Jason Rekulak’s The Last One at the Wedding has completely taken over all my online book groups, and honestly, it deserves every bit of the buzz. This perfectly paced psychological thriller is the definition of a page-turner: tense, addictive, and laced with that eerie sense of “something’s not quite right” that keeps you reading just one more chapter… and then another. I stayed up so late trying to finish it in one go, only stopping when my eyes physically refused to stay open. The moment I woke up the next morning I grabbed my Kindle and dove right back in. It was literally my first waking thought, it’s that good.

At the heart of the story is Frank, a widowed single father trying to reconnect with his estranged daughter, Maggie. Years of silence between them seem to melt away with one unexpected phone call: Maggie is engaged, and not just to anyone, but to Aidan Gardner, the lone heir of a famously wealthy New England family. Frank is cautiously optimistic. A chance to rebuild their relationship? A wedding to look forward to? What could go wrong? Well, I’m glad you asked!

From the moment Frank arrives at the Gardners’ remote, wooded wedding venue – a luxurious campground that feels a bit too idyllic to be real – something feels off. Whispers swirl around Aidan’s past. A girl he once dated mysteriously vanished the same weekend he and Maggie supposedly first met. The deeper Frank digs, the more he uncovers, and soon he realizes that neither he nor his daughter may be safe.

What makes this book so memorable isn’t just the twists and reveals (though trust me, there are plenty). Frank’s perspective as a grieving father makes the stakes feel heartbreakingly personal. His desire to protect Maggie (even when it might mean pushing her away again) is portrayed with raw vulnerability, and Rekulak does a brilliant job balancing suspense with deep, human emotion. You’re not just on the edge of your seat because of the danger – you care about these characters, especially Frank, in a way that’s rare for the genre.

The setting, too, adds so much to the book’s atmospheric tension. The isolated forest, the polished surface of the Gardner family’s wealth, the slow but steady unraveling of a yarnball of secrets – it all builds to a crescendo that’s both chilling and satisfying.

I’ve reviewed Rekulak’s earlier book, Hidden Pictures (you can find that review [here]), which leans more into the ghost story territory, proving just how versatile he is as a writer. Where Hidden Pictures is haunting and surreal, The Last One at the Wedding is grounded, gritty, and emotionally driven, but both are equally unputdownable. It’s no exaggeration to say that Rekulak has become one of my favorite modern thriller authors.

If you haven’t picked up one of his books yet, now is the time. Both mentioned here are available on Kindle Unlimited, which makes them a perfect late-night binge. Definitely give his work a shot, it’s some of the best of modern day literature!