One Last Lie (The Governess: Book 1): An absolutely gripping psychological thriller packed with twists

The Governess #1

by Blake Pierce

50-year-old governess Mary Wilcox has dealt with more than her fair share of rich families, and she does so with patience and grace.

But she’s not used to dealing with murder.

When Mary moves into the grand Ashford estate to assume her role as a governess to three children, she is met with the polite formality of the estate’s matriarch and the curiosity of three children.

Little does she know she is stepping foot into a nest of secrets and lies.

As Mary becomes more involved with the family, she begins to suspect foul play in the recent death of the family’s patriarch. Even as she battles her own past demons and struggles to separate past from present, she is forced to wonder—which of the family members should she be protecting?

And who should she be afraid of?

“An edge of your seat thriller in a new series that keeps you turning pages! ...So many twists, turns and red herrings… I can't wait to see what happens next.”
—Reader review (Her Last Wish)
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ONE LAST LIE (THE BOOK 1) is the first book in a long-anticipated new psychological thriller series by #1 bestseller and USA Today bestselling author Blake Pierce, whose bestseller The Perfect Wife (a free download) has received over 20,000 five star reviews.

Future books in the series are also available!

“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery.”
—Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)
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“A strong, complex story about two FBI agents trying to stop a serial killer. If you want an author to capture your attention and have you guessing, yet trying to put the pieces together, Pierce is your author!”
—Reader review (Her Last Wish)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“A typical Blake Pierce twisting, turning, roller coaster ride suspense thriller. Will have you turning the pages to the last sentence of the last chapter!!!”
—Reader review (City of Prey)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Genres: Mystery, Ebooks, Murder Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Thriller, Fiction

166 pages, Paperback

Published June 10, 2024

About the author

Blake Pierce is author of the bestselling RILEY PAGE mystery series, which includes seven books (and counting). Blake Pierce is also the author of the MACKENZIE WHITE mystery series, comprising four books (and counting); of the AVERY BLACK mystery series, comprising four books (and counting); and of the new KERI LOCKE mystery series.

An avid reader and lifelong fan of the mystery and thriller genres, Blake loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.blakepierceauthor.com to learn more and stay in touch.

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unreadable. Riddled with errors. Has the hallmarks of generative AI: poor dialogue interactions, lack of rhetorical awareness, overuse of certain phrases, and a narrative voice without variation or distinction.

I want a refund.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is no twist. They give away who it is early in the book.

[Klare · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was rather dull, I didn’t care about any of the characters or who did the murder.

[Cynthia E Provencher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read!

Another awesome story from the awesome Blake Pierce! Such a gifted story teller. My all time favorite author. His characters always immediately grab u & don't let go. A great easy to follow read. Thanks Blake! U never disappoint. Looking forward to the next one.

[Gail Callahan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It kept me wondering all throughout the book. Fast read.

[Bryce Nicely · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't typically write reviews, but this book was so bad that I felt it necessary. If it wasn't so short, and if I didn't have a rule about finishing books that I start, I wouldn't have made it past the first chapter.

The plot is awful, the characters are awful, the details are awful. The protagonist is either dumber than a box of rocks or completely oblivious to the world around her. It's the wife, no it's the partner, no it's the cop, no it's the partner again. It can't be, it must be the kids, why do they know so much. Oh wait, it's the therapist. No it's the wife again.

Unless you're a masochist, don't read this book.

[John Kowalski · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written mystery

The characters were interesting especially the kids. Some of the suspects were underdeveloped. I found it to be a good story.

[Maria Rodriguez Paredes · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.9 stars. not perfect. not even the best story. but it was such an easy read.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mary Wilcox goes from teach to governess but it’s not a smooth transition. Mary’s past is sad and she’s having to deal with flashbacks and her own guilt. Her new situation is going to be challenging too. The Ashford children are grieving the death of their billionaire father. Mary tries to connect wth each of the children but the two older ones feel that their father was murdered. There are an odd assortment of employees in the household and none seem interested in being friends with Mary. Mary and the eldest son are both convinced his father was murdered and he shows Mary what clues he’s uncovered. Mom has already begun dating and that’s worry some too. The children’s emotions are very volatile and things get downright hostile. The lead detective on the case is also a prime suspect after his previous and current dating of Cecelia Ashford comes out. Mary’s own mental state is worrying and she should seek psychiatric care too. Not as good a story as the FBI thrillers I’ve come to love.

[Shannon Duffek · Rating 1 out of 5]

Eugh.... is this the same author??

