Last One Alive

by Amber Cowie

A team of researchers exploring the myth of a witch find their numbers mysteriously dwindling in this irresistible psychological thriller for fans of Ruth Ware, Shari Lapena, and Lucy Foley.

Bestselling debut novelist Penelope Berkowitz is desperate for inspiration for a second book. With the help of her new boyfriend, she embarks on a research trip with a Clue-like team of professionals, ex-lovers, and estranged family members to investigate the myth of a witch on Stone Point, a remote coastal outcropping in the Pacific Northwest.

For over a century, the cabin on the point stood vacant after the violent death of the original owner and the disappearance of his wife—until a young couple decided to turn it into an eco-lodge. Shortly after starting renovations, however, they suddenly ceased all contact with others and were never heard from again.

Given the area’s mysterious history, Penelope is certain there’s a story to be found in the isolated region. But soon after arriving on the point’s wind-whipped shores, things begin to go awry for the team. Storms blow in. Tempers flare. The satellite phones stop working and no boats are due for days. Then people begin to disappear. When bodies turn up, it’s up to Penelope and the remaining members of the team to solve the mystery of the Stone Witch before the killer is the only one left alive.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Canada, Suspense, Ebooks

352 pages, Paperback

First published May 10, 2022

Reviews

[Carolyn Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this fast-paced, unpredictable thriller. Its author, Canadian writer Amber Cowie, evokes a powerful, vivid sense of place. A diverse group of intriguing characters travel to a remote peninsula extending into the sea off the coast of BC. The atmosphere is strong and immersive, with torrential rainfall, chill and mud, forests, dangerous cliffs, and underground tunnels. The location can be reached only by boat.

Penelope Berkowitz needs inspiration for a follow-up to her bestselling novel. Her publisher is growing impatient. She is without an idea for a second book and is distraught over the death of her best friend, Marianne, who encouraged and supported her while writing her first novel. Penelope finds a list of 10 contacts Marianne intended to invite on a weekend escape.

Penelope learns that the getaway was to be held at a vacant, isolated lodge in an area where a young woman regarded as a witch and killer lived a century before and she is said to haunt the region still. Further history indicated that the young couple who built the retreat hoping to attract guests by its eerie folklore mysteriously disappeared. This history gives Penelope the inspiration needed to research her next novel.

Penelope and her new boyfriend, a doctor, travel to the lodge by boat and will join the characters on Marianne's list for a weekend of organized hikes, good food, and relaxation. The group members all have secrets and their own reasons to attend. Not everyone is what they seem to be.

Penelope and her boyfriend were inept organizers. Penelope is a flawed protagonist. She hoped to influence cohesiveness in the group under her leadership. From the beginning, she exhibits a whole gamut of emotions, few of them positive. As the story unfolds, there is frequent and growing mention of her trembling, lack of confidence, and feeling sick to her stomach. Her pessimism and suspicions grow as the trip goes very wrong. The book would have worked better for me had there been a stronger protagonist. There were some surprising twists and turns, but a few plot holes and dead ends needed further elaboration.

Frightening and eerie events begin to occur. There is a hostile atmosphere. In a macabre series of events, one by one, the guests start to disappear or die. Are the deaths accidental, a coincidence, or the result of murder? Is witchcraft involved, is some unknown person hiding in the woods and targeting them, or is a member of the group a killer? What could be the motivation? With each death, the survivor's only hope is to escape the area. The phones needed to contact a boat for an early rescue are missing, the lodge is wrecked in a violent storm and thrown into darkness. The survivors' predicament becomes very intense and frightening. Will any escape alive?

Recommend to those who enjoy scary adventure thrillers of this type, where group members meet disaster. There is much suspicion, and each group member is blamed at various times. Why are they being targeted? Will rescue come before they all die? A story of revenge, folklore, and possible redemption. 3.5 stars

[Melissa (Semi Hiatus Until After the Holidays) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really struggled to get into this one and overall found it pretty predictable.

As with the previous books I've read by this author, she provides a creepy, foreboding atmosphere here--a group of people travel to an island to research the rumors behind some deaths that had occurred there over the years. Heading the group is novelist Penelope, who is looking for inspiration for her latest book. Bad things begin to occur from almost the first moment there, and people begin to die and disappear. Who is behind all of this--is it related to island's history?

I called many of the plot elements from the beginning, especially two big "twists" that I found to be pretty obvious right away. This book suffers a bit from way too many characters. There are ten people in this group, and they weren't very distinct in my mind. I was actually kind of glad when a few of them died/disappeared so there were fewer people for me to have to keep track of.

