Hi everyone! Today, I have a book review for an author new to me, Hilary Davidson. When I saw Her Last Breath on my monthly Amazon Free Prime Reads, I jumped at the chance to read this because the blurb leapt out at me  >>>

About the Book:

From the bestselling author of One Small Sacrifice comes a suspenseful thriller about a dead woman who predicted her own murder—and the sister who won’t let the truth be buried.

When her beloved sister Caroline dies suddenly, Deirdre is heartbroken. However, her sorrow turns to bone-chilling confusion when she receives a message Caroline sent days earlier warning that her death would be no accident. Long used to being a pariah to her family, Deirdre covers her tattoos and heads to Manhattan for her sister’s funeral.

The message claimed Caroline’s husband, Theo, killed his first wife and got away with it. Reeling from the news, Deirdre confronts Theo on the way to the cemetery, and he reveals both his temper and his suspicion that Deirdre’s “perfect” sister was having an affair.

Paranoid and armed with just enough information to make her dangerous, Deirdre digs into the disturbing secrets buried with Caroline. But as she gets closer to the truth, she realizes that her own life may be at risk…and that there may be more than one killer in the family.

My Review:

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

‘I didn’t know what to wear to the funeral. Any other day, I would’ve called my sister for advice, because Caro always knew the right way to do things. But she was dead, and I’d never hear her soft, husky voice again.’

From this intriguing opening, the story only got better. The story unfolds in first person POV and alternates between Deirdre, the bereaved and out-cast sister, and Theo, the husband under suspicion. While I guessed early on who wasn’t the culprit, it took some working out who might be, and the guessing gave me much fun along the way. The clues are expertly laid, and the characters well drawn. The pacing is fast but not overwhelming. Here are some lines that stood out for me:

‘The minor chords of the pipe organ underscored the ugliness of the moment.’

and

‘His head drooped, as if his neck had just decided to quit its job.’

and

‘There’s a problem with blind loyalty when you mistake a monster for a man.’

In fact, so many wonderful lines stood out as well written and original. I don’t want to say too much more lest I put in spoilers. Some serious gaslighting goes on in this book, and the true villain is one nasty, twisted person. All in all, an emotional read full of flawed and relatable characters, which shows us the kinds of secrets and lies we wrap around ourselves each and every day. How well do you really know family?

A resounding 5 stars from me.

***

NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.

5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.
4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.
3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.
2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.
1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book.

I’d love to hear what you think of this review. Thanks for stopping by 🙂

For anyone interested, here are the Amazon links …

UK … https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08R8XRTB2/

US … https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08R8XRTB2/