4.75⭐️ which I’m actually rounding up!
I am thankful to have gotten the eARC for free from Netgalley and Storm Publishing so I can leave my voluntary review.

Any book that piques my interest from Storm Publishing I try to grab and this one is not exception. I needed to move it to the head of my TBR as it comes out very soon.

So I brought it up on my kindle this morning and didn’t stop until I was finished. It was the epitome of a page turner! It did take some getting used to go back and forth between 1st and third person. It’s the second time this week that I’ve read a story written in that manner. However, unlike the other book, this was executed very well and after unwrapped my head around it, was easy to read.

I loved that the twist at the end was certainly not overly visible. I loved how it was crafted as everything made perfect sense without it being given away too early. I also loved the very ending.

Seeing the women in the story who were at odds with each other still come together and support each other was refreshing. I did round up to 5⭐️ but for my personal rating I gave it a 4.75. Why? For a short while it did drag a bit near the middle of the book. It was short lived and easy overcome but it did take a bite out of my opinion.

This comes out on August 15th 2024 so put it on your TBR now!

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

An intriguing and twisty thriller! It will keep you guessing until the end.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

Hooked from the very beginning. Intense and captivating with every page. I stayed engaged the entire time and loved it!

This was a very interesting,intense, twisted read! I loved it. There is something to keep everyone happy in this book! It all starts with a few days away, then ventures off into a mystery that had me guessing right up until the ending, which I thought was absolutely perfect!
This was 4 1/2 stars for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for providing this book, with my honest review below.

The Last Time I Saw Him was a great thriller, set in a romantic location of a new hotel on the English coastline, with the perfect build up of suspense.

Starting at the hotel we meet Stephanie, who we later find out to be a detective, observing the other vacationers at the hotel’s restaurant. Through her observations and on the grounds we are introduced to Juliette, an interior designer who is keeping a secret from her husband, Celia, a mother who is clearly terrified of her spouse, and Nadia, an emerging singer at the hotel. When Ellis, a by all means disgusting excuse for a human being (and Celia’s husband) dies, Stephanie is brought back to the hotel and remembers observing all the woman when she stayed there. As mentioned the build up of suspense was perfect, slowly revealing all the ladies secrets and ties to Ellis. With a burst of action at the end we find out who killed Ellis (and why) but also see Stephanie get drawn into the mystery in a tragic way.

A perfectly written thriller, this will pull you in from the start and not give you the option to stop reading until the very end.

A psychological thriller told from different points of view including three women with varying degrees of contact with Ellis Cobain who’d been mentally cruel to each of the three women and then the point of view of the DS investigating Ellis’s murder. An interesting book that shows how manipulation changes people’s rational behaviour. A few good twists and I was left guessing until the end.

Stephanie is a detective, and the story starts out with her taking a weekend trip to a sea side hotel in Cornwall. A week later, her significant other Gus (also a detective) calls her back to the hotel to help solve what looks like a murder.
There are three women who had been at the hotel, all having ties to the victim. The story jumps between all four women and their perspectives and motives leading up to the murder. You don’t find out who the killer is until the very end, with one more twist to the plot to finish the story.
This story was just ok in my opinion. I was not that surprised by the killer, and I felt it was a little drawn out. The twist at the end made me so sad for where this series will lead, and was something I did not see coming.

Having read a few of Rachels previous books and loved them I was eager to read this

Boy I loved it. Couldn't put it down. The only trouble I need t read the previous ones in the series now

Thanks for the opportunity to review

THE LAST TIME I SAW HIM - I found this a wordy but interesting and intriguing mystery. Good characters and interesting story lines made for an almost immersing read. Just a bit too wordy to keep my glued to the pages. Source: Netgalley. 4*

A dead body is discovered on a yacht and there are three suspects: Juliette, Celia, and Nadia. Each of these women knew Ellis and were somehow wronged by him so of course suspicion falls on them. Told from a "now" and "then" perspective, the novel details how each of these women came to know and hate Ellis and of course what really transpired. And we all know how truly dangerous women can be when they are pushed to the breaking point! It's a fast-paced thriller that kept me guessing until the end!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Another story about a horrible man that women inexplicably fawn over when it’s so obvious he’s terrible. This seems to be one of the current trends in thrillers and it’s not my favorite, as you can see. I’ve read every book by this author and I was hoping for more, some type of twist on it or something, because she’s brilliant and can do better than this. Every similar story tries to paint the woman/women in a sympathetic light but there’s just no excuse anymore for being so blind to someone’s faults just because they’re wealthy and attractive. Women are better than this.

So there’s no surprise that the man in question ends up dead and all THREE women obsessed with him are suspected to be involved. They’re all pretty unlikeable, too. Celia is the pushover wife, Nadia is the manipulative singer and married Julia who is the quickest to realize her mistake of getting involved with him while collaborating as a designer for his property.

The conclusion of the story is definitely shocking but for the wrong reasons. It’s more than just solving the murder, it’s also the consequences of doing so. And was justice served? Nowhere near like it should have been. I don’t want to spoil anything, but the actions of these women lead to even more tragedy and their accountability? Well.

The story certainly made an impact on me and it wasn’t like it was hard to push through and read, as it was a definite page-turner. I just hope the next book is more satisfying, a unique story that doesn’t read like so many others. And one that doesn’t leave me wishing all the main characters would have suffered more!

