⭐️⭐️.5

First of big thanks to NetGalley and Berkeley for an advanced readers copy of my first Laura Griffin novel. I thought this was a quick and easy read.

This novel focused on Rowan Healy, a forensic geologist, and Jack Burner, an Austin detective. Every detective has that one unsolved case that haunts them and keeps them up at night. For Jack this is the West Campus Rapist, who he thinks has returned and escalated to murder. When Jack finds himself at a dead end he seeks the help of Rowan to hopefully shine some light on the killers DNA and family tree.

This novel could be best described as murder mystery romance. I was quickly interested in the plot and thought the genealogy approach was different and fascinating. However, I felt as though the romance took precedence over the mystery itself. In addition, the plot was predictable at points with an ending that didn’t impress me.

NYT bestselling author Laura Griffin returns with her latest, a fascinating standalone romantic suspense, THE LAST CLOSE CALL—A forensic genealogist teams up with a detective to solve a cold case in a race against time.

Rowan Healy is a forensic genealogist who traces family trees of violent criminals. However, recently, she has burned out with the pressure of police cases and now helps adoptees find their biological parents.

Austin Detective Jack Bruner has spent his career successfully tracking down vicious criminals and has not been able to solve the West Campus Rapist case. He has never been identified, and presently, with his latest two victims, his violent behavior seems to be escalating.

He needs help and approaches Rowan to assist in solving this case before he strikes again. Rowan finally agrees to assist.

There is new DNA research that helps with criminals and their backgrounds, and the two team up to find this ruthless killer while sparks fly.

AUDIOBOOK: I listened to the audiobook narrated by Stephanie Németh-Parker (a favorite narrator) for an engaging performance for all voices and a captivating listening experience.

I seldom read romantic suspense; however, I am fascinated by DNA genealogy and cop procedurals. THE LAST CLOSE CALL was very well done, and excellent characterization while the author showcases her attention to detail. Not too heavy on romance.

THE LAST CLOSE CALL is recommended for fans of authors Mary Burton, Sandra Brown, Karen Rose, and Lisa Gardner. It has been a while since I have read one of Laura's books, and I enjoyed the audio and this fascinating topic. I love the cover.

I look forward to her next book.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an ALC in exchange for an honest opinion.

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Pub Date: Oct 24, 2023
My Rating: 4 Stars
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This is the first book I’ve listed to from Laura. Great suspense/romance with a great balance of both.

The characters were strong, determined and focused on catching the bad guy.

So many interesting facts about forensics and police process. The story is engaging and interesting.

Stephanie Nemeth-Parker delivers an amazing performance. She gives the characters (both male and female) perfect voice and emotion.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the complimentary copy. I am leaving my honest review.

"The Last Close Call" by Laura Griffin introduces readers to Rowan Healy, a forensic genealogist, and Jack Bruner, an Austin detective. The story unfolds around Rowan's distinctive approach to solving a serial rapist case, which adds a unique angle to the narrative.
The narrator, Stephanie Nemeth-Parker did a wonderful job keeping me engaged through the entire book. It was definitely a nailbiter and I was hooked till the very end!
The seamless blend of mystery and romance within the story deepens the overall experience, and Rowan's refreshingly distinct character makes this book a must-read.

A forensic genealogist, a dogged detective, and a serial killer.
This is the premise of Author, Laura Griffin’s latest stand alone.
An excellent read with twists and turns to keep me engaged. I was expecting the capture of the perpetrator would be more exciting, but it was more of the research that was used to determine the person that led to the more interesting part of the book. The inevitable romance between the main characters was predictable but not over the top. Laura Griffin writes a good story and I look forward to reading anything she writes. Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Publishers for an early copy. This review is my honest opinion.

I’ve been craving reading a romantic suspense book and this definitely hit the spot. There is just something about a well done mystery/thriller that fits perfectly with the seasons changing into fall. I listened to this in a day and found myself purposefully cleaning my house just so I had an excuse to keep it on. This was an extra fun read because I live in Austin, TX where much of this book takes place.

