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Stephanie King #4
Nasze ostatnie spojrzenie
On wierzy, że nie mogę mu zrobić nic złego. Niestety, myli się.
Celia, Juliette i Nadia nie znają się – ale łączy je jedno: każda z nich została skrzywdzona przez tego samego człowieka. Ellis Cobain to filantrop, medialna gwiazda i kandydat do tytułu szlacheckiego. Publicznie – wzór cnót. Prywatnie – potwór.
Gdy zupełnym przypadkiem losy trzech kobiet się splatają, zdeterminowane, by odzyskać kontrolę nad swoim życiem, zawierają ryzykowny pakt – szantażować Ellisa i zmusić go, by raz na zawsze zniknął z ich świata.
Ale następnego ranka Ellis zostaje znaleziony martwy.
Nie wiedzą, która z nich to zrobiła. A może nie była to żadna z nich? Teraz muszą milczeć – albo jedna z nich pociągnie wszystkie na dno.
Bo jeśli któraś z nich kłamie… to pozostałe mogą być następne?
Trzy kobiety. Jeden martwy mąż.
Celia, Juliette i Nadia nie znają się – ale łączy je jedno: każda z nich została skrzywdzona przez tego samego człowieka. Ellis Cobain to filantrop, medialna gwiazda i kandydat do tytułu szlacheckiego. Publicznie – wzór cnót. Prywatnie – potwór.
Gdy zupełnym przypadkiem losy trzech kobiet się splatają, zdeterminowane, by odzyskać kontrolę nad swoim życiem, zawierają ryzykowny pakt – szantażować Ellisa i zmusić go, by raz na zawsze zniknął z ich świata.
Ale następnego ranka Ellis zostaje znaleziony martwy.
Nie wiedzą, która z nich to zrobiła. A może nie była to żadna z nich? Teraz muszą milczeć – albo jedna z nich pociągnie wszystkie na dno.
Bo jeśli któraś z nich kłamie… to pozostałe mogą być następne?
Trzy kobiety. Jeden martwy mąż.
464 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2024
1174 people are currently reading
956 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Abbott
50 books2,685 followersI was born and brought up in the north of England, and worked for many years as the managing director of an interactive media company. I wrote every day - everything from creative proposals to user manuals - but most exciting of all was writing interactive dramas - including for the Cluedo (Clue in the US) interactive games. I was fortunate enough to sell my company in 2000 and we moved to Italy where we bought and restored an old country house.
I have published six full length novels and one novella, and my seventh Come a Little Closer is due for release in 2018. I now live on the beautiful island of Alderney in the Channel Islands, where I write full time.
Find out more on my website.
I have published six full length novels and one novella, and my seventh Come a Little Closer is due for release in 2018. I now live on the beautiful island of Alderney in the Channel Islands, where I write full time.
Find out more on my website.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 326 reviews
November 29, 2024
Release Date: 15th August 2024
Trigger Warning: Domestic Abuse, Manipulation, Narcissism
WOULD YOU KEEP A SECRET FOR A STRANGER, IF IT MEANT THE BLOOD WAS ON YOUR HANDS?
This is the fourth book in the Stephanie King series by Rachel Abbott, which starts with Stephanie King having a weekend away with her mother at a boutique hotel in Cornwall, where she can't help people watching, which leads her to notice some interesting behaviour from some of the guests: Celia; Juliette; Russell; Ellis; and Nadia.
Although Celia, Juliette and Nadia are complete strangers, they have one thing in common they have all been wronged by Ellis Cobain.
Nearly a week later one of the guests, philanthropist Ellis Cobain is found dead, which brings Stephanie King back to the hotel and questioning those she had encountered and noticed the previous weekend.
I do love Rachel Abbott's series as I always feel in safe hands and it's like catching up with old friends, the stories are always gritty, with really well thought out characters, who feel very genuine and real, with the dilemma of what is right and wrong and all those grey areas in-between. I feel torn between rooting for those in the wrong and understanding the need for justice, because sometimes people are pushed to extremes.
This book is no exception, I really felt for the characters in the book and their stories of what they have endured at the hands of Ellis Cobain's manipulation.
