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DC Laura McGanity #3
Last Rites
‘Parts of this book are so tense that I found myself hunched over it, desperate to find out what happened next, but fearful of what it might be … a good plot with some compelling characters’
thebookbag.co.uk
‘A top notch thriller’
Closer Magazine
‘a plot so cunning, so ruthless and so downright evil. This is a seriously scary story. Superbly paced, with firmly grounded dialogue and a believable cast of characters, thus subtle page-turner lingers long in the mind’
Lancashire Evening Post
‘Had me hooked and staying up late to finish it. A breath-taking final chapter brings everything to a head ... White continues to thrill his readers’
Eurocrime.co.uk
The Lancashire town of Blackley has been rocked by the violent death of Luke Howarth. The fingers of suspicion point towards his girlfriend, Sarah Goode – missing since his murder. Just another crime of passion with a tragic end. Or is it? Reporter Jack Garrett isn’t so sure – especially when he’s asked by Sarah’s distraught parents to find their daughter. Their description of a caring schoolteacher doesn’t tally with the media’s portrayal of a cold-blooded killer. But as he hunts for Sarah, Jack finds himself immersed in the town’s troubled history and discovers that dangerous rituals from the past are impacting on the present.
Jack’s girlfriend, DC Laura McGanity, in the midst of a tough custody battle, must be content to sit on the sidelines. But she soon finds herself caught up in the investigation, as the mystery surrounding Sarah’s disappearance dramatically unravels. Jack and Laura find themselves in mortal danger as they come face to face with an unhinged killer who is determined that they will pay with their lives…
Learn more about Neil White at his websites:
USA: www.neilwhite.info
UK: www.neilwhite.net
Follow Neil on Twitter: @neilwhiteinusa or @neilwhite1965
thebookbag.co.uk
‘A top notch thriller’
Closer Magazine
‘a plot so cunning, so ruthless and so downright evil. This is a seriously scary story. Superbly paced, with firmly grounded dialogue and a believable cast of characters, thus subtle page-turner lingers long in the mind’
Lancashire Evening Post
‘Had me hooked and staying up late to finish it. A breath-taking final chapter brings everything to a head ... White continues to thrill his readers’
Eurocrime.co.uk
The Lancashire town of Blackley has been rocked by the violent death of Luke Howarth. The fingers of suspicion point towards his girlfriend, Sarah Goode – missing since his murder. Just another crime of passion with a tragic end. Or is it? Reporter Jack Garrett isn’t so sure – especially when he’s asked by Sarah’s distraught parents to find their daughter. Their description of a caring schoolteacher doesn’t tally with the media’s portrayal of a cold-blooded killer. But as he hunts for Sarah, Jack finds himself immersed in the town’s troubled history and discovers that dangerous rituals from the past are impacting on the present.
Jack’s girlfriend, DC Laura McGanity, in the midst of a tough custody battle, must be content to sit on the sidelines. But she soon finds herself caught up in the investigation, as the mystery surrounding Sarah’s disappearance dramatically unravels. Jack and Laura find themselves in mortal danger as they come face to face with an unhinged killer who is determined that they will pay with their lives…
Learn more about Neil White at his websites:
USA: www.neilwhite.info
UK: www.neilwhite.net
Follow Neil on Twitter: @neilwhiteinusa or @neilwhite1965
531 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
About the author
Neil White
37 books152 followersNeil White (b. 1965) is a British freelance criminal lawyer and a full-time crime writer.
Librarian's note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarian's note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
April 13, 2015
Cracking book with a detailed history of the Witches of Pendle Hill and a fair and inciting depiction of the Pagan religion. A great page-turner.
August 1, 2015
Killed me as much second time round as first. A good day's buddy read with Christine and a reminder should I need one of why I'm such a Neil White fan. Brilliant. Traumatic and brilliant.
September 23, 2019
Enjoyable read
November 18, 2022
Really enjoyed the witchy element to this!
April 17, 2026
A real page turner. Had me hooked. A great murder mystery read. I will look out for other books by this author.
June 21, 2022
Last rites - Neil White
🌟🌟🌟
Started 10th June 2022
Finished 21st June 2022
This is the third book in the DC Laura Mcganity series.
The story follows reporter Jack Garrett as he is asked to find teacher Sarah Goode by her parents after she has disappeared following the brutal murder of her boyfriend Luke and she is the prime suspect.
