The Last One Home
- Downloads：2190
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-04-26 12:30:58
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Victoria Helen Stone
- ISBN：1713560186
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Suzanne （Under the Covers Book blog）
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Review to come
Ann
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Goodreads give awayI received this ebook in a goodreads give away。 Well written， but a bit too easy to see what was coming。 I will read more from this author。
Debbie
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Enjoyed it。 This is my first book by this author。。。looking forward to reading more of her works。
Nicole Lucchese
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I just don’t understand what human would allow a 16 year old write to a serial killer in jail。。。 once that happened I kind of lost interest， but kept going。 The ending was a little bit surprising with the grandma。 I don’t think I’d recommend this one。
Gwen Samson
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Psychological thrillerOne woman with 2 of a family decides she will run the kids lives。 The daughter disappears and the son married someone she disapproves of。 The girlfriend of the married son falls pregnant and the mother moves on with her plans。 Great plot written by this author that draws you into the story and keeps you on the edge of your seat。 Loved it
velma lou
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Suspenseful Wow。 What a strange and yet suspenseful story。 Made me keep looking over my own shoulder Couldn’t put this book down until I finished it。
Stacy
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I've been hearing about this author for a while and was so excited to finally get to read an advanced copy of one of her books。 But I was so disappointed。 I had such a hard time getting into this book。 The first 80% was very boring for me。 The last 20% however was exciting and action packed and it let me see how much I might enjoy her other books。 A big downside for me was how often words taking the Lord's name in vain were used。 It was a bit excessive。 Overall， not a book I would recommend to m I've been hearing about this author for a while and was so excited to finally get to read an advanced copy of one of her books。 But I was so disappointed。 I had such a hard time getting into this book。 The first 80% was very boring for me。 The last 20% however was exciting and action packed and it let me see how much I might enjoy her other books。 A big downside for me was how often words taking the Lord's name in vain were used。 It was a bit excessive。 Overall， not a book I would recommend to my friends。 Thank you to Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Darcy
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I liked how this one was laid out， between the past and the present and how the house and land seemed to be at the center of things。 For Donna in the past， the land was where everything started with promise but when so wrong。 For Lauren in the present， the land meant safety and home。 So when the land turned on her it was so startling because up to that point the working on the house brought so much joy to her and was helping her heal。 That final discover made in anger was the one that finally br I liked how this one was laid out， between the past and the present and how the house and land seemed to be at the center of things。 For Donna in the past， the land was where everything started with promise but when so wrong。 For Lauren in the present， the land meant safety and home。 So when the land turned on her it was so startling because up to that point the working on the house brought so much joy to her and was helping her heal。 That final discover made in anger was the one that finally brought the truth out， something they all needed。 I didn't expect to find out what happened happened， nor who the "bad" guy was， yet it made total sense and if you looked back at the past you can easily see hints here and there。 。。。more
Sarah O'Riordan | travelseatsreads
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I loved Stone's previous two books Jane Doe and Problem Child （for those who are fans of the Sweet Pea series they're in a similar style） so， I was itching to read this one when I saw it pop up。 This is a mixed bag for me， while I enjoyed the last half of it I did find the start to drag a little and found myself almost giving up。 I'm glad I didn't because the last 50% was much better paced and gave a nice few twists to keep you thinking。 An enjoyable read but I can't help thinking if I hadn't re I loved Stone's previous two books Jane Doe and Problem Child （for those who are fans of the Sweet Pea series they're in a similar style） so， I was itching to read this one when I saw it pop up。 This is a mixed bag for me， while I enjoyed the last half of it I did find the start to drag a little and found myself almost giving up。 I'm glad I didn't because the last 50% was much better paced and gave a nice few twists to keep you thinking。 An enjoyable read but I can't help thinking if I hadn't read her first two I may have rated it higher as I was expecting more。 。。。more
Kim
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I love this author and will read everything she writes！ Her characters are multidimensional， relatable， lovable and hate worthy。 This new thriller is solid suspense and offers a fun， compulsive read。
Lottie Thompson
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Good storyI enjoyed this book， it started out a little slow for me in the beginning。 I loved the unexpected twist at the end。
Carolyn S Hart
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Kept me guessingThe book kept me guessing who was the killer。 The daughter was so strong too go through all the ups and downs in her life。 Surprise ending
Judith E。 Pitney
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Surprise！The ending totally took me by surprise。 Should have figured it out but didn’t。 Well built plot and good characters。 Will read another one。
Kacie Jo
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This one kept me guessing right until the end！ I liked that it was suspenseful without being too scary。 The dual narration and Donna and Lauren’s differing perspectives kept me unsure of what was true the entire time。。 definitely recommend this one！I won this book in a goodreads giveaway， so glad I did！
