This book is extremely hard to categorise and in some ways this makes it a more unique and stay-with-you read. Detective Amanda Steele and her partner Trent will be taking over the case since they had worked with the victim in the past. As they search for clues a Queen of Hearts playing card is found in the mouth of the victim. They wonder if it is linked to Felicity's most recent book she had written. I loved all the focus on the literary world which is integral to the storyline, encompassing Penny’s job as editor in a publishing house, to Irish bookshop owner Rich. This book is also very much about hope and recognising that perhaps clouds do sometimes have silver linings. It’s about good triumphing over evil and how love can work in mysterious ways, especially when you least expect it. I know we all take something different from the reading experience; for me personally I thought the struggles some of these characters face made them feel very real as people, replicating issues that we all may encounter at some point in our lives. Thanks to the author’s writing I felt emotionally connected to these fictional individuals, caring about their futures as I would if they were dear friends. The only exception to this statement is Thisbe’s old flat mate who really does show her true colours! This is yet another of Arnold’s fast paced, engrossing police procedurals. I read it in one day, long into the night, because I could not put it down. Arnold knows how to capture and maintain her readers’ interest. I love the repeating characters, especially Amanda who, despite an earlier tragedy in her life, is a strong, capable, independent female and I find the camaraderie between her and Trent quite entertaining.

So it’s another review and another crime procedural for me. My grandfather was a cop, and the analytical side of my brain loves trying to solve the crime alongside the team of detectives. On the surface, the case appears open and shut. However, when Amanda dug below the surface, she found a possible connection to a fifteen-year-old murder case. Amanda along with Trent finds themselves in a race against time to find the killer before they decide to strike again. Having been a long-time fan of Carolyn Arnold's work, I was delighted to read this book. Amanda Steele is always a wonderful character, willing to take risks to solve cases. Her Last Words is an intriguing read with many twists and turns. Plenty of red herrings keep readers on their toes throughout this thrilling adventure. Amanda's courage and determination, combined with Carolyn Arnold's expert storytelling, make Her Last Words a truly captivating read. This was a wonderful novel that brought out many emotions and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

I have sat with this review for a week because I just didn't know what to write about this wonderful new novel by Kim Kelly. Every novel she writes is so distinct from the previous ones, it is always a delight to open up her book and see the words she has written transform into something wonderful. Once again this novel is entirely different, both in the way the story is told and the story itself. It is many things, a crime novel, a love story, an insight into the publishing world, a search for redemption, a story of grief. To bring us this story, Kim has sidestepped traditional publishing, and I’m so glad. A traditional publisher would likely have changed this story to make it fit the market. Editorial interference would, I fear, have destroyed the essence of this story. By not ‘following the rules’ Kim has created a true gem. There are so many layers to this book—from the way the story is structured, to the multifaceted storyline and cast of characters. As I read Her Last Words, I actually pictured this story on the big screen; one of those movies with wonderfully quirky ensembles of Hollywood A-Listers. Balancing work and Amanda's home life, which is so much better, was a challenge for her, but her boyfriend, Logan, was understanding. It will be interesting to see if he remains that way in the future. It's easy to see why those in the police force have troubled relationships. Book Review: Her Last Words: A gripping and utterly addictive crime thriller (Detective Amanda Steele Book 9

Set in Australia, near Bondi Beach, we meet characters who are either in love with each other or themselves and definitely in love with what they do, whether it is writing, publishing books or acting.Courtney Parker drew inspiration from her own personal experiences and encounters with individuals battling depression. Through her song, she wanted to shed light on the severity of the issue and create an open and compassionate dialogue around mental health. 2. Is “Her Last Words” based on a true story? Her Last Words is the ninth book in the Detective Amanda Steele series. This can be a stand-alone read but the series is fantastic and worth reading each and every one. I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for this dynamic duo. The are as fabulous as the series is. This is another suspenseful story and I hope the author still has a lot of cases for them to solve. 5 stars Each installment just gets better and better, Carolyn Arnold is a master at writing this genre and never fails to disappoint. As always I'll be waiting on tenderhooks for #10. The murders will eerily connect to a cold case from fifteen years ago, a case that Felicity was researching for her next novel, Another body will turn up but is the killer close by and trying to misdirect Amanda and her partner.

Bookouture and Carolyn Arnold provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently expected to be October 17, 2023. This fast-paced novel is full of a sense of urgency. However, the murderer was a little too predictable. The author weaves murder, relationships, family dynamics, grief, bullying, and more into a finely crafted tale.I really loved the format of Her Last Words, it was creative, intriguing and structurally sound. I appreciated the way in which Kim Kelly managed to take on quite an ambitious feat with this novel, as she does with every single novel she has produced. Her Last Words was creative in approach, intricately layered and well voiced, drawing in the various viewpoints of the key players of this thought provoking contemporary novel. I found my interest level was consistently maintained through my reading of this book, it never dipped and I was keen to see how the Her Last Words would evolve as a whole. It would always be this way with them: this love would see them through the rest of their lives, the highs, the lows, the in-betweens. Not lovers, not siblings, and a lot more than friends. They were something else; some other kind of family.’ This is a good next book in the Detective Amanda Steele series. I have enjoyed reading this series and was excited to get to read the next one. Amanda always seems to get involved in the crazy cases and this one hits close to her since she knew the victim from a previous investigation! I like how some of her cases are intertwined, it keeps it interesting.