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The Last Time I Lied: A Novel Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Riley Sager (Author), Nicol Zanzarella (Narrator), Penguin Audio (Publisher)
Editors' pick Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
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In the latest thriller from the best-selling author of Final Girls, a young woman returns to her childhood summer camp to uncover the truth about a tragedy that happened there 15 years ago.

Two Truths and a Lie. The girls played it all the time in their cabin at Camp Nightingale. Vivian, Natalie, Allison, and first-time camper Emma Davis, the youngest of the group. But the games ended the night Emma sleepily watched the others sneak out of the cabin into the darkness. The last she - or anyone - saw of them was Vivian closing the cabin door behind her, hushing Emma with a finger pressed to her lips.

Now a rising star in the New York art scene, Emma turns her past into paintings - massive canvases filled with dark leaves and gnarled branches that cover ghostly shapes in white dresses. When the paintings catch the attention of Francesca Harris-White, the wealthy owner of Camp Nightingale, she implores Emma to return to the newly reopened camp as a painting instructor. Seeing an opportunity to find out what really happened to her friends all those years ago, Emma agrees.

Familiar faces, unchanged cabins, and the same dark lake haunt Nightingale, even though the camp is opening its doors for the first time since the disappearances. Emma is even assigned to the same cabin she slept in as a teenager, but soon discovers a security camera - the only one on the property - pointed directly at its door. Then cryptic clues that Vivian left behind about the camp's twisted origins begin surfacing. As she digs deeper, Emma finds herself sorting through lies from the past while facing mysterious threats in the present. And the closer she gets to the truth about Camp Nightingale and what really happened to those girls, the more she realizes that closure could come at a deadly price.

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  1. Listening Length
    12 hours and 13 minutes
  2. Author
    Riley Sager
  3. Narrator
    Nicol Zanzarella
  4. Audible release date
    July 3, 2018
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Penguin Audio
  7. ASIN
    B07B8QJJVK
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 12 hours and 13 minutes
Author Riley Sager
Narrator Nicol Zanzarella
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date July 03, 2018
Publisher Penguin Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B07B8QJJVK
Best Sellers Rank #2,891 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#140 in Psychological Thrillers (Audible Books & Originals)
#183 in Women's Fiction (Audible Books & Originals)
#316 in Suspense (Audible Books & Originals)

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
12,781 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the writing style excellent, mind-blowing, and excellent. They also describe the plot as compelling, engrossing, and natural. Readers describe the book as amazing, perfectly executed, and hard to put down. Opinions are mixed on engagement and pacing, with some finding it hard to stop reading and others saying it's boring.

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PlotReadabilityWriting styleCharactersPacingEngagement
247 customers mention "Plot"205 positive42 negative

Customers find the plot twists in the book to be the best they could have imagined. They also say the author has skills in building the story and making twists. Readers say the book holds their interest, with mystery, drama, action, and seamless transitions between the past and present. They say the story keeps them turning the page.

"What a fantastic book. I loved every page. And the end was too good! I was never completely sure what the final outcome would be!" Read more

"...Each book I've read has been so full of mystery and the twists! I absolutely love being surprised each time and this book was no different...." Read more

"Well done. Nicely written. Surprise ending was great...." Read more

"...I was hooked from the start. This story weaves so perfectly through the past and present depicting the setting, the characters and the mystery so..." Read more

174 customers mention "Readability"166 positive8 negative

Customers find the book amazing, well-written, and believable. They also appreciate the setting of summer camp and find it hard to put down.

"What a fantastic book. I loved every page. And the end was too good! I was never completely sure what the final outcome would be!" Read more

"...The theme is effective and conceived/executed by the author quite well...." Read more

"Well done. Nicely written. Surprise ending was great...." Read more

"...I cannot express how crazy wild the ending was!!! This book was truly flawless, it is hands down, my favorite by Riley Sager but also one of my..." Read more

80 customers mention "Writing style"69 positive11 negative

Customers find the writing style excellent, seamless, and real. They also say the dialogue feels incredibly real. Customers also mention that the story grips them and is twisted and unexpected till the very end.

"Well done. Nicely written. Surprise ending was great...." Read more

"...Let me just say, this is a mind blowing, nerve racking, nail bitting book that left me shocked and speechless...." Read more

"Read this book in a day. Very well written and kept me guessing" Read more

"...between the past and the present were seamless, and the dialogue felt incredibly real...." Read more

30 customers mention "Characters"23 positive7 negative

Customers find the characters in the book amazing.

"...Chapter-by-chapter he creates three-dimensional characters that are recognizable to me...." Read more

"...The writing is very good, the characters are well drawn, the background of the camp is vividly described, and the plot will capture the reader...." Read more

"Great book! Many twists, strong characters, and so well written. A new favorite author I’ve found! I couldn’t put it down." Read more

"...issues with the lack of direction in the plot, a lack of motivation in the main character and a lack of tension and danger...." Read more

42 customers mention "Pacing"28 positive14 negative

Customers are mixed about the pacing. Some mention it's excellent, quick, and makes their heart race, while others say the beginning is a little bit slow.

