The Only One Left by Riley Sager

 

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I want to tell you everything 

things ive never told anyone else

yes about that night

because i trust you

From The Only One Left by Riley Sager

Voracious readers and book reviewers like myself live for books that engulf you and weigh on your mind after you flip that last page and close the cover.  The Only One Left did that for me.  

Set in 1983, it's a Gothic tour de force about a young woman who is tasked with caring for her town's version of Lizzie Borden, the infamous Lenora Hope, who, at seventeen years old, was accused of slaughtering her entire family.   For Kit McDeere, the home health aide who receives the job assignment she cannot afford to turn down, Lenora Hope was the subject of a childhood playground riddle, a once teenaged murderess who has been hidden away in the once glamorous mansion called Hope's End, for decades. 

Kit finds that Lenora is an invalid, unable to speak and with only the use of her left arm.  Lenora's last caregiver, a young woman named Mary, had provided Lenora with a typewriter, as a way for her to communicate with her one functioning hand.  It is through this method that not only Kit and Lenora get to know each other but Lenora begins to share the story of her life and of those infamous murders. 

Added to this mix is the formidable Mrs. Baker, who has cared for Lenora and Hope's End, for years and much like Rebecca's Mrs. Danvers, controls everything and everyone in the house; Jessie, a young housemaid who likes the notoriety of the bloody murders and takes Kit on a tour of Hope's End to showcase where and how the murders happened; Archie, the cook who has been employed to work at Hope's End since before the murders and who may know more than he's letting on; and Carter, the groundskeeper who lives in a small cottage on the property and has his own theory about the murders.  Even Hope's End, the once glorious mansion that Winston Hope built on jagged cliffs overlooking the ocean, with fancy chandeliers and flooring that still has faded bloodstains from the night of the murders, is a main character, with its now-crumbling facade and foundation, creaks and groans, tils and uneven floors.  At any moment the house could slid into the sea, adding to the tension both Kit and the reader feel.  As if that's not enough, Lenora's prior caregiver, Mary, disappeared, leaving suddenly in the middle of the night with no notice, leaving Kit to wonder if Mary too was frightened of Lenora Hope and Hope's End.

Before picking up this book, I had heard a lot about author Riley Sager from other reviewers, so much so that it led me to purchase The Only One Left.  I'm so glad I did because this ranks up there as one of my favorite books - not just this year but ever.  The story itself is a masterpiece and Mr. Sager's decision to alternate between Kit's point of view to the story Lenora types out that takes us back to 1929 is a good one and had me flipping pages late into the night and early in the morning.   The twists and turns had me shocked and delighted. 

I absolutely loved The Only One Left and would recommend it without hesitation.  The only con I can possibly come up with is that it ended.  Riley Sager is now on my list of must-read authors.   If you like a moody, Gothic read, get yourself a copy of The Only One Left ASAP.

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.