Laura wants Jack to be careful as they are also involved in a custody battle for her son and she doesn't want anything to jeopardise her loosing her son. She just wants them both to lead a quite life.
However, Jack is soon deeply involved in dangerous historical rituals as the hunt leads him to be involved with the history of the pendle witch trials and historical murders and disappearance of other girls.
The story is written from different perspectives which I enjoy. The point of view of Sarah is very tense and disturbing as you find out what's happened to her and follow her side of the story.
Although this is the third book in the series you don't have to read them all to follow but I have enjoyed doing so as I like how the characters have developed.
I enjoyed the involvement of the Pendle witch trials and I think it was very clever of the author to involve history from the area he lives in. Visiting pendle to see the church, hill and trails is on my bucket list of things to do.
As with all his books, White is very good at keeping us guessing with an explosive finish. This book has got some gruesome elements to it but I love a bit of blood and gore.
I enjoyed this book more then the second book
🌟🌟🌟
🌟🌟🌟
Started 10th June 2022
Finished 21st June 2022
This is the third book in the DC Laura Mcganity series.
The story follows reporter Jack Garrett as he is asked to find teacher Sarah Goode by her parents after she has disappeared following the brutal murder of her boyfriend Luke and she is the prime suspect.
Laura wants Jack to be careful as they are also involved in a custody battle for her son and she doesn't want anything to jeopardise her loosing her son. She just wants them both to lead a quite life.
However, Jack is soon deeply involved in dangerous historical rituals as the hunt leads him to be involved with the history of the pendle witch trials and historical murders and disappearance of other girls.
The story is written from different perspectives which I enjoy. The point of view of Sarah is very tense and disturbing as you find out what's happened to her and follow her side of the story.
Although this is the third book in the series you don't have to read them all to follow but I have enjoyed doing so as I like how the characters have developed.
I enjoyed the involvement of the Pendle witch trials and I think it was very clever of the author to involve history from the area he lives in. Visiting pendle to see the church, hill and trails is on my bucket list of things to do.
As with all his books, White is very good at keeping us guessing with an explosive finish. This book has got some gruesome elements to it but I love a bit of blood and gore.
I enjoyed this book more then the second book
🌟🌟🌟
January 30, 2016
Hmm.. It's difficult to pin-point why Neil White's novels don't *quite* work for me - this was another well-written and believable crime thriller set in The North, featuring characters which mainly rang true, a good pace of narrative, and some clever twists and turns which took me by surprise. The story concerns a young woman having gone missing after her boyfriend was found stabbed to death, and an investigative journalist and various police trying to piece together this mystery - which gets mixed up with the historical Pendle Witch Trials.
But yes, it barely scraped a 'I liked this' in the end, though it wasn't all that bad. I felt it 100 pages too long, I thought the shifting between first person and third person POV confusing at times, I don't feel the choice of using an investigative journalist worked well here as a central protagonist, some of the characters behaved like walking clichés, and it just felt like the whole thing was made up of jigsaw pieces which didn't quite match up.
But yes, it barely scraped a 'I liked this' in the end, though it wasn't all that bad. I felt it 100 pages too long, I thought the shifting between first person and third person POV confusing at times, I don't feel the choice of using an investigative journalist worked well here as a central protagonist, some of the characters behaved like walking clichés, and it just felt like the whole thing was made up of jigsaw pieces which didn't quite match up.
July 24, 2011
Another enjoyable book in this series.
July 3, 2013
This was a slow starter but ended up a good read but not as good as first and second in this series.
July 17, 2018
Though I have read other Neil White novels, this was my first in the Laura Mcganity series. I was concerned that I might not be able to pick the series up without needing to know the backstory, but it was very easy to fall into, and actually hard to come up for air. I thought that the plot and the characters made it compelling from the start, and I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't the straight cut police procedural that I had been expecting.
I really liked Laura and Jack as characters. They were skilled enough to give credibility and to cement themselves in the 'hero' roles within the book, but they were flawed enough to make them interesting. Having no idea about their relationship or how it has developed through the series, I was compelled by their personal issues and had real empathy that something - or some tarty someone - wouldn't somehow damage their lives.
I also loved the contrasting narratives between Laura and Jack. It was interesting seeing both the unapologetic journalist point of view, and the law enforcement point of view alongside each other. It was an interesting narrative from Jack because he was there only to dig up a story for his own gain, and made no bones about that. He wasn't as limited as the police would have been, so there was a fluidity to the plot that some police procedurals lack.
