Bar owner Mackenzie “Mack” Dalton and her barstool detectives love to puzzle through cold cases. But when one of their own disappears, danger is on tap . . . Fresh off solving a murder that hit too close to home, Mack’s trust is shattered. But when Milwaukee police detective Duncan Albright asks for her help with a shooting, she can’t resist using her extra-perceptive senses to benefit others. … to benefit others. It turns out the victim was the ruthless businessman their friend Mal was investigating undercover. And now Mal is missing—and his fingerprints are on the gun. Was his cover blown, forcing him into hiding? Or could he be a straight-up killer on the run? Mack doesn’t know what to believe anymore—except her own gut, which leads her to secret rooms, shocking revelations . . . and the fear that this could be her final round.
“The first book in the Mack’s Bar Mystery series is a hit!”
—RT Book Reviews on Murder on the Rocks
“Murder with a Twist has a lot of sleuthing pleasure packed into its pages.”
—Fresh Fiction
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Really enjoyed this book, which appears to be the final book in the series. Mack starts her consulting for the police in a case that involves her friend, Mal. She and Duncan work to clear Mal’s name. The Capone Club brings Mack another case, which she and Duncan also investigate. I really enjoy the main character of Mack and her interesting neurological disorder. I will miss Mack, Duncan, and the Capone Club as they bring so much intrigue. I definitely recommend this series!
Last Call by Allyson K. Abbott is the sixth A Mack’s Bar Mystery. Mackenzie “Mack” Dalton has been asked to be a consultant for the Milwaukee Police Department. Her synesthia has helped solve several recent cases and Duncan Albright calls her his secret weapon. Duncan is called out to a murder scene and Mack joins him for her first consulting gig. They find Sheldon Janssen dead from a gunshot wound and his little girl hidden in a secret room. Mack is surprised to discover that the little girl, Felicity has undiagnosed synesthia. Mal O’Reilly’s blood and fingerprints are found at the scene, but no one can find him. It turns out that Mal was working undercover at Wade Klein’s construction company and Janssen was Klein’s right-hand man. They do not know if Mal has been badly injured or if his cover has been blown? Sonja, a Capone Club member, brings the group a case to solve. Caroline Knutson has been griping about her husband for quite some time, and suddenly Oliver turns up dead. Instead of grieving, the widow is updating her look at the salon with a pleased countenance. Mack and Duncan team up with the lead detective, Roberta Dillon to make sure Oliver did not have help getting to the great beyond. As if Mack does not have enough to keep her occupied, the O’Reilly clan is working on the bar’s elevator and, to keep them safe, they have moved into her apartment. Come along to Mack’s Bar, pull up a stool, grab a bite to eat along with a refreshing beverage and help the group solve the two crimes in Last Call.
Last Call may be the sixth novel in A Mack’s Bar Mystery series, but it can be read alone. The author summarizes the first five books in the series (the cases in each one). We learn about Mack’s synesthesia, how she inherited the bar, the Capone Club, updates she has made to the bar, and her relationship with Duncan. If you have not read the other books, it will spoil it them you. However, it is has been a while since you read a book in A Mack’s Bar Mystery, you might find it helpful. I thought the story was nicely written with steady pacing throughout (for the most part). I did feel that the frequent explanations of Mack’s synesthesia interrupt the flow of the story. It is obvious that the author did her research on synesthesia from the way she presents the information and the amount of detail included. The two crimes were interesting, but they were not complex. The way one of the murders was executed was unique and clever. There are good clues to aid readers in solving the cases before the solution is revealed. The members of the Capone Club are mentioned in the book, but we spend little time with them. It can be difficult to keep all the characters straight (there are so many with the bar employees, Capone Club, O’Reilly family, police officers). I thought the ending was sweet and romantic. A majority of Last Call felt like filler. I would have preferred the author focus on one murder mystery. The way Last Call ended makes it seem as if it is the last book in A Mack’s Bar Mystery series.
Very sad But happy to see the end of the book. I loved the characters but I didn’t feel like it was up to the standard of the other books in the series.
Last Call is probably my favorite of the books in this series so far. I never really connected with Mack, but events in this book made her seem warmer and more approachable than in past books. There is a new character introduced which may be why I found Mack more likable.
If you’re new to the series the rehashing of Mack’s synesthesia and past crime solving may be helpful, for readers of the past 5 books it could be a bit tedious, because there’s quite a bit of it. Since it’s been a while since I’ve read this series it didn’t bother me and was actually helpful.
I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.