Member Reviews

Thanks to NetGalley for my copy of this book. A really good, twisty read over two timelines. Very enjoyable for fans of this genre.

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This book started off well the opening scene immediately drew me in however my interest waned as the characters were truly unlikeable!
Did finish and would read more by this author

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Such a gripping read that really makes you question what you're reading. Good characters and plot. Interesting twist at the end too.

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An engaging and interesting twin timeline tale, with a few nice turns along the way. Easy to pick up and put down, it's an ideal holiday read.

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Thanks to the incredibly written opening scene, I was hooked from page one. This novel is atmospheric, beautifully written and full of unexpected twists.

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At times I found it a little slow, but that was mainly background actions. I stayed with it and soon found myself trying to figure out all the who's and whys. When that happened i found it hard to put down until I knew if I had unravelled everything. A book to stick with

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Her Last words is a unique and atmospheric thriller with twists galore that kept me turning the pages long after bed time! The characters were really well-developed and nuanced. The setting is beautifully evocative, adding a wild menace to the story and the ending has stayed with me, i keep thinking about it!

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When Cass sees her husband, Jeff, being embraced by a beautiful young woman after his swim she is shocked. She is even more shocked by what she sees next. She rushes off hoping her young son hasn't seen anything. Naturally Cass is not going to be able to forget this & soon finds out things she didn't know about her husband. The story is told from Cass' point of view as well as from Nina, one of Jeff's students. I can't say I was over keen on either of them! This was a so-so read for me. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

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I struggled to connect with the characters in this one. It started off with a bang and unfortunately fell in a heap halfway through.

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Her Last Words is an atmospheric psychological thriller about what happens when a woman witnesses her husband do the unthinkable and decides to find out the truth. The story begins with a shock when Cass drops her husband off for his regular swim and decides to watch. She witnesses a woman run into her husbands arms and a struggle leaving the woman dead. When Cass's husband gets back to the car, he says nothing. Of course, Cass needs to discover the truth. The book is twisty and intriguing throughout. Highly recommended! Be sure to check out Her Last Words today.

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Her Last Words is the first novel from Irish author E.V. Kelly. This is a psychological thriller set in Dublin.

The book opens with Cass and her seven year old son Ted watching her husband Jeff take his morning swim on their local beach. Cass is stunned and horrified when a beautiful young woman appears and jumps into his arms, and even more so when they appear to be struggling, with the young woman left lifeless in the sand. Cass pretends she hasn’t seen anything while she sets out to understand what she witnessed; is her husband really a cold blooded killer?

I was immediately hooked when I started this book, the first chapter is so sharp, and such an intriguing concept for a story. I can always appreciate an unreliable narrator and this trope was thoroughly and successfully explored here! I loved the setting, I always say this but thrillers set in Ireland automatically become more realistic for me as a reader.

Unfortunately I felt the storyline became a bit muddled about halfway in, with two many elements of the plot fighting each other.
None of the characters are really likeable (apart from the child and the dog), so it made it hard to root for any of them, there were a few plot holes, and the ending felt lackluster to me.

I did think the writing was excellent up until that halfway mark though so I’ll be really interested to read more from E.V. Kelly in the future.

With thanks to @netgalley and @quercusbooks for the opportunity to read Her Last Words, available to buy now.

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A different type of book to my usual, however I really enjoyed it
Chilly and atmospheric
I read it really quickly
Immersive characters and a very twisty plot
Very clever writing
I will be reading this author again

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It should be a normal day, one when Cass brings her husband – someone she has never had reason to doubt – to his daily medically prescribed swim. But one spring morning, she notices a young woman run towards her husband and then… the absolute unexpected happens. Honestly, you won’t see this coming, and neither did Cass. Behind her, their son says nothing, despite the very disturbing scene he and his mum are witness to. When her husband returns he doesn’t mention that event, and neither does she. But while she may have nothing (and everything) to say to him, instead Cass begins her own adventure to discover the truth – clearly, there’s a lot more going on than what she saw with her frightened eyes. She can’t realise she’ll be pulled back to the previous year and another person having tense, vivid feelings. You have to love and appreciate any book that keeps you alert throughout – while also feeling more than a bit scared.

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The initial situation drew me in (despite the wife's lack of reaction) and the chapters thereafter which changed between each of the two main female characters had me somewhat intruiged to read on.

However, I felt that this book lost its way as the plot developed. It felt disjointed and as if the author wasn't quite sure how to proceed with it.

I found the conclusion and aftermath to be disappointing.

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This certainly starts with a bang but then it just tails off unfortunately. I was so excited from the blurb but it all got a bit extreme and implausible. Whilst I do appreciate that it's a fiction book so its not supposed to be realistic all thr time.... this just didn't make sense and frustrated me. It wasn't for me

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I almost gave up very early on when the first shocking event on the beach takes place because of the wife’s response. I can’t sY more or it could spoil someone else’s read but I couldn’t take the story seriously after that. I did read on but it just never. convinced me

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Thank you to #NetGalley for my advance copy of #HerLastWords byEVKelly

I am sure that some people will love this book but I found it boring and disjointed.
I couldn’t get together enough enthusiasm to care for any of the characters or continue reading.
⭐️⭐️

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This book started with a hook and I was so excited!
BUT.. it did not deliver.

The characters were not likeable or believable and it seemed like they had more extreme issues than the current government.

I really really wanted this book to work, but it fell flat. The premise was intriguing and maybe with the next try?

Thank you for the ARC, NetGalley!

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Even if it's well written and full of potential it reminded me a bit of an soufflè that didn't rise.
It starts with a bang, there's plenty of promises but it didn't keep my attention.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

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This beginning got me hooked!
Cass drops her husband off for a swim in the sea. Just to witness how he drowns her? What???
She has no idea how to react- understandably!!!
As she starts digging deeper into her husband's life she finds out some truely shocking things. I don't want to give away too much of the story.
But a thrilling story, that kept my attention!!
Thanks a lot #NetGalley #Quercus Books for the ARC

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