The Last Place You Look

by Nikki Smith

Leo thought he knew his wife. Until she disappeared.

Leo Kennedy has it money, looks, the perfect marriage and luxury homes in the UK and South Africa. But when his wife Addison goes missing, his immaculate life detonates.

48 hours later, Leo arrives at their safari lodge to retrace her steps. Only there's no sign of Addison. Instead, Leo is met with a scene of blood and chaos, and on the wall a missing poster, with his face, his name and his details.

His wife may be missing, but someone wants Leo gone too . . .

From the author of The Beach Party comes a deliciously dark sunlounger thriller, perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl and Lucy Clarke's The Hike.

Kindle Edition

Expected publication July 2, 2026

About the author

Nikki Smith worked in finance until 2017, when a 'now or never' moment prompted her to apply for the Curtis Brown Creative writing course. She is the author of five novels and co-host of the podcast In Suspense. She lives in Guildford with her family and loves to travel, ideally somewhere hot and sunny.

You can find out more about her on her website www.nikkismithauthor.com & she's on twitter/X as @mrssmithmunday

Reviews

[Kayl_may · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second novel I’ve read by Nikki Smith, after They Had It Coming, and I was excited to see what this one had in store.

Another compelling destination thriller, the story is set between a stunning safari lodge in South Africa and a millionaire’s mansion in the UK. It follows married couple Addison and Leo, centering on the mystery surrounding Addison’s disappearance when she fails to return from the lodge. The chapters alternate between Addison and Leo, covering both the lead-up to her disappearance and its aftermath. I really enjoyed this structure, as it allowed the story to unfold from both perspectives. It also created that sense of potentially unreliable narration, which I always find especially engaging in a thriller.

For me, the first half of the book was more of a slow burn, while the second half picked up the pace considerably, which I preferred. The direction the story took genuinely caught me off guard, and I loved being blindsided by the twists.

I thought the ending was strong. Although a couple of elements felt slightly predictable, it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment.

I’m definitely looking forward to reading more from this author — The Guests is already sitting on my TBR pile!

Thank you to Penguin General and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Last Place You Look by Nikki Smith is an engaging psychological mystery that balances suspense with an evocative sense of place. From the opening chapters, it’s clear this is going to be an easy to read page turner, the kind of book you pick up for a few minutes and suddenly realise you’ve flown through half of.

One of the novel’s biggest strengths lies in its shifting perspectives and the sense that not everything is as it seems. The characters are layered and complex, and the story plays with the idea of unreliable narrators (or are they?) in a way that keeps you constantly second-guessing what you think you know. It’s cleverly done.

The setting is another standout element. The beautifully described South African bush provides a vivid and atmospheric backdrop, with its landscapes woven naturally into the plot. It adds depth and texture to the mystery.

While the pacing occasionally dips in the middle, and a few twists may feel familiar to seasoned readers of the genre, the novel more than makes up for it with its strong sense of place..

Overall, this is a compelling and enjoyable read, perfect for fans of character-driven mysteries with a rich setting and a clever narrative voice. A solid four-star novel. Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Netgalley for giving me this free advance copy, and I’m writing this review honestly and without bias.
You just cannot go wrong with a Nikki Smith novel and a go to author for me has once again delivered. This multi layered story is cleverly constructed and nothing is as it seems. The descriptive narrative of South Africa is sublime and adds to the atmosphere of this well written story. The shifting perspectives of the three complex characters works really well. I did guess one of the twists but the others completely blindsided me. Another excellent read from this talented author. 4.5⭐️

[Ceecee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leo Kennedy is a very successful man, he has plenty of money and owns properties in the UK and Wilderness Lodge in South Africa. He’s married to Addison, although it’s fair to say she hasn’t been herself lately. Leo flies out to South Africa to join her at their lodge only to find she’s missing, not only that he’s confronted by a horrifying, chaotic and bloody scene. He shocked to the core but also incredulous to find on the wall of the lodge, a missing poster with his name and details. What an earth is going on? Where is Addison and who seems to want Leo gone too?

