Welcome Back!

We are somehow halfway through July already and it feels like summer is flying by (but that is totally okay because I love the fall and winter). This past week the weather was a bit chaotic where I live so I decided to stay in and do a ton of reading. On my Libby account, I had an audiobook loan for the Last One to Die, I saw that this book is between 5 and 6 hours on audio and immediately decided it would be my next read!

SPOILERS AHEAD

Niamh has lived in Ireland her entire life but has always dreamed of going to London and after a lot of hard work she is going to go for a summer program! Her parents have agreed, and her younger sister is super jealous but Niamh could not be more excited about this opportunity. However, when she finally arrives at her summer program she runs into a girl who is afraid of heights and begging to switch rooms with her. Niamh agrees because she honestly does not care and is just so excited to be here but this swap results in some mixed-up baggage. Niamh decides to take the mixed-up bag down to the girl only to find that she is dead. The girl’s death is reported and Niamh as well as her family are on edge about her staying but she is not going to give up her dreams now.

I did listen to this entire book but looking back I honestly feel like I should have DNF’d the book. I enjoyed the first part of the story so much and loved learning about Niamh but then this book took some weird turns and despite the length seeming short, some parts of the story felt very drawn out. I do want to point out that I really loved the audiobook narrator and thought they did an amazing job. I will definitely read something more from this author in the future. (I have read other books written by this author in the past and really enjoyed them, so maybe just this one was not clicking for me)!

Goodreads Rating: 2 Stars

This was super interesting! I liked the MC and her quirks. The ending was really good and I wish I could read it for the first time again!

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

Cynthia Murphy's *Last One to Die* is a suspenseful and engrossing thriller that keeps readers guessing until the final page. With its tight plot and intricate character development, Murphy skillfully builds tension and delivers a gripping mystery. The novel’s unexpected twists and dark undertones make it a compelling read for fans of psychological suspense.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

2.5 stars rounded down

This book was fast paced. It immediately starts off with our FMC arriving in London for an acting class(?) and changes rooms with a girl named Sara due to Sara being scared of heights. But when Niamh notices she has some of Sara’s paperwork, she thinks she’ll go ahead and take them to her instead of waiting to meet her in the morning like planned. As Niamh arrives in her old room, she finds Sara dead and some of her hair ripped from her scalp. As more and more girls are attacked, the more Niamh fears for her life.

This was an okay book. The plot seemed to be missing a lot of key details. The victims of the attacks were all supposed to look like Niamh in some way but for the life of me, I couldn’t describe to you how Niamh looks. For something to be such a key detail, it was really brushed over. The storyline seemed super jumpy and not clean. The whole acting school or whatever it was added nothing to the plot and just served to be there to provide one note of interest but was completely ignored.

I couldn’t connect with the FMC. Or any of the characters for that matter. They felt very one dimensional. There was no real growth or development. And the “love story”? I thought it was weird from the beginning. I knew something was up with it and it made the FMC seem super naïve(more than she should have been).

The horror aspects of the book were decent. Again, nothing that just stood out and said WOW. This author can write some graphic detail and come up with some nasty witchcraft. I wish there was more depth to the book and I feel like I might have enjoyed it more. It almost felt like a sequel and not a first. I felt as though a lot of important details were missing to make the twist at the end even better and not easily guessed. I guessed it the moment Tommy couldn’t walk her home.

Again this is completely my opinion and my thoughts on the book. No disrespect to the author or if you liked the book! This is just how I felt!

This one took me a bit to get into. It was a good thriller, but it wasn't favorite one this year. The way the accent was written didn't help either. I stopped and started the book a few times before I had to stop entirely

I thought this was really well written and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I think it will find readers at our library, so we will definitely be purchasing for the collection.

When Arthur Benton Stanhope III dies, he leaves the three closest women in his life to figure out what's next. His wife Sylvia is determined to marry their youngest daughter Adelaide off to a wealthy suitor so they can retain their lifestyle. His mother Junietta is determined to inspire them to pursue their dreams and true love. Adelaide doesn't know what to do it who to please. Throughout the book, both Junietta and Sylvie share many secrets from their pasts that led to who they are and what they believe now. While I can't elaborate on them without spoilers, they are numerous and powerful.
Lots of emotions from this. The two older women have tragic backgrounds and shocking secrets. Between their stories and their present Gilded Age, thirteen characters die. Yeah. Wasn't ready for that. The degrees of tragedy vary, including a couple that are particularly disturbing. But after getting annoyed at being provoked to sadness to many times by the first half (or just over) of the book, inspiring events began unfolding that almost had me crying in public while reading. This book is complex and thought provoking with a large cast of distinctive characters. I definitely would not call it light reading, but well done. I do wish we got answers to a couple open-ended questions and ideas, but they were comparatively small.

