The Last Ones Left

by Christine Dempsey

When Tucker and his family arrive on a remote island for one last vacation as a family, something feels off. The island is empty. Except for Roland...

It doesn't take long to see Roland's intencions are anything but kind.

As strange things start to happen Tucker realizes that this island has no plans of letting them leave.

The Last Ones Left is a haunting psycological horror about buried secrets, fractures familes, and the darkness we can't outrun.

65 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 3, 2025

Reviews

[Jenny Coyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a book that is under 40 pages, Christine Dempsey covers a lot of ground! Sometimes stories this length leave you feeling like they are missing important details, but this book is fully fleshed out from beginning to end. It's a gripping, short, paranormal thriller that has you reading straight through to find out where it will end.

Thank you Christine Dempsey.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Elaine Rainbolt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this novella. This story is about a man and his family go to an island for vacation. it's one last vacation for the family together because their is a divorce lingering that the children are unaware of yet. But when things start happening on the island it makes Tucker have weird thoughts about things happening.

[Rachel Browning · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Last Ones Left” by Christine Dempsey is an amazing, quick-read psychological horror packed with secrets, tension, and deception. If something feels off, trust your gut—because in this story, nothing is as it seems. A gripping and unsettling tale that keeps you second-guessing until the end!

[Sarah * Between the Lines Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t have much to say but keeping this simple, CREEPY AF! There were parts that I felt like we had already understood the point but it drug on. But other than that, good and kept me creeped out.

[Alyssa Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a short and quick read that will have you so enthralled you won’t be able to put it down! Mind the trigger warnings if you need to.

The creep factor for this thriller is there! I love stories like this. I can’t give you too much and take away from your experience:) but trust me, read it!

[Maria Kohler · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first it took me a while to get a feel for who the narrator was in relation to the people they were interacting with, but that's probably due to the fact I jumped in to this story blind- I didn't read any summary beforehand. But even so, not every story needs to come right out and say "I'm husband. Nora is wife. Parker and Sophie are our son and daughter."
So despite my initial confusion, I think the indirect character introductions were refreshing.

Anyway, I love the overall story! It was enjoyable and made me want to read more from this author. It was thrilling, eerie, and intriguing without adhering to clichés that lend a hand to predictability.
Although I was left wanting more, it wasn't in a way that made the story feel incomplete or rushed.

This tale includes so many fine details that you can't help but be sucked in and engulfed in the plot!

I left off a star due to my own personal preference of having mysteries be revealed. I like endings that leave everything tied up in a neat little bow rather than too much being left to the imagination. I know, I'm no fun! Nonetheless, I am grateful for the books that don't give me everything I think I want- and this story provides an excellent balance between those two concepts.

Overall, a tremendous read!

[VDKeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

At just 39 pages, this psychological horror short story packs more dread and dysfunction than some full-length thrillers I’ve read. Christine Dempsey wastes zero time getting creepy—when Tucker and his family show up to a remote island for one last bonding trip, the place is suspiciously empty. Well… except for Roland. And spoiler alert: Roland is NOT the welcome committee.

Things go downhill fast—strange events, buried secrets, and an island that clearly has a mind (and grudge) of its own. The tension simmers, the family drama explodes, and the horror? Deliciously disturbing.

Dempsey’s writing is sharp, emotional, and punchy, with characters that feel real and pacing that does not let you breathe. For such a quick read, it delivers big-time chills, heartache, and one heck of an ending.

Five stars for this perfectly bite-sized nightmare. You’ll devour it in one sitting—and then maybe cancel your next island getaway.

[C.A. Powers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A chilling gut-punch in under 40 pages.
Christine Dempsey’s The Last Ones Left sinks its claws in quickly and doesn’t let go. What starts as a final family getaway spirals into a nightmarish descent.

Christine masterfully layers creeping dread with emotional fragility as Tucker’s reality begins to unravel.

In this compact psychological horror, every word counts. The story blends isolation, buried trauma, and the ache of a fractured family with a sinister momentum that builds to an unforgettable conclusion.

[Literary Dystopia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This thriller gripped me. It was very suspenseful and had me questioning a lot of things in a good way. I definitely wasn’t expecting the ending. For such a short story it had a lot of details to unpack and I love that. Please read this if you want a quick, suspenseful thriller.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed “The Last Ones Left” ! It had me in suspense from the beginning to end. It’s a short and easy read. I would definitely recommend it.

[Bree Fulton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short book is definitely a good read! It peaks your interest from the start! I love a good psychological horror! 10/10 recommend! ❤️

[Amethyst Maxey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you for the ARC. Unfortunately this novella fell flat for me. There wasn’t much action or thrill to it for me.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Last Ones Left by Christine Dempsey is a fast-paced, emotional thriller full of heart-pounding suspense and unexpected twists. It’s a gripping read you won’t want to put down!

[Book Blogging Mama · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Last Ones Left by Christine Dempsey is what happens when grief books a family vacation and dread decides to tag along. From the first paragraph, I knew this story wasn’t just going to whisper horror—it was going to choke me with it.

The setup is deceptively simple: one last trip for a fractured family to reconnect before everything falls apart. Except, plot twist—it already has, and the island they're stuck on? It knows. The island watches. The island waits. And then there’s Roland. Let’s just say if you meet a lone stranger on an abandoned island who acts like he's been expecting you? Yeah… run.

Dempsey doesn't go for cheap jump scares. She drips tension into every sentence like water torture—slow, rhythmic, impossible to ignore. You can feel the isolation, the suffocating weight of unsaid things, and the creeping realization that this family brought more than just baggage—they brought ghosts. And secrets. And maybe something even darker.

This isn’t just psychological horror. It’s an emotional autopsy of a family in freefall, disguised as a survival story. By the time I reached the end, I wasn’t sure who I felt worse for: the characters or myself for relating to them.

A taut, psychological gut-punch that leaves you unsettled in the best way. Dempsey has officially earned a spot on my "whatever she writes next, I’m reading it" list.

[Tina Transformation · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Last Ones Left is a chilling blend of psychological suspense and supernatural horror. What starts as a quiet family trip unravels into something far darker. Tense, atmospheric, and emotionally raw, this story pulls you in and doesn’t let go. Twisted, clever, and unforgettable. I’ll never trust a parrot again—hell, I never did. I highly recommend this short story.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Last Ones Left is a stunning, slow-burn horror story that blends emotional devastation with supernatural dread. Christine Dempsey has crafted a narrative that is as much about the ghosts we create in our relationships as it is about the ones that haunt us from beyond.