What really happened inside Hope’s End?

This week, we’re diving into The Only One Left by Riley Sager — a gothic thriller filled with murder, family secrets, identity swaps, and one decaying mansion hiding decades of lies.

We follow Kit McDeere, a disgraced caregiver hired to care for the infamous Lenora Hope, the woman accused of slaughtering her family in 1929. But once Kit arrives at Hope’s End, she realizes the truth behind the Hope family is far darker than the town legends suggest.

In this episode, we break down:
🕯️ the full plot and ending
🕯️ major twists and character reveals
🕯️ gothic themes and symbolism
🕯️ the real-life inspirations behind the novel

And in this week’s Claw and Order segment, we explore the infamous Lizzie Borden case and the eerie parallels between true crime folklore and The Only One Left.

Until next time… stay cozy, stay curious, and remember, always be kind 🖤

📖 The Only One Left by Riley Sager

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#RileySager #TheOnlyOneLeft #BookPodcast #ThrillerBooks #GothicHorror #TrueCrime #LizzieBorden #MysteryBooks

Something terrible happened at Hope’s End.
And some houses never let their secrets die.

This Monday on Murder Mitten Kittens, we descend into the chilling world of The Only One Left by Riley Sager — a gothic psychological thriller wrapped in isolation, whispers, and decades-old murder allegations.

In this haunting teaser, I read the eerie poem that opens the story… a warning hidden within the walls of Hope’s End itself.

The full episode arrives Monday.

Turn down the lights, press play, and join our Murder Mitten Colony on this dark, and twisted review! 🕯️🐈

The Only One Left by Riley Sager © Dutton Books / Penguin Random House. Excerpt included for commentary and review purposes.

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What if the most dangerous person in the house isn’t the woman lying silently upstairs… but the one telling the story?

This week on Murder Mitten Kittens Book Club, we’re diving into Verity by Colleen Hoover—the psychological thriller that leaves you questioning everyone and everything.

From Lowen’s arrival at the Crawford house to the disturbing manuscript, Jeremy and Verity’s twisted marriage, and that ending that still divides readers—we’re breaking it all down.

Was Verity really the monster? Was Jeremy protecting his family… or rewriting the truth? And did Lowen uncover the story—or choose it?

We’re talking plot twists, morally gray characters, gothic tension, and the final letter that changes everything. Plus, in Claw & Order, we connect the novel’s darkest themes to the real-life case of Andrea Yates.

Come curl up with us… if you dare.

Instagram: @murdermittenkittensbc

YouTube: Murder Mitten Kittens Book Club
Anywhere you get your podcasts

And remember—always be kind 🖤

Jeremy Rose is back, and the game is far from over. 🩸🔪

In Episode 4 of Murder Mitten Kittens Book Club, we dive into The Butcher Game by Alaina Urquhart—breaking down Wren’s terrifying return to Jeremy’s twisted mind games, the shocking Philip Trudeau reveal, and the dark themes of obsession, trauma, and revenge.

In this week’s Claw & Order segment, we also explore the chilling real-life parallels between Jeremy and Israel Keyes.

Follow along for more dark, cozy thriller content:
TikTok: @murdrmittenkittensbc

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Stay safe, stay cozy… and remember always be kind. 🖤

Trigger Warning: violence, murder, torture, kidnapping, abuse. Cozy vibes… extremely murderous content. 🐱🔪

Seven years ago, a girl was left for dead in the Louisiana swamp. He thought the hunt was over.

It's only just beginning.

In this episode, we’re diving into The Butcher and the Wren by Alaina Urquhart—a dark, bayou-soaked game of cat and mouse between a forensic pathologist and the killer who never forgot her. Bodies are turning up, clues are getting personal, and someone is definitely playing with their food.

This is Part 1 of the Butcher series… and kittens, it only gets worse from here.

Claw & Order 🐾⚖️

We’re also talking BTK (Dennis Rader)—the real-life killer who needed attention so badly he literally snitched on himself. Bind. Torture. Kill. Ego. Downfall. You know the vibe. The parallels?

Yeah… uncomfortable.

Stay cozy. Lock your doors. And be wary of the smell of decay.

And always remember to be kind 🖤

Follow for more chaos:

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Youtube: @MurderMittenKittensBookClub

🧶 Murder Mitten Kittens Book Club – Episode 1

Book: First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

⚠️ FULL SPOILERS

Welcome to the Murder Mitten Kitten Club, where we explore meow-der and mayhem one book at a time.

For our very first episode, we dive claws-first into First Lie Wins, a sharp psychological thriller about deception, manufactured identity, surveillance, and what happens when the lie you tell becomes the life you’re forced to live.

This isn’t just a whodunit — it’s a who-am-I-really story that asks:

How far would you go to survive?

Ashley Elston’s adult-fiction debut delivers:

• A morally gray heroine

• An unreliable narrator

• A story where psychological control is more dangerous than physical violence

Through nonlinear storytelling and strategic reveals, the novel explores identity as performance, survival, and erasure.

And it asks a chilling question:

If your identity is manufactured… do you still own it?

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⚠️ Listener Discretion Advised

This episode discusses:

• homicide

• staged deaths

• stalking

• coercive psychological control

• identity theft

• manipulation

The violence and criminal behavior discussed in this episode are not sanitized.

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🔍 What We Break Down

• Unreliable narration & nonlinear structure

• Identity as costume, weapon, and survival mechanism

• Psychological power without physical violence

• Surveillance as domination

• Moral gray areas and complicity

If you love psychological thrillers, morally complex female protagonists, and stories that blur the line between victim and predator, this episode is for you.

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🕵️ Claw & Order: A True Crime Connection

This episode includes a real-world case that mirrors one of the novel’s missions.

We discuss the theft and recovery of Willem de Kooning’s Woman-Ochre — stolen from the University of Arizona Museum of Art in 1985 and recovered more than 30 years later.

Read more here:

https://news.arizona.edu/news/stolen-painting-returns-home-uarizona

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📚 Sources

Ashley Elston — First Lie Wins

Pamela Dorman Books / Penguin Random House (2024)

University of Arizona News —

“Stolen Painting Returns Home to UArizona” (2022)

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🐾 Stay Cozy, Stay Cautious

Follow us on Instagram for mini episodes, clips, and behind-the-scenes mayhem:

📸 @murdermittenkittensbc

If you enjoyed this episode, like, follow, and share with your fellow bookish true-crime kittens.

Until next time:

Stay curious. Stay cozy. And remember…

In this world, the First Lie Wins.