Having read The Tattoo Thief in one day and absolutely loving it, I had Her Last Breath on pre order as soon as it was available and eagerly awaited its publication. Was it worth the wait…that is a big resounding yes from me and once again I found myself devouring the book in a day (much to my OH’s disgust…as apparently it is not acceptable to disturb his sleep until after midnight by reading in bed)
Once again we are back with DI Francis Sullivan and his team as he tries to find out who is behind the murders of several young women in Brighton. When the first victim turns out to be the girlfriend of Alex Mullins, Sullivan is thrown into the path of Marnie Mullins as Alex is her son. Although nothing happened, he is acutely aware of the attraction between them, so he is not best pleased when Alex becomes their prime suspect (at least in the eyes of some of his team and his boss). He also needs to keep her on side for her testimony in the trial of the killer from the first book (no spoilers here in case you have not read The Tattoo Thief). If the increasing body count was not enough for him to deal with, issues in his personal life are leaving him torn between his duty and commitment to both his family and his job, which do leave him a little distracted at times and ripe to be undermined by his Sergeant.
I can understand why they were only looking at Alex, he really didn’t help himself as like most teenagers he became surly and uncooperative when cornered, so not the sign of an innocent man as far as the police were concerned…plus he knew all the victims.
This is a fast-paced book that keeps your attention from the start. The attacks on the girls are gruesome and their suffering whilst short lived is excruciating so this book may not be for the feint hearted (personally I love a book that has me going eugh and ooo in equal measure). As they race to find piece together the evidence you are taken along for the ride to identify the killer. I have no problem in admitting that I didn’t have a clue right until the end and some of the events even left me reeling.
Although this is a sequel, there is enough history in this book to work very well as a stand-alone. My only warning with this is that if you read this book first it does contain spoilers for what happens in the Tattoo Thief so you may want to start with that one. Alison Belsham has produced another absolute corker of a book and I am so looking forward to the next in the series and begin my stalking of Amazon awaiting the day I can put it on pre order

Her Last Breath follows on from the previous book in the Tattoo Thief series, and I have to say it hasn’t affected my enjoyment of this thriller set in Brighton concerning a twisted killer who’s attacking young women with seemingly no connection other than one young man. There’s plenty of tense moments in this book as the police team investigating are also dealing with their own personal “baggage”, a potential mole in the team (that’s never resolved but maybe this will be addressed if there’s another book in the series) and the case from the previous book is still lingering thanks to the impending court case. I liked how the story (and the series) uses tattoos as it’s main theme - it’s a new spin for me and the tense moments we’re really tense. I guessed the big bad early on in the book, but it still didn’t detract my enjoyment. A solid read.

A police investigation and court room drama in one, it helps if you have read the first book in this series as it is mentioned a lot but it is not essential. The series is set in Brighton with DI Francis Sullivan leading the investigation into a very gruesome killing. Their are a lots of story lines running through this book with plenty of action and twists.

Unfortunately when I requested this I did not realise that it was the second book in a series. Therefore I will be unable to review as I don't feel I would be able to make a fair judgement on it. I think the premise does sound really interesting

This is the follow up book to The Tattoo Thief and it is even better but a bit gruesome at times. DI Sullivan is investigating two murders in this complex and fast paced read. I loved the character development and the writing style, although it was a bit frantic at times. Set in Brighton, I would recommend reading the first book for background information. Overall, a very good read with an interesting plot. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

#HerLastBreath #NetGalley This is the second book in this series and I hadn't read the first but it is perfectly capable of being read as a standalone. There is so much information given about the first book though, through the trial etc, that if, like me, you haven't read the first, I think it would spoil it to go back and do so with so much of the plot, including the eventual outcome, being repeated. But back to this book. The murders were gruesome and a very different method to the norm which made it more interesting. There is a lot of action and the ending is very fast paced and unputdownable! However, I found it a very choppy book, with the chapters swapping to different characters points of view, interspersed with chapters flashing back to 1982 and the point of view of a young girl called Aimee. Whilst the reasoning behind this becomes clear near the end, I found them a bit repetitive. I liked the character of Francis but wanted to shake him at times as he seemed to be bullied from above , below and sideways from both work and at home!! Will I read the next one in this series - yes, to see if (hopefully) Francis can get his act together and take charge of the next investigation from the start! 3.5 stars.

