"In this circuitous mystery, the lives of a widow with a shadowy past, her charming male tenant, a woman desperate to escape her loveless marriage and a travel writer with anger issues intersect and explode into more than one shocking ending. Delightfully creepy." — People
"John Searles’ latest thriller is a winner: tense and terrifying with a twist you’ll never see coming. You won’t soon forget these characters and the shocking ways their lives intersect." — Laura Dave, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Last Thing He Told Me
"Love and revenge commingle until it's almost impossible to tell one from the other in the fascinating, character-driven Her Last Affair. As in his previous three novels, John Searles's low-boil plot hinges on slowly but forcefully building suspense, while subtly dropping clues to the characters' psychological makeup. ... Insightful." — Shelf Awareness
“A tense, intricately woven tale of heartbreak, retribution, and redemption. Lisa Jewell fans will be well satisfied.” — Publishers Weekly
"In this inventive, deftly woven novel, John Searles conjures a world populated by eccentrics and dreamers who are desperate for a second chance and willing to do almost anything to get it. Genre-bending, cinematic, and darkly funny, Her Last Affair ends with a series of shocking twists that will leave you breathless." — Christina Baker Kline
“John Searles brings the misfits among us to life with the clarity of Carson McCullers—and then scares us with the brilliance of Stephen King. Her Last Affair is a perfect, page-turning example of the heart and horror that makes me love his work so very, very much." — Chris Bohjalian, #1 bestselling author of The Flight Attendant and Hour of the Witch
“Her Last Affair is filled with wry humor and compassion even as the novel sweeps the reader from charm and romance to the depths of dark suspense. I was captivated from the first page and watched with awe as Searles wove the three storylines into a single, heart-pounding climax. Devastating, and yet at the same time, utterly romantic.” — Jean Kwok, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Translation
"Satisfying...A twisted thriller that explores despair and loneliness with cinematic flair." — Kirkus Reviews
"Searles is the master of slow burn and intricate plot building." — Library Journal
“How Searles weaves the stories of these fascinating, lovelorn characters together is nothing short of brilliant. . . . Her Last Affair is a book that builds the suspense with each turn of the page. The twist that Searles throws in will have you gasping.” — Auburn Citizen
“This story had so many twists and turns, it kept me guessing until the very last page.” — First for Women
“Eerie and captivating." — Woman's World
"An intensely compelling book of suspense. ... Treat yourself, read this novel! It has odd, fascinating characters, many surprises and enough chills to keep one on edge. Searles is a master of suspense and delivers a bombshell with Her Last Affair. Mystery and psychological thriller readers and book discussion groups will find plenty to talk about." — BookTrib
"All of these characters will meet in the final third of the novel, and it will be explosive. There is also a completely unexpected twist that is absolutely brilliant. The finale takes a sharp turn into a much darker place, and the ending is a satisfying one. I was not familiar with John Searles' work before, but he has won me over and found himself a faithful new reader." — Bookreporter.com
"Love and revenge commingle until it's almost impossible to tell one from the other in the fascinating, character-driven Her Last Affair. As in his previous three novels, John Searles's low-boil plot hinges on slowly but forcefully building suspense, while subtly dropping clues to the characters' psychological makeup. ... Insightful."
"In this inventive, deftly woven novel, John Searles conjures a world populated by eccentrics and dreamers who are desperate for a second chance and willing to do almost anything to get it. Genre-bending, cinematic, and darkly funny, Her Last Affair ends with a series of shocking twists that will leave you breathless."
John Searles brings the misfits among us to life with the clarity of Carson McCullers — and then scares us with the brilliance of Stephen King. Her Last Affair is a perfect, page-turning example of the heart and horror that makes me love his work so very, very much."
"In this circuitous mystery, the lives of a widow with a shadowy past, her charming male tenant, a woman desperate to escape her loveless marriage and a travel writer with anger issues intersect and explode into more than one shocking ending. Delightfully creepy."
Her Last Affair is filled with wry humor and compassion even as the novel sweeps the reader from charm and romance to the depths of dark suspense. I was captivated from the first page and watched with awe as Searles wove the three storylines into a single, heart-pounding climax. Devastating, and yet at the same time, utterly romantic.
How Searles weaves the stories of these fascinating, lovelorn characters together is nothing short of brilliant. . . . Her Last Affair is a book that builds the suspense with each turn of the page. The twist that Searles throws in will have you gasping.
"John Searles’ latest thriller is a winner: tense and terrifying with a twist you’ll never see coming. You won’t soon forget these characters and the shocking ways their lives intersect."
This story had so many twists and turns, it kept me guessing until the very last page.
[Searles] has crafted a strange, spooky world that is absolutely believable. Sweet, precocious, desperate Sylvie is a memorable young striver in the tradition of Scout Finch, and Help for the Haunted is an exceptional piece of storytelling, finally not about demons, but human beings who are all too flawed and all too real.
Sinister and complex.... You’ll race right through it.
09/01/2022
In Searles's (Help for the Haunted) suspenseful mystery, listeners are introduced to seemingly unrelated characters. First, there's Skyla, a blind widow who yearns for closeness from her new tenant, Teddy, while she dwells on her late husband's infidelities. Next is Linelle, who was Teddy's first love many years ago but is now unhappily married and simply bored with life. Finally, listeners meet Jeremy, a bitter writer who hopes to get a second chance at love with a woman who broke his heart once before. Initially, the plot is slow during character building; most of the characters are not exactly charming, which adds to the dullness. However, the characters share commonalities of harboring secrets, alter egos, and strong desires to be loved. Narrator Jane Oppenheimer gives an amazing performance bringing these characters to life, particularly Teddy and Skyla. She reads Teddy's character with a deep British accent that is quite distinct and intriguing, whereas Skyla is performed with a blunt, croaky voice that becomes convincingly agitated and upset. VERDICT Worth a listen for those up for a unique mystery that is out of the ordinary.—Lacey Webster