Last Seen Alive is the sixth book in the Detective Amanda Steele series by Carolyn Arnold and it did not disappoint. Read on to learn the reason this series has become a favourite.
The woman lies so still as her blood soaks into the soft bedcovers beneath her. A tear runs down her face as she looks at the wedding band on her finger. She had loved her husband so much… I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.
Title: Last Seen Alive
Author(s): Carolyn Arnold
Series: Detective Amanda Steele #6
Also in this series: The Little Grave , Stolen Daughters , The Silent Witness , Black Orchid Girls , Her Frozen Cry , Her Final Breath, Taken Girls , Her Last Words , Missing Before Daylight
Published by Bookouture on October 6, 2022
Pages: 285
Genre(s): Crime Fiction, Mystery
Source: Netgalley, Publisher
Format: eArc 
Purchase: Amazon|Audible
Rating: 
Series Rating:
When Detective Amanda Steele unexpectedly reconnects with an old boyfriend, the last thing she expects to see lying on his bed is the dead body of his wife, Claire, who walked out on him four years ago.
Logan begs Amanda to believe he’s innocent. But she doesn’t miss the gun on a nearby table, and she’s torn when forensics reveal that not only was this the murder weapon, but Logan’s fingerprints are all over it… Could he have been framed? Or is he using his connection to Amanda to get away with murder?
Determined to uncover the truth, Amanda retraces Claire’s last steps and finds that she visited her best friend the day before her death. But Amanda is devastated to discover that the friend died in a car accident just hours after meeting with Claire. What deadly secret connected them, and could more women be in danger?
But the killer is closer than Amanda realises, and when her beloved daughter, Zoe, is threatened, she’s suddenly in a race to find the final clue before the person she loves most pays the price…
Last Seen Alive takes us back to the Prince William County. The story reunites readers with Detectives Amanda Steele and Trent Stenson. While on a night out with a friend, Amanda reconnected with Logan, an ex-lover. They went back to Logan’s home for a night of passion, but the discovery of a dead body in his bed cut short their rendezvous. All the evidence leads to Logan. Amanda’s connection to the suspect rendered her ineligible to work the case. However, her tenacity and her desire for justice will have her working the case in no time.
The attention grabbing prologue had me diving eagerly into meat of the story with curiosity as to the outcome. Intrigue, suspense and the complex case had me turning the pages. As the story progressed, the identity of the killer was clear, however, the uncertainty lay in the motive. The murder investigation led the duo to a cold case, and it was interesting figuring how both cases were connected. The investigation delivered several surprising and interesting reveals.
This installment provided a Little more insight into Trent’s character. This case brought to mind a painful episode in his life. Amanda also discovers that her attraction to Trent is not one-sided. Trent and Amanda are so in tune with each other as work partners, which made a great team. Any romantic involvement between will complicate their working relationship. I am curious to see how Arnold will handle this in future books.
Amanda continues to juggle her professional and personal life. Finding a balance between the two comes with its challenges, but Amanda does her best under the circumstances.
It was fascinating seeing events through the victim’s eyes. The snippets from the victim’s POV provided insight in to her state of mind up to the point of her death. While the mystery was solved, its conclusion was anti-climatic. Despite this, I am looking forward to more stories with Amanda and Trent.
Last Seen Alive delivered a captivating mystery filled with twists and turns. Its engaging plot kept me glued to the pages to the end. Overall, a great addition to the series. Fans of police procedurals, crime solving stories and murder mysteries, will want to pick up this series.
| Story Evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Plot | |
| Characters | |
| World Building | |
| Writing Style | |
| Pacing | |
| Cover | |
| Enjoyment | |
| Ending | |
| Overall: | |
About Carolyn Arnold
CAROLYN ARNOLD is an international best-selling and award-winning author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She has four continuing fiction series—Detective Madison Knight, Brandon Fisher FBI, McKinley Mysteries, and Matthew Connor Adventures—and has written nearly thirty books. Her genre diversity offers her readers everything from cozy to hard-boiled mysteries, and thrillers to action adventures. Both her female detective and FBI profiler series have been praised by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining, leading her to adopt the trademark: POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™. Carolyn was born in a small town and enjoys spending time outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big city. Grounded by her roots and lifted by her dreams, her overactive imagination insists that she tell her stories. Her intention is to touch the hearts of millions with her books, to entertain, inspire, and empower. She currently lives just west of Toronto with her husband and beagle and is a member of Crime Writers of Canada.
- Undeniably Convenient: J. Saman - July 26, 2024
- One Little Sigh: Shannon Hollinger - July 22, 2024
- Tin God: Elizabeth Hunter - July 21, 2024
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
I love a good mystery and this sounds captivating. Great review Nadene.
Yes, it was a captivating read.
A book/series I have seen on several blogs recently. Lots of bloggers seem to be enjoying this instalment but, from what I am reading, the series as a whole seems a bit hit-and-miss. Glad this instalment proved to be good, I may well add the books to my Wanna read list as I think if I were to read them I would want to start at the beginning.
You would need to start at the beginning. Although each case is different the storyline surrounding the characters’ lives is ongoing.
Lovely thoughts you have here of this onel. I am glad that it ended up working so well for you even if it was a bit anit climatic.
Thanks Renee. I wanted more at the end, I guess the author had other plans. 😊
I’ve heard good things about this series. I like that you were hooked right away!
I do believe it is a good series.
I really like the sound of this one.
I think you would enjoy it.
I enjoy this author and definitely want to read this series some day.
I hope you get the chance to do so soon.
Another Carolyn Arnold book that sounds just like my kind of read! I really need to read her work soon.