With plenty of twists and turns, this fast paced thriller is a rollercoaster of emotions, that made me audibly gasp, cry and root for the characters, even if I didn't particularly like all of them.
Rachel Abbott has this amazing ability to write books on some of the most difficult topics, but does so with care and realism and I think that is why all her books stay with me.
Reviews also published on:
Instagram || Threads || BSky || Coffee and Kindle Blog || The StoryGraph || Amazon || Bookmarks
Happy to make friends on all socials
Trigger Warning: Domestic Abuse, Manipulation, Narcissism
WOULD YOU KEEP A SECRET FOR A STRANGER, IF IT MEANT THE BLOOD WAS ON YOUR HANDS?
This is the fourth book in the Stephanie King series by Rachel Abbott, which starts with Stephanie King having a weekend away with her mother at a boutique hotel in Cornwall, where she can't help people watching, which leads her to notice some interesting behaviour from some of the guests: Celia; Juliette; Russell; Ellis; and Nadia.
Although Celia, Juliette and Nadia are complete strangers, they have one thing in common they have all been wronged by Ellis Cobain.
Nearly a week later one of the guests, philanthropist Ellis Cobain is found dead, which brings Stephanie King back to the hotel and questioning those she had encountered and noticed the previous weekend.
I do love Rachel Abbott's series as I always feel in safe hands and it's like catching up with old friends, the stories are always gritty, with really well thought out characters, who feel very genuine and real, with the dilemma of what is right and wrong and all those grey areas in-between. I feel torn between rooting for those in the wrong and understanding the need for justice, because sometimes people are pushed to extremes.
This book is no exception, I really felt for the characters in the book and their stories of what they have endured at the hands of Ellis Cobain's manipulation.
With plenty of twists and turns, this fast paced thriller is a rollercoaster of emotions, that made me audibly gasp, cry and root for the characters, even if I didn't particularly like all of them.
Rachel Abbott has this amazing ability to write books on some of the most difficult topics, but does so with care and realism and I think that is why all her books stay with me.
Reviews also published on:
Instagram || Threads || BSky || Coffee and Kindle Blog || The StoryGraph || Amazon || Bookmarks
Happy to make friends on all socials
July 23, 2024
Celia, Juliette and Nadia, are three strangers, all staying at a beautiful Cornish hotel. These women are all very different, with one thing in common…Ellis Cobain, a very wealthy, arrogant, and egotistical philanthropist, who just so happens is staying at the hotel with one of the women…his downtrodden, second wife, Celia.
These three women have all been wronged by Ellis, and they make a pact to blackmail him…but then, he is found dead!!
This was a very good, twisty “whodunnit”, with secrets being revealed throughout.
Thanks to the author, and NetGalley for providing me with this free ARC, of which I leave a voluntary review.
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
These three women have all been wronged by Ellis, and they make a pact to blackmail him…but then, he is found dead!!
This was a very good, twisty “whodunnit”, with secrets being revealed throughout.
Thanks to the author, and NetGalley for providing me with this free ARC, of which I leave a voluntary review.
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
August 8, 2024
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
Three women in this case.
Ellis Cobain has made some enemies in his time. Three of them happen to be staying the coastal Cornish hotel he's staying in. One, just happens to be his wife.
Celia, his wife
Julia, a designer
Nadia, a singer
All three have a bone to pick with Ellis and find themselves together when he's discovered dead on his yacht.
All three have an alibi, but as we uncover over chapters- all three have motives.
This reminded of an Agatha Christie novel, but very modern. It moved at a fair pace once the murder was discovered. It is also my first Stephanie King novel. I was unaware of her character prior to this read, but find her likeable and someone I would enjoy reading about again.
Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read and review prior to the August 15 2024 release date.
Three women in this case.
Ellis Cobain has made some enemies in his time. Three of them happen to be staying the coastal Cornish hotel he's staying in. One, just happens to be his wife.
Celia, his wife
Julia, a designer
Nadia, a singer
All three have a bone to pick with Ellis and find themselves together when he's discovered dead on his yacht.
All three have an alibi, but as we uncover over chapters- all three have motives.
