From the bestselling author of Hidden Pictures comes a breathtaking work of suspense about a father trying to save his daughter from a life-altering decision that will put everything he loves on the line.
Frank Szatowski is shocked when his daughter, Maggie, calls him for the first time in three years. He was convinced that their estrangement would become permanent. He’s even more surprised when she invites him to her upcoming wedding in New Hampshire. Frank is ecstatic, and determined to finally make things right.
He arrives to find that the wedding is at a private estate–very secluded, very luxurious, very much out of his league. It seems that Maggie failed to mention that she’s marrying Aidan Gardner, the son of a famous tech billionaire. Feeling desperately out of place, Frank focuses on reconnecting with Maggie and getting to know her new family. But it’s difficult: Aidan is withdrawn and evasive; Maggie doesn’t seem to have time for him; and he finds that the locals are disturbingly hostile to the Gardners. Frank needs to know more about this family his daughter is marrying into, but if he pushes too hard, he could lose Maggie forever.
An edge-of-your-seat thriller that delves deep into the heart of one family, The Last One at the Wedding is a work of brilliant suspense from a true modern master.
Book Info: Print length: 368 pages. Publisher: Flatiron Books. Publication Date: 8 Oct 2024
My Thoughts:
Jason Rekulak’s previous book HIDDEN PICTURES was one of my favourite books from 2022 and I was so excited to see that he has a new book out in October 2024.
Those who have read the spooky and twisted Hidden Pictures need to be warned that the new book is nothing like the first, however it’s still completely addictive and it’s similar to watching a horrific car crash occur.
The Last One At The Wedding is set in New Hampshire. Frank Szatowski is the main character. He’s a hard working and dedicated employee of UPS and has been one of their top drivers for over 26 years. He’s also a widower and has one daughter, Maggie, who he has been estranged from for the past 3 years. He lives a quiet and simple life alone, but has a close bond with his sister.
When he receives a phone call out of the blue from Maggie inviting him to her upcoming wedding, he’s absolutely thrilled to be able to mend those bridges with his beloved daughter and meet her fiance, Aidan Gardner, who happens to be the son of a tech billionaire and Maggie’s boss.
You can read from the blurb above, that once Frank, his sister and her foster daughter arrive at this secluded, luxury estate for the “wedding of the century” things start to unravel and the reasons behind Frank and Maggie’s estrangement are slowly and uncomfortably revealed.
If you enjoy stories of dysfunctional families then you will LOVE this book. It features some absolutely despicable characters and some of the scenes are jaw-droppingly shocking. As much as your sympathy lies with Frank trying to re-establish his relationship with his only child, you might want to yell at him to leave the wedding party NOW and run as far as you can to escape this toxic situation.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this twisted and uncomfortable story and look forward to reading more from Jason.
My thanks as ever to the publisher and Netgalley for my advanced copy.
