The Only One Left

“Stabbed her father with a knife; took her mother’s happy life.” So goes the unsettling children’s rhyme that recounts the horrifying 1929 murder of the Hope family, thought to have been killed by their young daughter Lenora. In 1983, caregiver Kit McDeere arrives at the decaying Hope estate, assigned to look after Lenora. Significantly incapacitated by a series of strokes, Lenora can only tap out letters on a typewriter—even so, she wants to tell Kit everything that happened that night. Letter by letter, Kit learns the truth of the grisly murders, uncovering chilling secrets and putting her life at risk. With his signature twists and turns, Sager (The House Across the Lake) gives listeners a classic tale of secrets, haunted houses, and murder. Narrators Dawn Harvey and Christine Lakin provide an excellent performance, employing spot-on pacing and playing a host of characters with things to hide, from young Kit to the frail older woman who may be more dangerous than she seems. While some listeners may anticipate the ending early on, they will likely be unable to stop listening.