“Last to Die” by Tess Gerritsen / Friday, December 7, 2012 / Reviewed by Clay Stafford

Today’s featured book is Last to Die by Tess Gerritsen.

Save the kids.

Why Clay Stafford chose this book:

Let’s hope there is no “three’s the charm” in this book. Twice in a row, Teddy Clock has survived a massacre of his family: first his real family and then his foster family. Was this coincidence or was something amuck? Come to find out, it was not only Teddy’s two families that were being stalked. Other children have lost their families. Finally, we learn, it is not the families being stalked, but the kids and not only Teddy. This is a story with more twists and turns than a carnival fun house.

Detective Jane Rizzoli, Medical Examiner Maura Isles, and some smart fellow orphans work together to keep the orphaned children safe. But they must find the killer before something happens that no one can take back. Readers of Gerritsen will happily note some reappearances of characters from previous novels and Rizzoli and Isles, of course, from their own TNT breakout television series. (Oddly, these two characters have almost grown more famous than their creator.)

Because kids were involved, this was a fast page-turner for me. I couldn’t wait to get to the end of the story, not because I wanted it to end, but because I wanted to know how it turned out. I’m not going to tell you the ending, but it did come and I did have to stop.

Here’s my only gripe.

For years, I’ve been a fan of Tess Gerritsen. Nobody writes a thriller better. I’m like a kid when I finish her books. I want to sit down on the floor and start screaming until she gives me more. In this case, I was screaming while I was reading because she was torturing me with suspense. And then, of course, I screamed when I had to close the book because there was no other place to go.

What better gripe can you have than that?

Beginning with her first novel that went straight to the bestseller list, Tess Gerritsen has only given the best. For many reviews, I note that someone’s last book is their crowning glory. In Tess Gerritsen’s case, they’ve all been out of the park. “Last to Die” is no exception and continues her exceptional norm. If you like suspense, this is a book you need to read.

From the publisher:

“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.

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.”

If you want to make your own comments on this selection, we would love to hear from you. Join our Facebook Killer Nashville group page or our blog and join in the discussion.

Remember that these books are listed at a discount through Amazon. You also don’t have to purchase the version that is featured here. Many of these books are available in multiple formats: e–book, hardcover, softcover, and audio. Enjoy!

– Clay Stafford, Founder of Killer Nashville