JanB's Reviews > The Only One Left

It’s 1983 and Kit, a home care aide, is sent to the crumbling mansion, Hope’s End, to care for the disabled and aging Lenora Hope, after her previous aide disappeared during the night.

Lenora is the sole survivor of her family’s massacre in 1929, and suspicion has surrounded her ever since:

“At seventeen, Lenora Hope
Hung her sister with a rope

Stabbed her father with a knife
Took her mother’s happy life.”

A series of strokes has left her mute but, with help, she is able to tap out sentences on an old typewriter. Her first message to Kit? “It wasn’t me”. Followed by “I want to tell you everything.”

As Kit helps Lenora tap out her story, strange things begin to go bump in the night, and suspicions arise surrounding her predecessor’s disappearance. Is Lenora innocent or is she being manipulated by a psychopath? What long buried secrets are being hidden? (plenty it seems!)

This was oozing Gothic atmosphere with well-developed characters, and a sinister tone. Some readers may feel there were too many twists at the end but I found it fun and a delight to read. The audiobook was excellent. Recommended for a fun summer (or anytime!) read.