In search of a new life, sixteen year old Adriana Clark's family moves to the ancient, ocean-battered Isle of Mull, far off the coast of Scotland. Then she goes missing. Faced with hostile locals and indifferent police, her desperate parents turn to private investigator Sadie Levesque. Sadie is the best at what she does. But when she finds Adriana's body in a cliffside cave, a seaweed crown carefully arranged on her head, she knows that she's dealing with something she's never encountered before.

This story is set on the Isle of Mull. Sadie Levesque specialises in finding missing teenagers, so the parents of missing Adriana Clark hire Sadie to help them find her. But unfortunately Adriana's body is found in the MacKinnon caves.

This fast paced, well written mystery held my attention throughout. PI Sadie Levesque is focused on finding the missing teenager, and the dee[er she digs the more she finds. This is a tense read with not a lot of twists to begin with. I was not keen on the chapters that were told from the islands perspective. The ending is shocking and sad. The characters were well developed. I really enjoyed reading this standalone.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #AvonBooksUk and the author #HelenFields for my ARC of #TheLastGirlToDie in exchange for an honest review.

I’d like to thank Avon Books UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Last Girl To Die’ written by Helen Fields in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Sadie Levesque is a private investigator from Canada with a reputation for finding missing teenagers. The family of 17-year-old Adriana Clark who are American but are now living on the Isle of Mull in Scotland have asked Sadie to investigate her disappearance. She’s appalled to find Adriana’s body in Mackinnon’s Cave with a crown of seaweed around her head and sand in her mouth and throat, but Adriana isn’t the last girl to die.

I’ve become so used to Helen Fields writing of DI Luc Callanach that ‘The Last Girl To Die’ has come as something of a surprise. I like the character descriptions, in particular those of Dr Nate Carlisle, Lance Proudfoot, Joseph Kydd, Skittles and Hilda, but especially Sadie who comes across as tough, dedicated and strong-willed as she struggles to get people to talk to her due to mistrust from the close-knit island community. From the first page I’ve been gripped by the story that has loads of intrigue, suspense and twists and turns, not to mention the red herrings thrown into the mix to confuse, and although the story slows down somewhat in the middle this is more than compensated for by the shocking and dramatic ending that I really haven’t been expecting. This is a well-written thriller with a sinister and unpredictable plot that I can recommend.

Helen Fields is a master story teller and The Last Girl to Die is no exception, in fact it's one of her very best.

I was hooked from page one to the final page as Sadie a private investigator is digging into the murders of young girls .

The bodies are adding up and Sadie puts herself at risk to get the answers on this small island.

Twists and turns that will make you cringe and hold your breath.

The ending was one I did not see coming and will stay with me a long time.

Get your copy of The Last to Die on publication day of September 1st and be prepared for a wild read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK, Avon for a mind blowing read.

Another absolutely brilliant thriller from Helen Fields, who is master plotter and Queen of the unpredictable.

I love an honestly addictive page turner and The Last Girl To Die hits all the mystery sweet spots - compelling divisive characters, twists of fate that lead to unexpected outcomes and an atmospheric beautifully drawn setting where evil lurks.

Almost impossible to put down once you pick it up, this standalone is a pitch perfect introduction to this author for new readers and an absolute joy to read for her already fans.

Highly Recommended.

There was just something about the blurb of The Last Girl To Die that caught my attention immediately. I do always love an island setting, and the Scottish island of Mull sounded like a solid backdrop for a story with a lot of potential. Add the fact that I've enjoyed books by Helen Fields in the past, and you will understand why I couldn't pass up the opportunity to read this newest stand-alone. I'm glad I didn't, because it turned out to be an intense and gripping thriller with and ending I most definitely didn't see coming.

The Scottish island setting ended up being one of the reasons this story worked so well for me. The small island town community, the descriptions of the town and surrounding nature, the local folklore and myths... They were all elements that took this story to the next level for me. Especially the exploration of the local folklore was fascinating, and I liked how it was incorporated into the plot.

The plot itself is filled with a lot of twists and turns as well as a lot of characters with something to hide. The story has an ominous feel and there are plenty of moments of suspense and danger... And the plot seems to be building up the tension until things are about ready to explode. I do have to say that I wondered about the credibility of certain aspects of the plot, and other events were a bit too convenient. There is no denying that they helped create a very entertaining, suspenseful and gripping read though.

