📚 Book Review: The Only One Left by Riley Sager


Genre: Gothic Thriller
Rating: ★★★★☆
Publisher: Dutton
Buy It Here: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Moody, Twisty, and Seriously Hard to Put Down

From page one, The Only One Left had me. A crumbling mansion on a cliff, a mysterious woman accused of murder, and a nurse with secrets of her own? Yeah, I was all in.

Riley Sager knows how to set a scene—and this one drips with atmosphere. It’s the kind of setting that makes you want to lock the doors, turn off the lights, and sink into the story until it spits you back out.


The Plot Is the Star Here

I thought I had this book figured out more than once. I didn’t. Sager lays out twist after twist, especially in the final chapters, and while a few of them come fast enough to almost jolt the flow, I was still completely on board.

Seriously—I caught myself whispering “what the hell?” more than once, and I mean that as a compliment.

If you love thrillers that keep you second-guessing, this is your kind of book.


Characters Take a Back Seat—But That’s Okay

Lenora and Kit are compelling, but for me, they were the vehicle, not the engine. The plot and pacing take the lead, and that’s exactly where the story shines. This book thrives on momentum. It’s always moving forward, pulling you closer to the edge—literally and figuratively.


📖 Final Thoughts

This one scratched the exact itch I had for something tense, gothic, and twist-heavy. The atmosphere is thick, the pacing is sharp, and the reveals hit hard—even if they pile up fast near the end.

Recommended for:

  • Riley Sager fans
  • Thriller readers who want a gothic vibe
  • Anyone who likes stories that keep them guessing until the final page

You’ll want to carve out a few uninterrupted hours—this one begs to be read in big gulps.


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