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Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
William Morrow (2023), 352 pages
Description
Fiction. Suspense. Thriller. HTML: After posting a negative book review, a woman living in a remote location begins to wonder if the author is a little touchy�??or very, very dangerous�??in this pulse-pounding novel of psychological suspense and terror from the critically acclaimed author of No Exit and Hairpin Bridge. Emma Carpenter lives in isolation with her golden retriever Laika, house-sitting an old beachfront home on the rainy Washington coast. Her only human contact is her enigmatic old neighbor, Deek, and (via text) the house's owner, Jules. One day, she reads a poorly written�??but gruesome�??horror novel by the author H. G. Kane, and posts a one-star review that drags her into an online argument with none other than the author himself. Soon after, disturbing incidents start to occur at night. To Emma, this can't just be a coincidence. It was strange enough for this author to bicker with her online about a lousy review; could he be stalking her, too? As Emma digs into Kane's life and work, she learns he has published sixteen other novels, all similarly sadistic tales of stalking and murder. But who is he? How did he find her? And what else is he capable of? Displaying his trademark command of rapid-fire pacing, unnerving atmosphere, and razor-sharp characterization, Taylor Adams once again delivers a diabolically disturbing�??and deadly�??game of c… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member jnmegan
How much impact do reader reviews have on the success of a book and its author? Emma Carpenter discovers the consequences of expressing her opinion in the latest novel by Taylor Adams. A grief-stricken house sitter, Emma passes the time in self-imposed exile by reading and posting reviews. Her only
Thanks to the author, William Morrow and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
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communication offline is via telescoped Whiteboard notes exchanged with her closest neighbor on an otherwise deserted strand. After posting a scathing commentary on a particularly abysmal horror novel, Emma provokes the author to respond with a battle of words that quickly escalates to the physical realm. The Last Word is clever and self-referential, playfully unleashing a dizzying amount of plot twists. The book pokes fun at its own genre and its tropes while offering itself as a unique variation. Some readers may be daunted by the number of revelations that unrelentingly buzz throughout, but those who can withstand ambiguity will ultimately be rewarded. Adams keeps you guessing while cranking up a plot that is as vividly cinematic and propulsive as any modern slasher flick. Those who enjoyed the movie Scream or the works of Stephen Graham-Jones, Grady Hendrix, and Paul Tremblay will find Adams’ work fits nicely into their horror collection.Thanks to the author, William Morrow and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
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LibraryThing member SilversReviews
A book's nightmare coming true all because of a negative review?
The book Emma reviewed was terrible in her opinion, gave it a rating of ONE, and then the author wouldn't let up as he told her take down the review.
Emma refused, but then the author found her and terrorized her just like in the book
As Emma is living the nightmare of the killer one inch away from her, she hears poor Laika, her dog, whining upstairs in pain from the poison the killer fed her.
The tension in THE LAST WORD is so palpable, you will be jumping at any sound in your surroundings as you are reading.
The book is very cleverly written as the real drama unfolds and we read the story the author is playing out - Emma knows what will happen because she is living it.
Read it and find out what happens, but have a lot of time on your hands, and read this book in broad daylight.
It is pretty gruesome, but those who know the work of Mr. Adams don’t need to be forewarned.
Warning top reviewers - you never know who may retaliate from a bad review. :) 4/5
This book was given to me by the publisher for an honest review.
The book Emma reviewed was terrible in her opinion, gave it a rating of ONE, and then the author wouldn't let up as he told her take down the review.
Emma refused, but then the author found her and terrorized her just like in the book
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that was rated a ONE.As Emma is living the nightmare of the killer one inch away from her, she hears poor Laika, her dog, whining upstairs in pain from the poison the killer fed her.
The tension in THE LAST WORD is so palpable, you will be jumping at any sound in your surroundings as you are reading.
The book is very cleverly written as the real drama unfolds and we read the story the author is playing out - Emma knows what will happen because she is living it.