This is so good and has my attention glued to the narrative from start to finish, scratching my head at all the strange, off kilter, puzzling events, trying to make sense of what seems insoluble whilst nobody is what they appear to be at first glance. What game are they playing? None of the characters are especially likeable, one is creepy, others are one giant chameleon like puzzle or at the very least wolves wearing sheep’s clothing. This is a multilayered mystery thriller and as each one gets peeled back, it reveals yet another tantalising mystery or conundrum. The non-linear timelines add to that, building the tension and suspense which escalates towards the end where there’s plot twist after plot twist leaving me a tad breathless. There are cliffhanger chapter endings that keep me ploughing on – not that I need the incentive, I’m 100% in. The ending is very dramatic as all the gameplay reveals its truth.

Overall, I go to bed thinking about this book trying to figure things out and can’t wait to get back to it next day. Any book that can do that is almost begging to be read. It’s a cracker of a thriller.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Penguin General U.K. For the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.

[KathVBtn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, Nikki Smith has said that this might be her favourite book yet and its easy to see why. The Queen of destination thrillers has done it again, whisking us away to a luxury setting whilst teasing us with a crime scene that comes with more questions than answers - I loved it!
Mega-rich couple Leo and Addison own a game lodge in the remote South African countryside, where they can watch elephants, lions, hippos and more roam the countryside around them. This is one of their two luxury homes, the other being a mansion set in an exclusive gated community in Surrey. The couple divide their time between the two homes, often being on different continents from the other. When Addison seems to have missed the flight that she's meant to have caught back from South Africa and then doesn't answer Leo's anxious messages, he has little choice but to fly out to the lodge to see what's happened. When he arrives, he is confronted with a terrible scene of chaos and confusion, blood splattered all across their beautiful home showing signs that a huge fight has taken place.
The story mostly takes place before Leo's arrival in the lodge, detailing the days and weeks leading up to his gruesome discovery as we find out more about both Leo and Addison and their relationship.
There's also a fiendish sub-plot woven in; wannabe journalist Jake is obsessed with Addison and finds a way of infiltrating her life in a way that she'll never forget.
It is so well plotted and developed, I think this might be my favourite of Nikki's as well!

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Last Place You Look takes a simple hook—perfect couple, perfect life, wife suddenly missing—and pulls it apart with delicious precision. Leo Kennedy, who seems to have everything, is thrown into chaos when Addison vanishes without a trace. But the real gut-punch arrives when he travels to their safari lodge expecting answers… and instead walks into a scene of violence, confusion, and a missing‑person poster with his face on it. From that moment, I was fully invested.

This is one of those thrillers that reads effortlessly but leaves you constantly second‑guessing everyone’s motives. The remote South African setting is vivid and atmospheric, the kind of place that feels both beautiful and deeply isolating—perfect for a mystery where trust erodes quickly and danger feels close enough to touch.

Leo is a fascinating focal point. The more he tries to understand what happened to Addison, the more the story nudges you to wonder whether he’s telling us everything. The book plays with perception and privilege in subtle, clever ways, letting the tension build naturally while keeping the emotional stakes grounded. Nothing feels overdone; the suspense flows smoothly, making it incredibly easy to binge in a single sitting.

With its crisp pacing, layered secrets, and sun-soaked-but-deadly backdrop, this is exactly the kind of escapist thriller I love: glossy on the surface, dark underneath, and twisty enough to keep me turning pages long after I meant to stop.

with thanks to Nikki Smith, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of ‘The Last Place You Look’ by Nikki Smith, due to be published on 2 July 2026 by Penguin General UK - Fig Tree, Hamish Hamilton, Viking.

Leo - successful and rich businessman, preoccupied with the sale of his company, panics when his wife Addison is not at the airport when he goes to collect her after her visit to their other home in South Africa.

Addison has not been the same since suffering a car accident some months previously, so when he starts receiving odd texts from her claiming to have remembered some terrible details from the night of her accident, he doesn’t know what to think - other than finding her and getting her the help he believes she so obviously needs.

