The Last Word by Taylor Adams Summary
Overview of The Last Word
When a one-star review turns deadly: "The Last Word" follows Emma Carpenter's terrifying dance with a vengeful author. This double-starred psychological thriller from Taylor Adams masterfully satirizes publishing culture while delivering what Riley Sager calls "a white-knuckle, read-in-a-sitting thrill ride."
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Key takeaways
A Deadly One-Star Review
Emma Carpenter lives in self-imposed exile, grieving in a remote glass-walled beach house with only her golden retriever Laika for company. Her days consist of reading e-books and playing long-distance Hangman with her elderly neighbor Deek through telescopes. When Emma finishes a ninety-nine-cent horror novel called "Murder Mountain" by H.G. Kane, she's unimpressed by its predictable plot and gratuitous violence. Following her consumer instinct, she leaves a one-star review on Amazon, thinking nothing of it. But Kane responds immediately-first with a polite request to remove the review because it hurts his income, then with increasingly hostile messages when Emma refuses. What begins as a simple act of literary criticism spirals into something far more sinister. Strange occurrences pile up: a bird dies against her window, a shadowy figure appears in her bedroom, mysterious footprints appear in the sand beside her own. The glass walls that offer stunning ocean views now create a fishbowl effect-Emma can see everything outside, but anyone outside can see her too. Is she imagining things, or is someone watching her? The line between grief-induced hallucination and actual danger becomes terrifyingly thin.
The Weight of Unimaginable Loss
When Authors Attack
Digital Breadcrumbs Leading to Your Door
The Betrayal You Never See Coming
The House That Knows Your Secrets
Rising from the Depths
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"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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