Last Breath

I enjoyed Last Breath, although at first I thought I was reading the new novel due out August 8. It's a great, fast paced story, with characters you instantly know. Karin is the master of surprise and interesting twists, and this book doesn't disappoint!

Disappointing as I have always been a fan of Karin Slaughter books. Plot was lame, light weight and predictable, lacking the suspense of other Slaughter books. I hope the next book is back to thrilling.

If you have read my review of The Good Daughter you know that I absolutely love Karin Slaughter. She is my crime-writer heroine and you know that I absolutely loved that book and I really hated to see it end. So when I came across Last Breath on Audible, I knew I had to listen to it. After all, Kathleen Early is once again the narrator and I am enchanted by her audiobook narrations.

Last Breath is a novella which Slaughter often writes to accompany her books. These stories give a background of the main character(s) by telling a story about them that has no real impact on the novel but allows the reader to get to know the character better or see them in a different light. This story focuses on Charlie Quinn early in her career as an attorney.

Outside the meeting, Flora Faulkner talks to Charlie about her life and the hell she endures living with her grandparents. Not the least of which is that they are draining the trust fund that was set up for her after her mother’s death when Flora was only eight years old.

Knowing exactly how it feels to lose your mother at a young age, Charlie is determined to champion Flora in her fight for emancipation, even though she knows Flora can’t pay her.

The story, told over the course of one day, has Charlie hitting the ground running to help the shy girl. But the more she learns, the more she wonders how she can ever get Flora out of all the problems that make up her life.

Written with the precise and beautiful word flow that is characteristic of any Karin Slaughter novel, this is a story that will shock you with its twists and turns and unforeseeable ending. The only problem with this story is that it is far, far too short!

See my other reviews on my blog, Propensity to Discuss

Disappointing as I have always been a fan of Karin Slaughter books. Plot was lame, light weight and predictable, lacking the suspense of other Slaughter books. I hope the next book is back to thrilling.

If you have read my review of The Good Daughter you know that I absolutely love Karin Slaughter. She is my crime-writer heroine and you know that I absolutely loved that book and I really hated to see it end. So when I came across Last Breath on Audible, I knew I had to listen to it. After all, Kathleen Early is once again the narrator and I am enchanted by her audiobook narrations.

Last Breath is a novella which Slaughter often writes to accompany her books. These stories give a background of the main character(s) by telling a story about them that has no real impact on the novel but allows the reader to get to know the character better or see them in a different light. This story focuses on Charlie Quinn early in her career as an attorney.

Outside the meeting, Flora Faulkner talks to Charlie about her life and the hell she endures living with her grandparents. Not the least of which is that they are draining the trust fund that was set up for her after her mother’s death when Flora was only eight years old.

Knowing exactly how it feels to lose your mother at a young age, Charlie is determined to champion Flora in her fight for emancipation, even though she knows Flora can’t pay her.

The story, told over the course of one day, has Charlie hitting the ground running to help the shy girl. But the more she learns, the more she wonders how she can ever get Flora out of all the problems that make up her life.

Written with the precise and beautiful word flow that is characteristic of any Karin Slaughter novel, this is a story that will shock you with its twists and turns and unforeseeable ending. The only problem with this story is that it is far, far too short!

See my other reviews on my blog, Propensity to Discuss

Karin Slaughter never fails to captivate. Her characters are always fully developed and interesting, the story also. They are mysteries with human insight and a clever sense of humour. I love all of her books!

Fantastic story. Really kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. I was hoping Flora was different. I want to say how much I love to read. I love different authors different story styles, but one thing I’m really working at loving more is Jesus. It’s really bad that we have to put up with so much in the real world like crime and foul language. That’s why I read to escape crime and most of the filthy language you hear on the street or TV. Jesus Christ came to earth so that he could show his love for us by showing us a better way to live w/out all that junk. He washed us in his blood so that we can be clean and realize we don’t need to live like so many choose to live in all the filth they have in their lives. He set a perfect example for us to us to live by. Maybe just maybe Jesus will bless you more if more authors would leave all the cuss words out of their books. I know all authors are about what sells, but one day you will have to ask yourself how about pleasing God? Hm? Just a thought.

Fantastic story. Really kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. I was hoping Flora was different. I want to say how much I love to read. I love different authors different story styles, but one thing I’m really working at loving more is Jesus. It’s really bad that we have to put up with so much in the real world like crime and foul language. That’s why I read to escape crime and most of the filthy language you hear on the street or TV. Jesus Christ came to earth so that he could show his love for us by showing us a better way to live w/out all that junk. He washed us in his blood so that we can be clean and realize we don’t need to live like so many choose to live in all the filth they have in their lives. He set a perfect example for us to us to live by. Maybe just maybe Jesus will bless you more if more authors would leave all the cuss words out of their books. I know all authors are about what sells, but one day you will have to ask yourself how about pleasing God? Hm? Just a thought.

