Cover Image: The Last Drop of Blood

The Last Drop of Blood

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Member Reviews

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

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The Last Drop of Blood by Graham Masterton are always an excellent read. and this is the eleventh book in the Katie Maguire series and sadly this is the final book in this great thriller series. I have read most of these and I have really enjoyed them This last book was excellent especially as Graham left it open maybe there will be another book in the wonderful Kate Maguire series - You never know with this author.

I highly recommend this series. However, this book can be read as a standalone but I do recommend reading the other books.

Thank you to Head of Zeus via NetGalley for my ARC in return for an honest review.

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This is a gritty crime thriller set in Cork.
This was the last in the series so I plan to go back and start at the beginning.
A great read

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Fabulous plot which I could not put down. Brilliant characters, and twists and turns. Highly recommend to other fans of this genre!!

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Can’t believe this is the last thriller in the Katie Maguire series! I’ve loved the series from start to finish, and needed to know what was going to happen after the violent ending to the last book. Once again DS Maguire is faced with the struggle of policing Cork, with bosses who want to do all they can to undermine her, and the local press feel her appointment to the job was political correctness gone mad and that she’s doing nothing to stop the rise in violent crimes. Still grieving over the death of Connor, Katie is surrounded by her dedicated team of officers and when a court judge is found murdered just before passing sentence, she’s drawn into the word of feuding crime families. Then there’s also the Lee Pusher, someone who has been randomly pushing people into the river to their deaths. Can Katie get a grip on things in time? At times the story makes for grim reading (as all the books in this series do!) so if your squeamish it’s one to avoid. But we learn about the raw nature of violence - from gang killings to domestic abuse and sexual violence. Katie Maguire is a character that always seems to be grieving and this title is no different. What a very sad ending.

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I thought that this was an excellent story, it was one I had been looking forward to reading after I caught sight of the blurb – and I have to say I thought that it was well worth the wait!

I found that it was very well written and has some really developed characters, and it was great to be able to catch up with old friends too, some of whom I have grown to love and enjoy as the series has developed.

I thought that the book was set at a great pace for the story itself and the author has a brilliant writing style that worked really well with this book. It was action packed, gritty and a completely addictive story!

This book will contain spoilers if you have not read the previous books in the series and want to do that at a later date, this is the eleventh, and final book – the author has done a great job with wrapped up any loose ends with the story and I, for one will miss them all, so I am really hoping that he might do a few cheeky spin off books!

It is 4.5 stars from me for this one, rounded up to 5 stars for Goodreads and Amazon – I really enjoyed it and thought it was a really great crime thriller – very highly recommended!

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Another great read I have loved this series. Once i started reading i couldn't put the book down. A great book to finish the series the characters will be missed. Thank you Graham

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This is my review of The Last Drop of Blood by Graham Masterton. It’s the eleventh and final book in the Katie Maguire series. It’s set in Cork.

Katie Maguire has been to the funeral of Connor when she receives the call to attend the scene of a burning car. Not only that, there is a body in the car. It turns out to be a body of a judge, Justice Garrett Quinn. He was one of the good ones, fighting for justice in the world of the bad.
Thomas O’Flynn is having a drink with his girlfriend and friends in The Weavers when he hears his brother’s sentencing has been postponed . It was there that he heard the news about the judge dying, decided it was time to go and as they left the pub, Billy got shot! Tommy threw himself down, colliding with Muirann, this saved them. The car from which the bullets were shot from, shot off up the road. It was the start of a gang war.
All they needed was a gang war between the Riordan’s and the O’Flynn’s. Then the bombs start with innocent civilians getting hurt into the mix as well. Detective Katie Maguire and her guards have their work cut out to sort this messy melee from deteriorating further and to bring the culprits to justice.
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was exciting with a lot going on, quite fast paced, well plotted and thought out. I need to read the other books in the series, think I may have missed out.

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I will start saying that I live in Ireland and it’s a safe country, even if they say that Cork is the safer city in Ireland, I live in Galway and I’ve never seen a gang fight at all! So, if you are planning a trip to Ireland don’t cancel it, aside from rain you’ll not see any more trouble!
So, let’s talk about the book, when Justice Garrett Quinn’s body appears burned inside his car the police know that this would not be an easy case, because he was in a very important trial mixed with gangs and this means that possibly one of them is involved in the killing. And just after the bomb, the two main gangs of the city start killing without anyone to stop them…
This is a non-stop action thriller, full of bullets, bombs and victims… The main detective of the story, Katie Maguire, is having personal problems and also had a personal relation with Garret Quinn, this will make this case more deep and interesting, of course! It is clear that the killing is gang related, but why now and who is responsible for the bombing?
I’ll admit that didn’t like how Katie was treated by her boss or co-workers, she is bullied mainly for being a good police officer and doing her job really good. I really don’t know any man/woman police officer, but I would like to think that they are treated equally or that at least if someone disrespects them there’s a way to stop it. If the police officers are the first to abuse, who we can trust to protect us?
I’ll finish saying that after this ending I don’t want to wait to read the next book! Ready?

