Breathe Your Last is #10 in the Detective Josie Quinn series, and every time I read a new one, I say the series gets better with each book. Lisa Regan changes things up a notch here in this one by adding a bold, and bizarre case that left me with many questions. She tests not only Josie and her team but us readers with those exciting, “what is going on” twists to the crime and our beloved characters.

My love for the series is all about Josie and her dynamics with the people in her life. Lisa Regan keeps this fresh and exciting by exploring stories and crimes that involve the people in her life while adding new characters to that dynamics. While I enjoy all the mysteries and crimes in the stories, they don’t usually take center stage for me as the one here in this story did. I still loved the dynamics with the characters that take a different turn when Noah becomes distant and distracted from Josie.

The case here is darkly bold, strange, and unquie and touches on a dark reality that is not often explored, and at times, I did question some of the reality of the story and how Lisa was going to pull off that line between reality and entertainment.

The action and climax to the story are like nothing I have seen from Lisa, and I was on the edge of my seat with my mouth wide open in shock with the heart-wrenching turn the story took. The action is exciting and tense. That heart-wrenching turn pushed my shock to the point I almost messaged Lisa to ask what she was thinking, throwing that at us readers, however, I put my trust in Lisa and enjoyed the emotional pull she brilliantly layered on us.

As always, I highly recommend this series!!

I received a copy from the publisher through NG.

Breathe Your Last is the tenth instalment in the Detective Josie Quinn series, set in and around the city of Denton, Pennsylvania. It begins with a chilling prologue providing an insight into the twisted killer’s glee at seeing his victims’ families distraught, as he awaits the news of the passing of the bright young woman he left for dead. Meanwhile, Josie is driving friend Misty and her four-year-old son, Harris, complete with his green dinosaur backpack, to Tiny Tykes Gardens and Pre-K Daycare centre for his first day and both of the women are really nervous. Josie then returns home and must run an errand for her younger brother Patrick who is currently a sophomore at Denton University. She had been helping him with his laundry and had a mishap and now every item of clothing he owned was tinged pink. Needing his work shirt for his job as a towel assistant at the swimming pool on campus, Josie visits him only to discover the fully-clothed body of elite swimming starlet, Nysa Summers, floating lifelessly face down in the water. But how exactly does a strong swimmer drown accidentally? Elsewhere, a devastating house fire guts the home of a retired firefighter, who survives but only just.

What is the connection between two cases where both victims were killed/injured in a fashion they knew so much about? This is a captivating, convoluted and exciting police procedural with one of the most immoral and hateworthy characters I've encountered recently in the disgusting narcissistic and disturbed serial killer, who I came to despise. I am always a fan of strong female protagonists so to be treated to the great dynamic between the kickass, fierce Josie and her amazing team was a real treat. It is mainly told from Josie’s perspective making the narrative straightforward and therefore much more immersive, although there are intermittent chapters from the unidentified killer’s point of view which act as a window into his warped mindset. Regan makes excellent use of twists, turns and misdirection throughout bringing some surprises to the narrative and the whole thing moves at a pretty brisk pace. It's a refreshingly original thriller with plenty of intrigue surrounding the mind of the psychopath who seemingly wants revenge at any cost and who takes enormous pleasure in other people's misery—usually the misery he himself has caused. An entertaining and compulsive, clever and engrossing read, which is a nailbiting page-turner from the get-go. Highly recommended.

Author Lisa Regan had the tenth book out, how could I not read it? Detective Josie Quinn had great instincts in the past 9 books, and in this too, they were ramping up as the stakes heightened with each death.

A champion swimmer was found floating in the swimming pool with a strange symbol and a note – Be the mermaid. A firefighter’s house was set alit with the same symbol and a note – Be the match. An abandoned backpack had the food wrappers in it. Josie saw connections where the rest could not. The Lone Ranger got to investigating in her own way.

Quite a bizarre case was this where it called upon their collective hard work to crack it. There was friction with alternate viewpoints, but Josie managed to overcome the hurdles. Filled with action and intelligent scenes, I found the book to be a fast read. There were moments where I was completely immersed in the plotline.

Amongst all the police procedurals I’d read, Lisa Quinn wrote the friendliest one where I could understand the dynamics of the team even when I didn’t remember what had happened in the last case. Reading the rest of the books was not needed, but fear not, the entire series is quite addictive. I went back to read the books I had missed.

