Review - the Last Passenger by Will Dean

The Last Passenger by Will Dean

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton 

Release date: 11 May 2023

Back cover blurb: Caz Ripley, a cafe owner from a small, ordinary town, boards the RMS Atlantica with her boyfriend Pete and a thousand fellow passengers destined for New York. The next morning, she wakes to discover that everyone else on board has disappeared. And that's just the beginning. Caz must prepare for a crossing that will be anything but plain sailing ...

Caz Ripley a café owner, and first time cruiser is excited but apprehensive about boarding a transatlantic crossing with the boyfriend Pete. They haven't been together particularly long, but she is old enough to know that he is one of the good ones, and hopes that they will have a great holiday together.

As a seasoned cruiser, before I get in to too much detail I just want to applaud the attention to detail. Who wouldn't want to board a wonderful transatlantic crossing to New York? And those passengers that Caz encounters at dinner - every cruise line has them!

When Caz wakes up to her first morning at sea, she discovers that Pete isn't next to her in the cabin. At first she thinks he just woke up early and isn't too bothered that he may have chosen to go exploring without her, he'll be back soon enough.

It isn't until she leaves the cabin herself that she understands the horrifying truth, there is no one else on board the ship. She is completely alone. But that simply cannot be. How is ship steering if there are no bridge crew on board?

Caz searches the ship frantically looking for signs of life, she enters restricted crew areas, hoping for answers, clues, anything... Then she does the unthinkable and enters the most restricted area of the ship, the bridge, to find it empty. 

No Captain, No first officers, No second officers ....  nothing.

It is difficult to say too much more without giving anything away, but this is definitely a novel that you need to experience for yourself.

The ending is one that will no doubt divide opinion, but I absolutely loved it. Thought it ended the novel brilliantly, and left the door open for a possible sequel. Though that is probably just wishful thinking of my behalf.

The Last Passenger is available from 11 May 2023. You can pre-order now via Amazon online and all good book shops.

Thank You to the publisher who approved my request via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.