An immensely compelling story of well-placed subterfuge and intrigue.
Would you rather be running from a life filled with fear and secrets or wake up in an unfamiliar hospital after a terrible accident that resulted in the loss of all traces of memory from the last nine years of your life? Veronica (Vonny) Kwan doesn’t have a choice; she endures both traumatic scenarios. When she regains consciousness in a small-town Nevada hospital, Vonny thinks Obama is still president and that she’s just finished her undergraduate degree at NYU. The pitying hospital staff reluctantly reveals that it is in fact 2022 and she’s been in the hospital for a while. Eager to help restore her memories, the nurses and doctors urge Vonny to share any relevant parts of her past that she can remember. A few Google searches later lead to some pieces in Vonny’s incomplete puzzle coming together. The last decade brought a move across the country to San Francisco, a career in mental health, and an affluent husband. But Vonny can’t remember her patients, has no idea where her posh home is, and worries about the fact that her husband is a complete stranger. Detectives arrive with the unsettling news that the husband she can’t remember has been murdered. Worse yet, Vonny has finally recovered to the point where she must leave the safety and familiarity of the hospital. With almost everything in her life falling into the category of unknown and nearly a decade of time unaccounted for, Vonny will have to be careful about whom to trust as she discovers the person she has become and the trouble she might be in.
The sheer ingenuity of the Last Liar Standing is matched only by its blindsiding plot revelations and shocking climax. With more twists and bends than a bag of pretzels, this gripping psychological thriller will leave you in knots with each new page. The author doles out copious amounts of suspense and unanswered questions by starting the story just before Vonny’s amnesia-inducing injury. From there, the momentum is unrelenting. Utilizing first person, present tense narration adds to the intense pace, keeping readers fixed in the moment and at the forefront of each dramatic turn of events. Vonny’s internal thoughts are conveyed with a distinctly formal voice, adding a terse yet pleasing rigidity that matches the adrenaline-fueled mood of the novel. With such an intensely creative mind and a corresponding ability to tell an immensely compelling story of well-placed subterfuge and intrigue, Danielle M. Wong is an author who unequivocally deserves your attention!