The main plot progressed constantly, it delved into elements that I hadn't expected but found interesting and was just all around enjoyable. In that uncomfortable way that only dark topics can be enjoyable. Boy, were there some really dark topics as well. Animal death, rape, kidnapping, murder, explosions…
At first, I thought that the main plot would be whether Sarah was guilty, but we quickly found that Sarah was dealing with her own problems, I didn't feel that her narratives added anything to the novel, and I actually felt that they were detrimental because they took away some of the mystery surrounding the did she/didn't she element. Yet I was wrong.
I didn't really enjoy the police's role in this novel because I felt that it fell over the border of frustrating to a bit ridiculous in this day and age. The murder squad could have been dismissive of Laura and antagonistic toward Jack without kidnapping and beating him, and laughing in her face and making her feel insecure and incapable. Their reactions didn't add anything to the plot at all, so I thought them a bit excessive.
Overall I really enjoyed the whole novel and I would love to read more in this series. I would definitely recommend.
I really liked Laura and Jack as characters. They were skilled enough to give credibility and to cement themselves in the 'hero' roles within the book, but they were flawed enough to make them interesting. Having no idea about their relationship or how it has developed through the series, I was compelled by their personal issues and had real empathy that something - or some tarty someone - wouldn't somehow damage their lives.
I also loved the contrasting narratives between Laura and Jack. It was interesting seeing both the unapologetic journalist point of view, and the law enforcement point of view alongside each other. It was an interesting narrative from Jack because he was there only to dig up a story for his own gain, and made no bones about that. He wasn't as limited as the police would have been, so there was a fluidity to the plot that some police procedurals lack.
The main plot progressed constantly, it delved into elements that I hadn't expected but found interesting and was just all around enjoyable. In that uncomfortable way that only dark topics can be enjoyable. Boy, were there some really dark topics as well. Animal death, rape, kidnapping, murder, explosions…
At first, I thought that the main plot would be whether Sarah was guilty, but we quickly found that Sarah was dealing with her own problems, I didn't feel that her narratives added anything to the novel, and I actually felt that they were detrimental because they took away some of the mystery surrounding the did she/didn't she element. Yet I was wrong.
I didn't really enjoy the police's role in this novel because I felt that it fell over the border of frustrating to a bit ridiculous in this day and age. The murder squad could have been dismissive of Laura and antagonistic toward Jack without kidnapping and beating him, and laughing in her face and making her feel insecure and incapable. Their reactions didn't add anything to the plot at all, so I thought them a bit excessive.
Overall I really enjoyed the whole novel and I would love to read more in this series. I would definitely recommend.
May 24, 2018
I'm surprised to read that this is a DC Laura McGanity #3 book. Not having read any of White's books before, I wouldn't even have made this a DC Laura McGanity #1 as she doesn't have the lead. She's 'just' one of the characters to which a few chapters have been devoted to.
I like the story, just not the writing. The reason for this is that the story is told from both a first (I) and third (he, she) perspective. In my opinion you can't mix those UNLESS the first person (the journalist in this case, so not DC Laura) is telling the story about the others, which didn't seem to be the case. I also found myself calling him an idiot :) I mean, at some point he hasn't heard in a while from his wife (DC Laura), she doesn't answer her phone and doesn't return his calls. He knows that she's gone to interview a suspect by herself. He knows who this suspect is. Knows where she lives and studies, but instead of going over to check it out (or call Laura's work), he continues doing his own thing?
I think I would have enjoyed the book more if it was written entirely in the third person perspective. Other than that, an OK read.
I like the story, just not the writing. The reason for this is that the story is told from both a first (I) and third (he, she) perspective. In my opinion you can't mix those UNLESS the first person (the journalist in this case, so not DC Laura) is telling the story about the others, which didn't seem to be the case. I also found myself calling him an idiot :) I mean, at some point he hasn't heard in a while from his wife (DC Laura), she doesn't answer her phone and doesn't return his calls. He knows that she's gone to interview a suspect by herself. He knows who this suspect is. Knows where she lives and studies, but instead of going over to check it out (or call Laura's work), he continues doing his own thing?
I think I would have enjoyed the book more if it was written entirely in the third person perspective. Other than that, an OK read.