Her last breath by Alison Belsham is the 2nd book in the Tattoo thief series but, you can read it as a standalone as I have not read the first one.
A young woman is attacked and left for dead with a Tattoo on her back. She is found but dies 24 hours later in hospital. At first, they don’t know what caused her to die. When another body of a woman is found they discover that the ink is poisoned. But who is killing these women and what links them together? They first suspect Alex Mullins as he was linked both to the women, but he denies everything and they don’t have substantial evidence to link him to the murders so, they must let him go. But what the police do know that they have a serial killer on the loose.
I really enjoyed this book. It had a great original storyline and characters. This was a fast-paced thriller that gripped you from the start. Shame I didn’t read the first in the series, but I didn’t have to worry as this is an excellent read.

4 Stars from me

Worth adding that is a really solid 4 stars too, this is crime thriller well worth a read.

This is actually the second in a series and, although it does work as a standalone, I would personally recommend that you go back and read The Tattoo Thief first so that you have a greater understanding of the key characters.

Her Last Breath has an intriguing and unusual storyline and there are some fab high drama scenes as DI Sullivan and his team struggle to catch the murderer before he strikes again.

A bit like with The Tattoo Thief, I felt quite sorry for Detective Francis Sullivan as he seems to perpetually take a bit of a kicking from all sides and I hope he has more luck in future books. Even his family seem to let him down in this one.

I loved it being set in Brighton, there are some great references in the background scenery and it is easy to imagine where the events are unfolding.

Synopsis: The body count is rising...and the clock is ticking.

When a young woman is attacked and left fighting to survive in hospital, the police are pulled into a race against time to save her life. But just 24 hours later, she dies and a deadly tattoo is discovered on her body.

And when another young woman disappears, Detective Francis Sullivan and his team fear a serial killer walks the streets of Brighton.

His team identify a suspect, Alex Mullins, son of Francis's lover, Marni. Can Francis forget their shared past and save the next victim before it is too late?

A gripping crime thriller from the author of The Tattoo Thief.

There’s a killer on the loose and our main character has to find it before another innocent woman gets killed.
An intriguing story where an interracial young couple has to face the horror of her being deadly assaulted and he’s the one to blame for it.
It’s not always easy for the detectives to solve a murder case when the press and social media are given a leaking story and also to battle with personal issues as family and friends.
Great writing, compelling characters and a must-read story.

This is the second in Alison Belsham's Brighton based Tattoo Thief series, featuring the youngest and troubled DI Francis Sullivan. This is a dark and fraught addition with the return of Marni Mullins, who runs a tattoo parlour, with her shaky marriage to Thierry, and her absolute love for Alex, her son. Despite the feelings between Marni and Francis, nothing happened, but the two are tied together, appearing in the trial for the killer from previous harrowing events. Alex and his girlfriend, Natasha 'Tash' Brady are at club when the two have a fight, with Tash leaving after slapping him. She sets off home alone, with Alex being unable to find her. She rings him at his mother's home, distraught after being seriously assaulted. Marni and Alex make their way to her, horrorstruck at the blood soaked nightmare scene they see, Marni calls the police.

Tash is taken to hospital, but it seems that she will recover, but the medical staff are shocked when her condition deteriorates, culminating in her having a massive heart attack and dying. The killer had caused stigmata injuries on her hands and feet, and tattooed a religious latin phrase on her back, a tattoo created from poison ink, adulterated with taxin from the Yew tree. Tash had never stood a chance, there was nothing the medical profession could have done after she had been tattooed. Alex becomes the prime suspect, but Francis is in a quandry, he has some doubts about Alex being their killer, but he needs Marni to testify in court, which she is unlikely to do if Alex is arrested. In the meantime, Francis finds himself facing family issues, suffering loss and grief, and a difficult relationship with his sister, Robin, who he never sees because of his job, but who is suffering from MS. The media turn their intense scrutiny on Francis and the trial, putting at risk the justice Francis is seeking. Other young women with connections to Alex begin turning up, with the same MO as Tash, their death is inevitable. Will Francis be able to find the serial killer before even more young women die?

