A woman disappears into the dark city night… Gen is on the verge of a divorce from her cheating husband. When her sister, Meg, has a convention to attend in the Big Apple, she invites Gen along to celebrate her newly found freedom. But the perfect sisters’ getaway quickly goes awry when a tipsy Gen defiantly throws her wedding ring off the hotel room’s balcony. Then, wanting some fresh air, … wanting some fresh air, she decides to take a late-evening walk alone and vanishes without a trace.
The investigation that follows uncovers secrets–and betrayals–between sisters and spouses that will twist the truth in on itself until nothing is clear.
What really happened to Gen and who, besides Meg, was the last to see her?
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This is 100% the tale of two books. I’m glad I stuck with it. The beginning of the book was much slower. There wasn’t a lot of action and what there was seemed formulaic and contrived in some parts. But then at halfway through, things picked up. I thought from about 50% to 80%, pretty much the middle third of the book, was excellent. Secrets were revealed, motivations were explained…and yet there were still misunderstandings. The end wasn’t as strong as the part preceding it. But that section alone makes the whole book worthwhile. For a full review, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. Thank you to Harlequin (MIRA) and NetGalley for a digital ARC of the book.
3.5 STARS
Meg has a physicians’ convention to attend and asks her sister, Gen, to come along with her in sort of a celebration for Gen’s divorce from her serial-cheating husband. Going out for few drinks afterwards leads to a couple of drunken ladies and Gen throwing her 4-carat diamond ring out the hotel window where they’re staying.
Later, Gen decides to take a walk, get some fresh air, clear her head. Surprisingly she actually sees her ring and picks it up … that’s the last thing she remembers.
When Gen doesn’t return to the hotel by the next morning, Meg reports her as missing.
There begins an investigation … with Meg as the prime suspect ….
Lies, secrets, betrayals … between sisters … between their spouses … nothing sacred.
What happened to Gen?
Alternating chapters are NOW and BEFORE in each of the sisters’ voices. There are enough twists and turns to rival a roller coaster ride on steroids. The characters are deftly drawn, issues and all. A few were anything but likable. I’m a little ambivalent about the ending … it wasn’t all that suspenseful or unexpected.
Many thanks to the author / Harlequin – Mira / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological drama. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
First I have to say that this book could have easily been a huge 5 star read. It was edge of your seat good. Had all the things you want in a good thriller. Was told in different POVs and kept me turning the pages. The bad part was the overuse of certain words. It got very aggravating to me. The word “mercurial” which means: Subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind. After the first few times reading that word I got so sick of it. It really was overused. It just took away from the story after a while. That being said….
This book has it all. It’s a clever page turner. It’s a rollercoaster of a ride. It’s a thriller you don’t want to miss. The characters are all flawed yet likable. Even Thad. I loved hating him. I loved hating Meg. That was Gen’s husband. Meg her sister. Both did things that in my opinion were unforgivable. I don’t care what the circumstances are you just do not do some things. I did see it coming too. It was predictable.
Gen goes missing while in New York with her sister Meg. The hunt begins. The lies stack up. The secrets are unraveled. Who can you trust? Not many it seems. Maybe Meg’s husband, Joe. He’s about the only one that was honest in this whole story. Gen has problems and no one seems to be able to help. This book has so many things going on. At every chapter it seems a new twist is added. But they all make the ending that much better.
The problem I had with this book was the ending though. If Gen had such problems how did she make it to where she did. How did her mind comprehend to do what she did? I’m afraid that was a bit out there, but it was still a very good story and I guess I expected such an ending. Only a writer after all could come up with that.
There are several side characters that you will meet. They are necessary and mostly very likable. I felt sorry for Jenkins. I felt awful for Detective Nate Hawkins. I felt bad for Jody. This book does give you a lot of feels. It makes you think things are one way and they will be another. Just when you think you have it all figured out something else changes. It’s definitely a page turning thrilling edge of your seat book.
Thank you to @NetGalley, #HarlequinMIRA, #CourtneyEvanTate for this ARC. This is my own review as I saw it.
4/5 stars and it could easily have been 5 stars if not for a word…. I recommend this one. Highly!
Favorite Quotes:
Divorcing a lawyer was the only thing worse than being married to one.
He seemed intrigued now, at the very least. Mention sex, and you get a man’s attention. It wasn’t always the attention you wanted, though.
… a bustling room filled with ringing phones and the sounds of metal file cabinets slamming closed. If a place could smell like unsolved crime, it would be this.
Thad is an ambulance chaser. He’ll survive. He’s like a cockroach after an atomic bomb.
My Review:
I was waffling a bit on how to rate this twisty tale but a check of my highlighted quotes removed all doubt. This wily wordsmith is a master of deception as nothing was as it was initially presented, even after I thought I had it solved, it wasn’t. She craftily stitched her tale with several shrewdly paced and slyly nuanced storylines that took sudden sharp turns that left me somewhat addled and grappling for a hold.
I would never play cards with this devious little madam as I’m sure she would have an entire deck hidden up her sleeves which she would cunningly deploy while regaling me with enticing tidbits and enthralling tales as she cleverly fleeced me of my life savings. And silly me, I would most likely merrily hand it over while stunned and disoriented yet well entertained, which is the very condition I’m currently circling now.
