The Last Word by Taylor Adams

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My fans often ask me: "H.G., where do you get your story ideas?"  Easy!  Real life. 

My horror tales are 100% authentic to reality.  All fiction is anchored in truth, after all.  And the truth is: the unthinkable can happen to anyone.  So I always like to start with a character.  A character haunted by her past, let's say, reeling from a personal tragedy.  And she can't quite grasp it yet, but she's caught the attention of a monstrous evil.  

She knows it's coming.  She's already locked her doors, she's called the police, she's taken every step a reasonable person should take as the sun sets. 

But the night is long.  And dark.  Full of terrors.  And away we go . . . 

From The Last Word by Taylor Adams.

As someone who has been reviewing books for roughly fifteen years, the premise of this book immediately attracted me -- and maybe scared me a little.  Imagine writing a review of a book you didn't particularly care for, giving it a one-star review, and then having the author take it personally.  Very, very personally.  Add to the mix that the book you reviewed was a slasher/horror type, you are house-sitting in a very isolated home on the coast during the off-season, and you suspect that you are perhaps starring in your own horror book.   Talk about ratcheting up the scare factor.

I cannot recall the last time a book caused me enough anxiety to force me to put it down.  The Last Word did that for me.  I'm not sure if it was because I was reading it at night while I was staying alone in a hotel for a few nights or because Mr. Adams' writing style engrossed me so much but regardless, I felt as though I was absolutely in main character Emma Carpenter's shoes and suffering second-hand panic for her.   Yes, I may have even been saying "No!  Don't do that!" out loud as I turned the pages.  

Not only did this book basically terrify me enough to have to put it away for the night (but still dying - no pun intended - to know what was happening) but there were more twists than a neurotic pretzel.   Honestly, I thought I had it all figured out then boom!  Plot twist!  And then another..  And then another.  To say The Last Word takes you on a nail-biting rollercoaster ride is an understatement.  Buckle up, readers.  

Let's talk about our main character, Emma Carpenter.  She's a bit of an enigma.  Not immediately likeable at first, or maybe more so misunderstood.  She's staying alone in a big house by the ocean with her dog, shunning all human contact  - except for whiteboard messages she shares with a neighbor who lives a half mile away -- and spending nearly all her time reading.  But as the story gets creepier and the terror grows, Emma gets stronger.  She proves she is hardly a stereotypical victim and she is not going to let this author, H.G. Kane, come after her without a fight.   If the zombie apocalypse should ever come, you want Emma Carpenter on your side. 

The Last Word does take some time to build up, as Mr. Adams sets the stage with detail, but once it takes off, there's no stopping it.  There was no stone left unturned and no plot holes to make me crazy.  Well done, Mr. Adams.  Honestly, were it not for real life and work, I could have devoured this book in a day.  

If you enjoy a good psychological thriller, The Last Word should tick that box for you.   If you're a book reviewer or blogger, it makes you think and think again -- and it reminded me of a time years back of a particular author behaving badly over a poor review.  I won't mention any names, but you could probably search around and find it.  

I do not hesitate to recommend The Last Word.  It swept me away and had me 100 percent engrossed - which is exactly what I expect a good book to do.   It has also made me want to add any book by Taylor Adams to my library.  

Disclosure:  This book was purchased by me with my own funds.  My views and opinions are my own.  I was neither paid nor compensated for this review.