Advice columnist Wren Greenwood has three months of bliss with Adam Harper after meeting him through an online dating app before he disappears. Heartbroken and confused, Wren joins a private investigator to find out who he is and where he might be after she is told that Adam--or someone who looks like him--is linked to a series of cases involving missing women.

The story is told in first person by Wren which made me relate to her more quickly. The suspense built up slowly and kept me interested. Even though I liked Wren, at times she did some risky things that I didn’t get at all. A few things happened that were far-fetched but generally I enjoyed the story. ( )

The Last Girl Ghosted by Lisa Unger is a 2021 Park Row publication.

An online dating saga that goes horribly wrong-

Wren just wanted some fun- or so she says- but when she meets Adam, she quickly develops feelings for him. Then one day out of the blue he fails to show up for a date….

Ghosted- It happens to people all the time- but Wren is shocked that it happened to her-when she was so sure of Adam. What makes this situation more mysterious is that a private investigator named Bailey, has approached Wren about a missing persons case in which Adam might be a suspect.

Thus begins a search for both Adam and the missing girl(s)- with Wren finding herself back in ‘The Hallows’ the place where she grew up and where the memories of a traumatic tragedy left her emotionally scarred.

Lisa Unger is nearly always quite dependable- at least for me. This novel is no exception, but, admittedly, is not one of my favorites. The writing is solid, though there’s some implausibility and predictability here and there- it’s still a strong story and has a last- minute surprise I didn’t see coming- but nothing too shocking, though- but, for some reason the two premises did not complement one another well. Online dating apps mingled with off grid ‘grit-lit’ is an odd pairing and it didn’t blend well for me.

That said Lisa Unger’s books are a cut above most current psychological thrillers, and this one did hold my attention throughout. It’s thought-provoking, dark and occasionally grim. It has depth and emotion-again something I can’t often say about current PTs- which I tend to read for ‘fun’, these days- so, it was nice to pick up a novel of suspense that has some substance for a change, even if it was slightly flawed.

Overall, a good effort by Unger- it’s always a suspenseful trip when one returns to 'The Hallows"- and it's always nice to touch base with this author.

3.5 rounded up ( )

I gave this book 3 stars. I felt like the book jumped around a lot. And I got lost in some of the characters. It wasn't a horrible book, but I also wasn't super sucked into it. I like the premise, of a guy online, and then disappearing. However the whole backstory, just seemed like a little much. I'm still kind of confused about where some of the characters came in. I was a little nervous that I wouldn't understand the ending, but it did make sense. I think the part that got confusing was Bailey, the detective, and then hearing more about his life. I feel like every character you got like a full backstory on which I didn't necessarily need. Overall, it was a good book, and had a satisfying ending. A little farfetched, that all the girls ended up on some random abandoned property. But overall, it was middle of the road, hence the three stars. ( )

The book was more than a psychological thriller -- it spoke to trauma and our need for love. I have never read anything from Lisa Unger but I like her style of writing -- beautifully written. I also found some of very relevant to our times -- I will definitely be reading more from her. ( )

Really tried to get into this book but main character was too annoyingly naive. ( )