all work and no play

Kerry Walsh has a lot of work to do. Her second novel is overdue, and her advance has long been spent. She’s separated from her husband, estranged from her best friend Siobhan, and trying to stay sober long enough to get some words on the page. So when she found out about a caretaker position at a Catskills motel, Kerry jumped at the chance.

The Twilite Motel was a small roadside motel that had been refurbished with modern comforts and a retro vibe. The owner, Maisy, had set it up for artists and influencers, so during the odd-season, she offered it up a month at a time for artists who wanted a quiet place to work for a while. Kerry had heard about the opportunity and signed up. But when she arrived and went to the room where she was supposed to stay, the last room on the left, she knew something was wrong.

As soon as she opened the door to the room, Kerry was met with a mess. There was clearly a party in there. There were alcohol bottles scattered around as well as evidence of drug use. And there was a suitcase, probably from the last caretaker, Kerry figured. When she was certain that there was no one in the room, Kerry left and decided to move herself into a nearby room. She got herself settled and tried to write. But making the words come was a struggle.

The next day, Kerry went back to that last room. She saw that no one had come back to clean up or retrieve their suitcase. There was no car in the parking lot other than hers. And then it started to snow. Kerry grabs some of the wine from the party and settles back in to her room to try to write. But the wine wins, and she falls asleep instead of getting any work done. She wakes up angry with herself. The drinking was something she had been trying to get away from. And then the motel loses power.

Kerry isn’t worried about the lack of heat, as there is a way to build a fire in her room. But there is almost no cell phone service at the motel, and no power means that the landline stopped working also. Kerry looks around the motel again to make sure everything is okay, and that’s when she spots something under the snow. A flash of red. Kerry gets closer to see what it is and figures out that it’s red fingernail polish. It’s a woman’s hand. And Kerry starts to run.

She had seen a farmhouse about a mile down the road. Kerry’s car will never make it through that much snow, and she can’t call anyone, so she goes toward the farmhouse to try to get some help. But she’s worried. She doesn’t know who she’ll find there, if anyone. She’s fortunate enough to meet a woman who has a radio she can use to call her brother, who is a police officer. And her son can drive Kerry back to the motel to wait for the police to show. But when they do, there is no dead body in the courtyard. There are just two officers looking dubious and asking her if she’s okay.

Kerry knows what she saw. But she also knows that when she was drinking heavily, she had seen things that weren’t there. But a dead body in the snow? Had she really seen that? She wasn’t sure anymore. But what she did know is that she is living as a caretaker at a remote motel, neighbors miles away, no cell phone, no friends, and a heavy deadline hanging over her. She still has a whole month all to herself. And there may be a killer nearby.

Leah Konen is known for her thrillers, not horror. But when a friend suggested she try a retelling of The Shining, she found herself writing about a story about a woman in a motel, alone, either losing her mind or trying to find a killer. And possibly finding a dead body is just the beginning of her unraveling as the days slip by and secrets come to light.

The Last Room on the Left is a crazy ride of a novel, filled with twists and surprises. I got sucked in early and had trouble setting the book aside for any length of time. I don’t read a lot of horror, but I thought this one was perfectly edgy and chillingly entertaining. I loved learning more about Kerry and what had brought her to the motel, but there is a parallel story that is just as fascinating that helps illuminate Kerry’s story and adds so much interest to this book. Even if you’re not a horror fan, I’d recommend you read through a few pages and see if this is something that you might like. You might be surprised at how easy it is to get pulled into this book.

Egalleys for The Last Room on the Left were provided by G.P. Putnam’s Sons through NetGalley, with many thanks.