Her Last Best Friend

Shadow Lake Ranch Murders #1

by Nellie H. Steele

A friendship. A betrayal. A body. Welcome to Shadow Lake Ranch…where friendships come to die.

Quiet Lindsey isn’t sure about spending twelve weeks at Shadow Lake Ranch. Her best friend, Mel, swears the luxury retreat will be the perfect escape—horseback riding, yoga, emotional bonding. A killer summer.

But from the moment they arrive, something feels off. Lindsey can’t shake the dread curling in her stomach. And when she meets Travis—the charming cowboy who seems to only have eyes for her—things get even more complicated.

Especially when it seems Mel has set her sights on him, too.

As the lines between truth and paranoia blur, Lindsey begins to question everything—her friendship, her relationship, even her own mind.

And when Mel turns up dead, Lindsey becomes the prime suspect.

Was she the jealous best friend who finally snapped? Or is someone else hiding a much darker secret?

At Shadow Lake Ranch, nothing is what it seems. And there’s only one truth: You can’t trust anyone.

Her Last Best Friend is a twisty psychological thriller perfect for fans of Colleen Hoover’s Verity, Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl, and Ruth Ware’s The It Girl.

Genres: Mystery

316 pages, Paperback

First published September 23, 2025

About the author

Nellie H. Steele lives in the South Hills of Pittsburgh with her family and her many fur-babies. When she isn't writing, she enjoys teaching Statistics at a local university or watching her dogs and cats play in the yard.

Nellie is the author of the Cate Kensie Mystery Series, a cozy mystery series following the adventures of Dr. Catherine Kensie, a history professor turned Scottish Countess, and her beloved dog, Riley, as they navigate their new lives in their quirky Scottish highlands castle, solving mysteries along the way! She is the creator of the Shadow Slayers series, a suspenseful series with a supernatural twist! Follow the Shadow Slayers through time as they fight to banish darkness from the world. Nellie also writes an adventure series, Maggie Edwards Adventures. Follow Maggie Edwards as she travels the world solving mysteries and finding unique treasures!

Check out all Nellie offers at www.anovelideapublishing.com/novels, sign up for our newsletter to get the latest news about book releases or like us on facebook (facebook.com/anovelideapublishing) to keep up with us!

Reviews

[Leslie aka StoreyBook Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

With friends like Mel, who needs enemies?

I really enjoyed this psychological thriller, the alternating chapters between past, present, and characters, and the twist ending that I did not expect.

Set at a working ranch, Mel and Lindsey are set to spend the summer bonding and getting away from it all. Granted, this doesn't sound like my kind of summer, at least not the whole time, but it is supposed to be an adventure. As the days pass at the ranch, you get a better sense of the relationship between these friends. It is not a friendship that I would want if I were Lindsey, but she is a unique person who has a hard time trusting and making friends. Maybe it is the wounded bird persona that attracts Travis and Jesse to her. However, Mel can't stand that they prefer Lindsey over her, and this is where problems arise. Mel sabotages Lindsey and Travis' budding relationship and sets off to do the same with Jesse. It's really quite sad, but in the epilogue, we learn a bit more about Mel's past. 

While there isn't a huge cast of characters, the killer is not one I suspected. I suspected a few others, but not this person. I was very surprised, but learning the reasoning made sense. It explained so much.

There will be another book in this series, and I am intrigued to find out what it will be about and whether any returning characters will appear. But until then, pick up this book if you enjoy a good psychological thriller. We give it 4 paws up.

[LORI CASWELL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Mel convinces Lindsey to go on a best friends adventure and spend the summer at Shadow Lake Ranch. Lindsey wanted to turn around and go home before they stepped off the bus. Then she meets Travis, a cowboy who works at the ranch. There is a mutual attraction, but Lindsey is not ready to jump into another serious relationship. Mel pushes Lindsey to give Travis a chance until it seems Meg wants Travis for herself.

Then Meg is killed, and her best friend Lindsey is the number one suspect. Her adventure with her best friend has turned into a nightmare. She doesn’t understand what’s happening or who she can trust.

Melanie “Mel” Halston and Lindsey Hartwell couldn’t be more different. Mel is the party girl, always needing to be the center of attention, ready for fun and never for work. Lindsey is shy and timid, healing from a bad break-up, and decides to take in the Shadow Ranch experience. Cowboy Travis is immediately attracted to Lindsey. At first, I thought it was just an element of the ranch to keep visitors happy, but his feelings were true. We also meet Jesse, another cowboy who is also drawn to Lindsey. That doesn’t bode well for Lindsey. She is drawing attention away from Mel. Mel is a master manipulator and pulls people into her crazy web.

The story is told from multiple points of view and varying timeframes over the stay at Shadow Ranch. This gives the characters depth, allowing readers to get to know their strengths, weaknesses, and emotions. A peek into the heads as the story unfolds. Detective Nolan Briggs and his partner, Kara Brandt, take Lindsey through her story, bringing in others to corroborate or add their parts to the narrative. Lindsey is put through so much; my heart ached for her.

Ms. Steele grabbed my attention with the book blurb. The Prologue pulled me in, and the story refused to let me go. Set in a remote location in Montana, sets up an atypical closed room type mystery with a limited number of suspects. I had my own theories, but the final twist was a total surprise.

Her Last Best Friend is a gripping psychological thriller, a story of a friendship full of betrayal and what happens when history catches up with you. A summer that changed everything. I see there are 3 more books planned in this series. And I can’t wait to get my hands on them.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC.

