Reviews with content warning for Infidelity - The Only One Left

Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

The Only One Left by Riley Sager

102 reviews

yvo_about_books's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

4.75

Finished reading: May 23rd 2024

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

It's true that I seem to be having a bit of a love-hate relationship with Riley Sager's writing, and his books can go either way for me. Some I absolutely loved (Home In The Dark), while others somehow didn't work at all (Survive The Night). That said, I can never resist a good gothic thriller and I had a good feeling about The Only One Left. The blurb is nothing but enticing, that's for sure! And I'm now happy to announce that this particular book falls firm into the first category. I basically knew I was going to love this story almost immediately, and I loved every single minute spent with this book. The crumbling Hope's End mansion makes for such a perfect setting for a gothic story; the unresolved multiple murder back in 1929 and rumors about the only surviving family member Lenora Hope only adding to this ominous atmosphere. The main story is set in 1983, and Kit makes for the perfect character to help us tell the story of Lenora in past and present. Why? Well, her story is similar to Lenora with her being accused of murder/assisted suicide, but no real proof to have her convicted... In other words: guilty by public opinion. The great thing about how this story is written is that you honestly don't know for sure if both women are guilty or innocent until the very end, and it only made me want to turn those pages even faster. I also loved the flashbacks to 1929 with Lenora typing her story with Kit's help... The plot structure is clever, and there were a couple big twists I never saw coming. I had such a fantastic time reading The Only One Left, and I can recommend it to anyone who enjoys atmospheric and creepy gothic thrillers where nothing is as it seems.

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simranpahwa's review against another edition

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4.0

Such a fast paced thriller! I haven’t read a Riley Sager novel in a hot minute and I definitely missed it!!

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leahdanielle131's review

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adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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knels813's review

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

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meminger's review

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adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

the number of plot twists got kind of ridiculous in the last couple chapters, but overall it’s a quick and entertaining read

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amanda_reads13's review against another edition

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mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Kit is a caregiver who is assigned to work with Lenora, a woman who was accused of murdering her entire family.

Mind Blown! Talk about twists! I didn't know what to expect for most of the book and majority of my ideas were way off. Once the end came, it was twist after twist, and just when you thought it was done, a gigantic reveal comes outta left field. This one definitely kept me on my toes.

Lenora Hope has been confined to a wheelchair for decades. Unable to talk or move anything but her left hand. She is completely dependent on others and unable to communicate in any way except tapping her hand or t ing on a typewriter. When her caregiver disappears, Kit is hired to replace her. As Kit starts digging into Lenora's past we're led through a crazy story of betrayal and heartbreak.

I liked how the house was a character in its self. This old dilapidated mansion on the edge of a cliff slowly sliding into the ocean made for an eerie and suspensful setting.

There's so many twists in this book, which makes it both intriguing and a little over the top. There's almost too many twists. Within a couple chapters we're hit with twist after twist after twist. The majority of the twists I didn't see coming, I knew that

there was something going on with Kit's father, I just couldn't pinpoint what. I think we all realized Mary was murdered.

The story ended up being

Virginia was pregnant and kept it a secret from everybody in the family. After giving birth her father took the baby away from her. She then went to go confront her father and found her boyfriend accepting money to go away. Turns out the baby's father was actually Kit's father. Virgina's mother finds out about the baby and end up killing her husband. Then Kit's father ends up killing Virginia's mother. Virginia ends up trying to hang herself but survives. Virginia ends up being bed ridden.

Lenora is blamed for the murders. She decides change her name and to fake her sisters death then pass her off as herself. So for years Virginia has been living as Lenora.

Fast forward: Kit finds out that her father is a murderer. Jessie, the maid is actually Virgina's granddaughter. Kit's father killed Mary to try to keep the truth of his past hidden. The house falls into the ocean with Kits father and Lenora in it. AND: Virgina has been faking it this whole time. She can actually walk and talk but wanted to punish her sister for everything she did to her.

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