Read it and find out what happens, but have a lot of time on your hands, and read this book in broad daylight.
It is pretty gruesome, but those who know the work of Mr. Adams don’t need to be forewarned.
Warning top reviewers - you never know who may retaliate from a bad review. :) 4/5
This book was given to me by the publisher for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member Twink
Wow - I don't even know how to start talking about Taylor Adams' latest book - The Last Word!
I've read all of Adams' previous books. He's perfected the 'everyday person in a really bad situation' type of tale that keeps me on the edge of my chair every time. However, this latest has knocked it out
Emma is housesitting a remote home. Odd things start happening - sounds, smells, things moved - or is it all just in her head?
Next question - have you ever left a one star review for a product? What if the author or vendor asked you to take down the review? And you said no. And... yeah, I'm going to leave it there for you to discover what's next. Great premise.
The delivery of this story is cunningly and deviously crafted. Who is the un-named narrator and his point of view? Emma also has a voice. And the two narratives definitely don't match. It feels like two different stories are being told. (which made me so curious!) A critical event happens more than once (almost every chapter, in fact) completely changing the direction of the story every time. I'd be sad or angry about what has transpired, only to be proven wrong in the next chapter. Kudos to Adams for this twisty, turny tale and how it was presented.
Yes, some of it is a bit over the top. Just go with it - you won't be able to put The Last Word down! I've often thought that Adams' books would make good thriller movies.
I've read all of Adams' previous books. He's perfected the 'everyday person in a really bad situation' type of tale that keeps me on the edge of my chair every time. However, this latest has knocked it out
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of the park.Emma is housesitting a remote home. Odd things start happening - sounds, smells, things moved - or is it all just in her head?
Next question - have you ever left a one star review for a product? What if the author or vendor asked you to take down the review? And you said no. And... yeah, I'm going to leave it there for you to discover what's next. Great premise.
The delivery of this story is cunningly and deviously crafted. Who is the un-named narrator and his point of view? Emma also has a voice. And the two narratives definitely don't match. It feels like two different stories are being told. (which made me so curious!) A critical event happens more than once (almost every chapter, in fact) completely changing the direction of the story every time. I'd be sad or angry about what has transpired, only to be proven wrong in the next chapter. Kudos to Adams for this twisty, turny tale and how it was presented.
Yes, some of it is a bit over the top. Just go with it - you won't be able to put The Last Word down! I've often thought that Adams' books would make good thriller movies.
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LibraryThing member wvteddy
Wow! What a unique book! I am not sure how to review it. It is a book within a book told by several unreliable narrators. Sometimes I wasn't sure who was talking but I caught on quickly. The setting, on the stormy tip of Strand Beach, where all the homes are closed for the winter except for the one
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Emma is housesitting and the one next to it, is suitably eerie. Emma is alone with her dog Laika in this huge house with huge glass walls. She communicates with the neighbor by playing Hangman on a board in their windows which they view through telescopes. She reads a really terrible gory mystery, that incorporates all the usual tropes of a horror story. She leaves a one star review, and the author threatens her if she doesn't take it down. The tension and suspense ramp up throughout the book. I wasn't sure exactly what was going on but I knew something bad was going to happen. The same tropes found in the terrible book Emma read were employed in this book. Twists were thrown in throughout the book, things didn't happen that I was sure would, and things happen that I definitely didn't see coming. Just when I thought I had reached the end, the book continued. The characters developed slowly throughout the book until we really knew them. I read this book in one sitting, finishing it in the wee hours of the morning. I loved it!! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of one of the best thrillers I have read this year. I am glad to leave this honest review. Show Less
LibraryThing member tibobi
The Short of It:
Relentless.
