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Maeve Kerrigan #3
The Last Girl
A woman and her teenage daughter are found murdered in their South London home. The girl's throat has been cut. Her mother stabbed to death.
When DC Maeve Kerrigan arrives at the scene, her first thought is that this is a domestic dispute gone bad.
But the husband - found bloody and unconscious in an upstairs room - insists he's the third victim not the killer.
With Maeve's only witness refusing to talk, how will she unravel the truth?
When DC Maeve Kerrigan arrives at the scene, her first thought is that this is a domestic dispute gone bad.
But the husband - found bloody and unconscious in an upstairs room - insists he's the third victim not the killer.
With Maeve's only witness refusing to talk, how will she unravel the truth?
480 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
486 people are currently reading
3787 people want to read
About the author
Jane Casey
37 books2,701 followersShe studied English at Jesus College, Oxford, followed by an mPhil in Anglo-Irish Literature at Trinity College, Dublin
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 507 reviews
September 5, 2012
Oh Jane!
After four books – three of them in the Maeve Kerrigan series – I’m seeing a pattern. You do so many things exceedingly well, but so often the final effect is rather spoilt by one or two things rather clumsily.
I will explain, but in doing that there may be a spoiler or two. Nothing too big, and I won’t name any names or reveal too mant plot details. I’ll just say that if you have read and liked the earlier books you’ll like this one too, so do read it and then come back to see if we agree. And if you haven’t and you like contemporary crime read on. If you like the sound of the series, you will miss a lot if you read out-of-order. So go back to the beginning (The Burning) and by the time you catch up with me you’ll have forgotten the things I’m going to let slip.
The opening was dramatic: a 14-year-old girl comes home to and finds the bodies of her mother and twin sister in the living room, and her father gravely injured in a room upstairs.
Her father, Philip Kennford, was a criminal barrister at the very top of his profession, and so the pool of suspects was huge.
An interesting case for DC Maeve Kerrigan, a capable and engaging young DC. I’ve grown to like her over three books, her relationships with her colleagues, particularly the forthright, old-school DCI Derwent, are credible, and her relationship with colleague-turned-boyfriend Rob is evolving nicely.
There’s plenty to hold the interest there, and lots of potential for future books.
There was little physical evidence, and so the investigation focused on people from Phillip Kennford’s past who may have borne a grudge, and on the family itself.
The interviews with those people from the past were fascinating: a man wrongly convicted, who felt that his barrister had served him badly; a man whose daughter had been killed by her abusive boyfriend who then had to see a brilliant barrister convince the jury to find him not guilty; a woman whose barrister had failed to maintain a professional distance. The characterisation was perfect, and the stories said much about justice and the legal system.
And the Kennford family was fascinating to watch. A husband who did as he pleased; a wife who accepted that and played the perfect wife and mother to the hilt, knowing that her position was secure because her money underpinned their lifestyle; they were a couple with an understanding. And two different daughters: one dead and one terribly traumatised, and not speaking.
That Phillip Kennford didn’t like the police, and that they didn’t care for him, made things difficult.
There were so many possibilities, and so it was such a pity that it was obvious who the killer would be. There was a sudden shift in direction mid-book. And then one character came to the fore when there was no real reason for them to be there … unless they did it.
The finale was somewhat overwrought.
The logic and the psychology of the murder made sense, but it did rely on one huge coincidence, and I didn’t like the hint of “of course they were mad” and “of course they had a terrible childhood” at the end.
But I did like the book. Jane Casey writes well, and though the story moved slowly I found there was always a development or an incident that held my attention.
So much good, so much potential in the series, but that makes the weaker elements so much harder to accept.
Oh Jane! I just want you to get everything right, because when you do you could have an outstanding piece of crime fiction on your hands, you really could …
After four books – three of them in the Maeve Kerrigan series – I’m seeing a pattern. You do so many things exceedingly well, but so often the final effect is rather spoilt by one or two things rather clumsily.
I will explain, but in doing that there may be a spoiler or two. Nothing too big, and I won’t name any names or reveal too mant plot details. I’ll just say that if you have read and liked the earlier books you’ll like this one too, so do read it and then come back to see if we agree. And if you haven’t and you like contemporary crime read on. If you like the sound of the series, you will miss a lot if you read out-of-order. So go back to the beginning (The Burning) and by the time you catch up with me you’ll have forgotten the things I’m going to let slip.
The opening was dramatic: a 14-year-old girl comes home to and finds the bodies of her mother and twin sister in the living room, and her father gravely injured in a room upstairs.
Her father, Philip Kennford, was a criminal barrister at the very top of his profession, and so the pool of suspects was huge.
An interesting case for DC Maeve Kerrigan, a capable and engaging young DC. I’ve grown to like her over three books, her relationships with her colleagues, particularly the forthright, old-school DCI Derwent, are credible, and her relationship with colleague-turned-boyfriend Rob is evolving nicely.
There’s plenty to hold the interest there, and lots of potential for future books.
There was little physical evidence, and so the investigation focused on people from Phillip Kennford’s past who may have borne a grudge, and on the family itself.
The interviews with those people from the past were fascinating: a man wrongly convicted, who felt that his barrister had served him badly; a man whose daughter had been killed by her abusive boyfriend who then had to see a brilliant barrister convince the jury to find him not guilty; a woman whose barrister had failed to maintain a professional distance. The characterisation was perfect, and the stories said much about justice and the legal system.
And the Kennford family was fascinating to watch. A husband who did as he pleased; a wife who accepted that and played the perfect wife and mother to the hilt, knowing that her position was secure because her money underpinned their lifestyle; they were a couple with an understanding. And two different daughters: one dead and one terribly traumatised, and not speaking.
That Phillip Kennford didn’t like the police, and that they didn’t care for him, made things difficult.
There were so many possibilities, and so it was such a pity that it was obvious who the killer would be. There was a sudden shift in direction mid-book. And then one character came to the fore when there was no real reason for them to be there … unless they did it.
