By: Darby Kane
ISBN: 978-0063225565
Narrators: Lindsey Dorcus, Abby Craden, Alyssa Bresnahan
Harper Audio
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: 12/06/2022
Format: Audiobook 🎧
My Rating: 4.5 Stars (rounded to 5)
Darby Kane, the author of the critically acclaimed and #1 International Bestseller Pretty Little Wife, has crafted another gripping and twisty suspense about an invitation to an exclusive club that comes with deadly consequences.
They meet the second Tuesday of every month and vote…and then someone dies.
Over the last few years, prominent people—a retired diplomat, beloved basketball coach, the CEO of an empire—have died in a series of fluke accidents and shocking suicides. There’s no apparent connection, no signs of foul play. Behind it all is a powerful group of women, the Sophie Foundation, who meet over wine and cheese to review files of men who behave very, very badly, and then mete out justice.
Jessa Hall jumped at the mysterious, exclusive invitation to this secret club. The invite comes when she’s at her lowest, aching for a way to take back control. After years of fighting and scratching to get ahead, she’s ready for a chance to make the “bad guys” lose. Jessa soon realizes, though, just how far she’s willing to go and how dangerous this game has become.
Once in the group, it’s impossible to get out. She has nowhere to turn except former friend Gabby Fielding who is investigating the mysterious death of her ex-husband. Aligned in their goal to take down the Foundation, Gabby and Jessa need each other but working together doesn’t mean they trust each other…or that either will survive to tell the truth.
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My Review
Darby Kane returns from Pretty Little Wife and The Replacement Wife with her latest high-octane-thriller, THE LAST INVITATION —an invitation to an exclusive club that comes with deadly consequences.
Dedication: "For every woman who has been ignored, belittled, dismissed, forgotten, overlooked, or abused, this one is for you!"
The Sophie Foundation, located in Chevy Chase, MD, is a charitable organization designed and operated by a group of influential women to help fund projects on women's health and welfare.
Behind the scenes, a smaller group with a different agenda. A secret society.
They meet over wine and cheese to review files of men who misbehave and carry out vigilante justice their way. These are men they consider a risk to the community and women.
They meet on the second Tuesday of every month and vote, and someone dies. MEMBERS ONLY.
Gabby Fielding is in a child custody battle with her ex-husband, Baines and arrives at his home to find him dead due to a gunshot wound to the head.
Ruled a suicide; however, Gabby does not believe it. She suspects it is part of the group of suspicious deaths of prominent men.
In the meantime, divorce lawyer Jessa Hall (a former classmate of Gabby) receives an invitation to join the Sophie Foundation. She is delighted to become a part of this group of influential women. She would love for the bad guys to pay.
However, she makes a deal with the devil. How far is she willing to go? How dangerous are their games? Once in the group, it's impossible to get out. How will she leave?
Told from the POVs of Gabby, Jessica, and the foundation.
Jessica turns to Gabby, who is investigating for help. They want to take down the Foundation, but can they trust one another, and will they survive?
"Most people say they want justice. But they really don't want justice. They want revenge. They want to see the pain spread around equally. —David Gerrold
Some are out for REVENGE, some to right a wrong, while others want to only survive. INTENSE! A novel of friendships, secrets, and revenge.
Thought-provoking and timely —exploring critical topics of injustices, domestic violence, and women's rights
"There is tension, turmoil, riveting suspense, and drama on every page that is hot enough to burn your fingers."
With well-developed characters and fast and twisty pacing—an edgy rip-roaring page-turner. With cliff-hanging chapters, readers will be reading into the wee hours of the morning to see how it will unfold.
An entertaining popcorn thriller about female empowerment! Would make for a compelling movie or TV series.
The AUDIOBOOK 🎧 made this a higher rating, narrated by Lindsey Dorcus, Abby Craden, and Alyssa Bresnahan—for a fun, fascinating, and captivating listening experience for all the character voices. Well done!
For fans of Catherine McKenzie's Please Join Us, John Grisham's The Firm, and those who enjoy female sleuthing/vigilantes.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Dec 6, 2022
My Rating: 4.5 Stars rounded to 5 🌟Stars
Praise
The Last Invitation is packed with all the must-haves for a relentless, intricately woven thriller—a secret society, the past coming to haunt the present, and a surprise villain. A tale of old friendships, secrets, and revenge, Kane reminds you once again to keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
— Jaime Lynn Hendricks, bestselling author of Finding Tessa and It Could Be Anyone
"Darby Kane’s THE LAST INVITATION is not only a thriller that will keep you up late, turning pages and questioning every character, it’s also timely in a way the world needs right now, addressing domestic violence and womens rights. We already knew Kane could write a twisty thriller—now we know she can do so while confronting injustices in the world. If you want a thriller that will keep your toes and makes you think, The Last Invitation is what you’ve been waiting for."
— Jessica Payne, author of Make Me Disappear and The Lucky One
“ [A] gripping thriller…Skillfully intertwined chapters told from the viewpoints of Gabby, Jessa, and others keep the suspense level high…Readers will be curious to see what Kane does next.”
— Publishers Weekly
When former friends Jessa Hall and Gabby Fielding find themselves unwittingly connected to a group of high-powered professionals who dole out their own brand of justice to wrongdoing men, they discover that revenge can be deadly. Darby Kane has established herself as a leader in the domestic suspense genre, penning one chilling page-turner after another, and THE LAST INVITATION is no exception. A thought-provoking, high-stakes thriller for fans of THE FIRM, this is a must-read story about sacrifice, survival, and the perilous nature of trust
— Tessa Wegert, author of the Shana Merchant novels
About the Author
Darby Kane is the pseudonym of a former trial attorney and award-winning romantic suspense author. Her thriller debut, Pretty Little Wife, was a #1 international bestseller and a recommended read in The New York Post, The Skimm, Huffington Post, Refinery29, Book Club Girl, Style Caster, and Popsugar. A native of Pennsylvania, Darby now lives in California and runs from the cold. Her next domestic thriller, The Replacement Wife, will be released in December 2021. Visit darbykane.com for more information.