Overall, it's quite atmospheric and somewhat of a locked room mystery (is an isolated island mystery a thing? If not, it should be). It's not entirely bad and if you can suspend a bit of disbelief and just go with it without trying too hard to figure things out (because you will) then you might enjoy.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVE locked-room murder mysteries. However, when anyone tries to reimagine an Agatha Christie novel they are probably setting themselves up for failure.

Last One Alive essentially follows Christie's And Then There Were None story structure in many ways. Without giving anything away, I will say that some of the parts were very obvious while others were well hidden.

All in all, it was a solid mystery but not memorable. However, I will check out more from this author in the future.

[myreadingescapism · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is legit just my luck, I read to very similar books with the same premise… I was already ticked at the other one and this was so insanely similar.


I had bought this years ago at Walmart because I liked the cover. 😂🫠

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re looking for a classic murder mystery to add to your summer TBR you should try this one. You have a locked room style setting and a side of creepiness making this one quite the page turner. I felt super unsettled the whole time I was reading it, I mean the idea of witchcraft alone scares me and add in an isolated setting and yep, definitely spooky. This was an excellent guessing game with plenty of twists and turns and just overall a solid read from an author I always enjoy.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the death of her friend.. Author Penelope Berkowitz is on deadline to finish her second novel so she remarks on a journey to Stone Point that her late friend had planned for inspiration with a research team only to met with flaring tempers, dangerous fate, unusual occurrences & coincidences.

The beginning of the book was a slow start for me considering it introduced so many characters all at once and I couldn’t keep straight who was who.. afterward it started picking up I wasn’t expecting the turns this book took and most definitely wasn’t expecting that ending!

I won this ARC awhile back from giveaways here on goodreads so a big shoutout to Amber Cowie, Goodreads, Simon & Schuster… I am so sorry that the review is late!

[Christina McDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

A riveting, irresistible locked-room mystery reminiscent of Agatha Christie, Last One Alive is endlessly entertaining and fiendishly clever. Jam-packed with tension and suffused with dread, you won’t be able to put this one down! Amber Cowie is a wonderful talent in the mystery/thriller genre and this haunting, spine-chilling story features lots of action, twist, turns and secrets, and is sure to get your heart racing.

[Dawnny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buckle up buttercup! This will haunt you long after you close the cover. Penelope is a novelist in need of inspiration. She and her team head to Stone Point, a coastal outcropping in the Pacific Northwest to investigate the myth of a witch. A place where mysterious things happen and people are never heard from again. This story was chilly and haunting right down to my bones with an eery atmospheric setting. I held my breath more than once. Like I've said with her last book. It beats like pulse all the way through holding you to it. Cowie is a master storyteller. The creepiness doesn't end when you close the cover. It will haunt you long after. Excellent! I highly recommend. You will definitely read with the light on.

Dawnny Ruby
Novels N Latte
Hudson Valley NY

[Samantha Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A haunting, claustrophobic, unpredictable thriller for fans of Agatha Christie, LAST ONE ALIVE showcases Amber Cowie's extraordinary talent. As a violent storm rages outside a remote lodge, a group of strangers are stranded in a terrifying cat-and-mouse hunt for the murderer among them. Cowie writes with such skillful description that I could feel the cold and rain seep into my bones, and my pulse spike as the exhilarating story reached a breakneck pace. A bewitching read jam-packed with fascinating characters, this book is an absolute stand-out.

[Paul Lemcke · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really liked Cowie's first novel so was excited to read her most recent one (and see her at tomorrow's author talk in Whistler). What a sad disappointment this book was. I am confused by anyone who sees a similarity to Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, except that everyone was dying. In this story, the killer was more than obvious by the halfway point in the story, and any red herrings were nonsensical and unbelievable. Decisions being made by the group, and by the individuals, were completely illogical and left me gasping in frustration at their stupidity. I felt like I was watching a slasher B-movie where teenagers are getting murdered in a dark basement, yet they keep choosing to go back into that same dark basement to try and find the solution. Hey, just turn on the lights and call the cops! Different venue, but same idea here.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super chilling & eerie read. It was a roller coaster ride of a cat & mouse adventure.

I’m a really big Ruth Ware fan so when I seen that Amber Cowie’s style was comparable, I was super excited!

I loved the rich description of details throughout the book. The details made me really appreciate the plot. Especially of the characters! I really enjoyed reading about them.

I would totally recommend this book to anyone who loves a haunting, page- turning thriller that will keep you up reading all night & I can’t wait to read more by this author!