The finale was somewhat overwrought.
The logic and the psychology of the murder made sense, but it did rely on one huge coincidence, and I didn’t like the hint of “of course they were mad” and “of course they had a terrible childhood” at the end.
But I did like the book. Jane Casey writes well, and though the story moved slowly I found there was always a development or an incident that held my attention.
So much good, so much potential in the series, but that makes the weaker elements so much harder to accept.
Oh Jane! I just want you to get everything right, because when you do you could have an outstanding piece of crime fiction on your hands, you really could …
April 6, 2018
This is the 3rd book in the Maeve Kerrigan series by author Jane Casey.
Philip Kennford is a wealthy attorney but his money does not provide him with an happy wife or a good relationship with his daughters. Least of all it does not protect his family when someone brutally murders his wife and daughter in their own home. Detective Constable Maeve Kerrigan is full of ambition and is eager to help solve this murder along with DCI Josh Derwent.
I have read most of this series and although I enjoyed this book I did not think it was as good as the previous books in the series. Good characters that are developing nicely but I found the plot a little weak in comparison and the twists a little too far fetched. That said I have read enough previously to know this is only a blip and will continue to read this series.
Philip Kennford is a wealthy attorney but his money does not provide him with an happy wife or a good relationship with his daughters. Least of all it does not protect his family when someone brutally murders his wife and daughter in their own home. Detective Constable Maeve Kerrigan is full of ambition and is eager to help solve this murder along with DCI Josh Derwent.
I have read most of this series and although I enjoyed this book I did not think it was as good as the previous books in the series. Good characters that are developing nicely but I found the plot a little weak in comparison and the twists a little too far fetched. That said I have read enough previously to know this is only a blip and will continue to read this series.
June 14, 2021
I love finding a series when there's already a few books out - especially when you get to watch the author get stronger along with the main character. Of course, I artificially engineered it a bit by letting it languish on the TBR for a few years, but they age wine, right?
The Last Girl focuses on one crime, mainly, and it's lacking some of the intricacies of the previous books, but in a way that makes sense, that feels like streamlining rather than losing something. For the first time, Maeve is the sole viewpoint of the book, and she's also starting to find her feet enough to hit back at some of the worse jabs that come her way (yes, Derwent is still a thing, blech). Liv, bless her, cuts through some of the romantic back and forth with a simple "Talk to him", and I could not appreciate her more as a character.
There's the usual victim-focused approach, always a plus, along with a return from the previous books that adds in more tension when things start to get a bit calmer in the main storyline. I'm really enjoying watching both this character and this author develop, so it's just as well for me that there's a bunch more books to go.
The Last Girl focuses on one crime, mainly, and it's lacking some of the intricacies of the previous books, but in a way that makes sense, that feels like streamlining rather than losing something. For the first time, Maeve is the sole viewpoint of the book, and she's also starting to find her feet enough to hit back at some of the worse jabs that come her way (yes, Derwent is still a thing, blech). Liv, bless her, cuts through some of the romantic back and forth with a simple "Talk to him", and I could not appreciate her more as a character.
There's the usual victim-focused approach, always a plus, along with a return from the previous books that adds in more tension when things start to get a bit calmer in the main storyline. I'm really enjoying watching both this character and this author develop, so it's just as well for me that there's a bunch more books to go.
January 19, 2025
Reread Jan '25. Still brilliant.
The latest in the Maeve Kerrigan series, sees Maeve investigating the murder of a mother and daughter and peripherally, several gang shootings. As usual for this series,we have excellent plotting, great characters and an eye for detail that can be missing in a lot of Crime Fiction these days. In the tradition of Mo Hayder (but may I say in my opinion far superior especially lately) this is a good mystery story, where the solution is not immediately obvious and it is extremely well written. Enough of a "page turner" to keep you very interested all the way through, this series is a great addition to the genre and one I hope continues for some time.
The latest in the Maeve Kerrigan series, sees Maeve investigating the murder of a mother and daughter and peripherally, several gang shootings. As usual for this series,we have excellent plotting, great characters and an eye for detail that can be missing in a lot of Crime Fiction these days. In the tradition of Mo Hayder (but may I say in my opinion far superior especially lately) this is a good mystery story, where the solution is not immediately obvious and it is extremely well written. Enough of a "page turner" to keep you very interested all the way through, this series is a great addition to the genre and one I hope continues for some time.
May 30, 2021
maeve öyle müthiş bir kadın ki 🌟 çok seviyorum 🖤
March 6, 2019
This continue to be a solid series I’ll continue to follow.
The protagonist is showing a few signs of growing up. She’s still a lot better at figuring out crime clues than standing up to the men around her. I haven’t bonded with her, but she’s likable enough to follow around.
I would like to see more depth or variability or stakes or something in the relationship with her work partner, the senior detective who majors in being a jerk and whose only reason to be in the series is to play smug aggressive guy with no social graces to the heroines young cringing good girl on the outside while fuming on the inside. He has real potential as a character, and I don’t mean to make him a nicer guy. I would like to see that potential played out.
It’s not as bad a dynamic to read as I make it sound. These novels are soundly constructed and enjoyable to follow. I just crave a relationship to the characters that I haven’t formed yet. But I’ll definitely keep reading.
The protagonist is showing a few signs of growing up. She’s still a lot better at figuring out crime clues than standing up to the men around her. I haven’t bonded with her, but she’s likable enough to follow around.
I would like to see more depth or variability or stakes or something in the relationship with her work partner, the senior detective who majors in being a jerk and whose only reason to be in the series is to play smug aggressive guy with no social graces to the heroines young cringing good girl on the outside while fuming on the inside. He has real potential as a character, and I don’t mean to make him a nicer guy. I would like to see that potential played out.
It’s not as bad a dynamic to read as I make it sound. These novels are soundly constructed and enjoyable to follow. I just crave a relationship to the characters that I haven’t formed yet. But I’ll definitely keep reading.