The story is a prequel to The Good Daughter. It's a good backstory. But what makes this really good is the insight KS shares with us about human nature. Her prose is stunning. She can take the mundane and rip it apart with the tip of her pen to show us the varied layers that make up our moments. KS gets in deep and checks out the landscape; then she asks us if we see what she's seeing. Yeah, now we do.

Poor story, all quite ridiculous and no ending. If this was intended to wet your appetite to buy the follow up, sorry but it didn't work. Actually it's nothing but a cliff hanger and not expected from an author such as Ms Slaughter

Disappointed! Last Breath begins with an all out bashing of teenage girls by protagonist, using the 'b' word again and again as a Girl Scout Troop leader. I was appalled at the negative harsh mood of the story directed at women, in general. Story was a chore to read and I will not waste time or money on upcoming release (which I was looking forward to before I read Last Breath!).

The story felt rushed as if plot points were slapped together to explain why Charlie is the way she is. She helps Flora because of her own grief--okay; yet as an attorney the role cast is unbelievable. That's the only word to describe Charlie and this book. Heads up, felons are allowed to apply for welfare. Details, details, details are what distinguishes great fun fiction. I'm so sorry to write this review as a one star but I can't believe this is a Karin Slaughter book. I want my money back and an explanation.

I feel cheated. This was not a full book. A pre-amble for the new book the Good Daughter? It was a like a few chapters and then boom it ended.
Very very disappointed that I even paid 1.99 for it.

I live this author, have read all her books but this was just awful. Stupid unbelievable plot, poorly drawn characters, badly written.

Not worth it even as a free book. I doubt I'll be able to bring myself to [email protected] the so called sequel.

'LAST BREATH' is the prequel to 'THE GOOD DAUGHTER', it had me hooked from the very beginning. It's a good backstory, I couldn't believe some of the turns this story took.

'LAST BREATH' introduces the reader to Attorney Charlie Quinn. When Charlie was a young teenager, her mother was murdered as payback to her dad. She has now made it a mission to defend those that have no one else to help. When Flora Faulkner, also a motherless teen, begs for help, Charlie feels compelled to say yes, even though her load is full. Flora is in deep trouble and the secrets run deep...

This is a fast, easy read - I read it in a couple of hours. The author has packed a lot into these pages but what makes this really good is the insight Karin Slaughter shares with us about human nature and her flawless writing. She really left me wanting more. Looking forward to 'The Good Daughter' now.
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I remember a conversation with a friend from a while ago, while discussing Chris Hemsworth and a role he played in a less than spectacular movie, when I observed that it really didn't matter how good the film was: I could watch Hemsworth brushing his teeth and enjoy the heck out of the experience. I've come to feel the same way about Karin Slaughter. It doesn't matter what she writes or who she writes about; as long as she writes it in her own inimitable style, I'll love it automatically. She has joined a very select group known - capitalization intended - as My Favorite Writers. This story is more novella than novel, and is preliminary to her latest best seller "The Good Daughter", but reading that one first, as I did, was not a problem in enjoying this one. The primary character - Charlie, the lawyer with the tragic past - is just as engaging and likable in this round as the other, and this effort has another facet that is prime Slaughter: a villain who can pull you in and rip your heart out when you're forced to see the truth. It takes a major talent to accomplish that, and she gets an A Plus for the effort. It doesn't quite measure up, for me, to the stories in her Grant County or Will Trent series, but it comes very close, as it compels one to read front to back without any time outs. Once more, well done, Ms. S.

A couple years ago, author Karin Slaughter anticipated the publication of her standalone novel Pretty Girls, with a novella called Blonde Hair, Blue Eyes. While the novella wasn't paramount in comprehending the plot of the novel, it did serve as a great teaser for the world that Slaughter portrayed in her book. With the impending publication of her latest standalone The Good Daughter, Slaughter has released another novella to introduce this new story.

Last Breath introduces readers to Charlie Quinn. She's a young lawyer who is still finding her way around the criminal justice system. Charlie is settling into the role as a defender for the defenseless. She aims to help those who otherwise wouldn't have proper representation, even if that means she won't get paid. Student loans are not nearly as important as justice!

Her latest charge comes in the form of fifteen-year-old Flora, an orphaned girl seeking emancipation from her guardians. At the time of her mother's death, a trust-fund was set up to ensure Flora would have a bright future of comfort and higher education. But Flora claims her guardians are depleting those funds for their own personal gains. Flora doesn't admit to it, but Charlie also believes someone is abusing her. As Charlie begins investigating into Flora's unfortunate situation, echoes of her own tragic past come ringing back. How can she help the girl? More so, what isn't Flora telling her? The answer may just be worse than anything she could ever have imagined.