"...comes in the final handful of chapters, but admittedly, the action is done very well.The ending...." Read more

"...I didn’t care for the first half as it did read very slow and *very* descriptive...." Read more

"...The book is absolute brilliance, in terms of pacing, use of different timelines (and we see this as a writing device a lot, but not always done well)..." Read more

"Really loved this impeccably paced, twisty story! Kept me turning pages all the way, and never guessed the twists...." Read more

40 customers mention "Engagement"21 positive19 negative

Customers are mixed about the engagement. Some find the book engaging and hooking in the beginning, while others say it's boring, ridiculous, and repetitive. They also mention that the book has very little world-building.

"...age problems that women experience in a way that is so endearing and engaging...." Read more

"...However, the story it took to get there was not the most entertaining...." Read more

"...Its unpredictable, tense, visual and there is never a dull moment...." Read more

"...Very little description, no character development whatsoever, very little world-building...." Read more

Camp Nightmare
4 out of 5 stars
Camp Nightmare
4.5 starsSynopsis: Fifteen years ago, 3 girls disappear from Camp Nightingale. Emma, the last to have see them, is haunted by her past. So she’s turned to painting. Her art has sparked the interest of Francesca Harris - the wealthy owner of Camp Nightingale. She’s so enamored with Emma that she employs her as an art instructor. This role not only physically brings Emma back to where her life took a dramatic turn for the worse, but also stirs so many emotions that she’s forced to figure out what really happened to her 3 friends all those years ago. And what she finds out may haunt her even more.HOLY TWIST! Ummm, you guys, the last 150 pages of this book are spell-binding. I couldn’t put the book down (just as @laura warned). Riley Sager is incredibly gifted at building anticipation and delivering such mesmerizing and edgy thrills. I felt like my Nancy Drew spirit was reawakened by this plot. It’s a completely different take on a “who-done-it”, in which Emma, now a twenty-eight year old, must replay her adolescent memories to figure out who hurt her friends so many years ago. Ugh. It. Was. So. Good.The reason I docked half a star was it did take me about 3-4 days to get past the first 120 pages. Otherwise - AMAZING!
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Top reviews from the United States

Kelly Moore
5.0 out of 5 stars wow
Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2024
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What a fantastic book. I loved every page. And the end was too good! I was never completely sure what the final outcome would be!
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Donald Mead
4.0 out of 5 stars Never trust 5 stars (or 1 star)
Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2024
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The Last Time I Lied is a contemporary mystery set on a sprawling campground in Upper New York. The main character, Emma Davis (Em), is now a celebrated artist, but in her early teens she was a camper at this exclusive all-girls camp. While there, her three older bunkmates disappeared, setting off a massive search, a string of accusations by Emma accompanied by a few self-serving lies. The girls were never found, presumed dead, and the camp fell into abandonment.

Em’s art and subsequent success are based on these traumatic events 15 years ago. But her muse and subject matter are both growing stale and she can’t progress personally or artistically. Then she receives an invitation to return to the camp of her nightmares, this time, as an art teacher. She sees the opportunity to confront the demons that linger there and break from her artistic slump.

At the revived camp, Em is reintroduced to many of the people who were present 15 years earlier, all with their own mysterious motivations. She also finds that she, again, is bunking with three young campers who are under her supervision. Em, in her quest to confront the past, makes a series of discoveries that point to much darker secrets that surround the camp. Soon, mysterious events begin to unfold, forcing all the characters to confront the ugly past. These events culminate in the disappearance of Em’s three bunkmates—a repeat of the terrifying events that happened years earlier.

The title of the book reflects the theme, lies. The book is built on lies—the ones characters tell each other, the ones Em has kept secret for 15 years, even the lies of the dead. This theme is also reflected in a re-occurring game the campers play: two truths and a lie. The theme is effective and conceived/executed by the author quite well. The author reveals these secrets in slow, agonizing-yet-eye-popping, increments.

The author is Riley Sager, an established writer. Male. I’ll get to why that’s important later in this review.

The writing is solid throughout. The author is not hung up on his own style and doesn’t weigh us down with over-writing or silly verbiage. He’s not a literary writer, but definitely “up market.” His talent is to get out of the way of the story. His dialogue is mostly spot on, strong descriptive skills without being overbearing. And he can build a proper mystery with dynamics throughout to keep the reader interested. I’ve been struggling to find a mystery writer this good for some time, and this guy has the chops.

It’s taken some time to digest the ending. You’ll have the same reaction if you read this book, but I’ll start with a few issues I had with the story up to the ending.

The author has a …umm…limited view of women. They are portrayed as scheming, duplicitous and passive/aggressive, or as wimpy and indecisive. Em is the latter, but finally finds some backbone in the middle of the story so that it can progress. Reading all the interactions among women I couldn’t help but think “did my grandpa write this book?” This sentence from the book encapsulates the author’s portrayal of women: I roll my eyes so hard the sockets hurt. Let me add that the character, Viv, departs from these stereotypes, and as a result, is the most intriguing character in the book.

