The Last Housewife: A Novel

"A stunning, disturbing thriller that will have your mind and heart racing." --Samantha Downing

From the author of the acclaimed In My Dreams I Hold a Knife comes a pitch-black thriller about a woman determined to destroy a powerful cult and avenge the deaths of the women taken in by it, no matter the cost.

While in college in upstate New York, Shay Evans and her best friends met a captivating man who seduced them with a web of lies about the way the world works, bringing them under his thrall. By senior year, Shay and her friend Laurel were the only ones who managed to escape. Now, eight years later, Shay's built a new life in a tony Texas suburb. But when she hears the horrifying news of Laurel's death--delivered, of all ways, by her favorite true-crime podcast crusader--she begins to suspect that the past she thought she buried is still very much alive, and the predators more dangerous than ever.

Recruiting the help of the podcast host, Shay goes back to the place she vowed never to return to in search of answers. As she follows the threads of her friend's life, she's pulled into a dark, seductive world, where wealth and privilege shield brutal philosophies that feel all too familiar. When Shay's obsession with uncovering the truth becomes so consuming she can no longer separate her desire for justice from darker desires newly reawakened, she must confront the depths of her own complicity and conditioning. But in a world built for men to rule it--both inside the cult and outside of it--is justice even possible, and if so, how far will Shay go to get it?

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Published Apr 4, 2023

416 pages

Average rating: 7.46

344 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

jess.withbooks
Jun 05, 2025
4/10 stars
“He thought it would make me happy. You look happy, I reminded myself. Especially from far away.”
☁️☁️☁️
I went into the book expecting something similar to “In My Dreams” & left it feeling…unsettled. And upset. And overwhelmed.

I’ve been mulling over my thoughts on Shay’s experiences with her past (and current) trauma that drives this narrative, and I still don’t think I’ve reached a consensus on whether or not I feel that the violence in this book (serious content warning!!) helps the narrative more than it harms the overall story. Jury’s still out for me…but I do think that this book opens up an important dialogue on these portrayals.
Kellyo
May 29, 2025
7/10 stars
This one was heavy but full of surprises.
Lotusbookworm247
Apr 05, 2025
10/10 stars
This book had me questioning A LOT ! Such a WELL written book ! If you can get your hands on it READ IT
KBRielly
Mar 28, 2025
6/10 stars
Group Rating 6
bookshelf.at.tiffanys
Dec 19, 2024
10/10 stars
Wow.

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