[Karen Siddall · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adult summer camp ranch experience turns deadly.

Her Last Best Friend kicks off author Nellie H. Steele’s latest suspense-filled mystery series, the Shadow Lake Ranch Murders, and I couldn’t have asked for a better start. Besties Melanie “Mel” Halston and Lindsey Hartwell head to a Montana ranch for a summer experience of a lifetime with sunrise yoga, horseback riding, bonfires, personal renewal, and of course, daily chores; it is a working ranch after all. Mel is the more colorful, outgoing, big personality of the two, while Lindsey is shy and reticent, still getting over the breakup of her last romantic relationship. When a handsome ranch hand shows an interest in Lindsey, Mel thinks it would be cool to help push him in her bestie’s direction - until it becomes clear he only has eyes for Lindsey after all. Mel thrives on being the center of attention – everyone’s attention – and when she’s not, she’ll stop at nothing to set things straight. Unfortunately for Mel, someone else has other ideas.

With its engaging main character and clever storytelling, I was glued to this book from the attention-grabbing epilogue to the final page. The premise of the adult summer-long ranch experience was intriguing and lent itself well to the romantic subplots and the subsequent turnaround of the relationship between Mel and Lindsey. Mel is the ultimate manipulator and, like a runaway speedboat, sucks Lindsey along in her wake. As the saying goes, “With friends like that, who needs enemies?”

The plot unfolds from multiple points of view, both in the past and in the present. I enjoyed how the story begins with Mel’s death a fait accompli, with the details of what has gone on revealed as Lindsey and others are questioned by the investigative team from the local sheriff’s department. The remoteness and closed community of the ranch limit the cast of characters and, by extension, the possible killers, but because of Mel’s machinations, there are still a couple of good suspects. I’m certain some sharp-eyed armchair detectives will be able to figure out who the real murderer is before the surprising reveal. All in all, this book was an intriguing winner for me.

I recommend HER LAST BEST FRIEND to readers of mysteries, thrillers, and tales of suspense.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.

[Roger Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

📚 Book Review by R.M. Campbell 📚
Her Last Best Friend
By
Nellie H. Steele
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Her Last Best Friend is Book One in the new Shadow Lake Ranch Murder Series. In this book, we are introduced to Mel (Melanie), the outgoing, effervescent, fun-loving party girl, and her best friend and sidekick, the shy, innocent, quiet, sweet, and nearly invisible Lindsey (Lind). Since the two had the summer off, Mel thought it would be a great idea for the two of them to vacation at a ranch in Montana at a luxury retreat for emotional renewal. Mel had envisioned yoga, horseback riding, great food, bonfires, and making new friends. Lind would be the perfect companion, few people would notice her in the background. Mel soon discovered how wrong she was. Soon after arriving at the ranch, Travis, a captivating ranchhand, was smitten by Lind, and only by her, to Mel’s frustration. Mel, feeling jealous, begins to manipulate Lind’s relationship with Travis, and things spiral out of control. As the relationships progress and take a turn for the worse, Mel is found murdered, and Lindsey becomes the prime suspect.
I enjoyed this story, but the writing style was a bit unexpected for me. The characters were very well written, and the reader can relate to each character as they are introduced and blended into the sequence of events. The character relationships were well developed, and one could feel the emotional impact and drama within each chapter. The tension, suspense, and romance are all intertwined to create a fantastic mystery. The story was action-packed, and the storyline will keep you glued to the pages far longer than you may intend. I highly recommend Nellie’s new book and look forward to reading the rest of the series. I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book.

[Jesi Palomares · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a twisty, psychological summer camp mystery/ thriller about friendship, trust and secrets.
This follows the intense and complicated friendship of Mel and Lindsey. Mel is the loud, spontaneous, fun party girl and Lindsey is the quiet, timid and reserved one and her guard is up in terms of relationships after her last ended in betrayal. Lindsey reluctantly agrees to join her best friend, Mel for the summer to what is supposed to be a relaxing getaway to a luxury retreat at Shadow Lake Ranch. To her surprise while arriving, Travis, a handsome cowboy at the ranch, immediately finds interest in Lindsey. Mel decides to help her best friend with her new relationship but things get complicated and start spiraling from there. Lies are spread, things aren't what they seem to be and Mel ends up murdered; Lindsey becoming the top suspect.
The story masterfully blurs the lines between trust and paranoia as the tension gradually builds! This is a page turner thriller, giving off mean girl vibes!

[Patricia Zashkoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best friends go on a vacation to a working ranch. The learn how to ride and help clean out the stables. Every thing is going fine until a handsome cowboy comes between them. Loyalty and friendship goes out the window and tragedy happens. I recommend this book and the next in a series.

[Shannon Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually really enjoyed this one!! It was a very good mystery and I like how it was written. We got multiple perspectives, past and present. A very good plot twist at the end too!

[Sydney DeCurtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. I loved all the twists that kept me guessing until the killer was revealed.

[Heidi Turner Jenkins]

I ENJOYED READING THIS BOOK TO INTRODUCE THE series, SHADOW LAKE MURDERs The character development was shocking. the ending was unexpected, great read

[Julie Carithers Overstreet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great beginning to the "Shadow Lake Ranch Murders" series. Another edge-of-your-seat page-turner mystery. Nellie never disappoints her readers.