With the dual POV of Josie and the killer, the story held on to its suspense and intrigue as I flew through the pages. Emotions were heightened, and romance was interspersed in the prose. Twists were the norm, and the author kindly provided a wrenching one at the end. The characters were developed well, and the author kept the camaraderie going. I loved how they supported Josie.

Quite a compelling crime thriller where the dose of realism in the cops’ lives worked well with the twisted thoughts of the killer.

Another beautifully crafted book by the master of the genre :) I have read all of the Josie Quinn books and I think the series is just getting better and better.

Josie Quinn is called to investigate the death of a star swimmer - by drowning. There are things about the scene which don't make sense but she can't quite put her finger on it and when her partner Noah starts acting strange as well, Josie's world really starts tilting on its axis.

As always, I love the main character and all of the secondary characters as well. There are so many really good people in Josie's orbit who give her support or a bit of a nudge when she needs it, even as she puts her life and health on the line, over and over again.

This is a gripping book that flows very well.

5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.

What does a star swimmer a decorated hero and a police officer have in common? That is what Detective Josie Quinn must figure out. And fast before this elusive killer strikes again. In this case the serial killer has a unique modus operandi which gives them the wherewithal to kill from afar and watch the chaos ensue from a safe distance.

Breathe Your Last is the 10th installment in the Josie Quinn mystery series. Being a first time reader of Lisa Regan I did not find that to be a problem. I think the novel stood well enough on its own and I was able to get right into the story. Josie Quinn's character is smart and clever. She is strong and loving and willing to put her own life at risk to save others, even the bad guys. As a new reader to the series I found that the glimpses into her back story made her all the more more relatable. I also enjoyed having time Josie Quinn's family even though it took me a minute to figure out who was who.

The plot was fast moving. Once I picked it up I couldn't put it down. Here we have a mystery where at first it is not clear how the killer picks their targets. We as readers get to hear the killer's thoughts in short chapters interspersed between the investigation. These chapters add an eerie tone to the undercurrent of the novel and make the mystery even more intriguing. Regan keeps you waiting until the last minute to figure out how and why the killer strikes. I though it was a clever how she developed this story and the reasoning behind the killings. I've already looked into where I could get my hands on the earlier books in the series. Although they are not available through my library to borrow or to order, I found a discounted bundle on the first three books in the series on Amazon here.

This book and I somehow didn’t work. And I'm not entirely sure why. Maybe I was just not in the right mood, because I think the main idea is quite good.

Here I had a problem at the beginning. It seems too slow to me. I felt like nothing has happened in the first third of the book that is not mentioned in the synopsis. And that was not enough for me. I also think it would be easier for me if I read the previous books. I would have become more attached to Josie, the main character, and the rest of the group.

I wish this book worked better for me because I liked the general plot idea. I find it interesting and quite innovative, it is not just another typical serial killer, but something much more interesting. The plot is not too simple, nor is it so complicated that it is absurd. There were some fragments that really held me on the edge of my seat. There are also several probable suspects. The identity of the killer surprised me, but at the same time it didn’t feel that this person appeared out of nowhere. I also think that making this particular person a murderer was an interesting and non-obvious move.

I think I will give this author another chance, maybe I will read one of the previous books in this series. I like her ideas.

Breathe Your Last by Lisa Regan is the tenth in the Detective Josie Quinn series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


Series Background:  (Warning – May contain spoilers from previous books)

Once Acting Chief of Police, Josie Quinn is now doing what she is best suited for. She’s back to being a detective and happy. Her team consists of Detective Noah Fraley (who she is dating), Detective Gretchen Palmer, and Detective Finn Mettner.  Their boss is Chief Bob Chitwood.  She is learning to love her new-found family,  including news reporter Trinity Payne,  as well as her brother Patrick, but it is keeping her busy. 


My Synopsis:(No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)

While dropping off a t-shirt at the college for Patrick, Josie finds dead body of the school's best swimmer, face-down in the pool, still clothed. 

No one believes that Nysa Somers would have committed suicide, and an accident seems unlikely.  Trying to trace the final hours up to the young girls death,  they finally find her back-pack in a wooded area.  There is an almost empty baggy inside it with a strange sticker on it.  Her phone revealed nothing except a calendar entry for that morning saying "time to be a mermaid".

