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Disclaimer: I have read this book of my own volition.  Any and all opinions and interpretations contained herein are my own.

The Spoiler Report is a recounting of the major events of the novel mixed with my own interpretation of the meaning and symbolism of events, emotions, and actions. Reading this report is NOT a substitute for reading the actual novel and should not be taken as such. Not every single detail, feeling, and event is divulged within. It is essentially a lengthy outline of the story. Many details and all dialogue have not been included. This report is for those who appreciate knowing what happens or feels they may miss things when reading, or just want to have a detailed overview of a book before, or during, reading.

****THIS REPORT CONTAINS SPOILERS****  

This is NOT a book review. For the full review of The Last Invitation please visit here.

The Sophie Foundation. A group that advocates for women’s health and welfare.  The interesting part of the group is the Foundation behind the foundation.  A quick glimpse into a meeting that will leave no trace of having existed once it has ended. Except for the death of Offender C.

Gabby Fieldman arrives at her ex-husband’s home to discuss their daughter’s, Kennedy’s, summer schedule. Under the ex’s, Baines, advisement, Kennedy spends the majority of the year in Upstate New York at boarding school.

When Baines doesn’t answer the door, Gabby enters the house thinking he is playing another one of his mind games. Instead, she finds a blood-soaked library and Baines, with a gunshot wound to the head.

Jessa Hall, divorce lawyer, is being yelled at by the father, Darren Bartholomew, of her client – Curtis, his son. She is the GAL representative hired to ensure Curtis’ best interests are met as a five-year-old child in an ugly divorce case.

Darren seems more upset he didn’t win physical custody than not actually having custody of his son. The loss is more prominent than time with his son. Darren’s actual lawyer is no help as Darren berates Jessa.

Gabby insists that her ex-husband’s death is not a suicide not matter what the scene suggests. It also wasn’t her. She suggests it might be the person who attacked her moments after entering the library.

The Sophie Foundation, rather, the Foundation behind the Sophie Foundation. Meet again. This time to discuss extending an invitation to another woman. The Foundation is comprised of solely women. An invitation hasn’t been offered over the last two years.

Jessa and her boyfriend, Tim, join her best friend Faith for dinner. The topic of discussion is the case Jessa is currently working on, much to her dismay. Tim is more concerned about how her case will affect his career as a lawyer of international business. It’s all about appearances and reputations. And it is clear that his career is more important than hers in family law.

Alexander Carlisle, billionaire, is found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to his pelvic region. Carlisle was involved in a murder investigation and also accused of assaulting a number of escorts and prostitutes.

Liam, Baines’ brother, and Gabby grieve over the loss of Baines. She still insists that someone killed him. He was not the type of man to kill himself no matter what pressure was placed on him. And whoever did kill him, was still in the room when she arrived, and attacked her. Liam suspects that she is making up the story to void the self-injury clause in their divorce settlement. With a ruling of suicide, Gabby is set to receive nothing. Alimony, child-support, his assets, she gets none of it.

Jessa is brought into a meeting at her law firm, informing her that because she is unmarried and childless, she may not be best suited for the Bartholomew case. The top players at her firm only support her and her abilities as long as their personal interests and bank accounts remain in the black.

The more Gabby thinks about it, the more she doubts there was another person present when she discovered Baines’ body. Liam corroborates her doubts. The police have reviewed Baines’ security cam footage from the house. Gabby was the only one to enter or leave the house that day.

Jessa attends Baines’ funeral with one of the law firm’s partners, Covnington. Gabby clearly does not want her there. Even though the two women went to law school together and were once somewhat friends, Gabby still feels the sting of betrayal as Jessa was on Baines’ law team during the divorce.

A reporter follows Gabby out to the gravesite after the funeral. Rob Greene claims he has information about Baines. His death fits in with at least six others that have occurred over the last year in the DC metro area.

The Foundation calls an emergency meeting to discuss an urgent problem. We, as readers, do not even know what the problem is yet.

