This was a first read foe me by Helen Fields. I have to say that I was not disappointed and that I will be looking for more from her. Although some of this book drug for me in the middle, it was worth sticking it out for the ending. I did not see that ending coming at all. All in all a ver good read that kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen.

Adriana Clark's family had moved to the Isle of Mull in Scotland to escape some family problems that had come up. When Adriana comes up missing, her family is worried sick about her and calls Sadie in to help find her. Sadie is a private investigator that works on cases even when she is not accepted by the local law enforcement. From the moment Sadie gets to the Isle of Mull, she is not liked not accepted for the work that she is doing. Sadie quickly finds Adriana in a cave, dead. The way that Adriana was left makes Sadie vow to find her killer.

Things begin to happen to Sadie as well while she is there trying to find Adriana's killer. Strange things that only the killer could have known because none of that particular information has been leaked to the public for a copycat to know. Sadie has her suspicions of who the killer might be but does not want to point fingers too quickly. When another teen comes up murdered, Sadie knows that she has to break the case before more young ladies come up dead. Meet with more and more hostility from the locals, Sadie sort of has her hands tied on the case but uses her imagination with ways to get around on the case.

I am so glad that I kept pushing through the slow point in this book because it turned out to be so good. The way that Helen Fields hooked you and added in the surprise ending was very well done. You will not regret picking up this book to read.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advanced copy of this book.

Sadie Levesque is a private investigator from Canada but she is a long way from home on the Isle of Mull. She has been asked to investigate the disappearance of the daughter of an American couple who have settled on Mull with their teenage twins. The local police don't seem to be very involved & are even less enamoured of Sadie when she finds Addie's body. In fact they want to cast her as a possible suspect! What has been done to Addie's body suggests that there is some very weird going on.

This is a stand-alone book by Helen Fields but has all the magic of her other books. It was a very engaging read with a variety of characters for the reader to like or loathe. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

📖 BOOK REVIEW📖
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

#TheLastGirlToDie by #HelenFields

⏩for synopsis

I can’t remember the last time I read a book where I had absolutely no idea who the ‘baddie’ was; even up to the reveal I was still clueless and that made the book for me. All the way through I felt lost and unsure, and I was turning the pages as fast as possible to try and find clues to help me work it all out.

I loved the location of Mull; the history of the island, the strange goings on, talk of
witches, sunken ships, princess and folklore added a great atmosphere which carried throughout. The characters we’re on point, stereotypical at times but perfect within the story - I felt a real connection to Sadie and thought she carried the book well through her story/narration - I would definitely like to have explored more of her history.

So there were a couple of chapters I found perhaps a little overkill and unnecessary but you were soon back in the thick of it that overall they didn’t really affect anything!

With thanks to @helenfields_author @midaspublicrelations @avonbooksuk @netgalley for sending us review copies for this book!

-EMILY

@the_book_girls_1

The Last Girl to Die is a compelling, page turner of a book that surprises the reader with every twist and turn and leaves you stunned by the ending.

As always Helen Field is a phenomenal story teller. I was gripped from the go when the plot jumped right into the crime scene. A young girl has gone missing, her parents hire private investigator Sadie Levesque, who finds her body and seeks the truth about this brutal murder. This is all set in Scotland but not the idyllic Scotland as we know it, instead a town of dark secrets and lies. Fast paced and engaging from start to finish, another 5 start read from Helen.

4.25 Stars. I was blown away by Helen Fields’ novel One for Sorrow (DI Callanach Series) and so was excited to read her new standalone crime thriller The Last Girl to Die.

Feisty protagonist Canadian PI Sadie Levesque is about as gutsy as they come, but she is also a deeply empathetic soul.

Sadie’s strong emotional drive makes her a passionate advocate for clients (and anyone else she sees at risk) and a likeable and engaging character lead. It’s this passion that quickly draws into her orbit some beautifully characterised second-tier characters that I adored – and dare I say it, could feasibly spawn other series. But on several occasions, Sadie is just a little too reckless with her own safety, which certainly makes The Last Girl to Die a high suspense rollercoaster read. Continue reading at BookloverBookReviews.com

Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Collins Audio and Helen Fields for an ARC in return for an honest review.

'The Last Girl to Die' by Helen Fields.

I have been a huge fan of Helen Fields since she started the 'Perfect' series. She is an incredibly talented author and this book proves it. Her talent for writing is just outstanding.

This book is the psychological thriller of the year, I have NO doubt it will be extremely popular.

It is dark, gritty, scary and utterly thrilling. I don't want to risk saying anymore incase I risk a spoiler but I can't recommend this book enough. 10/10 - outstanding.

