The Last Stage

By Louise Voss

A reclusive musician’s hiding place is discovered, forcing her to confront her traumatic past … and someone is seeking vengeance. A dark and riveting psychological thriller from number-one bestselling author Louise Voss

‘Superb, like an episode of Midsomer Murders written by Gillian Flynn’ Mark Edwards

‘Such a great concept. Enthrallingly gripping – and those twists! A must read’ Angela Clarke

‘I’ve been a fan of Louise Voss for years and I honestly think The Last Stage is her best yet. A superb read’ Cass Green

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At the peak of her career as lead singer of a legendary 1980s indie band, Meredith Vincent was driven off the international stage by a horrific incident. Now living a quiet existence in a cottage on the grounds of an old stately home, she has put her past behind her and come to terms with her new life.

When a body is found in the manicured gardens of her home, and a series of inexplicable and unsettling events begins to occur, it becomes clear that someone is watching, someone who knows who she is … Someone who wants vengeance.

And this is only the beginning…

A dark, riveting and chilling psychological thriller, The Last Stage is also a study of secrets and obsessions, where innocent acts can have the most terrifying consequences.

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‘The slow reveals and hints at the darkness to come make it impossible to put down’ Sarah Pinborough

‘Twists, turns and stabs you in the heart. It deserves to be huge’ Martyn Waites

‘An expert piece of contrivance’ Publishers Weekly

‘Brilliantly unsettling’ Jane Casey

‘Cleverly plotted and beautifully executed’ Susi Holliday

‘Ingeniously plotted and totally addictive’ Paddy Magrane

‘I was guessing right to the end’ Katarina Diamond

‘A compelling descent into darkness’ Ed James

‘A cracking page-turner that sucks you straight into the dark heart of human behaviour. I couldn’t put it down!’ Marnie Riches

‘A tense, super-twisty, well-written page-turner … Fab read’ Amanda Jennings

‘Poignant, clever and terrifically tense’ William Shaw, author of The Birdwatcher

‘A highly entertaining, thoroughly enjoyable and gripping read’ LoveReading

‘Gripping and twisty’ Mel McGrath

‘An expert piece of contrivance’ Publishers Weekly

‘Ingeniously plotted and totally addictive‘ Paddy Magrane

• Language: English
• Publisher: ORENDA BOOKS
• Release date: Jun 9, 2019
• ISBN: 9781912374885

Louise Voss

Mark Edwards and Louise Voss met after Louise saw Mark on a TV documentary about aspiring writers, and a writing partnership was born. Their first two thrillers, Killing Cupid and Catch Your Death, were huge hits when the pair self-published them online, becoming the first UK indie authors to reach No. 1 in both the Amazon Kindle and Amazon Fiction charts. Mark is also the bestselling author of Psychological Thriller, The Magpies.

Reviews for The Last Stage

[nicx27 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

First of all, what a prologue. Short but very effective and I was glad I wasn't reading it in bed.The Last Stage is a clever title, a play on words. Meredith Vincent was part of a band that was once huge. She was the lead singer and in the '80s and '90s the band, Cohen, was riding high. Why then did she suddenly decide to leave it all behind to work as a gift shop manager in a stately home, living in a remote cottage on the grounds? The last stage could be the last time she was on a stage, howling out lyrics. Or it could be the last stage in her life. For somebody seems out to get Meredith and to ruin her much cultivated anonymity and virtually reclusive life. When one of her friends turns up dead and all sorts of small incidents start to add up, she realises that an attack on her years earlier may not have been the last one.I liked Meredith very much as a character. She was very closed off in many ways but understandably so as she had suffered a huge trauma in the past. She's very close to her twin brother, Pete, but apart from that friends and family are practically non-existent. I think she just pushed everyone away.I have to mention the setting. Whilst Greenham Common and a squat in London in the '80s form a small part of the setting, the major part is the stately home where Meredith lives and works. I thought this was inspired and so interesting. The grounds are busy in the day but deserted at night and so Meredith is very much alone there a lot of the time which added to the tension. I also find the idea of working in such a place fascinating, surrounded by opulence and history.There's a sense of something brewing all the way through the book until the conclusion when all is revealed. I didn't see it coming at all, the sign of a well written story. I did also find myself giggling once or twice at some of the things that were said or which happened. Whilst not a funny book, there's sometimes a sharp edge to the writing that really amused me.The Last Stage is a fantastic psychological thriller and I enjoyed it such a lot. It's skilfully plotted with a cast of really interesting characters, a great storyline and a fabulous denouement.