“Every parent’s an unreliable narrator. We think we know our kids better than anyone. But none of us can see them objectively.”
― Jason Rekulak, The Last One at the Wedding

Have you ever read a review quote that perfectly sums up a book? Grady Hendrix said the following about The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak: “The ultimate middle-class Dad battles the 1% for his daughter’s soul in the best thriller I’ve read all year.” This review quote captures my latest read perfectly!

Frank hasn’t talked to his daughter Maggie in three years, so he’s noticeably shocked and excited when she calls him out of the blue. His shock is even more amplified when Maggie announces that she is engaged and she wants Frank to come to her wedding in New Hampshire this upcoming summer. Full of dreams and hope, Frank eagerly accepts, envisioning a perfect future with Maggie and her new husband. He has a second chance to make things right.

Things starts to fall apart gradually. When Frank first meets Maggie’s fiance, he is shocked. Maggie is marrying into an incredibly wealthy family. Her husband-to-be is Aidan, the son of a famous tech billionaire. Aidan has no interest in meeting Frank however. He shows up late to dinner and spends the entire evening brooding and drinking as much as possible. Hoping his reaction is due to circumstances outside his control, Frank keeps attempting to bond with Aidan.

Months later, when Frank arrives at the wedding venue, he discovers that the wedding is taking place at a private estate. Osprey Cove is secluded, luxurious, and staffed by armed guards who patrol the perimeter fence. Staff swarm the grounds preparing for the pre-wedding activities. Feeling completely out of his depth, Frank decides that he is going to spend this time reconnecting with Maggie and working to learn more about her new family. This is increasingly difficult as Maggie has a million wedding tasks to complete, Aidan is constantly disappearing, and Aidan’s mother is locked in her bedroom recovering from a debilitating migraine. Frank is also confused as he discovers that the locals are hostile to the Gardners due to the disappearance of a local woman. Who is telling the truth? The more Frank starts to poke around, the more he realizes all the secrets that are hiding. His quest to learn more about the Gardners could cost him any relationship with Maggie. Should he keep searching? Or live in the dark? How far is he willing to go?

Hidden Pictures by this same author was my favorite book of 2022, so my expectations were high when I learned he had a new book coming out in October 2024. While I enjoyed The Last One at the Wedding, it didn’t live up to my Hidden Pictures expectations. That didn’t stop my deep enjoyment of all the twists and turns. This book is full of suspicions, red herrings, and plot changes that had me on the edge of my seat. Highly recommend this book if you’re looking for a domestic suspense thriller full of tension, family drama, and conspiracy.

“Everyone has a story. Some of us are better at telling it than others.”
― Jason Rekulak, The Last One at the Wedding

This title is also available in large print.