BOOK REVIEW: The Last Woman in the Forest by Diane Les Becquets @dlesbecquets @berkleypub #bookbestieslastwomanintheforest #thelastwomanintheforest

The opening chapter to Diane Les Becquet’s The Last Woman in the Forest is positively chilling! From the moment I read it, I seriously couldn’t put the book down. I wouldn’t say this is an action-fueled thriller, but it is absolutely a plot-driven thriller. As I read clue after clue, I needed to understand how the pieces would come together. Outstanding and powerful—this thriller by Diane Les Becquets is a must-read!

About the Book

Told primarily from Marian’s point of view, we see Marian’s search for answers unfold across the pages of this book. While training to be a handler for rescue dogs, Marian meets and falls in love with her mentor Tate. He makes Marian feel special and connected for the first time in her life. Marian has always felt somewhat adrift from other people. A loner. With her work with the dogs and with Tate, Marian has finally found her place in life.

But as the novel opens, Tate has died tragically. Amidst her grief, Marian starts to question small things from her time with Tate that don’t quite add up. A story he once told that she later found out can’t be true, or a moment where he was particularly distant, almost vacant when he responded to her. And then there is the story of the body her once discovered. One of the Stillwater Girls, so named for a string of four women found murdered and disposed of in the forest.

As Marian begins to suspect that Tate may be responsible for the murders of at least four women, she reaches out to a forensic profiler who worked on the case in the hopes of proving his innocence. Because how could she have fallen in love with a monster?

Reflection

Marian’s character is a mix of strong and vulnerable. The more we learn about her past with Tate, the more confusing it all becomes for both the reader and for Marian. The truth is, her memories with Tate are complicated. He shows her so much love and caring, at a time when she’s particularly in need. But then there are the tall tales he tells, which may just be the words of a man inflating the truth to impress a girl, or may speak to something more sinister…

I wondered myself what to make of Tate. Marian’s story is filled with all the wonderful moments and inconsistencies. And with the passage of time since his death and through her investigation, the rosy glasses of love come off and it is easier to separate truth from lie. But what is the lie? Could Tate have been responsible, or was it another tall tale?

The profiler Nick is such a wonderful character. I loved his story with his wife Cate, and how their relationship has been so supportive all of these years as Nick took on the worst aspects of humanity in an effort to find closure for the victims of crimes. The Stillwater Girls always stuck with Nick, the way horrific murders without conclusion often do. The first story we hear at the opening is about a woman named Natasha. And her story haunts me, more than any of the others. She’s so alone and vulnerable and kind. I don’t think I’ll soon forget Natasha’s story, brought to life by Nick.

The mystery itself completely captivated me. How do we track down the whereabouts of someone who is gone now, and who lived a non-traditional life with his research? The clues are muddled. For everything that makes Tate look innocent, another clue lends credibility to his guilt. But isn’t that the frustrating thing about this type of search? The truth is in the absence of plausible evidence that it can’t be Tate. So Marian’s search for closure feels unending. There’s always another clue to follow.

More than anything, this is a novel about our instincts. How do we learn to trust that small moment that tells us something may not be right? The author’s note at the end is vulnerable, haunting, and powerful. She talks a lot about why she wrote this book and what she wanted to convey. I won’t repeat her story, but I do encourage readers to read through to her note at the end. I will leave you with this, directly from the author:

 “This novel is my attempt to address the fear and vulnerability too many women live with every day, and to encourage women to pay attention when something doesn’t feel right, to heed that small voice inside themselves.”

Thank you to Berkley for my copy, opinions are my own.

Book Besties

Check out the reviews by the book besties, whom I had the pleasure to read this with!

Berit at Audio Killed the Bookmark
Jennifer at Tarheel Reader