The Last Housewife, Ashley Winstead
The Last Housewife, Ashley Winstead
78 Rating(s)
List: $22.95 | Sale: $16.07
Club: $11.47

The Last Housewife
A Novel

Author: Ashley Winstead

Narrator: Alexis Van Aiken

Unabridged: 12 hr 11 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 08/16/2022


Synopsis

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?

About Ashley Winstead

Ashley Winstead is an academic turned novelist with a PhD in contemporary American literature. She lives in Houston with her husband, two cats, and beloved wine fridge. You can find her at www.AshleyWinstead.com or on Instagram @ashleywinsteadbooks.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Nilufer on May 26, 2023

Aaaaaaahhhhh! Can you hear my shriek? If you didn’t, at least my entire neighborhood absolutely heard. The polite and old couple at next door super nicely advised me stop reading the most exciting parts of the book aloud and shut the freak out! ( of course they didn’t choose the freak word to emphas......more

Goodreads review by jessica on August 18, 2022

this is a great mystery/thriller and im a big fan of its narrative structure. its a mix between prose and podcast transcripts. it has an interactive/multi-media feel that some recent mystery/thrillers have used and i think it works really well, especially as it all ties together right at the end of......more

Goodreads review by Riley on August 23, 2022

now THATS how you do a thriller!!......more

Goodreads review by JaymeO on August 21, 2022

Sex cult meets true crime in this disturbing sophomore thriller. I decided to give Ashley Winstead another shot, after being one of the few who didn’t gush over her debut. Well, let’s just say I’m not drooling over this one either. Let me explain… While The Last Housewife claims to shock readers with......more

Goodreads review by Chelsea on November 29, 2022

As a massive fan of Winstead's 2021 debut "In My Dreams I Hold a Knife", her newest thriller "The Last Housewife" was easily my most anticipated read of 2022! Ashley truly has a gift in storytelling, and her characters, setting, and plot progression are commendable. While this wasn't an immediate fa......more


Quotes

“A truly terrifying novel.” Cosmopolitan

“Aiken’s spirited rendering of this mystery makes for a chilling listening experience.” AudioFile

“Examines what it means to covet the lives of others, no matter the cost.” New York Times

“Deliciously unputdownable.” Washington Post

“I barely breathed through most of this horrifyingly engrossing story, so consider yourself warned.” Good Housekeeping

“A great crime story…a memorable and satisfying piece of noir fiction.” Southern Review of Books

“Strap in for a terrifying tale of revenge.” Seattle Times

“A memorable and satisfying piece of noir fiction.” Southern Review of Books

“This explosive cautionary tale of a ‘podcast meets sex cult meets murder’ will captivate fans of twisted psychological suspense.” Library Journal (starred review)

“A clever, twisty, unnerving ride through feminism, patriarchy, and power.” Samantha Downing, author of For Your Own Good


Awards

  • LibraryReads Pick
  • Amazon Editors' Pick
  • Cosmopolitan Pick
  • Good Housekeeping Pick
  • Seattle Times Pick
  • Today Show Pick
  • New York Post Pick
  • Reading the West Book Award