Christina Davis
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Just wow！This book will keep you guessing almost till the very end！Full of mystery， intrigue， suspense and entertainment。Definitely worth reading！！！
Colleen
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Lauren has thought that she new what happened in the past when her father was falsely accused of murder and then released after the "true killer" confessed。 After her grandmother has a stroke Lauren buys gramma's house and starts to rehab。 She discovers a piece of the puzzle but does she really know who did it。 The truth is not as obvious as it seems。This book was slow to start going back and forth between the past and the present。 But is deliberately a slow build as the story plays out。 All is Lauren has thought that she new what happened in the past when her father was falsely accused of murder and then released after the "true killer" confessed。 After her grandmother has a stroke Lauren buys gramma's house and starts to rehab。 She discovers a piece of the puzzle but does she really know who did it。 The truth is not as obvious as it seems。This book was slow to start going back and forth between the past and the present。 But is deliberately a slow build as the story plays out。 All is definitely as it appears。I was given this book from Netgalley for an unbiased review。 。。。more
Shari Ring Wolf
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Not disappointed I put off reading this book after reading the reviews， many of which expressed disappointment in the authors work， saying it was not up to her usual great standards。 Some reviews said the story dragged on。I found none of this to be true。 Once I started reading I didn’t want to put it down。 It wasn’t as humorous as her “Jane Doe” books， but I didn’t expect it to be。 I found the character of Donna to be too cold in the beginning， but soon realized her heart was in the right place Not disappointed I put off reading this book after reading the reviews， many of which expressed disappointment in the authors work， saying it was not up to her usual great standards。 Some reviews said the story dragged on。I found none of this to be true。 Once I started reading I didn’t want to put it down。 It wasn’t as humorous as her “Jane Doe” books， but I didn’t expect it to be。 I found the character of Donna to be too cold in the beginning， but soon realized her heart was in the right place about her pregnancy and being a mom。 I also found the character of Lauren to be seriously needy so got to be happy when she toughened up some。 The characters were perfectly flawed humans， reacting to trauma。I am still a major fan of Victoria Helen Stone。 She is one of my most favorite authors！ 。。。more
Joan
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Review of eBookChildhood is something Lauren Abrams survived rather than savored。 Raised by her mother， Donna， they were constantly on the move [as if being hunted]; her father， Michael， was imprisoned for murder， thanks to the lies Donna told in court。 But when Lauren was ten。 Michael was cleared and released from prison; Lauren finally met her dad and his mother， her grandmother， Elizabeth。Much to her delight， Lauren discovers that her father and grandmother are perfectly normal and she loves Review of eBookChildhood is something Lauren Abrams survived rather than savored。 Raised by her mother， Donna， they were constantly on the move [as if being hunted]; her father， Michael， was imprisoned for murder， thanks to the lies Donna told in court。 But when Lauren was ten。 Michael was cleared and released from prison; Lauren finally met her dad and his mother， her grandmother， Elizabeth。Much to her delight， Lauren discovers that her father and grandmother are perfectly normal and she loves spending time with them。 Then， to Donna’s surprise and dismay， Lauren， angry for the lie that sent her father to prison， turns her back on her mother and goes to live with her father。Now， Lauren lives in Los Angeles and works as a freelance graphic designer。 But her relationship with her boyfriend， Bastian， has become rocky and， after three years of living together， she fears they’ve reached a parting of the ways。 The unexpected [and unwelcome] news of her grandmother’s stroke sends Lauren back to Sacramento and to the ranch where she’d had some of her happiest times。 Now her grandmother wants to sell the ranch to her and move to assisted living。 After a momentary balk， Lauren agrees and moves into the ranch。As Lauren settles in， mysterious notes begin to arrive in her mailbox。 But when she's renovating the house， Lauren makes a shattering discovery that changes everything she thought she knew。Told alternately by Lauren in the present and Donna in the past [1985]， the unfolding story is， at its heart， a story of the complex relationships within a family and the lengths to which some people will go to protect those they love。 The revelation of long-kept secrets and the exposure of lies work to change everything the readers’ understanding of the characters’ actions as the family drama plays out。 Although the characters are reasonably well-drawn， they are all rather unlikable。 Lauren， the character at the center of the story， is hesitant and unsure of herself， an oft-illustrated characteristic that finally grows old。 And while Donna is irascible and outspoken， Michael is just plain smarmy。 Grandmother Abrams is a bit of a puzzle 。 。 。 beneath the gentle and pleasant exterior she shows to others， there are signs of some strong anger。The relatively straightforward plot plays out slowly; astute readers will identify the truth before its revelation late in the telling of the tale。 The story has a tendency to plod along， but it’s a quick read story that readers may find engaging。 I received a free copy of this book through the Goodreads First Reads program 。。。more
Thushara
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Dnf ing this one。 Feels like a historical fiction rather than a thriller。 Very very slow。 Might cause me a slump。 Therefore a no from me！
Shaana Niessen
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This was a not very thrilling thriller。 But it was well-written， avoided the glaring errors that most contemporary thrillers seem to be plagued with， and was a nice， easy read。 I liked the characters and enjoyed the way the story played out。 No big twists and turns but a pretty believable plot。