This reminded of an Agatha Christie novel, but very modern. It moved at a fair pace once the murder was discovered. It is also my first Stephanie King novel. I was unaware of her character prior to this read, but find her likeable and someone I would enjoy reading about again.
Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read and review prior to the August 15 2024 release date.
November 22, 2024
While her books are a bit too long, I have enjoyed these Stephanie King books. They all read at a good pace. But, alas, I won’t be reading any more that are published. While I am totally fine with the resolution of the women, I am totally not fine with the other shocker! It was a bit too much for me, and drastically reduced my rating.
August 9, 2024
The Last Time I Saw Him' is the fourth instalment in the Sergeant Stephanie King series. Apart from maybe missing out a bit on events in Stephanie's private life, I think you could possibly get away with reading this as a stand-alone.
Three women who have never met each other have one thing in common. His name is Ellis Cobain and he's a nasty piece of work, to say the least. To the public, he's a wonderfully charming philanthropist with his eye on a knighthood. To the three women, he's a nightmare they can't get rid of. There's his second wife, Celia, who used to be an actress but is now a mere shell of a woman with zero self-confidence and no way of leaving her husband. Then there's Juliette who, in a moment of feeling low, let herself be seduced. Finally, there's Nadia, a singer whose career was ruined.
All three have plenty of reasons to hate Ellis so when he turns up dead, it seems rather obvious they're responsible. Or are they? Because a dead Ellis wasn't part of the plan they concocted. But things aren't adding up, and as the investigation into Ellis' death deepens, so does the mistrust between the three women. After all, how well do they know one another?
Needless to say, Ellis isn't exactly mourned much. But his death is a mystery that needs solving. Gus and Stephanie have their work cut out for them. The evidence they find is puzzling, and while they think their entire suspect list is lying to them, they're having a tough time proving that. For me, however, if all signs point towards a certain direction, I'm going to go another way so I wasn't really surprised when the culprit(s) were revealed.
Rachel Abbott knows how to keep readers hooked with well-plotted mysteries. 'The Last Time I Saw Him' grabbed me from the first page and I couldn't wait to find out more. Obviously, there are a multitude of lies to be discovered and you end up wondering if maybe one of the three women will be the victim of an untimely death as well.
That said, while I enjoyed 'The Last Time I Saw Him', this was probably my least favourite book by Abbott. It often felt rather repetitive to me, especially during Juliette's chapters as she seemed to just go around in circles with regard to her husband and whether or not she should tell him the truth. Her dithering annoyed me and I found it hard to feel sorry for her or the situation she found herself in. Nadia, quite frankly, just scared me. And Celia was understandably somewhat spineless but I still felt like grabbing her by the collar and shaking her, telling her to get a grip on herself and her life. On top of that, I found it hard to care about Ellis' death. As the song goes, he had it coming.
A mysterious death, a bunch of unreliable characters, lots of sneaking around and intrigue ... it all leads to quite an abrupt and jaw-dropping conclusion. Be prepared, be very prepared.
Three women who have never met each other have one thing in common. His name is Ellis Cobain and he's a nasty piece of work, to say the least. To the public, he's a wonderfully charming philanthropist with his eye on a knighthood. To the three women, he's a nightmare they can't get rid of. There's his second wife, Celia, who used to be an actress but is now a mere shell of a woman with zero self-confidence and no way of leaving her husband. Then there's Juliette who, in a moment of feeling low, let herself be seduced. Finally, there's Nadia, a singer whose career was ruined.
All three have plenty of reasons to hate Ellis so when he turns up dead, it seems rather obvious they're responsible. Or are they? Because a dead Ellis wasn't part of the plan they concocted. But things aren't adding up, and as the investigation into Ellis' death deepens, so does the mistrust between the three women. After all, how well do they know one another?
Needless to say, Ellis isn't exactly mourned much. But his death is a mystery that needs solving. Gus and Stephanie have their work cut out for them. The evidence they find is puzzling, and while they think their entire suspect list is lying to them, they're having a tough time proving that. For me, however, if all signs point towards a certain direction, I'm going to go another way so I wasn't really surprised when the culprit(s) were revealed.
