She Treads Softly: The Last Time I Saw You

Sunday, May 5, 2019

The Last Time I Saw You

The Last Time I Saw You by Liv Constantine
HarperCollins: 5/7/19
eBook review copy; 320 pages
ISBN-13: 9780062868817

The Last Time I Saw You by Liv Constantine is a recommended psychological thriller.

Dr. Kate English is shocked when her mother, a beloved philanthropist, is found murdered. Kate lives an enviable life style as a wealthy heiress and doctor. She has a handsome husband and a daughter. After the death, she reaches out to and rekindles her friendship with her high school friend, Blaire Barrington. When Kate receives a text message saying that she is next, Kate tells Blaire, who begins to investigate all of Kate's friends and relatives to unearth the killer. As the text messages continue, can the killer be caught before Kate is the next victim?

This psychological thriller does delivery on the tension and suspense as the threats to Kate's life continue. Expect a long laundry list of suspects and numerous motives in this soap opera of a thriller. Although the characters aren't very well developed or believable, and the plot is predictable, it does keep things moving along with one twist after another in The Last Time I Saw You. Some readers are going to find the whole lifestyle of the rich and famous vibe ever present in this novel way-over-the-top, and it is. While you want her to find closure at the beginning, it must be noted that Kate becomes increasingly annoying as a character. The narrative starts out strong and holds your attention until things begin to falter and become tedious.

This is a good choice for an airplane book or vacation read. It will keep you entertained and serve to pass the time, but if you should set it aside you won't be devastated.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of the publisher/author.

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John Updike's six rules for reviewing:

1. Try to understand what the author wished to do, and do not blame him for not achieving what he did not attempt.

2. Give him enough direct quotation--at least one extended passage--of the book's prose so the review's reader can form his own impression, can get his own taste.

3. Confirm your description of the book with quotation from the book, if only phrase-long, rather than proceeding by fuzzy precis.

4. Go easy on plot summary, and do not give away the ending.

5. If the book is judged deficient, cite a successful example along the same lines, from the author's oeuvre or elsewhere. Try to understand the failure. Sure it's his and not yours?

To these concrete five might be added a vaguer sixth, having to do with maintaining a chemical purity in the reaction between product and appraiser.....Review the book, not the reputation.... Better to praise and share than blame and ban. The communion between reviewer and his public is based upon the presumption of certain possible joys in reading, and all our discriminations should curve toward that end.