The Only One Left- Storyline and Book Review

The Only One Left by Riley Sager is a crime thriller about a woman named Lenora Hope, who is said to have killed her entire family in 1929 when she was just 17 years old. The police were unable to find any proof that she committed the crime, and hence, she never got punished. Other than denying her hand in the murders, Lenora doesn’t speak to anyone and restricts herself to the confines of her mansion. She spends many decades in her room, away from the rest of the world.

Several years have passed since then, and now the year is 1983. Kit Mc Deere, a home health aide, gets assigned to the care of Lenora Hope, who is well into her seventies now. After several strokes, Lenora is rendered speechless and can only move her left hand, hence the need for full-time help. Kit knows all the rumours and stories surrounding Lenora and is reluctant to take up the assignment. But having stayed at home for months with no income, she has no choice but to take up the job. Kit has a past. She was suspended from service for accidentally overdosing her patient, which led to the patient’s death.

Kit arrives at Hope’s End, the mansion where Lenora resides with the house caretaker, a cook, a gardener and a cleaner. The vast mansion that once housed Lenora’s family and plenty of servants and witnessed the better days of the Hope Family is the only living memory of those times. Today, it looks old, unattended and neglected. The mansion stands precariously at the edge of a cliff, threatening to fall and crumble with the force of the waves that crash against it every moment. It has an eerie feeling, and Kit is quite creeped out. She is given a uniform and strict instructions about the dos and don’ts, which she finds quite strange and unusual. However, considering her compulsions, she decides to carry on with her work.

She spots a typewriter on the desk in Lenora’s room and decides to use it to communicate with Lenora. A few days after her arrival, Lenora makes an offer. She expresses her desire to reveal the true story of the murder that happened many years back. Kit is curious and more than willing to learn the story from Lenora. She helps Lenora with the typewriter, and slowly, Lenora starts revealing her story, narrating the incidents that led up to the fateful day when the murders took place.

Kit doesn’t trust Lenora fully. So, as Lenora starts unveiling parts of the story, Kit starts her investigation by talking to other people in the household. That’s when it becomes clear to her that there is more to the truth that Lenora has chosen to reveal. She realizes that the seemingly harmless woman in her care could be far more dangerous than she first thought.

In the end, everything comes together, and Kit learns about the events leading up to that ill-fated day and the person who committed the crimes. Along with these revelations, many untold stories come to light, and the true faces of the characters are unveiled. With the most unexpected twists and turns, the story comes to an end.

It was an engrossing read with many unanticipated twists and turns, which kept coming till the end of the book. The author has done a great job of building the suspense and mystery surrounding the house, its occupants and the uneventful things that happen there. I particularly liked the description of Hope’s End, the mansion at the edge of the cliff, which could crumble anytime under the force of the crashing waves; its tilted floor, cracks on the walls, etc, which creates a gothic atmosphere. It added to the mystery, the darkness and suspense surrounding the mansion and its people. The story is quick-paced and engrossing and a must-read for those who enjoy crime thrillers.