Thank you Libro.fm / Macmillan Audio for the ALC and St. Martin’s Press, #partner for the advanced copy of The Final Target in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press / Macmillan Audio
Published: May 26, 2026
Summary:
A young author becomes the object of a fan’s desire―and rage―in the gripping new thriller by the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Hidden Nature.
He showed up at Arden Bowie’s debut author appearance with a copy of her novel and an eager smile. He showered her with compliments and got her autograph. Then he came to her next event. And the one after that.
Dustin was just an aspiring writer who wanted advice, Arden reassured herself. But after giving in to one of his incessant invitations and chatting with him over coffee, she discovered that ignoring her inner alarm bell had been a terrible mistake…
An introvert at heart, Arden had long craved solitude―but now, after a harrowing assault, she finds herself hiding behind locked doors and startling at every sound. And her relief at his imprisonment is tempered by anxiety when Dustin’s wealthy mother helps to get him a paltry five-year sentence at a psychiatric facility.
Arden decides to write a new story for herself, moving to a tiny Oregon town and befriending Gideon, an ex-LAPD detective. But while she learns to thrive, Dustin remains his delusional, twisted self, as fixated as ever and now seething with anger. He still believes Arden’s purpose on earth is to serve and please him. And his job is to protect her. But who will protect her from him?
My thoughts:
I have been reading Nora Roberts since high school and always look forward to her stand-alone romantic suspense books, which this one is (though her series/trilogies are also so good!!). This one really got under my skin — a stalker with crazy obsession issues!! I couldn’t listen to it fast enough to see what would happen next, even though I felt such real fear for Arden. Everything felt so authentic and real.
The story alternates between Arden’s point of view as she is trying to rebuild her life after her attacker is locked up and her stalker. What I really loved is that Roberts realistically draws on the fear that Arden lives with on a daily basis after the trauma she went through. We see her slowly rebuild her life, with the help of family and friends, and become that strong person she was once again. But that’s not to say that those chapters where we are in the mind of the stalker aren’t chilling – Roberts really draws on the ramblings of this psychopathic man, upping the tension throughout. He is never over-the-top but rather controlled and convinced his actions make sense, which is even more scary.
There’s a reason I keep coming back to this author time and time again. She is a master storyteller and this just might be one of my new favorites!!
Audio thoughts:
These books are the type I love on audio because I put them on and just find things to do & with January LaVoy’s narration, I was completely immersed in the story from start to finish!
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