Rachel Abbott knows how to keep readers hooked with well-plotted mysteries. 'The Last Time I Saw Him' grabbed me from the first page and I couldn't wait to find out more. Obviously, there are a multitude of lies to be discovered and you end up wondering if maybe one of the three women will be the victim of an untimely death as well.
That said, while I enjoyed 'The Last Time I Saw Him', this was probably my least favourite book by Abbott. It often felt rather repetitive to me, especially during Juliette's chapters as she seemed to just go around in circles with regard to her husband and whether or not she should tell him the truth. Her dithering annoyed me and I found it hard to feel sorry for her or the situation she found herself in. Nadia, quite frankly, just scared me. And Celia was understandably somewhat spineless but I still felt like grabbing her by the collar and shaking her, telling her to get a grip on herself and her life. On top of that, I found it hard to care about Ellis' death. As the song goes, he had it coming.
A mysterious death, a bunch of unreliable characters, lots of sneaking around and intrigue ... it all leads to quite an abrupt and jaw-dropping conclusion. Be prepared, be very prepared.
September 22, 2024
A new author for me and despite being the fourth in the Stephanie King series, it was still easy to enjoy.
The premise worked so well!
Three women who are all strangers but each have been wronged by Ellis Cobain, a nasty arrogant philanthropist.
Meeting at a Cornish hotel, they hatch a plan to blackmail him - but something goes wrong and his found dead on his yacht.
The clever aspect of the narrative is told through one of the three women's perspective.
Juliette is one of the suspects and has cheated on her husband with said Ellis Cobain.
The characters are well presented and there's plenty of mystery and intrigue that propells the blackmailing plot.
Will definitely try more from this author.
The premise worked so well!
Three women who are all strangers but each have been wronged by Ellis Cobain, a nasty arrogant philanthropist.
Meeting at a Cornish hotel, they hatch a plan to blackmail him - but something goes wrong and his found dead on his yacht.
The clever aspect of the narrative is told through one of the three women's perspective.
Juliette is one of the suspects and has cheated on her husband with said Ellis Cobain.
The characters are well presented and there's plenty of mystery and intrigue that propells the blackmailing plot.
Will definitely try more from this author.
September 6, 2025
„Nasze ostatnie spojrzenie” to moje trzecie spotkanie z twórczością Rachel Abbott. Przyznam szczerze, że dwie poprzednie powieści autorki, które miałam okazję przeczytać, nie do końca spełniły moje oczekiwania – czegoś mi w nich brakowało. Jednak opis jej najnowszego thrillera zaintrygował mnie na tyle, że postanowiłam dać autorce kolejną szansę. I tym razem się nie zawiodłam.
Celia, Juliette i Nadia to trzy zupełnie różne kobiety, każda z odmiennym bagażem doświadczeń, charakterem i sposobem radzenia sobie z traumą. Na pierwszy rzut oka nic ich nie łączy, ale każda z nich stała się ofiarą Ellisa Cobaina – mężczyzny o dwóch twarzach: publicznie charyzmatycznego filantropa i medialnej gwiazdy, prywatnie zaś bezwzględnego manipulatora, który niszczy życie kobiet, które miały nieszczęście znaleźć się w jego orbicie.
Wspólny pakt szantażu wobec Ellisa staje się dla nich nie tyle aktem zemsty, ile desperacką próbą wyjścia z cienia mężczyzny, który przez lata odbierał im poczucie bezpieczeństwa.
Gdy Ellis zostaje znaleziony martwy, cała konstrukcja zbudowanego przez kobiety planu rozpada się niczym domek z kart.
„Nasze ostatnie spojrzenie” autorstwa Rachel Abbott to thriller, który od pierwszych stron wciąga czytelnika w gęstą, pełną napięcia fabułę. Autorka wprowadza nas do świata pozornie zwyczajnych kobiet, zmuszonych do podejmowania dramatycznych decyzji – decyzji, które przekształcają ich życie w koszmar pełen strachu, wątpliwości i tajemnic. To opowieść nie tylko o zemście, lecz także o sile, jaką kobiety potrafią odnaleźć w sobie w obliczu zagrożenia.
