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The Last Housewife

A Novel

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The Last Housewife

Written by: Ashley Winstead
Narrated by: Alexis Van Aiken
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About this listen

From the author of the acclaimed In My Dreams I Hold a Knife comes a pitch-black thriller about a woman determined to destroy a powerful cult and avenge the deaths of the women taken in by it, no matter the cost.

While in college in upstate New York, Shay Evans and her best friends met a captivating man who seduced them with a web of lies about the way the world works, bringing them under his thrall. By senior year, Shay and her friend Laurel were the only ones who managed to escape. Now, eight years later, Shay’s built a new life in a tony Texas suburb. But when she hears the horrifying news of Laurel’s death―delivered, of all ways, by her favorite true-crime podcast crusader―she begins to suspect that the past she thought she buried is still very much alive, and the predators more dangerous than ever.

Recruiting the help of the podcast host, Shay goes back to the place she vowed never to return to in search of answers. As she follows the threads of her friend’s life, she’s pulled into a dark, seductive world, where wealth and privilege shield brutal philosophies that feel all too familiar. When Shay’s obsession with uncovering the truth becomes so consuming she can no longer separate her desire for justice from darker desires newly reawakened, she must confront the depths of her own complicity and conditioning. But in a world built for men to rule it—both inside the cult and outside of it—is justice even possible, and if so, how far will Shay go to get it?

©2022 Ashley Winstead (P)2022 Blackstone Publishing
Psychological Suspense Cult New York
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What the critics say

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What listeners say about The Last Housewife

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Handmaid's Tale Meets Eyes Wide Shut

I really enjoyed this book - it's full of hints and clues that lead to the juicy, gory climax, which I expected but still found enjoyable. The narration was excellent. I took one star for two reasons: Shay keeps getting invited back regardless of the fact that she never seems to actually participate and the whole initiation scene doesn't make sense given that it happens regardless of that fact that she has yet to prove herself a devotee. I also found the mix of sex and violence within the cult confusing - is it a sex cult for men and women who are into S&M (the Tongue Cut Sparrow and drugs and alcohol suggest yes) or is it a gender essentialism cult that brainwash women into believing in subservience and servitude with an undercurrent of rape, physical violence and snuff films thrown in (which the clothing, chores, etc suggest)? All in all, a super entertaining listen with a very gory side of revenge at the end!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting take on cults

I loved the podcast angle. The main character was well written. Very interesting listen. Good for a drive!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A Mind F*cken psychological Thriller!!!

This book was a very creepy, twisty and thought provoking read. I found myself taking some deep breaths after some of the graphic details. The more I read through this plot, the darker it got; but I couldn't put it down! The POV Shay Evans retells her chilling story of college life and traumatic events with a very violent patriarchal cult "The Hilltop" after her best friend Laurel is found dead.
Shay is determined to uncover what has truly happened with Laurel whom she believes was murdered and not a suicide as the media was lead to believe. This story uncovers a very large underground community that infiltrates government, higher education, defense systems behind missing women, sex trafficing and organized sex cults. Highly recommend check the trigger warnings, by no means is this a light hearted read. This is my first Ashely Windstead read but certainly not my last.
Well written, entertaining, a mind fuc*ken psychological thriller. 5stars.

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Absolutely Excellent

One of the very best thrillers I have read in a long time. This should be at the top of everyone’s must-read lists. Truly excellent.

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Well written, keeps your interested

I really liked this book. It tied together nicely. Great narration. Was more sexual than I expected.

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Draws you in immediately

An easy and gripping read. Excellent narration, and has parallels to true stories. Would recommend to anyone looking for an intriguing thriller. Some graphic/upsetting content.

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    3 out of 5 stars

The narration was horrible.

I might not be the best judge of narration, as I don’t often listen to audiobooks due to my frustration with certain narrating styles, but this was next-level awful. I listened to The Maid just before this, narrated by Lauren Ambrose and absolutely adored it - probably more so because of the narration. I might have really enjoyed this book, but the narration absolutely destroyed the story. Long, drawn-out sentences made it feel like an endlessly long and boring story (and didn’t sound good sped up because of the narrator’s pacing), the melodrama narration style was grating, and overall, it was more of a distraction than an enhancement to the story.

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