January 29, 2013
A mother and daughter are murdered in their own home in a wealthy London suburb. The father receives a brutal blow to the head in the same attack. Only the second daughter, twin to the first, survives the onslaught. DC Mauve Kerrigan and her colleagues have to decide whether the mother and daughter were the intended victims, or taking the fall for the unscrupulous, womanizing husband.
Of course, the early focus of the police investigation is on the husband. A successful criminal barrister, he’s made a number of enemies over the years and the scenes in which they are interviewed are brilliantly done. With the minimum of fuss, Casey creates characters that are distinctive and memorable, even if they play only a minor role.
Written in the first person with a fresh, appealing voice, The Last Girl is the third in a series but reads well as a stand alone novel. It is a clever and complex mystery story, with intriguing sub plots deftly woven into the main narrative. The conclusion comes as an exciting surprise.
In The Last Girl, Jane Casey breathes new life into our traditional and much-loved detective story.
November 6, 2015
I tried to ignore the growing problems with this series, but they all become too much with The Last Girl. This writer manages to turn an interesting complex character into a sidekick for a 'toxic' boss we're supposed to understand is a 'brilliant cop' and really human underneath it all even though we get no actual evidence that he is anything more than a misogynist, racist shitbag who does everything he can to keep Maeve from actually solving these crimes. Did I mention that [spoiler] the villain in true too-many-twists style turns out to be the lesbian half-sister and daughter of the abusive asshole father? She's also a WOC. This writer really hit the FAIL trifecta with this ending. Take every marginalized group most likely to be the victim of a violent crime and make them the perp! Brilliant(NOT). So done with this series and this writer.
November 14, 2020
İlk iki kitaba göre çok daha derli topluydu. En hızlı okuduğum Kerrigan romanı oldu şimdilik. Seriye devam ettiğim için memnunum. Sırayla takip edilmesi gereken polisiye seri. Tüm serilerin sırayla basılması gerekiyor gerçi. Serilere 9. kitabından basmaya başlayan veya serileri yarım bırakan yayınevlerinden kitap almıyoruz. 😌
December 12, 2016
A mother and daughter are found dead in their home, the husband unconscious upstairs - but why has the second daughter been left untouched?
I like Jane Casey's books and this is another gripping read featuring DC Maeve Kerrigan. As in some of her other plots, this does rely on a huge (huge!) coincidence, and the clues to the denouement are laid on rather unsubtly so that I had solved the problem before our heroine. Some of the husband/father's actions, too, are unbelievable too, especially towards the end - but since the book overall relies on more for its pleasure than simply solving the crime, these didn't impair my enjoyment of the book.
Maeve herself is less spiky than in some of the earlier books and I prefer this slight mellowing in her character - although she's still unconscionably rude to one of her co-workers, in a way which I just can't imagine happening in real life... not without an employment tribunal anyway.
My favourite element, however, is the relationship between Maeve and the wonderfully unreconstructed-but-somehow-just-gets-away-with-it DI Josh Derwent. I love Derwent - and is it just me or do other readers detect deeper feelings on his part for Maeve than she gives him credit for?
This picks up on a plot-line from the previous book (The Reckoning) as well as developing existing relationships so I would recommend reading the series in order.
I like Jane Casey's books and this is another gripping read featuring DC Maeve Kerrigan. As in some of her other plots, this does rely on a huge (huge!) coincidence, and the clues to the denouement are laid on rather unsubtly so that I had solved the problem before our heroine. Some of the husband/father's actions, too, are unbelievable too, especially towards the end - but since the book overall relies on more for its pleasure than simply solving the crime, these didn't impair my enjoyment of the book.
Maeve herself is less spiky than in some of the earlier books and I prefer this slight mellowing in her character - although she's still unconscionably rude to one of her co-workers, in a way which I just can't imagine happening in real life... not without an employment tribunal anyway.
My favourite element, however, is the relationship between Maeve and the wonderfully unreconstructed-but-somehow-just-gets-away-with-it DI Josh Derwent. I love Derwent - and is it just me or do other readers detect deeper feelings on his part for Maeve than she gives him credit for?
This picks up on a plot-line from the previous book (The Reckoning) as well as developing existing relationships so I would recommend reading the series in order.
April 14, 2020
I love Jane Casey’s Maeve Kerrigan series!! The Last Girl is the third book in this police procedural murder mystery series with a strong but definitely not perfect female protagonist. As I have said many times, what makes a strong genre book, in addition to a compelling main character are interesting and well-rounded secondary characters. We know it’s a genre book; there’s gonna be some horrific crime (usually a violent murder or three) and our hero is part of a team who is trying to catch the perpetrator or perpetrators while surviving/avoiding/managing interpersonal dynamics of the team members or familial/relationship drama (or both!). We return to these books not for the crime-of-the-week but because we are engaged with the characters!
Casey gets it. Her DS Maeve Kerrigan is at times frustratingly obtuse (especially when it comes to her boyfriend Rob) and also good at her job, despite her boor of a boss/partner, DI Josh Derwent. But as the reader we can both root for and rail against Maeve (sometimes in the same chapter!)
The mystery/crime in THE LAST GIRL is particularly heinous. A mother and teen daughter are viciously killed while the daughter’s twin sister swam in the pool. The father has also been attacked (not fatally). It turns out the family was a nightmare, starting with the father/husband who is a defense attorney whom the police had come across before in multiple cases and is a huge *ssh*le. But, that doesn’t mean he’s guilty, does it?
This third book in the series has a relatively surprising ending with a fair number of red herrings tossed in front of the reader for good measure. The longer arcs (Maeve’s increasing serious relationship with Rob, the return of a dangerous stalker/peeping Tom, her professional career trajectory at the London Metropolitan Police Murder Squad) are becoming more significant than the resolution of this book’s crime. But that just makes me want to spend more time with Maeve, in the next book. Soon!
