The Last Girl Left

A.M Strong and Sonya Sargent

Murder Mystery Thriller

When a woman returns to the scene of the horrific mass murder that shattered her life, the nightmare begins again in a chilling novel of psychological suspense.

Five years ago, Tessa Chamberlain was the lone survivor of a beach house massacre that left three of her friends dead—and Tessa with an inescapable, unending dread. Now she’s going back to face her fears.

Renting the same beach house where she almost died, Tessa returns to lonely Cassadaga Island off the coast of Maine long after the tourists and summer residents have departed for the winter. But as the fog rolls in and the nights grow longer, she wonders if she made a terrible mistake. There are footsteps on the porch, creaks from the second floor, and an unsettling feeling of being watched.

If only someone believed her. Because the terrors Tessa thought were long behind her are starting again. And this time, trapped and alone, she might not be lucky enough to survive them.

-Excerpt taken from Goodreads.

Check Goodreads to see the book’s ratings.

My Opinion

(3.5 / 5) Tessa is the only survivor of a mass murder with her friends five years ago. The killer has been killed but the terror of that night remains. She rarely leaves the house, she carries a baseball bat around with her and she still pictures the killer and that night on a daily basis. It is taking over her life. When her sister gives her an ultimatum, she decides it’s time to go back to the place of the murders, a beach house on Cassadaga Island, to come to terms. She has a publisher willing to pay for her story as she tries to put herself back together.

Was it the greatest idea for her to go back to that house? In hindsight, no. But her intentions were good. From the start she is plagued with memories and keeps hearing and seeing things. The problem is, she can’t tell if it’s her imagination or real. So she hardens herself to endure so she can hopefully recall missing memories and get the answers she craves.

The island itself has an air of mystery to it, adding to the atmosphere of the story. Few people are around in this season so each becomes questionable in Tessa’s mind. When answers are revealed, it’s abrupt and easy to miss. Then the details fall into place and Tessa is fighting for her life, once again.

While the end was fast-paced and revealing, it all fell into place a little too well for my taste. However, the end was tense and I enjoyed the full reveal. I recommend this one to thriller lovers who love getting long-awaited answers to crimes with a healthy dose of redemption.

General content summary: 

Little language 

Alcohol (multiple)

Large scar (from a knife)

Murder (previous, stabbing, screams, blood, strangulation, rape)

Rape (previous, few details)

Parent death (previous, fall)

Tense moments (hearing footsteps, creaks and other things that made it seem she was being followed or that someone broke in)

Corpse (details, not gory, multiple)

Murder (admitting it done but no details)

Gun death (previous with no details, current with few details)

Physical violence (injuries, weapons, blood, fighting, gun injuries, knife injuries)

**Any quotes have been taken from the advance readers copy and may or may not be in the final, published copy.

Thank you to Thriller Book Lovers: The Pulse for the copy!

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