The Last Time I Lied: A Novel

Om-GEEEE. If there’s a perfect ending to any book, “Riley Sager” wrote it when he penned the final pages of The Last Time I Lied. On the heels of enjoying Final Girls, I worried that a second Sager novel might not live up to my high expectations. I am glad to say I was so wrong. The Last Time I Lied occupies a lofty place among my absolute favorite novels: Megan Miranda’s All the Missing Girls and Mindy Mejia’s Everything You Want Me to Be to name the top two. Fifteen years ago, Emma attended the prestigious Camp Nightingale, a summer camp for privileged children. Younger than her bunkmates and immature by comparison, Emma ingratiated herself to the “group leader,” Vivian, a kind of bitchy older sister who, rather than tormenting Emma, took her under her wing as a prodigy. The two shared a dramatic love-hate relationship until Vivian and the other two girls went missing, a loss that has followed Emma into adulthood. Fifteen years later, Emma is back at Camp Nightingale as it reopens at the behest of owner and philanthropist Franny, a woman about whom Emma has mixed feelings. Emma accused her son of having a hand in her friends’ disappearances and is suspicious about why she’s been invited back to teach art to a new group of less privileged campers. Still, Vivian knew something all those years ago and Emma’s obsession with her disappearance, and to a lesser degree her guilt over it, drives her deep into an old mystery. When her three new cabinmates go missing, she has no choice but to go right to the edge to find out what happened then and what is happening now. I can’t say enough good about this book or about how talented an author “Riley Sager,” whose real name is actually Todd Ritter, is. I pay him the highest compliment when I say there is no way I’d have believed either book, which are female protagonist-centric and resoundingly accurate, could have been written by a man. He writes with authenticity about the insecurities and coming of age problems that women experience in a way that is so endearing and engaging. I have a hard time ever putting his books down while simultaneously never wanting them to end. I sympathized with Emma’s plight while feeling her need for closure and the immense distrust that came with being outcast and suspect in a place she was reluctant to return to. He never gives away too much of the mystery too early, instead pushing the reader toward the next page. He is a master craftsman and an inspiration. Kudos, man. I nearly cried at the end of The Last Time I Lied. Damn, that was one good book. I’m only sad that it’s over and that I can’t erase my memory to read it again for the first time.

Twist was good. Good summer thriller read

This one kept me hooked from start to finish. The atmosphere, the pacing, the twists — it all worked for me. I really liked Emma as a main character, and I enjoyed how her relationships with both sets of girls unfolded. Those dynamics added depth and tension in a way that kept pulling me forward. The camp setting brings a strong nostalgic vibe, which only made everything feel more unsettling. And the ending? Very satisfying. The kind that makes the whole journey feel worth it. Riley Sager continues to thrill me. I’ve read I think four of his books now, and I’ve loved every single one. This was an easy five stars.

No Spoilers: There were definitely moments that had my jaw drop. The climax wasn’t as big as I thought but the twist on one of the very last pages was interesting. I was surprised in a nice way. I wasn’t completely shocked though. However it was fun to read and the story of it all was nice. Spoilers: I’ll have a few sentences without spoilers so you don’t see something you don’t want to read or get tempted to read when you probably shouldn’t. I feel like if Vivian was supposed to be a big sister to Emma then she would’ve reached out to Emma sooner than she did. The fact that it took 15 years after the initial disappearance is crazy. Also what happened with Katherine wasn’t really understood by me. Maybe that’s just me and I’ll have to read it again, but honestly it was really confusing as to what happened to make Vivian attack the other girls. Also everything going on with the asylum, her trying to figure out Franny’s secret and everything with Lottie… it just wasn’t well written when you get down to it.

A tad slow at times especially in the middle of the book. The ending made it a 4 star for me! This was my first book by this author, but I will read others .

I actually rated this 4.5 . This is a twisty dark thriller centering on a girls summer camp gone drastically wrong! 15 years prior in a cabin of four girls three of them disappear and never returned. The remaining girl, Emma, struggles with this for years destroying her mental health. And dealing with the pain she learns to paint and as a result becomes an extremely sought after artist as she pours up her pain on canvas. Because of the tragedy an ensuing investigation the camp closes. The family that owns the camp decide to reopen with a grand reopening, and as a means of Goodwill invites many of the older instructors and former attendees back at staff. Because of her notoriety as an artist, they want to feature her as part of the arts program for the girls. As a fluke she is placed back in a girls cabin with three other teenage girls. Strange events ensue as she struggles mentally once again going back-and-forth between the original three that vanished and the girls is currently housed with. More and more of the original story is revealed as she has trouble sometimes separating the current girls with the former girls and the more of story develops, traditional information that she never told or revealed. So many hidden secrets. Then these three girls mysteriously disappear and Emma is right in the bull’s-eye as suspect. She is desperately trying to find them plus figure out what happened to the previous three girls. The end of the story is mind blowing and I was on the edge of my seat to the very end.

