Last Breath

I loved this book. It was so hard to put down. I love the gripping story-line full of adventure and suspense. Sally Rigby hit it out of the park once again with well written characters and a well thought out plot that held my attention from start to finish. I cannot wait to see what she writes next.

Another murder in the (fictitious) town of Lenchester is offered us by prolific writer Sally Rigby (5 novels in a year and that without losing anything in quality or thrill-level!) A rich older woman is found dead in her bed, strangled with a pink chiffon scarf. A MO that resembles that of the never caught Lenchester strangler who was active in the 1980ies when he killed 6 women. There was a suspect but when he murdered his own wife and was put in jail for that, the investigations were suspended and the murders stopped. DCI Walker tries to get in touch with her old boss who was SIO on that case but he’s in Egypt. It’s unlikely that the original suspect has anything to do with this murder as the man is in his 80ies and suffering from dementia (but maybe less than he lets on?) It doesn’t take long before 2 other murders on rich elder ladies occur. What do the victims have in common; gardening, art, volunteer work, clubs, …?
Then there is a problem with Tiffany, Whitney’s daughter. She wants to put her university education on hold and travel to Australia for a working holiday. She knows that this will hurt her mother and asks George for advice. She tells her to inform her mother ASAP but agrees not to say anything to her friend yet. George is a terrible actor and this secret puts a big strain on her relationship with Whitney who sees right away that something is up.
We’re also fed snippets of thought from the killer. He’s so certain that he is superior and far more clever than the ‘incompetent’ police. He has another 4 victims already lined up and mimics the original murders, but we don’t know why. At first, I thought that he can be a relative of 1 of the victims who’s angry because the murders were never solved. But that would make him just as evil as the original killer and for sure that the police will concentrate their efforts on the new killers instead of on the old ones where they have already a suspect. Or not …?
This story is very well put together and is full of red herrings that I kept following until they hit me hard. I tell you that the real outcome is something so brilliant that I would not have dreamed it up in a million years. The main characters are very likeable and credible. Neither woman is perfect or always right but I love to read how they weld their differences into a unique bond that’s much stronger than the individuals; You see how important their friendship is to both ladies. George feels terribly uncomfortable that Tiffany confided in her and swore her to secrecy, it hurts her that she can’t tell Whitney what her daughter wants to do. But she’s also a woman of strict morals and a promise is a promise, even though she urged Tiffany from the beginning g to be honest with her mother. And Whitney who feels that George is retreating behind her defences is also unhappy with the inexplicable change in her behaviour, she feels like they travelled back in time to how their relationship was at the start. She even wonders if she did something out of order to get this reaction. This is not the only strain on Whitney, the relationship with her daughter is also tested. In the end, it’s her dementing mother that points out that she can’t live Tiffany’s life for her.
I thank Sally for a free ARC from this book, but it is my own honest unbiased opinion that is expressed in this review.

When a murderer leaves a familiar pink scarf as his calling card, Detective Chief Inspector Whitney Walker is forced to dig into a cold case, not sure if she’s looking for a killer or a copycat.

With a growing pile of bodies, and no clues, she turns to forensic psychologist, Dr Georgina Cavendish, despite their relationship being at an all-time low. Once again Sally has done it again! I love this series so much! She always keeps me guessing as to who the villain is. I was up til 2 am finishing this one! Thanks Sally!

Last Breath is another great book by Sally Rigby. She’s taken the British procedural to a new place with Cavendish and Walker.
I love the way they work together, using their differences to benefit each case. Despite their differences, they have formed a strong friendship which is tested in this book.
Sally has a knack for pointing the finger at many suspects without giving anything away. This book was no different. It had my mind running every imaginable scenario trying to figure out who the killer was.
Well worth the time to read—I recommend it.
I was given an ARC from the author and this is my honest review.