The Last Thing to Burn

A Novel

De: Will Dean

Narrado por: Sarah Lam

“Immediate, intense, gripping, taut, terrifying, moving, and brilliant.” —Lisa Jewell, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Invisible Girl

“Brilliantly written...terrifying.”—Ruth Ware, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One by One

A woman being held captive is willing to risk everything to save herself, her unborn child, and her captor’s latest victim in this “intense, dark, and utterly chilling” (Jennifer Hillier, author of ​Jar of Hearts) thriller in the tradition of Misery and Room.

He is her husband. She is his captive.

Her husband calls her Jane. That is not her name.

She lives in a small farm cottage, surrounded by vast, open fields. Everywhere she looks, there is space. But she is trapped. No one knows she is there. Visitors rarely come to the farm; if they do, she is never seen.

Her husband records her every movement during the day. If he doesn’t like what he sees, she is punished.

For a long time, escape seemed impossible. But now, something has changed. She has a reason to live and a reason to fight. Now, she is watching him, and waiting…

Almost excellent….

….except for the implausible extremity of the narrator’s plight by the end. I can’t stay much more because almost any plot description will give away some spoilers, but I’ll say that a few loose ends were left flapping in the breeze. Why Of Mice and Men? Who was the original Jane—a simple farm wife with a mama’s boy for a son? Or a heartless, controlling witch who taught her non-too-bright son to be cruel? I was surprised Jane didn’t have more curiosity about her—she could have devoted herself to understanding the first Jane, and then used that knowledge to manipulate Lenn. It might have made end game more satisfying.

Also, I thought from the beginning that narrator might be unreliable. Wondered if I’d ever hear anything in Lenn’s voice. But no, Jane tells the story faithfully—things are as bad as she says.

But I’m not really criticizing the author’s choice, because the peril in this story is so great that I couldn’t stop listening. The right questions to ask are: was I fully engrossed from chapter one? Yes. Could I picture the awful, claustrophobic house where the drama played out? Oh yes. Did I find Lenn, in his goofy, han-fisted daily meanness terrifying? Hell yes. And did my heart pound and did I sit on the edge of my seat four or five times throughout? Yes and yes. Would I have clapped my hand over your mouth if you bothered me during the last two hours? Definitely yes.

If these are the questions you ask about your suspense picks, then this should be your next listen.

Well done, Will Dean!

Amazing, terrifying read

The human spirit is an amazing thing; full of wonder and respect. And what people are capable of, whether fighting for life, or abusing others, is no less than heart-stomping.

Jane believes she is heading toward a better life, leaving Vietnam, and heading to the UK. Crossing in boats and trucks is a long, arduous process. But where and what she ends up with is what nightmares are made of.

She is held captive by a hog farmer, who considers her his wife, bought and paid for. Her life is dehumanized, she is beaten, tortured and maimed. Yet her so-called life goes on.

There are things beyond her control and one of these situations change her life in an instant. And here the pathway narrows, so it is barely seen.

This is an awesome read. I love the writing that lulled me in deeper. It’s a poignant story, outlining the best and worst in the world. And here my friends is where I leave you.

This is a not-to be-missed book, providing you can handle physical and emotional abuse.

Resilience!

I loved the strength and resilience of the main character. The writer put you right there with her in her captivity. Somehow in the end there could be no other title.

Wow

This level of melodrama from the narrator was initially hard to take. I nearly sold it back. The story is intense enough, sets the mood well enough. If one has the stomach for it, it’s an excellent read.

Nail biting

This book had me on edge almost the whole time I was listening. I recommend 100%.