From the opening scene, featuring a literal dog chase, Keaton sets a tone that’s equal parts tense and cheeky. Gabe is flawed, snarky, and unexpectedly likable. Watching him fumble through confrontations with locals, clash with an enigmatic forest ranger, and stumble into a missing person case is engaging from start to finish.

The romantic subplot is handled with nuance, complementing the mystery without overpowering it. Keaton doesn’t rush emotional beats, allowing readers to slowly peel back the layers of Gabriel’s past and present. The setting, a seemingly quiet island with its own secrets, adds to the atmosphere and makes it a character in its own right.

While the book doesn’t resolve every thread (it is book one, after all), it sets up future installments with enough intrigue to leave you wanting more.

A good start to a new series in the Veiled Intentions universe. Casey and Gabe distrust each other while also being attracted to each other. And they don’t know what to do about that.

There isn’t any spice in this, not even a kiss. They get to the “I trust you more than I did last week, but still not much” point while working together to investigate a situation. The initial problem is solved, but there is still a wide open door for book 2 to walk thru.

I look forward to the rest of the series. I also need to read a bunch of her back list. I would recommend reading at least the first 3 Veiled Intentions books to understand some cameos and mentions here.

Great characters and setting. Elle Keaton clearly is playing the long game here, because the romance takes a back seat to the mystery, though it's clear that the romance will develop in future books. Chance is an intriguing guy with a backstory worth learning, and a current story that is compelling on its own.

Great read, the characters have depth and diversity, their backgrounds hint at the depth, but not in a way that annoyed me, but in a way that makes me eager for the next book in this series. There is MM romance possibility, but only that, so fine if you are squeamish. The dog is great, lots of character in him, too. And I laughed out loud at points. I had read another book by this author (different series) and thought it was just okay, this one is great and I am eager for the next book in the series.

Ms. Keaton is one of my favorite authors and her new series does not disappoint. I love a romance that is heavily laced with a mystery.

Casey and Gabe have a sizzling attraction that is a slow burn. The action is heart-pounding at times and the pages flew by.

I can't wait fir the next in the series and highly re ommend this rivoting story.

Special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book for my reading pleasure.

4.5 stars rounded up for what's to come

This is the start of a new series that will continue following the same set of characters and plotlines.

Small town, mystery, enemies to ..., great/unique characters, world-building story and beginning of series.

While the start was a bit slow getting everything set up, I ended up loving the story. Gabe and Casey, actually all the characters, were fabulous.

Yes, the story ends in a cliffhanger, and I can't wait for more.

Seeing a queer enemies to lovers story got me excited to read this. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me.

The Last Grift felt disorganized. It was difficult to keep my attention on reading this book. There were parts that I was tempted to skim because I found myself bored and wanting to put it down. The plot jumped around and the pacing felt like it stalled in some places.

It’s possible that Keaton’s writing style just isn’t my cup of tea.

I'm hooked on this new series.
There's mutual animosity between Gabriel and Casey that's actually concealing a slow simmering attraction.
An intriguing mystery filled with fast paced action, danger and drama.
Lots of great side characters and I can't wait for more from this series.

This was my first book by Elle Keaton, but it won't be my last. I really enjoyed just about every aspect of this book. It was all great stuff. Pass go and collect $200.

I was not aware when starting it that it was part of an already existing universe but it didn't stop me from enjoying the book or leave me feeling like I was missing any inside jokes. I'm definitely excited to go back and read the rest of the universe.

The characters were wonderful. I love Gabe and all the mess that comes with him. The setting is fantastic and I'm a sucker for mysterious island shit. The mystery itself is great, with lots of twists and turns that kept my attention for the entire time I blazed through the book.

I'm a new fan, and I'm so seated for the next book.

I'm a fan of gay mysteries, and this was a good start to a new series. This is very slow burn, so if romance is the appeal to you you may have to wait for that. The pacing is decent, though I thought we took a while to get to the true mystery. Also, for those who don't like cliffhangers, the mystery isn't solved by the end of the book, although the villain seems obvious. But we don't know why he did what he did. I guess that's for the next book. Still, I'm interested to see where this series goes.

Well, for my first Elle Keaton i thought that The Last Grift was awesome! Robust, compelling narrative, engaging characterization, a bit of a strange plot that i think will get more substance the longer the series goes on, and tons of atmosphere sucked me right into this!