I liked this one a lot in the beginning, but about half-way through it started getting a little less believable and a little more cliched… I still enjoyed reading it, but it lost some of the magic I felt in the beginning – it seemed like suddenly there was a HUGE piece of backstory that got alluded to and assumed but was never referenced in any way earlier in the story. That piece turned out to be pivotal to the revelations underpinning the entire story, but because there was never any indication that it was an element that might play into things, it felt very out-of-left-field and conveniently incorporated (and unquestioned by those who weren’t aware of it).
[I know that’s pretty oblique, but to explain it any better is to give spoilers, sorry…]
Tate’s writing style is engaging and easy to fall into, I just felt like things got rushed along into the big reveal. It changed the feel of the story for me, and not in a good way. The beginning and first half were very edge-of-my-seat as I tried to figure out what happened to Gen and how her sister, ex-husband, and sister’s husband all played into things since it was clear from the get-go that Something Was Up with all of them… The interplay between her sister Meg and the investigating detective was a little odd. It didn’t feel at all plausible that he would act as (or give away all) he did, but I still found him an interesting character and from a dramatic perspective he did his job of filling in gaps/setting up plot questions nicely.
While there were some issues with the book, on the whole I found it an entertaining read – and a quick one. Once I started, I pretty much kept reading straight through until I finished – which I don’t say a lot these days. It was an escape read for me. I don’t mind a little suspended disbelief now and then!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.
Since Gen was days away from being divorced and her sister had a conference to attend in New York City, they decided to celebrate there.
The celebration got carried away with both of them becoming very drunk and with Gen throwing her expensive wedding band over the balcony.
Gen then decided to take a walk to clear her head. That definitely was not a good idea because her sister and the doorman were the last to see her.
We follow the lives of both sisters before this incident and in present time. Gen is missing, and Meg has to stay in New York since she is a suspect.
We learn of their childhood, their domestic lives, and their working lives. Gen is currently an author and Meg is a surgeon.
Gen was married to an attorney, and Meg is married to a contractor.
As I read the back story of Gen, that husband was too good to be true. It seemed like he was a fake, and it appears he had been.
Would that make him a suspect in her disappearance even though he still hadn’t arrived in New York City yet?
Meg’s husband seemed sweet.
Something was going on in all of their lives, but what was it, and did it have anything to do with Gen’s disappearance?
THE LAST TO SEE HER has pull-you-in writing and a great story line with big surprises.
When all the truths come out and as things start to get tense, you won’t be able to stop reading. You HAVE to find out the answers and the secrets.
It seems like everyone has a secret, and no one is as they appear to be.
There are good twists.
This book is different and just SO good. Don’t pass it up. 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Wow! I really loved this! Courtney Evan Tate delivers a tense and dark story of betrayal, infidelity and devious behavior in this story of a young writer who disappears without a trace during a visit to New York City with her surgeon sister.
Gen is just about to sign her divorce papers after suspecting her husband of cheating. It’s clear the betrayal has hurt her and she’s ready to uproot her life for a new start to forget, but first she meets her sister in NYC for one last fling before she leaves Chicago and returns to her small hometown.
Only she disappears the first night in NYC.
The story is told in alternating points of view with a past/present time line. I really liked this approach because it allowed me as the reader to put the pieces together as I read the story. There were plenty of AHA! moments that I loved too. Not everyone is who you think they are at the start of the story.
A great addition to the story is the point of view from the detective investigating the case and a private investigator involved in the story. Their part in the disappearance and aftermath was a welcome respite from the heaviness of Gen’s story and I really liked how they were incorporated into the story at more than a superficial level.
Overall, I really enjoyed this tense domestic suspense story. There are plenty of surprises all the way and the whole story is not revealed until the very last pages, which leaves you still wondering about some of the story details. I liked that about it. If you like a good suspense story, you might like this one.
A complementary copy was provided by the publisher. This is my honest review.
The Last to See Her by Courtesy Evan Tate was a domestic thriller that was full of suspense and intrigue from start to end. Gen is heartbroken to learn of her husband’s cheating. Betrayed and hurt, she decides to go with her sister on a trip to celebrate her fresh start. But when she disappears, the story truly begins. Did something happen to her or did she walk away? What is truly happening/happened? As we continue to read, there are twists and turns as we begin to learn truths about all the characters.
Happy reading!
On a cold night in New York City, Genevieve was out celebrating her divorce with her sister Meghan. After one too many drinks Genevieve throws her ring off the balcony then decides to go for a late evening walk by herself. The next day her sister grows worried when Gen doesn’t return from her walk. After waiting twenty four hours to report her missing Meghan realizes her sister might’ve been taken.
Police question Meg as she was the last to see her. Perturbed by the investigating detectives progress Meghan barges into the police station demanding action.
Meghan was Genevieve’s younger sister. She was married to Joe her high school sweetheart. They had a five year old son.
Thad was Genevieve’s husband. They had no children. His wife was an author who spent her days writing about her characters fictional lives. She was a good doting wife who tried to please her husband. She lived in the fiction-world where she got caught up in her characters lives.
