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: 7.47

376 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

What Bookclubbers are saying about this book

✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI

Readers say *The Last Housewife* is a dark, intense psychological thriller praised for its gripping plot, complex characters, and thought-provoking ex...

JewelzReads
Apr 20, 2026
8/10 stars
This was worth the read. Surprising subject matter, the trigger warnings are accurate. Satisfy conclusion.
olimarr
Apr 14, 2026
7/10 stars
Very dark. It's missing something, but I can't put my finger on what. Worth the read and if you know what it's missing let me know!
cam20
Apr 07, 2026
10/10 stars
10/10, 100% recommend for psychological thriller readers. This book was tooooo good. Gotta be my favorite. This is the only book I’ve read so far that beats Never Lie by Freida McFadden. The plot was fantastic. It explores victimization, fetishization, and criticizes what’s supposed to feel wrong and right. It judges your morals and values, and explores deep, dark fantasies and the mental battles that come with them. This was the perfect psychological thriller for me. Man, that ending was amazing.
Lrenae
Dec 22, 2025
10/10 stars
This book kept me engaged the entire time, I love that it started right off with its storyline.
Lilboricuabrat
Sep 13, 2025
10/10 stars
I really enjoyed this book. The story is both complex and intense, yet narrated so beautifully that it pulls you in from the very beginning. The story was carefully thought out and the character development was great! I couldn’t stop listening, and toward the end, the twists and turns had me completely hooked. There were even moments where my jaw literally dropped! I think it would make a fantastic movie. I would absolutely recommend The Last Housewife to others—it’s gripping, powerful, and brilliantly told.

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