Frank Szatowski hasn’t heard from his daughter, Maggie, in three years. He’s surprised when he receives a call from her to invite him to her upcoming wedding. It’s only then that Frank learns that Maggie is marrying Aidan Gardner, the son of a wealthy tech mogul. Frank’s eager to make things right, but before he leaves for the weekend, he receives an anonymous letter containing a missing person’s poster for a young girl and it seems that Aidan might be involved.
When he arrives at the private, grand, and luxurious estate where the wedding is being held, he’s met with a 56-page legal disclosure agreement to sign before entering through the gates. What are the Gardner’s hiding? Frank is determined to uncover the truth, but he’s afraid that what he’ll find might push Maggie further away.
The story is told from Frank’s perspective. His narrative is easy to read, with a smooth flow and good pacing that easily kept me engaged. While the book is marketed as an “edge-of-your-seat thriller,” I found it to be much more subdued. It doesn’t build to the kind of high-stakes, climactic reveal you might expect from a typical thriller. Instead, the plot unfolds at a steady pace, with events evolving naturally.
The story easily held my attention, however I had an issue with how naïve the characters were, especially Frank and his sister Tammy. I believe Rekulak was trying to convey just how desperate Frank was to rebuild a relationship with his daughter, Maggie, but she was a difficult character to root for and this made it hard to invest in Frank’s emotional journey.
Like many readers, I picked up this book because I was a fan of Rekulak’s previous work, Hidden Pictures. It’s easy to see why some may feel let down by this one, as it’s quite different in tone and structure from his earlier, more suspense-driven novel. While I found the ending strange with little resolve, it still offered an entertaining story that kept me engaged until the very last page. The Last One at the Wedding may not have delivered the same level of tension as Hidden Pictures but, I would still recommend this to those who love steady-paced mysteries.
The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Pages: 352
Rating: 3/5
RELATED: Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak
This books looks good. Thanks for sharing.
Gloriousher
Thank you for reading Jiya!
I have added this to my ‘books to read’ on Goodreads!
Danielle Writes | danielle-writes.co.uk
I hope you enjoy it Danielle! Thank you for reading.
I don’t think I ever heard of this author’s work before! I completely understand what you mean about how annoying it can be when characters are naive like that. It’s good to hear that it was still entertaining overall though! Thank you for sharing this review, I loved reading it!
https://melissakacar.com
Thank you for reading Melissa!
I’ve not heard of this book. It’s probably not for me, but I appreciate your review. Still at least it kept your engagement. <3
Thank you for reading!
I enjoyed Hidden Pictures too, so I’ve been wanting to read The Last One at the Wedding. It was great to read your review, and I’ll have to keep in mind that the tone and structure are different so I’m not let down by the book.
It’s definitely no comparison between the two. I hope you enjoy it, Karalee!
This sounds like a great read! It annoys me when the characters are a little naive, it makes me get annoyed with the characters! I like that this book kept you hooked throughout! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
Thank you for reading Lucy!
The premise is captivating but it’s too bad it didn’t live up to your expectations. Great review Winnie! Thanks for sharing it.
I agree, the premise is so interesting! Thank you for reading Jodie!