Cenię w Abbott to, że nie idzie na łatwiznę. Zamiast serwować prostą historię „ofiara kontra oprawca”, tworzy wielowarstwową fabułę, w której brakuje łatwych odpowiedzi i jednoznacznych rozwiązań. Atmosfera paranoi i wzajemnej nieufności między bohaterkami gęstnieje z każdą stroną, a czytelnik staje się świadkiem psychologicznej rozgrywki, w której granice między kłamstwem a prawdą coraz bardziej się zacierają.
Muszę przyznać, że tym razem całkowicie wciągnęłam się w świat wykreowany przez autorkę – do tego stopnia, że trudno było mi odłożyć książkę, nawet na chwilę. Fabuła jest płynna, świetnie skonstruowana i pełna zwrotów akcji. Abbott umiejętnie buduje napięcie, zmuszając czytelnika do nieustannego podejrzewania wszystkich i wszystkiego. Krótkie rozdziały, często kończące się cliffhangerem, nadają powieści rytm niemal filmowego thrillera. Jednocześnie autorka nie rezygnuje z warstwy psychologicznej, pokazując, jak trauma, strach i pragnienie wolności mogą pchnąć człowieka do decyzji, które jeszcze wczoraj wydawałyby się nie do pomyślenia. Bohaterki powieści są psychologicznie wiarygodne – każda z nich zmaga się nie tylko z przeszłością, ale także z własnym strachem i poczuciem winy. To sprawia, że ich dramat staje się wyjątkowo namacalny.
Największe wrażenie zrobiło na mnie jednak zakończenie. Abbott zaserwowała rozwiązanie, które jest zarówno zaskakujące, jak i bolesne – takie, którego absolutnie się nie spodziewałam. To finał, który pozostaje w pamięci na długo po odłożeniu książki, nadając całej historii dodatkowej głębi.
„Nasze ostatnie spojrzenie” to nie tylko opowieść o zbrodni i tajemnicy. To także historia o siostrzeństwie rodzącym się w ekstremalnych okolicznościach, o sile tkwiącej w solidarności, ale i o kruchości więzi, które łatwo mogą się rozsypać pod wpływem podejrzeń i rywalizacji. Abbott porusza również ważny temat przemocy psychicznej i manipulacji – subtelnej, a jednocześnie wyniszczającej, często trudniejszej do udowodnienia niż fizyczna agresja.
Rachel Abbott stworzyła thriller psychologiczny, który spełnia wszystkie oczekiwania wobec gatunku: intryguje, niepokoi i zaskakuje. „Nasze ostatnie spojrzenie” to powieść, w której nic nie jest oczywiste, a każda kolejna strona odsłania nowe warstwy ludzkiej słabości i determinacji. To książka, która nie tylko oferuje emocjonującą rozrywkę, ale także skłania do refleksji nad tym, jak łatwo zatracić granice między dobrem a złem, gdy stawką jest własne życie i wolność.
To fascynujący thriller psychologiczny, w którym Abbott udowadnia, że potrafi pisać o mrocznych zakamarkach ludzkiej duszy z chirurgiczną precyzją. Dla mnie było to naprawdę udane i satysfakcjonujące spotkanie z jej twórczością.
Celia, Juliette i Nadia to trzy zupełnie różne kobiety, każda z odmiennym bagażem doświadczeń, charakterem i sposobem radzenia sobie z traumą. Na pierwszy rzut oka nic ich nie łączy, ale każda z nich stała się ofiarą Ellisa Cobaina – mężczyzny o dwóch twarzach: publicznie charyzmatycznego filantropa i medialnej gwiazdy, prywatnie zaś bezwzględnego manipulatora, który niszczy życie kobiet, które miały nieszczęście znaleźć się w jego orbicie.
Wspólny pakt szantażu wobec Ellisa staje się dla nich nie tyle aktem zemsty, ile desperacką próbą wyjścia z cienia mężczyzny, który przez lata odbierał im poczucie bezpieczeństwa.
Gdy Ellis zostaje znaleziony martwy, cała konstrukcja zbudowanego przez kobiety planu rozpada się niczym domek z kart.
