The Last Word

A Novel

De: Taylor Adams

Narrado por: Carlotta Brentan, Jim Meskimen

After posting a negative review of a horror novel, a woman staying at an isolated beach house begins to wonder if the author is a little touchy—or very, very dangerous—in this pulse-pounding novel of psychological suspense and terror from the critically acclaimed author of No Exit and Hairpin Bridge.

Emma Carpenter lives in isolation with her golden retriever Laika, house-sitting an old beachfront home on the rainy Washington coast. Her only human contact is her enigmatic old neighbor, Deek, and (via text) the house’s owner, Jules.

One day, she reads a poorly written—but gruesome—horror novel by the author H. G. Kane, and posts a one-star review that drags her into an online argument with none other than the author himself. Soon after, disturbing incidents start to occur at night. To Emma, this can’t just be a coincidence. It was strange enough for this author to bicker with her online about a lousy review; could he be stalking her, too?

As Emma digs into Kane’s life and work, she learns he has published sixteen other novels, all similarly sadistic tales of stalking and murder. But who is he? How did he find her? And what else is he capable of?

Displaying his trademark command of rapid-fire pacing, unnerving atmosphere, and razor-sharp characterization, Taylor Adams once again delivers a diabolically disturbing—and deadly—game of cat and mouse.

©2023 Taylor Adams (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers

Really enjoyed

I really enjoyed this book. It was suspenseful, had good twists, and the performance was great.

Read this!

I haven’t reviewed a book in quite a while, but I felt compelled to do it after reading this one. It’s a fantastic story—delightfully twisty, artfully written, with several chuckle-worthy moments and with what I (inexpertly) consider excellent character development. Bravo to both the writer and the reader! Thanks for the ride. :)

Read this book!

This was a great book!! The twists and turns keep you on the edge of your seat. I didn’t want to stop listening. Fantastic job. I’ll look for more from this author.

Excellent

Loved the book and the narrators! Edge of your seat story, couldn’t put it down

So good, you can't stop reading!!

Phew, this book had me on the edge of my seat the whole time! I don't want to give anything away, but I highly recommend this book!

Unpredictable without being ridiculous

This book was a wild ride. It was fast paced and at times almost fantastic, but the characters still felt fleshed out and knowable. Worth the time and money spent.

A real nail biter! Crazy plot line!

I have a love hate relationship after finishing. Honestly considered stopping about a quarter of the way in. My heart couldn’t take some of the horror aspects of this book. Mostly concerned the killer would murder the golden retriever. That’s where I draw the line. I’m not really a fan of horror. But was pleasantly surprised when the twists started coming and the plot developed. In the end I did enjoy the story but some of the horror elements were just too much for me in the end.

Loved it from beginning to end

I really loved this book. Threw in some curve balls. Loved that. Kept me guessing and intrigued. Loved that too. No animals were harmed in the making of this novel. I loved that for Space Dog.

loved it

i felt all emotions with this one. what a twisty ride. never saw the ending coming

The last word

What a great story. Many twists, many turns, very well done. Hopefully there will be more to come.