Release date: May 20, 2025 (Ballantine)
Available for preorder from the following booksellers:
On a trip to the tropical paradise where her fiancée died, a young woman begins to suspect the death was no accident—and the killer’s still on the island—in this twisty thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Reese’s Book Club pick We Were Never Here.
When Abby steps foot on Isla Colel, she isn’t sure what—if anything—she’ll find. She only knows that she needs to see the place where her fiancée, Eszter, died to try and make sense of the tragic accident.
The island is nothing like Abby expected: Though it was once a bustling tourist hub, a hurricane has left it a shell of its former self, with only a handful of residents remaining. Even the once-daily ferry to the mainland now runs every week or so.
There, Abby befriends an alluring group of expats, but her sense of unease surges when one of them says he knows the truth about Eszter’s final days. Before he can tell her more, though, he vanishes from the island. Hours turn to days with no sign of him, and the others are chillingly cavalier about his disappearance.
As her quest for the truth unearths dark secrets, shady pasts, and a web of lies, Abby grows more determined than ever to find out what happened to the love of her life. And the deeper she gets in the close-knit expat community, the more she suspects that one of them is Eszter’s killer—and will do anything to keep the truth buried. But will Abby discover who it is before she becomes the island’s next victim?
PRAISE
“The island setting pulled me in and the shocking twists kept me on the edge of my seat as I raced to finish The Last Ferry Out. Immersive, tense, and masterful—vacations will never be the same!” – Ashley Elston, #1 New York Times bestselling author of First Lie Wins
“Andrea Bartz is an auto-buy for me and The Last Ferry Out is Bartz at her best. This island mystery is twisty, shocking, and riveting—with a narrator you won’t stop rooting for.” – Laura Dave, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Last Thing He Told Me and The Night We Lost Him
“Set on a paradise island that won’t divulge its deadly secrets, this twisty, breathless page-turner is at once a scorching destination thriller and an emotive exploration of how well we can ever know even those who have our hearts. . . . Loved it!” – Ellery Lloyd, New York Times bestselling author of The Club
“When her fiancée’s mysterious death on a remote island raises more questions than answers, one woman’s investigation unearths a chilling web of secrets and lies. As paranoia mounts, she becomes convinced that every move she makes is being watched. In this pulse-pounding thriller, Andrea Bartz proves once again why she’s a master of suspense.” – Liv Constantine, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish
“A salt-encrusted, propulsively cinematic thriller . . . You won’t want to put it down. Escapist and haunting, Bartz’s prose is immediate, visceral, and richly atmospheric. . . . A perfect vacation read.” – Catherine Steadman, New York Times bestselling author of Something in the Water and Look in the Mirror
“Andrea Bartz whisks us a way to a sun-kissed, secret-filled island led by an enigmatic group of expats as charming as they are calculating. Brimming with scintillating prose, heart-wrenching relationships, and a shadowy setting that seems to swallow its visitors whole, The Last Ferry Out is Bartz at her absolute finest. Just make sure you don’t miss the final boat home …” – Leah Konen, author of The Perfect Escape and The Last Room on the Left
“The Last Ferry Out asks the question: How well do we really know our loved ones? Andrea Bartz’s newest explores the dark edges of relationships, identity, and trauma all within a tightly plotted, action-packed mystery. When Abby attempts to find out more about her partner’s death on a remote island, she finds herself caught in a deadly web. The Last Ferry Out is Bartz’s most thrilling tale yet.” —Julia Bartz, New York Times bestselling author of The Writing Retreat
“Bartz is the ultimate travel thriller writer and The Last Ferry Out is another banger. I loved the rich setting and vivid characters, and I was completely floored by how deftly themes of found family, grief, and resilience were woven into this page turner. I’ll be thinking about this island for a long time.” —Danielle Valentine, New York Times bestselling author of Delicate Condition and Two Sides to Every Murder
“Andrea Bartz is at the top of her game in this moody thriller set on a remote Mexican island full of secretive vacationers.” – CrimeReads
PRESS
Andrea Bartz’s New Thriller The Last Ferry Out Puts ‘Messy’ Characters on a Killer Island: Read an Excerpt (Exclusive) – People Magazine
Most anticipated mystery & suspense of 2025 – BookPage
The Most Anticipated Crime Books of 2025 – CrimeReads
The Most-Anticipated Mystery-Thriller Books of 2025 – Marie Claire
The Must-Read Mysteries and Thrillers of 2025 – Bookbub
Word up: 14 new books from Wisconsin writers publishing in 2025 – Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Hello Sunshine’s Shine Away conference 2024: Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, more attend – USA Today