Her Last Affair - by John Searles (Paperback)

About the Book

"The long-awaited new novel from the bestselling author of Help for the Haunted and Strange but True, a twisty psychological suspense novel following the intertwining fates of three people"--

Book Synopsis

"A winner: tense and terrifying with a twist you'll never see coming. You won't soon forget these characters and the shocking ways their lives intersect." -- Laura Dave, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Last Thing He Told Me

Every marriage has its secrets....

Skyla lives alone in the shadow of the defunct drive-in movie theater that she and her husband ran for nearly fifty years. Ever since Hollis's death in a freak accident the year before, Skyla spends her nights ruminating about the regrets and deceptions in her long marriage. That is, until she rents a cottage on the property to a charming British man, Teddy Cornwell....

A thousand miles away, Linelle is about to turn fifty. Bored by her spouse and fired from her job when a questionable photo from her youth surfaces on social media, her only source of joy is an on-line affair with her very first love, a man she's not seen in nearly thirty years, Teddy Cornwell...

While in New York City, Jeremy, a failed and bitter writer, accepts an assignment to review a new restaurant in Providence. Years ago, Providence was the site of his first great love and first great heartbreak--and maybe, just maybe, he'll look her up when he's back in town...

Part page-turning thriller, part homage to film noir, and dazzling in its insight into the often desperate desires of the human heart, Her Last Affair is a tense and atmospheric novel of love lost and found again.

Review Quotes

"John Searles brings the misfits among us to life with the clarity of Carson McCullers--and then scares us with the brilliance of Stephen King. Her Last Affair is a perfect, page-turning example of the heart and horror that makes me love his work so very, very much." - Chris Bohjalian, #1 bestselling author of The Flight Attendant and Hour of the Witch
"John Searles' latest thriller is a winner: tense and terrifying with a twist you'll never see coming. You won't soon forget these characters and the shocking ways their lives intersect." - Laura Dave, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Last Thing He Told Me
"In this inventive, deftly woven novel, John Searles conjures a world populated by eccentrics and dreamers who are desperate for a second chance and willing to do almost anything to get it. Genre-bending, cinematic, and darkly funny, Her Last Affair ends with a series of shocking twists that will leave you breathless."
- Christina Baker Kline
"Her Last Affair is filled with wry humor and compassion even as the novel sweeps the reader from charm and romance to the depths of dark suspense. I was captivated from the first page and watched with awe as Searles wove the three storylines into a single, heart-pounding climax. Devastating, and yet at the same time, utterly romantic." - Jean Kwok, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Translation
"Satisfying...A twisted thriller that explores despair and loneliness with cinematic flair." - Kirkus Reviews
"Searles is the master of slow burn and intricate plot building." - Library Journal
"A tense, intricately woven tale of heartbreak, retribution, and redemption. Lisa Jewell fans will be well satisfied." - Publishers Weekly
"Love and revenge commingle until it's almost impossible to tell one from the other in the fascinating, character-driven Her Last Affair. As in his previous three novels, John Searles's low-boil plot hinges on slowly but forcefully building suspense, while subtly dropping clues to the characters' psychological makeup. ... Insightful." - Shelf Awareness
"How Searles weaves the stories of these fascinating, lovelorn characters together is nothing short of brilliant. . . . Her Last Affair is a book that builds the suspense with each turn of the page. The twist that Searles throws in will have you gasping." - Auburn Citizen
"This story had so many twists and turns, it kept me guessing until the very last page." - First for Women
"Eerie and captivating." - Woman's World
"An intensely compelling book of suspense. ... Treat yourself, read this novel! It has odd, fascinating characters, many surprises and enough chills to keep one on edge. Searles is a master of suspense and delivers a bombshell with Her Last Affair. Mystery and psychological thriller readers and book discussion groups will find plenty to talk about." - BookTrib
"In this circuitous mystery, the lives of a widow with a shadowy past, her charming male tenant, a woman desperate to escape her loveless marriage and a travel writer with anger issues intersect and explode into more than one shocking ending. Delightfully creepy." - People
"All of these characters will meet in the final third of the novel, and it will be explosive. There is also a completely unexpected twist that is absolutely brilliant. The finale takes a sharp turn into a much darker place, and the ending is a satisfying one. I was not familiar with John Searles' work before, but he has won me over and found himself a faithful new reader." - Bookreporter.com