Hi all:
We end the week with another thriller. I’ve realised that I read a lot of them (perhaps because I write them too) but this week you can count yourself lucky as there aren’t many. Unless you like them, of course. But this one is well-worth a look. Or a read.
Her Last Breath: A shocking psychological thriller perfect for Hitchcock fans (Detective Kerri Blasco Book 2) by J.A. Schneider
- “Stunning, unbearably intense. So engrossed was I that I didn’t realize I was three quarters of the way through till my phone started to lose battery and I realized it was dark outside!” -Best Crime Books
- A chilling psychological thriller about a woman caught between two men…Mari Gill wakes to horror in a strange apartment next to a murdered man, and can’t remember the night before. Accused of murder, she feels torn between her husband, a successful defense attorney, and a mysterious, kind man who wants to help. Can she trust either of them – or even her friends? Detective Kerri Blascobattles her police bosses believing Mari is innocent…but is she?
A heart-stopping psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Alfred HitchcockWhat everyone is saying about Her Last Breath:
“Absolutely breathtaking! Another incredibly intense and thrilling psychological stunner by J.A. Schneider – unputdownable and I never guessed the ending!”– Brenda Telford Reviews
“Just finished, still gasping. Incredibly intense…I’ve read hundreds of books and I never guessed the amazing twist. Just stunning!” – Literati Literature Lovers
“This psychological thriller will send shivers down your spine…raise the hair off your neck. It’s non-stop action and suspense. Character development is terrific. They all come across as normal everyday people …. but are any of them really who .. and what … you think they are?” – Linda Strong Reviews
“Her Last Breath is another twisty, stunning mystery thriller from author J. A. Schneider, where the evidence coils and turns like an eel on a hook. Mari goes from trauma to paranoia and back again, her instincts pushing her towards uncovering the blocked memories that could make or break the case, even as she doubts her senses, her mind, and who she can trust. Husband? Friends? Nobody? It’s a rare pleasure to come across a mystery that’s so hard to guess, and J. A. Schneider’s books have a consistent winning streak on that score. Her plots go from strength to strength.”– J.C. Steel, bestselling author of Fighting Shadows
Links:
https://www.amazon.com/Her-Last-Breath-psychological-Hitchcock-ebook/dp/B01M1EPMPP/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Her-Last-Breath-psychological-Hitchcock-ebook/dp/B01M1EPMPP/
Some information about the author:
My review:
Thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher, RGS Media, for offering me an ARC copy of this novel that I review voluntarily.
This is the second book in the Detective Kerry Blasco Series, but it can be read independently and although I haven’t read the first book in the series I could follow the story without difficulties.
The novel starts with a bang. The story is told in the first person and we share with the main character, Mari, the experience of waking up next to a body, with no memory of how she got there. She panics suffers an asthma attack and is unable to find her inhaler. She is losing consciousness… From that point on, her life is turned upside down; she becomes the main suspect in the murder of a man she’d never met before —a well-known photographer with a shady past, some dubious practices and more than a few enemies — and her estranged husband, a high-flying lawyer, comes back into her life.
The story is told from the point of view of Mari, but we also get accounts, in the first person, from other characters, most of them from Kerry Blasco, a female detective that sometimes can have strong intuitions, or so everybody says (that is not too evident in this case, as other characters tell us from the beginning that somebody is setting Mari up, and despite Kerry’s stubbornness and her insistence on Mari’s innocence, her reasoning appears logical and based on clues and evidence rather than any sixth sense). Kerry is a likeable character, a woman coping with a personal trauma, hard-working and empathetic, although we do not get to know her in depth in this novel alone. Her partner, in the police department and in life, Alex, seems to play devil’s advocate to her more sympathetic good cop, although is a good guy at heart. Despite the different points of view, the story is narrated from, each chapter is narrated in full by the same character and these changes are not confusing.
Mari, due partly to the effect of the drug somebody put in her drink, which causes her memory problems, to past difficulties with alcohol, and to the shock of her situation, is a character that appears confused and who often acts on impulse rather than using her common sense. She functions as a conduit for the reader and it’s a good device as, like her, we don’t know either what happened and get to suspect everybody and live first hand her anguish and doubts.
There are plenty of intrigues, the action moves at a good pace, and we have many detectives (not only the official ones, but also Mari and Jay, the man who rescues her at the beginning of the book), a number of suspects, and quite a few red herrings, twists and turns. You might or might not guess who the guilty party is, but there are many curve balls and the mystery is well constructed.
