The Only One Left
by Riley Sager
Narrated by Christine Lakin, Dawn Harvey
Why Listen to This Audiobook?
Two narrators, two timelines, one mute woman who may have killed her entire family — and she's been waiting 54 years to tell someone the truth.
- Great if you want: gothic thriller with a slow-reveal historical mystery
- Listening experience: tense and atmospheric; dual timelines ratchet up dread steadily
- Narration: Lakin and Harvey split timelines cleanly, keeping the dual narrative crisp
- Skip if: Sager's twist-heavy endings have burned you before
About This Audiobook
A home health aide arrives at a crumbling clifftop mansion in 1983 to care for Lenora Hope, an elderly woman confined to a wheelchair and rendered mute by strokes. Decades earlier, Lenora was the prime suspect in her family's brutal murders, though she was never convicted. When Lenora begins typing out her story on an old typewriter, claiming she wants to reveal the truth about that horrific night, her caretaker becomes drawn into a web of secrets that may prove more dangerous than the original crimes.
Christine Lakin and Dawn Harvey deliver compelling dual narration that brings distinct voices to this atmospheric thriller. Lakin captures the mounting tension and uncertainty of the present-day caretaker, while Harvey embodies the mysterious Lenora with haunting vulnerability. Their performances enhance the gothic mood of the decaying mansion setting, making every creaking floorboard and whispered revelation feel immediate and unsettling. The audio format amplifies the story's psychological intensity, particularly during the typewritten confessions that slowly unveil long-buried family secrets. Riley Sager's intricate plotting unfolds with perfect pacing through these skilled narrators.