Casey gets it. Her DS Maeve Kerrigan is at times frustratingly obtuse (especially when it comes to her boyfriend Rob) and also good at her job, despite her boor of a boss/partner, DI Josh Derwent. But as the reader we can both root for and rail against Maeve (sometimes in the same chapter!)
The mystery/crime in THE LAST GIRL is particularly heinous. A mother and teen daughter are viciously killed while the daughter’s twin sister swam in the pool. The father has also been attacked (not fatally). It turns out the family was a nightmare, starting with the father/husband who is a defense attorney whom the police had come across before in multiple cases and is a huge *ssh*le. But, that doesn’t mean he’s guilty, does it?
This third book in the series has a relatively surprising ending with a fair number of red herrings tossed in front of the reader for good measure. The longer arcs (Maeve’s increasing serious relationship with Rob, the return of a dangerous stalker/peeping Tom, her professional career trajectory at the London Metropolitan Police Murder Squad) are becoming more significant than the resolution of this book’s crime. But that just makes me want to spend more time with Maeve, in the next book. Soon!
April 9, 2017
I stayed up to finish this book so it's quite compulsive. Mauve and her sidekick, DI Derwent, are called to investigate the brutal murder of a mother and her daughter whilst the father and other daughter were in the house and survived almost unhurt. Everyone is keeping secrets so the investigation is very frustrating. Obviously you have to suspend your disbelief as all sorts of secrets come crawling out the cupboard but it is well plotted and I didn't guess the perpetrator until it was obvious. Maeve is an interesting character - honest, upright, intuitive and a little prissy as her relationship with Derwent shows and Derwent is excellent - an intriguing mixture of contradictions. This is a good read with plenty to hold you attention.
July 13, 2017
This is the third installment in the Maeve Kerrigan series by Irish writer Jane Casey. Set in London, England, this crime series features Metropolitan Police detective DC Kerrigan and her current case, the brutal murder of a woman and her teenage daughter in their home in Wimbledon, a wealthy neighbourhood in London. The husband, who is a criminal defense barrister, is also attacked but not seriously hurt. Another teenage daughter, is completely unharmed, although traumatised after discovering the bodies of her mother and sister. Apparently, the killer(s) overlooked her, as she was outside in the swimming pool when the murders took place. What happened in the house that evening, what was the motive and who is keeping secrets?
This novel is extremely well-written. Casey succeeds in keeping you guessing as to who the killer is. The plot is unpredictable as there are plenty of twists and turns throughout the novel and the climax left me in shock. All Casey's characters are realistic, believable and well-drawn out. Maeve has a new partner in this novel, DCI Josh Derwent, who is a senior detective and an arrogant, chauvinistic jerk with a soft side. Even though he's a pig, I still liked him and I loved all the witty banter between him and Kerrigan. I love Maeve and Rob Langton's relationship in this series and I would have liked to have seen more of their relationship in this novel.
I have read all of Jane Casey's novels and I've absolutely enjoyed them all. Jane Casey is currently my favourite crime author. I can't wait until the next book in the series in published! Four stars!
This novel is extremely well-written. Casey succeeds in keeping you guessing as to who the killer is. The plot is unpredictable as there are plenty of twists and turns throughout the novel and the climax left me in shock. All Casey's characters are realistic, believable and well-drawn out. Maeve has a new partner in this novel, DCI Josh Derwent, who is a senior detective and an arrogant, chauvinistic jerk with a soft side. Even though he's a pig, I still liked him and I loved all the witty banter between him and Kerrigan. I love Maeve and Rob Langton's relationship in this series and I would have liked to have seen more of their relationship in this novel.
I have read all of Jane Casey's novels and I've absolutely enjoyed them all. Jane Casey is currently my favourite crime author. I can't wait until the next book in the series in published! Four stars!
July 11, 2022
CW: Violence, self harm, eating disorders, homophobia
Maeve Kerrigan and her partner Josh Derwent are back to help solve another murder - this time a double homicide that left a teenager and her mother dead, and her father unconscious but unharmed upstairs. Quickly, Maeve gets to know that the father of the family is an unlikeable sort of man, prone to defending violent criminals in court, and letting them get away with literal murder, but does that mean he himself is capable of such violence? At the same time, things in Maeve's personal life are getting complicated and trouble from her past resurfaces.
I just love spending time with Maeve and her obnoxious, misogynistic colleagues, and this book was no different. While probably the weakest book in the series so far, I still loved following Maeve as she juggled the murder case and the ongoing gangland feuding everyone in her department is dealing with - while also dealing with the return of her stalker, and threats to her relationship with Rob.
I really liked the twists and turns in the story, though there were some conveniences (some of the connections between the gang shootings and the murder case suspects), and I did guess the whodunnit a good while before things began to click into place (there was one bit of information dropped at one point that I latched onto and knew exactly what it meant).
There are moments in this series that make me cringe a little bit especially when it comes to the language used by some of the police officers - some really casual homophobia (a lot of use of the d-word for lesbians), and then some problematic reaction towards Lydia's self-harm and eating disorder reveals. I think some of this is just that the earlier books are becoming dated and things you would even get away with saying less than 10 years ago, you just can't now. It can be hard to read some of the stuff Maeve has to put up from her colleagues - the casual sexism, the presumptions she's sleeping with the boss because she's a good looking woman, and just the absolute disgusting manners from the men around her, like proper gross.
But I still enjoyed this and also liked the ramping up of the stalker case which I think adds drama and tension in Maeve's personal life, while also the alarming case of Rob's problematic boss too. Reading this also made me finally give in to watching Line of Duty with my partner, as it had me craving a UK-based police drama.
Maeve Kerrigan and her partner Josh Derwent are back to help solve another murder - this time a double homicide that left a teenager and her mother dead, and her father unconscious but unharmed upstairs. Quickly, Maeve gets to know that the father of the family is an unlikeable sort of man, prone to defending violent criminals in court, and letting them get away with literal murder, but does that mean he himself is capable of such violence? At the same time, things in Maeve's personal life are getting complicated and trouble from her past resurfaces.