„Nasze ostatnie spojrzenie” autorstwa Rachel Abbott to thriller, który od pierwszych stron wciąga czytelnika w gęstą, pełną napięcia fabułę. Autorka wprowadza nas do świata pozornie zwyczajnych kobiet, zmuszonych do podejmowania dramatycznych decyzji – decyzji, które przekształcają ich życie w koszmar pełen strachu, wątpliwości i tajemnic. To opowieść nie tylko o zemście, lecz także o sile, jaką kobiety potrafią odnaleźć w sobie w obliczu zagrożenia.
Cenię w Abbott to, że nie idzie na łatwiznę. Zamiast serwować prostą historię „ofiara kontra oprawca”, tworzy wielowarstwową fabułę, w której brakuje łatwych odpowiedzi i jednoznacznych rozwiązań. Atmosfera paranoi i wzajemnej nieufności między bohaterkami gęstnieje z każdą stroną, a czytelnik staje się świadkiem psychologicznej rozgrywki, w której granice między kłamstwem a prawdą coraz bardziej się zacierają.
Muszę przyznać, że tym razem całkowicie wciągnęłam się w świat wykreowany przez autorkę – do tego stopnia, że trudno było mi odłożyć książkę, nawet na chwilę. Fabuła jest płynna, świetnie skonstruowana i pełna zwrotów akcji. Abbott umiejętnie buduje napięcie, zmuszając czytelnika do nieustannego podejrzewania wszystkich i wszystkiego. Krótkie rozdziały, często kończące się cliffhangerem, nadają powieści rytm niemal filmowego thrillera. Jednocześnie autorka nie rezygnuje z warstwy psychologicznej, pokazując, jak trauma, strach i pragnienie wolności mogą pchnąć człowieka do decyzji, które jeszcze wczoraj wydawałyby się nie do pomyślenia. Bohaterki powieści są psychologicznie wiarygodne – każda z nich zmaga się nie tylko z przeszłością, ale także z własnym strachem i poczuciem winy. To sprawia, że ich dramat staje się wyjątkowo namacalny.
Największe wrażenie zrobiło na mnie jednak zakończenie. Abbott zaserwowała rozwiązanie, które jest zarówno zaskakujące, jak i bolesne – takie, którego absolutnie się nie spodziewałam. To finał, który pozostaje w pamięci na długo po odłożeniu książki, nadając całej historii dodatkowej głębi.
„Nasze ostatnie spojrzenie” to nie tylko opowieść o zbrodni i tajemnicy. To także historia o siostrzeństwie rodzącym się w ekstremalnych okolicznościach, o sile tkwiącej w solidarności, ale i o kruchości więzi, które łatwo mogą się rozsypać pod wpływem podejrzeń i rywalizacji. Abbott porusza również ważny temat przemocy psychicznej i manipulacji – subtelnej, a jednocześnie wyniszczającej, często trudniejszej do udowodnienia niż fizyczna agresja.
Rachel Abbott stworzyła thriller psychologiczny, który spełnia wszystkie oczekiwania wobec gatunku: intryguje, niepokoi i zaskakuje. „Nasze ostatnie spojrzenie” to powieść, w której nic nie jest oczywiste, a każda kolejna strona odsłania nowe warstwy ludzkiej słabości i determinacji. To książka, która nie tylko oferuje emocjonującą rozrywkę, ale także skłania do refleksji nad tym, jak łatwo zatracić granice między dobrem a złem, gdy stawką jest własne życie i wolność.
To fascynujący thriller psychologiczny, w którym Abbott udowadnia, że potrafi pisać o mrocznych zakamarkach ludzkiej duszy z chirurgiczną precyzją. Dla mnie było to naprawdę udane i satysfakcjonujące spotkanie z jej twórczością.
August 30, 2024
I started off absolutely loving this book. The suspense was perfect, I loved the 3 women’s stories, and the mystery of what actually happened had me frantically turning pages. If you read this as a stand-alone, you may enjoy it more. I read the other Stephanie King books and had the backstory of her life and relationship so the ending ruined the book for me. I felt that one thing was so unnecessary and cruel. If that moment was left out of the book, this would be a clear 5 stars. Everything about the book was perfect except the last 2 percent.