The Rest of It:
Emma escapes to a secluded beach house with a fully loaded ebook reader, her sweet Golden Retriever, and a backpack full of rocks. From the first pages, it’s clear that she’s battling some demons and a boat load of guilt. She’s also mourning an
After finishing a particularly lame .99 cent ebook, she decides to post a one star review on Amazon. What she doesn’t anticipate is that the author immediately takes offense and tells her so. He demands that she delete the review. Emma finds this ridiculously unreasonable. People are allowed to have opinions and so she adamantly refuses to cave to the request. Who does this guy think he is?
From this point on, the story goes absolutely haywire. Emma begins to hear strange noises in the house and she feels watched. Oddly enough a neighbor at the other end of the Strand befriends her by writing notes back and forth on a whiteboard. They are then viewed by each through a telescope. Emma takes comfort in this stranger’s messages and when things take a crazy turn at the house, she relies on this new friend to watch things from afar.
Is there really a threat? Is she overreacting? Can this author really be so bent over a review that he comes after her? The thing is, he’s a horror writer and the numerous deaths in his stories are grisly and graphic. Painstakingly so. He almost seems to relish “the kill”, so is it really all that far-fetched to think that he could carry that hunger into real life?
Taylor Adams must have had fun writing this one. He jerks you one way, then the other, provides the truth, only for the reader to find out that what he’s just set up is quite the opposite of truth. At first, there was a small piece of me that quickly grew bored with the teasing. A few times I literally cried out, “Really? Come on!” But I gotta tell you, I could not put the dang book down and read it in one sitting.
Plus, I don’t know how he kept it all straight. All the minute details that are revisited later in the story. It’s just wild how it all comes together. The intensity of this one is quite good. My advice to you? Read it, enjoy the craziness of it. Don’t spend too much time trying to critique it. I loved No Exit and this one has that same crazy pace.
Relentless.
The Rest of It:
Emma escapes to a secluded beach house with a fully loaded ebook reader, her sweet Golden Retriever, and a backpack full of rocks. From the first pages, it’s clear that she’s battling some demons and a boat load of guilt. She’s also mourning an
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impossible loss. All she wants to do is read trashy crime books, hang out with her dog and then walk into the ocean with her backpack full of rocks. It’s a simple plan but it’s a plan that quickly falls apart.After finishing a particularly lame .99 cent ebook, she decides to post a one star review on Amazon. What she doesn’t anticipate is that the author immediately takes offense and tells her so. He demands that she delete the review. Emma finds this ridiculously unreasonable. People are allowed to have opinions and so she adamantly refuses to cave to the request. Who does this guy think he is?
From this point on, the story goes absolutely haywire. Emma begins to hear strange noises in the house and she feels watched. Oddly enough a neighbor at the other end of the Strand befriends her by writing notes back and forth on a whiteboard. They are then viewed by each through a telescope. Emma takes comfort in this stranger’s messages and when things take a crazy turn at the house, she relies on this new friend to watch things from afar.
Is there really a threat? Is she overreacting? Can this author really be so bent over a review that he comes after her? The thing is, he’s a horror writer and the numerous deaths in his stories are grisly and graphic. Painstakingly so. He almost seems to relish “the kill”, so is it really all that far-fetched to think that he could carry that hunger into real life?
Taylor Adams must have had fun writing this one. He jerks you one way, then the other, provides the truth, only for the reader to find out that what he’s just set up is quite the opposite of truth. At first, there was a small piece of me that quickly grew bored with the teasing. A few times I literally cried out, “Really? Come on!” But I gotta tell you, I could not put the dang book down and read it in one sitting.
Plus, I don’t know how he kept it all straight. All the minute details that are revisited later in the story. It’s just wild how it all comes together. The intensity of this one is quite good. My advice to you? Read it, enjoy the craziness of it. Don’t spend too much time trying to critique it. I loved No Exit and this one has that same crazy pace.
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LibraryThing member dwcofer
This book is considered a thriller, but it is not much of a thriller. There are creepy noises that Emma Carpenter, our protagonist, hears, and things she either sees or imagines that she sees, but all are easily explained. I did not find the book thrilling.
The story follows Emma as she house sits
The book is unrealistic in a number of ways. Emma is elderly, yet she continues to elude and escape the grasp of the author to whom she one-starred his book, despite him being younger, stronger, and possessing weapons such as a sword and a gun. When the policemen come to the house on a wellness check, there is a shot heard from inside the house, yet not only was Emma not shot, the cop asks if anyone is in the house! Duh! No cop would ask that after just hearing a gunshot come from inside the house.
The owner of the house shows up and despite everything going on does not even go inside her own home after traveling a distance to get there. Had she done so, the mystery would have been solved much sooner. I found it realistic she turned around and left without checking the inside of the house, which is why she showed up in the first place.
Another unrealistic aspect is Emma tells of an automobile collision she was in where she rear-ended a semi at 70 mph, yet it is described as a minor dent. Really?! Despite being so minor or a collision, the impact kills a baby in the back seat. Must have been more than a fender bender. Not realistic.
The most disappointing issue with the book is the identity of the killer was easily determined early on, leaving no mystery remaining.
Overall, I was greatly disappointed in the book. But I will give it two stars as I don’t want the author coming after me. LOL.
The story follows Emma as she house sits
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for Jules. Emma is a voracious reader. But after she gives a horrible book that was recommended to her by her neighbor Deek (who loves a quarter of a mile away and with whom she communicates via a white board and a telescope, yes, weird), strange things start to happen and Emma realizes her life is in danger as well as her dog, Laika.The book is unrealistic in a number of ways. Emma is elderly, yet she continues to elude and escape the grasp of the author to whom she one-starred his book, despite him being younger, stronger, and possessing weapons such as a sword and a gun. When the policemen come to the house on a wellness check, there is a shot heard from inside the house, yet not only was Emma not shot, the cop asks if anyone is in the house! Duh! No cop would ask that after just hearing a gunshot come from inside the house.
The owner of the house shows up and despite everything going on does not even go inside her own home after traveling a distance to get there. Had she done so, the mystery would have been solved much sooner. I found it realistic she turned around and left without checking the inside of the house, which is why she showed up in the first place.
Another unrealistic aspect is Emma tells of an automobile collision she was in where she rear-ended a semi at 70 mph, yet it is described as a minor dent. Really?! Despite being so minor or a collision, the impact kills a baby in the back seat. Must have been more than a fender bender. Not realistic.
The most disappointing issue with the book is the identity of the killer was easily determined early on, leaving no mystery remaining.
Overall, I was greatly disappointed in the book. But I will give it two stars as I don’t want the author coming after me. LOL.
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LibraryThing member KallieGrace
Well that was a rollercoaster. So many twists, turns, and whiplash that I am still reeling. This certainly keeps your attention the whole way through, but at what cost. Are they dead or aren't they, are they the good guy or the bad guy, how many people are going to show up, why do we have to read
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this clearly false narrative along with what is happening. Ugh. Good for cheap thrills but not much else. (Please don't kill me Adams). Show Less
LibraryThing member rmarcin
That was terrifying! And, I will definitely not ever leave a 1-star review on Amazon!!!
Emma is grieving, blaming herself for a car crash when she wasn't paying attention. She decides to go to WA state, and house sit. Her neighbor, a local author, Deacon Cowl, advises her to read a mystery. She
This begins a terrifying story of Emma trying to escape the author who is trying to kill her. She trades messages with her neighbor Deek, hoping he can help her escape the killer.
What follows is a frightening tale where Emma has to determine who the real danger to her is, and how she can survive.
Emma is grieving, blaming herself for a car crash when she wasn't paying attention. She decides to go to WA state, and house sit. Her neighbor, a local author, Deacon Cowl, advises her to read a mystery. She
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does, and she gives it a 1-star review. The author, HG Kline, asks her to take it down. She refuses. This begins a terrifying story of Emma trying to escape the author who is trying to kill her. She trades messages with her neighbor Deek, hoping he can help her escape the killer.
What follows is a frightening tale where Emma has to determine who the real danger to her is, and how she can survive.
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LibraryThing member LynnMPK
DNF at 64%/214 pages
Entirely too long for what it is. If a book is going to be almost 400 pages it needs to be paced better. It got right into the action and then the action never stopped. It was like those action movies that never have any lulls. You just become bored eventually. I did think the
Entirely too long for what it is. If a book is going to be almost 400 pages it needs to be paced better. It got right into the action and then the action never stopped. It was like those action movies that never have any lulls. You just become bored eventually. I did think the
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plot was intriguing and original, and I did enjoy the first part of the book. It lost me when it shifted to people chasing each other around a house for 100 pages. I'm not opposed to reading that (I love slashers!), but it didn't have any breaks. And if it doesn't have breaks where the reader/characters can take a breather then it needs to be less than 200 pages. Show Less
LibraryThing member srms.reads
2.5⭐️
After a personal tragedy, Emma Carpenter chose to live in isolation in a house on the Washington Coast. Her sole companion is her golden retriever Laika, and her interaction with others is limited to the owner of the house, Jules and her elderly neighbor, Deek, with whom she communicates
The premise of The Last Word by Taylor Adams is original and enticing, to say the least. For me, the premise was the best part of this story. I really enjoyed how the author builds on the premise up to a point ( the first 100-odd pages are suspenseful, well-structured and fast-paced). However, as the narrative progresses, the pace does begin to drag, the elements that were meant to build up the tension begin to feel a tad repetitive and the characters all too unbelievable (and maybe a tad stereotypical, bordering on ridiculous?). The narrative is long-winded with too much going on. I enjoy twisty reads, but with too many twists, I found myself losing interest in the plot around the midway mark. I did love Laika, the dog, and though the ending did redeem the book to an extent, overall, I can’t say this was a satisfying read.
After a personal tragedy, Emma Carpenter chose to live in isolation in a house on the Washington Coast. Her sole companion is her golden retriever Laika, and her interaction with others is limited to the owner of the house, Jules and her elderly neighbor, Deek, with whom she communicates
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via handwritten messages from her window. Emma spends a lot of time reading. After her neighbor recommends a horror novel by an author by the name of H.G.Kane, which she doesn’t enjoy for several reasons (that are quite believable), she doesn’t hesitate to share in her one-star review – a review that prompts the author to initiate an online conversation with her. Needless to say, he wants her to change her rating, which she absolutely refuses to do. The online conversation gets heated with both of them trading insults. Just when she thinks that things have calmed down, Emma begins to feel like she is being watched and also suspects the presence of someone in the house. Are her fears unfounded, or is she really being stalked? If so, to what end?The premise of The Last Word by Taylor Adams is original and enticing, to say the least. For me, the premise was the best part of this story. I really enjoyed how the author builds on the premise up to a point ( the first 100-odd pages are suspenseful, well-structured and fast-paced). However, as the narrative progresses, the pace does begin to drag, the elements that were meant to build up the tension begin to feel a tad repetitive and the characters all too unbelievable (and maybe a tad stereotypical, bordering on ridiculous?). The narrative is long-winded with too much going on. I enjoy twisty reads, but with too many twists, I found myself losing interest in the plot around the midway mark. I did love Laika, the dog, and though the ending did redeem the book to an extent, overall, I can’t say this was a satisfying read.
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LibraryThing member bragan
Emma reads a deeply terrible self-published novel about the murder of two women, told with a little too much relish from the killer's POV. She leaves a one-star review. The author is not pleased. And then she realizes that someone is after her...