I just love spending time with Maeve and her obnoxious, misogynistic colleagues, and this book was no different. While probably the weakest book in the series so far, I still loved following Maeve as she juggled the murder case and the ongoing gangland feuding everyone in her department is dealing with - while also dealing with the return of her stalker, and threats to her relationship with Rob.
I really liked the twists and turns in the story, though there were some conveniences (some of the connections between the gang shootings and the murder case suspects), and I did guess the whodunnit a good while before things began to click into place (there was one bit of information dropped at one point that I latched onto and knew exactly what it meant).
There are moments in this series that make me cringe a little bit especially when it comes to the language used by some of the police officers - some really casual homophobia (a lot of use of the d-word for lesbians), and then some problematic reaction towards Lydia's self-harm and eating disorder reveals. I think some of this is just that the earlier books are becoming dated and things you would even get away with saying less than 10 years ago, you just can't now. It can be hard to read some of the stuff Maeve has to put up from her colleagues - the casual sexism, the presumptions she's sleeping with the boss because she's a good looking woman, and just the absolute disgusting manners from the men around her, like proper gross.
But I still enjoyed this and also liked the ramping up of the stalker case which I think adds drama and tension in Maeve's personal life, while also the alarming case of Rob's problematic boss too. Reading this also made me finally give in to watching Line of Duty with my partner, as it had me craving a UK-based police drama.
January 24, 2019
This is the second book in this series that I have read and liked it much better than The Stranger You Know....or maybe I just got used to the rather unlikable protagonists. So giving this author a second chance paid off.
A wealthy barrister's wife and favorite child are horribly murdered but he and the dead child's twin sister who were in the house at the time survive. Kerrigan and Derwent are called in to investigate and they find a puzzling situation.....the barrister who is rather unpopular has many enemies but yet is spared. Is it a murder to punish him for his transgressions or is he the killer? Clues seem to lead nowhere and family secrets abound. The dénouement comes as somewhat of a surprise and has a bit of a twist. Good down time reading.
A wealthy barrister's wife and favorite child are horribly murdered but he and the dead child's twin sister who were in the house at the time survive. Kerrigan and Derwent are called in to investigate and they find a puzzling situation.....the barrister who is rather unpopular has many enemies but yet is spared. Is it a murder to punish him for his transgressions or is he the killer? Clues seem to lead nowhere and family secrets abound. The dénouement comes as somewhat of a surprise and has a bit of a twist. Good down time reading.
September 2, 2016
I wanted to like this more than I did. The Maeve Kerrigan series is a British police procedural with a female protagonist, so it should be up my alley. I read an earlier book in the series, THE RECKONING, and liked it well enough to try another. Now that I've read THE LAST GIRL, I understand why I'm having trouble warming up to this series. Both books start off with a bang. The author hooks us with a great premise, in this case, a mother and teen daughter murdered, a father left injured, and the other daughter coming in from the backyard to discover the bodies. The problem is, as the investigation continues, the novel switches over to long interludes concerning Maeve's not particularly interesting relationship with her perfectly average boyfriend, and her continuing struggles combatting sexism on the job. Sexism is a real problem in the work world, but in these novels, the author seems to pull episodes out of a hat to suit her whim. Some days everyone's getting along professionally and then suddenly someone accuses Maeve of sleeping her way to the top, or someone treats her like a little lost lamb in need of protection. The incidents simply don't feel real. In the meantime, the actual plot gets forgotten. I had the murders solved way ahead of Maeve, and I really don't care much about her boyfriend or her sexism issues. So I think I'm done with this series.
July 13, 2015
Wow, I thought the first two books were gripping but I seriously couldn't put this down all day. Unlike the previous two, I didn't really work out who did it until the very end, and I had no guesses either (until it all just sort of came to me). I loved this, I'm so happy with this series, and I can't wait to start the fourth book! I found myself starting to like DI Derwent more (just like you said, Katrina!) and I'm really curious to see where his partnership with Maeve goes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 22, 2015
Bit slow to start but soon got up to speed and turned into a very good read.
December 8, 2019
Not for me, too much banter and police politics, also found most characters annoying or completely unlikable.
June 9, 2022
Too much dialogue with too many characters.
September 28, 2023
My heart sank. 'Please don't try to terrify her into talking. She's vulnerable, you know.'
'I can be sensitive.'
I raised my eyebrows. 'This is a talent you keep well hidden.'
'I have a fatherly manner. Teenagers find it reassuring.'
'Firstly, you're what - thirty-five?'
'Thirty-six.'
'Less of the pipe-and-slippers thing, then. You're barely old enough to be her father.'
'I got started early.'
Now here we go! This is the first mystery of the bunch where I hadn't guessed the whodunit within the first half, which made it a really fun read. Maeve continues to be an absolute pain who I love dearly, and it's so fun to read her relationships with Rob, Derwent, Liv, and Godley grow. The banter is bantering in this book, the team is teamming, and the mystery is mysterying. The pages of this one flew by and I can't wait to get to the next!
July 15, 2015
The Last Girl by Jane Casey is a 2013 Minotaur/ St Martin's Press publication. I was provided a copy of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I have read an earlier installment in this series while it was still in the character development stage and found it to be a bit slow moving and weighted down with long rambling chapters that kept the pace from ever developing a rhythm, making it hard to maintain focus. I did like the book well enough to give the series another chance. I missed the second book, but did manage to snag this third book in the series.
This book is a much smoother read than the first book I read, and the pace is much improved, but the author still has some trouble reigning in her tendency to spend too much time on matters that ultimately have nothing to do with the outcome of the case.
Interviews with potential suspects early on in the investigation went on way too long, giving the reader far too much information about the suspect's entire back story which is not necessary. We can get the gist of why the person is being interviewed without the information dump.