The more books I read by Riley Sager the more I fall in love with the writing style. Sager has the tendency to start the book off with a big traumatic moment and then jump into the present while giving tidbits of the past... until the moment when everything is brought into the open. I love it because with each new reveal you think you've figured out some crucial part of the mystery and then Sager throws another twist in and suddenly you have no idea. I really enjoy being kept on my toes like that. I have to say though of the ones that I have read so far... this book takes the cake. It was everything I could have wanted in a story. I really had to force myself to put it down at times. I kept thinking oh just one more chapter and then all of a sudden we have a new piece of the puzzle and I had to keep going. I really loved this one because it's a return to a summer camp that closed down 15 years ago after some girls went missing. Our main character was friends with the missing girls and seems to have a lot of secrets surrounding what happened that summer. She also seems incredibly unreliable as the book goes on... and who doesn't love an unreliable narrator. The book has this element of mystery and uncovering secrets from 15 years ago with like minimal context, which I think makes it so much more intense. I love that it had the ability to make you suspect characters so easily because I mean they all seem suspicious to be fair. I think the ending on this one was phenomenal because it was a twist that I honestly did not see coming at all.

A bit of a slow burn but twisty enough to keep you reading. Finishes with a final satisfying twist, even if you don’t always agree with the main character. A good beach or airport read. I will probably give this author another read at some point. He seems to have quite a following. A good sign.

Riley Sager delivers another gripping psychological thriller with The Last Time I Lied, a book filled with secrets, deception, and jaw-dropping twists. If you love dark, atmospheric mysteries, this one is a must-read! Plot Overview (No Spoilers!) Fifteen years ago, Emma Davis spent the summer at Camp Nightingale, where her three cabinmates vanished without a trace. She was the last person to see them alive. Now, as an adult, Emma is invited back to the camp as an instructor. But when she returns, the past refuses to stay buried, and she starts uncovering clues that suggest someone knows more than they ever let on. What I Loved: ✔ Creepy, Atmospheric Setting – The summer camp setting adds a spooky, isolated feel that enhances the tension. ✔ Dual Timeline Keeps You Hooked – The book switches between Emma’s past and present, making the mystery even more suspenseful. ✔ Unpredictable Twists – Just when you think you’ve solved the mystery, Sager delivers another shocking twist that changes everything. ✔ Complex, Unreliable Narrator – Emma is a flawed yet compelling protagonist, and you’re never quite sure if you can trust her version of events. ✔ Fast-Paced & Addictive – The short chapters and constant suspense make it impossible to put down. Minor Cons: ❌ The final twist might feel a bit far-fetched to some readers, but it’s still satisfying. ❌ Some secondary characters could have been developed more, but they still serve their purpose in the story. Final Verdict: The Last Time I Lied is a chilling, binge-worthy thriller with an eerie summer camp setting and twists that will leave you speechless. If you loved The Girl on the Train or Final Girls, this book is perfect for you. Highly recommended!

The story is about the incident 15 years ago and now. I read back and forth, also zigzaged between truths and lies. When I reached to the middle of the book, I completely lost and couldn't trsust anybody but the girls of "The Lovely Bones" reader, "National Geographic" subscriber and the Super hero fan. The facts are revealed on every pages. I had to concentrate and focus on the matters until the last page. 真実と捏造の間に起きた事件。特別なトリックでなく、人の話だけで他人を動かす。

I really love Riley Sagers writing, he does such a brilliant turn on a females, and his characters are usually his best asset. The initial question was what kept me reading this book. What happened the three girls from fifteen years ago that Emma Davis, and you, as the reader become obsessed with learning. Especially, glamorous, charming, Vivian ; who I fell in love with. The book,with its long lot of characters, probably too long, actually (especially if you have a bad memory). It keeps you questioning who the killer is, what happened to the girls. Lots of questions in quite a long book which, in my opinion, could have done with a stronger edit. Some chapters just wasted time unfortunately. The book has everything you want, a creepy camp where three girls disappeared. A lot of twists and suspects, send after a very disappointing ending which left me craving more answers, an afterword that have them to me. And gave me an amazing ending which couldn't stop me smiling. I loved the actual ending, it was superb.

I have a love-hate relationship with this book and I don't even know how to rate it. 3.5? 4? 🌟 What I know for sure is that the first part was suuuuper boring and slow. Absolutely nothing happens except that in the last paragraph it starts speeding up. Part 2 was really good, I was on the edge of my seat and I wanted to discover what had happened 😄 I didn't see some plot twists coming although I predicted one big thing from the beginning! I would recommend reading this book but you need to become aware of its slowness, so be ready to be patient!

So suspenseful!!! This book kept me engaged from the first chapter. And I did not expect the twist at the end.