August 11, 2020
Highly disappointing. The story is not without potential but could have been 50-60% more compact. It has been written and rewritten so many times; clearly those who think that the dubious subject matter of homicidal maniacs is grossly abused, do not constitute the readers' pool of the book; it is not written for such prudes. However, violence evidently sells. Personal hardships, mystery and particularly violence generously ladled up, thin on psychology, investigation and deduction. Suffice to say, the chief baddie's motivation is some inner voices that made him do it. l wonder if it has something to do with the author's mood - was he trying to spite the editor, or the fit of pique was triggered by his prosecutorial duties fatigue. The female protagonist 2/3 of the time does nothing, 1/3 is rendered to a damsel in distress state. The witches subplot unconvincingly rather clumsily attached. Come to think of it, the centrepiece of the story is how protagonists practically deceive Social Cervices to achieve their goals which is depicted as noble sufferings.
July 17, 2017
Not chosen by me, this was Thurso Book Club's book of the month. A woman (Sarah) has disappeared after her boyfriend is found murdered and she is the obvious and only suspect. The story is told mostly from the angle of an investigative journalist who has been tasked with finding Sarah and, hopefully, prove her innocence but also from Sarah's point of view and that of a detective investigating other crimes which turn out to be linked to Sarah's disappearance.
It isn't particularly well-written, with noticeable grammar issues and this and the story's formulaic nature put me off. I don't think I will read other DC L McGanity novels.
If you like crime fiction then this book is for you.
It isn't particularly well-written, with noticeable grammar issues and this and the story's formulaic nature put me off. I don't think I will read other DC L McGanity novels.
If you like crime fiction then this book is for you.
June 30, 2017
Read as a Thurso Book Club Choice, sadly starting at No 3 in the series but that didnt seem to an issue as little is mentioned of previous stories. It is a DC Laura McGanity story but she seems almost peripheral to the story. Races along as three stories which gradually converse into one, building to a finale. With fiction mixed in with real witchcraft stories, it was an enjoyable read, with some unexpected events. Not for everyone as it could be quite graphic in parts, would read others in the series if the opportunity arises.
May 8, 2018
Reading always gives the opportunity to discover something new and interesting. “Last rites” by Neil White is one of the authors I’ve recently discovered and given a go.
A terrible and bloody homicide of Luke Howarth shakes the area of Blackley. Sarah Goodge, the victim’s girlfriend, has gone missing since the finding of the body, and the police are searching her. They suspect her to be the killer.
When Sam Nixon, a legal practitioner, contacts reporter Jack Garret to ask him if he could investigate the disappearance of Sarah Goodge on behalf of her parents, the journalist reluctantly refuses the job. He doesn’t think the story may be of public interest, but his journalistic intuition prevails, and he accepts to investigate the case.
His discoveries lead him and DC Laura McGanity, his girlfriend, to an unexpected world of ancient witchcraft; they have to hunt a dangerous and cold-blood killer who’s very determined to accomplish his criminal plan.
Neil White created an enjoyable and very dark thriller which entertains and frightens the readers. I personally enjoyed the story, and two characters totally fascinated me. The first is Katie Gray, Sarah’s lodger. She helps the reporter during the investigation and, because of her flirting with Jack, triggers Laura’s jealousy. She seems an innocent and worried woman who would do everything to find out what happened to her friend, but the truth is different; Katie really is not who she claims to be.
The second character is Detective Karl Carson. He’s in charge of the investigation on Sarah Goodge’s disappearance and he has a personal way of pursuing the success of his inquiry. The contraposition between Laura and Carson, and Carson and Garret is harsh and brutal; the detective doesn’t mind using unorthodox procedures to get what he needs. Despite his harshness and rude methods, Carson is a good and responsible detective who sincerely wants to catch the culprit.
The story contains unpredictable and surprising twists; the writing is smooth, detailed, and fluent. In spite of my positive judgment, I couldn’t cope with the pace of the story. The first half of the novel is too slow and systematic, and it seems to lead anywhere else than to a predictable end. After the first half of the book, the story finally progresses and turns into a page-turner thriller.
A very good book, which, in my opinion, would have been amazing if the pace had been quicker and gripping from the beginning.
A terrible and bloody homicide of Luke Howarth shakes the area of Blackley. Sarah Goodge, the victim’s girlfriend, has gone missing since the finding of the body, and the police are searching her. They suspect her to be the killer.