The plot is somewhat interesting but, again the author goes off script by having Maeve called in to help investigate a series of gang flare ups on top of working the murder of a young woman and her mother.
This, on top of Maeve's personal dramas, kept us away from the main plot, and it took a long time to wind the story back around to the original murder investigation. In fact, I almost forgot the thread for awhile as gangs and Maeve's interactions with her superior and her boyfriend completely took over. If that weren't enough of a distraction, it would seem an old nemesis has returned adding yet another thread to a story that was already too busy.
I like Maeve's character and I like her boyfriend, Rob. If you like her immediate supervisor, you need professional help because he is a real jerk, but he does slip up a time or two and allow us to see him as a human being for a change. In fact, before the book ends, the detectives have managed to bond somewhat and their banter becomes lighter in tone, which is good because otherwise I would have lost a little respect for Maeve if she had continued to put up with that kind of verbal harassment, no matter what kind of a ball breaker people thought she was.
Maeve's personal relationship with Rob is always fragile as she tends to fight her commitment issues and struggles with being a bit of a control freak. Now that Rob is transferred out, he is having some issues with his new boss, which could cause trouble for the couple. It's good to give us insight into a character's personal life so that we bond with them emotionally, but the personal drama overpowered the investigation and for a while I thought I was reading a high angst contemporary romance.
So, many of the issues I had with the previous book in the series, are still troublesome in this newer release, although I did see some improvements. The main thing is the book desperately needs to lose some weight and could use a good cleanse. The book and this series does have potential and I am hoping the latest book release will show more improvement. Over all 2.5 stars rounded to 3
I have read an earlier installment in this series while it was still in the character development stage and found it to be a bit slow moving and weighted down with long rambling chapters that kept the pace from ever developing a rhythm, making it hard to maintain focus. I did like the book well enough to give the series another chance. I missed the second book, but did manage to snag this third book in the series.
This book is a much smoother read than the first book I read, and the pace is much improved, but the author still has some trouble reigning in her tendency to spend too much time on matters that ultimately have nothing to do with the outcome of the case.
Interviews with potential suspects early on in the investigation went on way too long, giving the reader far too much information about the suspect's entire back story which is not necessary. We can get the gist of why the person is being interviewed without the information dump.
The plot is somewhat interesting but, again the author goes off script by having Maeve called in to help investigate a series of gang flare ups on top of working the murder of a young woman and her mother.
This, on top of Maeve's personal dramas, kept us away from the main plot, and it took a long time to wind the story back around to the original murder investigation. In fact, I almost forgot the thread for awhile as gangs and Maeve's interactions with her superior and her boyfriend completely took over. If that weren't enough of a distraction, it would seem an old nemesis has returned adding yet another thread to a story that was already too busy.
I like Maeve's character and I like her boyfriend, Rob. If you like her immediate supervisor, you need professional help because he is a real jerk, but he does slip up a time or two and allow us to see him as a human being for a change. In fact, before the book ends, the detectives have managed to bond somewhat and their banter becomes lighter in tone, which is good because otherwise I would have lost a little respect for Maeve if she had continued to put up with that kind of verbal harassment, no matter what kind of a ball breaker people thought she was.
Maeve's personal relationship with Rob is always fragile as she tends to fight her commitment issues and struggles with being a bit of a control freak. Now that Rob is transferred out, he is having some issues with his new boss, which could cause trouble for the couple. It's good to give us insight into a character's personal life so that we bond with them emotionally, but the personal drama overpowered the investigation and for a while I thought I was reading a high angst contemporary romance.
So, many of the issues I had with the previous book in the series, are still troublesome in this newer release, although I did see some improvements. The main thing is the book desperately needs to lose some weight and could use a good cleanse. The book and this series does have potential and I am hoping the latest book release will show more improvement. Over all 2.5 stars rounded to 3
October 24, 2012
The latest Maeve Kerrigan crime novel had an amazing number of twists and turns although I think it could have been edited down a bit. Still, the more I read about Maeve, the more I like her. She is an interesting character - the daughter of Irish parents, born and raised in London. She thinks of herself as English, but has to endure the jokes from her colleagues about her Irish looks and their reputation as drinkers. She is a beautiful young woman who intentionally downplays her looks and is serious about her career. She's also involved in an affair with a colleague and finds herself getting serious, something that she has managed to avoid. However, the crux of this book is the story: the wife and one of the daughters of a prominent criminal attorney are brutally murdered. It is a messy and ugly murder. The other daughter, twin to the murdered girl, was swimming laps in the family pool. Despite being twins, they are as different as they can be. Her father has contempt for the daughter left behind as being "weak." The dead girl, Laura, seems to have been the picture of perfection - smart, pretty and outgoing. However,there is more than meets the eye. Meanwhile, two London gangs are vying for turf and dead bodies continue to surface. Casey is an engaging writer. She writes well - it's clean, crisp and to the point. She knows how to set a scene. I'm looking forward to the next one!
April 29, 2016
I am enjoying the Maeve Kerrigan series based in London by Jane Casey. They are police procedurals. Many have given a synopsis of the plot of this book so I am going to say what I liked about the book.
It is character driven and as each book progresses, we learn more about each character and start to care about them. I think to really enjoy this series, one should start with book one as the backgrounds and characters are developed throughout the series. I have read the first three books of the series. This book The Last Girl was my least favorite of the three. I did enjoy it though. Sometimes I think the books could have some of the extra material taken out as this book did slow down for me at times. It was always interesting but still had its slow times. The solution to the main mystery was not totally believable to me. I do like this series due to the characters and will read the next book.
It is character driven and as each book progresses, we learn more about each character and start to care about them. I think to really enjoy this series, one should start with book one as the backgrounds and characters are developed throughout the series. I have read the first three books of the series. This book The Last Girl was my least favorite of the three. I did enjoy it though. Sometimes I think the books could have some of the extra material taken out as this book did slow down for me at times. It was always interesting but still had its slow times. The solution to the main mystery was not totally believable to me. I do like this series due to the characters and will read the next book.
