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The Only One Left cover art

The Only One Left

Written 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

What the critics say

“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

Average Customer Ratings
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Kept me guessing

I thoroughly enjoyed this one! I can imagine a movie starring Joan Crawford and Bette Davis.

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2 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Couldn’t finish listening

It’s a good story. However, couldn’t start the way it was written. I felt like I was loosing IQ points while listening to it. Full of unnecessary details, I knew exactly what will happen next. Found the book utterly exhausting and unimaginative.

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  • Sam
  • 2023-11-24

Riveting from start to finish

I was so enthralled with this story that I would choose to sit and listen to it instead of watching my shows.
It’s been so long since I could confidently rate a book 5 starts — I can’t recommend it enough. Amazing writing, great performance, twists right up until the very end. So much fun!

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Just wow

I’d heard that this was an incredible book—then heard it was so over-hyped it was disappointing. Definitely not disappointed!! All the hype is understandable when a book is this good. 🙌🏻

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Loved it!

I am usually fairly good at guessing the end but this one threw me off!

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Well done

I enjoyed the twists and turns- right up until the end!!!! Great writing!!! I definitely recommend!!!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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just when you think you know what's going on...

you discover you know nothing. The best story I've heard in a long time.

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The intrigue

Loved the book. Could have not done with the epilogue but still good! First book of his I read and will read another!

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  • Overall
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Good progression. Some scary bits.

Very good story. Classic who done it. Some scary parts made for a good time. Ending was a little convenient.

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the twists in the story

I wish I could have more pages to the story I just loved the story and ito characters!

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