Liv Constantine | THE LAST TIME I SAW YOU

Plot (via Goodreads):

Dr. Kate English has it all. Not only is she the heiress to a large fortune; she has a gorgeous husband and daughter, a high-flying career, and a beautiful home anyone would envy.

But all that changes the night Kate’s mother, Lily, is found dead, brutally murdered in her own home. Heartbroken and distraught, Kate reaches out to her estranged best friend, Blaire Barrington, who rushes to her side for the funeral, where the years of distance between them are forgotten in a moment.

That evening, Kate’s grief turns to horror when she receives an anonymous text: You think you’re sad now, just wait. By the time I’m finished with you, you’ll wish you had been buried today. More than ever, Kate needs her old friend’s help.

Once Blaire decides to take the investigation into her own hands, it becomes clear that all is not as it seems in Baltimore high society. As infidelity, lies, and betrayals come to light, and tensions rise to a boiling point, she begins to alienate Kate’s friends and relatives with her relentless, accusatory questions, as she tries to find Lily’s killer. The murderer could be anyone—friend, neighbor, loved one. But whoever it is, it’s clear that Kate is next on their list. . .

Review:

When THE LAST MRS. PARRISH came out by the sister writing duo Liv Constantine, I was obsessed. The plot, the characters, and all of the major twists and  turns made this the ultimate psychological thriller and suspense read for me. Well, when I saw the cover for The Last Time I Saw You, I was immediately drawn in and in dire need to get lost in the world of Liv Constantine and the vividly wild world they paint through their writing.

Well, while The Last Time I Saw You is a little bit more over-the-top than their previous novel, it was really entertaining and fun. A novel that is psychologically terrifying, cinematically delicious, and featured some insanely twisty plot points. What I especially loved about this one was that there was kind of a couple of subplots within the novel that kept me invested and also taunted me with a few different mysteries woven into a claustrophobic web of deceit. The characters in this novel really take it to the next level] from an entertaining thriller to a compelling tale of friendship and marriage wrapped in shrouded mystery and suspense. Sound good so far? Well, just you wait - because the setting for this one includes a level of intensity that really kicks it up a notch by featuring the story mainly taking place at our protagonists estate, where a killer is getting far too close and stalking her. I love a good story involving stalking and mysterious notes, but I felt like this one had the same feeling that was an ode to the old school novels and films that featured stalker story-lines, which made it even more enjoyable for me and almost had a campy feel that made it endlessly entertaining.

The pacing in this story really just killed it. I was really enjoying the characters and the setting to this one and cozying up to the murder mystery vibe and the intensely creepy scenes, but the pacing just kept intensifying and I was so thankful I was devouring this one on the weekend because there's no way I would have been able to put it down. As the ending approached, Liv Constantine was relentless with the reveals and the twists and I was absorbing the story in its entirety, screaming on the inside. What an insanely eerie and wild ride that is the perfect thriller to devour this summer.

I will say with this one, while my taste considers it a step up compared to The Last Mrs. Parrish, there are some differences with the two. While Mrs. Parrish kind of had this ominous and slow-burning way of telling the story until the intense finale, this one kind of lays (most) of its cards out on the table and starts off with ferocity that kept me intrigued and begging for more of the story.

Special thanks to Harper Books for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 5/5