Emma Carpenter prefers her life of isolation, house-sitting with her dog in an old beachfront house on the Washington coast. The only humans she comes in contact with are her cranky old neighbor, Deek (through telescope and whiteboard games of Hangman), and Jules, the house owner (through texts).
Emma spends her time voraciously reading Amazon's free and bargain books on her Kindle, and when she reads a poorly written horror story, she posts a one-star review that drags her into an online argument with the author. When disturbing things begin to happen at night soon after, Emma believes that it's not just a coincidence. It was weird enough that the author would argue with her online about one measly review... could he be stalking her, too?
Emma begins researching the author's life and work, and in no time at all, she's drawn into a deadly game of cat and mouse.
~
How could a book blogger specializing in crime fiction not read a book about the dire consequences one character has when she posts a one-star review? I certainly couldn't resist the temptation!
The Last Word feels like it was written to be turned into a movie, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, I think it would be better as a movie. Emma Carpenter is a sympathetic character, and I was quickly drawn into her solitary life on the rainy Washington coast. Her golden retriever Laika made a good companion, and her telescope-and-white-board games of Hangman with her nearest neighbor did give her some human contact. But the more I read, the more questions I had. What was Emma hiding from? And that neighbor of hers was a bit strange, too. Why would an author seemingly go off the deep end over a one-star review?
The questions were piling up, and I was engrossed in the story until everything started unraveling at the halfway mark. This is when readers started being told the story from the point of view of a serial killer who kept dropping hints about what was going to happen to Emma.
At that point, the twists and turns of the plot started coming thick and fast. There were just too many of them, and I had two reactions to them. One, it felt as though the author was showing off. Two, I felt like Wile E. Coyote, getting repeatedly hammered by his latest ACME purchase.
Before the halfway mark, The Last Word was a winner. After that point, I was tempted to throw it against the wall (but I couldn't because I didn't want to damage my Kindle). If you've read, or intend to read, The Last Word, I certainly hope your mileage varies.
The Last Word by Taylor Adams
eISBN: 9780063222915
Harper-Collins © 2023
eBook, 352 pages
Standalone Thriller
Rating: C-/D+
Source: Purchased from Amazon.