As for the characters... I liked the idea of Canadian private investigator Sadie Levesque, and the fact that she isn't afraid to step on more than one toe (or better said: bulldozer all over them). BUT. Again, I wondered about the credibility of some of her actions, and she there were times she certainly frustrated me. The rest of the characters are a bit of a mixed bag, but they did fit their roles in the story very well. The secrets and twists are also very well done; I never saw most of the final twists coming!

The writing itself is very engaging and it makes it easy to keep turning those pages. I do wish the story would have stuck with just Sadie's POV. I wasn't a fan of those chapters from the POV of The Island itself; there was just something about the tone that didn't work for me, although I do understand why the author included them as the chapters helped explaining certain things.

As a whole, The Last Girl To Die turned out to be a solid thriller that packs a punch. Definitely prepare yourself for some graphic scenes and heavy topics! But it's an excellent read if you don't mind a story that isn't afraid to go dark.

Sadie Levesque is a private investigator from Banff Canada who has been hired by the Clark family to look into the disappearance of their 16-year-old daughter Adriana on the Isle of Mull off the west coast of Scotland. The Clark family moved to Mull from the USA not too long ago and haven't really been accepted by the community.

I've loved all the books in this author's Luc Callanach series but, although a good book, this standalone didn't engage me as much as the series. Some of the events were illogical, beginning with why the family of the missing girl would hire somebody from Canada to search for their daughter, somebody who has never been to Mull, even if she does specialize in finding missing teenagers. Did I mention they paid for her to fly to Scotland and I assume they're paying her expenses? Then Sadie makes some reckless decisions and ends up alienating not only members of the police force but also members of the community. About 60% of the way into the book, things got a little more tense and exciting (due to Sadie's carelessness but still ...). Then, at about 80%, she did something else so reckless my eyes nearly rolled out of my head and something even more brainless after that. I must admit that the ending caught me totally by surprise and I was absolutely shocked. It was a brave move by the author and increased my final rating. 3.5 rounded up to 4.

The cover is gorgeous and the book contains a lot of interesting information about superstitions and folklore and terrific descriptions of the geography of the area but the story was a little much for me. My opinion goes against the norm though so you should read it and decide for yourself.

Readers should be aware that there are graphic descriptions of indignities to a body which some people might find difficult to read.

I wish to thank Avon Books UK via Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication: September 1, 2022

Another great, if gory, thriller from Helen Fields. Couldn’t put it down.
An American teenager goes missing on a Scottish island and her family brings in private investigator Sadie Levesque. Sadie finds the girl, but then another one goes missing, and as Sadie investigates, it is clear that there is more to this than it seems, and the islanders are hiding something.

Compelling characterisation, mystical folklore, and a plot that twists the minute you feel you know what's happening is a brief description of this memorable story. Sadie, a Canadian skilled at finding missing young persons, arrives on the Isle of Mull to a heartwrenching discovery. The local community and police are hostile, but her client wants her to continue. She has few allies, but those who do support her affect her profoundly.

The world-building is believable, and the relationship dynamics are realistic. The plot draws you in and teases the reader with information that confuses you more than enlightens you. The suspense-building and atmospheric setting leave you with a constant sense of menace. Sadie is a complex and courageous character, flawed but never losing sight of her goal, even though it leads her into danger.

The third-person viewpoint from the Island is informative and potent, using sensory imagery and pagan folklore to tell its story. The ending is an intriguing mix of action and poignancy and resonates.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

This has to have a 4* or even 5* rating for the writing and descriptions - gory though the murder scenes are, but the main character takes it down to a 2* for me. The author, as always, describes the place, this time Mull, to a 'T' although the narrow-minded, unfriendly locals not so - they belong to her imagination, as she says in her acknowledgments. PI Sadie Levesque is brought to Mull by an American family living there but whose beautiful teenage daughter has gone missing. Sadie seemed to be more of a typical "cosy detective" - nosy, blunt, insensitive and getting in the way of the police although, in this case, the police were rather too laid back about Addie's disappearance. She finds Addie's mutilated body. and things escalate/get worse from then on. The locals are all seen as very insular but she seems brash and determined to get her way irrespective of their feelings. The clash of two cultures perhaps? The American family is clearly hiding something and what that was was no great surprise; witch-craft and local lore comes into play a lot as does teenage angst both normal and dangerous. Another girl goes missing and, yet again, Sadie finds the body. No wonder the police are mistrusting her given the lies she tells about circumstances and so on; she feels persecuted at this and goes off camping in the local woodlands and mires seemingly thinking that no-one on the island will find her; the local white witch, after another brutal and gory attack, dies in Sadie's arms. I'm sorry, but by this time I just wanted Sadie out of the way and get the local police to bring in a professional team who would seriously but sensitively work to discover the murderer. The storyline itself was strong and different - I liked it bringing in Scottish myths (although that seems a bit of a thing in books at the moment), The ending was unexpected although satisfying to me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