Jessa tries to have a relaxing night with Faith but is thwarted by thoughts of Gabby. The run-in at the funeral still fresh in her mind. Their past and the divorce proceedings tainted everything. Faith tries to remind Jessa that her relationship with Gabby wasn’t as casual as she’s trying to pass it off as. Their debate between reality and denial is interrupted by Convington calling Jessa to let her know there has been an accident.

Darren is claiming that his wife tried to run him over while attempting to take their son out of town. Not even the police believe him. Darren’s attorney accuses Jessa of helping Ellie, Darren’s wife, escape with her son. Faith tagged along with Jessa to the Bartholomew house.

Faith runs a charity that aids victims of domestic abuse. There has been suspicion in the past that her charity has smuggled abused women and their children to safety. Suspicions highlighted in the Young case. An abusive husband claimed Faith helped his wife and child go into hiding. The belief is that he used that as a cover; buying himself time to hide the bodies of his wife and child after he murdered them. 

Gabby takes Kennedy back to school to keep some sort of structure in her life. When she returns, Liam asks if Baines had mentioned any financial troubles to her. Liam found that some of the business accounts were not adding up. He hired a third party to perform an audit. Things were not looking good thus far.

Liam spies the business card Rob Greene, the reporter, gave Gabby at the funeral. Since Gabby had been driving to and from Upstate New York, she hadn’t had a chance to catch up on recent news stories. Rob has been fired from his reputable paper and was being slandered. The validity of anything he has written is being questioned. Gabby gives the business card to Liam who tears it up and puts it in his pocket—not the trash.

Jessa is called to her mentor’s house. The honorable Loretta ‘Retta’ Swain, senior judge.  Covington had called Retta to voice his concerns over Jessa and the Bartholomew case. Retta takes the opportunity to extend an invitation to Jessa to join the Foundation. Offering to mentor and aid Jessa in passing the membership trials.

Rob Greene corners Gabby trying to convince her that all the news against him is false – he is being set up. Blaming it on ‘the group’.  He leaves her with another business card.

Covington takes Jessa off the Bartholomew case before Darren’s attorneys publicly destroys her. Jessa fights to stay on the case. Not just for Curtis’ sake, but to continue to fight against the privilege of the rich like Darren who think they can manipulate the world to revolve around them.

Gabby and Liam go through boxes of Baines’ financial paperwork, conducting their own investigation. Finding discrepancies from their divorce proceedings. Neither one knows why Baines’ ultimately stopped throwing a fit and settled. Gabby thought it was Liam’s influence and vice versa.

But Gabby does have something on Baines. Something she is holding tightly to her chest. She visits Baines’ house looking for a secret hiding spot. Someplace he would hide a dirty little secret. While searching, she is caught by Detective Schone, the detective that continually shows up in Baines’, and Bartholomew’s, investigation. Quickly concealing an envelope she found before facing the detective. Schone tries to force Gabby to make a slip of admission that could help as the police dive deeper into her ex-husband’s death.  Instead, Schone tells Gabby that they found two accounts Baines hid from her during their divorce.

Jessa runs to Retta not knowing what to do about being removed from the Bartholomew case and the possibility of career slandered. Retta is the true voice of reason. Bringing her own personal tragedy to  light as she tries to get Jessa to see the flaws in the justice system. All the while attempting to gauge Jessa’s level of passion for going outside the law to ensure justice is served. Savvy to what the judge is doing and not wanting to completely fail this test, as Jessa is not prepared to fully reject the system she has depended on, she chooses her words carefully.

The big secret Baines hid in the concealed envelope was a bid. Papers outlining a competitor’s bid for a big job his company was also bidding on.

Kennedy shows up at home, having traveled from school by herself only to accuse her mom. An anonymous letter was sent to Kennedy telling her that Baines is not her biological father, his brother, Liam, is. As if summoned by the mention of his name, Liam arrives mid-argument.

Jessa runs into Rob Greene, literally, as she is leaving Retta’s house. He wants to talk to her about Baines as well. Panicked, Jessa turns towards Retta’s house, ready to run back. The judge’s husband, Earl, comes out the front door with a baseball bat. Rob finds this as a fortuitous opportunity – he has been trying to secure a meeting with Retta to talk about his findings as well.

