A suspenful read with 3 women who have a grouse against one man with a veneer of perfection and on track to knighthood. Which one of these women is responsible for the ultimate revenge?

Lots of intrigue, fast-paced, and thrilling, this book was exciting to read. The pacing was correct, the intrigue was plentiful, and the motive was warranted.

#netgalley #TheLastTimeISawHim

How far would you go for a stranger?

Three women meet at an exclusive hotel. One woman is in mentally abusive relationship, one has made a mess of her marriage, and the other could be breaking a marriage apart. These three women come together to help each other get out of their predicaments which are all tied to the same person, Ellis Cobain.

As I enjoyed the setting of this novel and the storyline, I felt the interactions between the three women were a bit frustrating at times. I absolutely did not see the twist coming at the end of the story AT ALL. Overall, I did like this book, which was out for publication on August 15, 2024.

Thank you to Net Galley and Storm Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Time I Saw Him
By: Rachel Abbott

4 Stars

Sergeant Stephanie King never expects to be investigating the hotel she and her mom had just vacationed at. When a big-name guest is found dead the week after her stay, she finds herself back and on a very interesting case filled with murder, secrets, and lies.

I won't lie. At the beginning of this book, I was a bit lost. It felt almost like I had missed a previous book. Once the pieces started to fall in place, it all became clear, and the story got a lot more interesting. It combined mystery, danger, and thrills with a dynamic group of characters. By the end, I was shocked. This story was twisty and fun to read and had a shocking ending that I never saw coming.

*I want to thank Netgalley and the author for this book in return for my honest review*

Stormi Ellis
Boundless Book Review

Detective Stephanie King is investigating the murder of Ellis Cobain a man with several enemies.
A story that kept me entertained and guessing until the end. Book 4 in the series I will look forward to reading more in this series.

Enjoyable enough romp set in a luxury hotel where a dead body is found just off its coast in a luxury yacht.

The man, who was staying at the hotel with his wife, is not a very nice man. With a couple of affairs under his belt and his wife metaphorically beaten to a shell by her husbands constant put downs and control, there are plenty of suspects.

Despite the heavy subject matter this has a real cosy thriller vibe to it and it zips along quite nicely. Surprisingly it spends more time with the female suspects than it does with police(Stephanie King arf arf) but it does have a lot of storytelling to do and a rather complicated and contrived plot to unravel.

It kind of loses its way a little at the end and perhaps is too long for its own good but it didn’t take away from the enjoyment of the overall experience.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley.

Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and the author Rachel Abbott for the opportunity to read an ARC of The Last Time I Saw Him. My review reflects my honest opinion. Three women find themselves at a beautiful resort at the same time. Celia Cobain,married to the very wealthy, yet controlling and obnoxious philanthropist Ellis Cobain, is there with him. Juliette Dalton is there with her husband, Russell, a lawyer hoping to sign a contract with a singer performing at the resort. Nadia Shariq is the singer. The women are united in their hatred of Ellis Cobain- each for their own specific reason. The Last Time I Saw Him is the fourth book in Abbott's Detective Stephanie King series; the first I have read. It was a rather slow read for me as I did not like any of the three women; in my opinion their characters lacked depth- they were either self-centered or very weak. However the novel is well crafted, the investigation, realistic, and while it was just an OK read for me I will pursue other books by this author. 3 stars.

I loved this book! I haven’t read anything by Rachel Abbott before but I will definitely be adding more of her novels to my to be read pile. There were so many twists and turns

There were only four main suspects for the murder of a totally obnoxious philandering bully, with loads of money from the death of wife No 1. All four have strong motives, all four lie through their teeth to each other, the police and themselves. DCI Gus Brodie brings in DS Stephanie King to help in the investigation as she and her mothers were having a 'spoil yourselves for once' week-end and had some insight to the, now, suspects. Stephanie is the main character definitely and works well with Gus (also her life partner now) and the rest of his team - gradually teasing out the inconsistencies and links. Plenty of red herrings and I changed my mind about the perpetrator several times, wrong on most of them. Neatly tied up but ending a shock. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

The Last Time I Saw Him by Rachel Abott

I really enjoyed this book. The story was a slow burn and I was mildly disappointed with the ending. A man is dead and the suspects involves 3 women. I hadn't realized this book was part of a series but I quickly liked Sergeant Stephanie King. I just cannot fathom the unfair ending.

This was a good story about 3 women who have been dealing with a very nasty man who was in one or another manipulating them. This man is suddenly found dead and of course they are all suspects but why? That’s what we get to find out and it’s twist after twist at the end.

Rachel Abbott has the ability to make her characters feel real and authentic. This thriller is no different. It's a real whodunit with three suspects and no hard evidence. The book will keep you guessing from the first page to the very last. I love the character of Stephanie King and you will too in this 5 star and highly recommended book.

I found a new author I will be reading, Rachel Abbott! This book was an easy enough read, kept my attention, and had many twists I did not see coming. Thank you for this new discovery!

I really enjoyed this book. I loved how I had no clue who was guilty, who was telling the truth, who was lying, and I loved the twist at the end. The alternating timelines, the different POV’s, and characters that you just couldn’t stand made this an absolute great thriller. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

Thank you to Rachel Abbott, Storm Publishing, and NetGalley for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

WOULD YOU KEEP A SECRET FOR A STRANGER, IF IT MEANT BLOOD WAS ON YOUR HANDS?

