Nothing Human Left

by Logan Hart

Gracie has more than skeletons in her closet, they’re in her basement...

Grace was thirteen when her mother was convicted of killing three local teenagers in their isolated Pennsylvania farmhouse. Stoic and remorseless, Margerie pled guilty, claiming the killings were to protect Grace.

Now twenty years later, Grace is a dedicated social worker and juggling a professional disaster and a demoralizing break-up. When she gets a call that Margerie has been granted compassionate release from prison to live out her final days in hospice, Grace reluctantly returns to the claustrophobic coal mining town of Fallen Rock to say her farewells.

But Grace is blindsided that Margerie now claims to be innocent. Beginning to doubt her own long-held convictions, Grace hesitantly reconnects with the other players from the night of the murders. But how can she trust anyone else’s memories if she no longer can trust herself?

Genres: Horror, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Fiction

352 pages, Paperback

Expected publication March 1, 2027

About the author

LOGAN HART (she/her) lives and teaches in New York, and attended SUNY Geneseo where she received a BA in English Literature. She received her Masters degree from Binghamton University.

source: Amazon

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is not for the faint of heart. But boy oh boy, is it good. Dark, gritty, atmospheric, and did I mention dark?

Imagine hating your mother for the murder of your friends. And as she is nearing the end of her life, she wants you to know something. She says she didn’t do it. Even after admitting she did.

This leads us down a dark (have I mentioned that already?) path of trying to find out what really happened. At times, I wasn’t too sure that our main character, Grace, had not lost her mind.

I’m usually not into the whole alternating timeline gimmick. It was interesting when it first started being a thing, and now it feels done to death. It works perfectly in this novel. So well done.

Read the book. It is so worth it. But know in advance that it is (say it with me) dark.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing an ARC for an unbiased review.

[Pav S. (pav_sanborn_bookworm) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an absolute rollercoaster ride! Buckle up for the twists and turns, brace yourself for the jaw-dropping moments, and prepare for your mind to short-circuit! "Twisted" doesn’t even begin to describe the madness you’re about to dive into. You might even need a moment to catch your breath after the explosive finale!

The story unfolds across dual timelines, offering a glimpse into Grace Teed's past. As a social worker reflecting on her own history, there's no better-fitting role for her. Once a person in need of help, she now has the chance to assist others. When Grace receives a call informing her that her mother is terminally ill while serving time in prison for the horrific murder of Grace's childhood friends, her world gets turned upside down. Her mother has a supporter managing her affairs while she's incarcerated, and he’s been assigned to persuade Grace to visit Margerie in prison. During her solitary visit, Grace discovers that her mother is innocent. But who truly killed her friends? Why did Margerie plead guilty? Who is she shielding?

With no option but to return to her hometown, Grace visits old acquaintances and familiar places to piece together what occurred that fateful night. As strange as reunions can be, this one is particularly unsettling. We delve deep into Grace’s past; she was your typical rebellious teenager, pushing boundaries with her friends while dealing with a strict mother, which only fueled her defiance.

This narrative branches out in unexpected ways, converging at just the right moments, leaving you speechless as you ponder every detail and revelation along the way! The suspense is palpable, making it hard to put down. When everything comes together, it’s explosive! I didn’t see the twists or the ending coming at all! You find yourself suspecting several characters. It unlocks a new trauma, especially since basements have never been my favorite place!

The author does a fantastic job of immersing us in this small, rural town alongside Grace and her mother. Grace’s mother sounds frail and sick, while Grace grapples with the challenges of adolescence and self-discovery. If you can handle themes of toxic mother-daughter relationships, new friendships, haunting memories, dark secrets, and a gut-wrenching ending, this book is for you. It serves as a stark reminder that monsters are often closer than we think. Sometimes, we know them personally, yet we can’t fathom what someone is capable of until you survive the horror of your best friends being brutally murdered in your own basement! This debut is sure to make waves, at least in your book club’s group chat! Ha!

Thank you, Poisoned Pen Press, for the DRC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Eva Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgallery for this ARC

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book pulled me in from the very beginning and did NOT let go. The amount of anxiety I felt trying to figure out who to believe—and what to believe—was intense. Just when I thought I had things figured out, the story would make me question everything all over again.

This was such a dark and unsettling read, filled with childhood trauma and the lasting effects of what Gracie experienced at the hands of her mother, Margerie. There were so many layers to their story, and it became increasingly clear that things were not at all what they seemed.

