Blog Tour: The Last Girl to Die – Helen Fields

Blog Tour: The Last Girl to Die – Helen Fields


Release Date:
1st September 2022
Publisher: Avon Books
Pages: 384
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 4/5 stars

Synopsis

The island watched and wept…

In search of a new life, sixteen-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?

Review

The Last Girl to Die is the latest gripping thriller from author Helen Fields. I read The Shadow Man by Helen Fields last year and completely devoured it so I was really intrigued to read more from the author. Set on the Isle of Mull, the story follows private investigator Sadie Levesque as she travels to the island in search of a missing girl. The police don’t seem to be doing much, believing she has run away and will turn up in a few days. When Sadie eventually finds Adriana’s body in a remote cave, with a seaweed crown on her head, she becomes entangled in a murder investigation. Determined to find out the truth of what happened, Sadie delves deeper into the island and its secrets, but will she be able to uncover what’s going on before it’s too late?

The Last Girl to Die is a rollercoaster ride of a book. I read it practically in one sitting, staying up late because I just had to know how it was going to end. Fields has plotted a really intricate and clever story – with so many surprises I just did not see coming. It’s a dark tense story and thriller fans definitely should not miss this one.

The Last Girl to Die has the perfect remote setting and having visited the Isle of Mull a couple of times I was so fascinated to see the familiar names and places come to life. I thought the setting really added to that tense, uneasy atmosphere that Fields created. A word of warning there are some pretty gruesome moments in this story, but don’t let that put you off, this is an addictive and thought-provoking story.

One of the things I particularly liked was our main protagonist Sadie. She’s determined to uncover the truth and not afraid to stand up to the police when they aren’t getting the job done. All the characters felt well crafted in the story and I was so gripped as the secrets of the island and its inhabitants were exposed. The Last Girl to Die is a compulsively readable thriller and if you’re looking for something to keep you hooked on a cold autumn night, this one should absolutely be your next read.

Blog Tour: The Family Tree – Steph Mullin & Nicole Mabry

Blog Tour: The Family Tree – Steph Mullin & Nicole Mabry


Release Date:
June 10th 2021
Publisher: Avon Books
Pages: 400
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 4.25/5 stars

Synopsis

The DNA results are back. And there’s a serial killer in her family tree…

Liz Catalano is shocked when an ancestry kit reveals she’s adopted. But she could never have imagined connecting with her unknown family would plunge her into an FBI investigation of a notorious serial killer…

The Tri-State Killer has been abducting pairs of women for forty years, leaving no clues behind – only bodies.

Can Liz figure out who the killer in her new family is? And can she save his newest victims before it’s too late?

A gripping, original thriller for fans of My Lovely Wife, Netflix’s Making a Murderer, and anyone who’s ever wondered what their family tree might be hiding…

Review

The Family Tree is the gripping story of Liz Catalano, a young woman living in New York with her cousin Andie. When Andie gets her a DNA ancestry kit as a present Liz signs up only to discover she’s adopted. As she goes in search of her biological family she is contacted by the FBI and becomes entangled in an investigation to discover the Tri-State Killer – a serial killer who has been abducting and murdering pairs of women for forty years. Can Liz uncover the truth behind her family, and can she do it in time to save his latest victims?

This was such a compelling read and I ended up reading it in one day. I thought this was such a unique concept and it was so well executed. It was a dark and engrossing read and I definitely did not want to look away. I loved the way the story was told from Liz’s perspective and from all the different victims of the Tri-State Killer. This definitely added to the suspense as we learn more about how the killer is getting away with his crimes all these years. As you would expect this story has plenty of twists and turns and there were more than a few creepy scenes that sent a shiver up my spine.

The Family Tree contains some really compelling characters and it was fascinating seeing Liz attempt to cope with learning about her birth family and what happened to them. I really liked the close bond between Liz and Andie and their portrayal felt really realistic. I loved the short chapters that had me turning pages faster and faster and the ending definitely wasn’t what I expected. The Family Tree is an inventive and chilling read, unlike any thriller I’ve read before. If you’re looking for something to keep you completely hooked on a long summer day, The Family Tree is exactly what you’re looking for.