Caffeinated Reviewer

Narrated by Traci Odom, Last Words by Mariah Stewart delivers a horrific murder-mystery. When FBI, special agent Mia Shields, is called in, Chief of Police Gabriel Beck will have to work to keep Mia from becoming the killer’s next victim. A chilling, suspense and the second is the Last trilogy.

THIS KILLER TAKES THEIR BREATH AWAY.

A nine-year veteran of the FBI, special agent Mia Shields thinks she’s seen it all. But nothing prepares her for the terror that descends upon the idyllic bayside community of St. Dennis, on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, where a depraved killer has left a grisly surprise for Chief of Police Gabriel Beck: the body of an unidentified woman, naked and completely encased in plastic wrap, stretched across the back-seat of Beck’s car. Hidden in the wrapping is a tape recording of the victim’s last, gasping words, terrifying evidence of the horror endured at the hands of a madman. Soon the body count begins to rise as more victims are found, all gruesomely cocooned, their final pleas also captured on tape.
Determined to catch the sadistic killer, Beck and Mia team up and set a trap–with Mia as bait. But their prey is closer than they ever could have imagined. Now Beck must race against time to save Mia from becoming the next victim of a serial killer as elusive as he is evil.

I am glad to see these works originally published in 2007 come to audio. This is the second standalone in the Last trilogy but also part of the John Mancini series. The story takes place in the coastal community of St. Dennis, situated along the Bayside of Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

Chief of Police Gabriel Beck is dealing with missing person cases when the first victim is left on her parent’s front porch wrapped in cellophane. Inside, the police find a recording of the victim’s last moments. The second body is left in Beck’s backseat and that’s when he calls in the FBI. Agent Mia Shields arrives and the story that unfolds was suspenseful with a side of romance.

Like Nora Roberts or Karin Slaughter, Stewart weaves a suspenseful murder-mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat despite guessing the killer early on. Stewart delivered plenty of red-herrings and twists that made discovering all the details enjoyable.

The romance which was served on the side felt genuine. I liked both Mia and Beck. They worked well together, and the budding relationship felt genuine. Those looking for heavier romantic aspect might be disappointed.

The story really picked up at the midway point. I really liked FBI profiler Anne Marie McCall, who was called in. I am told she is in previous books, which has me tempted to look for stories with her.

Last Words was an enjoyable story despite my early discovery of the villain. I wouldn’t call these re-readable, but great library picks.

Traci Odem did a stellar job with the narration. Her voices and tone felt authentic and enhanced my overall enjoyment of the tale.

Amazon | Audible

About Mariah Stewart

Mariah Stewart is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of twenty-six novels and three novellas and has been featured in the Wall Street Journal. She is a RITA finalist in romantic suspense and the recipient of the Award of Excellence for contemporary romance, a RIO Award for excellence in women's fiction, and a Reviewers Choice Award from Romantic Times Magazine. A three-time winner of the Golden Leaf Award presented by the New Jersey Romance Writers, Stewart was recently awarded their Lifetime Achievement Award (which placed her in their Hall of Fame along with former recipients Nora Roberts and Mary Jo Putney — very excellent company, indeed!) After having written seven contemporary romance novels, Stewart found true happiness writing murder and mayhem. She considers herself one lucky son of a gun to have landed the best job in the world: getting paid for making up stories. At home. In sweats and J. Crew flip flops. Could life be sweeter?

Website | Facebook

About Traci Odom

Traci Odom, an American-born actor and voice artist, has built a successful career that spans decades. As a stage, film, and television actor, she has played everything from a tree to an Irish setter to a lawyer, but it is as a veteran narrator of more than fifty-five audiobooks that she has truly found her voice, inviting her listeners into the worlds of romance, witchcraft, devilry, and vampirism. To relax in her spare time, she daydreams of becoming the first female American Ninja Warrior—but then she would have to get off her couch to make that dream a reality, so she lives out her daydreams in her professional life, both on camera and on microphone. Working in close collaboration with her authors, she brings their creations to life with dynamic energy and commitment.

Twitter | Instagram

About Kimberly

Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram

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