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11 in the DS Katie Maguire series. It can be read as a stand-alone but you are missing out on a little background and a great series.

Detective Superintendent Katie Maguire is travelling home from Conor’s funeral. When she gets a call. A car has been found alight and there’s a body inside. So she arrives and recognises the victim, due to a unique ring he is wearing, as Judge Quinn. He was the judge about to pass sentence in the murder trial of Donal Haggerty.

Meanwhile, gang leader, Thomas O’Flynn and his henchmen are feuding with the Riordan family, a feud that’s been ongoing for years…..

There’s also the case of the Lee Pusher, a man who pushes people into the river and who has just caused the death of a young woman.

Katie also has to deal with the recent founder of her beloved Conor, the reprehensible Brendan at work and also her relationship with Kyna. All adding to the feeling of stress and tension.

This is a dark and violent tale of the criminal underworld of Ireland, with drugs, shootings, murder and domestic violence…..It’s fast paced, gritting and gripping from start to finish. If you like a dark police procedural, then you’ll love this.

Thank you to Victoria Joss at Head of Zeus and NetGalley for a free ecopy of the book. This is my honest and unbiased review.

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Hard-hitting, gutsy and downright terrifying, The Last Drop of Blood is a nerve-twisting and pulse-jumping thriller with a fabulous protagonist that is brilliantly creepy, sinister and absolutely impossible to stop reading.

Justice Garrett Quinn was one of the good guys. A man of honour and principles with unshakeable beliefs, Garrett never let anyone or anything get in the way of his morals or his profession. He was a man of his word determined to fight for order and justice in a world where law and order were seldom respected. Justice Quinn was meant to be at a sentencing. He certainly was not supposed to be on the outskirts of Cork where he was found burnt to a crisp in his Jaguar. Who could possibly have wanted Justice Quinn dead? Who would go to such extreme, cruel and violent lengths to silence him once and for all? When DS Katie Maguire finds his charred remains, she vows to get to the bottom of this case and prepares to be dragged down into a dark and dangerous world from which she will not emerge unscathed…

The judge’s murder brings forth from the underworld the city’s seedy underbelly and as gangs take to the streets to avenge war on one another, bullets and bombs become commonplace, civilians begin to be frightened for their lives and round every corner, danger and vengeance lurk. All of the odds are stacked against Katie, but she will not be deterred until order is restored and the criminals are behind bars where they belong. As the city spirals deeper into violence, does Katie have what it takes to fight for her hometown one last time? She has already lost so much, can she continue to do her duty when she simply has nothing left to give?

A nail-biting page-turner that will send chill after chill down your spine, The Last Drop of Blood is one hell of a thrilling ride that will leave you breathless. Graham Masterton has created an absolutely fabulous heroine in Katie Maguire. She is intelligent, brave, courageous, flawed and vulnerable and someone you would definitely want fighting in your corner.

A chilling read that will have you scraping your jaw off the floor with its multitude of plot twists, shocks and revelations, The Last Drop of Blood is a gritty police procedural from a master of the genre: Graham Masterton.

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I am going to start by saying I haven't read the rest of this series, it is the first book I have read by this author. Although I haven't read the series it didn't take away from my enjoyment of this book, so I would definitely say it can be read as a standalone. I would love to go back and read the previous books though, as I really enjoyed Graham Masterson's writing.

The Last Drop of Blood is a gripping, gritty and at times gruesome read. I did struggle with some of the dialect at first but as the book went on I got used to it and understand it more. This is a fast paced and action packed novel and I loved the authors descriptions throughout.

Katie has a lot on her plate. She has very complicated relationships. She is trying to solve multiple crimes at the same time. As well as dealing with the media, one of whom seems to have a personal vendetta against her and the way she is doing her job.

I throughly enjoyed The Last Drop of Blood. Graham Masterson is an author whose books I would definitely pick up again. He writes in an excellent way which meant that I could picture the scenes that he was describing.