I thought this was well crafted, with unique twists and although it took me a little bit to get into it, it was a great read! One to add to your list.

Last One to Die by Cynthia Murphy

Thank you to @netgalley, @randomhouse, and @cynthiamurphyya for the opportunity to read this #advancedreadercopy in exchange for my #honestbookreview! This book is available now.

This was absolutely haunting - definitely not recommend this being your “while I’m in bed, read late into the night” book. This is targeted to be a young adult read but I definitely think that this would be enjoyable for any adult who enjoys thrillers. This had dark academia vibes as well as dual timeline and supernatural vibes. This for some reason triggered a memory of the vampire episodes (not a spoiler, by the way!) in Are You Afraid of the Dark? in the best ways. I highly recommend this for lovers of thrillers, dark academia, mysteries, and history.

TWs: loss of a loved one, st*lking, more

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ - 4.5/5

The set up here is decent put a bit heavy handed. Teen on her own for the first time caught up in murder and intrigue. It jumps right in with a murder in the first chapter which is promising. And it explores history and folk belief to some degree, bringing in the lesser known ideas of Spring-healed Jack. Ultimately, I found the twists too obvious and the final reveals a bit too far afield to really enjoy it.

2.5 stars

I missed the memo about what kind of mystery this is. If you read the synopsis, literally the first line is 'supernatural thriller', which would have been good to know, but oh well. I appreciated how this immediately dove into the thick of it, with police reports and people being attacked and killed. The pacing was decent, though around 75% I got a little bored.

I didn't love the killer reveal and felt some of it was obvious. I didn't know there was a paranormal element or a Jack the Ripper comparison, so that felt a bit out of nowhere to me. I also thought the main character was kind of weak, not well developed and made some poor decisions. This reads as younger YA to me.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the copy.

It was meh.

I think this would be more enjoyable at middle grade than HS level.

Someone who is new to the genre may like it? It just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

Good book with a few slower parts. Nothing that made me want to stop reading but definitely some slow downs.

This is the second book I have read by this author and I would happily read more by them! If you like good mystery stories with fun suspense and a who dunnit feel then you should absolutely pick up this book. Murphy always picks a fun theme to center her books around that completely immerses you in the story right away. The characters, the settings, and the actions feel so real. I could easily imagine myself in the story or imagine hearing about something like this (well mostly) on the news. This book had an extra little supernatural element that only added to the joy of this book. Definitely recommend to anyone looking for a mystery/thriller book!

Murphy's chilling young adult mystery, set in England, follows Niamh, an Irish student taking a summer theater course in London. From the moment she arrives, she is plagued by unfortunate, and in some cases deadly, circumstances, with girls around her being attacked and in one instance killed. I found the mystery surrounding Niamh interesting, and I was drawn into the story, though the plot is slow to develop and I found myself struggling to keep reading because so little happens at the beginning of this story. It takes a while to develop, with sporadic instances happening that string the reader along. It was enough to keep me invested, but mostly because I just wanted to figure out whether this story was going to end up being strictly a reality-based killer or a supernatural one.

Having now read the whole book, I can say that I was a bit disappointed with the execution of this story. It felt like it was trying to accomplish two different things, the story of spring-heeled Jack and then also the story of Jane Alsop. Murphy mashes these two things together, but I didn't really buy the connection and it felt too forced, leaving me ultimately unsatisfied. I also had no idea, going into the story, that it would turn out to be supernatural in nature. I was a little surprised, but it didn't necessarily disappoint me. I was more disappointed with how the author only really tries to pull this together at the last minute, leaving the ending feeling rushed and half-thought through.

I found Niamh to be a bit disappointing in a main character. She so often is the victim in this story - things are constantly happening around her, yet she still persists in staying in London. Even when it looks like she might be the target of these crimes, she stays, putting herself in danger. The adults in this situation also seemed a bit hard to believe with how they handled things. I can't believe her parents didn't insist on her coming home, either. The first girl being murdered in her building, in the room she was supposed to be staying in would have been enough impetus for me, were I her parent.