There are multiple threads to pull with this storyline, strands taking you through the lives of Leo, Addison and other significant characters in their storyline.  Nothing is what it seems, the twists keep on coming, whipping up to fever pitch for the grand finale.

Characters are well developed, written to make you love and loathe them in equal measure at various different points, unsure who to believe and where your sympathy should lie. It gets you thinking if one act should cancel out another or is the truth so big, that everything else pales into insignificance. The storyline is a slow burn that flows from the first page and keeps you guessing.

[Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a big fan of the author's work, i went into this read knowing it was going to be a fun read.

The last place you look follows Leo, a successful businessman that has a home both in the UK and South Africa. When he is meant to pick up his wife Addison at the airport she is nowhere to be seen and has gone missing. Travelling to their safari lodge, what he could never expected is right in front of him.. a scene of violence and chaos and most frightening and strange of all is a missing person poster with his face and personal details plastered on it. What is happening and most of all where is his wife?

From the get go i was intrigued and rushed the pages as the twists and suspense were right there. There is so much detail that it somewhat feels like you can picture it. The characters were different and had a hint of intrigue that you wanted to dig into them deeper. An intense brilliant read that will have you reading into the night.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin General UK - Fig Tree, Hamish Hamilton, Viking, Penguin Life, Penguin Business | Penguin for the copy of this arc in exchange of my full honest review.

[Ciclochick]

I've read two of Nikki Smith’s books. Glossing quickly over my review of them, I discovered that whilst I rated them pretty highly, my enjoyment of them was shaved by the use of the present-tense narrative.

It would appear Smith has a fetish for it, because it is used, alas, here, to no advantage at all. However, it’s a pretty gripping psychological thriller. It had me asking all sorts of questions, wondering how on earth they’d be answered and making all sorts of guesses (all wrong!). The ending, however, was very abrupt, and I found myself wanting to turn non-existent pages and then thinking, is that it? There was no ‘The End’, and there were ends to tie up, so despite a fairly climactic finish, I was left dangling.

Smith certainly knows how to plot a book and create some intriguing characters, and it’s hard not to describe her books as unputdownable, despite the poor choice of tense, a rather inconclusive ending and just a few bad grammatical errors (editor please brush up on the use of sat/stood).

[olls’ library · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my second read from Nikki and I thoroughly enjoyed it!!

Thank you so much to Nikki and the publisher for sending an arc copy to me in exchange for an honest review.

It was another great destination thriller, this time set in South Africa, more specifically a safari lodge. The description was incredible and I loved imagining myself there whilst all of the twists and turns unfolded.

I found the first half more of a slow burn but it definitely picked up the pace in the second half. I did have an idea of what was going to happen but I was pleasantly surprised with some of the twists that I didn’t guess. It was definitely dark and twisty!!

Would recommend this to my fellow thriller lovers and this is definitely one to take on holiday with you! Saving some of Nikki’s novels for this summer!❤️

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

This was a thrilling story with a wonderfully exciting setting. The book takes place between the UK and a gorgeous safari lodge in South Africa. We meet a husband who has realised his wife is missing. They split their time between the UK and their lodge and when she doesn’t return home as expected, he starts to get worried and tries to work out what’s going on and why she’s behaving strangely.

The Safari location was incredible, it added a wonderful richness to the novel, with the detail of the animals and things like the bee fences and tree house. But it was also incredibly isolated, ratcheting up tension. There’s a real sense of danger from the elements, wildlife and isolation, but this is then juxtaposed with the sanitised, private, wealthy neighbourhood in the UK. But danger lurks even in unexpected places.

The husband as the investigator was really well done. We’re discovering things alongside him early on in the book. He’s in the dark and confused by his wife’s behaviour. He veers between irritated and worried and it always feels as though he is unmoored. The book also jumps back and forth between timelines (only over a space of a few days). This was also well executed so the spread of events unfolds at the right pace and linking together very well. At one point a new PoV was introduced and I didn’t really want to read that, wanting to get back to the main story, but the author had an excellent plan for linking everything together in the end!

