Thriller Review: The Last Word by Taylor Adams

- January 20, 2026

Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons,

The Last Word by Taylor Adams comes in hot off the success of No Exit. It is published by William Morrow, and imprint of Harper Collins Publishers. In it, we are introduced to Emma Carpenter. She is grieving a terrible loss and has become introverted, leaving society behind. With her dog, Laika, she makes money housesitting. When she accepts a job taking care of a house on a remote beach, she is content. Her neighbor is a old man named Deek, who loves to communicate via a wipe-off board and a telescope. She walks the beach and enjoys the solitude. To pass the time Emma reads voraciously any thriller she can get for her e-reader.

But when a particularly badly written thriller is read by her, she leaves a one-star review. Afterward she moves on. The author does not. A series of terrifying encounters at night, has her convinced author H.G. Kane has tracked her down to make her the latest victim in his next work.

The Last Word gathers isolation thrillers of the past, sits them down, and asks "what can we do to make this genre creepier?". It's unsettling, fast-paced, and is a love letter to horror and thrillers alike. I loved Emma and how Adams delves into her grief and Kane's madness with equal measure. The author had an arrogance about him which kept me hopeful this trait would back-fire during his plans for Emma. In the end, the twists of the finale had me putting Taylor Adams books on my TBR list.

I read The Last Word in part with the narration of Carlotta Brentan and Jim Meskimen. The duo managed to deliver unnerving performances as Emma and Kane. I highly recommend the audiobook, which added a heightened sense of urgency to the book.

I gave The Last Word four stars (and not because I feel Taylor Adams would track me down with a sword). Adams delivers an anxiety-inducing novel that will have you locking your doors and windows. Read this one with the lights on.

Let me know what you are reading in the comments below.

Follow me on social media by visiting my Linktree.