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The Only One Left

By: Riley Sager
Narrated by: Christine Lakin, Dawn Harvey
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Publisher's summary

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Named a summer book to watch by
The Washington Post, Boston Globe, USA Today, Oprah, Paste, Country Living, Good Housekeeping, and Nerd Daily

"Propulsive ... a dizzying Gothic whodunit."
New York Times Book Review

Bestselling author Riley Sager returns with a Gothic chiller about a young caregiver assigned to work for a woman accused of a Lizzie Borden-like massacre decades earlier.


At seventeen, Lenora Hope
Hung her sister with a rope

Now reduced to a schoolyard chant, the Hope family murders shocked the Maine coast one bloody night in 1929. While most people assume seventeen-year-old Lenora was responsible, the police were never able to prove it. Other than her denial after the killings, she has never spoken publicly about that night, nor has she set foot outside Hope’s End, the cliffside mansion where the massacre occurred.

Stabbed her father with a knife
Took her mother’s happy life

It’s now 1983, and home-health aide Kit McDeere arrives at a decaying Hope’s End to care for Lenora after her previous nurse fled in the middle of the night. In her seventies and confined to a wheelchair, Lenora was rendered mute by a series of strokes and can only communicate with Kit by tapping out sentences on an old typewriter. One night, Lenora uses it to make a tantalizing offer—I want to tell you everything.

“It wasn’t me,” Lenora said
But she’s the only one not dead

As Kit helps Lenora write about the events leading to the Hope family massacre, it becomes clear there’s more to the tale than people know. But when new details about her predecessor’s departure come to light, Kit starts to suspect Lenora might not be telling the complete truth—and that the seemingly harmless woman in her care could be far more dangerous than she first thought.

©2023 Riley Sager (P)2023 Penguin Audio
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Critic reviews

“As is often the case with Sager’s novels, trying to predict where the many twists will take you is fun (and maddening), but some of the most interesting parts of the story lie in the people you meet along the way. The mystery is as tantalizing to us as it is to Kit, but The Only One Left is also an exploration of family, of love, of loneliness. It even asks an examination of true-crime obsessiveness and when tales overtake reality.” USA Today

“This twist on the Lizzie Borden murders has it all: A reclusive woman who was acquitted of brutally murdering her family living in a big, decrepit house; a new caretaker hiding secrets of her own. And, most importantly, there are a number of twists you won’t see coming.” —Katie Couric Media

"Riley Sager is one of my favorite authors, and The Only One Left might be his best yet. Not only is it a deliciously Gothic thrill ride featuring two of my favorite things (Creepy Houses and Murderous Ladies), but it also asks big questions about grief, loss, and the secrets we keep even from those closest to us. Fun, scary, and so absorbing I almost missed a flight because I was trying to read just one more chapter, The Only One Left is one hell of a read!" Rachel Hawkins, New York Times bestselling author of The Wife Upstairs

What listeners say about The Only One Left

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One of Sager’s BEST

Wow. Just… wow. The twists, the turns, the slow reveal that still managed to be compelling up until the bomb(s) dropped… WOW. LOVED IT.

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Remarkable & A Must Read

It's been awhile since book made me listen all in one sitting but this was worth it.

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Sager surprises me every time!

Truly another work of art. Just when I think I have the story figured out, Sager drops a bombshell that derails all my ideas. I love never knowing where the story is going and literally gasping in surprise at plot twists. An amazing listen!

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Tho more mystery than horror

I enjoyed it more than I expected. The constant twists and turns, while bordering ridiculous simply because there are so many, do definitely keep you guessing more than any other book I have ever read. As others have said as soon as you believe you have figured it out next chapter is there to rethink all your previous assumptions. If you like a good and hard to figure out mystery, as so many are too easy to do. I would definitely suggest giving this one a go. I don’t believe you will be disappointed.

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Keeps you guessing until the end

Everytime you think you've figured it out you learn something new that changes everything.

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Great as always

I love a good Riley Sager book! The story line kept my attention throughout. I guessed at a few reveals through the story but was mostly surprised at the twists and turns. The ending kind of threw me though. I felt like Kit was kind of abandoned after all she had went through and done for the other characters. I know she re-joined them later but it still irked me. Overall a great narration and a good story!

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smashed it again

by far my favorite thriller writer of all time and I loved the unique way the story was written. a must read for sure for any mystery lover

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Awesome

Loved every minute of the audiobook. Such a surprise ending. I Highly recommend this book

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You never see the ending coming

Several different times I thought I’d guessed the ending. Man, was I wrong. Not like this author’s usual books but still very good.

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So many twists!

This was my first Riley Sager book and it was 100% worth my time. Everytime i thought i had something figured out, I suddenly didn't. Amazing story and amazing narration. I loved the ending the most I think. It was perfect.

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