Moving to a new city was supposed to be a fresh start for her family. Now it’s a nightmare.
Her little girl was supposed to be at day care when Kelsey arrived to pick her up. But they have no record of her daughter ever being there. And to make matters worse, her husband is missing too—he won’t pick up his phone, and the school he supposedly works at says he never accepted their job offer.
… job offer.
Detective Paul Ryan knows something’s up with Kelsey’s story. Kelsey’s husband might be involved in their daughter’s disappearance, but the deeper the detective digs, the more inconsistencies he finds.
As Detective Ryan tries to uncover the truth, what he finds are more deeply buried secrets that someone clearly never wanted found.
more
Uuuggghhh!!! I couldn’t take it anymore and DNF this piece of crap at the 52% mark. I hated the MC’s as well as the way the author was developing and telling the story. By the time I tossed the book, I couldn’t give a rat’s @$$ what happened to Kelsey’s husband and daughter.
This story keeps you guessing to the end.
Kelsey and her family move to a new area for a fresh start until one frightful day. Kelsey arrives at daycare to pick up her daughter, but she’s not there and there has been no record. Her husband is also missing. What is going here, it sounds predictable that the husband left with their daughter right? This is so suspenseful, twisty, and fast paced. Thank you to Thomas & Mercer, NetGalley, and J.M. Winchester for an ebook copy. This is my honest review.
What a deliciously twisted book…the hook that garnered my undivided attention simply was “…deeply buried secrets that someone clearly never wanted found.” How can you not want to be pulled into this clearly disturbed psychological thriller!?!
The writing is good, very, very good…if you like twisted, like I do. I want more from J.M. Winchester…so much more!
this book was very far-fetched but I really enjoyed it and I was well written I don’t usually like the far fetched books but this one was pretty good
This one is really twisted and doesn’t start to provide any clues as to what is really happening until about page 200 at which point all your assumptions go out the window. It is definitely a roller coaster ride that is hard to put down. I can’t say I liked any of the characters – I don’t think the author intends them to be likable – but I had to know what was going to happen. I’d say this is one of the most bizarre books I’ve read in quite some time and not one to put down once you start it. The title is perfect if that tells you anything!
3 1/2 STARS!
Twisted mind games! With her second thriller J.M. Winchester sets the scene for uncovering hidden secrets. The layout of this book was a tad confusing as it switched back and forth between several points of view without clarification and had a couple of story lines playing out at once, but without true definition. I think the premise of the book had potential, but sadly fell fairly flat of achieving greatness. Detective Ryan’s back story in particular could have been spellbinding .. yet wasn’t. You will be intrigued, and you’ll want to know what happens until the end.
Kelsey Jennings daughter isn’t at daycare when she goes to pick her up, and they claim she never was. Her husband won’t answer his cellphone, and the school he’s supposedly a teacher at claims he never showed up for the school year. Nothing is as it seems, and Detective Paul Ryan is going to have his job cut out for him unraveling the secrets and lies.
This book is suited for someone that enjoys a story line with lots of twists.
I’D KILLED TWO PEOPLE AT TWELVE YEARS OLD, BUT NEVER IN MY LIFE HAD I WANTED TO STAB AGAIN UNTIL THAT MOMENT.
That is one sentence in this twisted, page turning, crazy to the bone, thriller. It will take you places that you never thought about or wanted to think about going.
This is really a good book if you like thrillers as much as I do. The only problem I had with it was I did figure out one of the main parts way to soon. To me it was so obvious. But still, it’s a pager turning book.
Told from two and sometimes three points of view and a couple of timelines. One is from the victim. One from the detective. It’s like reading two stories in one also. The detective, Paul Ryan, wants to get to the bottom of what happened to Kelsey’s child and what happened to his sister 15 years before. Could Kelsey possibly know what happened in both instances or is she an innocent victim in all that happens in this story. Will she get her daughter back and have the life she has always wanted. Is her husband lying about things or is something more cynical going on. This book will take you on the biggest ride of your life. You will keep reading to find out who is who, who did what and why things happened that way. Just when you think you have it figured out another twist is thrown in. You will want someone to find closure and someone to pay for things that happen. But at what cost.
Thank you #NetGalley, #J.M.Winchester, #Thomas&Mercer for this ARC. I was in no way compensated for this review. It is my own.
I gave it 4 stars and a huge recommendation.
Twisty!
Wow! A super suspenseful novel full of twists that are sure to keep you guessing. This was a completely addictive read. It kept me turning pages well into the night.
Last One To Lie was chilling, disturbing, and absolutely perfect!
J.M. Winchester writes superb thrillers! I will devour all her books. You should too.
