OR

Print List Price:	$11.49
Kindle Price:	$2.99 Save $8.50 (74%)
Sold by:	Amazon.com Services LLC

Promotions apply when you purchase

Add an

audiobook with Audible narration for $7.49

Audiobook Price: $17.46

Save: $9.97 (57%)

Read with our free app

You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.

Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

There was an error. We were unable to process your subscription due to an error. Please refresh and try again.

Follow the author

Maria Frankland

+ Follow

More books from this author

The Last Cuckoo: A gripping psychological thriller with a killer twist Kindle Edition

by Maria Frankland (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.1 624 ratings

See all formats and editions

If your mother died three weeks ago, she can't start to follow you on social media.

When Jamie receives a seemingly innocuous tweet from his mother, Anna, who has been dead for several weeks, his spiral into a chaotic world of confusion and fear begins.

As this chilling narrative unfolds, Jamie's family embark on a desperate quest to unravel the unsettling mystery shrouding Anna's untimely death.

Yet, as the hidden truths are uncovered, Jamie becomes ensnared in a treacherous web of deception, where the line between reality and illusion blurs, leaving him and his family trapped in a nightmarish struggle to confront the terrifying reality that’s been staring at them all along.

Perfect for fans of Laura Marshall, Alice Feeney, Daniel Hurst and Frieda McFadden.

Download it now before the price changes!

What readers are saying:

"The author did a wonderful job of creating characters that seemingly come alive. The plot maintained my interest from the offset and kept me guessing." Amazon Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Read in a day, couldn't put it down. Brilliant ending which I didn't see coming." Amazon Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"It's a fascinating set up as Jamie has to deal with betrayal, jealousy, greed and bitchiness from various family members as the dark side of human nature shows its ugly head." Amazon Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I read this book in a day!! It’s 3 in the morning and I’ve just finished it! I absolutely love all of Maria Franklands’ books but this one has to be my absolute favourite. Written with genuine feeling and compassion - it made my heart melt. I won’t spoil the ending but it made me weep!!” Amazon Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Wow just wow! This is a well executed, razor taut thriller/mystery." Amazon Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the Publisher


	Frenemy	Hit and Run	Undercurrents	Last Orders	In His Shadow	Left Hanging
	See Details	See Details	See Details	See Details	See Details	See Details
Customer Reviews	779	834	485	845	770	1,337
Price	$2.99	$2.99	$2.99	$2.99	$3.99	$3.99
Synopsis	She wants to be with her. She wants to BE her.	The sunniest days bring the darkest news.	You never know what, or who, is around the corner.	The grass isn't always greener on the other side...	Gaslighters choose their prey with care.	Within a marriage can be the sweetest, or the darkest place to be.
Kindle Unlimited	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
eBook	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Print	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
audiobook	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The alleyways of Maria Frankland's fictional universe are uncompromising; they bear the lines and shadows of experience, and return an authenticating nuance to the rapt readers' investigative instinct.
Set in a Yorkshire of the imagination, and executed in dialogue which is both persuasive and explosive, The Last Cuckoo is profoundly sensitive to the collective emotional trauma of a bereaved family in a freefall of grief and recrimination.
In her superb first novel, Maria Frankland unlocks a compelling crime drama by gradual accretion and revelation. We sincerely hope she visits the terrain again soon."
Steve Whitaker Yorkshire Times

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B084DTG91H
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Autonomy Press (March 4, 2020)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 4, 2020
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1585 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 290 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #398,383 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #682 in Ghost Thrillers
- #823 in Women's Psychological Fiction
- #2,539 in Psychological Fiction (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
4.1 624 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Maria Frankland

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Maria Frankland has a dubious internet search history and a very worried mother-in-law. However, neither of these things can stop her writing gripping psychological thrillers in which you’ll never find a happy-ever-after.

Her novels are mostly set in Yorkshire where you’ll hear the accent through all her characters. These are people you could live next door to, or closer still… don’t say you haven’t been warned.

