The Last One
Stepping aboard the ultra-exclusive RMS Atlantica is supposed to be the start of a dream vacation for Caz and her new boyfriend, Pete. Their first night is a whirlwind of fine dining, dancing, and mingling with their fellow passengers. But the dream shatters the next morning when Caz wakes up to find Pete gone. Stepping out of her cabin, she is met with a chilling sight: every door in the corridor is wide open, and the ship is entirely abandoned. With no passengers and no crew, Caz is completely alone as the massive ocean liner steams blindly into the mid-Atlantic. Yet, finding herself the sole person on board is only the first nightmare in the terrifying, white-knuckled journey that awaits her.
- Caz - Passenger on the RMS Atlantic, Pete’s girlfriend
- Pete - Caz’s boyfriend
- Gemma - Caz’s sister
- Daniel - Passenger on the RMS Atlantic, actor
- Frannie (Jen) - Passenger on the RMS Atlantic, actor
- Smith (Walter) - Passenger on the RMS Atlantic
- John - Smith’s travel companion
- Admiral (Michelle) - The voice on the TV
- When Caz wakes up on the Atlantica the first morning, Pete and everyone else are gone.
- The ship continues sailing on autopilot.
- After hours of searching the ship, Caz finds another passenger, Daniel.
- Daniel and Caz find Frannie.
- Frannie, Daniel and Caz find another passenger who says to call him Smith.
- The power goes out on the ship.
- The doors to the food areas won’t open.
- Inside a melted ice sculpture is a box labeled ‘Do Not Open.’
- The power returns, but they still have no access to food or running water.
- A woman calling herself Admiral appears on the TV and says the four passengers are being broadcast to paying viewers around the world.
- Admiral says the ship is covered in cameras and microphones, and that the missing passengers are safe.
- Admiral says that when they arrive in New York, one person will be crowned the winner and receive $5 million.
- To be eligible to win, each passenger must complete a personal challenge.
- Smith’s challenge is to solve a puzzle by searching through books while locked in the library, and he succeeds.
- Someone opens the box in the ice sculpture and inside is the word consequences.
- Caz’s challenge is to jump into the sea, and the other three passengers can choose whether or not to rescue her.
- Caz completes the challenge with help from the others.
- Admiral tells the passengers that Frannie opened the box, but Frannie denies it.
- Daniel’s challenge is to climb a rock wall, zip-line into the pool and retrieve a key.
- As soon as he makes it into the pool, the cover starts slowly closing and he becomes trapped inside.
- The next night Admiral appears in person and reveals her name is Michelle.
- She says she has been on board the entire time in a hidden area called deck zero.
- Michelle says she originally signed up to host the show, but has now been forced into the game with the other passengers. She claims she has no idea whether Daniel is alive or dead.
- The show is streamed on the dark web to paying viewers who can influence events on the ship.
- Frannie’s challenge is to climb the main mast 190 feet above the sea and retrieve a key.
- Frannie nominates Caz to complete the challenge instead, and the new host accepts the nomination.
- Caz succeeds.
- Frannie jumps overboard and disappears beneath the water.
- Michelle reveals that Smith was actually the one who opened the box.
- A helicopter arrives and rescues Michelle, leaving Smith and Caz behind.
- Smith finds a key to the ballroom. Inside are hundreds of decaying corpses that Caz and Smith believe are the missing passengers and crew.
- Caz and Smith jump off the ship.
- Smith sinks below the water and is gone.
- A small boat rescues Caz and takes her back to the Atlantica.
- Michelle informs Caz that she won, and that Daniel, Frannie and Smith are all alive.
- Frannie and Daniel were actors. Smith and Caz were the only real contestants.
- Pete says that an alarm went off that night and everyone evacuated. He tried to wake Caz, but when he couldn’t, he left and was later told she had gotten off the ship safely.
- There were actually several crew members, divers and medics stationed on deck zero throughout the game.
- Caz and Smith were never in real danger onboard the ship - only perceived danger.
- Caz is completely traumatized and refuses to do any interviews.
- Pete and Caz board a plane home.
- Mid-flight, Caz uses the bathroom. When she emerges, everyone else on the plane is gone.
The Last One by Will Dean hits the ground running and never lets up. The short chapters keep the momentum moving, and the blurb doesn't do the story justice at all - there is significantly more going on here than just a woman wandering around an abandoned ship. The sheer scale of the empty luxury ocean liner creates an eerie and claustrophobic setting, essentially turning the ship into a massive, inescapable locked-room mystery. Between the failing systems and physical obstacles, the atmosphere is intensely suspenseful with constant action and never a dull moment. I flew through this in a day because I could not put it down. While I did not care for the ending, it didn't take away from how much I enjoyed this book.
- Suicide
- Loss of a parent
- Gaslighting
- Substance abuse
- Addiction
ISBN: 9781668021156
Publication Date: August 8, 2023
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