The story took some incredibly dark turns, and I loved how it played with the idea that sometimes the “villains” in a story aren’t who—or what—you initially believe them to be. I was constantly second-guessing everyone, including the memories and perceptions of the characters.

And that ending?! It shook me to my core. Absolutely awful in the best possible way—extremely unsettling and the kind of ending that makes you sit there staring at the page trying to process what you just read.

This book left me shook. Dark, disturbing, suspenseful, and completely consuming. Definitely one that will stick with me for a while.

[Melissa Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title, cover and synopsis of this book was right up my alley!! Grace was only 13 when her mother was convicted of murdering 3 local teenagers in their isolated farmhouse. She pled guilty and has been in jail ever since.

We get two timelines in this story and it grabbed me right away because we see Grace as a child and now her today dealing with the fallout of her childhood. This was a dark read that had me turning the pages! Things are not what they seem so keep an open mind!

[Serena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished Nothing Human Left at about one o'clock in the morning. That should tell you something right there. Forget the dust bunnies. This one stole sleep.

Grace grew up with a mother who was both dangerously protective and dangerously delusional. Marge believes there are monsters in the world that wear People Faces. They look human, but according to her, only she and Grace can see what they really are.

Years later, Marge is in prison for murder, Grace has gaps in her childhood memories, and Marge insists she's innocent. Grace starts digging into the past, trying to figure out what really happened. This one starts slowly, but stick with it. The author is laying the groundwork, and once that foundation starts cracking, good luck putting the book down.

I started out questioning Marge's sanity. Then I questioned Grace's. Before long, I was side-eyeing Aunt Vivian and cousin Desi, too. Apparently nobody was getting through my imaginary psychological screening.

The alternating timelines between Grace's childhood and the present worked extremely well, gradually revealing pieces of a past that Grace herself doesn't completely remember. The story became darker, more disturbing, and increasingly twisty ... and the ending completely blindsided me.

This is definitely not for the faint-hearted. It's dark, violent, sometimes gory, and deeply unsettling. But if you like psychological horror that makes you question absolutely everyone and everything, this is a good one.

Five stars. It disturbed me, fooled me, and cost me sleep. With very little adaptation, Nothing Human Left could make one seriously unsettling horror movie.

[Suesyn Zellmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grace’s mother Margerie, has been in prison for twenty years. Why? Oh, she just murdered three of Grace’s closest friends. And now she’s dying. She’ll soon be released to hospice, and she wants to meet with Grace. Even though she doesn’t owe her anything, Grace finds herself returning to Falling Rock, the small nowhere town where her life changed forever. Unbelievably, her mother now claims to be innocent even though she never denied committing the crimes before. Grace can’t believe it – she was there! They were her closest friends, and now her mother won’t even take responsibility?

As she reflects on that time in her life, she begins to question everything. Had her mother really been suffering from poor mental health like Grace always believed? Was she herself so traumatized that she blocked out parts of that terrible night? And if she does unearth more horrific truths, will she even be able to handle it?

The story’s told in alternating timelines – the past leading up to the murders and now as Grace struggles with her mother dying and proclaiming her innocence. We see how isolated she was and lonely for any type of friendship, even with the rebellious girls that her mother warned her about. The teenagers are some of the most interesting characters, and it’s tough knowing that most of them don’t make it. But I think the author handled the violent and gory nature of the deaths well by not exploiting them for shock value.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this story. It was like once I started, I just had to keep going because I was so into it!

My thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the free advance reading copy of this book.

[Britney Ireland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you #NetGalley for the Advanced Readers Copy of this book to enjoy and give my honest review on.

I have to give this 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars. I very much enjoyed the book and the story. I had to remove a star due to figuring out the direction the book was going and predicting the ending. I was not disappointed in the way it ended, there was just no big twist for me.

I believe others will really enjoy this book and plan to recommend it to everyone.

[Tabitha Gezzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fans of psychological thrillers, add to TBR immediately. Graceson Teed has tried to move beyond her troubling past and it appears she has done a decent job. The story opens showing us a glimpse at Grace’s job and her life but quickly moves into disarray. Dual timelines gives you a glimpse into the story as it unfolds. The amount of descriptive context in this book is astounding. I can honestly imagine what the main character Gracie feels, sees, and her thought process. Generations of trauma, abuse, and mental health is at the forefront of this novel. I truly did not expect the ending. I had some theories but none of them were correct. Shockingly I started to feel bad for characters I didn’t think I’d have any remorse for. If this is the debut novel, I’m so excited for what more is to come from Logan.