Maria’s novels are fast-paced, down to earth and realistic. You never know what’s around the corner…

Find out more about Maria at www.mariafrankland.co.uk. Whilst you’re there, you can download your free novella – The Brother-in-Law. Happy reading!

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5

624 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Sort reviews by

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Susan Jacob

A real page turned for me.

Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2022

Verified Purchase

I just kept waiting for Jamie to get justice. Those around him were so toxic.
This is one of my favorites so far.

Helpful

Pheadra Farah

More family saga than thriller

Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2022

Verified Purchase

This was both a compelling and frustrating read. I wanted to read because I was intriguied by who was behind the ghost-like tweets, and frustrated because Jamie, the main character comes across more like an immature 15-year old than a 25-year old male, in modern times working for an insurance company.

Anna is a best-selling talented artist. She is divorced from her former husband Philip, an excuse for a husband, father and man. They share a son, Jamie(24 on the brink of 25) who still lives with her. She is engaged to Iain when she is discovered at the bottom of the stairs supposedly having fallen while balancing on the banister, painting the ceiling. Iain's daughter, Chloe, his ex wife Shirley and Philip's second wife Katherine are truly loathsome. When twitter lights up with messages from Anna one is left to guess who might be posing as her and why does she refer to someone as a cuckoo? The character of Jamie came across as hard to like because of his neediness, naivete and stupidity and the BIG reveal turned out to be less than spectacular because I had guessed 20% in who the main culprit was. The book is however a very good take on blended families, summarized in these lines:

Judge Lakin, presiding, said the case highlighted the problems of resentment and jealousy in second-time families, where fractured families are forced to bring their ‘baggage’ and merge their lives under one roof, often against the will of the children. He added that this is a sad example of a culture where one in three marriages will end in divorce. We have moved away from the ‘nuclear’ family, he said, to a situation where the stepfamily is the norm. Statistics also show that the step family dynamic fails eighty three per cent of the time.

4 Stars.

Helpful

Tracy J Rogers

Great author and genre

Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2022

Verified Purchase

Love author and genre

Helpful

Kindle Customer

Stunningly Out Together

Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2021

Verified Purchase

An interesting and entertaining story that keeps one guessing through the end. Grief, loss, jealousy, and greed prevail with strained relationships. I couldn't have predicted the conclusion. What turn around of events!

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

patricia bird

Not a surprise!

Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2020

Verified Purchase

No surprise ending which was a such a disappointment. The only likable characters was the victim and Bette..the little old lady living across the street. This is the second book I have read by this author and I have noticed, in both books, most of the characters are awful people and the endings are horrible!

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

RACHEL

Read this book

Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2023

Maria does not disappoint!!
I have read all her books and they are all amazing!!
Lots of twists and surprises 🥳 and will keep you turning the pages late into the night 🌙

Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2020

The Last Cuckoo is an intriguing mystery/thriller that also centers around family. I found this a really unique read that drew me in from beginning to end.

Written in the first person, I felt as though it was easy to connect with Jaime. I am one of the few I know who thoroughly enjoy first person POV if done well. I think it’s a beautiful thing to get inside the character’s head. It also allows the author to shine because it takes a lot of talent to not only get a reader to care about the characters but also be entertained by the plot.

I really loved the mystery of this novel. I was surprised and I loved being taken on the journey of twists and turns. I really loved being able to get attached to the characters and be drawn in by the mystery suspense.

Check this out!

Rating:

4/5☆

*I received a free copy of this book from Random Things Tours in exchange for an honest review on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.*

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Shelley T. Eason

A painful slog

Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2021

Verified Purchase

Not one likable character. I would not recommend it. Had to force myself to skim to the end. That’s all.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Nisareen Khan

A well executed mystery/thriller

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 15, 2020

Verified Purchase

It’s been three weeks since Jaime lost his mother, Anna, after she fell to her death while redecorating the house she shared with her son. Struggling to contain his anger, grief and loss, Jaime finds himself isolated from the rest of the family as each member with their own agenda await the outcome of Anna’s Will.

