Book Synopsis:
In search of a new life, seventeen-year-old Adriana Clark’s family moves to the ancient, ocean-battered Isle of Mull, far off the coast of Scotland. Then she goes missing. Faced with hostile locals and indifferent police, her desperate parents turn to private investigator Sadie Levesque.
Sadie is the best at what she does. But when she finds Adriana’s body in a cliffside cave, a seaweed crown carefully arranged on her head, she knows she’s dealing with something she’s never encountered before.
The deeper she digs into the island’s secrets, the closer danger creeps – and the more urgent her quest to find the killer grows. Because what if Adriana is not the last girl to die?
Beautifully haunting with twists and turns you’ll never see coming, The Last Girl to Die is your next obsession waiting to happen. Perfect for fans of Stuart MacBride and L.J. Ross.
My Review:
The Last Girl To Die is an atmospheric, creepy read that is perfect for snuggling up with this Autumn.
Firstly I loved the island setting of this book and the closed room scenario it created. I felt there was something not quite right about the island from the beginning, especially as the residents seemed so wary about strangers and unwilling to accept Sadie’s help to try to solve the murder of one of their own. The history of the island with its myths and legends helped add to the mysterious atmosphere with the reader constantly guessing what was happening.
The characters were all interesting creations, though all flawed in some way so I don’t think I actually warmed to any of them. Sadie is definitely a brave lady, willing to stand up for herself and put herself is some awkward situations. I felt like screaming at her sometimes for her actions and felt frustrated with her at times for hiding evidence from the police. I was also constantly frustrated by the lack of support from the police on the island and their unwillingness to accept that one of the islanders could be the murderer. It made me mistrust them and wonder what they were trying to hide.
Overall I thought this was an exciting, gripping read that I really enjoyed. The story gripped me from the start and the fast pace of the story made the book hard to put down as there always seemed to be something happening to keep my interest. I found it hard to guess who the murder was as there seemed to be so many suspects! The ending was brilliant and very surprising which I always enjoy. I especially liked how the author kept the story going after the big reveal so the reader could find out what happened to all the characters.
Huge thanks to Avon and Mida publicity for my copy of this book.
About The Author:
An international and Amazon #1 best-selling author, Helen is a former criminal and family law barrister. Every book in the Callanach series has claimed an Amazon #1 bestseller flag. The last book in the series, ‘Perfect Kill’ was longlisted for the Crime Writers Association Ian Fleming Steel Dagger in 2020, and others have been longlisted for the McIlvanney Prize, Scottish crime novel of the year. Helen also writes as HS Chandler, and has released legal thriller ‘Degrees of Guilt’. Her audio book ‘Perfect Crime’ knocked Michelle Obama off the #1 spot. In 2020 Perfect Remains was shortlisted for the Bronze Bat, Dutch debut crime novel of the year. Now translated into 16 languages, and also selling in the USA, Canada & Australasia, Helen’s books have won global recognition. Her historical thriller ‘These Lost & Broken Things’ came out in May 2020. Her first standalone thriller – The Shadow Man – from HarperColllins will be published on February 4, 2021. She currently commutes between West Sussex, Scotland and California. She lives with her husband and three children. Helen can be found on Twitter @Helen_Fields for up to date news and information or at http://www.helenfields.co.uk.
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