Last to Leave the Room by Caitlin Starling

 Dr. Tamsin Rivers, head of scientific research at Myrica Dynamic, is hiding a secret. The city of San Siroco is sinking, but her basement showed the first signs and is sinking faster than the rest of the city. Sinking might not be the right word, stretching seems more apt, and a door that was never there before has appeared. Despite all of her efforts, it does not open. Then it does, from the other side, and a copy of her steps through.  

At first, the doppelganger is childlike. But as time goes on, Tamsin begins to lose track of time. Black spots in her memory, and her copy takes care of more and more responsibilities. With her employer growing suspicious, and the city continuing to sink, Tamsin must figure out her own health, and exactly what this doppelganger has to do with it. 

The whole novel is from Tamsin’s POV, so the reader feels Tamsin’s arrogance, and later her fear. The reader is sent through this horror of what it might be like, forgetting who we are and the struggle to regain our identity. It makes one wonder about the illnesses of dementia and Alzheimer’s, and if this is what those patients experience. Anyone with experience might be triggered by this topic. I know I was. 

However, that doesn’t change that I did not like Tamsin. She was arrogant and at times cruel. I felt that she could have solved many problems by simply admitting to what was happening and receiving help. At the middle, I began to feel sorry for her, but I still did not like her. I wanted to know more about Lachlan, her story, and how she came to Myrica. 

This is another perfect novel to read in October, or whenever readers want a feeling of dread and horror. I am already not a fan of basements, so this just followed along with that creepy feeling. The Death of Jane Lawrence is still my favorite, so far, but I will continue to follow Caitlin Starling. 

Overall, I rate this novel 4 out of 5 stars.