Several days following the funeral, Jaime is appalled when he receives a Twitter notification alerting him to a tweet from Anna’s account which suggests that her death was no accident. The question is, who is behind the tweets and is there really more to Anna’s death?

The Last Cuckoo is a dark story which focuses on family dynamics and the consequences of toxic relationships. Narrated in the first person by Jaime (as though he’s talking to his mother) we are given insight into Jamie’s innermost thoughts and feelings as he reminisces about his troubled past and struggles to move on with a life without his mother. While having Jaime’s point of view offers valuable insight into his psyche, it does make him a somewhat unreliable protagonist. I felt at times that his behaviour was immature for a 24-going-on-25 year old although some of his actions were understandable considering the behaviour and characteristics of his so called family and friends.

The secondary characters were well developed. We have Jamie’s narcissistic, opportunistic father Phil, who was barely around for his son following his divorce from Anna but who begins to sniff around now that Jamie has been left a substantial amount of money in Anna’s Will. Phil’s relationship with his current wife Katherine is equally volatile and she in turn has always resented Anna and Jaime. Then we have Anna’s fiancé Iain, his antagonistic ex wife Stacey, along with his toxic self centred daughter Claudia who resents Anna’s presence in her father’s life and despises Jaime.

In the background to all these deeply unpleasant characters, is a relentless Twitter campaign orchestrated to lead those that Anna loved - and didn’t love - to the truth behind her death. I confess I had my own ideas about the culprit from the get go so I was completely unprepared for the twist at the end.

This book was my first introduction to the author and she didn’t disappoint. This was a well executed, razor taut thriller/mystery. The author did a wonderful job of creating characters that seemingly come alive. The plot maintained my interest from the offset and kept me guessing. The author has skilfully highlighted the challenges that stepfamilies face when trying to meld two families with children into one. I couldn’t help sympathising with Anna throughout. Her life had been full of disappointments and it seems that just as she had found some semblance of happiness, her life was tragically cut short. I’ll definitely be looking out for future works of this author.

One person found this helpful

Jade

This was a good read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 9, 2024

Verified Purchase

This was a good read, however, it was quite prolonged in places. It's basically one long letter to a parent. The twist at the end is pretty good, and there's some parts of the book where you feel like your right there in the moment, and want to scream (that's what makes this book worth reading). I'd have given in 5*, but I felt like the ending was very sudden.
I am enjoying reading Maria Franklands books though! So glad I found this author

Maggie

So Many Suspects

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 31, 2023

Verified Purchase

Jaime lost his mother in a tragic accident which leaves him a house and a substantial cash inheritance. However, things are rocked in his world when tweets begin to be left, supposedly from his dead mother, in the weeks following her death. The police are contacted by Jaime and his uncle but they are frustrated by a lack of action from them. There are so many suspects for Jaime to choose from. His estranged father and his new wife, or is it his step-father to be and his daughter. The story lurches from one traumatic incident to another with Jaime becoming more depressed as time goes on. I found this book to be so well written and a compelling read, as is always the case with Maria Frankland books.

Adele Lisa

Compelling insight into human psyche

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 3, 2020

Verified Purchase

This book had me gripped from the beginning. The characters are really compelling (anyone who has read 'Gone with the Wind' or 'Vanity Fair' knows that a character doesn't have to be likeable to be compelling!) The voice of the narrator as a young man was so convincing and the use of present tense made it feel so immediate. Really original plot with so many unexpected twists. I think young people and people who enjoy thrillers or dramas would enjoy this. A talented writer with a startling insight into the human psyche.

4 people found this helpful

Julie Anne Booth

Excellent

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 27, 2023

Verified Purchase

Great characters and storylines. Something different .
Another great book by this author. Will recommend to all of my reader friends

OR

Buy for others

Buying and sending eBooks to others

Follow the author

Image Unavailable

The Last Cuckoo: A gripping psychological thriller with a killer twist Kindle Edition

If your mother died three weeks ago, she can't start to follow you on social media.

What readers are saying:

Customers who bought this item also bought

From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

Review

Product details

Videos

About the author

Maria Frankland

Customer reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Top reviews from other countries