Her Last Words: An addictive psychological thriller that will keep you hooked!

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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. Set in Sydney, Her Last Words is contemporary with an complementary dash of crime. An incredibly engaging story, it’s all about love, grief, betrayal and hope. Kim Kelly's characterisation was second to none and every cast member, whether primary or secondary, good or bad, was expertly created and developed. A deep and meaningful story about love and morality that I heartily recommend. Full disclosure - I was provided an advanced reader’s copy of this book by the author or their representative but have voluntarily provided a review. All opinions are my own. The murders will eerily connect to a cold case from fifteen years ago, a case that Felicity was researching for her next novel, Another body will turn up but is the killer close by and trying to misdirect Amanda and her partner.

Amanda feels huge guilt about being away from her family due to her work commitments. There is also a romantic tension between Amanda and Trent which returned in this book. Amanda's link with the victim makes her even more determined to find the truth. I had no idea of the identity and motive of the killer so was kept guessing until the end. But one moment will change everything and Penny is left with the unenviably and distinctly difficult job of trying to heal John. John is shattered into a million pieces, bereft, and full of remorse. In the meantime Jane, Thisbe's flatmate makes dishonourable decisions that have the reader spitting feathers and Penny, much later, on the warpath for literary justice. When Detective Amanda Steele is called to the brutal murder scene of successful local author Felicity Kelley , her blood runs cold. Because Amanda not only knew the victim, but was the last person Felicity called moments before she was murdered. Plagued with guilt that she never answered, Amanda is left wondering whether she could have prevented the murder, and vows to catch the killer, no matter what. Her Last Words is the first novel from Irish author E.V. Kelly. This is a psychological thriller set in Dublin. Depression is an eel that slips between the ribs unnoticed until it's feeding on your heart. It darts between circumstantial sense – the relationship between bad things happening and bad feelings had – and the shark shadows of every nightmarish dream, every unnameable, aching need."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. 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.

Having been a long-time fan of Carolyn Arnold's work, I was delighted to read this book. Amanda Steele is always a wonderful character, willing to take risks to solve cases. Her Last Words is an intriguing read with many twists and turns. Plenty of red herrings keep readers on their toes throughout this thrilling adventure. Amanda's courage and determination, combined with Carolyn Arnold's expert storytelling, make Her Last Words a truly captivating read. What follows is an exciting, suspenseful, intriguing, tense mystery, that kept me unable to put the book down, as this was a fantastic thriller. From the start, you become engrossed into the story. The last third of the book was fast-paced, intense, exciting thriller, with many twists along the way. To say too much more would be spoilers. This is a review that I've found quite difficult to write, and also a book that I found quite hard to rate. While I think the author wrote beautifully and I appreciate what the novel was about, I found the majority of it fairly depressing and got me down a bit. The novel finishes in a more positive place which I liked but the journey there is hard for a lot of the characters. From the beginning, it would be hard for anyone to not feel for John: he is utterly broken by the death of his partner, with whom he argued with right before her death. When the story moves ahead seven years, John is still heartbroken and full of despair and guilt; it's painful to read but also I imagine a very realistic portrayal. The novel includes perspectives of several different characters, with some featuring more than others, but all being affected somehow by the death of Thisbe even if they did not know her. In addition to our four main protagonists, we have a side plot. Aspiring author Jane Furlow first read Darling Boy when Thisbe was alive. She had an electronic copy. She said it was a ‘bit shit’ but then once Thisbe was out of the way she decided to publish it as her own work under the name of The Wakening Maid. Asking for trouble? Dear God Jane, your attempts at plagiarism are a ‘bit shit’ aren’t they? Did it never occur to you that there might be another copy floating around somewhere. Kim Kelly’s latest literary triumph is a book that will resonate deeply with wordsmiths. Defined by perfectly defined and stunning prose, thoughtful characterisation and multilayered plotline, Her Last Words is a novel that holds strong meaning. It was truly wonderful to see a well-regarded Australian historical fiction novelist branch out and dabble in the world of contemporary fiction.Her Last Words by Carolyn Arnold is the 9th book in her fantastic Detective Amanda Steele series. I am a big fan of Arnold, having read most of her books, and I love this series, which continues with another great addition. Her Last Words was a fantastic read, with me unable to put the book down. They were almost as important as air and water, as far as she was concerned. Spoken, written or performed, stories, she saw, were the glue of our existence, the places of all our togetherness’s as humans. How else did we forge bonds with strangers we could never otherwise meet? How else did we learn, grow, heal?’ So it’s another review and another crime procedural for me. My grandfather was a cop, and the analytical side of my brain loves trying to solve the crime alongside the team of detectives.