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Rachel Abbot is an author that i haven’t heard of so i was excited to snag this arc. This book starts out really slow, i mean… really, really slow. It started picking up and it went full speed once it did. The whole thing got tied together and came full circle which definitely made it worth while.

Three women have been wronged by a selfish, egotistical man. When they meet up unexpectedly at a Cornish hotel, they discuss ways of ending his hold over them. Though they don't trust one another, they perfectly execute a plan to discredit him; and then he turns up dead. DS Stephanie King, and her partner seek to uncover the truth -- no easy task when everyone has a motive, and everyone is lying to the police.

Though this book is a part of a series, it stands alone just fine and I did not feel disadvantaged by not having read the previous titles. The characters of the three women, and the two men involved, are well developed; the police team, less so, even though the series revolves around DS Stephanie King. Perhaps the earlier books give more insight into what makes her tick.

Some parts of the book seemed to drag, and Juliette's mindset is reiterated almost to the point of annoyance. The ending has one of the women acting completely out of character, and includes a tragic event that added nothing to the story line and left the reader rather deflated. Other than this, it is an enjoyable read and I would choose to read additional books in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This is how to write a thriller with multiple POVs! Tense, sad and unexpected occurrences. The murderer took me by surprise I must say, but the unexpected death took my breath away. Rachel Abbot is such a talented author and I always enjoy her books.

Ellis Cobain is a detestable human being, who manages to taint, spoil and even destroy the lives he touches. A self proclaimed philanthropist who thinks nothing can touch him, a narcissist in every way.

When three women meet by chance and discover how their lives have been destroyed by Cobain, there seems to be one simple solution, but will they carry out the dreaded deed or is that a step too far?

This is a first from this author for me and I did struggle to get ‘into’ the book. Once the plot moved along I enjoyed it more, and the ending was well executed.

All in all an ok read, though I know I’m in the minority for not liking it more. I’m sure this blip was down to me, as I expect the book will be well received.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

Three women in this case.

Ellis Cobain has made some enemies in his time. Three of them happen to be staying the coastal Cornish hotel he's staying in. One, just happens to be his wife.
Celia, his wife
Julia, a designer
Nadia, a singer
All three have a bone to pick with Ellis and find themselves together when he discovered dead on his yacht.
All three have an alibi, but as we uncover over chapters- all three have motives.

This reminded of an Agatha Christie novel, but very modern. It moved at a fair pace once the murder was discovered. It is also my first Stephanie King novel. I was unaware of her character prior to this read, but find her likeable and someone I would enjoy reading about again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read and review prior to the August 15 2024 release date

Ellis Cobain is a narcissist, a wealthy philanthropist and an all round nasty arrogant man.
“I don’t know about you two, but I’d think we’d all be better off if he was dead.”
Three women with little in common except each was wronged by Ellis Cobain: the wife, the lover and the ex-lover meet by chance at a boutique Cornish hotel and hatch a plan to blackmail Ellis, but the plan goes wrong and he is found dead on his yacht. Who really killed him? DS Stephanie King had coincidentally met two of the women the previous weekend and found some strange quirks in their behavior. The police investigation is led by DS King’s boyfriend DCI Brodie.
The first person POV is not that of DS King but of Juliette, an interior designer and one of the three prime suspects, who had cheated on her husband with the manipulative Cobain and very much regrets it.
The blackmail plot is quite intriguing with three strangers working together towards a common goal, a little reminiscent of the classic ‘Strangers on a Train’. Will all three be able to keep their nerve as the police investigate?
The story starts slowly but the pace and tension ramp up as the story progresses. There is plenty of mystery, twists and intrigue to keep the reader turning the pages.
Thanks to the author, and NetGalley for providing me with this free ARC, for which I leave a voluntary review.

Juliette Dalton joins her husband at a romantic hotel high above the coast of Cornwall. Her idyllic stay becomes disturbing when she meets her former lover, Ellis Cobain, at a hotel party, a stark contrast to the hotel's romantic setting. She fears she will once again come under his dominating control, which will destroy her life and her marriage. When she unexpectedly meets two women at the hotel who had similar experiences with Ellis, they get together to expose him and set up a plan to get him out of their lives forever.
Soon, their plans for revenge turn into tragedy, and Juliette is now under investigation for murder. As things come to a devastating end, her life as she once knew it has been destroyed.

WOULD YOU KEEP A SECRET FOR A STRANGER, IF IT MEANT THE BLOOD WAS ON YOUR HANDS?!
Good book! This book had suspense, murder, mystery, secrets, intrigue, action, a bit of a who done it and some crazy twists and turns! The story was very interesting and had me glued to my kindle! I definitely recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

The Last Time I Saw Him by Rachel Abbott is a psychological thriller that explores the complexities of toxic relationships and the desperate measures people take to break free. The story centers on Juliette Dalton, whose seemingly perfect marriage is unraveling. After a fateful encounter with Ellis Cobain, a charismatic but dangerous philanthropist, Juliette's life spirals into chaos. The author blends tension and suspense as Juliette is joined by two other women from Ellis's past. Together, they form an alliance, determined to expose Ellis's true nature. As their plan takes a dark turn, the story evolves into a gripping murder investigation. The author’s knack for creating multidimensional characters and intricate plots will keep readers hooked until the very last page.