Chante JVR

Disappointing Plot Twists and Pacing Issues

I tried to go into The Only One Left with positive expectations, despite not having enjoyed any of his other works. Unfortunately, this book fell short as well. While the premise was intriguing—an old mansion on the edge of a cliff, a notorious unsolved murder, and a mystery spanning decades—the execution didn’t live up to the suspense it promised.

The pacing dragged, particularly in the middle, with unnecessary details that slowed the story down. I found myself losing interest in parts where the tension should have been building. The characters, especially the protagonist, felt underdeveloped and hard to connect with. For a story that relied so heavily on psychological tension, I wanted more complexity in the relationships and motivations.

The biggest letdown, though, was the “plot twist”. Instead of feeling like a shocking reveal, it came off as contrived and far-fetched. It felt like the twist was thrown in for the sake of having one, rather than being naturally woven into the narrative. By the end, I was left feeling more frustrated than thrilled.

Fans of Sager’s previous works might still enjoy this one, but for me, The Only One Left didn’t deliver the suspense or depth I was hoping for.

Synopsis:

The Only One Left follows Kit McDeere, a young caregiver tasked with looking after Lenora Hope, the last surviving member of a family involved in a gruesome, unsolved murder decades earlier. The Hope family massacre, which took place in 1929, left Lenora as the only suspect after her parents and sister were found dead in their coastal mansion. Lenora, now an elderly woman confined to a wheelchair and unable to speak, has never confessed to the crime—nor has she denied it.

As Kit begins her duties in the eerie, crumbling mansion, she quickly learns that Lenora may be more involved in the mystery than anyone realized. Through written notes and cryptic gestures, Lenora offers to reveal what really happened the night her family was murdered. As Kit delves deeper into the twisted history of the Hope family, secrets begin to unravel, and she discovers that not everything is as it seems.

Caught in a web of lies, manipulation, and deadly secrets, Kit must uncover the truth before history repeats itself. With the mansion’s dark past closing in on her, she realizes that trusting the wrong person could cost her more than just her job—it could cost her life.