When a housefire nearly destroys the home of a retired fireman, things get stranger.  Although he survived he can't talk.  However, his grandchildren say he was telling them it was "time to be a match", and that the fireman himself lit the house on fire.

There seems to be a connection, but Josie isn't sure what it is, but when a fellow policeman puts his own life in danger, Josie knows they have to stop this madness soon.  

Meanwhile, Noah and Josie are so busy, they are spending little time together.  


My Opinions:

This was a great addition to the series.  The plot was good and set a fast pace, and the book was action-packed.

Although I am not a romance reader, I don't mind the relationship between Josie and Noah.  It feels normal.  They have issues, but they work them out, and Josie is learning to express her needs.  They fear for the others safety, and Noah is correct that Josie continues to throw herself into dangerous situations without any thought, but I think that may change. 

I like most of the characters.  Sawyer Hayes, who was introduced in the last book appeared again, but the situation is still not stable.  Something will have to happen to bring the two together, but I'm not sure what.

Again, I recommend reading the books in order, because the characters have grown so much since the early days.  

I am definitely looking forward to the next in the series.

Detective Josie Quinn is back with another heart pounding mystery. Josie finds a young woman floating in the Denton University pool. How does the captain of the swim team drown? The chief says accident or suicide, but Josie is not so sure. As she and her team investigate, Josie rushes to rescue two young girls and their grandfather from his burning home. How did the home of the retired fire chief catch on fire? The answer will stun the police. As more bizarre events occur, Josie believes they have a killer who is not only targeting specific victims, but others in the community. How are they getting the victim to injure or kill themselves? An amazingly complex mystery as throughout the book the unknown murderer explains why the victims deserved what happened to them. Josie begins to get closer to the murderer, but will she be too late to save someone she loves? This mystery kept me guessing until the very end. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

Breathe Your Last is a book that had me guessing the entire time! Josie Quinn has come a long way since Vanishing Girls, and this case has to be one of the most intense ones she has faced yet!

When a star swimmer is murdered at the college Josie's brother attends, Josie throws herself into the case with very little to go on. Not only was Nysa a star swimmer, she was loved by everyone. The only clues Josie has are some brownie crumbs, a sticker, and a weird message that says "time to be mermaid". It seems like Nysa OD'd and while Josie's chief would like nothing more than to leave it at that, Josie knows there is more to the story and is determined to find out who committed the crime.

This book was incredible and one of my favorites so far! I loved everything about it. I had NO idea who the killer was and to me, that's important. I don't want to figure it out right away! The story fascinated me.

I love Josie's interactions with her godson, Harris. I think it shows how far Josie's character has come since the beginning of the series and I adore that.

In addition to that, the ending had my heart pounding so hard-- it was excellent! I almost screamed! I had to briefly put the book down to catch my breath.

I highly recommend this one. It's one of the best in the series.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. Thank you, Lisa Regan, for continuing to write such incredible books. I hope Josie is around for a long time!

This is one of my favourite series and I love catching up with Josie, Noah and Misty.
Josie is having a stressful morning having just dropped Harris off for the first time at Tiny Tykes and she then comes across the dead body of a college student.
It seems she’s drowned but what made her go into the pool, fully clothed?
It’s definitely a strange case for Josie and the team and they struggle to find any leads.
They do find a bag with crumbs in and a strange looking sticker, but what does it mean?
Josie then comes across a small girl shouting for help as her grandfather and her sister are trapped in a burning house. Josie rescues the other little girl and leaves the experts to get the man out.
Nysa was a strong swimmer, yet drowned and Clay was a brave firefighter left fighting for his life.
Josie is puzzled by their actions and thinks they were under the influence of something, but can she prove it?
This is a gripping crime thriller and the shock near the end of the book nearly sent me over the edge....
I love this series and can highly recommend it.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this breathtaking book

why does an elite swimmer drown
why does an retired honoured fireman burn his house down with him inside it....

just two of the incidents that josie and her team have to investigate, could there be a link between the two cases

and then josie has to rescue one of her officers...

