‘Last Girl Standing’ takes the reader on quite the rollercoaster ride with twists, turns, and surprises around every corner. While there were things that kept this from being a story that I would reread again, still it is a good story that kept me engaged and guessing until the very end.

I wish I could say that there was a character that I was rooting for throughout… but there wasn’t. I don’t know if the format of moving sections of the book to different time frames and back was the cause of that for me or if I simply didn’t like anyone enough to actually want them to turn out to not be the killer. I wanted to know who was the actual culprit and in the end, that need to know ‘who’ was what kept me reading. So ‘Last Girl Standing’ turned out to be a good book for me but not one that I’ll keep on the shelf to pick up again. This was a 3.5 star read that I’ll round-up for the vendor postings. In reality, the final decision whether you think a book is good or great lies with each individual reader, so if you enjoy Lisa Jackson and Nancy Bush then you should read this one and make up your own mind.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from Kensington Books via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

There are 5 girls who rule the school. There are several young, hot guys. One is particular is Tanner. Gorgeous he is ... and he knows it. Delta is supposedly his girlfriend, but Tanner does like the ladies .. and doesn't understand why Delta would be upset. Among the girls there is a rule .. no stealing each other's boyfriends. Unfortunately not all the girls follow the rules.

And then one of the girls is eliminated. Accident ... murder... suicide?

And then there were four.

Five year high school reunion .... everyone is a bit older, but are they any wiser? One of the girls who has now become a cop lets one of the 'hot' boys take her for a ride in the woods. The next morning they are found ... victims of a murder/suicide?

And then there were three.

Ten years later, Tanner is stabbed multiple times. His wife, Delta, is the prime suspect. There are three girls still standing who still have feelings for Tanner .... did one of them try to kill the man of their dreams? Do mean girls remain mean through adulthood?

The story is told from the viewpoint of multiple people. Back and forth from high school to the present, from one person to another. There are lies and secrets that have been held for years ... there's also resentments and jealousies that persist. Who lies and who doesn't?

Many thanks to the authors / Kensington Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction of suspense. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

I am a big fan of Lisa Jackson - her writing is always suspenseful and entertaining and this is no different. The beginning of this book focuses on the adults as friends in a clique called the Five Firsts in high school. I found this part very entertaining and interesting and it brought me right back to my high school years. The Five Firsts are kind of the Heathers of their high school, but all are competing for the same heartthrob guy, Tanner. Flash forward to many years later, and the heartthrob guy (who married one of the girls), who is actually kind of a jerk, is murdered. All the suspects are still living in town....so whodunit?

I was really entertained for about the first two-thirds of the book, even though there were quite a few unrealistic things (very minor spoiler: my lawyer eyes rolled at one of the girls who was also a suspect representing another suspect as her criminal lawyer). Despite a few things like that, I remained fully entertained and engaged as I always do with Lisa Jackson's books. This is less of a domestic thriller and more of a traditional mystery in the style of Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None," which I always enjoy. (And, side note, I'm tired of reading domestic "thrillers" where no one actually gets killed. If you are like me and maybe a little sick and looking for a fun mystery with a body count, this fits the bill. I will say that I found the ending to be a bit of a letdown - about two-thirds of the way through it lost me a little, but I enjoyed the action, the pace and fun up to that point. I would give this a solid three and a half stars, rounded up, and I will continue to read every Lisa Jackson book I can get my hands on.

Thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Books and the authors for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

Both of these authors are on my must read list and usually I devour their books. I must admit I struggled to finish this one. It did keep me guessing and had the thrill factor but just too many characters to follow that really didn’t add to the story. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy.

Five friends attend a senior barbecue at one classmates houses. There is drinking and drugs. When things happen, and a classmate dies, the friends graduate and go their separate ways. They all think about what happen at the barbecue, but don’t think of it as anything else other than a terrible tragedy. But years later, when one of them is found murdered and his wife, another of the group is blamed everyone begins to question what happened that night.

I have been a fan of Lisa Jackson and Nancy Bush for years. And I live the books they write together. This is no exception. This was a great book. It kept me guessing and drew me in from page one. I found myself not able to put it down. It is wonderfully written, and the characters are all so amazing, and come to life off the page. You feel like you know them, and feel for their troubles and fears. I definitely recommend this book. Another great story from these two authors.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

WOW!!

This story had me on edge from beginning to the very end of the story. Just when you think you know "whodunnit", a new twist is revealed and it keeps you hanging on to the storyline.

The First Five is the name of the most popular girl clique from high school, i.e., Amanda, Bailey, Carmen, Delta and Zora. They are thick as thieves and rule the school. Fast forward 15 years and there is a series of deaths with suspicious circumstances. These characters were hatable in the beginning, but as their own truths are exposed, you realize how vulnerable and sad they really are. Who is trustworthy and who is still scheming?

This book had an undercurrent of suspense throughout that kept you engaged and wanting more. I look forward to more from these authors.

Last Girl Standing grips you immediately. It opens with the stabbing of a popular young doctor and we see him struggling for life in the Intensive Care Unit surrounded by three ex-lovers, who are all his former class mates, and all “best friends” of his sweetheart wife.

Should be a juicy, gripping mystery, right? Ummm...no. Long on exposition, and told from the multiple POV of its annoying cast, we quickly learn that these shallow, self-serving, disloyal snobs were completely obsessed with popularity, superficial appearances, and money status in high school. And they never really grew up or became better people. Fifteen years later, many of them remain as distasteful as ever. Oh, how difficult it can be to escape the wounds of childhood! A challenge made more difficult by the tragic events of their graduation BBQ party haunting the class of West Knoll School.

I was eager to know what “really” happened at that high school graduation party, something so malicious that classmates start dying under suspect circumstances. A very juicy mystery indeed. The stakes end up being highest fifteen years later for the young wife of the stabbed doctor, as she predictably becomes the prime suspect. If she didn’t try to murder her husband, then who did?

The story feels really, really long. Part of the reason is the nastiness of the primary characters. The “ick” factor may be entirely intentional and designed to manipulate our emotional responses to these people. But it’s effect leaves a bad taste even after the mystery comes to its brilliant conclusion.

I almost DNF this book but I decided to keep reading it because I usually like Lisa Jackson's books. This is a hard book to review because it had so much potential but it was so annoying to read. Too much teenage drama and the dialogs are very predictable. This book is divided by parts and it begins as a thriller with Tanner being sent to the hospital badly injured and three women, that apparently knew him very well, standing next to him. Then it goes back to their high school years and tell you everything that happened in the past instead of showing flashbacks throughout the book. I confess I skipped some parts because I was getting annoyed by all that drama. A group of popular girls formed a clique called the Five Firsts: Amanda, Bailey, Carmen, Delta, and Zora (That took Ellie's place). During a bbq before graduation one of the girls drowned and perhaps it wasn't an accident. Then it goes back to the present, where Delta was trying to find out who tried to kill Tanner, her husband and the 'high school god' that cheats on her non-stop and had also slept with her 'friends'. After that, people starts to die. First was Carmen at the bbq back in high school, then two more dies after the 10 years reunion, then 5 years later someone tried to kill Tanner, and then another two people dies as well. That's when I started getting into the book. The ending wasn't predictable and it was fine. It was a good read (after half of the book) but I wouldn't tell my friends to read it.

The story is told from the viewpoints of a clique called the first five's, Amanda, Bailey, Carmen, Delta, Ellie (of the original three but not included into the "first fives"), Zora and Chris McCrae (former jock presently law enforcement). It goes back and forth from high school to present and from one narrator to another.
The book keeps you thinking who did what now or who did what back at that fateful pre-HS graduation barbecue.
Amanda (the leader of the first fives), with Bailey, Carmen, Delta and Zora (the rich girl they included into their group), and Ellie (the one not included into the group) they all had one thing in common - they all wanted Tanner Stahd. In actuality the five girls could be call frenemies they didn't know the meaning of sisterhood and staying true to each other. They were jealous and spiteful and wanted Tanner..
Delta and Tanner dated throughout high school even though he could not remain faithful he didn't know the meaning of the word. All the girls threw themselves at him constantly and he would not say no to any of them.
The pre-graduation bbq was planned and chaperoned by teachers but things still go very wrong and one of the first five didn't make it home. So many things went on at that bbq as the boys and girls slipped off to the surrounding woods. Delta the steady faithful one who didn't go into the woods and just observed all the girls trying to seduce Tanner. Tanner who got drunk and lead others into danger.
Fast forward to the present, Tanner has not changed. He is now a successful doctor but still is not faithful. They have a little boy and Delta has finally had enough she tells Tanner. When Tanner is stabbed she becomes suspect number one.
Chris McCrae former classmate and also a jock back in HS just not as sought after as Tanner is now the detective assigned to the case. Tanner is fighting for his life and Chris has a hard time believing Delta can be responsible or is he too close to his former classmate.
The first five A to Z's are slowly losing members and just maybe it all comes back to that fateful bbq fifteen years ago.
I did like the book because they keep you wondering who and what. It is almost trite in the shallowness, jealousy and meanness of many of the first five A to Z clique that seemed to carry on to adulthood. There were only one or two characters with any real character. However, it did keep me interested to find the answers that were not revealed until very very close to the end.
Two talented authors did a great job keeping it simple going back and forth in time and from one narrator to another. Thank you Lisa Jackson, Nancy Bush, NetGalley and Kensington/Zebra Publishing Group for the ARC these are my thoughts on the book.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Last Girl Standing by Lisa Jackson and Nancy Bush that I read and reviewed.
This book was full of surprises from start to finish. This book follows the story of five friends and their lives and it alternate between high school and present time. During a party right before graduation one of five friends sees something she should not have and she ends up dead. Everyone believes it was a tragic accident accept her best friend who believes she died because of what she witnessed but was unable to share with anyone else at the party. Over the years tragedy seems to happen to all of the friends and the people that attended that party and death is a common thread. Now, the rest of the five friends are dying.
This book had me guessing who the killer was from the start. I would think it was one person then go with anther and keep changing my mind. I loved how I could not stay with one suspect until
The very end and then I was wrong again. This was a great book by a great writing duo.
Last Girl Standing gets five out of five stars!

Thank you to Kensington Books and Net Galley for the chance to read and review this book. I have read other books by Lisa Jackson and Nancy Bush, but I didn't really care for this one. The characters were not likeable and there was too much time spent on their teen-age years. It might appeal more to the younger crowd, but it was somewhat boring to me.

Our story starts in the present where we find ourselves in the hospital and a group of women hovering by the door looking at the patient . We do not know exactly who they are or their relationship to the patient. The authors then bring us to the beginning of their story of The Five Firsts., a group of girls who were the popular girls in high school. The story follows these girls through high school and how their lives have changed since those days of popularity. But, death follows them. It starts with one of the girls drowning at a graduation party. Then years later, it happens again then yet again. This prompts the remaining girls to figure out if their class is just filled with bad luck, or if something sinister is going on.

This is another collaboration between Lisa Jackson and Nancy Bush. I like how they "hook" you in the beginning since you do not know who these women are or if they had anything to do with the man laying in the hospital bed. As you learn more about these girls and their class members from their high school days to present times, you think you understand what is going on. But, there are twists and turns that you do not anticipate and keeps the reader interested and wanting to turn the page.

I look forward to seeing what adventure these ladies will bring me on next. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I would like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for this privilege.

This is a go to writing team for me! This story was a great romantic suspense that kept me guessing til the end. Good characters and plot. I definitely recommend!

I received this ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review

An entertaining and gripping romantic suspense that kept me guessing till the end.
It's well plotted, the characters are interesting and the mystery is solid.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Delta finds her philandering husband lying in a pool of blood and then she slips and falls on the knife, then picks it up not thinking of of the consequences but only of getting help for her husband. As the police question her, three of her high school friends are in the hospital waiting room wanting answers because when they were all in high school together, all of them were in involved with Delta's husband in some way. Why are Delta's friends at the hospital now especially when Delta hasn't had much if any contact with her old friends in years since their last class reunion. Detectives have a long and time consuming job ahead of them because they will have to go back in time to find out who really stabbed the dying man or maybe it was Delta and she is very good at playing the long suffering wife. There will be many potential suspects and twisting turns before you read the final chapter.I

I thought that book wouldn't be very good due to many of the substandard reviews but I was pleasantly surprised and I did enjoy the story after a slow start. Fifty percent into reading the story went fast with lots of fun twists and turns that were unexpected. I wouldn't consider this a thriller but it turned out to be a good mystery. Most of the characters were shallow and unlikable and reminded me of some of the afternoon soap operas that used to be on television. If a reader enjoyed the old soaps, I think they would find this book very appealing. A great majority of the book plays out the last year in high school but that storyline is essential to everything that will take place in the present time. All in all it was a good book not a great one but it ended up being very entertaining.

I want to thank the publisher "Kensington Books" and Netgalley for the.opportunity to read this ARC and any thoughts and opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given this book a rating of 3 1/2 Twisty 🌟🌟🌟✴ Stars!!

