Bookishrealm's Reviews > The Only One Left

Ummm who is this man?!? This is the Riley Sager that I know from my earlier experiences. After reading his latest releases, I was convinced that I wouldn’t ever like Riley Sager’s works again. I talked myself into giving him one last try and HE DID NOT DISAPPOINT!

The Only One Left is difficult to describe without spoiling intricate parts of the plot. Taking place in 1983, the story follows home health aide Kit who is assigned to work with Lenora Hope. Rumor is that in 1929 Lenora killed not only on her father, but also her mother and sister. Battling demons of her own, Kit is hesitant to work as Lenora’s aid; however, due to a previous situation she isn’t left with any other options. What follows is a deep dive into the complicated and haunted past of Lenora Hope as Kit attempts to figure out if she’s really responsible for the death of her family.

What Worked: YOOOOOO! Riley Sager killed it with this one! The pacing, the plot…everything really worked well. While reading this book, I noticed a pattern related to my enjoyment of Riley Sager books. If he mixes gothic/paranormal elements in his books, I’m more likely to enjoy them (i.e. Lock Every Door & Home Before Dark). This book is a combination of those themes, but also delves into the relationships that can sometimes exist between caretakers and those that need assistance. I didn’t expect that to be such a major theme to the story, but it comes full circle at the end and really sheds a light on one’s ability to maintain or lose humanity. The plot twists in this were beyond exceptional. I did not expect to have such a physical and emotional reaction to the revelations. Sager got me with this one and usually it’s quite difficult to throw me off with thrillers and mysteries. I must say that he keeps this going until the very end of the book! This was clearly a culmination of great writing, plotting, and character development. Quite frankly, he’s set the bar fairly high with this one and I’m not sure whether subsequent works will be able to take its place in my personal ranking system.

Overall, this is my favorite Riley Sager book to date. I was convinced that I was going to give up on him, but this one changed my mind. Don’t ask anyone for any hints or summaries. Go into this one and enjoy the ride!