Earl’s personal security, Trent, shows up and Rob easily leaves. The way Earl talks about Rob to Jessa suggests he knows more about the reporter than he is sharing. Insisting Jessa discounts the reporter and his outlandish conspiracies which seems to concern Earl more than Jessa’s safety.

Kennedy is furious. Screaming at her mother, demanding the truth. Liam is immediately thrust into a torrent of hate and despair, respectively, and is completely lost. Once Kennedy understands that Liam isn’t aware of the truth either, she storms off in a teenage tantrum.  Gabby shows Liam the note Kennedy received. He is immediately sullen with betrayal over Gabby’s actions over the last 14 years.  She tries to explain her reasoning.  But Liam has not made his true feelings toward her a secret. Which makes the betrayal run even deeper. Discovering Baines also knew the truth is too much for Liam.

Faith has researched Rob’s background for Jessa and tries to discredit him further. Det. Shone interrupts their lunch with news, Ellie, Darren’s wife, has confessed that Jessa told her to run with Curtis. That she would help them disappear.  Clearly a lie most likely conveyed under the influence of an overbearing husband.

Gabby meets with Rob, convinced he was the one that sent the letter to Kennedy. At least until he begins to point out that she is not the first one to experience ‘their’ wrath.  Going into details about Tami, his fiancé, that was supposedly killed by the same ‘them’.

The official tale of her death is wrought with holes and inconsistencies. Those inconsistencies led Rob to dive into the same rabbit hole that may have led to Tami’s death. Connecting other similar cases, such as Gabby’s, that are all intertwined. Surmising a group of lawyers, judges, police, and prosecutors are involved.  Including the illustrious Loretta Swain and their newest inductee, Jessa Hall.

Rob gives Gabby signs to watch out for, indicating whether Jessa was either accepted or rejected.

Covington suspends Jessa pending an investigation. Choosing the firm over supporting Jessa in any form.

After reading through the files Rob gave her, Gabby looks at the bid Baines had hidden away in a new light. She asks Liam to offer some insight. He confirms that Baines was up to something. The bid he hid is from a competing firm that belongs to Earl, Loretta’s husband, and his company.

Jessa calls Tim to come home early, needing some support. He turns her horrific day into nothing but an obstacle to his career. Proving to her that nothing is as important to him as his image in the law community. Breaking up with her and kicking her out. Leaving Jessa with nothing.

Gabby returns home from a trip to the market when someone attacks her.

Jessa is now publicly being attached as a lawyer in an attempt to discredit her. Hopeless and defeated, she visits Retta. Jessa is ready to accept the invitation.

Liam bursts into Gabby’s curtained area in the ER – she is not seriously injured. Things are awkward as this is the first real interaction since he found out the truth about Kennedy’s parentage. They still deeply care for each other but trust has been broken on Liam’s end. Det. Shone shows up – again. Her presence is not helping anything, as usual.

The Foundation apparently brings potential candidates to the brink as a way to showcase the flaws in the legal system. Just as they are doing with Jessa. Forcing her into accepting through desperation, not really justification as they claim. Regardless, Jessa sees it as a way to regain control of her life and wield it with power. She wholly accepts the invitation.

Liam convinces Gabby to stay at his house until they can prove her own is safe. Since Kennedy is already staying at Liam’s, mother and daughter hash it out over paternity and past life decisions.

Detective Schone visits Jessa at Faith’s home where she is staying after Tim evicted her. It has been three days since Jessa saw Retta.  Det. Schone stopped by to tell her that Ellie Bartholomew recanted her allegations toward Jessa. Darren was taken to jail for the car accident stunt he pulled with his wife. Everything snowballs from there – in Jessa’s favor.

The sudden about face of headlines pertaining to Jessa; from pariah to child-advocating hero, has Gabby wondering how much merit Rob’s theory really has. Liam, shedding some light on what Baines may have been doing, revolves around Earl Swain’s company, starts Gabby thinking. There are too many possible connections for Gabby to pass off Rob’s finding as pure coincidence.

Gabby and Jessa meet. Neither are too happy about the situation given their past history. As soon as Gabby mentions the possibility of a secret society, one where Loretta Swain is involved, Jessa starts to listen and sow doubt in Gabby’s theories. In the end, it’s Gabby that plants the seeds of skepticism in Jessa.