My first Blake Pierce was The Perfect Wife, and I really enjoyed it, but this one?? Not so much. I couldn't stand the main character, Mary. She is a former elementary teacher turned governess who came off to me as paranoid, slightly unhinged and just annoying. While I will read more from this author, it will not be any from the "governess" series.

[Josephine Pizzimenti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good

Very good read. Nosey lead character reminded me of Jessica Fletcher 😅😅 Almost all the characters could be the perpetrator. I was back and forward as to whodunit. Recommend

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Full disclosure, I got a free copy of this for my e-reader. Being free, I don’t know if maybe I got an early draft or something but this book is in need of some SERIOUS editing. The overwhelming prevalence of writing errors is distracting and ranges from spelling errors to grammatical errors to nearly constant incorrect verb tenses and more. There were several moments when I had to stop and reread a sentence multiple times just to make sense of it which is a bit disruptive of the flow. Additionally, the character arcs were a bit flat and the plot was fairly predictable. The only reason I gave it the second star is because it was interesting enough to keep me engaged until the finish, but seeing as I rarely quit a book that isn’t necessarily saying a whole lot. Upon researching the author I found many readers believe this to be the work of a ghost writer, or many of them working together which might be explain a lot of these issues.

[Lise · Rating 3 out of 5]

The three Ashford children have just lost their father to a heart condition and are adrift. Hoping to bring stability to the household, former teacher Mary Wilcox begins her new vocation as a governess. Finding that the family tension is about more than just the death, Mary begins an investigation.

From the start, I was irritated that Mary was working as a nanny, yet given the title of "governess". Beyond that, the gaslighting incidents weren't explained or resolved. Moreover, the mystery seemed to be solved early on, leaving the story to drag its way to its conclusion. Mary inferred that a crime had been committed - there never was proof until the killer blurted it out. And that circumstantial evidence (eg. the crossword puzzle created by the man who was not yet dead) was tenuous at best.

I found nothing and no one to connect with in this story and I was left with too many unanswered questions at the end. It's a time-filler, nothing more.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed One Last Lie, but, frankly, not enough to read the second book in the series. Our main character, Mary, is starting her new job as a governess for a very wealthy family with three children. The patriarch has passed away, the children are grieving, but yet his widow, Cecilia, seems more inconvenienced than sad. The children resent Mary's presence, but within days (?) she becomes accepted by the children. One Last Lie reads like an Agatha Christie mystery where Mary assigns herself the sole person needed to definitively determine whether Jonathan died of natural causes or was murdered. The novel held my interest well enough, I rolled my eyes many times on how easy solving this mystery was for Mary.

[Maryann Hornbaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! WHAT A NICE CHANGE

This storyline is so different than most of the books I’ve read lately. They were female FBI agents solving impossible crimes with male counterparts who contributed little to nothing to the case. Whereas this was totally different.

Mary , a retired teacher decides to try a different line of work and becomes a governess to 3 children. The family has recently lost the father who is extremely rich and runs a lucrative business.

Mary is quite the busybody and snoops around the mansion finding interesting items. She really does overstep her bounds constantly. She’s quite the busybody.

I found it hard to put down and the ending surprised me. Nice change of pace for me.

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

One Last Lie - a review by Rosemary Kenny.

Governess Mary Wilcox arrives to care for the three Ashford children, after the sudden death of their father.
They're all traumatized, as is their Mom, Cecilia...or is she?
And what about the creepy, light-fingered housekeeper?

Haunted by a past family tragedy of her own, Mary becomes deeply involved in the swirling emotional tinderbox, as she tries to solve the mystery while protecting the innocent.
Should she protect herself better too?
Read Blake Pierce's outstanding psychological murder-mystery, One Last Lie, to find out whodunit - and if Mary lives to tell all - in the final chapter!

[Shirley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mary Wilcox, a governess comes to work for a family that has just lost their father and husband. Suspicions arise that he may have been murdered. Mary decides to investigate. A little far fetched that the governess turned detective and she didn’t seem to be doing a lot of her caring for the children. The oldest takes off into the woods, the middle child looks after the youngest. So other than having breakfast with them, her duties seem pretty limited. There were some twists and turns before reaching the conclusion, which made it more interesting. Not a page turner, but an okay, quick read.

[Cidney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mary Wilcox was a teacher and now aged 50 is working as a governess instead. She has entered a household where the husband has just died and the mother is in shock apparently and their 3 children aren't communicating. She certainly has a hard task with this bunch. However not only does she eventually gain their trust but also that of their mother, a mother with a terrible secret. So who is safe in this house? It is rather a creepy book and altough I wasn't surprised by the ending it did have a good plot.

