T
Taylor Adams
The Last Word
Synopsis
After posting a negative book review, a woman living in a remote location begins to wonder if the author is a little touchy--or very, very dangerous--in this pulse-pounding novel of psychological suspense and terror from the critically acclaimed author of No Exit and Hairpin Bridge. Emma Carpenter lives in isolation with her golden retriever Laika, house-sitting an old beachfront home on the rainy Washington coast. Her only human contact is her enigmatic old neighbor, Deek, and (via text) the house's owner, Jules. One day, she reads a poorly written--but gruesome--horror novel by the author H. G. Kane, and posts a one-star review that drags her into an online argument with none other than the author himself. Soon after, disturbing incidents start to occur at night. To Emma, this can't just be a coincidence. It was strange enough for this author to bicker with her online about a lousy review; could he be stalking her, too? As Emma digs into Kane's life and work, she learns he has published sixteen other novels, all similarly sadistic tales of stalking and murder. But who is he? How did he find her? And what else is he capable of?
Genres
Characters
Emma CarpenterProtagonist
A former schoolteacher house-sitting alone on Washington's rainy coast while grieving the recent death of her infant daughter.
H. G. KaneAntagonist
The self-published horror novelist whose books Emma reviews online; he confronts her directly after she posts a one-star review.
ShawnSupporting
Emma's estranged husband, from whom she separated after the accident that killed their daughter.
Frequently asked questions
Is The Last Word part of a series?
No. The Last Word (2023) is a standalone psychological thriller by Taylor Adams, unconnected to his other novels No Exit and Hairpin Bridge.
Does the dog die in The Last Word?
No. Emma's golden retriever, Laika, survives a poisoning attempt partway through the book.
Is The Last Word based on a true story?
No, it's a work of fiction. The novel weaves in fictional excerpts from the in-story author H. G. Kane's own serial-killer novel as a story-within-a-story device, but the events themselves are invented.