Last to Die

Kate Brady

Although her father was a bad cop, Detective Dani Cole needs to keep proving she is not her father's daughter. He was fired from the Lancaster police department. She's a homicide detective. Her father has recently died but his reputation follows him and affects her.

Rosa, a woman Dani had helped get out of prostitution has been murdered. Dani is grieved, knowing the woman was getting her life back. Then another man is killed who appears to have had contact with the woman. That murder brings Mitch Sheridan back into her life. He is a photojournalist who has spent the last 18 years traveling to the worst spots in the world to record what is happening around the world. He has returned to Lancaster for a show.

Eighteen years earlier Mitch and Dani had an intense relationship. Then he learned the truth about her life and she sent him away. They haven't forgotten each other. When someone breaks into Dani's house, trashes it, almost kills her dog, and leaves a grisly message. She is being warned off from searching for Rosa's killer. It appears that person may be a serial killer. Mitch takes her under his protection until the killer can be caught. What neither realize is that the murderer has decided Dani has to die as well as the original targeted victims.

Kate Brady's novel Last To Die is supposed to be a gripping romantic suspense. It's romantic, fast paced, and builds to a close call conclusion. But it's not suspenseful except deciding when the serial murderer strikes again. We first get the serial killer's perspective of events. The first time we met the murderer, I knew it was that person. Like I said, the biggest suspense was wondering who was the next target, does one woman escape or not, and how will Dani face down the murderer.

The writing is fairly good and kept me involved. Dani came to life for me but Mitch stayed fairly flat. There is one good twist at the end of Last to Die that surprised me. I also like the staging of Mitch's show by the end of Kate Brady's book. It's poignant.

Notice:  Graphic violence, Suggestive dialogue or situations

Publicist provided for review