The premise was compelling in an odd sort of “that’s new” kind of way but sometimes bizarre is just that. It’s not intriguing as much as the “what if” game gone terribly wrong. The idea that a child would not be at the daycare and then there is no record of that child did have me thirsty to find out how the author could pull it off… but throwing in a terrible romance, a twin, and a cop that has no redeeming qualities made this one very hard to finish.
There were moments when I was sucked in, especially in the beginning when you have no clue what’s going on but wanted to so badly. The tension was pretty good, so I give the author credit there, but there were jumps in POVs and too many weird sexual twists that I had no expected. The main character was not sympathetic to me, which is so common now I almost expect it sadly, but when it comes to a missing child you should feel for the mother. She went from anxious to cra-cra too fast and the grounded qualities that could have held some sympathy disappeared. Then there was the cop character that I didn’t like. I know cops are not in favor right now but I give them more credit than this author in terms of capability and intelligence. Portraying him as a misogynist was boring and irritating and I wished he had more dimension. The hardest thing to understand was the mess of sub-plots that were meant to confuse but ended up just being noise.
(spoiler hints) I also found so many holes in this story. Why was the main character avoiding her twin? Why would the cop risk his career to sleep with someone he doesn’t trust? Why did the publisher not red-flag the twin thing?
Thank you, NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for allowing me to read this great book!
Oh my word!!! This is an amazing book with so many twists and turns!!! I figured out the pieces toward the end but the ending…oh my! Please say there is a second book coming out to continue the story. This author is amazing! I will read more of her books!
I received an ARC copy of this book and my thoughts and opinions are my own.
Kelsey Jennings goes to pick up her 2-year-old daughter at the day care. But they have no record of Kelsey or her daughter. She frantically calls her husband at work .. only to be told Malcolm Jennings has never worked there.
Detective Paul Ryan is not sure if he’s working a missing persons case … or an abduction by the child’s father. But the more he talks to Kelsey, the more his gut tells him there’s something more going on. What is she hiding?
What he finds are deeply buried secrets that someone clearly never wanted found.
What a roller coaster ride! I feel like I’ve been turned upside down and inside out. The twists and turns just keep a-coming! Each chapter unfolds by a different point of view. There is also a subplot about Ryan’s sister who went missing and was never found. I read this one in two sittings … was so hard to put down for any length of time.
Many thanks to the author / Thomas & Mercer / Netgalley for the digital copy of this Psychological Thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Last One to Lie is a dark and twisted thriller that keeps you guessing. Each time the story seems straight forward a big old wrench gets thrown in the works and leaves you scratching your head. Kelsey’s daughter was kidnapped or was she? Kelsey leads Detective Paul Ryan around by his nose as the facts in the case become flipped to the point it is hard to guess just who is really the villain and what is the truth. The characters are complex and twisted, leaving the reader with mixed feelings. Shocking and unexpected, the story flows quickly for a read you cannot put down. J.M Winchester is now on my must read author list. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.
What. Just. Happened?! I’m reeling from this book! This is my first book by the author but definitely won’t be my last. There were so many plot twists. I was so confused and then you finally get to the end, and you’re still working out how. I could not put this one down. Everything you learned was so disturbing and absolutely crazy.
Kelsey Jennings has recently moved to a new town with her husband and daughter. After a yoga class, she goes to pick up her daughter from daycare. But, the school says she never attended. Her calls to her husband, Malcolm, keep going to voicemail and the new school he had a job at says he never started the job. The story alternates between Kelsey, and the detective, Paul Ryan, assigned to the case. There were so many twists and turns, secrets and lies. This will mess with your head and you cannot possibly guess the ending! You absolutely need to read this!
* ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Last One to Lie is a psychological thriller by J.M. Winchester. I classify myself as a romance reader. Reading a book like this is so outside my comfort zone. I have to tell you upfront that this book was one crazy, twisty, turny, wild ride. If this is a genre you enjoy, or in my case, even if it isn’t, you NEED to read this book. I could not put it down.
Where do I even start? This is one of those books where I can hardly tell you anything! I really had no idea what I was walking in to which made it so much better for me.
Kelsey Jennings and her husband and daughter have recently moved from Florida to Ellicott City, where her husband, Malcolm’s parents live. This book starts right out with a bang when Kelsey goes to pick up her toddler, Mikayla, from daycare, only to discover she’s not there. They have no record that she was even there that day. And when Kelsey tries to call her husband, he doesn’t answer and the school where she thought he was teaching school at, says he doesn’t work there.
Detective Paul Ryan is on the case of the missing husband and child. One look into the eyes of the beautiful mother of the little girl and he’s lost. He’ll do whatever is in his power to find this little girl. But the more he investigates, the more questions he has. He knows Kelsey is keeping something from him, he can feel it. At the same time, the case is bringing back painful memories of his own past. Memories he can never let go.