[Nicole Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

“Nothing Human Left” by Logan Hart is the kind of psychological thriller that is dark, creepy, and seriously messed up in the best possible thriller way. I had no idea where the plot was going, and I absolutely loved it.

Grace has spent the last twenty years trying to move on from the absolute nightmare that was her childhood. When she was thirteen, her mother, Margerie, was convicted of murdering three local teenagers at their isolated Pennsylvania farmhouse. Margerie confessed and claimed she did it to protect Grace, which is already a horrifying thing for a kid to have to process.

Fast-forward twenty years, and Grace is now a social worker with a mostly normal life. Then she gets the news that her mother has been granted compassionate release from prison because she's dying. Grace reluctantly heads back to her hometown, presumably to say goodbye and close that particular chapter of her life.

Except her mother now says she didn't do it.

And suddenly Grace has to question everything she thought she knew about that night.

I really enjoyed the way the story uses dual timelines, bouncing between Grace at thirteen and Grace in the present. The flashbacks slowly reveal just how disturbing her childhood actually was. Her mother was extremely controlling, abusive, and paranoid, constantly convincing Grace that literal monsters were hiding among ordinary people. Which is definitely not the kind of childhood that produces a relaxed, well-adjusted adult.

And then Grace starts seeing things herself. So now we're left wondering: Is there actually something supernatural happening, or is Grace's trauma messing with her perception? Is she remembering things correctly? Can she trust the memories she's spent twenty years believing? And, perhaps most importantly, can she trust herself?

I love an unreliable narrator when it's done well, and Grace works really well in that role. Her memories are fragmented and constantly being questioned, both by herself and by the people around her. Every time I thought I understood what happened, another piece of information made me reconsider it.

The flashbacks were especially interesting because you get to watch Grace's perception of her mother change. As a child, she still loves her and desperately wants to believe her mother is protecting her. But as she gets older, she begins to recognize that what she thought was protection was actually abuse and that there was something seriously wrong with the way her mother was raising her.

That made the story much more than just a murder mystery. There's a huge focus on generational trauma and the cycle of abuse, and I thought that was one of the strongest parts of the book. Grace isn't simply trying to figure out what happened to three teenagers. She's also trying to understand what happened to her.

The atmosphere is fantastic, too. That isolated Pennsylvania coal-mining-town setting gives the whole thing this claustrophobic, unsettling feeling. You get the sense that everyone knows everyone else's business, everyone has secrets, and nobody is quite telling the whole truth.

There were definitely moments where the pacing slowed down for me, particularly in the middle when the story leans more heavily into Grace's past. But honestly, the payoff was worth it.

Because that ending I definitely didn’t see coming. I had theories. Several, actually. None of them were right. And when the truth finally comes out, it somehow manages to be both completely unexpected and make sense in retrospect.

The final stretch is especially intense, with everything coming together and the tension going through the roof. There are some bloody and disturbing moments, but the real horror isn't necessarily the gore. It's the realization that the monsters Grace was taught to fear were never necessarily the ones she should have been afraid of.

And the ending also explores how complicated family love can be. People can hurt each other terribly while still believing they're protecting the people they love. That doesn't excuse the damage, but it makes the characters and their choices much more complicated.

Overall, “Nothing Human Left” is a dark, atmospheric psychological thriller about murder, trauma, family secrets, unreliable memories, and the horrifying ways abuse can be passed from one generation to the next. It has a slower middle than I'd prefer, but the character development, creepy atmosphere, and absolutely wild final act more than make up for it.

[jackie portman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, give me a blood soaked and bruised minute to catch my breath!

I did suspect there was more to a few of these characters than initially met the eye, but hell, Logan Hart! That reveal! I may need to sit quietly in a darkened room for a while. Preferably one without any suspicious characters lurking in the corner.

Set in 2005 and the present this is one of those mysteries where the questions and answers slowly start coming together, and when the truth finally hits, you realise just how cleverly everything has been put together. No ridiculous plot holes, no finishing the book with seventeen unanswered questions and a desperate need to interrogate the author. Everything slots into place. Beautifully done!

The characters are wonderfully down to earth, which makes the darkness of the story all the more unsettling. Because, as we all know, it's not always the people waving giant red flags who make you nervous. Sometimes it's the ones you never suspected.