August 2, 2024
A dead body is discovered on a yacht and there are three suspects: Juliette, Celia, and Nadia. Each of these women knew Ellis and were somehow wronged by him so of course suspicion falls on them. Told from a "now" and "then" perspective, the novel details how each of these women came to know and hate Ellis and of course what really transpired. And we all know how truly dangerous women can be when they are pushed to the breaking point! It's a fast-paced thriller that kept me guessing until the end!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
September 11, 2025
Nazwisko Rachel Abbott z pewnością nie jest Wam obce jeśli lubicie duszną atmosferę tajemnic podaną lekkim językiem i oczekujecie intrygującej fabuły z szokującym finałem. A w powieściach Autorki nigdy nie wiadomo, kto mówi prawdę.
Kameralna przestrzeń hotelu na wybrzeżu i trzy kobiety skrzywdzone przez jednego mężczyznę. Taki wstęp oczywiście zwiastuje tragedię, a detektyw Stephanie King wraz ze swoim partnerem w pracy i w życiu, Gusem Brodiem stają przed naprawdę zawiłą sprawą. Czy uda im się znaleźć sprawcę m0rderstwa? A może nie zawsze warto go szukać?
Rachel Abbott w czwartym już tomie z jedną z moich ulubionych bohaterek, która kieruje się nie tylko poczuciem sprawiedliwości, ale i sercem, potwierdza, że jest mistrzynią w łączeniu rasowego, toczącego się swoim rytmem, kryminału z opowieścią o ludzkich dramatach i wyborach, które nigdy nie są proste. Pokazuje też, że zbrodnia zawsze jest konsekwencją decyzji, emocji i relacji, które z zewnątrz mogą wyglądać zwyczajnie, a od środka okazują się pełne bólu, manipulacji i samotności.
Wspomnę od razu, że każda część cyklu stanowi odrębną sprawę kryminalną, więc i „Nasze ostatnie spojrzenie” z powodzeniem można czytać bez znajomości pozostałych.
Stopniowo poznajemy trzy kobiety i ich relację z człowiekiem, który żyje, by ranić i niszczyć innych, bo może. Autorka pisze o ich emocjach w sposób niezwykle prawdziwy, delikatny, a jednocześnie niepozbawiony brutalnej szczerości. I właśnie narracja prowadzona naprzemiennie z perspektywy czterech kobiet, w tym Stephanie, pozwalająca czytelnikowi spojrzeć na wydarzenia, niczym w lustro odbijające różne prawdy, jest ogromną siłą tej powieści. Mimo że Autorka pozwala nam zajrzeć za kulisy zdarzeń, do końca nie wiemy, kto jest sprawcą, widzimy za to, jak łatwo można dać się zwieść pozorom.
Miejsce akcji daje poczucie klaustrofobii i ma wręcz w sobie coś z teatralnej sceny, gdzie każdy gest i każde spojrzenie stają się znaczące. Stephanie, jak zawsze uważna obserwatorka, pod powierzchnią uprzejmych uśmiechów i codziennych rozmów hotelowych gości dostrzega napięcia, sekrety i ciche dramaty.
Trudno czytać tę powieść bez emocji i równie trudno się od niej oderwać. Bo Autorka pisze tak, że nie tylko z napięciem śledziłam fabułę, ale wręcz czułam na własnej skórze ból i strach bohaterów. A tutaj nic nie jest czarno-białe, a każda z decyzji bohaterek naznaczona jest lękiem, bólem i nadzieją na ocalenie. Można powiedzieć, że to opowieść o kobietach, które zbyt długo były więźniarkami cudzej władzy i o cenie, jaką muszą zapłacić, gdy wreszcie próbują odzyskać własne życie.
Ta cena, również dla Stephanie, okaże się wysoka…
Kameralna przestrzeń hotelu na wybrzeżu i trzy kobiety skrzywdzone przez jednego mężczyznę. Taki wstęp oczywiście zwiastuje tragedię, a detektyw Stephanie King wraz ze swoim partnerem w pracy i w życiu, Gusem Brodiem stają przed naprawdę zawiłą sprawą. Czy uda im się znaleźć sprawcę m0rderstwa? A może nie zawsze warto go szukać?
