Riley Sager

The Last Time I Lied | Book Review

- Bunny 1 Comment

About The Book
Fifteen years after her friends vanished at Camp Nightingale, Emma, now an artist still haunted by their disappearance, is invited back to the camp as an instructor. Despite her fears, she returns to the camp, finding it eerily unchanged except for a new security camera outside her former cabin. As she uncovers clues about her friends’ disappearance, Emma risks everything for the truth, facing potentially deadly consequences.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3SgRAVR

My Rating

‘The Last Time I Lied’ by Riley Sager is a book that had me hooked right from the start. The plot instantly kicks off and grabs your attention. We follow our main character, Emma, who is haunted by an event that took place fifteen years ago at Camp Nightingale. Her three older cabin mates went missing, but Emma has some secrets of her own—things she still feels guilty about today.

The plot revolves not only around the mystery of what happened to Emma’s three cabin mates but also Emma’s mission to gain answers and closure when the owner of the camp invites her back to be the art teacher for the camp’s reopening. I wouldn’t say that Emma is an unreliable narrator, but she was a teenager when all of this took place, so her memory isn’t the best.

One of my biggest problems with the book—and probably the only issue I had with it—was Emma’s character. I felt as if she still acted like she was 13. She wasn’t a very savvy protagonist. Also, the fact that she still had somewhat of a crush on Theo, the camp owner’s son, years later was a little weird. But nothing like your first crush who you accused of murder, right?

“Everything is a game, Em. Whether you know it or not. Which means that sometimes a lie is more than just a lie. Sometimes it’s the only way to win.”

The summertime vibes were definitely on point in this book, and it really gave me that chilling summer mystery feel. For me, it was more of a mystery than a thriller. It definitely isn’t a book that’s going to keep you up at night, but I did enjoy the dual timeline where we get chapters of the past, seeing Emma’s relationships with her cabin mates, especially Vivian, who is the alpha female of the group.

The thing that I think Riley Sager does best is shocking twists. Most of the time, I feel like their books are going to be four stars, but by the end chapter, I am left completely shocked and have to add an extra half star. They write these mysteries where I have no clue where the story is going, and I don’t even try to guess.

Overall, this was such a fun summer mystery thriller that I think a lot of readers will enjoy. I can safely say that Riley Sager has not only become one of my favorite authors, but they are now an auto-buy author for me. I will absolutely read any book they release.

In the comments, let me know if you have read any books by Riley Sager. If you are a fan of mystery, thriller, or horror books, hit the follow button so that you never miss a post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

The Only One Left // Book Review

- Bunny Leave a comment

About The Book
At seventeen, Lenora Hope hung her sister with a rope. Stabbed her father with a knife. Took her mother’s happy life. “It wasn’t me,” Lenora said. But she’s the only one not dead. A woman who takes a job caring for elderly invalid Lenora Hope, who was accused decades ago of murdering her parents and younger sister. She slowly unravels the truth behind the Hope murders and a missing nurse.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3QNKAzP

My Rating

This book was phenomenal! The story follows a home-health aide, Kit McDeere, as she must become the new caretaker for Lenora Hope, an elderly woman who was suspected of a Lizzie Borden type of murder back in the 1920s. The plot itself sounds amazing, and the writing was fantastic. The book kept me interested every step of the way.

However, this isn’t going to be one of those fast paced type of thrillers. The story is fairly slow moving, but I didn’t mind that at all. I was so invested in this mystery that I couldn’t put the book down! Like the main character, I kept going back and forth on what really happened all those years ago.

I will say that my only con with this book was Kit. She isn’t a horrible main character, but I found her to be not the most sensible person. Honestly, she kept saying she couldn’t trust anyone, but was totally willing to share everything she thought she knew with anyone. That got on my nerves at times.

“She’s capable of so little yet accused of so much, and I remain torn between wanting to protect her and the urge to suspect her.”

But, the twists in this book were amazing. There weren’t a ton of shocking moments, and a more skilled detective probably could have figured things out before the big reveal. I was just happy to be a long for the ride, and loved every twist and turn. The ending was done so well, and one of my guesses did turn out to be correct.

Overall, I loved how invested the story kept me, and the chapters flew by. This is one of those rainy night reads that you could probably finish in a day or two. The plot, characters, and mystery are just that good. This book will hopefully keep you as intrigued as it kept me, right up until the end.

In the comments, let me know if you believe the story of Lizzie Borden. Don’t forget to share this post with other book lovers. Feel free to help my blog grow by giving it a follow.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny