Review: The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager

Title: The Last Time I Lied

Author: Riley Sager

Published: July 2018, Dutton Books

Format: Hardcover, 384 pages

Source: Publisher

Summary:

In the new novel from the bestselling author of Final Girls, The Last Time I Lied follows
a young woman as she returns to her childhood summer camp to uncover
the truth about a tragedy that happened there fifteen years ago.

Two
Truths and a Lie. The girls played it all the time in their tiny cabin
at Camp Nightingale. Vivian, Natalie, Allison, and first-time camper
Emma Davis, the youngest of the group. The games ended when Emma
sleepily watched the others sneak out of the cabin in the dead of night.
The last she–or anyone–saw of them was Vivian closing the cabin door
behind her, hushing Emma with a finger pressed to her lips.

Now a
rising star in the New York art scene, Emma turns her past into
paintings–massive canvases filled with dark leaves and gnarled branches
that cover ghostly shapes in white dresses. The paintings catch the
attention of Francesca Harris-White, the socialite and wealthy owner of
Camp Nightingale. When Francesca implores her to return to the newly
reopened camp as a painting instructor, Emma sees an opportunity to try
to find out what really happened to her friends.

Yet it’s
immediately clear that all is not right at Camp Nightingale. Already
haunted by memories from fifteen years ago, Emma discovers a security
camera pointed directly at her cabin, mounting mistrust from Francesca
and, most disturbing of all, cryptic clues Vivian left behind about the
camp’s twisted origins. As she digs deeper, Emma finds herself sorting
through lies from the past while facing threats from both man and nature
in the present. And the closer she gets to the truth about Camp
Nightingale, the more she realizes it may come at a deadly price.

My thoughts: Last year, I read Riley Sager’s debut novel, Final Girls and loved it, so of course, I was thrilled when I was offered the chance to read his newest book, The Last Time I Lied. And let me tell you…I think I liked this one even more!!! Both are great thrillers and both kept me glued to the pages, but this new one just has that extra something that makes it a fantastic read.

I never went to summer camp, but this book just hooked me…it had that eery sense to it that hooked me right from that start. Add to that the fact that you have an unreliable narrator and I was sold! And I loved the way the story was told, moving back and forth in time…it really kept the story moving and kept you on your toes as you desperately try to figure out just what is going on.

There are so many twists and turns here, the biggest one being when you get to the end of part one, leading into part two…OMG did my heart stop! Are you kidding me?!?! From that point on, I was glued to the pages and couldn’t turn them fast enough! But at the same time, I actually went back and read some of the beginning to make sure I hadn’t missed something! It’s that kind of twist that plays with your mind…it’s so good. And it doesn’t stop there!

I love the writing of this book – it’s so atmospheric. Even if you’re like me and didn’t go to camp, you will feel as if you are right there at camp with these girls. It’s moody and dark, and creepy as all get out, and you might just be reaching for the light if you are reading this in the dark, but it’s so worth it!

This is an addictive, binge-worthy type of read that is chilling, gripping and wildly entertaining – a must read for thriller lovers!