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The first thing you realise when starting to read this novel is that it’s set very firmly in Ireland with many Irish characters! The dialogue immediately places the reader right in the middle of the setting, as do the descriptions of landmarks. The River Lee plays a big part as one of the crimes Katie Maguire has to investigate is the Lee Pusher, someone who is pushing people into the river and drowning them. I had to go and do a search on Cork out of curiosity and the Lee definitely looks like a river you’d be hard pressed to survive, even as a good swimmer.

DS Maguire is high up in the police force now, directing a number of other officers, but still manages to be in the thick of things, along with having to cop the blame when the media start complaining about all the unsolved crimes. First up is the murder of a court Justice, burned in his car, then various gang members start picking each other off in an Irish version of the Hatfields and the McCoys. The cold-bloodedness of the gang leaders is chilling and perhaps this is where the book title comes from. Between all of this and attempts to derail her career by a jealous superior officer, Katie Maguire has to grit her teeth and keep going, no matter what.

I have read a previous Maguire novel but it’s not necessary to enjoy this one, as it stands alone. The intricate investigation details for all the various crimes and murders are well-woven and I never felt confused or lost track of what was happening. Even minor characters such as the two women involved with the gang leaders are brought to life as rounded and real, which enriches the novel further. It seems this is the last Maguire novel, which is a pity, plus it seems to end rather abruptly, which made me wonder if I had a full copy, or perhaps another one is coming after all …

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Thanks to Head of Zeus for my copy of ‘The Last Drop of Blood’ by Graham Masterton, the final book in his DS Katie Maguire series

I’ve read a couple of the series in the earlier days so picking this up wasn’t totally new but then I’ve read early ones not the latest. Happy to say though this can be read as a stand-alone. Other than references to Katie’s relationships of the past there isn’t really anything to put off a new reader.

A fairly decent sized book, there are lots going on, as Kate deals with gang Warfare and a killer loose pushing vulnerable people into rivers.

Written with a strong Irish accent, it takes maybe a little time to accustom yourself to the dialect but that’s no complaint, I quite enjoy some authenticity.

Kate is a strong, determined almost unnerving character but her male counterparts at time’s feel a little bit to OTT and get away with things that just wouldn’t ever happen In today’s world. Nevertheless this is a sharply plotted fast paced gritty piece of Irish crime bringing an end to an 11 book series.

Recommended

4 🔥🔥🔥🔥

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The Last Drop of Blood is book eleven in the series and also the final one. I am happy to report that it can be read has a standalone for those of you that haven’t followed the series. But this is a series that you dont want to miss!

The author sets the scene right from the word go with an OMG opening then we follow a story that will have you hooked until the very end. I am a fan of grit lit and this story follows a case that is woven into the underworld. Love Love Love it!

We read some rather uncomfortable scenes that will keep you on the edge of your seat. This book isn’t for the faint hearted. Graham is an author of horror so this is show throughout the story with graphic descriptions. Which for me makes it good reading for me.

The Last Drop of Blood is an addictive pulse racing read which I highly recommend. I am just gutted this is the last book in the series. I am looking forward to seeing what Graham comes up with next.

Thank you to Victoria at Head of Zeus for a copy and for the blog tour invite.

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An action-orientated, crime thriller set in Cork. 'The Last Drop of Blood is a mix of ganglit, police procedural and political thriller with a distinctive Irish ethos.

Detective Superintendent Katie Maguire battles against establishment misogyny, warring crime gangs and an indiscriminate murderer. Recently bereaved, her personal and professional lives clash. Despite this, her survival instinct keeps her moving forward, steadily solving the complex web of crimes and outwitting those who would prefer her to fail.

It's addictive reading and leaves you in no doubt about the evil lurking on the streets of Cork. The dialogue draws you into an Irish world, and gives the story it's engaging authenticity. The characters are complex and easy to visualise. You see the world as they see it, and sometimes it's a scary place to be. The violence is vividly portrayed as are the episodes of domestic abuse. Sex is shown to be both a weapon and a solace for the characters in this story.

This is reputed to be the last in the series, but it is the first Katie Maguire crime thriller, I've read. There are many characters, but the story focuses on Katie's point of view for the most part, with other characters offering theirs at pertinent moments. There is sufficient backstory to read this as a standalone, I was hooked from the beginning and the plot layers and reveals kept me turning the pages.

The crime detection is believable, and the clues are commensurate with the progression of the police investigation. The ending is powerful and leaves the door open.