Detective Hawk was assigned the missing persons case. He’s good at his job. He’s a man who goes with his gut instinct. He follows procedure and protocol. Meghan the sister is quite persistent with him. It’s this persistence that allows them to spend time piecing Genevieve’s live together.
Overall:
The hook began from the moment Genevieve went missing. Courtney’s writing style pulled me into the story. She took the reader into Genevieve’s past revealing the secrets about her marriage while also progressing forward in the present with Meghan.
Courtney dropped Easter eggs here and there creating suspicion. She gave the reader just enough to build a connection to these characters but not too much as to give too much away. The execution was ideal for this storyline. The story encompasses more than a missing person it’s about the failed marriage, the cheating, the secrets, and the relationship between sisters. Basically a story about sisterly friendship and love between spouses.
This was a steady read with Courtney bringing mystery and romance into the mix. It was also a character driven story with every character fully developed and essential to the storyline.
The book blurb is what piqued my interest in this story: a woman, whose personal life is in turmoil, leaves a hotel room one night for a short walk, only to vanish seemingly without a trace. Was her disappearance deliberate? Did she cross paths with the wrong person? Was there an accident? I was looking forward to finding out.
The story started out quite well, but very soon turned into a confusing mess. Timelines did not match the information readers are given. The experts (the detective, the private investigator and the therapist) all acted unprofessionally and ineffectually. Character actions and motivations were often incredulous and at times contradictory.
Secrets were exposed along the way but this did little to increase the tension of this ‘thriller’. There was never a build-up of suspense, of discovery. Instead readers are forced to wait as information is spoon-fed to us by the author – information that should have either been discovered earlier or at least hinted at. This was such an unsatisfying read and I am quite annoyed with myself that I stuck with it to the end.
Genevieve is getting divorced. She and her sister, Meg, decide to go to NYC for a girls weekend. They get a little tipsy and Gen goes out for a little air and to clear her head. She never returns. Meg is the last to see her and the first to become a suspect.
Todd, Genevieve’s cheating husband, is a character everyone loves to hate. He is materialistic and a cheater. I just wanted to punch him a time or two! Then there is Meg! Meg is over the top. As a reader, you really start to like her…until you don’t. I just did not understand her thought process. I just wanted to shake some sense into her. And finally there is Genevieve…you will just have to read it to find out.
What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive! This book is deceiving in more ways than one. I thought I figured it out…then it twisted again and again. I love a book which keeps me guessing. This one does it!
Grab your copy today! You will not be sorry! This book has a little bit of everything!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest opinion.
This story kept me wondering who was the bad person through the entire thing. I kept wondering if Thad had harmed his wife or Meg had done it. Then things just kept changing. I had a hard time putting this book down. I loved the suspense and mystery. These characters were all interesting. I received a copy of this book from HarperCollins fir a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
Solid Story Full Of Unlikable Characters. This is one of those stories where *none* of the characters come out looking overly rosy. The characters that are developed well are either assholes or idiots, and the characters that aren’t developed so well seem to barely be caricatures. That said, the story is solid enough and compelling enough that once you get into it, you’re going to want to finish it. And sometimes, that level of escapism is really all you need. Particularly with when this book is slated to release, barely a week before Christmas, it could be near-perfect counter-programming escapism for the season. Recommended.
This book was easy to read, even with multiple narrators and multiple timelines. Gen is a romance author who is going through a divorce after she discovers that her husband cheated on her. When her physician sister Meg invites her to come along on a trip to NYC, Gen readily agrees. That is where Gen disappears and that is the central theme of the book. What happened to Gen? The multiple narrators did not bother me, nor did the timeline that kept going back to “then” when Gen was happily married and “now” when she is missing. What really bothered me was that the characters lacked depth and the plot fell flat, too. There needed to be more background given about the characters in order to create more empathy for them. The storyline was good at first, but there seemed to be a lot of repetition and when the author revealed secrets about Thad’s affair and also what actually happened to Gen, way before the end of the novel, I kept waiting for suspense to continue to build but it didn’t. The characters were not particularly likable, except for maybe Joe, Meg’s husband, who was a minor character in the whole scheme of things. And although there was some kind of police procedural included with Detective Hawkins seemed easily led along, not really following clues and not really doing a lot of detecting. Also, part of the story here was totally unbelievable as he seems to befriend Meg in the middle of his investigation and even flies to Chicago with her to check out Gen’s apartment. I would categorize this book as a domestic drama with some suspense thrown in. There were some extra secrets revealed at the end, so that earned the four stars for me. Fans of thrillers and suspense would probably be disappointed with this book, but those who enjoy drama with a little suspense will enjoy it.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Mira via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
Gen is devastated to discover her husband has been cheating on her so when her sister invites her to come for a visit to get her mind off things it seems like a great idea.
Until she disappears off the face of the Earth. Did she leave by own accord or is something far more sinister afoot?
As the twists, turns and truths unravel, the tension amps and amps straight to a satisfying conclusion.
Thank you to Courtney Evan Tate, Mira Books, and NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.