February 5, 2025
It’s obviously an occupational hazard of writing murder mysteries that the plots will revolve around identifying who, in a line-up of more-to-less reprehensible individuals, would kill someone. The more dramatic and unlikely the murder, the more psychological knots the author has to tie in order to justify why anyone – outside of a career criminal, an accident, or rage-driven impulse – would kill anyone else. Can there really be that many people who commit murders who do it in a way that allows them a reasonable leeway to get away with it? According to crime fiction, it’s all of them. I don’t know, but then I don’t have any experience in the criminal justice system. I’m happy enough to go along with this because it’s propulsive reading, especially when my head is too full for concentrating on less gripping material. Yet in the final analysis, the outcome tends to be a bit daft. And Casey obviously has to come up with scenarios over and over, testing her ingenuity. One way she gets through it is to make almost every suspect thoroughly detestable.
But then, it isn’t the impressive puzzle-solving that I came to this series for: it’s the ‘slow-burn romance’. I could have predicted Godley would turn out to be a bad egg; between Rob and Derwent, Maeve doesn’t have room for a third lingering love interest. I could have done with Maeve being either more forceful about her concerns regarding her boss, or more internally conflicted. Then again, like with most stories and shows in this vein, she doesn’t have a few key human desires. She describes being sleep-deprived, but she never follows that up with ‘jesus, my job schedule sucks, I like it but not enough to do it every day of the week’. Surely they have a rota system for when they get called to crime scenes? Or time in lieu, if they’re working a case consistently over weeks and months? I cannot believe the entire policing system is built on the backs of a bunch of people who love solving murders SO MUCH that they’ll come in every weekend and stay late every weekday and consent to being called in at four in the morning AS WELL. Get off the grass.
Which brings me to Derwent, who, dear GOD, is the literal worst?! Why does he have a cult following? Was it just this one blogger who thought this way?
The homophobia he exhibits is casual and horrifying and relentless:
‘‘Yeah, much more fun if your rugmuncher mate comes along for the ride.’ ‘Talking about me?’ Liv turned around in her chair. Either Derwent hadn’t noticed her sitting near us or he hadn’t cared. ‘Must be. You’re the only dyke on the team. As far as we know.’ He turned his head, tracking DCI Burt as she walked through the room with her head down, lost in her thoughts.’
‘I could read his thinking quite easily, and I doubted Zoe was having any trouble. No point being nice to a dyke, is there?’
He’s a walking examplar of a man who doesn’t think women are people, and so they don’t count if they’re not going to sleep with him. Speaking of, although Maeve thinks he’s very anti-paedophilia and underage sex, this keeps happening:
‘‘All women turn into their mothers eventually. That’s why I have a strict policy of only shagging girls under twenty- five. Before the rot sets in.’ ‘That’s creepy. And it’s only going to get creepier as you get older.’ ‘I’ll probably go up to thirty once I hit forty- five. A twenty- year age- gap is more or less sustainable, but anything more than that gets boring. You keep having to explain who people are and why they’re famous.’ He grimaced. ‘The first couple of times it’s cute. Then it just gets sad.’’
Not to mention this:
‘The first thing I saw when I came out of Godley’s office was Derwent with his feet up on my desk, picking his nose and wiping it on the underside of my chair.’
Words fail me. I do not know how Casey planned to rehabilitate this utterly reprehensible troglodyte, especially when she didn’t even have the grace to make him distractingly hot. He sounds like the human equivalent of a Staffordshire terrier.
Maeve is also quite casually misogynist and fat-shaming:
‘There was nothing to say a fifteen- year- old had to dress like a stripper just because most of them seemed to.’
WHAT.
‘One was lean and slim- hipped; the other profoundly pear- shaped and out of breath but pounding along with good grace. A personal trainer, I thought, with a highly motivated bride who still had a bit of work to do.’
Given that this has no bearing on the story at all, I presume this exists to demonstrate how Maeve takes in her surroundings and makes accurate (!) judgements on the people she encounters. Yet her intuition isn’t always correct (the Christopher Blacker red herring?) and I don’t think the narrative realises how poorly she comes across. I wouldn’t go so far as to say she deserves Derwent – no woman does – but I can also see why Maeve, as written, would accept his unacceptable behaviour romantically. She’s already doing it professionally:
‘He knew as well as I did that there was no complaint, and that there wouldn’t be one. The last thing I needed was to get a reputation for being a humourless ball- breaker. He made remarks like that because it amused him, and because he could, and because he genuinely thought that way a lot of the time, and he wasn’t going to stop. So I would keep batting back the rude remarks and he would keep making them, and in the meantime there was ice cream to eat. I made it my business to do so as unalluringly as possible.’
UGH. At this stage I plan to continue because again, reading a familiar setting is soothing for my brain, and because I have a sick fascination with how this is going to play out, especially as the books are published closer in real time to now. A now when women go to gyms all the time, and loads of people do marathons, and #metoo has happened.
But then, it isn’t the impressive puzzle-solving that I came to this series for: it’s the ‘slow-burn romance’. I could have predicted Godley would turn out to be a bad egg; between Rob and Derwent, Maeve doesn’t have room for a third lingering love interest. I could have done with Maeve being either more forceful about her concerns regarding her boss, or more internally conflicted. Then again, like with most stories and shows in this vein, she doesn’t have a few key human desires. She describes being sleep-deprived, but she never follows that up with ‘jesus, my job schedule sucks, I like it but not enough to do it every day of the week’. Surely they have a rota system for when they get called to crime scenes? Or time in lieu, if they’re working a case consistently over weeks and months? I cannot believe the entire policing system is built on the backs of a bunch of people who love solving murders SO MUCH that they’ll come in every weekend and stay late every weekday and consent to being called in at four in the morning AS WELL. Get off the grass.