After a rather slow start, I found this to be an enjoyable mystery. As is typical of the sisters Lisa Jackson and Nancy Bush, this mystery had plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the end. My only complaint was the beginning set in the high school years, I thought that could have been done more as flashbacks rather than spending so much of the story in the past.

I don’t really know how to write this. I’ll be honest, I almost didn’t read it because of other reviews but once I started, I couldn’t put it down. Im not fond of books that go back and forward between past and present. So I’ll try to give a little something about this.
Delta is one of the Five Firsts, a nickname given to her and her friends, when in high school, they had a senior picnic and one of the classmates drowned. Ten years later at the reunion two more are killed in a supposedly murder/suicide. Now Delta’s husband is stabbed and she’s the blame.MaCrae is a classmate and a police officer now. He’s investigating the stabbing and still looking into the murder/suicide when two more are killed in a car wreck. Can he find the killer before more of their group dies?
* Voluntarily read and reviewed this for NetGalley *

Last Girl Standing leaves you asking questions. When do you leave high school experiences behind and move on with your life? What is friendship? What is love? Your first large group check in with those you knew in high school is likely your 10th year reunion when everyone looks closely at how you look, who you’ve married, are you successful etc. It’s not easy and more difficult as you realize past, present and future, there will be some who you may never meet again particularly when suspicious events unfold as in the saga of the 5’s.
It’s the story of the 5’s and Ellie, who started in the group prior to high school, their high school class, and one particularly guy, the hunk Tanner. The story opens with Tanner at death’s door 15 years after high school. From there the story takes you back to senior year, then their 10th year reunion and finally events 5 years later. It’s a nightmare as members of the class start dropping and all start looking behind them.
There is suspense and suspicion and you’ll keep on guessing where the story will take you. You may not like the characters, who remain mean girls even in adult life, but the authors will keep you guessing to the surprising conclusion.

OMG wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is one of the best thrillers I have read all year and I've read ALOT!!!!!!!!!!! This is a total standalone book and trust me....... you will NOT guess the who did it in this story of corrupt group of people!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was shocked and like "WTF??????!!!!!!" when it got revealed. This is a story of a group of teenagers first.....the" first fives" and the boys that they hung around with. These kids are right while they're teens but grow apart as they all become adults but when members start dying shit gets real!!!!!!!! Are these deaths a coincidence or is someone slowly murdering the members of this group??? Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington/Zebra Publishing

Who would want to kill the most popular all American boy from high school? Tanner Stahd had all the girls in knots and the boys all wanted to be like him but he wasn't the nice boy everything thought. He was a player and he was always got what he wanted. No matter what he did nothing got him down until that night at the party. They did drugs got drunk and someone dead.
They are no longer in high school and Tanner has just used up all his excuses with his wife Delta but before they can talk he is stabbed and everyone thinks that it was her. How can she prove that she would never hurt Tanner no matter how much he hurt her?
Zora, Amanda & Ellie all can't believe that the great Tanner Stahd has been taken so cruelly and they want to know the truth. They all had their own secrets about Tanner and they know that not everyone liked him and that he used people but they want to find the person responsible.
Ellie won't rest until she proves that Delta killed him and she will find out the truth about why Carmen died all those years ago at the party. And just maybe she can find justice for Bailey another classmate that was killed years after. She knows that there is so much more to that story.
Zora can't believe that he is gone but she doesn't believe that Delta killed him and she knows that she will never reveal her own secret about Tanner. She has enough problems happening at home right now.
Amanda only went after Tanner because he was with Delta and she got what she wanted for a while but she grew up and moved on and she missed Delta throughout the passing years and she hopes that she can help her fight these charges.
Chris knows that he needs to keep a level head when it comes to Delta he has always wanted her but she would only ever look at Tanner and he never had a chance. Can he keep things professional as he is the enemy here? He knows that she didn't kill Tanner but he needs to take a step back. And he has to continue looking into Bailey's case he needs to find out the truth for him & her father. He has to be careful about how he moves forward.
Delta has only ever loved Tanner even when he cheated on her she stayed but she knew that she would have left soon but now there is only her son Owen left and that is all she cares about.
But someone else is out there ready to keep the secrets buried and they will start picking off the classmates one by one. Who will be left standing at the end?
A good thrilling read. I was lucky enough to receive a copy via Netgalley & the publishing house in exchange for my honest review.