Emma Carpenter prefers her life of isolation, house-sitting with her dog in an old beachfront house on the Washington coast. The only humans she comes in contact with are her cranky old neighbor, Deek (through telescope and whiteboard games of Hangman), and Jules, the house owner (through texts).
Emma spends her time voraciously reading Amazon's free and bargain books on her Kindle, and when she reads a poorly written horror story, she posts a one-star review that drags her into an online argument with the author. When disturbing things begin to happen at night soon after, Emma believes that it's not just a coincidence. It was weird enough that the author would argue with her online about one measly review... could he be stalking her, too?
Emma begins researching the author's life and work, and in no time at all, she's drawn into a deadly game of cat and mouse.
~
How could a book blogger specializing in crime fiction not read a book about the dire consequences one character has when she posts a one-star review? I certainly couldn't resist the temptation!
The Last Word feels like it was written to be turned into a movie, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, I think it would be better as a movie. Emma Carpenter is a sympathetic character, and I was quickly drawn into her solitary life on the rainy Washington coast. Her golden retriever Laika made a good companion, and her telescope-and-white-board games of Hangman with her nearest neighbor did give her some human contact. But the more I read, the more questions I had. What was Emma hiding from? And that neighbor of hers was a bit strange, too. Why would an author seemingly go off the deep end over a one-star review?
The questions were piling up, and I was engrossed in the story until everything started unraveling at the halfway mark. This is when readers started being told the story from the point of view of a serial killer who kept dropping hints about what was going to happen to Emma.
At that point, the twists and turns of the plot started coming thick and fast. There were just too many of them, and I had two reactions to them. One, it felt as though the author was showing off. Two, I felt like Wile E. Coyote, getting repeatedly hammered by his latest ACME purchase.
Before the halfway mark, The Last Word was a winner. After that point, I was tempted to throw it against the wall (but I couldn't because I didn't want to damage my Kindle). If you've read, or intend to read, The Last Word, I certainly hope your mileage varies.
The Last Word by Taylor Adams
eISBN: 9780063222915
Harper-Collins © 2023
eBook, 352 pages
Standalone Thriller
Rating: C-/D+
Source: Purchased from Amazon.
Oh, no. Absolutely not. First, I would probably go off the deep end if something I wrote got a one-star review. But second and a big second, I do not want to know a serial killer's viewpoint. Never. Not in any book. I skip the chapters in italics that signal it's about a murderer. So, whew, a book I do not need to add to the TBR list, but to add to the NTBR (not to be read) list.
ReplyDeleteI was startled when I started getting the story from the SK's POV-- and not in a good way.
DeleteI do not blame you. I dislike that whether in the middle of a book or the whole book. I do not care about the SK's viewpoint.
DeleteI did at the very beginning because I wanted to learn the things that would shape the mind of such a person. Now that I've been familiar with all that information, I'm no longer interested.
DeleteOh, I am sorry to hear this one didn't carry through for you, Cathy. The premise at first sounds fascinating, and of course, how could you not be interested in a book blogger who reads crime fiction? But honestly, as soon as I read 'serial killer,' I lost interest. It's just not a trope I willingly read anymore. It's been done. And done. And too many twists and turns and things? Yeah, no thanks.
ReplyDeleteIn checking through a few things, I discovered that I had already read a book by this particular author with almost the same results, so I definitely need to remember to steer clear!
DeleteSorry it did not work out for you. Very frustrating. I thought a good storyline
ReplyDeleteIt was a potentially good story, but it just wasn't handled well.
DeleteI've been curious about this one, and may give it a try at some point, but without any rush to it. I'm with Kathy D in not wanting much from the killer's viewpoint, so having that aspect added midway through is not a selling point for me. I think by now enough is known about the psychology of serial killers that adding the needed info to a storyline doesn't require chapters. Every so often I'll read the mind-of-a-killer sections of other novels, and find that they're almost wasted space because they don't add much, if anything, to the story. A tale from the killer's viewpoint, such as Dexter, can be very interesting, but this book doesn't fit that description so we'll have to hope that this author's next book works out better.
ReplyDeleteAs I said to Margot, I found out that I'd already read one of this author's books with much the same results, so this means that he's turned into a writer to avoid, I'm afraid.
DeleteBy the way I saw a very good police detective story based on a true crime in Colorado on Netflix. Toni Collette and Merritt Weaver play the police detectives who are looking for a serial rapist and Caitlin Dever plays a young victim who is not believed by police, etc. This is such a good film and so well-done. And it is not salacious nor is it done like a true crime story. It is a well-written, well-acted movie with many revelations about how the police often mistreat women victims and are callous and don't doggedly search for the perpetrator as these two women do. And the acting is excellent.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds really familiar. I'm almost certain that I've seen it.
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