The writing is a bit choppy, with lots of jumps from one scene to the next with almost no connection. It was very jarring at times, and it almost seemed like the author was in a hurry to get from point a to point b and didn't want to spend the time crafting a narrative to smoothly do that. I think this story really lacks cohesion and the writing backs up this need, because so much of it is telling instead of showing. The atmosphere could have been creepier, the characters could have felt more real, and the stakes would have been higher if only the author had taken more time to flesh out the story. I know YA is generally held to a lower standard in many peoples eyes, but I've read some YA that is really well done, but this story falls well below the bar, unfortunately.

I would not recommend this book. I think it's a great first-draft, but it just needs so much more work, in my opinion, that I didn't enjoy it and I don't think most will just because it has so much to make up for and leaves you wanting.

Loved this one!

Opening up with a police interview is "chef's kiss" in my mind. I really enjoyed the FMC, as well!

Last One to Die by Cynthia Murphy is a wild supernatural thriller.
The characters were well developed and the plot flowed amazingly.
This one kept me on the edge of my seat.
I had the honor of reading and reviewing Win Lose Kill Die and Welcome to Camp Killer…. And loved every single one.
Now I can’t wait for her upcoming title The Midnight Game!
This is a fast-paced, action-packed YA mystery and psychological thriller that is perfect for those seeking a gripping page-turner with a twisty ending.

Thank You NetGalley and Delacorte Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

In the last one to die by Cynthia Murphy 16-year-old Ninha has been working hard in her Irish village to get to the London school of performing arts she’s even more excited when she switches rooms with a girl who is scared of heights and so gives her her second floor room for her 10th floor abode but win Nima finds her new friend Sarah dead in the bed that was supposed to be hers needless to say she is shocked. When she makes friends with a girl named Tasha and she too is attacked a nasty girl at school named Jasmine makes everyone turn on Nima. When she gets her work assignment at the Victorian St., Museum she quickly makes friends with the older man Jeffrey who seems to know every nook and cranny of the museum but when she meets Tommy a handsome boy dressed like a Victorian worker she is totally smitten and she can’t help noticing that he cannot stop staring at her either. It seems the museum is set in an old mill and the owner of the mill‘s daughter was tragically killed at a young age and Nima looks exactly like Young Jane Alsa. Nima becomes close with the school librarianist and her daughter Jessica but tries to steer clear of creepy will the library and assistant when the attacks keep happening she investigates and learns they started before she even arrived in London but can’t help but notice all the girls look like her. Strange things keep happening and before long she realizes whoever this is is after her. Her parents want her to come home but Nima is reluctant After all she has a potential boyfriend and Tommy and a new best friend and Jessica but is it worth her life? Oh I absolutely love Cynthia Murphy’s books she writes really good teen thrillers but OMG this para normal teen mystery based on Spring heeled Jack it’s like a wish granted or a dream come true. I always wish someone would write a story having to do with him and I think Cynthia Murphy although not an absolutely perfect story did a really great job with it. I did find it weird that whole about face with Will but I definitely can overlook that because the story was a stellar read. Being familiar with the author I was surprised and overjoyed to read this paranormal mystery by her and it’s definitely a book I recommend. If you like the spooky and paranormal mixed in with a murder mystery then you’ll definitely love Last One To Die by Cynthia Murphy, I certainly did! I want to think random house children and Net Galley for my free Ark copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

I thoroughly enjoyed LAST ONE TO DIE by Cynthia Murphy and it definitely surprised me in all the right ways. It's got a great mystery and the suspense buildup is wonderfully done. I loved the slasher elements as well as the tug at the supernatural (supernatural slashers were very trendy in the 80s and I think this is a great homage!) to keep things moving along and interesting. I definitely figured out the who behind it all, but just not the "how?" and "why?" of it all. The ending really pieced everything together nicely and I think this was just a perfect, breezy, YA slasher mystery! I am now on the hunt for more with similar vibes.

This starts out so creepy. I love it! I love that opening. I love this kind of YA fiction and it is also a short quick read, which is a bonus since I am so far behind on my books. I loved it!
I felt so bad for our girl being so far from home and experiencing all this trauma. I liked the fun happy bits as well. Like when she hid the jacket she borrowed from her sister without permission or when she is laughing with Jess.
This was wonderful. Thank you!