The Last One

Mayday, mayday! Unpopular opinion coming in.

I loved Will Dean's Last Thing To Burn so I wasn't surprised to see that this new book was already accruing many 4 and 5 star reviews. Sadly, I am not one of those reviewers and while I appreciate that Dean was trying to do something different this time out, it did not work for me.

The Last One is a locked room mystery aboard a big, fancy cruise ship. Will Dean will do to cruise lines what TJ Newman and her books Falling and Drowning have done for airlines with this chilling story that incorporates travelers' fears and chilling situations on these popular modes of travel.

The story begins with a woman waking up to find that she is the only person on a cruise ship. Ok, Will Dean ... you have my attention. Unfortunately, this is a very slow burn tale that takes about a third of the book for things to get going. I liked the hike in tension from the Hunger Games-esque scenes, but readers will have to suspend disbelief at this point onward. 

This book is simply much longer than it had to be and features underdeveloped characters who were hard to connect with - unless you count the poor canines whose inclusion still baffles me. Too much page time is spent on reiterating Caz's family issues and the monotonous hours on the ship. 

This is a wild (and wildly unbelievable) ride for readers and despite the interesting premise, the execution was so outside the realm of believability that it was distracting. And the ending was unsatisfying and totally bizarre.

The Last One has some creepy and sadistic scenes, but this is a book where you MUST be willing to suspend disbelief due to the outlandish situations that defy logic, physics, and the abilities of the human body. That said, the societal themes presented could make this a good pick for book clubs to discuss.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Atria Books/Emily Bestler Books for my advanced copy which was provided in exchange for my honest review.

My Rating: 2.5 stars

Author: Will Dean

Genre: Suspense

Type and Source: eBook from publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: Atria / Emily Bestler Books

First Published: August 8, 2023

Book Description from GoodReads: An unputdownable locked-room thriller about family, trust, and survival from the acclaimed author of the “utterly thrilling” (Lisa Jewell, #1 New York Times bestselling author) First Born.

When Caz steps onboard the exclusive cruise liner RMS Atlantica, it’s the start of a vacation of a lifetime with her new love, Pete. On their first night they explore the ship, eat, dance, make friends, but when Caz wakes the next morning, Pete is missing.

And when she walks out into the corridor, all the cabin doors are open. To her horror, she soon realizes that the ship is completely empty. No passengers, no crew, nobody but her. The Atlantica is steaming into the mid-Atlantic and Caz is the only person on board. But that’s just the beginning of the terrifying journey she finds herself trapped on in this white-knuckled mystery.