Eating lunch with Retta, Jessa casually tells her about Gabby. Retta remembers her from when she was their professor in law school. Retta also recalls Gabby being at the top of her class – above Jessa. Denying the Foundation had anything to do with Baines’ death, Retta still implies they will have future culpability when it comes to Rob Greene.

Jessa asks Gabby to meet her again. Gabby chooses a coffee shop where she has an appointment with Rob. The two women are in another battle of insults when Rob arrives. Both watch as the reporter is killed by a brutal, and deliberate, hit-and-run.

The Foundation closes their case on Rob Greene before opening the topic of Jessa Hall.

Gabby tries to explain what happened at the coffee shop to Liam. He is as skeptical, just as Gabby was in the beginning. He is consoling her when Kennedy walks in, misinterpreting the situation as them not able to keep their hands off each other.

Jessa is also trying to wrap her head around Rob’s ‘accident’. She initially thought the Foundation only went after the worst of the worst. Not some innocent reporter. In her daze of witnessing a murder, Jessa realizes this is her new reality.

In her professional life, Jessa is made partner at her firm after years of being passed over.

Liam drives Kennedy back up to her boarding school where they all believe she is safer.

Tim shows up, uninvited, at Jessa’s surprise/not-so-surprise get-together for making partner. Now that her life is pretty and shiny again, he wants to reconcile. Now that she has seen his true colors, she is very much done with him.

Just as Gabby convinces herself that Rob was full of conspiracies and everything was nothing more than happenstance, two police cars and a forensics van pull up outside Liam’s building. Leading the train is Det. Schone, who is now completely out of her physical jurisdiction. 

Jessa has a new-found confidence now that her life has taken a turn toward the positive. An arrogance she feels entitled to knowing that the Foundation has her back.

Det. Schone gives Gabby the search warrant for Liam’s house. No matter how Gabby spins it, it doesn’t make sense for the police to be there. Soon after the search begins, they find a bottle of medicine and a needle.

When Liam returns home, he is questioned about the bottle and syringe – a sedative that Liam has never seen before. A second autopsy was performed on Baines since Gabby was so insistent that it wasn’t suicide. A needle mark is found at the back of his neck. Trace amounts of a sedative is found in the toxicology report. Jessa is beginning to feel paranoid amidst all her good fortune – waiting for the other shoe to drop. Worried she’s becoming an unfeeling monster. And Gabby is at the root of all her emotional turmoil.

After hours of interrogation, Liam is set free. Even though they have piles of evidence surmounting against him, implicating him for Baines’ death. All clearly planted evidence, just like the sedative and syringe. Everything Ron warned Gabby about if she didn’t stay quiet is now coming to fruition.

The Sophie foundation is set to host their annual charity event. It is also a time for the Foundation to assess Jessa without her knowledge.

The charity event has been one that Gabby would always attend with her ex-husband. This year she goes not out of obligation, but in hopes of getting close to Loretta and Earl. Jessa finds Gabby first. Quickly engaging in their ritualistic verbal sparring. Gabby questions Jessa about the Foundation. Jessa’s words give nothing away. It is her tone that is her tell. The harder Gabby pushes, the more unhinged Jessa becomes.

Earl intercepts Jessa after her talk with Gabby as she is headed toward Retta. He feels her out, gauging her commitment toward the Foundation. Neither seems too convinced by the end of their conversation.

Earl taking on Jessa leaves Retta open for Gabby to approach her. Their conversation is wrought with undertones of threats and truths. All but confirm Gabby’s, and Rob’s suspicions. Retta has no problem with the work that the Foundation does. Convinced they are sacrificing the few to benefit the many. Believing that that is what they are truly doing.

Days later, Jessa tries to get some information out of Retta as she continues the initiation process. All she discovers is no one is safe from the Foundation’s judgment. Not even its members.

Gabby needs to get into Baines’ house but is required to have a police escort to do so. Of course it is Det. Schone. Who eventually tells Gabby that if she concedes to accepting the evidence and agrees Liam killed Baines, her life will greatly improve. When Gabby doesn’t comply, the detective turns to threats. And then it becomes obvious the Det. Schone is a member of the Foundation.