#TheLstGirlTo Die #NetGalley I am a huge fan of the DI Luc Callanach series by this author, so I was excited to read this standalone book set on the Isle of Mull. I have to say that I didn't enjoy it as much as the Luc Callanach series although it was still a good read. There were lots of aspects to this book - a bit crime thriller, a bit psychological thriller with a bit of Paganism and anti-Feminism thrown in! A bit slow to get going but when the action came it was gripping and kept me turning the pages. A few twists and turns and whilst I had a suspicion of Addie's killer, I didn't guess Catriona's or Hilda's. What spoilt it for me was the ending, and whilst I don't want to give any spoilers away, for me, it took it from a believable thriller into a fantasy world. I'm sure some people with love it but it was not my cup of tea. Prior to that it was still a good read and I look forward to more books by this author.

Excellent novel. Love Helens work, and this is a engrossing thriller set in Mull. A mixture of modern and ancient, a real page turner and a really original ending. Loved it

I was not expecting that ending!

I loved the twists and turns throughout this book, each time I thought I had it figured out, I found out I was wrong. I am very much looking forward to reading more of Helen's books in the future.

The Last Girl to Die by Helen Fields is a psychological thriller.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Avon Books 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.


My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Adriana Clark is only 16 when she and her family move from California to the small Isle of Mull in Scotland.  Then she goes missing.

Private Investigator Sadie Levesque from Banff Alberta specializes in finding missing teens.  The Clark's hire her, and Sadie does indeed find Adriana.  Unfortunately, she is found dead,  in a cliffside cave, a crown of seaweed carefully arranged around her head, and her body is in rough shape, and her mouth filled with sand.  The police don't seem to be doing enough, so Adriana's parents ask Sadie to stay in Scotland and investigate their daughter's murder.  The police are not impressed, and Sadie quickly steps on a number of toes.

But there are a lot of secrets being kept, both by Adriana's family, and by the residents of this small island.  Then there are the Mull Witches.


My Opinions:
Well, that was different.  For one thing, I'm no longer sure of the genre.  Yes, it was a suspenseful thriller, but it also dealt with history, feminism,  witches and pagan rituals, myths and legends.  It was also a little dark.

I felt it started rather slow, and was quite long.  However, the plot was so good, and the characters so interesting, I was compelled to keep turning those pages.  It definitely ended up being tense....and really, the ending sucked!

I loved seeing Lance Proudfoot from the Luc Callanach series playing a small role...I wonder who is police buddy was?.

Sadie...what a wonderful, strong, brave woman.  Sadie...what a determined, reckless,  idiot.  Both are true.  I still loved her.

There were a few twists in this one, and there were a number of people I did not trust or like, and although it took a long time getting there, I was actually correct about the identity of Addie's killer.  I was wrong about the others.

Bottom line,  even with my complaints, I loved it.

I’ve not read anything by this author before but I will now. This book was another edge of your seat page turner.

How do you deal with a loss like this? It would be the ultimate horror for sure.
It kept my interest and had me guessing all the way through. Well done. I enjoyed everything about it. From the characters to the scenery. I did not much care for some of the towns people but that was suppose to be I think.

Thank you #NetGalley, #HelenFields, #AvonBooksUK for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts.

5 stars and I highly recommend it.

A gripping and fascinating thriller with elements of horror and folklore. It's gripping, fascinating, and kept me on the edge till the end.
It was an excellent read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

My thanks to Avon Books U.K. for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Last Girl to Die’ by Helen Fields.

As I am a fan of Helen Field’s series of Edinburgh based police procedurals featuring DI Luc Callanach, I was excited to read this standalone thriller set on the Isle of Mull.

Its lead and narrator is Canadian private investigator Sadie Levesque. The parents of missing 17-year-old Adriana Clark hired Sadie five days after she went missing. They are Americans who have only recently moved to the island, and felt that the local police were not overly motivated to find her. Sadie flew to Scotland and began to methodically search Mull for the missing girl.

On the sixth day she discovers Adriana’s body in a cliffside cave. Bizarrely her body has been posed with a seaweed crown placed on her head… as Sadie continues to investigate the island’s secrets are slowly revealed. Then another girl goes missing …. No further details to avoid spoilers.

This was a cracking thriller with plenty of twists. I was delighted that there was an undercurrent of folk horror. There is also a priest stirring up the locals with fears of witchcraft and the like. The ending left me stunned.

Overall, I was totally captivated by this atmospheric thriller.

Highly recommended.

Sadie Levesque is a Canadian P.I. specializing in tracing missing teens.
She receives a request from an American family, the Clark`s who have recently relocated to the island of Mull off the western coast of Scotland.
Their 17 year old daughter Adriana has been missing for a few days , its a small island where can she be?
The islands police force do not seem to be treating her disappearance seriously enough for the Clark`s.
Sadie heads for Mull only to find she is not exactly welcomed by the Sgt in charge of the case.
Searching every day and talking to the locals eventually after 11 days she discovers Adriana`s body in a cave.
Someone has packed her mouth with sand and on her head a crown of woven seaweed has been placed.
Cruelly a conch shell has been inserted in an intimate place , wisely this detail is not revealed to the public.
Sadie keeps her family informed of everything she uncovers , looking into not only what has happened since they arrived on Mull but details of their life in the States.
Its weird, she can find nothing about their past life, its almost as if they did not exist before arriving on Mull.