[Lisa Closs · Rating 5 out of 5]

"WhoDunIt" mystery based on a group of guests invited by a writer to research the musings of the Stone Point witch on an isolated island. And of course in Hitchcock fashion, one of them is a killer. It's basically, an edge of your seat, action-packed joyride.

[Suzy Krause · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amber Cowie has the uncanny ability to transport her readers to the eerie wilderness settings of her novels, to keep them racing through her books like a person desperately trying to find their way back to safety—but still, somehow, not wanting the adventure to end. Last One Alive is a fast-paced story of folklore, revenge, and redemption, sure to keep you reading late into the night (with all the lights on).

[Elle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I should’ve DNF’d this. It was so difficult for me to get into this and even when I did, I was only half committed. The story didn’t feel original to me and it was very predictable. I was able to guess the outcome at about 40-50%.

[Elayna Sippel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book really lost me in the start, I was confused who was who. The author introduced way to many people the the beginning, I was having a hard time keep track of them all and why they were going to the island in the first place. Which made it really hard for me to get into. Not to mention I hated Penelope as soon as the book started, but her first impressions make sense as the book goes on. If it wasn’t a book club book I probably would’ve DNF’d it. However it did start to pick up in the last 150 pages even though it was easily predicate, but still got me hooked. I had to know how everything happened. The 2nd half of the book I did really enjoy and found myself invested. A good ending in my opinion !

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story was way too predictable for me to really enjoy. Too early, I got to the point of just wanting Cliff Notes that told me why each person was targeted and to confirm my guess as to who the killer was. I had And when the reveal finally took place and everything was explained it seemed incredibly far fetched.

[Laurie • The Baking Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This slow burn, locked room mystery is set in an eerie old lodge in a remote and atmospheric area in northern British Columbia. Readers will hear the wind in the trees, feel the chill in the air and envision the ragged cliffs where a diverse group of people meet to research a myth about a local witch.

The suspense is slow to start, but I liked the extra creepiness that was added with the inclusion of the Stone Witch folklore and her mysterious disappearance from that very lodge decades before. It's a great idea but I was surprised when this sinister folklore all too soon fell by the wayside.

Penelope is a novelist who needs to find inspiration for a new book, so she gathers this odd assortment of people together. She's not a likeable person and gives off a creepy vibe herself - as do a few of the other nine characters who have various (and sometimes contrived) reasons for going to this remote eco lodge. That's a lot of characters and I found it difficult to keep them distinct. I made a character list initially, but as the story progresses, we learn bits and pieces about each of them and it got easier to remember who was who once someone started killing them off and their numbers got fewer.

This slow burn locked room mystery has a great sense of foreboding, some twists, and a wonderfully creepy setting, but the casting and coincidences negatively affected my enjoyment of this story. That said, I have heard wonderful things about Amber Cowie's books, so I'd like to read some of her backlist to get a better feel for her books.

[Mahtab Narsimhan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An atmospheric thriller which keeps you turning the pages deep into the night.
Bestselling author, Penelope, is the exact opposite of her friend Marianne who died suddenly and left a gaping hole in her world. Fast forward eighteen months and Penelope's editor is now waiting for her next blockbuster. At a loss for ideas, she decides to invite a group of experts to a remote lodge in the Pacific Northwest to solve the mystery of the Stone Witch which is sure to make for a good novel!
Tensions are high and then...a murder. As the weather worsens, so do the relationships among the disparate group. Old secrets are revealed and closely analyzed as the hunt for the murderer begins, even as the body count rises. Each death is marked by the mysterious appearance of a photograph with the dead person's eyes scratched out.
Cowie ratchets up the twists and tension to a surprising, nail-biting denouement, bringing this fast-paced novel to a satisfying close. Fans of Christie...rejoice!

[Kelly Heard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many thanks to the author for the opportunity to read this book. I am choosy about my horror — I love horror stories that are as atmospheric and beautiful and sad as they are frightening. LAST ONE ALIVE is all four. It is full of blood-curdling scares and haunting, ghostly imagery that will keep you up all night and many nights to follow. A stalled writer’s research retreat to an ill-omened locale quickly turns ominous, building to an all-out terrifying adrenaline rush. As always, Amber Cowie delivers this chilling story with beautiful and masterful prose. An absolute must-read for horror fans.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was Agatha Christie’s And Then There We’re None “reimagined”. Fine read on its own, but a lesser version of AC’s. It dragged on at times, and then big reveals felt like afterthoughts.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Liked the BC/Squamish location, the rest of the book not so much.

