LAST WHISPER

Author: Carlene Thompson ISBN: 0312937288 9/2006 SUSPENSE Publisher: ST. MARTIN'S PRESS

Someone is tracking her every move. A killer who knows that true nightmares never end… And that the perfect murder is always worth waiting for… Brooke Yeager’s childhood ended the night she crept downstairs to find her beautiful, gentle mother, Anne, lying in a pool of blood. Standing above Anne’s shattered body, a gun aimed right at the terrified little girl, was Brooke’s stepfather, Zachary Tavell. Luck saved Brooke that night, and in the years since, she’s managed to build a good life in Charleston, West Virginia, secure in the knowledge that Zach is behind bars. Until the night another woman is murdered—a woman who looks just like Brooke. Zach Tavell has escaped from prison, and this time, Brooke will need much more than luck to survive. As the police search for Tavell, Brooke is shaken by a string of gruesome deaths and disturbing messages linked to her mother’s murder. Everyone she has ever cared about is in danger. And soon it’s clear that the nightmare that began fifteen years ago won’t be over until Brooke comes face to face with a monstrous evil that’s closer, and more cunning, than she ever imagined...

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

If you are a sucker for suspense novels with intriguing puzzles and more twists than a mountain road, you're going to love LAST WHISPER.

Carlene Thompson has crammed a number of red herrings and some chilling surprises into her lastest who-done-it, making LAST WHISPER an exciting and compelling whirlwind. The nastiest surprise comes at the shocking end...

Ms. Thompson definitely has a nice touch with characters, too. Her two lead characters are multi-dimensional, conflicted and flawed—making them truly believable.

Brooke Yeager appears to be a magnet for murder. As a young girl she witnessed her mother's gruesome murder. Now, years later, her past is catching up to her. More murders, more mayhem and Brooke is up to her eyeballs in intrigue. Add a sexy Vincent Lockhart—who is connected to Brooke's past—to the equation and watch the sparks fly.

These two characters are well-written, full-bodied and another plus for LAST WHISPER. Their romance also balances nicely with the suspense as neither overshadows the other.

Add some well-done secondary characters as well as a creepy murderer, and LAST WHISPER is pretty hard to resist.

Fast-paced with some clever character sketches and some well-plotted thrills, LAST WHISPER is a decidedly chilling nail-bitter.

Debbie Jett