One Last Kiss [Paperback]

Judith Kelman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1994

The papers dubbed beautiful Thea Harper  Westport a Black Widow. They said she lured Senator Simon  Gallatin to her home for a night of deadly  passion. But psychiatrists insisted it was a short  circuit of the mind, a rare seizure disorder, that had  unleashed Thea's murderous rage. Now, even after  the trial, the gruesome testimony of detectives  and forensic specialists, Thea can't remember the  terrifying moment when she struck Simon down . . .  only its hideous aftermath: the torrent of blood,  the broken corpse, the cold steel bite of the  handcuffs as the police led her away. After six  months in a posh Connecticut mental hospital, Thea is  back home with her daughter, eager to make a new  start. If only the community would let her forget .  . . if only the chief of police wasn't after her .  . . if only the senator's mother wasn't vowing  revenge. And if only Thea could be sure she's really  been cured. For soon the killing begins again.  And once more Thea can't remember . . . even when  she wakes up with her hands stained with blood.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Kelman's (If I Should Die) latest thriller opens with the death of powerful Sen. Simon Gallatin. All evidence suggests that the killer is Gallatin's girlfriend, the beautiful, plucky artist Thea Harper. But Harper not only has no memory of committing the crime, she can't remember doing anything that night. Charged with murder, Harper gets off the hook when a brilliant psychiatrist convinces a jury she suffered temporary insanity. Harper is haunted by images of the dead Gallatin and can't make sense of why he died-or why she might have killed him. Then another brutal murder occurs in the area, and another. Each time Harper suffers the same memory lapse, and each time her mind fixes on images from the crime scene before she hears about the murders in the news. Is Harper an insane killer? Or is she being framed? The setup is intriguing, but astute readers will easily guess the truth, and the rushed conclusion leaves some loose ends. All the same, Kelman's skillful pacing and a slew of interesting characters make this compelling.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Inside Flap

The papers dubbed beautiful Thea Harper  Westport a Black Widow. They said she lured Senator Simon  Gallatin to her home for a night of deadly  passion. But psychiatrists insisted it was a short  circuit of the mind, a rare seizure disorder, that had  unleashed Thea's murderous rage. Now, even after  the trial, the gruesome testimony of detectives  and forensic specialists, Thea can't remember the  terrifying moment when she struck Simon down . . .  only its hideous aftermath: the torrent of blood,  the broken corpse, the cold steel bite of the  handcuffs as the police led her away. After six  months in a posh Connecticut mental hospital, Thea is  back home with her daughter, eager to make a new  start. If only the community would let her forget .  . . if only the chief of police wasn't after her .  . . if only the senator's mother wasn't vowing  revenge. And if only Thea could be sure she's really  been cured. For soon the killing begins again.  And once more Thea can't remember . . . even when  she wakes up with her hands stained with blood.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (October 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 055356272X
• ISBN-13: 978-0553562729
• Product Dimensions: 4.5 x 1 x 7.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,781,841 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fast moving suspense, October 5, 2000

By 

K. Lininger (FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: One Last Kiss (Paperback)

Thea Harper just got out of a mental hospital. She had a seizure and supposedly killed her boyfriend Senator simon Gallatin. She remembers nothing. But his blood was on her hands so she must of killed him right? The Senator's family is powerful and out of revenge. They want Thea to pay for what she had done. Now that Thea is trying to get her life back. Murders are happening again. Did she do them while having an another seizure. She did wake up with blood under her nails. Wasn't her feet all muddy when she woke up in the morning. And she is painting objects only the killer or victim could know. There's a good guy on her side even though she doesn't know it and he believes she couldn't have killed. Read the book for the shocking ending. If you like this book. Buy "If I should die" and " The house on the hill"

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Suspenseful thriller with interesting characters., February 13, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: One Last Kiss (Paperback)

Judith Kelman is a smart, sophisticated writer with a distinctive voice. ONE LAST KISS can be read and enjoyed by a wide variety of readers, even those who don't usually read "mystery" novels.

Ms. Kelman's next novel, SUMMER OF STORMS, will be available in March 2001.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another winner from Judith Kelman., December 8, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: One Last Kiss (Paperback)

Once again, Judith Kelman has written a masterful tale of murder and madness, skillfully juggling her many characters and subplots. She kept me turning the pages and wondering how she was going to tie everything together at the end.