Last One to Die has been described as ‘point horror for the social media generation’. Were you a point horror fan? A dark, twisty YA thriller exploring obsession, stalking and toxic love that keeps you guessing to the very end!

To distract herself she gives her full attention to her work placement in an old Victorian museum. The museum's murderous and supernatural past plays heavily on Niamh as well as playing the role of Jane (who was a real person) which makes her uncomfortable as she also bears a striking similarity to Niamh. When she becomes friends with the mysterious and gorgeous colleague Tommy, they hit it off and the chance of romance seems to be the welcome distraction she needs. Will Tommy's dark secrets lead to her getting hurt in more ways than one, is there a supernatural connection to the serial killer of the past to the one in the present and will the murderer strike again and claim Niamh as his next victim only time will tell? Amidst this terror, Niamh takes up her placement in a Victorian museum, where she plays the role of a factory owner’s daughter who died a gruesome and untimely death. No wonder, then, that Niamh is glad to befriend Jess, a self-proclaimed “history nerd” who’s thrilled to visit the museum’s parlour that was once used by “the infamous Madame Josephine...Fortune teller, hypnotist, and mistress of the occult.” Then there’s creepy Will who works there, and gorgeous Tommy who sets Niamh’s heart a-pounding. TikTok sensation Cynthia Murphy's debut The Last One to Die has been hailed "Point Horror for a new generation", winning the Redhill Trust Book Award and Lancashire Book of the Year 2022. The most important thing for me is that they enjoy it, reading should be fun! Some of my favourite books have been thrill rides that I devoured in one sitting and couldn’t tear myself away from and I hope I’ve created something similar to that.And sure, I'll briefly skim over Jessica, Jasmine, Meghan and Will. Why? Because they were flat, one-dimensional walking tropes. Jessica was the classic "best friend", Jasmine was the classic "mean girl" (with a side dose of kleptomanic tendencies that is never explored??) , Meghan was the stereotypical "extroverted, adoring sister" and Will was the "wronged suspicious lanky dude" . And I think that about sums them up to be honest. The characters Niamh interacts with, all have warmth and by the end of the book, personally felt like they were my friends. I trusted them, I loved them, I adored them, but should I have trusted all of them?

I’m not sure about the timing of the plot - I only realised at the end that Niamh had been in London for 6 weeks when I thought she had only been there for about 3! As the story progresses, there are some frightening incidents which are beautifully described. The author uses many devices to increase the tension; a seance at a party, shadowy figures hiding in the dark. The scene in which Niamh is in a deserted underground station and hears the sound of metal scraping on metal behind her is extremely atmospheric. In another incident, Niamh is trapped in the basement of a library, and the author brilliantly describes Niamh's panic and desperation as she tries to escape.

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This is the start of a story that will keep you guessing. I really loved the writing style. It flowed easily for me. Characters were believable and I grew to care about what happened to them.

The story was written well with some fantasy elements (I didn’t like that side but it was a good idea) Skulason B, Hauksdottir A, Ahcic K, Helgason AR. Death talk: gender differences in talking about one’s own impending death. BMC Palliative Care. 2014;13(1). doi:10.1186/1472-684x-13-8 Keep going. Learn and invest in yourself – whether that’s time to write, reading about the craft, taking a course, going on a retreat…you are the only person who can write your book. I really think the phrase ‘write what you love’ is important too – after eight years of trying, it’s what finally worked for me! Connect your Spotify account to your Last.fm account and scrobble everything you listen to, from any Spotify app on any device or platform.Hello Yellow - 80 Books to Help Children Nurture Good Mental Health and Support With Anxiety and Wellbeing - The Germans kept watch on the American soldier who suddenly rose to his feet and charged toward the machine-gun nest with his fixed bayonet. Gunther’s comrades yelled at him to stop as did the bewildered Germans in broken English. Didn’t he know the war was minutes from its end? If he heard the pleas, Gunther ignored them.

But that last part… I am sorry, so far the book was fantastic, awesome, WOW, but then you decided to add the little sister in the mix? While SHE FREAKING KNEW that things just weren’t going right? What is up with that? It just didn’t make sense, it was dumb. I am sorry. But I would have rather seen our trio fix things instead of this. Hartogh GD. Suffering and dying well: on the proper aim of palliative care. Med Health Care Philos. 2017;20(3):413-424. doi:10.1007/s11019-017-9764-3I’m a bit of a hard one to scare, as I constantly second guess the plot and who is going to die next, though I love a slow burn, anxiety inducing stream of events. My first memory of a horror film was my scariest…I was ten and alone in the living room, skipping through channels before bed. I stopped on something called ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ and a bloody body bag being dragged through a hallway…needless to say I screamed and hid my face in my hands. I couldn’t watch the rest until I was an adult.