I really liked the use of genetics and tracing family lines to help solve the case. There was a different take on that here than I’ve read in other books like this before. I really liked both Rowan and Jack and how they interacted with each other. I also really enjoyed the side characters and I kept wondering throughout the book who might get their own story. I will definitely be picking up more of Laura Griffin’s books now!

I thought the narrator did a really great job. She kept me invested in all the characters and did great with all the different POVs we got in this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced audio copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

The Last Close Call by Laura Griffin intrigued me from the first page. I rarely feel like rereading a book as soon as I finish it. The genealogy part was the most interesting, not the romance, which I mostly skimmed my way. Overall, I found the race to catch the serial rapist and murderer before he attacked another victim was exhilarating. The characters were also well developed and although I didn’t care for the romance, I could see why they would be attracted to each other. The narrator did an outstanding performance. I’m glad I chose the audiobook format. Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Last Close Call is an exciting romantic suspense novel with plenty of mystery, and a slow burn romance that will captivate you from word one. Rowan Healy is a talented, and sought after Forensic genealogist. She loves the intrigue of figuring out a puzzle, but is burned out from the toll the consuming cases take on her. She starts her own business helping people find family members, but the lure of a past event still haunts her. Jack Bruner is an Austin detective who has a long career taking down violent criminals. When a serial killer reappears after being quiet for years, Jack needs Rowen's unique skills to help identify him. But first Jack needs to convince her that she is his only hope. Rowen wants this case more than she lets on. She and Jack make a great team even when they butt heads as they try to do their jobs. As their attraction to each other builds, will that cloud their judgement, putting everyone's lives at risk? Jack and Rowen are complex characters with Rowen trying to overcome past loss and Jack wanting to be the one to protect and help her heal. There are many twists and turns in this story and I love that I could not easily predict what would happen next.
Stephanie Németh-Parker did an excellent jog bringing these compelling characters, and this gripping story with it's unexpected twists to life. She picked the perfect tone for this story and easily delivered all the emotion, and heart pounding suspense, making this story even more captivating.

The Last Close Call is an intriguing thriller that is part police procedural and part romantic suspense. The Last Close Call has a unique plot that centers around the use of forensic genealogy to solve the case of a serial rapists terrorizing women in Austin. The plot is twisty and interesting and the characters are endearing.

This book was especially interesting after reading Unmasked by Paul Holes. The Last Close Call would be good as a follow up to that as it references some of the real life cases in that book.

I enjoyed the narration by Stephanie Nemeth-Parker. She did an excellent job of being the story to life!

This book started out with such an amazing plot! Something happens and you have that chapter end, cliff hanger feeling...and then, it shifts to different people entirely!

The FMC and the MMC Jack and Rowan are such a likable duo. The unlikely pair ending working together to solve a case quickly! If they don't find the perpetrator quickly, another innocent person will die.

This book definitely ended much differently than I thought it would. Which was maybe more realistic than if it ended up how I thought it would.

Great narration. Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this title!

The Last Close Call was a great read. It is a thriller that starts off with a serial rapist returning to Austin after years of no activity. Detective Jack Bruner and forensic genealogist Rowan Healy work together to put a stop to the string of crimes.
This story really gave me Criminal Mind Vibes. Jack and Rowan are both very likeable characters. I had never read or listened to a thriller that uses forensic genealogy to catch a criminal, even though it has happened in real life (the GSK). I think that made the story really interesting! This book had a bit of everything: mystery, family tree, romance, criminal chases. I could easily see this book as an episode of Criminal Minds.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape media for this early audiobook copy of The Last Close Call by Laura Griffin.

I definitely suggest this book to who likes a little bit of everything.
The Last Close Call is a mystery book with a romance subplot. I really liked all the characters and the story overall was very engaging.