Which brings me to Derwent, who, dear GOD, is the literal worst?! Why does he have a cult following? Was it just this one blogger who thought this way?
The homophobia he exhibits is casual and horrifying and relentless:
‘‘Yeah, much more fun if your rugmuncher mate comes along for the ride.’ ‘Talking about me?’ Liv turned around in her chair. Either Derwent hadn’t noticed her sitting near us or he hadn’t cared. ‘Must be. You’re the only dyke on the team. As far as we know.’ He turned his head, tracking DCI Burt as she walked through the room with her head down, lost in her thoughts.’
‘I could read his thinking quite easily, and I doubted Zoe was having any trouble. No point being nice to a dyke, is there?’
He’s a walking examplar of a man who doesn’t think women are people, and so they don’t count if they’re not going to sleep with him. Speaking of, although Maeve thinks he’s very anti-paedophilia and underage sex, this keeps happening:
‘‘All women turn into their mothers eventually. That’s why I have a strict policy of only shagging girls under twenty- five. Before the rot sets in.’ ‘That’s creepy. And it’s only going to get creepier as you get older.’ ‘I’ll probably go up to thirty once I hit forty- five. A twenty- year age- gap is more or less sustainable, but anything more than that gets boring. You keep having to explain who people are and why they’re famous.’ He grimaced. ‘The first couple of times it’s cute. Then it just gets sad.’’
Not to mention this:
‘The first thing I saw when I came out of Godley’s office was Derwent with his feet up on my desk, picking his nose and wiping it on the underside of my chair.’
Words fail me. I do not know how Casey planned to rehabilitate this utterly reprehensible troglodyte, especially when she didn’t even have the grace to make him distractingly hot. He sounds like the human equivalent of a Staffordshire terrier.
Maeve is also quite casually misogynist and fat-shaming:
‘There was nothing to say a fifteen- year- old had to dress like a stripper just because most of them seemed to.’
WHAT.
‘One was lean and slim- hipped; the other profoundly pear- shaped and out of breath but pounding along with good grace. A personal trainer, I thought, with a highly motivated bride who still had a bit of work to do.’
Given that this has no bearing on the story at all, I presume this exists to demonstrate how Maeve takes in her surroundings and makes accurate (!) judgements on the people she encounters. Yet her intuition isn’t always correct (the Christopher Blacker red herring?) and I don’t think the narrative realises how poorly she comes across. I wouldn’t go so far as to say she deserves Derwent – no woman does – but I can also see why Maeve, as written, would accept his unacceptable behaviour romantically. She’s already doing it professionally:
‘He knew as well as I did that there was no complaint, and that there wouldn’t be one. The last thing I needed was to get a reputation for being a humourless ball- breaker. He made remarks like that because it amused him, and because he could, and because he genuinely thought that way a lot of the time, and he wasn’t going to stop. So I would keep batting back the rude remarks and he would keep making them, and in the meantime there was ice cream to eat. I made it my business to do so as unalluringly as possible.’
UGH. At this stage I plan to continue because again, reading a familiar setting is soothing for my brain, and because I have a sick fascination with how this is going to play out, especially as the books are published closer in real time to now. A now when women go to gyms all the time, and loads of people do marathons, and #metoo has happened.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 10, 2020
Having been a fan of this series, I was pretty disappointed with this book. The story seemed to meander all over the place, and there was too much extraneous narrative that didn't contribute to the story in any meaningful way. I'll still continue reading the series, unless I encounter another one like this.
February 21, 2017
3.5 starts. I love the Maeve Kerrigan series and especially the partnership with herself and Derwent. The banter, the innuendos, the balance if her hunches and his arrogance. The story wandered off a little too much for my taste, but pulled to a wtf? ending. Looking forward to the next one.
January 21, 2023
With each entry this series just gets better and better. I love the character development and twists and turns. I will read anything by this author.
October 13, 2019
Jane Casey'nin tarzına alıştığım için sıkılmadan okudum. Yazar durum ve mekan betimlemeleri yapmayı seviyor, bu heyecanlı bir olay ortasında sıkıyor bazen ama alışınca gerçekten de sorun olmuyor. Ayrıca kurguda her zaman tahmin etmesi zor, beklenmedik olaylar gerçekleşiyor, Casey'nin okuyucuyu şaşırtmak için elinde her zaman fazladan bir seçeneği var. Bu kitapta suçluyu hiç tahmin edemediğimi itiraf ediyorum. Kurguya çok iyi saklanmıştı. Ayrıca Kerrigan ve Derwent ikilisini okumak gerçekten ayrı bir tat oldu.
Kitabın en büyük şanssızlığı çıktığı yayınevi olmuş. İkinci bir kontrol etmeye gerek görülmeden basıma gönderilmiş sanırım. O kadar çok hata vardı ki bir noktada kitabı ısırmak istedim. Çok fazlaydı hem de. Yani bir yayınevi böyle bir kitabı baskıya gönderirken hiç utanmamış mı merak ediyorum.
Kitabın en büyük şanssızlığı çıktığı yayınevi olmuş. İkinci bir kontrol etmeye gerek görülmeden basıma gönderilmiş sanırım. O kadar çok hata vardı ki bir noktada kitabı ısırmak istedim. Çok fazlaydı hem de. Yani bir yayınevi böyle bir kitabı baskıya gönderirken hiç utanmamış mı merak ediyorum.
May 21, 2022
Recently, I read about the science behind the satisfaction one gets from reading a good murder mystery. It does meet a deeply human need - to set a world that has so much wrong in it, to rights. To bring order out of chaos. For me, a good murder mystery involves a complex crime, an interesting lead, and multiple well developed characters and story lines. It needs enough detail to give it the complexity I crave, without having so much I feel bored and lost down a trivial rabbit hole. I also enjoy a series, so that the story can unfold and I don’t have to leave characters behind once I’ve finished a book. I’ve really enjoyed this series as it’s filled all of the bills set out above. 4 stars
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