Jane Rizzoli and Dr Maura Isles find themselves thrown into a new case when youngster Teddy Clock survives the murder of his foster family. Having been put into foster care following the murder of his family, it’s clear that Teddy is a target for a highly trained killer. With Rizzoli investigating the case she sends Teddy to Evensong, a private and secure school for children who have been victims of violence. Isles has connections to Evensong having placed teenage Julian there after an ordeal they both endured a year previous. At the school Isles discovers two other children, Claire and Will, whose parents and foster families were also murdered just like Teddy’s. Soon Claire, Will and Teddy find themselves thrown together as a mysterious murderer seems to be closing in on them. Can Rizzoli and Isles join the dots before it’s too late?
Last To Die is the tenth Rizzoli and Isles novel from acclaimed crime writer Tess Gerritsen. As well as being a popular series of novels, there’s also a hit TV show based on it that is currently in its third season and stars Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander. Last To Die is another gripping instalment of Gerritsen’s much-loved series that takes Rizzoli and Isles out of their usual Massachusetts setting and splits them up to investigate the case. There are links to previous novels in terms of characters including Julian and the mysterious Mephisto Society.
We found Last To Die utterly gripping and couldn’t put it down. Like any good writer Gerritsen knows how hook you in quickly and grip you to the very last page. Her prose is easy to read but well-written containing lots of detail about crime scenes, medical procedures and police investigation. The first part of the book will be a difficult read for some as Gerritsen paints a very clear picture of a crime scene involving dead children and their parents who have been shot. Not only is it affecting to read, it also affects the characters in the book making it feel all the more realistic.
There are plenty of twists and turns in Last To Die and we didn’t manage to work out all of the plot by the final pages. We couldn’t put the book down as we moved from chapter-to-chapter desperate to discover what was going to happen next. Gerritsen manages to weave many different story strands together and brings the central characters Rizzoli and Isles closer together following a rocky time in their friendship over the last few novels. The three children central to the plot are also given plenty of development and the links between them that slowly begin to unfold are absolutely riveting.
Whether or not you’ve read a Rizzoli and Isles novel before, we recommend you pick up Last To Die. Whilst you may not get every nuance and inference you will certainly enjoy the fantastic story crafted expertly by Gerritsen. Once you have read the book you’ll want to go back and read all of the other ones. Last To Die is a cracking read and we can’t wait for the follow-up.
