The Only One Left

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

One bloody night in 1929, the Hope family was brutally murdered. All but Lenora, who survived to tell the police she didn’t do it. After the massacre, Lenora didn’t set foot outside of her cliffside estate, Hope’s End, and her story turned to legend.

Now 1983, Lenora is in need of a caretaker. Her previous nurse disappeared in the night and Kit is out of options. She takes the job as her last resort, and is surprised to find the infamous Lenora confined to a wheelchair, unable to speak or move, except for her left arm. She communicates by tapping on an old typewriter, and decides she wants to share her story with Kit.

But can Lenora be trusted? Is she telling the truth or just what she wants Kit to believe. As new information starts to come out, Kit has to decide for herself if Lenora is the cold blooded murderer everyone thinks she is.

The Only One Left is another home run from Riley Sager. From the very beginning, the atmospheric setting and eerie plot capture the reader’s attention. The story of Lenora is fascinating, and set in the creaky Hope’s End, it is the perfect backdrop for an unreliable character. The cast of characters Sager creates are unique and interesting, but Kit and Lenora are the stars.

I couldn’t read this book fast enough, and the pages of type written story between the chapters had me anxious to turn the page. Always master of suspense, Sager had me gasping out loud and listening for sounds in my house. I loved this book and it may even be my new favorite of Sager’s. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a creepy setting, twisted cast of characters, and a satisfying ending.

Thank you to Dutton Books and Riley Sager for my ARC of this book. Opinions are my own. The Only One Left comes out on June 20, 2023.