oh my word my heart was in my mouth on this one and that ending, thought i was going to have an heart attack with the tension

brilliantly written and the tension is for real when reading this book...people need a warning before they even start this one...but it was lovely to catch up with josie and her team

cant wait for the next one

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Breathe Your Last’, the tenth in the Detective Josie Quinn series written by Lisa Regan, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Detective Josie Quinn is visiting Denton University when she discovers the fully-clothed body of championship swimmer Nysa Somers floating in the swimming pool, the words ‘be a mermaid’ on her phone’s calendar. The next day she saves the lives of the granddaughters of hero firefighter, Clay Walsh, when there’s a horrendous fire at his home. The last thing the little girls hear their grandad saying is ‘be a match’. As the body count starts to rise Josie needs to find a link between these crimes and also uncover if videos taken of the university’s students are connected before the killer can claim more victims.

‘Breathe Your Last’ is another brilliant addition to this incredible series with Josie Quinn and her hardworking detectives Mett and Gretchen and boyfriend Lieutenant Noah Fraley. I was gripped from page one through each heart-stopping incident, each twist and turn, trying to guess the identity of the killer but failing. There’s bucketloads of drama, suspense, convincing characters, events that left me open-mouthed with surprise and an ending that was shocking, completely unexpected, and had me crying. I love this series, thoroughly enjoy catching up with how Josie and Noah’s relationship is progressing, and can’t wait for the next one.

🏊Drama and death in Denton: loved the suspenseful chase😊!

This Pennsylvania college town-set Detective Josie Quinn murder mystery was a great read start to finish! Several seemingly unrelated and odd deaths, A good range of suspected motives and killers with some mystery going on with Josie's frequently incommunicado live-in boyfriend Detective Nick Fraley too. The writing kept the story moving at a good pace and the number of key lead and secondary characters was not too large to keep straight. Did I guess the culprit? I may have had an inkling in the back of my mind, but the author kept me guessing for most of the book.

I can't think of any elements that did not work in this story. Yes, A few times author Lisa Regan went into a great deal of detail describing something I just could not visualize, like the interior structure of a bell tower or a bridge, but that probably works for some readers who can picture the scene from these details. I can't, but I can say that it did not detract from my enjoyment of the book.

This is a series I will definitely be seeking more of in the future.

Thanks to publishers Bookouture and NetGalley for providing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

This book was in a word amazing! Mrs. Regan has another strong entry with book #10 in this series. In this book we find Josie trying to solve what looks to be tragic accidents, a swimmer who accidentally drowns, a firefighter in a house fire. But to Josie and her team something feels off about it all. Add in cryptic messages found with the victims, " Be a mermaid" and " Be a torch", I found myself so enthralled with this book, I read it in 2 days! I really enjoyed the chapters from the killer's point of view, it really added to the story's atmosphere. I would highly recommend this book to not only fans of the series, but to anyone who enjoys great suspense thrillers. well done Mrs. Regan, I now look forward to the next book in this series!
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.

Breathe Your Last is the tenth book in the Josie Quinn series by Lisa Regan. It is a stand alone, Ms Regan does an excellent job of throwing in enough background that the reader can easily follow the story if they haven't read previous titles. I highly suggest starting with the first book, Vanishing Girls. Having followed this series from the beginning I feel like each book is an update of a friend's life. In Breathe Your Last I'm warning you there may be tears. I want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for an early copy to review.

Another great mystery in the Josie Quinn series. I recommend that anyone looking for a starting a good series of stories, start with the first book. The characters become like friends that you catch up on from time to time, and you get a good mystery too.

After a laundry accident, detective Josie Quinn meets her brother at his job in the university swimming pool. By accident, they find the clothed body of a young woman floating in the water. It turns out to be Nysa, a swimming champion. So, how could she drown? CC-
TV shows that she didn’t bring her swimming gear or backpack. No-one else entered or left the building. And why did she come at 6 am?
Not much later a retired fireman nearly dies in a house fire. His grandchildren that miraculously are saved by Josie, tell the police that he set the fire himself while acting very strange.
The readers know that there’s a serial killer at work who does away with people that have offended or upset him/her, people that deserve to die.
Josie is convinced that both incidents are related and that there’s a drug involved that makes people docile and obedient without incapacitating them. Nobody believes her. She feels that this case is slipping through her fingers with no real leads and she fears that she won’t be able to solve it. Her relationship with her colleague Noah is under a lot of strain as they both are preoccupied with work and spend that much time working that they hardly see each other.

