The Only One Left Summary, Characters and Themes

Riley Sager’s gothic horror novel “The Only One Left” follows home-health aide Kit McDeere, who takes on the care of Lenora Hope, an elderly woman accused of murdering her family in the past. 

As Kit delves into Lenora’s chilling history, she uncovers dark secrets and questions everything she thought she knew. The book explores themes of murder, family secrets, and the blurred lines between truth and deception.

Summary

In 1983, home caregiver Kit McDeere returns to work after a six-month suspension following her mother’s death from an overdose. 

Her new assignment takes her to Hope’s End, a decaying mansion where she is to care for Lenora Hope, a notorious figure accused of murdering her family in 1929. 

Despite the chilling reputation, Kit is determined to look past it and provide excellent care.

Kit’s curiosity grows as she senses Lenora’s dishonesty and uncovers her patient’s hidden passion for writing. 

Lenora, though physically limited, is slowly typing an account of the night her family was murdered. This revelation leads Kit to investigate further, exchanging information with the groundskeeper and housekeeper, while avoiding the suspicion of the long-term staff.

Strange noises and the discovery of the body of the previous caregiver raise concerns about Kit’s safety. As she delves deeper into the Hope family’s history, she uncovers a shocking secret: Lenora was pregnant at the time of the murders. This discovery becomes the key to unraveling the truth.

Kit eventually finds a former employee who reveals crucial information, leading to a confrontation with the so-called “Mrs. Baker,” who is, in reality, Lenora Hope. Lenora confesses the true events of that fateful night. 

Her sister, Virginia, was the one who attempted to kill their father after her newborn son was taken away. In a tragic turn of events, their mother intervened, leading to a series of deaths.

Virginia, believing her son was dead, tried to hang herself but survived. Lenora then assumed the identity of Miss Baker, leaving Virginia at Hope’s End. 

Virginia eventually returned as “Mrs. Baker,” and the true identities remained hidden for years.

Kit is devastated to learn that Virginia’s lover was her own father, Ricky, and that they were the parents of her half-brother. 

Ricky confesses to killing the previous caregiver and allowing Kit’s mother to overdose. In a dramatic climax, Hope’s End collapses as Ricky attacks Virginia and Lenora. 

Kit saves Virginia, but Ricky chooses to die alongside Lenora, both buried under the rubble.

Kit brings Virginia to her childhood home, where they find temporary happiness. 

However, one day, Virginia disappears, leaving a letter revealing a shocking truth: she has been able to speak and move all along. Virginia invites Kit, her friend Archie, and her granddaughter Jessie to travel the world together. 

They spend the rest of Virginia’s life in an Italian villa, where she eventually dies at the age of 101.

Characters

Kit McDeere

Kit, the novel’s protagonist and narrator, is a dedicated home caregiver haunted by the recent death of her mother, whom she cared for in her final days. 

Kit is deeply empathetic and compassionate, driven by a desire to help others. She is also incredibly resilient, overcoming personal loss and a career setback to resume her work. 

However, Kit’s trusting nature and eagerness to believe in the good in others sometimes cloud her judgment, leading her into dangerous situations. 

Her journey is one of self-discovery, as she uncovers her own family secrets while unraveling the mysteries of Hope’s End.

Lenora Hope (Virginia Hope)

Lenora, the enigmatic patient at the heart of the mystery, is a complex and intriguing character. She is portrayed as physically incapacitated, unable to speak or move, yet her mind remains sharp and her will unyielding. 

Through her slow, deliberate typing, she gradually reveals a dark and shocking past. Lenora’s true identity, Virginia Hope, is a revelation that reframes the entire narrative. 

Virginia is a survivor, having endured unimaginable trauma and loss, and her actions are driven by a fierce desire for justice and a longing to reclaim what was stolen from her.

Mrs. Baker (Lenora Hope)

The woman initially introduced as Mrs. Baker, the housekeeper at Hope’s End, is a master manipulator and a figure of authority. 

She exudes an air of control and maintains a tight grip on the household. However, beneath her composed exterior lies a sinister secret. 

As the novel progresses, it is revealed that Mrs. Baker is actually Lenora Hope, who has assumed a new identity to protect herself and her sister. 

This revelation exposes her true nature as a ruthless and cunning individual willing to go to great lengths to safeguard her past.

Ricky McDeere

Ricky, Kit’s estranged father, is a character shrouded in mystery. 

His absence in Kit’s life and his enigmatic past raise questions about his true motives. 

As the narrative unfolds, it is revealed that Ricky was once involved in a passionate affair with Virginia Hope, resulting in a child. 

His return to Hope’s End and his connection to the tragic events of the past add another layer of complexity to the story. 

Ricky’s actions are driven by a desire to protect his daughter and right the wrongs of his youth, but his past misdeeds and his involvement in the murder of Mary cast a shadow over his intentions.

The supporting characters in “The Only One Left” contribute to the atmospheric and suspenseful nature of the novel. 

Carter, the groundskeeper, and Jessie, the house cleaner, provide valuable insights and assistance to Kit in her quest for the truth. Archie, the chef, serves as a confidant and source of support for Lenora/Virginia. 

Each character plays a role in shaping the narrative and unraveling the tangled web of secrets that lie within the walls of Hope’s End.

