Onyx reviews: The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager

Reviewed by Bev Vincent, 06/10/2018

Final Girls, the "debut" novel by Riley Sager (a pseudonym for author Todd Ritter), was based on a familiar trope: individuals (usually women) who survive spree murders in horror films. At first it seems like Sager might be shifting his sights to another aspect of horror movies in The Last Time I Lied: summer camps where homicidal maniacs find imaginative ways to murder teenagers and counselors. That soon proves not to be the case.

Emma Davis, now a successful artist, agrees—albeit with significant trepidation—to serve as art instructor at Camp Nightingale, a prestigious girls' camp owned by the wealthy Harris-White family. The last time she was here, fifteen years ago, she was a girl of just thirteen who, because of her late arrival, was billeted with three older girls in a cabin called Dogwood. On the fourth of July (not Friday the 13th), her three cabin-mates—Vivian, Natalie and Allison—vanished and were never seen again. In a moment of pique, young Emma accused Theo Harris-White of being responsible. Although he was never charged, neither was he ever cleared, and his reputation (and that of his family) was forever tainted. Emma is amazed that they want her back, but the family matriarch, Franny, is attempting to remediate the camp's (and her son's) reputation.

Even though she'd only known them for a couple of weeks, Emma was obsessed with the missing girls. She continued to see them—the leader, Viv, in particular—after she got home. As part of her therapy, she started painting. Her massive canveses are all the same: she starts with the three girls and then covers them completely with an ominous, dense forest. Her patrons have no idea what lies beneath her art, literally and metaphorically.

Emma connected most strongly with Viv, who took her under her wing and included her in many of their activities. Not all, though. Viv had a mission at Camp Nightingale, although she never revealed to Emma what it was. Emma agrees to return years later because she wants to look for clues and maybe solve the mystery of the girls' disappearance.

Because the camp is over-subscribed on its re-opening, Emma and other instructors are forced to bunk with campers, which puts her back in Dogwood with three new girls: Sasha, Krystal and Miranda. This bit of stagecraft by Sager feels heavy-handed. When she finds a video camera outside her cabin door, she realizes that the Harris-Whites don't trust her completely, which makes her wonder why they asked her back.

The book alternates between sections in the present and a slow reveal of what transpired fifteen years ago to show a near-parallel unfolding of events. Adult Emma has some fences to mend—especially with Theo—but her role as art instructor gives her a great deal of latitude to conduct her secret investigation.

The title implies that lies are important to the story. The girls—both past and present—like to play the "two truths and a lie" game to get to know each other. However, Emma doesn't appear to prevaricate any more than anyone else, and some things attributed to her as lies really aren't. In the past and the present, her main problem isn't lying; it's that she tends to jump to conclusions. Based on easily disproved false assumptions, she makes wild allegations against several members of the camp hierarchy. Some are the misinterpretations of a young girl, but others are the work of an adult, admittedly one with emotional issues. Her allegations seem credible for a few moments, but after a series of misfires, it's hard to trust her. Which is probably Sager's goal.

The book has some credibility gaps. The young girls have unusual freedom to wander off, either by themselves or in the company of adults. Viv and her friends made a number of trips across the artificial lake, about which there are many rumors and urban legends, and was able to breach the off-limits Lodge on a couple of occasions. There is a dearth of adults looking after their young charges, despite the tragedy that happened in the past. Emma abandons the camp for long stretches while conducting her investigation, occasionally allowing Sasha, Krystal and Miranda to accompany her on potentially dangerous excursions. That she readily finds important clues about what happened all those years ago where professional investigators and search parties failed stretches credibility to the breaking point.

Despite being a "thriller," this isn't a particularly fast-paced novel. The climax is somewhat understated and brief after all the build-up, leading to a serendipitous discovery. However, the truth of what really happened is reserved for the denouement, where everything is spelled out to Emma. No lie.