Talking to the locals finally gives her a lead when she discovers Adriana received a text message from a local girl, Catriona, the night she disappeared.
Just when shes getting somewhere Catriona disappears.
She too is found dead, mouth stuffed with sand, a crown of seaweed though thankfully no shell in place.

Sadie learns of numerous deaths of young girls throughout the islands history, legends of witches and magic give the story a dark turn.
Her inquiries putting her in a dangerous position.
It really is a tense and intriguing read filled with hidden dangers secrets and hostile islanders.

I really enjoyed this standalone from Helen Field.

I loved Helen Fields' SHADOW MAN last year, but unfortunately her latest novel fell a bit flat for me. The story takes place on Mull. A tight-knit community is shocked by the almost ritualistic murder of a newcomer, Addie. Addie's family hires a private investigator from Canada because they don't trust the authorities of the island to properly research its citizens.

Sadie does not give up. She will turn every stone and annoy every villager to get the answers for the family. However, the murders don't stop with Addie.

In essence the story is really good, but it was too long for my liking with too many twists-and-turns and elements. We're talking about gender, religion, tight-knit communities, and almost every single person in the book is a suspect at some point. It would've benefited the story if a certain direction would've been chosen and if the author would've stuck with that. The ending now felt haphazard and all the final reveals came out of nowhere.

There are sections where an all-knowing character in the form of the island speaks to the readers about the history and about the characters who inhabit the island; the book certainly could've done without that. I found myself skimming those pages rather than reading them because I didn't need the extra information.

There isn't a sense a dread, there's just a bit of sighing at the decisions the main protagonist makes. That's a pity because the way the murders were executed were horrific, but it didn't come across well.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

This book was not what I thought it was going to be. That being said, I did enjoy this book. It’s a thriller that takes place in a small island village in Scotland, an island that seems to have a bit of a life of its own. The history of the island is steeped in folklore and tales of lost love and revenge.

When Sadie comes to town as a private detective for a new family to the island whose teen daughter has gone missing, she doesn’t realize what a closed place this island will be. When she finds the daughters body, the villagers, of course do not believe it could be anyone from their small Island Village, it had to be a visitor. When another teen goes missing, all eyes are on the new family and Sadie. As Sadie tries to resolve this case, she inevitably finds herself in danger; will Sadie be able to solve the crime and get off the island to safety or will the island claim another soul.

A compelling and chilling thriller, The Last Girl to Die shines a bright light on rural life on a remote Scottish island. Full of atmosphere and long-held traditions, it follows PI Sadie LeVesque as she investigates at first the disappearance and ultimately the murder of sixteen-year-old Adriana Clark.

The real star here is Sade, Canadian born and not one to be easily swayed by the hostility and cold nature of the island residents, she shines as a main character. Quick witted and clever, I enjoyed watching her navigate her investigation while digging in to the secrets the island has held.
The plot is tight and moves along quickly, highly recommend this to any fan of the genre!

My thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this gifted DRC!

I’ve been wanting to read Helen Fields for a while now and was excited when I saw she had a standalone novel coming out soon and knew this would be a perfect introduction to this bestselling author. Based on the strength of this, I will definitely be making the time to read the Perfect series and perhaps everything this author writes. This was a twisty, thrilling and exciting mystery that left me guessing right to the end. It was paced well, had strong relatable characters and was set in a chilling and intriguing setting. I loved the folklore aspects to the crimes. The ending blew me away and while initially I wasn’t sure about it, the more time that has passed I’ve come to agree that it was the perfect way to end such an intense and emotional journey. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an early copy.

The Last Girl to Die by Helen Sara Fields is a powerfully written novel of suspense with strong symbolism and gothic vibes!
On the Isle of Mull, in Scotland, Adriana, an American teenager, goes missing. When the local police fail to take much interest in the situation, Adriana’s parents hire Sadie Levesque, a Canadian PI known for her successful teenage tracking, to find Adriana.
From the gripping opening chapter to the sensitively written conclusion, this book had me totally immersed in the story. The history, myths, and atmosphere of the island are skillfully interwoven with the mystery of the missing girl. The characters are strong—Sadie is a likable narrator with intelligence, intuition, and a quick wit—the dialogue is smart and sometimes humorous.
While Sadie is the protagonist, there is another equally strong character—the Island itself. There are chapters interspersed throughout the book simply titled “The Island” which give voice to the wisdom and power of ancient beings.
The rest of the cast runs the gamut from Adriana’s emotional but secretive parents, to callous misogynistic cops, to a pathologist with a gentle soul, to a cadre of women who meet secretly to support each other in the face of male domination.
There is a lot going on in this novel, and there are some graphic scenes involving the murder victims. But the writing is so masterful that the gore is surmounted by the author’s skill and ability to move the plot forward with alacrity.
This is the first novel by Helen Fields that I have read, and I will definitely seek out her other works.
I highly recommend this mystery to readers who enjoy intelligently written, atmospheric, edge-of-your-seat suspense!!

Thank you to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my unbiased review.