In typical Helen Fields fashion this was a brilliant page turner with some horrific scenes! The ending wasn’t predictable and left me feeling a bit lost because I loved the main character so much.

4.75⭐️

This is a favourite author, so I was excited to read this standalone Scottish mystery thriller.

Adriana Clark’s American family move to the Isle of Mull. When she goes missing, her family get no joy from the police so bring in PI Sadie Levesque who hails from Canada.

It opens with a great hook which kept me hooked throughout.

It has a beautiful quite poetic writing style. I found the island being a ‘character’ a bit weird. It did however give enlightenment to the history of the island in a manner which was interesting and didn’t feel like an info dump.

For a PI Sadie sure made some poor decisions! That’s the only reason it’s not the full house.

I loved it, it’s quite dark, gritty and very compelling. I found Sadie very likeable, and also Nate. There were a few unreliable characters which added suspense and tension. The tension built to a great climax at the end. This is one which I highly recommend.

I think people who love Lisa Gardners Frankie Elkin series would love this.

Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

PUBLICATION DAY: September 1, 2022

Sadie investigates missing teenagers - so when a frantic family flies her over to a remote island in Scotland to find their missing daughter, she gets to work immediately. But the local police are not happy an insider is trying to take over. And with myths, legend, superstitions and the islander’s automatic mistrust of strangers, will Sadie be able to solve this case? And at what cost?

PROS and CONS:
I’m still reeling from this book - that ending! Actually all the way along it’s good - Sadie diligently follows up on clues, she’s a feisty main character who you’ll love ( (and I loved that she was from Banff, Alberta.) There’s a host of well developed characters to consider (including the Island as a character - ingenious), and a compelling plot. But it’s the ending that I’ll remember (I had to read it twice.)

READ IT?
This one is really, really good! Yes, if you’re into procedurals with a twist, you’ll love this one.

5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

In this story we meet Sadie, who is a private investigator from Canada. She has been hired by the Clark family to find their daughters killer on the Scottish island of Mull. But what she finds is far worse.

This author never fails to produce a well written and thought out story. The descriptives used to describe Mull and the area is brilliant, and makes you want to visit this picturesque place. The characters were all well written, and Sadie was a great character to get to know. She was brave, with a vulnerability deep down in her. The story was great, and had the right element of intrigue, mystery, and crime. There was also the added layers of mythical legends, which gave the book a creepy and atmospheric feel.

An excellent read and highly recommended.

This is a stand-alone novel brought to us by the author of the Luc Callanach series.
It is a one-off crime novel following Canadian private investigator Sadie Levesque (the author likes her French names!), and it has a cameo from Lance Proudfoot from the Callanach series, which was an excellent addition. (Was Nate in those books too, I couldn’t remember?!?)
Sadie has come to the Isle of Mull to search for a missing teenager, Adriana. As her search develops, she finds herself stuck in a never-ending nightmare and, by accident, not just investigating Adriana but two other deaths too. What appeared to be a straightforward investigation turned out to be life-changing for Sadie.
The crimes committed in this book certainly made me question the author’s sanity. They were gruesome, detailed and terrifying; they were just what you need from a good crime book. This also had me questioning my sanity as I rate a book depending on how horrific the crimes are (everyone in my book club needs to be looked at, too, as they feel the same!!)
Sadie herself wasn’t the best investigator and often missed vital clues or didn’t ask questions that were obvious or that needed to be asked. For example, she wants to find out who Jasper is and ask him more questions. She is then confronted by someone that tells her to speak to Jasper, but she doesn’t ask for his surname so that she can track him down. It was frustrating. She seemed a bit too much of an airhead for someone that was hired to do such an important job. I’m also assuming she wasn’t cheap as she was flown over from Canada to do the job!
The ending was shocking, and I didn’t see it coming. I’m in two minds about it, though, yes, it was surprising, but it was also senseless. I can’t say much without giving anything away, but it didn’t need to have ended that way all because of a compass! I kept expecting it to be not what it seemed, but it wasn’t, and it was very sad, but as I say, just nonsensical.
So, overall the book was a little slow in places, but the horror and thrill of the crime keep you turning the page. This would have been a five-star read if Sadie had just been better at her job; she let the book down for me a little bit. I think with just a little bit more care and attention, this book would have been phenomenal; as it stands, it was still a fantastic book, just let down by a few things. So a solid four-star read instead.

