Courtney ✩ (catching up)'s Reviews > The Only One Left

★4 stars

✎𓂃 “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.”

☆Summary:
In 1929, Winston, Evangeline, and Virginia Hope were murdered in their home, a mansion set on the edge of the Cliffs. A murder in which all fingers point to Lenora Hope, the last one standing. Now 1983, after an incident gone wrong, Kitt is being sent to the scene of the crime to become Lenora’s home health aide. THE Lenora Hope, who can no longer care for herself, walk, or talk. Strange things occur during Kitt’s time at Hope mansion, from the mysterious disappearance of the previous home health aide, to Lenora’s desire to tell her true story in the only way she can: one-handed on a typewriter. On top of that, the cliffs appear to become more and more unsteady…

☆My Thoughts:
Okay first off, common sense lesson:
Don’t build your house on the edge of a cliff.

Now, that being said, WOW. I came here to cure my CC3 hangover and this delivered!! Riley Sager said “here’s a twist and twenty more,” and let me tell you that each had me floored. I probably could have guessed a couple, but the way this book had me on the edge of my seat so immersed in the story, I couldn’t have even tried to see the twists coming when they did. Nails have been bitten. Jaw is on the floor 🤯🤯🤯

Kitt was a bit meh of a character to me. Lenora on the other hand, was such an enigma. I loved her typed-out story POVs and the way all of her layers reveal themselves to Kitt. Normally, a back-and-forth timeline can be confusing and irritating, but I found myself speed-reading just to get to Lenora’s POV and learn more of her haunting past 🏃🏻‍♀️💨

✎𓂃 “You want to know if I’m as evil as everyone says I am. The answer is no. And yes.”

☆Would I Recommend:
I was not a huge fan of the last Riley Sager I read, The House Across the Lake. So much so that I almost didn’t pick this one up. I am so glad I eventually did. It flies by rapidly (the ending maybe a little too quickly but still a fun ride), and the creepy gothic mansion had all the vibes 🏚️ If you are even remotely a mystery/thriller lover, I definitely recommend. Sager does not disappoint!!


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Pre-review:
Trying to cure my massive CC3 hangover with a thriller, is it a smart idea IDK!!! But here’s hoping it works 🤞🏼🤷🏻‍♀️