Josie’s personal life is more than a little complicated. Much of the background story has been told in the previous instalments of this series but the most relevant facts are given again. As I remarked in the previous book, the personal life of the protagonist form a large part of the narrative but there is also more than enough action and suspense that are merged into a really thrilling story. There are more than enough twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end. The information and the clues are released a little bit at the time so that I figured out a few things but not much sooner than Josie self. The development of the case with painstakingly difficult, multiple interviews and forensics that sometimes fail to give the expected or much-needed clues, this case feels like a realistic police investigation. Only at the end, there is a grand finale with a life or death chase to conclude the case.
I thank Netgalley and Bookouture for the free ARC they provided me with and this is my honest, unbiased review.

A champion swimmer isn't supposed to drown, especially not in the practice pool she uses daily. Detective Josie Quinn was only taking her brother's laundry back to him she didn't expect to be trying to save a life at the same time. By the end of the following day she has two equally confusing cases to deal with but there seems no answers to be had.

Needing the reassurances of her team around her she is concerned when boyfriend and partner Noah keeps disappearing and missing her text messages. Josie knows their perp is both dangerous and cunning which means they will have to look at things from a different angle if she is to solve this before there are more fatalities with or without Noah at her side.

This is the tenth book in this series and the standard is as high as ever. There is a tension which rises chaper after chapter until reading through your fingers is probably recommended! This instalment surprised me throughout, the crimes themselves led to the science which led to the vital clues which led to a denouement which left me astounded.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own.  Whether you started at the beginning or with book ten this is an excellent read.

A skilled swimmer drowns, found with her belongings is a cryptic message to “be a mermaid.” Then a heroic retired firefighter, who spends his days babysitting the grand-kids, is rescued from his burning home; his last words, “be a match.” Are the two cases connected? If so, what connects a college-aged woman and a retired firefighter? Don’t worry, Josie Quinn is on the case and will figure it all out.

But we’re just not here for the cases, we’re here for the cast of characters that make-up Denton, Pennsylvania. Josie’s brother, Patrick, is going to school in Denton so he’s around now. Drake and Trinity come to town. And Harris, Misty’s son, starts Kindergarten! *GASP* Little Harris is growing up way too quickly!

This is book ten in the Detective Josie Quinn series and we have come a long way since book one. But some things don’t change, like Lisa’s ability to write an intriguing crime that grabs your attention from the get-go or the fact that Josie always solves her case – I would never bet against her!

I hope you have been reading this series in its proper order otherwise you have missed out on all the character growth, the evolving character relationships, the wins, the losses, the happy times, the sad times, and all the little tidbits of history that have been revealed about the characters over time. We have seen ex-husband’s die, romantic relationships end, new romantic relationships begin, we have seen co-workers become friends, and ex-husband’s girlfriends become family.

I love the relationships that Josie has with Misty but I especially love her relationship with Harris – if you like that too then you’re in for a real treat with this book because we get some great Josie/Harris moments.

We all know Josie as a tough and competent police officer who kicks ass, takes names, and closes cases but it’s those little glimpses of vulnerability that we get that makes Josie so lovable. We get some vulnerable Josie here and it just makes me love her even more.

I also love the relationship Josie has with Noah. And you guys…Noah is not acting like him self in this book! So not only did the case have me on the edge of my seat, I was kept on the edge because Noah was being secretive AF and I needed answers!

Lisa is a wonderful writer and this book is paced well. There’s a few twists and turns but nothing feels rushed or overly drawn out.

No spoilers but I LOVED the ending, I hope you do too.

Two thumbs up for this book, I’d give it more thumbs if I had more hands!

But really, if you haven’t read the other books in the series you should start with book 1 and not book 10! Otherwise you miss out an all the growth and evolution the characters have been through and you’re really cheating yourself!
I would like to thank Netgalley for an advance copy of Breathe Your Last by Lisa Regan.

Absolutely stunning installment of Josie Quinn's life!
Great characters, a gripping plot and twists that meant I couldn't put it down. I was trying to work out the culprit even while I was at work!
I was unsure of the main storyline at first. A champion swimmer who drowns has been done several times recently, but this was done expertly and soon there were other incidents to consider!
Highly recommended!