The Last Thing She Saw - by Nina Laurin (Paperback)

About the Book

"After a flood destroys the historic center of a rural Quebec town, a child's body is discovered. The remains are decades-old and nearly impossible to identify, yet the whole town knows at once who they belong to. Nine-year-old Michelle Fortier vanished without a trace in 1979, and her fate remained unknown--until now. Stephanie O'Malley grew up in her mother's crumbling trailer listening to stories of Michelle's vanishing-stories she once tried to turn into a podcast without much success. Although Stephanie left Marly fifteen years ago and vowed never to return, she finds herself back with her tempestuous mother Laura, her high school sweetheart Luc, and the entire town in an uproar as it grapples with its long-buried secrets. While Stephanie struggles to separate the truth from wild rumors about witchcraft and town-wide conspiracies, Laura is consumed by the strange feeling that all this has happened before. But as the story takes a turn for the sordid, the bombshell drops: the body might not be Michelle after all"--

Book Synopsis

This thrilling and intense psychological novel from the bestselling author of Girl Last Seen follows the residents of a rural town in Quebec as they grapple with long-buried secrets coming to light after the discovery of a child's remains.

After a flood destroys the historic center of a small Quebec town, a child's body is discovered. The remains are decades-old and nearly impossible to identify, yet everyone knows at once who they belong to. Nine-year-old Michelle Fortier vanished without a trace in 1979, and her fate has remained unknown--until now.

Stephanie O'Malley grew up in her mother's crumbling trailer listening to stories of Michelle's disappearance, stories she once tried to turn into a podcast without much success. Although Stephanie left Marly fifteen years ago and vowed never to return, she finds herself back with her tempestuous mother Laura, her high school sweetheart Luc, and the entire community in an uproar.

While Stephanie struggles to separate the truth from wild rumors about witchcraft and town-wide conspiracies, Laura is consumed by the strange feeling that all this has happened before. But then a bombshell drops: the body might not be Michelle after all.

Review Quotes

"[A] chilling novel of psychological suspense... Readers will keep turning the pages as the secrets of Venture's residents come out, along with potential motives for murder. Laurin is an accomplished storyteller."--Publishers Weekly on A Woman Alone

"A twisty, mind-bending thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat as she probes the bond and secrets between twins."--USA Today on What My Sister Knew

"An intense psychological thriller that has a surprise twist... Laurin provides an insightful look at how secrets can shatter a bond between twins."--Publishers Weekly on What My Sister Knew

"Laurin crafts a Rebecca for a new generation, tapping into the old fears of domestic security, predecessor anxiety, and adding in a dash of high-tech paranoia. This is domestic suspense taken to a logical, terrifying extreme."--CrimeReads.com on A Woman Alone

"Laurin creates a compelling, vulnerable central character."--Publishers Weekly on Girl Last Seen

"Laurin knows how to rachet up the suspense."--Publishers Weekly on The Starter Wife

"Laurin, with her knack for psychological suspense, here portrays the effects of obsession in chilling detail as the facts of Claire's life are revealed. A spine-tingler."--Booklist on The Starter Wife

About the Author

Nina Laurin studied Creative Writing at Concordia University in Montreal, where she currently lives. She arrived there when she was just twelve years old, and she speaks and reads in Russian, French, and English but writes her novels in English. She wrote her first novel while getting her writing degree, and Girl Last Seen was a bestseller a year later in 2017.
Nina is fascinated by the darker side of mundane things, and she's always on the lookout for her next twisted book idea. Learn more at NinaLaurin.com.