I received a copy of this book from Head of Zeus via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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This is book #11 in the Katie Maguire series. I have read some of the early books in the series some years ago but not any of the later books. I have to admit I did initially struggle with who’s who, as there are a lot of characters. I do also think there are a lot of storylines which have stemmed from the previous books, so again I did find it confusing. As I got further into the book though I did begin to understand it all better as little by little things were explained. I will definitely by making a note to go back and read the other books of the series as I appear to have missed out on some great storylines!

Based in the city of Limerick, the storyline is gritty and tough. The action begins right at the very first page with an explosion of a car belonging to The Honourable Mr Justice Garrett Quinn, a very respected Judge of the Central Criminal Court. The Judge was due to begin sentencing that afternoon on the case of Donal Hagerty, one of a criminal gang of brothers. Katie Maguire was diverted on her way home from the funeral of her husband to investigate the body found in the driver’s seat, where she instantly recognised it to be the Judge.

The book then moves on at a terrific pace, with shootings and kills at almost every turn of the page. Whilst it’s been years since I’ve met Katie Maguire, I straight away recollected what a likeable and honest policewoman she was. Things haven’t changed since then, but there has obviously been a lot more heartache and sorrow in poor Katie’s life. She does, however, do a great job of pushing her personal problems to one side to investigate the murder of her good friend Garrett Quinn.

The book early on refers to Limerick as “Stab City”. There are that many murders within these pages that it could also be called “Gun City”, “Drowning City” or just “Stay at home because it’s a lot safer City”!! The action is gruesome and bloody, the crimes are violent and abhorrent, but you just can’t tear your eyes away from the page for one second for fear of missing something. The author does a cracking job of keeping the reader in suspense, only feeding us clues as to what is going on when he wants to, keeping us waiting with anticipation as to what is going on!

This is a fabulous read, even if you do have to read some parts from between your fingers because of the tension of it all. It is a very Irish read, obviously, and a lot of the names and places used are Irish spelt. Thankfully I’m only reading them and not saying them out loud because I wouldn’t have a clue how to pronounce them, but I would imagine listening to the book on audio would be amazing!! It definitely all adds to the authenticity of the story!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it. I will certainly be hunting out the previous books in the series to catch up on what I’ve missed!

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This gritty crime thriller features Detective Superintendent Katie Maguire and is set in Cork. The plot is set around two warring crime gangs and kicks off with the horrific murder of Justice Quinn. Katie is still recovering from the death of her husband and this is the first in a series of murders.This book is dark, full of suspense, fast paced and a great piece of Irish crime writing. I can highly recommend the read and have no hesitation in giving 5*.Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

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I love Graham Masterton books and this was no exception. It was a fast paced and well written story. It was set in Ireland and I must admit much of the local colloquial language was difficult to understand at times. I was not too sure about some of the explicit sex scenes, especially between Katie and Kyna,, but wondered if the love and gentleness expressed was to counteract the sheer sexism, violence and misogyny of the males.
This book may not be for the feint hearted but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Thank you Netgalley, Graham Masterton and Head of Zeus for giving me the opportunity to give my unbiased opinion.

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I would like to thank Netgalley and Heads of Zeus for an advance copy of The Last Drop of Blood, the eleventh novel to feature Cork based Detective Superintendent Katie Macguire.

When Justice Garrett Quinn is killed when his car explodes Katie and the team jump into action as the judge was like one of their own. Unfortunately this is only the start of a war between rival gangs and as the violence ramps up the police struggle to keep up.

It has been a while since I last caught up with Katie but she is still fighting the good fight, albeit with more sorrow in her life. I don’t know why I’ve left it so long because The Last Drop of Blood is another cracking read that I couldn’t put down. It might be longer than the average novel but it held my attention throughout and I read it in one sitting. Where to start? The novel is mostly told from Katie’s point of view with interesting scenes from the various gangsters’ points of view. I liked this approach in the novel as it allows the reader to concentrate on and identify with Katie and her role but also gives a wider perspective on the bigger picture. I think it works very well as the author still manages to keep many of his angles well hidden until the evidence is uncovered.

There are so many crimes in the novel it is breathtaking and the action never flags. I enjoyed the way one crime leads to another and I particularly enjoyed the resolution to all of them. It feels that the novel drives relentlessly towards these solutions, some easier come by than others. I didn’t find the crimes hard to keep up with but the large cast of characters had me double checking who was who at times.

If a serious crime wave were not enough to contend with Katie has some problems at work with a hostile environment and an even more hostile press. Not one to let a few problems get in the way of either her cases or career she comes out fighting. She proves herself to be wily, conniving and a winner.

The Last Drop of Blood is a great read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

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