Customer Reviews

Last Gasp (Signet Eclipse)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have loved all of Carla Cassidy's romantic suspense books and I enjoyed the basic plot line for Last Gasp. However I did not like or appreciate the violence done to animals in this book. I wish I had known about it before purchasing because the book would've remained on the shelf.

This was my first Carla Cassidy book and more than likely my last.

While I thought the storyline was decent, the amount of graphic violence to animals totally turned me off both the book and the author. If you're an animal lover, don't even bother with this one.

I also didn't care for the author's writing style at all -- it seemed that everyone was always "exclaiming" things, but none of them were actually exclamations, or really anything more than straight sentences. I also didn't feel the characters were really developed at all -- Allison and Seth just kind of fell in love one day, Rick saw a lonely boy and took Eric under his wing, but what more did we really know about them, Michelle, or any of the other many characters? I also thought the author did a poor job wrapping up the story, as there were a number of characters we don't know what happened with, and there were characters that should've been interacting with the ending that were nowhere to be found without too much of an explanation.

Disappointing.

Last Gasp was was my introduction to the works of Carla Cassidy, and I must say, I was extremely disappointed. While the plot was interesting, her writing style was very distracting. I found her overuse (and misuse) of the word "exclaimed" to be obnoxious. The same is true of her repetition of the title throughout the story.

Also, she spent so much of the book trying to throw the reader off with red herrings that she didn't fully develop the main characters or build their relationship. It was a very difficult book to get through. I wondered if this was one of her earlier books, so immature was the writing. Unfortunately, I realized that this was her latest release, so I have little hope that any of her other books would be much better. With that in mind, this book will definitely go in the donation box, and I won't be buying anymore.

Fifteen years ago, teen Allison survived the masacre of her family. Her father was jailed for the crime and despite additional heartache, she has tried to move on with her life. But when attorney and investigator Seth Walker arrives on the scene hoping to have the case reopened because he thinks her father was railroaded, she at first wants nothing to do with him, but soon yearns to find out the truth since she still has a problem believing that her father would commit such a heinous crime. As she and Seth join forces, it is apparent that either a copycat killer has emerged, or her father was innocent after all.

Cassidy keeps readers guessing until the end with this one - the culprit is truly a surprise. But readers be warned, Cassidy holds nothing back. The crimes are particularly disturbing and might be a bit much for squeamish readers. With her uncanny ability to bring life to her characters, and contemporary dialogue that rings authentic, Cassidy continues to be an auto-buy for this reader.

© Tracy Vest, April 2009

I loved this story! I liked the main character, Allison, as well as her interactions with both Seth, the male lead, and her son Sam. The mystery and suspense kept me reading while the growing relationships between characters made for a nice balance. The epilogue was similar to the write ups you see at the end of a movie, giving a run down of all the major characters. This book is recommended to anyone who likes to read books in the romantic suspense genre.

Allison Clemmins is a single mom, raising her young son in her home town of Crow's Creek. Fifteen years ago, tragedy struck Allison when she was the lone survivor of a brutal killing of her mother and siblings. Believing her father was the culprit, she got on with life until Seth Walker enters her life. Seth's an outsider who's come to Crow's Creek because he feels her father may be innocent of the crime. If Allison's father isn't guilty, who is?

Carla Cassidy writes another suspense-filled page turner in Last Gasp. I was immediately sucked into the small town life of Crow's Creek and its characters which make up this tiny microcosm of America. Who knew the destructive secrets people can harbor for so many years! In an unspoken pact, the citizens of Crow Creek have kept Allison in an isolated bubble, not discussing the tragic events of so long ago. When Seth comes into the town saying her father may be innocent, naturally the town's denizens aren't going to be happy in the least. Many openly display their displeasure to Seth and Allison as they try to question them.

Mysterious things start happening in Crow's Creek as they investigate the murder of Allison's family. These events coupled with the barrage of information she gathers unsettles Allison, making her feel for the first time in her life someone else killed her family and framed her father. Working so closely with Seth, she feels romantically attracted to him, feelings she hasn't experienced since her husband's tragic death. Seth is drawn to Allison and enjoys spending time with her young son. Both must decide if they want to make something permanent after they conclude their investigation.

If you're in the mood for a fast-paced thriller which will keep you reading into the night, pick up Carla Cassidy's Last Gasp today. Ms. Cassidy kept me engrossed in Crow's Creek wondering just who killed members of Allison's family until its surprising conclusion.

I have read many of Carla Cassidy's books and always enjoy them. I really enjoyed this one, and I also think she is getting better with the suspense stories! This was one I didn't want to put down, although if you are sensitive the crimes are not pretty. But hey, this is a suspense/mystery with some romance. I will keep reading Ms. Cassidy's books, she can't write fast enough for me!

LAST GASP is my first Carla Cassidy, but it will not be my last. Ms. Cassidy builds and keeps the suspense tight as Allison Clemmins is forced to open doors to the past she has avoided for fifteen years.
When she was sixteen she arrived home to find her mother and two siblings murdered. She was almost killed her self.
Her father, when he reported the crime was arrested and convicted for the brutal slayings.
Seth Walker, an investigator, forces Allsion to take another look at what may not be fact, but justice denied.
You won't stop turning the pages until the heart-stopping ending.
Nash Black, author of WRITING AS A SMALL BUSINESS and HAINTS.

What a wonderful "whodunit". I feel Ms. Cassidy is getting better and better with each book. I usually figure out who the bad guy is, but I did not even come close with this one. The writing style is a bit different, although I loved it, it was just a bit different. Readers of Ms. Cassidy will know what I mean. If you have never read anything by Ms. Cassidy, any and all of her books are great. Pick up one (or two) today.

Fifteen years ago in Crow's Creek, Kansas, a vicious killer decapitated Joleen Donovan and murdered her ten year old son Johnny and seven years old daughter Jennifer. Sixteen year old Allison stepped off the school bus to open the door to the horror of her family slaughtered. She fell into a coma. Her father Hank was arrested and convicted of the homicides.

In the present Widow Allison Clemmins teaches school while raising her twelve years old son Sam alone. She spent a year at a mental hospital where her mind healed by compartmentalizing the tragedy into the forget category and did likewise when her childhood sweetheart died one year after their marriage. However, Hank's lawyer Seth Walker arrives in town to prove his client never killed anyone and that the real killer remains free. He tries to persuade Allison that her dad is innocent, but she initially ignores his plea for her to look back at what she knows. When the killings start again, Allison wonders whether a new predator is on the loose or could Seth be right.

This is a fast-paced romantic suspense thriller from one of the sub-genre's top guns (see EVERY MOVE YOU MAKE). The story line hooks the audience with the opening gruesome scene and accelerates once Seth arrives. Although the new killings add incredible layers of suspense, they detract from the overarching premise that the daughter believes her dad is the killer and his lawyer deems otherwise. Filled with numerous suspects who easily could be the Butcher of Crow's Creek, Carla Cassidy provides an exhilarating tense thriller.

Harriet Klausner