The Last One at the Wedding

In the beginning, Frank reminded me of my dad in the best possible way. But as the story continued on, I realized that Frank was the type of person who would rather live in ignorance about his daughter being a decent human being than face the truth. The ending provided a little bit of justice, but I was left wanting more. Listening to the audiobook was a challenge because the narrator's voice was so deep that his 'feminine voices' were super hard to listen to. Also, I have never heard someone pronounce the name Hugo as Who-Ho and that annoyed me the entire time! Overall, I enjoyed the characters but was hoping for more of a change in Frank's arc.

The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak follows Frank Szatowski, a UPS driver who attends his estranged daughter Maggie’s wedding at a secluded New Hampshire estate. She’s marrying Aidan Gardner, heir to a tech fortune, but something about the wealthy family—and the remote setting—feels off. As secrets surface and tensions rise, Frank uncovers a dark past tied to the estate and must act fast to protect his daughter. What begins as a chance at reconnection quickly turns into a chilling fight for the truth. This book made my jaw drop—which automatically makes it a five-star read for me. It took me a while to actually pick it up, but once I did, I was completely locked in. I was so invested in figuring out what happened, and honestly, I adored Frank. He’s just the sweetest dad, doing his best to reconnect and protect his daughter, and I loved that dynamic so much. I especially appreciated how full circle everything felt by the end—and while that might not make sense if you haven’t read it, trust me, once you do, you’ll understand exactly what I mean. It was such a well-executed, gripping read that really stuck with me. This book is perfect for readers who love emotionally grounded thrillers with big twists, especially fans of Lucy Foley, Riley Sager, or Megan Miranda.

This book is in my top 5 best thrillers this year! The plot is gripping and will have you on the edge of your seat. We follow Frank Szatowski who is a UPS driver and lost his wife a few years ago. He has a daughter named Maggie that he is estranged from for the past three years. So Frank is very surprised when Maggie calls him out of the blue to invited him to her wedding in a few months. All he can think about is how he wants to spend time with Maggie and catch up from the time that they were not speaking. Frank is unaware that Maggie is marrying Aiden Gardner, the son of Errol Gardner the Tech Billionaire. That is until he arrives in New Hampshire and pulls to the guard gate and sees this massive estate. He knows that he is way out of his league. But his main focus is to spend time with Maggie on her special week end. Frank tries to get to know his new in-laws, but everyone seems tight lipped. Frank had a run in with some locals and they did not seem to keen on the Gardners. They told Frank about a missing local woman, and they seem to think that the Gardner family is covering something up. Now Frank is determined to find out what kind of family Maggie is marrying into. I had a great time reading this book. So much suspense and twisty turns that I made quick work of it. There were so many “WHAT!!” moments that I did not see coming. I was questioning where this book is headed, whether in a good or bad way, because it was so unpredictable and turned you in many different directions. I feel that this is a must read this year! I love Hidden Pictures and now The Last One at the Wedding is right up there as well.

This book is in my top 5 best thrillers this year! The plot is gripping and will have you on the edge of your seat.

We follow Frank Szatowski who is a UPS driver and lost his wife a few years ago. He has a daughter named Maggie that he is estranged from for the past three years. So Frank is very surprised when Maggie calls him out of the blue to invited him to her wedding in a few months. All he can think about is how he wants to spend time with Maggie and catch up from the time that they were not speaking.

Frank is unaware that Maggie is marrying Aiden Gardner, the son of Errol Gardner the Tech Billionaire. That is until he arrives in New Hampshire and pulls to the guard gate and sees this massive estate. He knows that he is way out of his league. But his main focus is to spend time with Maggie on her special week end. Frank tries to get to know his new in-laws, but everyone seems tight lipped. Frank had a run in with some locals and they did not seem to keen on the Gardners. They told Frank about a missing local woman, and they seem to think that the Gardner family is covering something up. Now Frank is determined to find out what kind of family Maggie is marrying into.

I had a great time reading this book. So much suspense and twisty turns that I made quick work of it. There were so many “WHAT!!” moments that I did not see coming. I was questioning where this book is headed, whether in a good or bad way, because it was so unpredictable and turned you in many different directions. I feel that this is a must read this year! I love Hidden Pictures and now The Last One at the Wedding is right up there as well.

This is the first time I've read this author. And I'm glad I did. The story centers around Frank Szatowkski, a long-time "Circle of Honor" UPS driver, so designated for driving over a million miles delivering packages without a scratch. Frank's daughter, Maggie, calls him with the news that she is getting married, and wants to invite him to the wedding before he sees the invitation in the mail. Frank and Maggie have been estranged for three years (Maggie's choice). So he is delighted that she has reconnected. They agree to meet-up before the wedding, to introduce her fiance, Aidan. Frank has no idea that Aidan is the son of one of the wealthiest tech billionaires in the world, Errol Gardner. But the meeting is strange. Aidan seems disconnected - uninterested in Maggie's childhood growing up, or in Frank himself. Fast-forward to the wedding weekend at the Gardiner's secluded enclave in New England, things become even stranger. And the atmosphere unsettling. Maggie seems to have no time for him. The mother-in-law-to-be is missing. Aidan is not around for the most part. And no one seems to be concerned. Frank's sister, Tammy, is his plus-one. But much to Frank's consternation, Tammy, who is a temporary foster parent for the state of Pennsylvania, is obligated to bring-along her latest foster child, Abigail Grimm. I never got the sense of Abigail's age, but she was last-minute addition as the wedding's flower girl. Abigail was described has having crooked yellow teeth and unable to regulate food intake because her mom and she dumpster-dived to survive. So she gorged. But Abigail became my favorite character, because she was a sweet girl who just needed a father figure in her life. Too much about the weekend was strange. If I were Frank, I would have high-tailed it at the first sign of trouble. But he was there for mending the relationship with his daughter - so of course he couldn't leave. But frankly, Maggie was just awful. I won't get into it why I think this, because I don't want to reveal too much. But Frank was also a favorite character, too - as a father who loves, and never gives up hope.