9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent read, May 28, 2005
To enjoy this book to its utmost, you first must read its prequel, Retribution. In the first book, State Attorney CJ Townsend sends a totally vile mass murderer and torturer, William Bantling, to prison to await his proscribed death sentence. Unfortunately for her, Bantling's arrest was dependent on a not completely lawful car search, and even though there is no doubt that he is guilty, the unlawful stopping of his car could wreck the prosecutions defence. In this follow up book, CJ is having trouble reconciling her conscience with the knowledge that the search was illegal, and with not being able to confide her fears to her lover. The only other people who had first hand knowledge of the unlawful capture of this dangerous murderer are the police involved and when, over a short period, each of them is killed in a sickening fashion, she realises that she is probably next on the list, even though Bantling is still safely behind bars. It's a book that you CANNOT put down, so be prepared to read into the small hours.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Taut Plotting with Deeply Conflicted Characters, May 18, 2005
If you haven't read Retribution, I strongly encourage you to do so before reading this book. You will enjoy that novel, and you will enjoy this one even more.
Seldom has a sequel taken a fine first book to such exciting heights of story-telling. Even if you haven't read Retribution, you will be able to fill yourself in on the plot because Ms. Hoffman does such a good job of filling in the back story.
C.J. Townsend survived prosecuting the Cupid killer in Retribution . . . but just barely. In Last Witness, she faces up the unpleasant consequences of that case . . . in which she railroaded an apparently guilty man, William Bantling, towards Death Row through perjured testimony to "fix" an illegal stop and search. She's haunted by the memory of having put the ends over the means . . . and the memory of Bantling's rape of her many years earlier.
Soon, she has more to worry about when bent members of the Cupid investigation who know about her illegal act begin to turn up dead . . . but only after being gruesomely murdered and mutilated by an obscure drug-cartel method. Where will the killings stop? Who's the killer? It can't be Bantling. He's on Death Row.
Before the book ends, she has to face up to her worst fears, and the love of her life, Dominick Falconetti, special agent with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, must make a difficult decision.
Both Townsend and Falconetti are deliciously complex characters whom you will get to know much better throughout the novel. Bantling is an above-average villain, and you will enjoy thinking about the problems that someone like him presents to society.
Ms. Hoffman has a great talent for building suspense . . . and terror. In this book, there's a rising crescendo of action, conflict and crisis that will leave you virtually breathless. You'll have a hard time putting this book down.
She is even more talented at putting her characters into morally ambiguous situations and making you feel like you are faced with the same choice. So you have two ways to squirm.
Enjoy!
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent follow up novel, May 17, 2005
LAST WITNESS is a wonderful follow up to the author's debut novel RETRIBUTION. Her attention to detail and her experience as an assistant state attorney have helped her craft and amazingly intricate and suspenseful second novel. As with the previous reviewer, I agree that it is essential to read RETRIBUTION before tackling this one.
LAST WITNESS is one of those books that require you to pay attention. So much is going on that it is impossible to skip over passages without loosing the flow of the story. Hoffman has created excellent characters in C.J. Townsend and Dominick Falconetti. She has written intelligent, likable, 3-dimensional characters that make you believe they really exist. The book is not bogged down with their romantic relationship. Instead it lies below the surface, never drawing the reader away from the main focus of the story. It has a suburb ending that sets the stage for the next book. I highly recommend this excellent novel.
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