9 books in this series? That can't be right surely, does Mary work for another 8 families who harbour deathly secrets and stops herself getting shot again?

[Jared M. Brewer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay. I have thoughts. This book, wasn’t great. Wasn’t bad at all. I think if I’d read more in this series, I’d need the main character to develop more. She seems flat. The story about her sister is like a small part that we need to explore that literally NO ONE understands. There’s plot holes but after actually finishing, I realized that this is just a basic book. Does it need to have huge twists and turns? No. But there were a few suspenseful parts that I liked. All in all, this book is a book. It’s okay. It’s never going to be in my faves and I probably would only recommend as a short 195 page palate cleanser between two heavy or more interesting books.

[Pierrebleu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tense

A tense story that takes you one way then another then back again then back the other way again.

Mary becomes Governess to three children following the death of their father.
The children in their own way let Mary know they think their father was murdered and even point the finger at their own mother, the widow Cecilia.

Mary has her own demons in her past following the time when her sister went missing so she thinks it might help exercise those demons by investigating the death of their father children’s father.

Hang in there but be prepared to be dizzy and have a persistent headache.

It’s a good read.

[Claudete Takahashi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary leaves her teaching career to become a governness and her first job is with a wealthy family after the father died of a heart attack. There are three kids, two teenagers and a 8yo boy and a saddened mother. Soon she'll find there's more to the death of the patriarch and that there's a web of lies covering everything. Although her nightmares have returned and her guilty regarding her sister is unusually high, Mary will be relentless in the search for the truth. One Last Lie is an engaging and easy read, however, the book needs better proofreading. I thank Ms. Pierce for this ARC.

[Emma · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is has a lot of errors that should have been picked up in the editing process, such as grammatical errors, spelling errors, sentences that just didn’t make sense and switching between two spellings of the same name.

That being said, it was a very easy read, if a little predictable.

Will I explore more of this author? Probably not. But for a book downloaded for free, it wasn’t the worst thing I’ve read.

[Lillian Cummings · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who is lying?

Mary knows that something isn't right. Her new charges are grieving the loss of their father and the widow is a mess. But everything isn't as it seems. The father could have been murdered but by whom? Will Mary be able to bring closure for the children? She knows that she needs to protect them even if it is from their own mother.
A good read. Mary is a strange woman full too nosy even if she is trying to do the right thing

[Dawn Ireland · Rating 2 out of 5]

So many errors in this book!

How could a “best selling author” put out such a piece of trash? What happened to the editor? There were so many errors within these pages it was shocking.

Someone please explain how Mary could see the expression on Isabella’s face when Mary told us the pond was a quarter of a mile from the house. That’s some eyesight! Mary was at the pond and Isabella and Samuel were at the front door of the house!

That’s only one of the many problems.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little creepy. Ok maybe a lot creepy. I had to keep reminding myself this was set in present day and not in Dracula's time.
The main character was good with the kids, but a bit off as a servant to billionaires. She took a lot of crazy chances. But that's probably why I gave it a 4 instead of a 3. The story keeps you reading. The ending was a bit sudden and didn't take long to pan out.

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sorry, but I found the whole premise of the book implausible. There is a pretty major theme going on with Mary, but it was never fleshed out completely - just some dribs and drabs. I was certainly expecting to find out the entire background. Why bring it up in the first place if you aren't going to add more depth and understanding of Mary's issue? Is it to buy the next book? Not for me.

[Nothando · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read his books before, which left me with my jaw-dropped, so I was excited. But I was really disappointed. There were too many grammatical errors (don't know if it's the app I was using - Google Books). The storyline was unrealistic and boring. I gave it a 2 star rating because I finished it and I wanted to see who committed the murder.

[Debra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very poorly written. I can’t believe this is the same author I read last week. Too many unanswered questions about Mary’s past. Was she delusional or was someone trying to make her think she was crazy? Either way, I don’t think she should have a career as a governess. And whoever was in charge of editing this should not have a career as an editor.

[Kristyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

The overall storyline had potential but was a little all over the place. The audio version was terrible - seemed very low budget. Lines were repeated multiple times and the narrator's accents weren't the best. I wanted to like it more and I did have an interest in the storyline, but it could have been so much better.

[Neera Kapahi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in the series and is a mesmerizing psychological thriller - it started off as dark and atmospheric. When Mary Wilcox began working as a governess at Ashford estate, she got more than she bargained for.

The writing was very good for most of the book but it felt rushed towards the end.