Book Review: The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager

Title: The Last Time I Lied

Author: Riley Sager

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Thriller, Adult, Mystery

Pages: 384

Publisher: Dutton

Year Published: 2018

Format: Audiobook

"Fifteen years ago, summer camper Emma Davis watched sleepily as her three cabin mates snuck out of their cabin in the dead of the night. The last she-- and anyone-- saw of them was Vivian closing the cabin door behind her, hushing Emma with a finger pressed to her lips.

Now a rising in the NYC art scene, Emma turns her past into paintings. They catch the attention of Francesca Harris-White, the socialite and wealthy owner of the very same Camp Nightingale-- and when Francesca implores Emma to return to the camp as a painting counselor, Emma sees an opportunity to find closure and move on.

Yet, it is immediately clear that all is not right at Camp Nightingale. Already haunted by surfacing memories, Emma is suddenly plagued by a security camera pointed directly at her cabin, mounting mistrust from Francesca, and most disturbing of all, cryptic clues Vivian apparently left behind about the camp's twisted origins. And as history begins to repeat itself and three girls go missing again, Emma must face threats from both man and nature in order to uncover all the buried secrets--- including what really happened all those years ago."

My Rating: 5/5

This story follows Emma through a traumatic experience that includes flashbacks, that coincide right along with current mysteries. And I loved it! I enjoyed this even more than the writer's debut, Final Girls. I felt like this book was so much more atmospheric just with the setting being at a summer camp. I also love an unreliable narrator done this well. Without spoiling it, the ending was potentially my favorite part. I can't wait to read another Riley Sager thriller and make my way through their works.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Final Girls by Riley Sager

Title: Final Girls

Author: Riley Sager

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Adult

Pages: 342

Publisher: Dutton

Year Published: 2017

Format: Audiobook

"Ten years ago, college student Quincy Carpenter went on vacation with five friends and came back alone, the only survivor of a horror movie-scale massacre. In an instant, she became a member of a club no one wants to belong to- a group of similar survivors known in the press as the Final Girls. Lisa, who lost nine sorority sisters to a college dropout's knife; Sam, who went up against the Sack Man during her shift at the Nightlight Inn; and now Quincy, who ran bleeding through the woods to escape Pine Cottage and the man she refers to only as Him. The three girls are all attempting to put their nightmares behind them, and with that, one another. Despite the media's attempts, they never meet.

Now, Quincy is doing well- maybe even great, thanks to her Xanax prescription. She has a caring almost-fiance, Jeff; a popular baking blog; a beautiful apartment; and a therapeutic presence in Coop, the police officer who saved her life all those years ago. Her memory won't even allow her to recall the events of that night; the past is in the past.

That is, until Lisa, the first Final Girl is found dead in her bathtub, wrists slit, and Sam, the second, appears on Quincy's doorstep. Blowing through Quincy's life like a whirlwind, Sam seems intent on making Quincy relive the past, with increasingly dire consequences, all of which makes Quincy question why Sam is really seeking her out. And when new details about Lisa's death come to light, Quincy's life becomes a race against time as she tries to unravel Sam's truths from her lies, evade the police and hungry reporters, and most crucially, remember what really happened at Pine Cottage, before what was started ten years ago is finished."

My Rating: 4/5

I'm so glad that I've finally read my first Riley Sager book because I've been meaning to read some of his work forever. I thought that starting with his debut (I think) and working my way up would interest me. Overall, this book was really good. I loved the premise, I thought that the idea of it was super intriguing and I was curious throughout. That being said, I definitely thought I knew where it was going. I did not. I was super impressed with the twists and turns throughout the book, the ability to write gruesome scenes with such detail, but without going over the top was incredible. The different time changes helped to draw out the story and held my interest. The only reason that I gave it 4 stars rather than 5 stars was because it seemed to lull a little bit in the middle for me. I look forward to reading more of this author's work and would strongly recommend the audiobook. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny