The Last Morning Thriller Book Review: Decent Thriller, Just Don't Expect Too Much

The Last Morning is Camden Baird's debut novel, a pulse-pounding psychological thriller with an emotional core. I received an ARC of The Last Morning via NetGalley, and I found it to be a mixed bag. Not bad enough to put down, not good enough to rave about.

The novel was both good and not-so-good. It sat somewhere comfortably in the middle. Definitely a decent thriller, just don't expect too much.

My Rating:

❤️❤️❤️🤍🤍

"Decent thriller, just don't expect too much."

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What the Book is About

The Last Morning is a psychological thriller built around a five-year-old girl, Emma. She disappears on her first day of kindergarten. Then begins the chaos as her parents, Sadie and Allen, scramble to find their daughter.

It’s a multiple POV story, in which each character is given a dedicated chapter. Camden did a great job of slowly revealing secrets, chapter by chapter. Everyone seems to have a connection to the child, and a surprising grudge to bear.

What Works?

For me, the best thing about the book was pacing. Short chapters, multiple POVs, and a constantly shifting list of suspects make it a quick read. It was easy to follow, and easy to get lost in. The red herrings are well placed, and the tangle of suspicious characters keeps you second-guessing.

Apart from that, The Last Morning gets an extra star from me just because each chapter was titled, such as Sadie The Mom, Allen The Dad, and so on. Simple detail, but it made keeping track of who's who easy. There weren't too many characters, but still. A small touch that made a difference to the reading experience.

What Falls Short?

Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy the book much. The writing felt somewhat bland. It managed to keep me intrigued, yes, but it just gets the job done and not much more.

The mom's chapters were too dramatic and repetitive. Her grief and despair are understandable given the situation, but the inner monologue went on longer than needed, and it slowed down the story noticeably. After some point, I was just skimming and skipping her chapters entirely.

Other characters, too, were okayish. They brought twists to the story, of course, but they weren’t a lot surprising many times. You know, kind of formulaic. The story felt like as if I’m reading some kind of documentary or journalistic report.

Who Should Read It?

You’d love it if you’re looking for an easy-to-read crime or psychological thriller. It’s a fast read, good enough to be finished during a trip or a weekend. You can easily get through it in a sitting or two. Don't go in expecting a deeply emotional, twisted story.

Final Thoughts

The Last Morning is a good, page-turner read... just without much thrill underneath the surface. It has plenty of suspects and enough twists. Gets the job done as a thriller story. Worth a read if you're in the mood for something fast and uncomplicated.

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