Aimed So High

I understand the concept of marketing hyperbole, but really?

The Last Room on the Left by Leah Konen (2025) – Kerry’s life is a string of problems. Her husband left her, her drinking is getting out of control, and she is stuck on a book she’s writing whose deadline is coming fast. The chance to caretake a newly remodeled motel in the mountains of New York sounds like the perfect opportunity for a personal and professional re-launch. Then she discovers her predecessor is an old friend who died at the motel in unclear (but violent) circumstances, there appears to be a murderer on the loose, and a winter storm is coming. Her attempts to solve all these issues will have her questioning her sanity, and the motives of the people around her.

Why I Liked It – A solid thriller with the necessary twists and turns to lure you in.

I hate when people want to compare work with more established, even legendary performers/creators. The classic example is calling a new rock band “the next Beatles”. No. Just no. So I cringed a bit when I saw the marketing that said this novel was “…a feminist take on “The Shining”.

Sigh.

I’m not sure what makes this “feminist” other than having a female lead character. It’s pretty straightforward stuff to my eyes. And yes, it’s a struggling writer caretaking a hotel/motel in the winter in the mountains. The similarities stop there. Konen is a good writer who does a nice job here. But spare her the comparison to the greatest/best selling/most popular horror writer of the last fifty years. It’s an injustice to everyone involved, including readers.

What we have here is a solid thriller based on human frailties, broken relations and unanswered questions. The setting in the Catskills is perfect for a protagonist who has lost her way to face the crossroad of her life at the moment. The result is a story where my “prime suspect” jumped around. Which is all you can want in this kind of book. At that level, this is a winner.

Kerry is the main character. Her hope is that the isolation will give her a new starting point for her life. Unfortunately, there is one complication after another. Her relationship with Siobahn, her long-time best friend, has been on the rocks, leaving Kerry without her safety net. There’s the dead body that appears, then disappears! The neighbors have issues that involve the motel, as well. There’s a lot of good stuff here, and the author gives you an enjoyable ride with it.

There’s a distracting, unneeded, and problematic kinky sex aspect that I don’t understand. (It’s also a VERY small part of the overall. So small that it makes me wonder why it was included. Either commit to it and make it important, or drop it. The first option would be a mistake, and the second is in the “nobody would miss it” category.) Most of the characters aren’t going to make you love them. Just overall, not nice people. But, “The Great Gatsby” is all about nasty, unlikable characters, and is still one of the greatest pieces of American literature, IMHO.

“The Last Room on the Left” is everything it needs to be. Well written, well told, and filled with false trails for the reader to follow. Let it be what is-a fun read.

“The Last Room on the Left” hits shelves at bookstores near you yesterday, January 14! You’ll enjoy the read.

This review is based on an Advanced Reader Copy provided to me by the publishers at Putnam. The review is entirely original to me, and is consistent with my stated policy on reviews. You’ll find those policies HERE.

Rating – *** Worth A Look