My introduction to Helen Fields' books were through the D.I. Callanach series and I was instantly hooked. If you like police procedurals and mysteries which are gritty and bold, this is your author.

The Last Girl to Die is a stand alone novel with charcaters you'd not be familar with if you were a fan of the aforementioned series. This one is a page turner.

The setting is Mull, a small island off the coast of Scotland. Our main character is Sadie Levesque, a Canadian private investigator hired by the Clark family to find their missing daughter. The Clarks are from California and when 17 year old Adriana suddenly disappears, they seek help from outside the community. The local townspeople are close knit and outsiders aren't welcomed with open arms. The police chief isn't helpful and tells the parents she's probably off partying in Glasgow.

Sadie doggedly pursues her investigation despite the hostile environment and lack of cooperation / info sharing from the police. Secrets are uncovered about the Clark family and a few locals, violence is threatened and carried out and the ending - just wow. I was so astounded how this ended. I went back a chapter to reread it. If Fields comes out with any new books I will purchase them.

Publication date September 1, 2022 by Avon Books U.K. Genre: General Fiction Adult.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy of this book. I was not compensated for the review, all opinions are mine.

Oh wow, that was a pretty twisted, twisty story! Sadie Levesque is Canadian PI who specialises in finding missing teens. She is approached by the Clark family who have recently moved to the Isle of Mull off the Scottish west coast from the US. Their 17 year old daughter Adriana disappeared some days ago and they don’t think the island’s small police contingent is taking it seriously enough.

Sadie drops everything and hotfoots it to Mull. The local police - Sergeant Harris Eggo and Constable Simon Bathgate are not very welcoming, in fact they are downright hostile towards her. Nevertheless she does find Adriana after she has been missing for 11 days. Unfortunately she is dead. Her mouth has been filled with sand and around her head is a ‘crown’ of seaweed. There is also a conch shell inserted in an intimate place - a detail not made public.

Sadie keeps the family informed of all aspects of the case but she can’t help feeling that they are hiding something. They have zero social media presence, even Adriana and her twin brother, Brandon. Sadie finds this odd. In fact the family doesn’t seem to exist until five months ago when they moved to Mull. She eventually learns that Addie received a text message from Catriona, a local popular girl, on the night she disappeared. But before she can get to bottom of that Catriona herself disappears. Later she, too is found dead with sand in her mouth and a crown of seaweed but no shell.

The story takes an interesting turn and Mull’s rich history of legends about myths and witches colours the tale beautifully. There had been numerous deaths of young women over the islands history with similar characteristics. Sadie hears about current witch gatherings and she witnesses one such event herself. But it is not the black magic that everyone thinks, rather a way for young women to break free of the patriarchy and feel empowered in themselves. Nevertheless there is danger associated with it and more deaths are to come.

I really enjoyed this rather dark tale. Few of the characters ended up being as they seemed. There were so many secrets and much dark history. It was a very tricky plot to unpick and even then I got it oh so wrong! The ending was a real jaw dropper! Helen Fields is an author at the top of her game. I love her Luc Callanach series but this stand alone story is equally good, wonderful even. Many thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.

A must read. I couldn’t help but read this book all in one sitting - it kept me hooked from the very start!

This is one of my favourite Authors so I was excited to start reading this one.

It’s a fast paced mystery with lots of Set in Mull, Scotland, some of the descriptions of scenery were amazing, I really felt like I was there. It’s based on witchcraft and superstition which would not normally be my type of read but I found it to be enjoyable, if not a little long.