[Luanne Ollivier]

The premise of Amber Cowie's new book, Last One Alive, hooked me right away.

What's it about? From the publisher: "A team of researchers exploring the myth of a witch find their numbers mysteriously dwindling in this irresistible psychological thriller for fans of Ruth Ware, Shari Lapena, and Lucy Foley."

I love 'locked room' mysteries. In this case, it's ten people on the site of an historic crime. And yes, one by one they die. But here's the thing that kept me guessing 'til the final pages. Is it the curse of the witch? Is there really something to the legends? Or is one of the ten turning on their fellow researchers?

Penelope is the organizer of the trip. While she has a good reason for the trip and says and does all the right things, I didn't like her. Or any of the ten for that matter. There's something 'off' with each and every one of them. Which only serves to have more suspects!

The setting descriptions easily conjured up a detailed picture in my mind. The isolation, the forest, the rocky beach, the old outbuildings and more all add to the unsettled feeling of the endeavor.

But what I enjoyed the most was trying to solve the whodunit - keeping track of who was where at a certain time, who was together, what was overheard, what was found. (I always wanted to be Nancy Drew.)

I did find some chapters ended quite abruptly and I would have to flip back to make sure I hadn't missed something.

Cowie's book is well written, not easy to suss out and kept me interested right through to the final pages.

[pennyg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was in the mood for a quick thriller and grabbed this at random. It has a great and often used premise that I enjoy; a gathering of people on a remote coastal outcroping, totally isolated for the weekend and a murderer is amongst them, a' la Then There Were None. But the contrivance in getting this particular group together, ostensibly to research a proposed witch, occurs through a ridiculous set of circumstances requiring the reader to throw logic out the window. But if you can suspend belief its a fairly quick and entertaining read, the inventive deaths kept me turning the pages. A 2.5 from me.

The main character, Penelope was extremely flawed as were most of the group of people accompaning her on this trip, understandably adding to the suspicious nature of their character as a potential victim or suspect. But Penelope's weight was brought up repeatedly as one of her flaws which I find tiring when used as a character flaw. Once everyone gets together, the pace picks up rapidly as people start disappearing and dropping dead, even though its fairly obvious who the killer is. An ok thriller I've rounded up for not including violence targeting specifically women.

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ho hum. If the main character can get any worse, I can't imagine. If I never have to read, "that sounds great!" again it will be too soon. The main character/heroine/stupid girl whines her way through this ridiculous plot, stranded on a haunted island, all due to her own making. Spoiler alert! Many get off the boat, few reboard, except in body bags. I can't believe people get paid to write this stuff. (I will keep the Review clean of naughty words...but suffice it to say, "stuff" would be replaced by another word synonymous with "crap"! In light of the lack of 0 stars, I had to give it a 2/5, saving the truly abysmal for a 1/5!

[Nanci · Rating 2 out of 5]

I struggled with this one. Although written in the style of Agatha Christie, whose work I enjoyed, I simply didn’t find the story believable. I also didn’t develop a fondness for any of the characters, including the protagonist. I’m not always good at “solving” a mystery before it’s revealed but this one seemed obvious.

[Ariel Tuladhar · Rating 2 out of 5]

My Review 🫧

📖 Last One Alive by Amber Cowie

Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️

💎 Yet another “And then there were none” retelling that just didn’t hold up, didn’t make sense and was overly descriptive for no reason



Book 73 of 2023

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

Predictable.
All the obvious tropes.
Had it figured out 50% into the book.
And the amount of times something "coincidental" happened, may be higher than the number of chapters in the book.

[Crystal books_inthewild · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this one kept me riveted….! 😮 I liked the premise of this story, and enjoyed the diverse group of characters. It was a very eerie, suspenseful mystery- and kept me guessing all the way to the end.

Yay for a BC, Canadian author and setting! 🇨🇦

[Crystal]

Great read 👍

[Nicole - Kauffee Table Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a thriller lover I had this book on my list since I saw it shared through CBC Books. Needless to say I was not expecting what I read. This was a trip. I do read a lot of thrillers but this one had me reading it in the daylight.

Essentially Amber has created a world where a group of researchers find themselves at Stone Point, a remote costal outcropping in the Pacific Northwest, exploring a myth of a witch. But the longer they stay the numbers mysteriously start to dwindle….

The isolated, eerie setting is what made this book for me. Through description Amber really helped the reader to immerse themselves in the story. There is a lot of action, a lot of who done it, a lot of secrets and an intense ending.

If you are a thriller lover I totally encourage you to pick this up!

Thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada and Netgalley for an early reader copy in exchange for an honest review.