There's a mother, secrets, lies, and a girl kept away from the world because she's supposedly being protected. Ah yes, because locking someone away from the world has always worked out brilliantly in the history of absolutely everything.

I'm saying no more because I'm not about to be responsible for ruining anyone else's reading experience. You'll have to discover the truth for yourself, and trust me, you really do want to.
The reveal is bloody brilliant. Literally.

Logan Hart has delivered a dark, twisty mystery that had me hooked, second-guessing characters and mentally rearranging the pieces as I went along.
And when it all came together? Well, Chewy nearly needed a lie-down, and the cat doesn't even pay the rent!!

Would I recommend it? Absolutely.
Would I trust any of these characters to look after my houseplants? Not a chance!

[The Chapter Belle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Childhood trauma, mental illness, murder, basically feral teenage girls, secrets, buried bodies...HOW CAN THIS BE BAD?

Grace had a strange childhood, to say the least. Her mother, Margerie, a former cellist, believed she could see People-Faces aka monsters hiding beneath human masks. So, naturally, she sheltered Gracie from the outside world.

And then she murdered Grace's friends.

Or at least, that's the story Grace has believed for the last twenty years.

Now Margerie is dying in prison - and she says she's innocent.

Suddenly, Grace is forced to question everything she thought she knew about the night of the murders: her own memories, her mother, and everyone else who may have been involved.

This was told through alternating timelines, which worked SO well for this story. As the past and present slowly came together, I was constantly questioning what actually happened and whose version of events I could trust.

The writing was wonderfully atmospheric and creepy - I may or may not have slept with the light on. 😉 There was just this unsettling feeling hanging over the entire story that I absolutely loved.

Fair warning: this one gets DARK. There's quite a bit of gore, along with descriptions of sexual assault, so definitely check your triggers. That being said, I felt that some of Hart's more disturbing choices genuinely served the story rather than being included purely for shock value.

Dark, disturbing, creepy, and filled with deeply buried secrets- this was absolutely my kind of read.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

[Kori Westfall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing Human Left by Logan Hart was a book I went into knowing absolutely nothing about, which I actually really enjoyed. Based on the first few chapters, I thought I was headed straight for a 5-star read… and while it came close, I landed at 4 stars.

The premise felt somewhat familiar, and I don't think the story brought a ton of originality to the table. That being said, it was still a solid and entertaining read that kept my attention from beginning to end.

It wasn't necessarily super thrilling, but I was invested enough to keep going and see how everything would unfold. I did figure out where the ending was heading around the 60% mark, so the final reveal wasn't a huge surprise for me.

BUT 👀 there was one character who popped up around the 85% mark that I wasn't really suspecting, because it's more of a background character, and that caught my attention. I thought it was a nice addition to the final reveal. However, I did not like them throwing SA randomly in there, it was like through the entire book there was absolutely nothing and then towards the ending the author was like "oh. I need a reason. Let's use SA." Although it's not graphic in any way, it felt like an after thought.

Overall, this wasn't the most original or mind-blowing thriller I've read, but it was a read that kept me engaged. Sometimes that's all you need.

[Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW ✍️

Title: Nothing Human Left
Author: Logan Hart
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Genre: horror
Pub Date: 2nd March 2027

Summary:
Grace returns to her hometown. Her imprisoned mother says she's not guilty of murdering Grace's friends the night that Grace can't remember. What really happened so many years ago? How dark can the truth be?

Review:
The plot is told through Grace's perspective of the present and the past. It's full of dark and deeply hidden secrets. Disturbing memories which are pushing to the surface. Haunted her whole life, Grace must face her fears and the past which seems to be coming back at her full force. The psychological twists had me glued to the book. I could feel Grace's pain from the descriptive language used by the author. I felt sorry for her. As a mother, I also felt sick to my stomach, at certain points of the book - that Grace was treated like that when she was a child and a teenager especially by the people she was the closest with. And the ending?! I couldn't believe what was happening as Grace's memories surfaced. Such a triggering, dark and frightening ending I've ever read! Anyone who loves horrors and gruesome scenes? This book is for you! Although I felt the most engaged in the last fifty pages of the book, the whole read is worth it.