At a brisk 197 pages, Last Breath provides a surprising amount of character development and suspense. Slaughter expertly paces the revelations of Charlie's investigation with a persistent since of urgency. At the same time, both Charlie and Flora are fully formed characters who I instantly connected with. More than Blonde Hair, Blue Eyes, this novella feels like its own complete story. There is a definitive narrative arc that reaches a satisfying conclusion. Completing this story has only increased my anticipation for The Good Daughter.

Review can also be found in chillandreadblog.wordpress.com

“Last Breath” is the prequel to the “Good Daughter” series and it is strong enough reason to read the first book, “The Good Daughter”!

Charlie Quinn is a lawyer, just like her father. She has refused to move to the city and make big money because she wanted to be useful, something her late mother always requested from her. Charlie loved her mother very much. She lost her at the sensitive age of 13 to two men that broke into their house holding a grudge against her father. Being a lawyer is sometimes a dangerous job, but this is what Charlie wants to do.

When Flora Faulkner, a motherless teen enters her life, all she could possibly do is try to help the girl that reminds her so much of herself. They have both lost their mothers on an early age, witnessing their death. Therefore, there is more involved than just another client. Her story affects Charlie so much that it makes her hard to see through everything. Is Flora as pure and innocent as she seems?

This short length prequel by Karin Slaughter gives an insight on the main character of the series, Charlie Quinn. It is a real page turner for a short story! It is quick and sharp and unpredictable with lots of twists! The author really gives us a point of view of the human nature that is out there and found in the most unexpected places…

That said, “The Good Daughter” is expected to be a stunning book!

So I recently took the plunge and started reading Karin Slaughter and I loved how twisted her story ideas are. I was looking forward to reading THE GOOD DAUGHTER and when I saw there was a prequel I didn’t want to miss a bit of the story, so I waited until I had read this first.

LAST BREATH wasn’t necessarily creepy or scary. It does draw you into the story but I didn’t really connect with the main character. Charlie has been through a lot due to her father’s actions. She’s gone on to make a life for herself for all intents and purposes. Now as a lawyer, she feels that connection to help the ones that seem to need it most. Flora is such a young woman. A teen being taken advantage by her grandparents after her parents died. Seems as if they are just using her for her inheritance and she seeks Charlie’s help with emancipation. But things quickly turn upside down and not everything is as it seems.

This was just a quick taste of the story and I’m not sure if it’s just a glimpse into the character of if there will be more to come from this storyline. We do know that her childhood still holds secrets and I am interested to see those unfolding more in the full length book.

I think this was a quick taste but I don’t think it’s necessarily enough to have hooked me into the story had I not already been wanting to read the book.

For most of her life Charlie Quinn’s has been surrounded by tragedy. She pulled her life together and became an attorney, like her father. When a teenager, Flora Faulkner, requests her assistance, Charlie’s can’t help but sympathize and want to help.

Charlie quickly discovers that Flora’s problems might be more than Charlie can handle, but she refuses to give up. She’s even willing to risk her own life for this young girl.

This is a prequel to Karen Slaughter’s new series The Good Daughter. I’ve heard quite a bit about this author but haven’t read anything by her before so I figured a brand new series would be a great place to start. I was right. This is a short prequel and can be read in just a couple of hours. There’s no cliffhanger. Flora’s story wraps up by the end of book. It looks as if characters carry through to the next book.

It’s fast-paced and really keeps you guessing until the end. I truly was shocked by the ending which left me stunned. The author’s writing is perfect for this genre and I’m so glad I finally had a chance to read her work. I already have the first full length book in the Good Daughter series on my list to read. I can already tell this is going to be an exciting series.

FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Edelweiss and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Last Breath by Karin Slaughter is a very highly recommended short novel that is a prequel to her upcoming novel, The Good Daughter. It also stands alone as an excellent story.

Charlie Quinn is a lawyer visiting a group of Girl Scouts for career night when she suddenly feels ill and runs to the bathroom where fifteen year-old honor student Flora Faulkner assists her. Afterwards, Flora asks for Charlie's help to become an emancipated minor. It seems that Flora's grandparents are spending all her trust money on themselves and there won't be anything left for Flora to attend college. How could Charlie refuse to help a girl who lost her mother, just as Charlie did. Soon it is clear that the case is much more complicated than it originally appeared.

What a wonderfully written, outstanding twisty tale. Charlie is a great character and Slaughter proves how accomplished she is at character development and setting the location, and doing so in an abbreviated number of pages. It was a pleasure to read Last Breath and only makes me more anxious to read The Good Daughter (released on 8/8/17). This prequel is set thirteen years before events in The Good Daughter.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Witness Impulse.