I have to say, early on I was wondering if picking
I have to say, early on I was wondering if picking
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this one up wasn't a giant mistake. There's something about having the main character nitpicking a badly written thriller that makes it much harder not to notice all the imperfections and implausibilities in the work you're currently reading. But, credit where it's due, the author of this one does take some of those resulting expectations about narrative and play around with them in some at least mildly clever ways. Most of the twists still end up being pretty obvious, and I can't exactly say it made my pulse pound in suspense or anything, but it did work better than I expected it to, and the end result is a fast-reading and fairly pleasant (albeit violent) piece of slightly meta-feeling brain candy. Show Less
LibraryThing member Mav-n-Libby
I listened to the audiobook. And what people say about Taylor Adams is true. It grips you and doesn't let you go. I couldn't believe how suspensive this entire book was. It has great twists. A few I saw coming and a few I didn't. These are probably not books that will "stay with you" but super
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entertaining in the moment and I absolutely flew through this. And of course, the believability is low too, but hey, it's a book for entertainment. The end where she's drugged and thrown into the water with a backpack weighed down with rocks and she's able to live from that. lol. Funny! But again, the entertainment value was definitely here and excited to check out more from this author. Show Less
LibraryThing member DKnight0918
This book kept me guessing the whole time. Looking forward to reading more books by Adams.
LibraryThing member clrichm
This was an absolutely incredible read, which I did in one shot, unable to stop. I loved how the author used the device of the unreliable narrator to its fullest extent, showing the alternating perspectives of Emma and the man stalking her with widely differing nuance. Part of me almost wanted to
Oh, except for one part, because this is a point I'll always spoil: the dog lives. You're welcome.
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chafe at the amount of hyperbole used in the description of Howard, the murderous writer (referring to him as a virgin seemed out of place and rude in multiple unnecessary ways), but that was the only minor complaint I might lodge. The action was breathless throughout, and there were so many twists and unexpected surprises that I was on the edge of my seat for most of the book. The ending, too, was such a shock that I was stunned into tears twice--after all, we were kept guessing until the very, very end, and there are various reasons one might cry. I'll not spoil more than that.Oh, except for one part, because this is a point I'll always spoil: the dog lives. You're welcome.
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LibraryThing member cathyskye
How could a book blogger specializing in crime fiction not read a book about the dire consequences one character has when she posts a one-star review? I certainly couldn't resist the temptation!
The Last Word feels like it was written to be turned into a movie, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
The questions were piling up, and I was engrossed in the story until everything started unraveling at the halfway mark. This is when readers started being told the story from the point of view of a serial killer who kept dropping hints about what was going to happen to Emma.
At that point, the twists and turns of the plot started coming thick and fast. There were just too many of them, and I had two reactions to them. One, it felt as though the author was showing off. Two, I felt like Wile E. Coyote, getting repeatedly hammered by his latest ACME purchase.
Before the halfway mark, The Last Word was a winner. After that point, I was tempted to throw it against the wall (but I couldn't because I didn't want to damage my Kindle). If you've read, or intend to read, The Last Word, I certainly hope your mileage varies.
The Last Word feels like it was written to be turned into a movie, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
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In fact, I think it would be better as a movie. Emma Carpenter is a sympathetic character, and I was quickly drawn into her solitary life on the rainy Washington coast. Her golden retriever Laika made a good companion, and her telescope-and-white-board games of Hangman with her nearest neighbor did give her some human contact. But the more I read, the more questions I had. What was Emma hiding from? And that neighbor of hers was a bit strange, too. Why would an author seemingly go off the deep end over a one-star review?The questions were piling up, and I was engrossed in the story until everything started unraveling at the halfway mark. This is when readers started being told the story from the point of view of a serial killer who kept dropping hints about what was going to happen to Emma.
At that point, the twists and turns of the plot started coming thick and fast. There were just too many of them, and I had two reactions to them. One, it felt as though the author was showing off. Two, I felt like Wile E. Coyote, getting repeatedly hammered by his latest ACME purchase.
Before the halfway mark, The Last Word was a winner. After that point, I was tempted to throw it against the wall (but I couldn't because I didn't want to damage my Kindle). If you've read, or intend to read, The Last Word, I certainly hope your mileage varies.
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Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2023
Physical description
352 p.; 9 inches
ISBN
0063222892 / 9780063222892