A decent, strongly character based mystery which was perhaps over too soon for me to feel really satisfied by it. I enjoyed the setting and the way in which the characters interacted, which seemed very natural.

Last Call is the second book in a series, but it is not necessary too have read the first book to enjoy this one. This light, quick read features bar owner Jude Dillane and her assortment of friends and regular customers. Jude is an appealing protagonist in the classic cozy vein; she can’t resist checking into matters herself and and trying to get to the bottom of things. She has backup in the form of her boyfriend, Eric, and her ex-marine buddy, Sully. One of Jude’s employees finds a body in the dumpster behind the bar, and Jude tries to solve the murder. The action moves along well and stays interesting, with Jude poking around, finding clues, and stirring up trouble. Although Jude does a good job, I found her Nancy-Drew-style curiosity out of step with the seriousness of the case, which turns out to involve a serial killer and is being actively investigated by both the police and the FBI. Usually if a cozy heroine does find herself—against all professional advice—investigating a serial killer, it is for some truly compelling reason involving immediate mortal danger to herself or her loved ones. At that level of desperation, she isn’t going to be worrying about who might scold her or what her boyfriend will think. Though there are written threats to Jude (mostly to keep out of it), when she sets about sleuthing, she never stops musing about what her boyfriend/the FBI agent/her buddy Sully will say when they find out. That attitude is more in keeping with an “I wonder what’s in this secret box that I will be naughty and investigate?” mystery, not a serial killer thriller. Jude and her gang are appealing, though, and if you are willing to suspend disbelief a bit more than usual, you will enjoy a well-paced mystery with enough mentions of food and cooking to send you straight to your kitchen after reading it.

I am not a New York fan, at all. So the setting did not add to the story for me. The bar was filled with interesting characters.. Pete seemed a bit off for the setting but he wasn't a main character. Eric was a bit of a commanding person. That was a bit of a turn off. But the actual main mystery was a good story. The food sounded wonderful. I enjoyed the mystery.

Last Call
by Cathi Stoler 3 ½ stars
Reviewed by: Book Chick


Last Call is the second book in the Murder on the Rocks series. This is the first bar themed murder mystery I have read, it seems that the majority in the mystery genre these days are bakery or coffee shop themed. And while I do enjoy those it was refreshing to read something with a setting much different than a small town bakery. Instead this book is set in New York City on the Lower East side and set in our leading lady Jude Dillane’s bar. Since this is a series we already know that like the army of leady ladies featured in similar novels Jude seems to find trouble too easily and can’t seem to stay out of it.
The novel starts on New Years Eve when Jude and her staff have a bar full of revelers ready to ring in the New Year, the bar is packed and Jude is busy pouring champagne and mixing cocktails. However Jude has a couple minutes to say hello to the 10th Street Irregulars including Art Bevins who brought along his brother who is just in town. Jude closes up after the chaos from ringing in the New Year subside and stumbles up to her apartment for some sleep and everything seems perfect as she crawls in bed and snuggles up to her boyfriend. But the calm is not long lived, Jude wakes up little before her shift and goes down to help prep the bar for New Years day brunch and just after she arrives to help a busboy rushes up to her frantically talking about a body in the dumpster. Crime Junkie vibes am I right? Jude and her best friend Sully one of the 10th Street irregular go out to check the dumpster and find it is Art Bevins younger brother Micheal who had been there last night. That isn’t the scariest part though, the murder weapon was a knife stolen from the bar’s kitchen and it is still imbedded in Micheal’s heart.So now Jude is praying that the murder is not one of her staff… or her customers.
I have to say this book was pretty good but I kept finding myself thinking our main character was not very smart. Or rather that she had no common sense, she received several threatening notes from the killer to stay out of his/her way but she didn’t. Now I understand that if she had we wouldn’t have a story. But I would have liked for her to be more careful, she had a suspicion that the killer was one of her regulars and yet she kept talking them about how she was investigating the murder herself and fishing for information from each of them. She also was not very careful when she went out to do her investigating. What I mean is she didn’t stick to big crowds when she felt someone was following her, she didn’t lock the bar doors after the last customer left. And she didn’t always have someone walk her to her apartment, if she really thought the killer was one of her regulars she should have had someone walk her directly to her door since a few of the 10th street irregulars lived in the same building! Those things just really bugged me because in real life she probably would have been killed fairly early on in the case because she wasn’t being careful. Always follow the Crime Junkie Rules: you never really know anyone, Be Weird, Be rude, Stay Alive.
Overall this book was pretty good, if someone asked for murder mystery recommendation I would recommend this one. However in general I don’t think this is high on my list of recommendations. Although if I saw the rest of the series on a shelf at my library or local bookstore I would probably pick them up because Last Call was a quick fun read.

