Last Seen Alive: A Novel

Written by Claire Douglas

Narrated by Katie Clarkson-Hill

One woman is trapped in the death-grip of the past—and every one of its dark secrets—in this riveting novel of psychological suspense from the award-winning author of The Sisters and Local Girl Missing.

She can run…

As much as Libby Hall needs a vacation, she’s never considered taking one until she sees the note for a house swap. Suffering a miscarriage was a personal turning point. Saving a child from a burning school was a public one. Just as the emotional fallout of both incidents takes its toll, along comes her lifesavers—the Heywoods, a couple in need of a getaway of their own.

But she can’t hide…

Libby and her husband Jamie can’t believe their good fortune when they arrive at the Heywood’s isolated seaside estate with its panoramic views—and just in exchange for their drab two-bedroom apartment. How generous of the Heywoods! Yet how odd. Libby almost feels guilty until the home yields disquieting surprises: a fortune in hidden surveillance equipment, a stranger in the garden who watches them, and the make-shift operating room in the basement…

Because someone knows her secret…

When Jamie falls dangerously ill, all Libby wants is to return to their comfortably imperfect lives. But it’s already too late. Libby has just discovered the Heywoods’ biggest secret. And when it appears that even Jamie is hiding something from her, Libby’s paranoia gets the best of her. It should. For she has buried secrets of her own. As the past comes crawling out of the darkness, Libby fears she’s walked into an elaborate trap. But who has set it? What do they want of her? And what is she willing to risk to make it out alive…?

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Jun 26, 2018
• ISBN: 9780062848680

Claire Douglas

Claire Douglas is the Sunday Times number one bestselling author of eight stand alone novels: The Sisters, Local Girl Missing, Last Seen Alive, Do Not Disturb, Then She Vanishes, and Just Like The Other Girls, The Couple at No. 9, and The Girls Who Disappeared. Her books have sold over a million copies in the UK and have been published worldwide. The Couple At No 9 was an Amazon number-one bestseller, a number three Sunday Times bestseller, and most recently hit number one on Germany's Der Spiegel paperback bestsellers chart. The Girls Who Disappeared was a Richard and Judy book club pick for Autumn 2022 and was an instant number-one Sunday Times bestseller. Her books have sold over a million copies in the UK and have been published worldwide.

Reviews for Last Seen Alive

[Carolanne Bamford · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A really good plot - clever and twisty with some genuine surprises. The character development was clever too. Perhaps it was personal but I never really liked the main character ‘Libby’ as she appeared to be too nice and her anxieties were grating. That being said, I didn’t appreciate the rather stereotypical characterisations of northern women - all being a little unruly and unkempt in comparison to more glossy southern counterparts. I also wonder if I wouldn’t have noticed but the unnecessary use of vocabulary in phrases such as, ‘oscillating between my feelings’ was used three times, which I found distracting. The narrator should also not do the West Country accent - I laughed out loud at it a few times.

[Gary · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Incredibly sophisticated storyline with strong main characters whose lives intertwine & intersect in some seriously wicked ways. I didn’t think a story a bit outlandish could be so believable but here it is! Excellent work and fantastic performance.

[Janet Silde · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow! There are so many twists sometimes I found myself pausing the book the straighten it all out in my head. I like that!