? UNDER THE LAMPLIGHT-

After a swirl of honeyed summer novellas, we’re ready for something darker , and Riley Sager’s The Only One Left scratches that itch. It all started with a bloody murder in 1929 that left an entire wealthy family brutally murdered in their beach mansion, except for one sole survivor: Lenora Hope. Much to the authorities’ frustration, however, a lack of evidence meant no conviction, leaving Lenora to live alone in her family home for decades. Flash forward to 1983, Lenora who is now in her 70s is confined to a wheelchair and is unable to speak. She is cared for by Kit McDeere who reluctantly takes the job to escape her own dark circumstances. Much to her surprise, she discovers that Lenora, with the help of a typewriter, confesses she is finally ready to tell the real story of what happened in her youth. What ensues is a gripping tale of loss and decay that the author weaves skillfully as he dots it with gothic elements that are both dark and captivating.

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