Loved loooved Gabe! He was a dynamite character with depth and fortitude, and i cannot wait to careen head-first into his plotline because it's a PRIMO VIBE that i hope Keaton dedicates substantial energy in delivering with toothy cleverness! I'm also very interested in Casey's beef with the sheriff, and i hope there's justice to be had for him and his brother by the time this series wraps up!

Looking forward to the next installment, Bait and Switch, and i'm just beyond happy that this first book in the Subtle Deceptions series was a winner for me!

This book is definitely more mystery-focused with the romance as a subplot. That being said, I do really like the tension between Casey and Gabriel! The plot twists sure kept on a'twistin'! I can't wait to see what comes next.

This is the first book in the Subtle Deceptions series, and can be read as a standalone.

4.5/5 stars! This is the beginning of a new series by author Elle Keaton. I have previously read and loved her Veiled Intentions series. This was another win for her. There are some overlaps to the previous series that I loved but this is definitely it's own story. Gabe is very jaded and Casey isn't much friendlier, so watching them grow together was great. It is an ultimate slow-burn, with more energy focused on the crime and less on the romance. Will definitely be continuing the series.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley; my opinions are my own.
This book is a bit of a deviation from the author's usual work, so keep that in mind when you read it. This is primarily a mystery/ thriller, with just hints of future romance. By the end of this book, they don't even like each other enough to kiss yet, so I'm assuming all of that will be in the next book.
Gabriel is a grifter on the run, who gets drafted into helping find a missing man against his better (more cynical? ) judgement. Casey is a forest ranger who reluctantly allows him to exist. They can't stand each other yet, but they do work together to try and figure stuff out.
While I enjoyed this book and especially the characters (Elton is fantastic), this is 100 percent not a standalone. There are too many dangling threads left that I can only assume will come to a head in the second book. It was well written, and I found no errors, but I'm mentally going to have to categorize this as part 1 of a 2 part book rather than its own thing.

This was a very enjoyable mystery about Gabe, who is running from the mob. Upon his mother's death, he is informed of an 'inheritance' out on an island. There's a sailboat that needs fixing, a park ranger that annoys Gabe to no end (it's probably attraction, but that isn't covered in this book), an old man he becomes friends with, and a bunch of shifty law enforcement and locals. There's a murder mystery to solve, and also the revelation of who Gabe's father was. This book is the beginning of a series, so by the end there's still a lot we don't know about Gabe's future - looks like that will be covered when book 2 comes out - it definitely ends on a cliffhanger. I like this one well enough that I'll be reading book2 when it comes out..

This was a great story! It was fast paced and kept me invested right to the end. Gabriel is a grifter. His mother started teaching him when he was young. But the last grift went wrong when he messed with the wrong people. On the run, he flees to an island to find the man who holds the key to his inheritance. He also meets the attractive but grumpy ranger, Casey. And then trouble finds him. Casey is a man who trusts few people and Gabriel is not one of them. But when a body turns up, and a local guy might get blamed for it, he has to rely on Gabriel. There is action, secrets and treacherous people. Plus, it's set in my neck of the woods so I could picture the places in my mind.

dnf @ 20%


Unfortunately didn't work for me. The writing style seemed pretty nice, but I wasn't feeling connected to either main character and the plot hadn't moved much, so I decided to dnf.

This is my first book by Elle Keaton and it certainly won't be my last! The mystery was well written and the introduction of the two main characters was very fun. The extent of the romance so far is just "we just met and you annoy me but also stop being hot, it's getting in the way of my annoyance." XD
I can't wait to continue this series and I want to check out the connected Veiled Intentions series too. I don't think starting here would matter if anyone is curious - I didn't feel like anything was missing or there were things I should have known.

(This was a voluntary review of a free advanced reader copy. Thanks to Dirty Dog Press, Elle Keaton, and NetGalley for that privilege!)

THE LAST GRIFT is a solid installment of a multi-part series. It’s a nascent love story wrapped in a suspenseful mystery. The main characters, Gabriel and Casey - and Casey’s lovable dog, Bowie - are intriguing; the plot is compelling, and I am waiting for more! Do I prefer reading the full story in one go? Yes, but I also must acknowledge that this is a very well-written book, one that I couldn’t put down. Well-done, Elle Keaton!

Good start to a new series but I admit to having an issue with Casey, I just couldn't warm up to him and couldn't find anything to like with him. I realized midway through the book that this wasn't going to end and it would be a continuation, which is fine, unexpected, but fine. Loved Elton and I would have loved more of Gabe's family, which is probably coming in the upcoming book.. 3.5