Celia, Juliette and Nadia are complete strangers with one thing in they have all been wronged by Ellis Cobain. A wealthy philanthropist on course for a knighthood, Ellis' public persona is bulletproof - but lurking beneath this veneer is a sinister side that only the women closest to him have seen, the unlucky ones he chooses to torment. Ellis is cruel and arrogant. He delights in criticizing and belittling, making others feel less than. They devise a plan to blackmail him and free themselves from his grip for good, but when he is discovered murdered (which honestly it's a miracle that no one killed him prior to this because he's such a jerk), they must desperately cover their tracks. Will they keep each other's secrets, now they are all implicated in his death? Will one turn on the others?

Despite this being the fourth book in the Stephanie King series, this was my first book by Rachell Abbott and can be read as a stand alone novel. I found it to be a gripping story and was rapidly turning the pages to uncover more evidence and insight on the women involved. Honestly I wasn't upset about Ellis being dead, he kind of deserved it. His wife Celia was belittled down to basically nothing, stripped of all her self confidence. As for Juliette and Nadia, I won't give away how they are connected to Ellis. There's also another suspect in the case which is Juliette's husband Russell. Every one of these characters has a reason to want Ellis out of their life permanently, but which one of them actually had the nerve to do it? Well you'll have to read to find out. There are parts where the women become at odds with each other, not knowing who to truly trust, but I did enjoy how they all come together for a common goal. There are a few parts in the story where it seems to drag a bit, but throughout it all Stephanie King and her task force are uncovering all the small details to put the pieces of the puzzle together to solve the case. It seems like nothing can get past her or DCI Gus Brodie.

I loved how the story progressed to making me consider everyone a suspect. I found it hard to fully trust anyone. Someone is lying. They know what really happened. The end was very shocking for me and I never saw it coming, but it made perfect sense and was heartbreaking at the same time. Decisions of the past will eventually resurface and there will be accountability for your actions, which inevitably leads to more tragedy. I am very excited to see what Rachel Abbott comes up with next. This book releases today (August 15, 2024) so grab it ASAP and dive in!

The last time I saw him is a great family drama,of a missing child and the effects of the people who are left to live with the search for him

I was immediately drawn into the book by Rachel Abbott's writing style. I was intriguied with the Character Stephanie King and her observations of other people while at dinner with her mother.

This story is about 3 women, who are all on a weekend at a ritzy hotel and cottages. One is a performer. All three apparently have ties to a rich, feels like he's entitled to everything kind of a guy. And all get drawn into a murder investigation.

As we read, we get pulled into their exposed secrets and motivations. This is an interesting murder mystery. I'd like to read more Stephanie King books because I really like the character.

The Last Time I Saw Him
by Rachel Abbott
Pub Date: Aug 15 2024

What an edge of your seat page turner! "The Last Time I Saw Him" is a great thriller, set in a romantic location of a new hotel on the English coastline. The suspense will keep you hooked until the final jaw dropping page!

Synopsis: Celia, Juliette and Nadia are complete strangers with one thing in they have all been wronged by Ellis Cobain. When they meet at a boutique hotel on the Cornish coast, brought together by the blind arrogance of their tormentor, they realise what connects them and form a to blackmail him and free themselves from his grasp. But when he is discovered the next morning, murdered in cold blood, they are left scrambling. None of them knows who did it, and now they must desperately cover their tracks. Will they keep each other's secrets, now they are all implicated in his death? Will one turn on the others, when any of them could be next?

Many thanks to #TheLastTimeISawHim #NetGalley and #StormPublishing for providing me with an E-ARC of this book.

Stephanie King is back to try and find the killer of a guy on a yacht. Three woman that knew the deceased has been betrayed by him, but could they have committed murder.

I really enjoyed this fast paced crime thriller. Stephanie is an interesting character and she’s great at her job. The others bring the story to life. I liked the chapter layouts and the text messages throughout. It keeps you gripped until the end. This is the first book I’ve read in this series. A chilling 5 star read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

Ellis Cobain a wealthy philanthropist is found dead in his yacht moored off the Cornish coast whilst staying at a beautiful boutique hotel with his wife.
DS Stephanie King is brought in to investigate along, even more interesting is that Stephanie was staying at the hotel the previous week with her mother and was witness to his less than gentlemanly behaviour towards his wife Celia and another guest Juliette.
Stephanie has to try to pull the pieces together, trying to uncover hidden secrets, blackmail, their is motive for his demise but with alibi’s and timelines appearing to clear them of wrongdoing can the murderer be found.
I thought this was very well written, I thought I’d guessed who did it but seemed too easy but couldn’t think who else could have but I was wrong. I love when I book can keeping you guessing and then throws a curveball.
Thank you NetGalley, Rachel Abbott and Storm Publishing for this ARC, all opinions expressed are my own.

This was a burning page turner. Three women, Celia, Juliette and Nadia, are seemingly strangers. You soon learn that though they are strangers to begin with, they all have one thing in a common - a dastardly man, Ellis Cobain. It is no surprise when his dead body is found on his luxurious yacht right outside the resort. When Stephanie King arrives on the scene, she realizes that this is the man she saw at the resort that weekend. The one who gave her the creeps. His manner of death is a mystery. They soon realize that anyone could have killed this horrible man because he left heartache and despair everywhere he went, but they must do their job and find the culprit.

The secrets simmer just below the surface threatening to explode. You will trust no one. Someone is lying. The boundaries of yesterday's secrets will be tested against today's lies. I really liked Celia and Juliette, but there was just something about Nadia that I did not like. Stephanie King is the cat's meow as a detective. She is highly observant and does not miss much, including verbal and body cues. I knew that she would get to the bottom of this mystery, one way or the other. The ending shocked me to my very core. I am still sitting here stunned.

This is my first read by this author, but it will not be my last. This was a real humdinger of a story told from many points of view. It is a long book, but it is worth the time it takes to read it.

Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.