The Corner Lounge bar owner, Judy Dillane, is embroiled in another mystery. She and her friend and landlord, Sully, finds a man's body in the dumpster out back, with a knife still stuck in his heart.

Cops are called, the FBI steps in when it's revealed that this wasn't the first murder by this particular killer. Every New Year's Eve for the last few years, there has been a killing .. with tall, blond men found with knives stuck in their heart.

Jude decides she needs to investigate .. this latest victim was the brother of one her regular clientele. One of her regulars, known as the 10th Street Irregulars, is suspect. One by one she looks into them, much to the consternation of her boyfriend, Eric, an FBI Agent from the Behavioral Science Unit, and the local cops who don't seem to know what to do.

It becomes very personal when Jude begins receiving notes from the killer warning her off. And then one of her bartenders, also a friend, disappears and the killer lets Jude knows it's her fault for his listening to his previous warnings.

It's an intricate plot with great character development. Jude is smart, sassy, and stubborn,,but she really has a good heart and wants this killer stopped. Her boyfriend is not happy with her and she's keeping things from him so he won't worry. But her friends always seem to rat her out. The secondary characters keep the action moving moving at a swift pace ... and not everyone is who they say they are. Although 2nd in the series, this is easily read as a stand alone, but I do recommend reading in order. The ending was a surprise...and there's a bit of a cliff hanger. I can hardly wait to see what Jude gets involved in next.

Many thanks to the author / Level Best Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Strangely this book reminded me of No one killed Jessica movie from Bollywood, the plot is oddly similar yet the writing is so brilliant that it will keep you hooked. Fast paced, brilliant narration. Intrigue, mystery and shockers, spot on. Definitely recommend.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

This was a such a fun read! I moved through this so quickly! Although I had the mystery figured out from the beginning, it was entertaining to see how the characters all thought through it. The ending had me wanting more and I will definitely be looking for the next book in the series!

Evil lurks all around us and in Last Call Jude Dillane finds it right next to her when a New Year’s Eve murder near her restaurant uncovers a link to past unsolved slayings. Fast-paced, well-plotted, with memorable characters, Cathi Stoler does not disappoint. Highly recommended.

I haven't read the first book in this series and I don't think you really have to begin with it. Jude gets drawn into the killing of a patron of her bar. At times it is hard to justify her involvement in the investigation. She ends up putting her life in danger chasing a serial killer. I did not find this story to be particularly engaging. I had a hard time really believing it. I did not connect with the MC at all. The way the author ended the book also did not set well with me.

This was a cute mystery novel. It was full of suspense, but not in a traditional mystery novel sense. This book was a nice combination of a standard mystery novel and a cozy mystery novel (which can sometime be too corny for my liking). I did feel that some parts of this book dragged on a bit too long. There were also some unrealistic decisions being made that really got on my nerves. But overall, this was a really good book!

Jude Dillane, owner of The Corner Lounge, is hosting her annual New Year’s Eve celebration. The bar is busy, packed with revelers and her regular customers. The next day there is a body in the dumpster, the brother of one of her regulars. The police are called, and once again Jude finds herself involved in a police investigation. When the FBI shows up, they tell her that this latest murder might be the work of a serial killer that they have hunted for years. The story mostly revolves around Jude, her lover Eric and her close friend Sully. Jude just has to investigate, it’s what she does, even when she is warned repeatedly to stay out of the case. The danger increases when she receives threatening notes from the killer. Could the murderer be among her regular customers? An interesting mystery, but I’m not a fan of stories that involve a novice getting so involved in a police case. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

LAST CALL is the first book I've read by Cathi Stoller, who is, like me, a Level Best Books author. Let me first say that, although I am not overly well-versed in the restaurant/bar scene in New York City, I have traveled there on business on numerous occations. That, plus the sheer number of NYC-based crime shows on television, meant that I was reasonably familiar with the author's general setting and was comfortable with it.