When Sam Nixon, a legal practitioner, contacts reporter Jack Garret to ask him if he could investigate the disappearance of Sarah Goodge on behalf of her parents, the journalist reluctantly refuses the job. He doesn’t think the story may be of public interest, but his journalistic intuition prevails, and he accepts to investigate the case.
His discoveries lead him and DC Laura McGanity, his girlfriend, to an unexpected world of ancient witchcraft; they have to hunt a dangerous and cold-blood killer who’s very determined to accomplish his criminal plan.
Neil White created an enjoyable and very dark thriller which entertains and frightens the readers. I personally enjoyed the story, and two characters totally fascinated me. The first is Katie Gray, Sarah’s lodger. She helps the reporter during the investigation and, because of her flirting with Jack, triggers Laura’s jealousy. She seems an innocent and worried woman who would do everything to find out what happened to her friend, but the truth is different; Katie really is not who she claims to be.
The second character is Detective Karl Carson. He’s in charge of the investigation on Sarah Goodge’s disappearance and he has a personal way of pursuing the success of his inquiry. The contraposition between Laura and Carson, and Carson and Garret is harsh and brutal; the detective doesn’t mind using unorthodox procedures to get what he needs. Despite his harshness and rude methods, Carson is a good and responsible detective who sincerely wants to catch the culprit.
The story contains unpredictable and surprising twists; the writing is smooth, detailed, and fluent. In spite of my positive judgment, I couldn’t cope with the pace of the story. The first half of the novel is too slow and systematic, and it seems to lead anywhere else than to a predictable end. After the first half of the book, the story finally progresses and turns into a page-turner thriller.
A very good book, which, in my opinion, would have been amazing if the pace had been quicker and gripping from the beginning.
May 10, 2018
Yet another good read from Neil White. Witches, covens, brutal killings and custody battles. It has it all, as well as arrogant police officers who think they know it all. Following the story of the two main characters, the police woman and the journalist, now living in rural England and their investigation in to two crimes which eventually become linked. All characters easily identifiable and the story flows so another book that you rush home to in order to continue the story. Although I did guess how they were going to solve the 'problem' at the end (not giving anything away).
March 5, 2023
This was an author I knew nothing about until I found a copy of Dead Silent and from then on I went on a mini mission to get all his books coz it was so good and luckily found a copy of this one earlier this year.
Another superb thriller, one that definitely keeps you guessing til the end which, sadly IMO, was drawn out a bit too much and could've been 50 pages shorter but I still really enjoyed this and got through it in less than 48 hours. I can't recommend this author's work highly enough. You have to check him out.
Another superb thriller, one that definitely keeps you guessing til the end which, sadly IMO, was drawn out a bit too much and could've been 50 pages shorter but I still really enjoyed this and got through it in less than 48 hours. I can't recommend this author's work highly enough. You have to check him out.
May 11, 2021
What started as an engaging, page turning crime/mystery story ends with a pathetic climax. The whole point of a thriller is adrenaline rush, not able to anticipate what's gonna happen next which was not evident in this novel. The story deserved a better ending, seems like it was rushed to an end with unnecessary and sometimes so obvious drama in the end. I liked the witch angle, which could have been explored more. So, its a not so missable read..!!
October 22, 2017
A gripping read which I expected to enjoy & I did - a good storyline, a few twists & turns & a gruesome murder - just what I love! Looking forward to the next & hopefully learning more about the mysterious Joe Kinsella.
August 24, 2017
kept me guessing till the end, loved this book. I look forward to many more books by Neil White
September 12, 2017
better than i thought it was gong to be, would read more of his work.
February 14, 2018
way better then e frst 2 books
August 2, 2018
Gruesomely graphic imagery
December 31, 2019
Not the strongest of White's novels, but still a great read.
June 3, 2020
Oh good ending. Loved it
February 14, 2021
Found this to be an OK book but the plot was a little slow for my liking, still not a bad read though but for me it'd a three!!
May 17, 2021
Not something I would normally pick up but I'm so glad I did. It was gripping and amazing. I couldn't put it down.
August 7, 2021
fast paced, easy to read, but be warned, contains a lot of sadistic violence graphically described
November 17, 2023
Such an amazing read!
Would recommend.
Would recommend.
May 26, 2024
Just your nuts and bolts UK small town detective novel, but with a twist - a police officer and a reporter. Nice engaging story and well written
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews