In her newest thriller, Last Girl Ghosted, best-selling and award-winning author Lisa Unger tells a story that is simply bigger than what we get, as readers, in most thrillers. Here it gives us a broader picture, there are deeper emotional connections to the characters, and encompasses more character development over time than can generally be found in a single novel. This is the type of thriller that, if I heard it was being turned in to a movie I would be furious, but if it was being turned into a mini-series I would not be able to contain my joy. There is just so much story here, it can not possibly be over-stated.
At the behest of her best friend Jax, Wren Greenwood agrees to try online dating, but has not been thrilled with the results. When she meets Adam, however, she feels a real connection. Without being able to put her finger on exactly how or why she has clicked with Adam, what she thought might be a hook-up or a quick fling begins to develop into a relationship that makes Wren feel more comfortable than she can remember feeling in a very long time. Then suddenly she is stood up for dinner. And Adam’s phone has been disconnected. And someone else is staying in the apartment she has been to with him, believing it was his apartment. Out of nowhere she has been ghosted.
Since almost everyone has experienced being ghosted at some point in their lives, readers should be prepared for a resurgence of their own post-traumatic stress about ghosting, because Unger makes those feelings uncomfortably real in her writing. It can bring back the very worst memories you have, but also invests us in Wren’s story all the more.
The story could have gone in many different directions from this point, but Unger chooses to turn things darker and more chilling by having Wren learn that not only has Adam ghosted women before, but that several of them are now missing, and have never been seen or heard from again. Wren is determined to find some answers about these missing women, even if only to help understand her own confusing emotions about Adam that remain and to protect herself from whatever his ultimate plan has been.
Unafraid to tackle elements that are both disturbing and gritty, Unger takes what could be a standard cat and mouse chase to a much higher level as she takes the reader back to Wren’s terrifying early life and how that plays into the dangerous situation she is now involved in.
With twists, reveals, and surprises throughout, readers will be turning pages late into the night, needing to find out what comes next. Perhaps the best advice I can give is to go ahead and plan a spa day when you finish because in Last Girl Ghosted, Unger is going to emotionally wear you out— in the best possible way.
Last Girl Ghosted is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Secrets, obsession and vengeance converge in this riveting thriller about an online dating match turned deadly cat-and-mouse game, from the New York Times bestselling author of Confessions on the 7:45.
Think twice before you swipe.
She met him through a dating app. An intriguing picture on a screen, a date at a downtown bar. What she thought might be just a quick hookup quickly became much more. She fell for him—hard. It happens sometimes, a powerful connection with a perfect stranger takes you by surprise. Could it be love?
But then, just as things were getting real, he stood her up. Then he disappeared—profiles deleted, phone disconnected. She was ghosted.
Maybe it was her fault. She shared too much, too fast. But isn’t that always what women think—that they’re the ones to blame? Soon she learns there were others. Girls who thought they were in love. Girls who later went missing. She had been looking for a connection, but now she’s looking for answers. Chasing a digital trail into his dark past—and hers—she finds herself on a dangerous hunt. And she’s not sure whether she’s the predator—or the prey.
