The Last Ferry Out: A Novel by Andrea Bartz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
**3.5-stars rounded up**
Abby has been unmoored by the unexpected death of her fiance, Eszter, who was on a solo trip to a remote island when she died of an apparent allergic reaction.
Having suffered from severe allergies her entire life, Eszter was always careful. Abby doesn’t understand how it could’ve happened and is unable to move past her many questions.
As the days pass, Abby decides she is going to need to go there, to Isla Colel, to the place where Eszter died. Perhaps there, she’ll finally be able to find some closure.
Upon arrival though, the island isn’t quite what she expected. Once a bustling tourist destination, a hurricane decimated the island a few years back, and only a few hearty locals and expats remain.
With ferry service sporadic, at best, it’s about as remote a location as you can get, but Abby slowly begins to understand the pull it has on people.
She ends up locating a small group of expats who she believes hung out with Eszter in her last days; recognizing them from a photo Eszter had shared with her. Abby introduces herself and becomes friendly with them, gently pushing for information when she can.
When one of the men, who seemed to have something he really wanted to tell Abby, ends up disappearing before he can, Abby grows suspicious. Is this some sort of cover-up? Is there more to Eszter’s death than what’s she been told?
We follow Abby as her quest for the truth reveals lies and dangers around every turn. Will she find out what happened to Eszter, or will she become another victim of the island?
This is a compelling Travel Thriller. I was drawn in from the start. I loved the small island setting, and our MC, Abby.
Abby is an easy protagonist to get behind. By the time she reaches the island, she’s practically bubbling over with questions, so when she ends up meeting the expats, she’s quite forthright about her reason for being there.
I appreciated how open she was about everything. It made me actually care about her getting the answers. I also liked how smart and determined she was.
I was surprised when we ended up getting short stints of other perspectives in addition to Abby’s. They were fun though and ended up adding a lot to the overall puzzle.
The biggest was Eszter’s, who we get to follow during her time on the island. Eszter was harder to figure out than Abby. She wasn’t as straight forward with her feelings and intentions, and I felt like I had as many questions as Abby regarding Eszter.
The small group of expats were also very mysterious. There was something almost cultish about the vibes they were giving off. They seemed so obsessed with the island, but did seem happy enough to bring Abby along to explore it.
As stranger things started happening, I was so ready for Abby to pack her bags and go. It does feel dangerous. You don’t know why, but you know something is off.
Then inclement weather sweeps in, as it does, and Abby is unable to leave the island, even if she wanted to. I liked how the author increased the intensity towards the end by using the weather issue to work against our protagonist.
It did have a slight lull for me around the mid-way point, where I was getting a little bored, but she definitely bounced back, and the concluding portion was absolutely gripping; featuring twist-after-demented-twist.
Overall, I had a fun time reading this. I thought Bartz did a fabulous job with the setting, the use of the inclement weather, and with the cast of untrustworthy characters.
I definitely recommend this to Readers looking for a strong Travel Thriller to add to their Summer TBR. This one should definitely keep you guessing.
Thank you to the publisher, Ballantine Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Of course, I’m looking forward to more from Andrea Bartz!!