Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Psychological Thriller
An isolated mountain motel, a caretaker with a drinking problem, a book to write and a dead body….
*Sigh* I really wanted to love this one as I love Leah Konen’s writing. When a book is said to be a “twisty, addictive, feminist take on The Shining” then it had better deliver. The Shining delivered and then some, but sadly the comparison will have readers of this book feeling let down. It’s not the author’s fault, but when a publisher decides to use that in the blurb, it leaves readers expecting certain things and that is not fair to the author’s work, in my humble opinion.
Kerry is a little bit of a mess. Her husband has left her, her drinking has gotten out of hand, and she has a book to write. She is hoping that taking a job as a caretaker at a motel in the Catskills, will be just when she needs to recharge, being writing, and getting her life back on track. As a blizzard approaches, she sees an arm sticking out of the snow. Yikes. But when the police arrive, there is no body……
Is there a killer out there and is Kerry in danger? Did Kerry’s alcohol use cause her to see something that wasn’t there? Is someone toying with her? How reliable is she as a character? So many questions swirled through my mind.
I have read many of Leah Konen’s books and enjoyed them all. The Last Room on the Left is my least favorite. It is not a bad book, but it failed to wow me as I had hoped that it would. The plot is a decent, the setting is fantastic, and Kohen is a wonderful writer, this one just didn’t work quite as well for me as I had hoped it would. We can’t love them all and this is certainly the case here.
The positive parts of this book were Kohen’s writing as I mentioned before, the pacing, the descriptions, the setting, and the unlikeable characters. This was a solid 3 stars for me; I enjoyed it but didn’t love it. I will still be on the lookout for more of Leah Konen’s books as I have loved the previous ones which I have read.
Atmospheric, wonderfully written, and unsettling.
Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
