewer caretaker jobs. 

Which is why when Kit is assigned the job to take care of notorious Lenora Hope, she just cannot say no. 

Lenora Hope has already been introduced so we know that she has been accused of killing her own family. There’s even a cruel children’s rhyme about her. 

Kit is off on her new job and soon encounters some dark and dangerous secrets. 

There is no doubt as to the author’s capability in being able to handle the mystery and drama aspects of the story. The characters are well-etched and relatable. The story moves ahead at a decent pace, giving us enough time to get to know the characters and their stories. 

This is definitely one of those books that is hard to put down until the mystery is finally revealed. 

The Plot (Taken from Amazon.com)

At seventeen, Lenora Hope

Hung her sister with a rope

Now reduced to a schoolyard chant, the Hope family murders shocked the Maine coast one bloody night in 1929. While most people assume seventeen-year-old Lenora was responsible, the police were never able to prove it. Other than her denial after the killings, she has never spoken publicly about that night, nor has she set foot outside Hope’s End, the cliffside mansion where the massacre occurred.

Stabbed her father with a knife

Took her mother’s happy life

It’s now 1983, and home-health aide Kit McDeere arrives at a decaying Hope’s End to care for Lenora after her previous nurse fled in the middle of the night. In her seventies and confined to a wheelchair, Lenora was rendered mute by a series of strokes and can only communicate with Kit by tapping out sentences on an old typewriter. One night, Lenora uses it to make a tantalizing offer—I want to tell you everything.

“It wasn’t me,” Lenora said

But she’s the only one not dead

 

As Kit helps Lenora write about the events leading to the Hope family massacre, it becomes clear there’s more to the tale than people know. But when new details about her predecessor’s departure come to light, Kit starts to suspect Lenora might not be telling the complete truth—and that the seemingly harmless woman in her care could be far more dangerous than she first thought.

The book is available on Kindle, Audible, Hardcover and Paperback. 

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