A great story, with some weird characters and a unexpected ending all made for a great read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Not usually a fan of paranormal aspects in a book but this worked well, particularly with the backdrop setting of the isolated Scottish island of Mull :). Scotland history being full of legends, it actually worked well.
I did not see the end coming and it left me with much sadness.
I enjoyed the whole experience, much different from what I usually read.
Would recommend.

The Last Girl to Die by Helen Fields

Halfway through my binge read of this fantastic new thriller from Helen Fields, I had to look it up and check that it really was a stand-alone novel. Sadie Levesque is a compelling central character: brave, resourceful, determined, intelligent and ever so slightly impulsive. I could easily imagine her as the backbone of a great crime series. Sadie is a private investigator based in Canada where she’s about to be the birth partner for her sister. She has time to fit in one last job, which takes her to Scotland and the atmospheric island of Mull. The Clark family recently moved to Mull from the United States to start a new life, but their new life has been derailed by the disappearance of their seventeen year old daughter Adriana. With her American accent and dark Latino looks, Adriana caused a stir among the teenagers of Mull and was very noticeable in her job at the local pub. Her desperate parents feel the local police force are doing very little to look for their daughter, possibly because they are outsiders. When Sadie finds the girl’s body while searching local teen hang outs, the police become hostile. Adriana has been drowned. The killer has sexually assaulted her, adorned her with a seaweed crown and filled her mouth and throat full of sand. Sadie’s immediate thought is she’s been silenced. Without police cooperation, Sadie must find the killer and is drawn into local folklore, witches, a misogynistic priest and a community that looks after it’s own. Will Adriana be the last girl to die?

The island is definitely a character in it’s own right here. It even narrates it’s own chapters. Nature is in every part of the book, starting with Sadie who seems more comfortable outside than in. She feels more powerful out there, sleeping in a tent and lurking around in the dead of night, observing the islanders. For the island’s teenagers, the beaches and stone circles become the backdrop for their vigils and parties. Of course Adriana is found outdoors, in a cave adorned with the plants and products of the sea. There’s something folkloric about the way she is posed and especially the sand, which Sadie finds out is part of ancient lore dating back to the 16th Century if not further. It is part of a ritualistic killing, if her mouth is full of sand she can’t utter the truth about what or who killed her. The outdoors and the sea is in these people’s DNA for generations, many are fishermen and one of the island’s legends is of a ship from Spain that was wrecked on the coast of Mull. On board was a Spanish princess who had dreamed of a beautiful man on a Scottish island and saw him as they reached the shore at Tobermory and fell instantly in love. The man’s wife saw the look in the princess’s eyes and called on the Mull witch who destroyed the vessel, killing all 300 souls on board. History tells us that the islanders sank the vessel, a terrible end for the sailors who were seeking help. These deaths, from the 16th century to the present leave their mark. The island is a living thing, we are told, it feels everything.

‘Sea deaths bring furious tides. The waves slap the sides of boats, knocking the sailors from port to starboard, and the fish thrash so hard they break nets. Shells smash, scattering vicious fragments on beaches to slice careless feet. Salty tears form an ocean.’

It’s following her instinct and looking into the death of a young woman years before that first sparks the idea of witchcraft. Flora Kydd’s father laments in the village pub that his daughter’s death was glossed over by the police. Her killer had never been found. Sadie finds the Kydd’s house covered with posies of flowers to deter witchcraft and dark symbols burned into the beams to ward off the evil eye. I loved the way the author paired witchcraft with feminism, showing a deep seated misogyny in some of the islands men, particularly the local priest. Sadie stumbles across a group of women in a forest clearing, late at night. They are naked, but covered in clay, dancing around a fire. Their leader, Hilda, talks to Sadie at length dismissing the idea of darker witchcraft and claiming to be a women’s group, offering support and learning the old healing ways of nature. Sadie’s thoughts are going in two different directions. Could Adriana have been killed by unscrupulous members of Hilda’s group who were pressuring her to join in? Or had she become one of the women dancing around the fire and been killed because she was deemed a witch? There are some twists to the final stages that came as a huge shock. I love to be surprised and I really was here, with my heart sat in my throat at times. Could the truth be more prosaic than the legends? That men kill and could use the excuse of ancient folklore and witchcraft to cover their tracks. I was torn between this more logical explanation and the sense of an ancient evil at play on this remote and wild island. If anyone knows, the island does.