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Book Summary and Reviews of The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak

The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak

The Last One at the Wedding

A Novel

by Jason Rekulak

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  • Published:
  • Oct 2024, 352 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

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 But it's difficult: Aidan is withdrawn and evasive; Maggie doesn't seem to have time for him; and he finds that the locals are disturbingly hostile to the Gardners.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.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"[E]ngrossing...Certain twists are a touch predictable, but Rekulak's characters feel real, and the unwavering pace will keep readers up all night. This should please the author's existing fans and win him new ones." —Publishers Weekly

"Jason Rekulak is one of my favorite writers, a gifted storyteller and wonderful stylist. The Last One at the Wedding is a marvelous blend of mystery, family drama, class tension, horror, humor, and heart. A relentless, thoughtful thriller that always keeps you guessing and lingers long after the last page is read." ―Michael Koryta, New York Times bestselling author of An Honest Man

"Part conspiracy thriller, part family drama, The Last One at the Wedding kept my heart racing and my mind reeling from its first page to its devastating conclusion." ―Riley Sager, New York Times bestselling author of Middle of the Night

"Tense and atmospheric with characters that draw you immediately in and keep a tight hold, The Last One at the Wedding is every father's worst nightmare. Jason Rekulak knows how to keep readers glued to the page; I couldn't put this one down!" ―Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of She's Not Sorry

This information about The Last One at the Wedding was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

Write your own reviewwrite your own review

Labmom55

Didn’t quite work for me
The Last One at the Wedding is a weirdly unsatisfying mystery.

Frank has been estranged from his daughter for three years when she calls to announce her engagement and invite him to the wedding. But she’s not just marrying any old average guy. Her fiancé, Aidan, is the son of a billionaire. But things just aren’t adding up. Aidan seems just a little off. And then, Frank gets a disturbing photo in the mail which implies Aidan has something to do with a woman who has gone missing.
The book was filled with unlikeable characters. Now, that’s ok, if they manage to be at least interesting. This group failed that test. Even Frank, whose POV directs the entire story, was a bit of an ahole. His interactions with his sister’s foster child totally turned me off to him. And his unwillingness to ask for any help on basic issues (like getting an exterminator for the cabin) just made him seem stupid and bullheaded. His daughter came across as two dimensional and I wanted a better feel for what made her tick. His sister veers between being Susie Sunshine and a woman with no redeemable social values. The Gardners and their staff tended to be cliches. And we are meant to believe that out of 300 people at a wedding, everyone is happy to overlook a major incident.
The big problem with the story is that for long swatches, it’s just boring. There was a decent twist at about the 50 mark which I didn’t see coming. And what was the whole point with the Daddy Long Legs?

The story covers parental love and the decisions we make to protect our children.
John Pirhalla was a good narrator and captured Frank’s character.
My thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advance copy of this book.

Marie Rauter

Disappointed
I was totally disappointed in this book - I thought it was a horrible plot - totally distasteful.......not at all what I expected - I read a lot of different thrillers and authors but this one I will not read again.

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Author Information

Jason Rekulak

Jason Rekulak is the author of Hidden Pictures, a national bestseller and winner of the Goodreads Horror Book of the Year, and The Impossible Fortress, a finalist for the Edgar Award. For many years, he was the publisher of Quirk Books, an independent press. He lives in Philadelphia with his family.

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