In this short story, we get to know Charlie, one of the main characters in The Good Daughter. I instantly liked her, and her nerdy husband Ben and of course, Charlie's father Rusty, a lawyer that had no problem representing vile criminals.

When Charlie was thirteen did her life change forever when two men broke into their home. Now, is she working as a lawyer herself and when a young girl called Flora Faulkner begs her to help her is she taken in by the girl's sad story. But, it turns out that not everything is at it seems.

I really liked this short story. Often when I read novellas that take place before or between books do they feel incomplete, like they would have needed to have more meat on their bones to really tell a story. But, Last Breath manages to both introduce Charlie and tell a story that is perfectly told without feeling like it would have needed more pages to flesh out the story. I enjoyed it very much and I was looking forward to reading The Good Daughter as soon as possible after finishing this novella!

I am embarrassed to admit that this is the first book that I have read by this author. But it definitely won’t be the last. I am hooked!

The LAST BREATH is the prequel to THE GOOD DAUGHTER coming out on Aug. 8th and I can’t wait. In this book we meet Charlie Quinn, Esq. A fighter for those that can’t.

She meets Flora, a 15 year old, who hints at abuse at the hands of her grandparents and wants help to become emancipated. Charlie starts to investigate and finds that all isn’t as her client states. Who is this 15 year old and who is the manipulator?

The reader also gets a hint of Charlie’s background and earlier life where she witnessed her mother’s murder.

Even though this was a novella, the suspense was constant and leaving me wanting more!! I am trying to wait patiently for THE GOOD DAUGHTER, since this one was a page turner, I can only imagine how much I am going to enjoy the sequel!

Karin Slaughter is one of my favorite authors and I usually love everything she writes. That being said, this story felt a little unbelievable to me so I didn't enjoy it as much. The writing is good (though there were some minorediting errors in places) and characters well developed but the story itself was frustrating. While it is true that Charlie is distracted and not quite on her game, all of the signs point to something amiss with Flora and she gets sucked in anyway. I loved The Good Daughter and hope to see more of Charlie in the future but I miss the Will Trent series and prefer those to this by a long shot.

This is the first I've read from Slaughter and I loved it. The characters were well crafted and the plot was amazing. Charlie is a very realistic main character. We wonder, as she does, what is really going on. The plot was very well crafted. The layers of deceit and manipulation were so well designed, Slaughter had me wondering what was going on until the very end. I am looking forward to reading the full length novel featuring Charlie, coming out soon.

I received a complimentary egalley of this novella through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Great novella introducing Ms Slaughter's new character, Charlie Quinn. It is amazing how much can be packed into a short book. This one is filled with tension keeping you anxious to see what happens next. A young girl turns to Charlie for help. What Charlie finds is far beyond what she could have imagined.

Attorney Quinn is going to be an entertaining heroine to follow. Can't wait for The Good Daughter.

I received a copy of this book as part of the virtual book tour hosted by PICT You can read my full review on Mystery Suspense Reviews.

Charlie agrees to help Girl Scout Flora gain emancipation from her shady grandparents, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg of the girl’s troubles.

This series prequel provides a great introduction to lawyer Charlie and the story world. Slaughter is a master of dealing out story details and creating a protagonist you can’t help but care about. Grab a sleeve of thin mints and get ready to tag along with this twisty story.

Flora appears to be an innocent 15 year old girl who want to be emancipated from her over bearing grand parents before they spend all her trust money. She approaches Charlotte, an attorney, at a Girl Scout career day, and Charlotte decides to help,her with her case. Instead preparing and researching she rashly jumps into the case with both feet and quickly finds that all is not what it seemed to be at first glance.

I read The Good Daughter first. Which was outstanding then I saw this prequel. The story was so short. Underdeveloped storyline and characters. Read more like a novella. I feel the story could’ve been made into so much more. As it was it was ok but I probably would’ve liked it more had I read this one before The Good Daughter.

The writing is good and the plot had some serious twists and turns I didn't see coming including one at the very end. That being said this is a short story, not a novel, read in less than an hour. For that short of a read, I should have bought the Kindle version, not the paperback.

I've already read The Good Daughter so I know the outcome of these characters, but it was still nice to read this. It is amazing to see into the mind of a criminal and learn how they come up with these things. (I know that's it's fiction, but still.) I could never even imagine some of this stuff and loved reading about it. Good story!

This is the not her best book - the audio version was very juvenile - and just where I thought the story would begin, it ended!
Sp disappointed in the story. I should have guessed by the hours listed. Don't waste your credit on this book.

Did Karin Slaughter forget to finish this novel? The great insight into the Charlie character is not established. She takes on a client that is just this side of being a sociopath then the story ends. If I had read this before The Good Daughter, I wouldn't have read it. This is a weak way of introducing a character. Sorry, Karin.