Alice
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Unfortunately very meh。
Dan
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Another compelling read from Ms StoneGood！ VHS is great at making bad mom a sympathetic character by putting you in her head and showing her hopes and motivations。 A lot of twists。
Aldara
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This story is a thriller + women story。The story follow Lauren and her strangled relationship with her mom and her relationship with her dad and grandma， also follows Donna's （Lauren's mom） during her youth year， also the story that lead to the actual events。 The "drama" goes on a strange way because I am not sure if I liked it or not， it feels like the story goes slow until we are almost done reading and realize how much happens on the story。This also reminds me about what moms says about how t This story is a thriller + women story。The story follow Lauren and her strangled relationship with her mom and her relationship with her dad and grandma， also follows Donna's （Lauren's mom） during her youth year， also the story that lead to the actual events。 The "drama" goes on a strange way because I am not sure if I liked it or not， it feels like the story goes slow until we are almost done reading and realize how much happens on the story。This also reminds me about what moms says about how they do things for their kids and how they could never understand。。。 I like it， give it a shot。 。。。more
Eyke
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Great Page TurnerA journey of self discovery leads a woman home only to confront herself， her relationship and the secrets that surrounded her birth。
Amber Boos
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I wanted to really love this one， but it moved slower than I like。 Told from 2 POV's Lauren and her mother， Donna from when she was pregnant with Lauren。 It was enough to keep me interested， but I am honestly not sure that I would have kept going had I not been given an ARC。 As it neared the end， I was definitely rewarded， as a lot was revealed， I just wish it had moved faster。 Good storyline， though！Thank you to #NetGalley， Victoria Helen Stone and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC！ I wanted to really love this one， but it moved slower than I like。 Told from 2 POV's Lauren and her mother， Donna from when she was pregnant with Lauren。 It was enough to keep me interested， but I am honestly not sure that I would have kept going had I not been given an ARC。 As it neared the end， I was definitely rewarded， as a lot was revealed， I just wish it had moved faster。 Good storyline， though！Thank you to #NetGalley， Victoria Helen Stone and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC！ 。。。more
Mystica
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Lauren is estranged from her mother。 She does not want to have anything to do with her because she believes that it is her false testimony that put her dad in prison for years。 Now exonerated， he lives a good life with his new wife and family and has a good relationship with Lauren as well。Lauren has been gifted a ranch house by her grandmother and she is presently renovating this and is very happy in her surroundings。 When her mother contacts her after years， Lauren is reluctant to even talk to Lauren is estranged from her mother。 She does not want to have anything to do with her because she believes that it is her false testimony that put her dad in prison for years。 Now exonerated， he lives a good life with his new wife and family and has a good relationship with Lauren as well。Lauren has been gifted a ranch house by her grandmother and she is presently renovating this and is very happy in her surroundings。 When her mother contacts her after years， Lauren is reluctant to even talk to her but against her judgement she does indicating to her that she does not want past history dug up and dissected again。 Disaster strikes when the man she was in love with， indicates that it is all over and that she was just a casual love affair but that it is now history。 Demolishing walls in anger， she comes across proof of what her mother said all along was true - her father was actually a murderer and her grandmother was complicit in the murder。The story of tracking the lives of Lauren， her mother， her grandmother （scheming and vicious）， and her father （irresolute and easily influenced） and unravelling strands of a decade old story is very well told in this suspense detection read。 。。。more
Justin
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Got to about 60% and nothing had happened and the characters were pretty boring so gave up。 Not as good as the author’s previous work。
Betsyzel
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It’s ok I knew what the truth was almost immediately。 So， no surprises。 I didn’t find the characters compellingly。 A decent， quick read。
Lacey
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Wow， this book is subtly creepy。 It had some serious atmosphere with little clues throughout。 Did Lauren's father murder that girl or was her mother making up it up the whole time？ I think the author did a great job with the dual point of view between Lauren and her mother Donna。 They had such completely distinct voices and situations that it was really fun seeing each story play out。 I think this book is a great cautionary tale about the lies we tell ourselves about the people we love。 Every wo Wow， this book is subtly creepy。 It had some serious atmosphere with little clues throughout。 Did Lauren's father murder that girl or was her mother making up it up the whole time？ I think the author did a great job with the dual point of view between Lauren and her mother Donna。 They had such completely distinct voices and situations that it was really fun seeing each story play out。 I think this book is a great cautionary tale about the lies we tell ourselves about the people we love。 Every woman in this story saw signs and hints of the truth in the people they loved but they looked past them to stay sane， safe and to maintain the illusion of happiness。 I'm definitely going to read the other books by this author that I picked up and haven't read yet。I won this book through Goodreads Giveaways。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Linda
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