'This is a remarkable first novel with qualities seldom found today: a strong story, characters that are alive from the first page, and brilliant authorial control over the narrative...Tension holds the reader in page-turning compulsion and never flags till the last word has been read.’ Ruth Rendell ‘The escalating atmosphere of menace is brilliantly sustained…as near perfect as a psychological thriller can get.’ Daily Mail ‘A skilful exercise in suspense…Sad, funny and frightening, The Last Girl is a very clever first novel.’ The Times ‘A compelling psychological thriller that grips the reader to the end.’ Sunday Express ‘A startlingly accomplished first novel that leaves us on tenterhooks for the second.’ Daily Telegraph ‘Crawls with creeping menace…Penelope Evans builds the tension and suspense of this chilling tale right up until the last line on the last page.’ Time Out