This book is wickedly crazy. I think my mouth hung open most of the way through. There are so many lies told, you don’t know what to believe, who to believe. One thing is certain, though, and that is that Paul Ryan has gotten himself right into the middle of it all.
Where as J.M. Winchester’s other book scared me, this one didn’t. What it did do, though is keep me on the edge of my seat, all the way to the very end. You simply cannot walk away from this book. You have to keep reading to see what is going to happen next. Rest assured that you will not be bored. So, buckle up, ladies and gentlemen, and prepare yourself. And have fun!
Kelsey’s world falls apart when she goes to pick her young daughter up from the daycare in their new town and is told her daughter was never there. Her husband’s not taking her calls so Kelsey calls the school where he recently started work and is told he never accepted the job. Detective Ryan gets the call when Kelsey calls the police and he’s not sure what to believe, but he’s certain Kelsey isn’t telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
This novel is at times terrifying, achingly sad, complicated, and twisted. The plot is fast paced. Each character is dealing with serious issues and grief, in varying ways and from very different experiences. If you’re looking for a true to life novel this isn’t the best option – but it’s a perfect book if you want a creepy, over the top, fast paced read.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC. The opinions in this review are honest and my own.
Wow. Wow. Wow.
My mind is spinning!!! LAST ONE TO LIE is the most twisted, mind blowing, psychological thriller I have ever read! The characters are absolutely incredible and the story line … HOLY CRAP! From the very first chapter I was hooked, and through all three parts of this book I just couldn’t stop reading! This is not my preferred trope, but thank you, author J.M. Winchester, for again peaking my interest in this type of read! The suspense flows throughout this whole novel and the twists are enough to give you whiplash! I cannot recommend this one enough! I loved the multiple POV writing, and the additional side and supporting stories…starting with her missing daughter and ending with…..well….you will just have to read it to find out! 5 mind-blowing stars!!!
What the heck?! This was one twisty, bendy mind boggling read!
This starts with quite a bang but I’m thinking I know exactly what’s happening and how this is all going to play out. And yet, even though I know what’s going to happen, the writing is so fresh and the characters are pulling me in. Then, with the turn of a page I realize that I don’t have a clue what’s going on. Everything I thought I knew was total bs and suddenly Ms. Winchester has just pushed me down one heck of a rabbit’s hole!
This is the type of book you want to go in as blind as possible. Of course, if you were going to do that, you wouldn’t be reading this. But have no fear, I’m not going to spoiler it for you. I will say that the characters were real, diverse, unique and sometimes…scary as heck.
The one thing I struggled with was being able to keep up with which characters point of view I was reading throughout the story as it changes frequently. Usually, after a few lines I’d figure it out but it did remove me from the story more than once and often at the most inopportune moments. Otherwise, this book was pure perfection with characters that kept me guessing as well as its wicked intensity.
I highly recommend this for psychological thrill lovers!
Complete MindF*ck. This was one of those books that sucks you in, doesn’t let you go, and twists your brain every which way imaginable… and then doesn’t even have the decency to set it straight before throwing you to the curb, finished with the book. At least my ARC copy – acquired far enough ahead of publication that this could possibly have been changed – has a slightly confusing (but interesting) way of labeling the chapters with timestamps but not perspectives, so it usually takes a few sentences or even a few paragraphs to understand whose mind you’re in at a given point. Explosive almost from the first word to the last. A welcome “lighter” sophomore effort under this name (if only in comparison to *just how dark* the freshman book under this name was), reading this author’s romance books under her real name followed soon after by one of the books under this name is a particular revelation of just how gifted a storyteller she truly is. Very much recommended.
First book for me by this author and it was page Turner read this one in two sittings.
So many twists and turns I couldn’t stop reading.
Kelsey decides to cut her Day short and go pick up her little girl from Paradise daycare center..
But when she arrives her daughter is not there.
Losing her mind accusing everyone of abducting her daughter her two-year-old child.
Then she believes her husband has run off with her daughter.
Kelsey and her family have moved back to this town because her husband has got a job at the school. Which he never showed up to. Kelsey believes her husband has been going to work every day.
The school says they’ve never seen him. And now the little girl is Missing , she believes her husband has run off with their daughter.
Detective Ryan is on the case.
But things are not always as they seem.. so many twists and turns in this book suspense is definitely what this is unbelievable loved this book definitely recommend it to others.
Not only is Detective Ryan on the case of looking for Kelsey’s little girl who is missing along with her husband..
He’s also on a cold case of his sister who went missing 15 years ago… she’s never been found. Many beautiful girls disappear from this town all those years ago none to ever be found.