Marilyn's Mystery Reads

Book Author: Riley Sager

Imagine what life is like for Quincy Carpenter, the only survivor of a brutal attack that leaves six of her college dorm mates dead.  Ten years have gone by, but there’s not a day that she doesn’t think about that night.  And now someone has come into her life to bring it back into even sharper focus.

As Final Girls opens, Quincy is one of three girls who have been given that name by the media.  Each of the girls, actually women now, were the sole survivors of three different murderous attacks.  Lisa Milner’s took place at her college sorority house; Samantha Boyd was working at a motel when three guests were killed; and Quincy was with her friends at the remote Pine Cottage to celebrate the birthday of one of them.

Quincy has done her best to move on with her life.  She has a live-in boyfriend, she is the author of the Baking is Better than Therapy website, and she is still friends with the man who rescued her from the Cottage.  After Quincy ran screaming from the Cottage into the woods, it was Coop, a member of the local police force, who found her and took her to the hospital.  And he’s been a part of her life ever since.

Now Coop calls and asks her to meet him at their usual place.  Whatever he wants to talk about must be serious, Quincy thinks, because it’s a three hour drive from his home to Manhattan.  And it is serious–one of the three Final Girls, Lisa Milner, has been found dead by her own hand, according to local police.

Of course Lisa’s death brings out the media in full force, camped in front of Quincy’s condo.  When she returns from a jog in Central Park, hoping that the crowd has dispersed, she spots a familiar face among the reporters.  At first she can’t remember who the woman is, although judging from the outfit she’s wearing, she must write for some type of alternative paper or blog, Quincy thinks.  But that turns out not to be the case.  In fact the woman with the raven black hair, combat boots, fishnet stockings, blood red lips, and goth eyeliner is Samantha Boyd, the other surviving Final Girl.

Both Jeff, Quincy’s almost fiancé, and Coop, her detective/father figure, are suspicious of Sam’s motives in coming to Quincy immediately after Lisa’s death.  Quincy herself is unsure about Sam, but there’s a connection between them that she can’t ignore.  So she doesn’t, to her peril.

Final Girls is a thriller that will keep you reading faster and faster until you reach the unexpected ending.  Riley Sager has written a terrific page-turner.

Riley Sager is the pseudonym of an editor and graphic designer.  You can read more about him at his website.

Check out the complete Marilyn’s Mystery Reads at her website.  In addition to book review posts, there are sections featuring Golden Oldies, Past Masters and Mistresses, and an About Marilyn column that features her opinions about everything to do with mystery novels.