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A gripping debut psychological thriller set on the east coast of Ireland. Atmospheric, twisty, and propulsive, Her Last Words is an edge-of-your-seat read about obsession and dark secrets coming to light. I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for this dynamic duo. The are as fabulous as the series is. This is another suspenseful story and I hope the author still has a lot of cases for them to solve. 5 stars
As satirical as this novel is, it is also a deeply meaningful story about love and morality. There are heavy themes throughout but they are conveyed with an empathic tenderness that exposes the most vulnerable parts of a person without shame or pity. Kim Kelly has always shone her brightest when writing about humanity, and so too it is with this novel. Her heart is on her sleeve for all to bear witness to, a bravery that is quite absent in most literature but deeply craved. Bravo Kim Kelly, you got me again. In the meantime it seems like Amanda has found peace in her personal life as well and I am happy for her. I can't stop thinking though she is with the wrong person. Not that he is not good to her. On the contrary. But I would enjoy to see her with someone else. :) This book is also a love story - one between John and Thisbe, and Penny and John - and how out of the darkness of losing one's way, a path to recovery can emerge, always there but not in sight until hope illuminates its existence. All of the Amanda Steele books are procedural, but Her Last Words is even more so than the previous books, and I thought it was great! Observing how Amanda and her partner, Trent, followed the clues was interesting. I especially liked how everything was brought together.I highly recommend this series and this author. Her Last Words is a great addition to the Amanda Steele collection.
This is yet another of Arnold’s fast paced, engrossing police procedurals. I read it in one day, long into the night, because I could not put it down. Arnold knows how to capture and maintain her readers’ interest. I love the repeating characters, especially Amanda who, despite an earlier tragedy in her life, is a strong, capable, independent female and I find the camaraderie between her and Trent quite entertaining. Set in Sydney, Aussie author Kim Kelly’s latest release, Her Last Words, is a foray into a different genre for her. With mostly historical fiction to her name – all titles I’ve loved – this is contemporary with a little crime on the side. An excellent story, it’s one about love and grief, about publishers in the current industry, about betrayal and hope. Her Last Words made me laugh, made me sad and made me think. A thoroughly enjoyable read, Her Last Words is one I highly recommend. Oh, and I absolutely love the cover! This is exactly why you are one of my favourite authors Carolyn!!! Here is to your next guaranteed success 🥂!! This fast-paced novel is full of a sense of urgency. However, the murderer was a little too predictable. The author weaves murder, relationships, family dynamics, grief, bullying, and more into a finely crafted tale.This book is extremely hard to categorise and in some ways this makes it a more unique and stay-with-you read. I did think the writing was excellent up until that halfway mark though so I’ll be interested to read more from E.V. Kelly in the future. Cases happening in Amanda and Trent's jurisdiction don't have the time nor opportunity to turn cold, because they take every little detail and put it under the microscope and. They keep on digging until they hit pay dirt.
I love a good Prologue, don’t you? It sets the hook, and Carolyn Arnold did a great job with the Prologue for Her Last Words, but that doesn’t surprise me. I have read a lot of Carolyn Arnold’s books and she never disappoints me. Yeah, they may not all blow my mind, but they do supply hours of entertainment. Bookouture and Carolyn Arnold provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently expected to be October 17, 2023. I was immediately hooked when I started this book, the first chapter is so sharp, and such an intriguing concept for a story. I can always appreciate an unreliable narrator and this trope was thoroughly and successfully explored here! I loved the setting, I always say this but thrillers set in Ireland automatically become more realistic for me as a reader.The book opens with Cass and her seven year old son Ted watching her husband Jeff take his morning swim on their local beach. Cass is stunned and horrified when a beautiful young woman appears and jumps into his arms, and even more so when they appear to be struggling, with the young woman left lifeless in the sand. Cass pretends she hasn’t seen anything while she sets out to understand what she witnessed; is her husband really a cold blooded killer? Written with great sensitivity, the themes of guilt, grief, loyalty, betrayal, suicide, post traumatic stress, depression, love, friendship and finding yourself are prevalent throughout. This novel consists of a prologue, 47 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case! While unfolding from multiple perspectives, John and Penny are the central protagonists of the story. Since Thisbe’s tragic death the two have never quite been able to let go, of her, or each other. The coronial inquest serves as a catalyst as John contemplates ending everything, and Penny considers finally moving on. And because Penny is a commissioning editor for fiction and there is a bookshop involved, not to mention a missing manuscript, the power of narrative shines throughout the discourse and is the vehicle by which both John and Penny forge a new beginning, not with each other, but with characters that are perfect soulmates.
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