Gabby turns to the only person who can help – Jessa. In Gabby’s delicate state, the two are able to find some common ground and reach an understanding.

The police are turning up the heat on Liam. Even threatening to spin the death of Liam’s brother and sister, Natalie. Further implicating Liam’s and Gabby’s culpability. Instead, it puts doubt in Liam’s mind. Thinking that Gabby was somehow involved with Natalie’s death.

Jessa continues her tedious initiation evaluation with Retta at her home when the judge steps out of the room to take a call. Jessa seizes the opportunity to snoop. Only to get caught mid-snoop.

Liam pushes Gabby to divulge more truths she has hidden away. Including who is responsible for his sister’s death.

Jessa does what she does best when she is caught by Retta—deflects and lies. Using her specific skillset and misdirection to steal a small notebook she uncovered while going through Retta’s office.

Gabby tells Liam the truth, as she sees it, about his sister’s death and Baines’ possible involvement. The conversation ends when Kennedy sends a text. A reporter is hounding her about Liam being her biological father.

Partner orientation at the law firm. Jessa is ushered further into the world of law partnership and a room of locked, personal cabinets. All belonging to partners past and present. Including Retta. A key that Jessa found in the judge’s office fits Retta’s personal cabinet perfectly.

Gabby is desperate, meeting with Retta, when she gets an urgent text from Jessa. Before abruptly ending their conversation, Gabby has said enough to intrigue Retta.

The Foundation meets to take a final vote on Jessa after Retta presents gathered evidence concerning Jessa’s recent behavior and actions.

Darren, having been recently released from jail, most likely due to the Foundation’s involvement, surprises Jessa in the parking area of Faith’s building.

Det. Schone shows up at Liam’s condo, banging on the front door, looking for Gabby. Instincts tell her not to open the door. She needs to run. Gabby listens to her instincts.

Jessa refuses to contact the authorities about Darren’s attack now understanding that they can’t be trusted. Convinced the Foundation is either trying to get rid of her or forcing her to keep inline.  In what appears to be a paranoia driven tantrum to Faith, Jessa dismantles her cell and rushes to leave. Not wanting to put Faith in anymore danger. Faith gives her another phone before Jessa leaves. One of many she uses for abuse victims. Jessa uses it to contact Gabby.

Walking into Baines’ house to meet Gabby, a place they had both deemed safe, Jessa is met by Trent, Earl and Retta’s personal security. He is holding a knife.

She tries to act calmly and lie her way out of the situation if only to buy herself time. Trent attacks. As Jessa lies on the ground, injured, she can just hear Retta enter – shocked by what she sees. She is not happy with what Trent has done. Gabby arrives and flies into actions, trying to save a woman that she once considered a good friend.

Retta tries to get Gabby to see the reality of the situation. Also confirming the groups involvement in her and Liam’s current life situation. Putting the weight of the Foundation’s decision on Gabby.

Darren is charged and arrested for Jessa’s murder.

Gabby confronts Faith at the funeral. Unable to help herself, Gabby babbles about Jessa’s death and ‘the group.’ Faith reveals her true loyalties.

Later, at her house, Retta has her time with Faith. Their combined involvement in the rising body count is flung around as insulting accusations.

Gabby meets with Retta who goes over what the Foundation has done to clear Liam and, by extension, Gabby, thinking she has the upper hand. Gabby wants to make a deal with Retta thinking she has the power. Before Jessa died, she slipped Gabby all the leverage she needs.

Four days later, Retta retires from her position as a judge.

Faith is now being questioned in the infamous Young case which has reopened. New evidence has surfaced.

Now that things begin to settle down, Liam is anxious to start living this new reality. One where his brother is dead, he is now a father to a teenager, knows some horrible truths – and that there’s more in the woodworks. And he can potentially be with the woman he has loved since he was eighteen.

Gabby is not completely opposed to this new life.

The Foundation meets as usual. Retta ensures that while their work might slow to keep a lower profile, it will never stop.

Faith shoots Mr. Young in self-defense. Thus containing another situation.