Rowan is a genetic analyst who step away from forensic work a while ago, due to the pressure of helping catch the bad guys and all the horror she witnessed during the cases. She is happily helping families reconnect with long lost relatives when Jack, a detective from Austin police, asks her help to find the West Campus Rapist, a cold case that s hunting his every thought.

I have to be honest, I hoped for a bigger plot twist at the end, mainly about the identity of WCR.
The other minor plot twist was a nice touch but not really necessary.
In the end this book enjoyable and I think it´s a vey nice and quick autumn read.

Also shoutout to the voice actress and Dreamscape media production. Dreamscape became a pillar for my audiobook obsession and I now trust every single book they will release will not disapooint me.

This was an exciting read! I loved the investigation and how they came about finding the culprit. And while this was mostly suspense with just a bit of romance, I ended up loving the romance aspect just as much.

I loved the hero. He's the kind of hero I enjoy reading about. He's a bit standoffish, and doesn't reveal much. It's when this kind of hero finds the woman that changes things for them, that's what makes this kind of hero shine for me.

The heroine was very smart and I like that she was a bit hesitant as well. It gave us a chance to see the hero push for more with her.

Overall, a great audiobook to listen too. The narrator did a really good job.

Thank you, Laura Griffin, Dreamscapes Media, and NetGalley, for an audiobook version ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed The Last Close Call from start to finish! I have always found genealogy so fascinating, and I love the way the author weaves it through the story so effortlessly. The narrator did a fantastic job with the story and kept me fully engaged. A definite must-read or listen!

Thank you to @Dreamscape Media for the ARC. This book was one I could not stop listening to. I was fascinated with the DNA genealogy. The romance between Rowan and Jack was so sweet and hot. At times I thought I had figured it out and then something would be discovered and I was wrong. A must read.

This wasn't a particularly twisty thriller, but it did keep me engaged. I enjoyed the narrator as well. Would definitely recommend this to a friend as a quick engaging read

The Last Close Call is the first novel I've read by Laura Griffin and I'm definitely interested in reading more. The main thing I thought that stood out about this book was the use of forensic genealogy. I've never seen it in another novel before and I really enjoyed how the author used it. That aside, this was a very average thriller for me. While it did have a quick pace, it was very predictable. I was able to see every twist which took away from my enjoyment quite a bit. I need a degree of surprise or mystery to feel satisfied with thrillers. But this was a well written and still enjoyable thriller so I recommend for fans of police procedural thrillers.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is where science meets romance. DNA research brought this scientist and police together in search for the serial rapist. While Rowan did not want to return to police work since it took over her life before, Jack really needed her help to open this deadlock. He tried anything and everything except for familial DNA, which what Rowan could do.

It was a nice break from all tragedies, thrillers, mysteries that I have been reading recently. Instead of all gore, trouble, and violence, I could use a story with happy ending. It's almost like finding the rapist's identity was a secondary storyline here. Anyone and everyone were rooting for these two to come together.

If you are interested in forensic genealogy and want to read about it in a light mystery, pick this book. You'll get a good sneak peak on the wonders it can do.

I guess I wasn’t expecting that much romance in this book. Entertaining audiobook though, easy to listen through. Crime/mystery suspense was done well enough to keep me engaged. Not bad, just not… memorable.

I listened to this on audiobook, and I enjoyed the narrator and the pacing overall. The book drew me in quickly, and I felt immersed in the storyline. This is a true romantic suspense - there is enough of the mystery/detective work, and enough romance (without being too much!). However, I think the nature of the romance between Rowan and Jack felt a bit off - I never get the impression that she actually likes him? I dunno, it just felt more like a convenience rather than a falling for someone. The book comes to a quick end, and maybe it's because I was listening and enjoying the story and I didn't realize the book was wrapping up, I almost felt caught off guard when the book finished. It felt a little anti-climactic, and I felt like there was something missing. However - overall I breezed through this, it was an easy and enjoyable listening experience. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review!