Great setting, engrossing and a thrilling mystery.

[Helyn Carey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love a Nikki Smith destination thriller. This one doesn’t disappoint. I think this is her best yet.

Leo has the perfect life, wife and a business deal about to go through worth millions. Leo thought he knew his wife, Addison. Hopping on a plane after some worrying texts to their South African home Leo finds Addison missing, a bloody scene in their bedroom and a missing poster with his face and details on it. Leo’s life starts to spiral in the worst way.

Told through different time lines and pov we build to the story’s crescendo that didn’t see coming! A great beach read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc!

[Sarah Higginbottom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book pulled me in quietly and then refused to let go. Smith’s writing is understated but emotionally sharp, turning ordinary moments into something tense and unsettling. I loved how the story lingers on grief, memory, and the spaces between people, trusting the reader to feel what isn’t always said. A thoughtful, haunting read that stays with you after the final page.

📚I was able to read an advanced copy of title thanks to NetGalley, Nikki Smith and Penguin UK📚
📚All reviews and opinions are entirely my own📚

[julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A easy to read escapist thriller set in an amazing South African lodge. Read in one day, and I can see this being a popular beach read in the summer. For me, I found the plot ‘surprises’ quite predictable as it’s been done before, and a very similar premise to other glamorous thrillers/ mysteries out there. However, it is well written and I can see it doing well, especially on a subscription platform such as kindle unlimited. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the review copy.

[Madeleine Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this latest book from Nikki Smith which had me hooked from the very start!
Leo and Addison are a wealthy couple who have a second home in South Africa and the story starts with Leo waiting at the airport to pick Addison up after her trip to visit their African home.
However, she doesn't turn up and also doesn't answer his calls. So feeling anxious, he decides he should go out and find her. There's an intricate story woven into it all which unfolds and some twists I never saw coming!

[Amanda C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this - I thought the book was well paced and I enjoyed the writing style and the South African location for part of the story.

I didn't find the plot too predictable, there were definitely enough twists and turns to keep me engaged.

There were a few inaccuries and typos which took me out of the story a bit, but hopefully they will be fixed before publication.

Overall this was a great story and I would recommend it.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in both South Africa and England this book has a steady pace with a hint of so much more than we know. It made me want to keep reading to find out exactly where this was going. Everything came together perfectly and was completely unexpected. This is an excellent read and one I’d recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for my honest and unbiased opinion.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Loved the setting of this book, I don't think I've read a book before with this particular setting.

There was a couple of things some of the characters did in this book that frustrated me, but not enough to spoil my enjoyment. I wasn't a huge fan of the ending, can't say too much without giving it away though.

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sunny yet sinister psychological thrillers seem to be my current vibe, this is the second one this weekend for me.

As ever Nikki Smith delivers an entertaining story with some deeply disturbing character dynamics and enough closely guarded secrets to keep you guessing.

Well written and another murderous summer sizzler.

[Louise Fein · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve loved all of Nikki Smith’s previous novels, but dare I say this might be her best yet? Set between Surrey and South Africa, it is an incredible feat of imagination, plotting, character development and tension building. You think you understand what’s going on, then it’s all turned on its head, then turned again, and again. The settings are so brilliantly described, the reader is right there, sweltering under the South African sun, looking out over the waterhole in a stunning, luxury safari lodge, or in an upmarket Surrey mansion. The tension ramps up through the book until the true story is so cleverly revealed at the end. Loved every moment of this rollercoaster of a story!

[Lost Vegas · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Addison doesn’t arrive at the airport, husband Leo starts to panic.

So far so simple.

But not at all. There are dual POV’s in this book and you cannot believe the difference in the story each tells. Dark and intense at points and then calm pragmatism.

This book has great twists and is, twisted. Everything you believe at the beginning will have changed by the end.

The book is a touch too slow for me but I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. Where is Addison? And do you want to find out?

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.