Belsham spins a dark and disturbing crime story that goes back and forth in time with its focus on a young girl, Aimee, and the horrors the little girl grows up with in her family. It is only at the end that the connection with that thread is made with Francis's case. Poor Francis faces pain, suffering and threats from every direction, his work place is difficult with someone leaking against him to the press, it's a shock that he manages to hold it all together to get to the truth of this terrifying and harrowing case. This is a tense and suspenseful read that I found myself being drawn inexorably into, definitely compelling crime fiction. Many thanks to Orion for an ARC.

Fantastic, well written! Really enjoyed it. I will be looking out for the authors other books! Thank you for letting me preview this book.

A riveting read!
This was 2nd in series following on from the Tattoo Thief where we again meet DI Frank Sullivan and Marni Mullins who featured in the first book. Here we also have her son Alex, who is a prime suspect in harming his girlfriend. However, more girls are found with strange injuries and religious tattoos and the team has to try and find out who is responsible.
DI Frank also has his own issues throughout the book which make life a bit harder for him not least his previous involvement with Marni and her forthcoming court case where she has to give evidence.
Without spoiling the story, this was a great read and one which I found difficult to put down.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy of this.

4.5 stars
Having read and thoroughly enjoyed the first in the series earlier this year, I was quite excited to see what the author had in store for me this time. How could she possible top the heinous crimes committed in book one? And, what fallout would there be from Sullivan's shenanigans with Marnie?
Well, I'm pleased to report that the author managed to excel herself on both counts. She even included the next step from the arrest that was made at the end of book one so, if you haven't already read that book I would so so before you read this one as not only would it spoil book one for you with the ensuing court case, but you won't get the best from that element in this book.
A young woman is brutally attacked and maimed. A tattoo is found on her back along with some other quite nasty wounds. She later dies in hospital; the doctor confused initially as she appeared to be responding to treatment. Autopsy however revealed that the tattoo was the cause of death. Two key elements of the crime brings tattooist Marnie into the case that Francis Sullivan finds himself, along with his team, investigating. Then there's a second victim...
Meanwhile Francis is up against things personally as his mother is hospitalised and has to juggle work and home life. Something he is not comfortable doing. And then there's a second victim. With time running out and the number one suspect not ringing true for him, can he cut through the noise and figure things out before the perpetrator strikes again...?
Oh My Goodness, this book is seriously dark. And complicated. Well, complex. There's a lot going on that makes Francis's job overly difficult. Not only the current case but also his personal life, an overzealous journalist who is getting information from somewhere. And then there's Marnie's personal life which is also imploding. And that's the reason for the half star, rounded down. There was probably, for me anyway, a little too much happening. Especially when you also factor in the fallout from book one. Sorry but it all became a little overwhelming for me.
And then there are the inserted chapters which follow a young girl growing up...
Other than that, the story did grip me and I found it very hard to put down. I read it pretty much straight through; stopping only to go out for lunch! Definitely compelling reading.
All in all, grumbles aside, a cracking follow-up to book one. The bar has definitely been set for book three and I will definitely be looking out for that! My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Her Last Breath is the second book in the DI Sullivan series and an absolute belter of a read. There is enough background in my personal opinion for this one to work as a stand alone if you haven’t yet had the pleasure of reading The Tattoo Thief.

The murders are quite horrific in the story but boy does it make for some compulsive reading. I wanted to turn my head away from the horrors unfolding in front of me, yet the authors writing had me hooked and unable to tear my eyes away from the pages.

Crime stories really don’t come anymore complex than this. Nothing is straight forward. Poor Alex is being torn in many directions in his personal life as well as being a suspect in a murder case. I really felt sorry for this young man who seems to be misunderstood by everyone.

You can feel the urgency throughout, with the pace and tension getting turned up a notch the further into the story we go. The climax was pretty much breath taking as I didn’t dare breath as more peoples lives come under threat.

Her Last Breath is an adrenaline fuelled read that had me clinging on for dear life. I couldn’t devour this book quickly enough as I was desperate to know who the killer was. I really enjoyed the first book in the series but by heck, with this one, the author has knocked it out of the park. Absolutely loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for this ARC.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and the second in a series. Whilst there are references to events from the previous book, this book can still be read on it’s own. I would recommend you read them in order though. I really enjoyed this book, I loved the authors writing style and that the narrative was told by be several characters. It was a book that drew me in right from the start and captured and kept my attention the whole way through. It had very likeable characters, a good plot with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing who the killer was. I thought this was a brilliant, fast paced thrilling read which I would recommend if you like murder, police procedurals. I want to read the first book now (The Tattoo Killer) and hope that there will be a 3rd book featuring DI Sullivan and his team. 5 stars.

This is the second book in the series, that started with the Tattoo thief, and wow, can't believe it, but its even better than the first. I really enjoyed the book, and hope there is a third one in the series!
Recommended.

A fast paced, gritty, exciting thriller that has you gripped!

I was slightly worried before reading as I hadnt read the first in the Tattoo Thief series but even though there are alot of references to the previous novel and the characters, you can read this as a stand alone.

It can get confusing at times as the chapters are written from the POV of so many characters, you need a clear head to fully immerse yourself and keep on top of everything that's going on.

One of my only negatives to this book is that if you have read the previous book it gives away the whole story so you know the identity of the perpetrator BUT that's purely down to the fact I hadnt read the first in what I'm sure will become a series.

3*

Thank you to netgalley and Orion Publishing for the ARC.

I know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover but that’s an image that’s hard to ignore and I know I would be lifting it off the book shelf to read the blurb. This is book two in what I understand is to be a trilogy. Ideally this should be read as a follow on to The Tattoo Thief as there is a continuation in the story as well as the same main characters. Again the murders are linked to tattooing and I have to congratulate the author for her creativity in that respect. I’m already wondering how she will work that into book 3. I didn’t figure this one out and I’m pretty sure I fell for every red herring the author offered.

Her last breathe was a very powerful read for me. A poisonous ink tattoo killer is out to get as many women as he can but no one can work out who he is or why he is going it. With some theories & wild guesses it isn't who it seems. This story had me hooked from the beginning. I couldn't put it down. The characters were easy to know & some were getting on my nerves. The ending didn't disappoint. It had a lot going on but no clue of how it would turn out. 5 stars for me

A young woman is attacked and dies 24 hours later, despite being found and taken to hospital. A second young woman is then killed in the same way. A team of police officers headed up by Detective Francis Sullivan are racing against time to prevent the body count rising. Detective Sullivan also has to contend with family problems, a team member who disagrees with his decisions and feelings for the main suspects mother.

When I read a book, I’m looking for characters that I feel something for, not necessarily liking them but some sort of feeling. And in a book like this, where you are racing against time, I want a book that creates the suspense, a build up to the ending. Did Her Last Breath deliver? Yes it did although I found it a bit of a slow burn initially.

The book centres around Detective Francis Sullivan, Marni Mullins and her son Alex, Rory McKay, and a number of other characters. From the outset, I liked Detective Sullivan but I struggled a little with the relationship, or not, between him and Marni Mullins. It just didn’t quite ring true to me. Perhaps if I had read the author’s first novel, I might have felt differently. Thankfully, this didn’t affect my overall feelings on the novel. As for Marni’s son, Alex, I liked him. The way the author described Alex, how he felt about Tash, his emotions around finding her, these all felt realistic and I genuinely wanted him not to be the killer. Rory, one of Francis’ team, I am still not sure if I trust him and I can’t say I liked him in the book. But that I think was necessary to make the relationship between Francis and Rory work.

What about the suspense? The diary entries intrigued me and I wanted to know how they were connected to the killings. Initially, the book was a bit of a slow burn but as the victims began to mount up and the race to find the killer sped up, I did get carried along with the suspense and wanted to find out who the killer was and whether he would be stopped in time. Wanting to know who the killer is, not wanting to put the book down until you find out - that is the sign of a good book.

There are a number of references throughout the book to the events of the first book. I don’t think it is necessary to have read the first book but I do intend to go back and read the first book now.

Overall, I would describe this book as a slow burn with a fast finish.

When I started reading this book, I wasn’t aware that this was Alison Belsham’s second novel.