Tess Gerritsen

Last To Die

".this latest from Gerritsen is definitely firing on all cylinders."

Synopsis:

For the second time in his short life, Teddy Clock has survived a massacre. Two years ago, he barely escaped when his entire family was slaughtered. Now, at fourteen, in a hideous echo of the past, Teddy is the lone survivor of his foster family's mass murder. Orphaned once more, the traumatized teenager has nowhere to turn—until the Boston PD puts detective Jane Rizzoli on the case. Determined to protect this young man, Jane discovers that what seemed like a coincidence is instead just one horrifying part of a relentless killer's merciless mission.

Jane spirits Teddy to the exclusive Evensong boarding school, a sanctuary where young victims of violent crime learn the secrets and skills of survival in a dangerous world. But even behind locked gates, and surrounded by acres of sheltering Maine wilderness, Jane fears that Evensong's mysterious benefactors aren't the only ones watching. When strange blood-splattered dolls are found dangling from a tree, Jane knows that her instincts are dead on and when she meets Will Yablonski and Claire Ward, students whose tragic pasts bear a shocking resemblance to Teddy's, it becomes chillingly clear that a circling predator has more than one victim in mind.

Joining forces with her trusted partner, medical examiner Maura Isles, Jane is determined to keep these orphans safe from harm. But an unspeakable secret dooms the children's fate—unless Jane and Maura can finally put an end to an obsessed killer's twisted quest.

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Review:

Not being a fan of Maura Isles, I was not overly enthused when I started to read 'Last to Die' even though Rizolli is great and my favourite character from the Gerritsen canon. However, since this book focused less on personal relationships and more on the crimes, I found Isles to be less of an intrusion in this book, as I still find her to be a very cold and aloof character. The story hits the ground running and continues in this vein until the end. The plot is complex and some people are not who they first seem to be. Although there is little chance of the reader being able to work out the motives for the murders until very close to the end, it was still an exciting read. Personally, I still struggle to see the relevance of the Mephisto Club and really do hope that they play less of a part in future Gerritsen novels. 'Last to Die' is, in my opinion, the best novel Gerritsen has produced for a while and you can see from this latest from Gerritsen is definitely firing on all cylinders.

Reviewed By:


H.A.