The Last Ferry Out

✨ Atmospheric. Suspenseful. Haunting. ✨Andrea Bartz does it again with The Last Ferry Out—a slow-burn thriller laced with grief, secrets, and the terrifying suspicion that the person who killed your fiancée is still within arm’s reach.When Abby arrives on the remote, hurricane-battered island of Isla Colel to retrace Eszter’s final days, she doesn’t expect to find much—only closure. But the island’s eerie stillness, a vanishing informant, and a group of charming but secretive expats spark a gripping chase for the truth. What really happened to Eszter, and how far is someone willing to go to keep the past buried?I was completely swept away by this novel’s oppressive island setting, the alternating timelines that explore Abby and Eszter’s beautiful yet complicated relationship, and the constant undercurrent of dread. Abby is a compelling narrator—grieving, gutsy, and unwilling to back down even as the island seems to close in around her.This one’s for you if you love:🌴 atmospheric, isolated settings💔 stories that explore love and loss🕵️‍♀️ slow-burn thrillers with emotional depth💥 secrets, lies, and jaw-dropping twistsEvery reveal had me reeling, and I never guessed the ending. Another winner from Bartz.

3.5 stars, actually.I tried really hard to enjoy this book - and I admit there were times when it clicked and my "I'm Lovin' It" meter shot up. But in the end, a plot that seemed a little too contrived and rather unlikable characters led to my final verdict.The story takes place on the remote Mexican island Isla Colel, which for all intents and purposes is a haven for misfits. The main characters, I suppose, include the hard-driving Abby, who seems to love Eszter (at least she's proposed marriage to her); Eszter, who seems to love Abby but has a love-hate relationship with her dictatorial father; Brady, an Australian who seems to fear his father but a guy everyone else seems to love; and Amari, who seems to be - well, I'm not exactly sure who that is except that she, like Eszter and Abby, is gay.At issue is Eszter's untimely death as she's visiting the island on her own - a peaceful place she found and wanted to check out, or so she told Abby before she left. Her death was even more unexpected since it was a result of anaphylactic shock; with multiple life-threatening allergies, Eszter has an EpiPen with her at all times - except this once, when somehow she didn't. Devastated, Abby heads to the island (by way of a ferry) to learn what she can and, hopefully, walk in the same places and talk with the same people Eszter did during her final days.As an island newbie, Abby doesn't know what to expect, but what she does get from the close-knit group of "expats" doesn't seem to do much besides confuse her even more - as does the presence of a now-closed but once-thriving resort with a mysterious past. Her behavior turns almost paranoid; who's telling the truth? Who's lying? Why? What secrets do the walls of the resort hold? Why didn't Eszter have her EpiPen near her when it counted most? As she tries to ferret out what really happened, Abby grieves for her forever-lost bride-to-be - well, except maybe when she gets the hots for another hot islander.Of course, the plot follows Abby's quest to find out how Eszter died and prove whether or not their love was a one-sided affair. The answer is complex, often meandering, and when it comes it didn't shake up my world nearly as much as I'd hoped it would. Overall, though, it's quite readable - a good one to help pass the time on a lazy beach with the book in one hand and a margarita in the other, in fact. While it won't make my list of Top 10 all-time favorite books, I really did enjoy it, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for giving me the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

I was between 3 and 4 and decided to round up. A pretty good who-done-it but also, not a lot of good people lol

This story is very much character driven as the FMC attempts to learn the circumstances that led to the mysterious death of her fiancé. The pace is a little on the slow side while focusing on grief, love, secrets, and friendship. As the plot progresses, and as you can surmise from the title, the last ferry has left the island. This results in the perfect storm of bad weather, feeling trapped, and not knowing who to trust. It was eerie and suspenseful, and I was curious to see how the story would wrap up. Overall, this was enjoyable read and I enjoyed the audiobook.Read if you enjoy:✔️Characters driven✔️Multiple POVs✔️Dual timelines✔️Summer thriller✔️Secrets

Andrea Bartz has written the perfect summer read in The Last Ferry Out. The novel begins with the main character Abby grieving the mysterious death of her fiancée Eszter on a remote island in the Gulf of Mexico. Not only are the circumstances of Eszter’s death suspicious, but one of her last texts to Abby said “I need to tell you something.” Abby travels to the island to see if she can learn how Eszter died as well as the meaning of her cryptic text. As part of her search, she befriends a group of expats, some of whom knew Eszter, but who are also very secretive about themselves and the island.The story evolves slowly through multiple points of view and timelines, and there are multiple twists and turns as Abby proceeds in her quest for answers. Bartz uses these techniques brilliantly to show how we tell ourselves stories using our own biases to fill in any gaps, which does not necessarily make them true. I also appreciate how Bartz ties the suspenseful aspects of the novel into Abby’s grief journey, and the way in which she uses them to show Abby’s evolving understanding of her relationship with Eszter. 4.0 out of 5.0 stars.Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books/Random House for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book.