LAST CALL is the second installment in the "Murder on the Rocks" series featuring restaurateur Jude Dillane, and a plucky protagonist she turns out to be. When a corpse turns up in the dumpster behind her restaurant on New Year's Day, she jumps into the investigation with both feet, aided by her boyfriend Eric and one of her regular customers named Sully and a sympathetic FBI behavior analyst named elaine Garlinger. During the initial phase of the Jude's involvement in the investigation, the killer wrongly decides that he (or she--no spoilers here) has been spotted by Jude, and begins leaving her threatening notes to lay off the case--or else. It also turns out that the killing behind Jude's restaurant is but one of a series of similar killlings. So, is this a concidence, a copycat murder, or the work of a serial killer? And is the guilty party a random stranger, one of Jude's regular customers, or someone even closer than that?

This is a well-crafted mystery, with vivid settings, believable dialog and some interesting dishes served up by Jude's talented chef and his kitchen staff. Definitely a tasty read that will make you want to go back for another helping..

I was taken in from the start and loved the ride to a satisfying and well-designed ending. The tension never lags as Cathi Stoler does a superb job managing her protagonist, Jude and the community of interestingly distinct characters.

I want to push my way to the crowded bar at the Corner Lounge, the site at the center of Last Call. The Lounge itself is a key character, along with Jude, the bar owner/amateur detective. Instead of trying to figure out who the murderer is in a country house, we try to figure out which of the patrons of the bar is a serial killer. That proves tough, because the ending is unexpected. Not only is the identity of the killer unexpected, but so is the structure of the ending itself, which leaves me waiting eagerly for the next book in the series. Stoler's pace is good and her dialog is crisp. My only reservations are minor. Jude sometime describes the Lounge as a neighborhood bar, and sometimes as a classy restaurant. She gives away so many drinks that I worry for the Lounge's solvency. And there were many references to an earlier story, which I assume is the first book in the series. I used my imagination to fill in a few gaps. But overall this is a terrific read, even without one of Jude's cocktails in hand.

Last Call by Cathi Stoler is the second book in the A Murder on the Rocks Mystery series. Great storyline with many clues embedded, you may even have to read it a few times to catch them all. I am interested in reading the first one to get to know this author’s writing style and see where the characters began.

***** I received an ARC from NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my honest review. *****

LAST CALL is the newest fast-paced mystery from Cathi Stoler. Bar owner Jude Dillane is one of those sleuths who doesn't know when to quit--meaning the reader can't quit, either.

There's a serial killer who only murders on New Year's Eve, and Jude's bar holds the next target. The reader feels at home at the Corner Lounge--it's Cheers with a corpse and a murderer, and lots of good food. Exciting with a real sense of place, on NYC's Lower East Side, this one is a worthy installment in the Murder on the Rocks series.

Cathi Stoler’s Last Call opens with a bang, on New Year’s Eve, and in this clever, twisty mystery the fireworks don’t quit until the very last page. Fans of the award-winning author’s first novel in this series, Bar None, are in for another suspenseful read.

Jude Dillane is back, along with the other quirky and appealing characters from the first novel, and once again she becomes embroiled in a murder investigation. This time, it’s a serial killer who’s the loose, and you have to look long and hard—and probably reread it more than once—to catch all the clues that are so cleverly embedded in the plot. There are plenty of red herrings to go along with those hints to the identity of the murderer, but you’ll be guessing until the very suspenseful end.

Set in Cosmopolitan Manhattan, Last Call is the second in the Murder on the Rocks series following the adventures of bar owner and amateur sleuth Jude Dillane, her gruff ex-Marine landlord Sully, her boyfriend Eric, her staff and a selection of patrons she calls the “10th Street Irregulars” (a nod to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.). When the brother of one of her Irregulars is offed on New Year’s Eve, possibly the latest in a series of year-end killings, Jude gins things up by poking around, despite the admonitions of the FBI investigator assigned to the case. Her interference fails to scotch the killer’s efforts but rather, earns her several death threats and close calls. With a surprise ending sure to get readers snatching up the next in the series, Last Call is good, Old-Fashioned entertainment!