The Last Woman in the Forest

By: Diane Les Becquets

Narrated by: Emily Rankin, Robert Fass, full cast

From the national best-selling author of Breaking Wild, here is a riveting and powerful thriller about a woman whose greatest threat could be the man she loves....

Marian Engström has found her true calling: working with rescue dogs to help protect endangered wildlife. Her first assignment takes her to Northern Alberta, where she falls in love with her mentor, the daring and brilliant Tate. When they’re separated on another assignment, she’s shattered to learn of his tragic death. Before long, Marian discovers disturbing inconsistencies about Tate’s life and begins to wonder if the man she loved could have been responsible for the unsolved murders of at least four women.

Hoping to clear Tate’s name, Marian reaches out to a retired forensic profiler who’s haunted by the open cases. But as Marian relives her relationship with Tate and circles ever closer to the truth, evil stalks her every move....

Cast of narrators:

• Emily Rankin, as Marian
• Robert Fass, as Nick Shepard
• Rebecca Lowman, as Melissa Marsh
• Alex McKenna, as Erin Parker
• Monika Felrice Smith, as Lynn-Marie Pontante
• Erin Spencer, as Natasha Freeman
• Author's note read by the author

©2019 Diane Les Becquets (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"A suspense-filled plot about the hunt for a serial killer.... Les Becquets elegantly weaves in an evocative story about the wildlife study into a strong look at the characters whose life’s blood is being a part of nature.... The Last Woman in the Forest offers a stunning view of the harshness of nature and the brutality of human nature.” (Associated Press)

“[An] elegantly written thriller...the story revs up, providing more than enough tension and suspense as Marian inches closer to the dangerous and disturbing truth. Eloquent, detailed descriptions of nature and of rescue dog training, survival techniques, and the peripatetic life of conservationists enrich the narrative.” (Publishers Weekly)

"Diane Les Becquets at her best: unflinching and terrifying, yet buoyed by hope and love. This novel scared me...but that didn't stop me from racing through it.... This is a powerful novel, and a story I won't forget." (Wiley Cash, New York Times best-selling author of The Last Ballad)

Chris

Very entertaining showing an explaining vaste amount of information with too much technical jargon that becomes boring!! Very well written and spoken!!

Left Me in the Dark

I'm intrigued by the minds of crazy people and like to try to figure out why they do the crazy, bad, gruesome, horrid, and very strange things they do.
This novel left me SO in the dark on the problem with Tate. Even included in the story is a forensic profiler type who almost gets to the point... and then loses it.
I thought the story was unique, and the setting and scope of Marian's work were beautiful and interesting. I actually unintentionally learned a lot! Kudos to the amount of hands-on actual research the author put forth.
Segments of the story are pretty predictable, but I was still excited by it, and it kept my interest. But, without getting even a clue as to WHY Tate might have been compelled to kill these women (or did I miss something??) I feel like it was a big waste of my time, and I was left frustrated. Will anyone enlighten me on what I might have missed?

New story, I appreciated that.

This book was pretty brutal, the realistic descriptions of certain events was hard to listen to. But, it makes the story real. The author’s note and acknowledgement at the end is a must listen to.

Predictable but fairly entertaining

I don't generally figure out the plot lines so easily, but honestly, the arc was disappointingly transparent.

Nevertheless, it held my interest enough to last to the end. Or am I unwilling to admit I've wasted my time?....
Later: After listening to the author's fabulous afterward, I am moved to tears.

Too long.

Good suspense and action. It should have ended after the killer was dispatched. The later romance seemed tacked on.
I appreciate the personal comments that came after the story.

Scarily real

It was freakishly real. Almost too real to hear but a story that needs to be heard. Especially when you listen to the Author afterwards. But also a beautiful trip into the wild with our best friend’s the canines.

Constantly intriguing

The truth in so much of the story made it believable and alive! The twists kept me coming back to finish it! Fantastic novel!

Great for women who like the outdoors

With love for nature and animals, this book captivates through its descriptions of life spent outdoors. Timely, well-written, and thoroughly researched, the author peels back the layers of shame felt by victims of abuse and the strategies of their abuser. This book will stay with me for a long time. It wasn’t until I heard the author’s acknowledgements that I understood that though this is fiction, it is based in reality. It’s an unusual, but beautiful story, terrific performance.

I didn’t see that coming

This story was quite interesting and so different from what I expected. It was captivating throughout its entirety. Never a dull moment. I even appreciated the afterword from the author. Well worth the credit
SD

WOW! Could be taken from headlines!

Overall, this book has been the single best psychologicañ thriller I've read in many years. It detaiñs the thoughts, feeling, doubts, and fears that any person might have when faced with the possibility that someone we love may have committed heinous crimen. I especially appreciate the internal dialogue and fighting within herself that the author presents--each of us will recognize that part of ourselves when reading the book. Although at times some technical descriptions of orienteering may seem repetitive, I found that it added to the ambience of a woman trying to go about her everyday life, fulfilling her responsibilities amidst profound loss, grief, and fear of what she ultimately knows to be true and must face. BRAVO!!!