Her Last Best Friend book tour is through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours and includes an author interview. Learn about the writer, engage in the comments, follow Sarandipity’s, and share with a friend.
Book Details
Her Last Best Friend (Shadow Lake Ranch Murders)
Psychological Thriller
1st in Series
Setting – Shadow Lake Ranch, a working ranch in Montana
Publisher : A Novel Idea Publishing, LLC
Publication date : September 23, 2025
Print length : 316 pages
Paperback ISBN-13 : 979-8891151017
Digital ASIN : B0F1M1C92D
A friendship. A betrayal. A body. Welcome to Shadow Lake Ranch…where friendships come to die.
Quiet Lindsey isn’t sure about spending twelve weeks at Shadow Lake Ranch. Her best friend, Mel, swears the luxury retreat will be the perfect escape—horseback riding, yoga, emotional bonding. A killer summer.
But from the moment they arrive, something feels off. Lindsey can’t shake the dread curling in her stomach. And when she meets Travis—the charming cowboy who seems to only have eyes for her—things get even more complicated.
Especially when it seems Mel has set her sights on him, too.
As the lines between truth and paranoia blur, Lindsey begins to question everything—her friendship, her relationship, even her own mind.
And when Mel turns up dead, Lindsey becomes the prime suspect.
Was she the jealous best friend who finally snapped? Or is someone else hiding a much darker secret?
At Shadow Lake Ranch, nothing is what it seems. And there’s only one truth: You can’t trust anyone.
Her Last Best Friend is a twisty psychological thriller perfect for fans of Colleen Hoover’s Verity, Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl, and Ruth Ware’s The It Girl.
“I was left guessing what was coming next, and kept flipping through page after page.” — Readers’ Favorite
Read now—if you don’t mind losing sleep.
About Nellie H. Steele
Nellie H. Steele is a storyteller who doesn’t just write books—she writes the stories her characters tell her. With distinct voices and minds of their own, her characters often take over, guiding her through tales of romance, mystery, adventure, and suspense.
A lifelong bookworm, Nellie vividly recalls sitting on the concrete floor of her childhood library, eagerly devouring Nancy Drew books and dreaming of solving mysteries of her own. Now an award-winning author, she spends her days crafting immersive worlds and unforgettable characters that feel like old friends. Her house is a zoo—literally—thanks to her rescue animals who seem perfectly happy napping while she writes.
Nellie’s writing process often involves background TV she never actually watches because she’s too wrapped up in her characters’ antics. When she’s not spinning stories, she works as a professor of statistics, where students who know her as an author are often surprised to find she really does teach math.
If you love twisty mysteries, soap-opera-style romance, and thrilling adventures, dive into Nellie’s books today and discover worlds you won’t want to leave. Connect with Nellie on Facebook at @NellieHSteele—she loves chatting with readers about characters, stories, and more!
Author Links
Website: https://nelliehsteele.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NellieHSteele/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nelliehsteele
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19769743.Nellie_H_Steele
YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UC8dBA76D9ZRmZqadbn6XPNQ
Purchase Link: Amazon
Author Interview
What is your favorite part of this book and why?
My favorite part of Her Last Best Friend is the emotional tension that exists before anything
overtly happens. I love the quiet moments where something feels off, but no one can quite put
their finger on why. Those subtle shifts—glances, assumptions, unspoken resentments—are
where the real story lives.
I wanted readers to feel the unease building long before they understand what it means. That
slow realization, when hindsight starts to reframe earlier moments, is one of my favorite things
to explore as a writer.
If you could spend time with a character from your book whom would it be? And what would you do during that day?
Kara. She’s observant, grounded, and sees more than she lets on. I think spending a day with her
would be quietly revealing—coffee, a long walk, and conversations that seem casual on the surface but carry a lot of weight underneath.
She’s the kind of person who notices patterns without rushing to judgment, and I’d love to hear what she chooses not to say as much as what she does.
What books/authors have most inspired you?
I’m deeply inspired by authors who write complex female relationships and moral gray areas.
Gillian Flynn was hugely influential in showing how dark, layered, and unapologetically flawed women could be on the page. I also love writers who let tension simmer—where atmosphere and psychology matter just as much as plot.
Outside of thrillers, I’m drawn to character-driven stories across genres. No matter what I’m writing, I’m always focused on emotional truth first.
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
They’re fictional, but emotionally honest. I didn’t base characters on specific people for this series, but I do pull from real dynamics, real emotions, and real patterns of behavior. Most readers recognize something familiar in these characters—not because they know someone exactly like them, but because they recognize the feel of the situation.
I think that’s what makes characters resonate. They’re not replicas of real people, but reflections of real experiences.
What made you want to become a writer?
I’ve always been fascinated by why people do the things they do—especially when those choices
don’t fit neatly into “right” or “wrong.” Writing gave me a way to explore that curiosity.
Storytelling allows me to sit inside moments of tension, contradiction, and consequence and let them unfold honestly. I didn’t set out to write perfect characters or tidy morals. I wanted to write stories that linger, that make readers question their assumptions, and that stay with them after the final page.
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
January 20 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
January 20 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
January 21 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
January 21 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
January 22 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
January 23 – Novels Alive – REVIEW
January 23 – Christa Reads and Writes – SPOTLIGHT
January 24 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW
January 24 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
January 25 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – REVIEW
January 25 – Reading Is My SuperPower – AUTHOR GUEST POST
January 26 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
January 27 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST
January 28 – Sarandipity’s – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
January 28 – Salty Inspirations – AUTHOR GUEST POST
January 29 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
January 29 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
Giveaway
Tour Wide Giveaway One paperback copies of Her Last Best Friend and Her Last Good Deed (book 2 in the series) by Nellie Steele for one winner.