An enjoyable and dynamic read, with some violence (but not extreme) and no explicit sex scenes or long descriptions, it’s high on entertainment value and will keep you guessing.
Thanks so much to NetGalley, to the publisher and to the author for this novel, thanks to all of you for reading, and remember to like, share, comment, and CLICK!
I’m not a real fan of Hitchcock, but this book sounds good. It is popular to have a series featuring one main character, and a sure way to keep readers looking out for the next one. Good luck to Joyce, with ‘Her last breath’.
Best wishes, Pete.
I do like Hitchcock, Pete, and I studied some of his films on a course on psychoanalysis and film (very interesting from that perspective). As you know I did talk about North by Northwest in my PhD but perhaps Shadow of a Doubt is my favourite. The series thing helps get the readers engaged with the characters (sometimes, if the case is complicated is difficult to develop the story and also say a lot about the characters), but making each book work independently for a reader who hasn’t read the whole thing requires lots of skill. I’m working on a project that might link one of my series with a series by another writer, and I’m not sure if it will work…
Linking two series is an interesting idea indeed. I also like ‘Shadow of A Doubt’, as well as ‘Strangers On A Train’, and ‘Blackmail’. I just don’t ‘adore’ Hitchcock in the way that so many do, but I can see where your profession would find many of his films interesting.
Yes. Strangers On a Train is another favourite of mine. We studied his films when I was doing my PhD in one of the masters courses that used psychoanalysis to analyse texts and movies, rather than people. I think it’s probably more useful for that, but there you go…
You have my attention with this riveting review! Now, is this a book one should have read Book 1 first? 🙂
I wouldn’t say so, Debby. I just picked it up because the description sounded interesting and run with it. I’m sure the first one must be good too, but it’s not too far along in the series and I thought it worked perfectly well on its own. Thanks so much.
Thanks for letting me know this Olga. Added! 🙂
I hope you enjoy it!
🙂
I keep saying I’m not a fan of thrillers but I want to put this on my list as well!
I’ve realised I read a huge amount of thrillers although I’m not sure it’s intentional, but the description always sound so intriguing, Sarah!
I do like Hitchcock, so I had to read the rest of your post, and devour your review, Olga. I try to incorporate his “long shot” (a written version) into my writing, at least now and then. (I just reminded myself that I haven’t done that in a long time!)
You did get me intrigued by the book. Happy weekend. Huge hugs.
I know what you mean, Teagan. The Rope is a fabulous exercise on that… Now I’m intrigued by the technique too… 🙂
A lovely review of this book, Olga. I do like Hitchcock and this sounds very intriguing.
Thanks, Robbie. Not a moment’s boredom with it.
Olga, thank you so much for your beautiful review, I so appreciate it! Also, I am knocked out by your background, so smart, multi talented/educated and…I love Spain, and…my husband is a physician too (cardiology). And you & I both love film, Hitchcock, & you’ve a Masters in Criminology?? *Are you sure you’re one person!?* Pues, muchissimas gracias por sus lindas palabras. Es tan amable de su parte, y aprecio de veras su appoyo. Joyce 🙂
Thanks very much! I loved your book and I always enjoy sharing reviews with my readers and hoping to get more people interested and reading. Sometimes I wonder. My father used to be horrified every time I told him I was studying something else. “Haven’t you finished studying yet?” he’d tell me. I’ve always loved books and studying, although my brain is getting slower. It’s a pleasure to meet other writers and it’s good to know that the reviews reach the right ears and make people happy. Muchas gracias y recuerdos a su marido. A hard job, your husband’s. My mother had an MI last year and now she has two stents, so I keep coming and going from Barcelona to England. Take lots of care.
Hello Olga! Great review. I’m intrigued by the Hitchcock comparison. 🙂
It is quite apt, Vashti, although that’s included in the title of the book and not mine… 🙂
Definitely sounds Hitchcockian (is that a word?)! I loved Alfred Hitchcock Presents on TV when I was a kid. One of my favorites was about a woman who killed her husband with a frozen leg of lamb (just bashed him), then served it to the investigators!
Thanks, Noelle. I remember that one very well. If you’re into Pedro Almodóvar’s films I’d recommend you watch ‘What Have I done to deserve this?’ ¿Qué he hecho yo para merecer esto? ) that is an homage to that story…;)