I have a few other quibbles with this story. First, one of the central characters is the owner of the camp. She’s the daughter of a lumber baren. A lumber baren???? Does she travel by steam locomotive or dirigible? Her dialogue is equally clunky and exaggerated, as if the author decided to channel his inner Agatha Christie. Second, Em is a twenty-something, but her only reference to social media is Facebook (an old person’s media). Third, the camp is filled with teens who have given up all electronics and social media for the entire summer. Sorry, not buying that. I have a few other issues with the story, but they’re all minor.

I have major issues with the lack of direction in the plot, a lack of motivation in the main character and a lack of tension and danger. I simply don’t know what’s on the line for Em. The only real sense of danger comes in the final handful of chapters, but admittedly, the action is done very well.

The ending. At first, I was pissed off at the ending. It was something like a “…and then I woke up, and it was all a dream,” but not quite that bad. Huge aspects of the plot were red herrings. As a reader, I was invested in this plot, and it all turned out to be misdirection. But after a few days of thinking, that’s within the theme of the entire book. A lie. You’ll fall for a good lie, right? In that sense, the book delivered what it promised.

Oh, and the actual culmination of events (and the story) has no resolution.

3.5 stars, round up to 4
2 people found this helpful
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Jennifer Finken
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2024
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So far this author has not disappointed! Each book I've read has been so full of mystery and the twists! I absolutely love being surprised each time and this book was no different. Highly recommend.
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Lauren
3.0 out of 5 stars Anticlimactic
Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2024
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This was my first read by Riley Sager. I didn’t care for the first half as it did read very slow and *very* descriptive. Everything was overly described and extremely wordy for this portion of the story. I also wouldn’t say it’s a thriller at all, but more of a mystery. I did want to know what happened to the three young girls which is what kept me reading. Also, this was a neat surprise at the end, though not mind- blowing. However, the story it took to get there was not the most entertaining. I didn’t root for any of the characters, and none of them really had any personal growth. Quite honestly I found them all a bit insufferable. The overall details are a bit silly and far fetched, while also not realistic whatsoever. Everything became repetitive and I found myself skipping paragraphs at a time because I knew what they would say- like Franny and her ancestry. I don’t think the whole history part really worked in favor of this story. I really had higher hopes as it was a creative idea, it just didn’t pan out at all how I had hoped. In the end, I found the book very anticlimactic and predictable.
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aidan
4.0 out of 5 stars Great ending
Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2023
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Well done. Nicely written. Surprise ending was great. Story a bit far fetched in regards to lake midnight folklore but I guess there are many camp mythical tales in the real world too so maybe not as surreal as once thought. Think about all them camping stories passed down from generation to generation in any local mountain town. This is only one part of the story woven here. Many other plots happening at once.

Ultimately it is fiction writing and Riley sager is known to write from a Paranormal / spiritual perspective in majority of his books.

It's a gr8 escape from ur typical crime mystery. I enjoyed it. I liked this book much better than his newest release from 2023. I often find the older releases are better but that's just me. Overall you won't guess the ending. I guarantee that.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Kayla
5.0 out of 5 stars ✨Camp horror stories✨
Reviewed in Canada on October 12, 2023
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One of the best books I’ve read recently, enjoy all Riley Sager books but this one was just so vivid in my mind, took me a bit to get into it but then it was hard to put down!
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Karen Lo
5.0 out of 5 stars Good history!!!
Reviewed in Mexico on October 16, 2022
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Loved the entire book, and the endinggg!
Highly recommend if you like a good mystery in a summer camp.
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Clairey 🤍
5.0 out of 5 stars What a book!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 16, 2023
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I found this book slow to start for me, I think that was more a personal thing rather than the book itself. I did have a bit of a book hangover from Riley’s other book “Lock Every Door”. So it took me a few days to get through the first 45%, but as soon as I hit they 45% mark I flew through the book and read the rest of the book in a few hours. Couldn’t put it down, I had no idea where the book was going. I didn’t figure out any of the twists, which is unusual for me. The eeriness, and atmospheric writing was on a whole other level. Such a great read! Another 5 star read from Riley Sager for me!
One person found this helpful
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Eric kytka
5.0 out of 5 stars Gutes spannendes Buch
Reviewed in Germany on February 3, 2021
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Ein sehr gutes Buch, welches meiner Mutter viel Freude bereitet hat. Es soll spannend sein und gut geschrieben worden sein, was man sich eben von einem guten Buch erhofft!
One person found this helpful
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A N
5.0 out of 5 stars An engaging read
Reviewed in India on September 13, 2020
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Such a deliciously crafted whodunit...Savoured it from beginning to end. Having read a gazillion books in this genre I find the pattern of many contemporary whodunits predictable. But this book subverted my expectations nd beguiled me till the very end. Highly recommended!
One person found this helpful
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