Themes

The Deceptive Nature of Appearances and Truth

Riley Sager crafts The Only One Left to challenge the reader’s perception of truth, emphasizing how outward appearances often hide deeply buried realities. Characters such as Lenora and “Mrs. Baker” maintain carefully constructed facades to survive in a world that has already judged them. Lenora’s apparent frailty and silence mask a mind filled with hidden memories and secrets, while “Mrs. Baker’s” composed, controlling demeanor conceals a labyrinth of past violence and maternal pain.

The decaying grandeur of Hope’s End becomes a gothic mirror reflecting this theme: beneath the elegant structure lies rot, echoing how the characters’ dignified exteriors hide layers of deceit and sorrow.

Each discovery Kit makes—Lenora’s typed confession, the hidden pregnancy, the switched identities—shatters previously held truths, forcing characters and readers alike to confront the uncomfortable reality that truth is not a single thread but a tangled, ever-shifting weave. This theme powerfully underscores that truth is rarely clear-cut, and often, those who appear guilty may be victims of deeper, hidden injustices.

The Weight of the Past and Family Secrets

The novel masterfully illustrates how past traumas, family betrayals, and hidden sins echo across generations, shaping and haunting the present. The Hope family murders, cloaked in scandal and speculation since 1929, are the epicenter of a chain reaction influencing Lenora, Virginia, and even Kit decades later.

Lenora and Virginia’s lives are irrevocably defined by the violence and chaos of that night, leading to identity switches, decades of guilt, and an existence ruled by the shadows of their family’s downfall.

Kit’s life, seemingly disconnected from the Hope family, is pulled into this web when she uncovers her father’s affair with Virginia, realizing her half-brother was taken from Virginia at birth. This shocking revelation forces Kit to confront her own family’s secrecy and the ways past sins can fracture identities and relationships.

Sager’s narrative shows that the past never truly dies, and secrets buried under silence have the power to destroy or liberate, depending on how they are confronted. The theme asks readers to consider how their own family histories shape who they are and whether acknowledging painful truths is the first step toward freedom.

Power Dynamics in Caregiving and Dependency

The caregiving relationship between Kit and Lenora serves as a microcosm to explore power, autonomy, and vulnerability. On the surface, Kit, as the caregiver, holds power: she controls Lenora’s daily care, her schedule, and her safety. Yet Lenora, despite her paralysis, wields her own subtle authority, controlling the narrative of her life through her typed confessions and manipulating what Kit learns about the past.

The shifting power dynamics highlight the emotional and psychological complexities of caregiving, where trust is fragile, and the lines between carer and cared-for can blur dangerously. The dependency inherent in these relationships also reveals how physical weakness can coexist with mental fortitude, with Lenora controlling the information that ultimately upends Kit’s perception of reality.

Through this lens, Sager examines how power within caregiving can be misused or weaponized, raising critical questions about boundaries, agency, and the ethical challenges of caring for those who hold dangerous secrets.

Isolation, Loneliness, and Yearning for Connection

Isolation is a constant presence in The Only One Left, embodied by Hope’s End, a mansion cut off from the world and filled with ghostly memories. Lenora’s physical immobility isolates her within her own body, while Virginia, even in her assumed identity, lives separated from her true self. Kit’s isolation is emotional, stemming from grief over her mother’s death and her fractured relationship with her father.

This loneliness becomes a catalyst for risky choices and desperate alliances, with Kit’s yearning for connection driving her to seek the truth and build a fragile bond with Lenora. The gothic atmosphere amplifies this theme, making every creaking hallway and stormy night an echo of the characters’ solitude and despair.

However, the novel also shows how connection can heal, as seen in the final chapters where Kit, Archie, Jessie, and Virginia build a chosen family, finding comfort and purpose in each other. The fleeting happiness they achieve underscores the human need for connection, even in the face of past horrors, and suggests that isolation can be overcome through truth, acceptance, and shared purpose.

The Complex Legacy of Motherhood

Beneath the murder mystery lies a profound exploration of motherhood as a source of trauma, love, and sacrifice. Virginia’s desperation to reclaim her child, her mother’s intervention during the violent night, and Kit’s memories of her mother’s decline illustrate the powerful and often painful ties between mothers and children.

Motherhood in the novel is presented as both a source of strength and a burden, shaping destinies and driving characters to drastic actions. Virginia’s loss of her child fuels her identity switch and lifelong grief, while Kit’s mother’s overdose leaves Kit grappling with guilt, loneliness, and the fear of repeating her mother’s failures.

This theme adds emotional depth to the novel, reminding readers that motherhood is not a simple ideal but a complex legacy that can define, haunt, or empower those connected to it.

Justice, Revenge, and Moral Ambiguity

As Kit uncovers the Hope family’s secrets, she is forced to confront questions of justice versus revenge, and right versus wrong. Virginia’s choices blur the lines between victimhood and perpetration, and Ricky’s actions, meant to “protect” his family, are entangled with violence and betrayal.

The novel challenges the notion of clear-cut morality, illustrating that justice is often messy, incomplete, and tied to personal perspective. Kit’s eventual decision to protect Virginia, despite the woman’s questionable past, and the collapse of Hope’s End during Ricky’s final act of violence, symbolize the destruction of old cycles of revenge.

In the end, The Only One Left suggests that justice is not always found in retribution but in acknowledging truths, accepting consequences, and choosing a path forward despite the past’s darkness.