IG: book_by_book_reviews

[Alex Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing Human Left by Logan Hart. Creepy. Suspenseful. Graphic. Great twists!
Grace gets guilt tripped into going back to the town where her mum is in jail, and terminally ill. Why is she is jail? Oh, just because when Grace was a teen, her mum m3rdered Grace’s friends and beat Grace within an inch of her life. Grace can’t recall the evening it happened and really doesn’t want to dredge all the memories up, but her estranged mum is desperate to see her, to iron things out.
I really enjoyed the pace of this book, it kept me wanting more constantly. Grace’s complicated relationship with her mum was hard to read and quite heartbreaking. While it felt like a thriller it had some graphic horror descriptions that were abit mind boggling!
Really enjoyed this one even though I usually avoid second chance parental relationships 😅
5 ⭐️
Thankyou to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Marilena EchoHawk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is gritty, atmospheric, unsettling, and has this claustrophobic feeling that just pulls you in.

Grace was thirteen when her mother confessed to murdering three of her friends, claiming she did it to protect her daughter.

Twenty years later, as her mother is dying, Grace hears something she never expected:

I didn’t do it.

Ummm… EXCUSE ME?!

Now Grace has to question everything she thought she knew about that night, the people involved, and even her own memories.

I really enjoyed the secrets, the atmosphere, and that constant feeling that something was seriously wrong. This one definitely goes to some unsettling places, but if you like gritty thrillers, family secrets, and mysteries that make you question what’s true, this one is worth picking up.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC .

[Megan Malone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the e-arc!

This book is haunting. It was sad and gruesome at times. I will be thinking about it for some time to come. I sat with it a day before trying to write this review.

I think the author made some great choices when it comes to the story itself. As I started reading, there were a few different ways the story could have gone and I was very happy with how the story went. The twist wasn't so much of a twist that it rewrote the whole picture of the events that happened in the past. I was very happy with that. There are hints throughout leading up and I think it was executed well.

Well worth the read!

[ThePumpkinBookNook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing Human Left by Logan Hart is a dark, unsettling thriller that had me intrigued by the mystery surrounding Grace’s mother and the events of that night twenty years ago.

I liked the premise and the uncertainty surrounding Grace’s memories, which adds an extra layer of tension to the story. The themes of family trauma, mental illness and whether we can trust our own memories make for an interesting read. The atmosphere is suitably creepy, although the focus on the psychological side of the story may not be for everyone.

Overall, an intriguing thriller with a disturbing premise and plenty of questions to keep you guessing. A good choice for fans of dark, psychological mysteries

[Avery Lazz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a dark and twisted tale of mental illness and childhood traumas that will leave a mark on it's readers. I found that I had to read this in smaller chunks than I usually read because it was fairly disturbing and it was hard to consume too much of the story in a sitting. I was kept guessing as to what really happened and my initial guesses and assumptions were proven wrong, which is always fun! Overall, it was entertaining and unique but also depressing and creepy.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of Nothing Human Left in exchange for my honest review.

4 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Unreliable memories, trauma, & truths just dying to be uncovered

There were so many little crumbs throughout to help you piece things together. I really enjoyed unraveling the mystery of this story!

[Caroline Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Wow! This book had me hooked from the very beginning. The story was so dark and twisted, but I couldn’t put it down. There were multiple times where I thought I had the ending figured out, but I was wrong. So many twists and turns! I loved it!

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 STARS

*Nothing Human Left* by Logan Hart

Grace goes home to say goodbye to her terminally ill mother — who's sitting in prison for murder. But the closer she gets, the more she starts questioning whether her mom was ever guilty at all… and what really happened that night.

This one is GRITTY. The mother-daughter stuff hit harder than I expected — it's not just a thriller, it's about memory and what we choose to believe about the people we love.

I had a different theory every few chapters and was wrong EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. 😂 And that character twist? Never saw it coming.

Only knock: the pacing dragged a little in the middle. But the last third? Flew through it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review! 🙏

[Anonymous Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you for the free eARC!

👀👀 This story was creepy, scary, and insanely DARK.

The writing of this story was well put together. Just let me tell you this story starts off with a loud BANG, like jaw on the floor this did not just happen kind of scenes.

This is one you do not want to miss, especially with spooky season amongst us. Go ahead add this to your TBR. It will definitely keep you up at night and keep you on the edge of your seat.

Looking forward to more from this author.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC review thanks to netgalley for exchange for an honest review

I was gripped very early on this book with the complicated family dynamics

I particularly enjoyed the atmosphere and the questions the book raises about humanity, identity, and survival. The pacing was strong, and there were enough twists to keep me entertained.

The characters were compelling and kept me interested in reading
The tension in this book was UNREAL

4 stars