Rachel Abbott w czwartym już tomie z jedną z moich ulubionych bohaterek, która kieruje się nie tylko poczuciem sprawiedliwości, ale i sercem, potwierdza, że jest mistrzynią w łączeniu rasowego, toczącego się swoim rytmem, kryminału z opowieścią o ludzkich dramatach i wyborach, które nigdy nie są proste. Pokazuje też, że zbrodnia zawsze jest konsekwencją decyzji, emocji i relacji, które z zewnątrz mogą wyglądać zwyczajnie, a od środka okazują się pełne bólu, manipulacji i samotności.
Wspomnę od razu, że każda część cyklu stanowi odrębną sprawę kryminalną, więc i „Nasze ostatnie spojrzenie” z powodzeniem można czytać bez znajomości pozostałych.
Stopniowo poznajemy trzy kobiety i ich relację z człowiekiem, który żyje, by ranić i niszczyć innych, bo może. Autorka pisze o ich emocjach w sposób niezwykle prawdziwy, delikatny, a jednocześnie niepozbawiony brutalnej szczerości. I właśnie narracja prowadzona naprzemiennie z perspektywy czterech kobiet, w tym Stephanie, pozwalająca czytelnikowi spojrzeć na wydarzenia, niczym w lustro odbijające różne prawdy, jest ogromną siłą tej powieści. Mimo że Autorka pozwala nam zajrzeć za kulisy zdarzeń, do końca nie wiemy, kto jest sprawcą, widzimy za to, jak łatwo można dać się zwieść pozorom.
Miejsce akcji daje poczucie klaustrofobii i ma wręcz w sobie coś z teatralnej sceny, gdzie każdy gest i każde spojrzenie stają się znaczące. Stephanie, jak zawsze uważna obserwatorka, pod powierzchnią uprzejmych uśmiechów i codziennych rozmów hotelowych gości dostrzega napięcia, sekrety i ciche dramaty.
Trudno czytać tę powieść bez emocji i równie trudno się od niej oderwać. Bo Autorka pisze tak, że nie tylko z napięciem śledziłam fabułę, ale wręcz czułam na własnej skórze ból i strach bohaterów. A tutaj nic nie jest czarno-białe, a każda z decyzji bohaterek naznaczona jest lękiem, bólem i nadzieją na ocalenie. Można powiedzieć, że to opowieść o kobietach, które zbyt długo były więźniarkami cudzej władzy i o cenie, jaką muszą zapłacić, gdy wreszcie próbują odzyskać własne życie.
Ta cena, również dla Stephanie, okaże się wysoka…
August 11, 2024
would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this exceptional book
3 women
one death
a proper whodunnit
Celia, Juliette and Nadia they know nothing of each other but they are entwinned in a crime....
Ellis Cobain is married to one is blackmailing another to sleep with him and the other one is a former lover
he engineers it so that his wife and the one he is blacmailing are in the same hotel at the same time the icing on the cake is the apearance of the other one
what he didnt expect was to be found dead on his boat ....
what a kettle of fish this one is .... full of insighful innuendoes and red herrings galore .... never saw that ending coming at all
brilliantly written and very plausable....cant wait for the next book by this author
3 women
one death
a proper whodunnit
Celia, Juliette and Nadia they know nothing of each other but they are entwinned in a crime....
Ellis Cobain is married to one is blackmailing another to sleep with him and the other one is a former lover
he engineers it so that his wife and the one he is blacmailing are in the same hotel at the same time the icing on the cake is the apearance of the other one
what he didnt expect was to be found dead on his boat ....
what a kettle of fish this one is .... full of insighful innuendoes and red herrings galore .... never saw that ending coming at all
brilliantly written and very plausable....cant wait for the next book by this author
June 14, 2024
Three seemingly unconnected women, Celia, Juliette and Nadia, meet at a boutique hotel on the Cornish coast. Initially unaware they are connected by the very rich Ellis Cobain who, in public, is a great philanthropist, on track to receive a knighthood for his good works. Out of the public eye Cobain is an arrogant man who torments each of the women in different ways. A plan to blackmail him is hatched between them, however this goes wrong and Cobain is found dead and very quickly declared murdered. None of the women knows which one of them has killed him and all three are desperate to cover their tracks.
The Last Time I Saw Him is the fourth in the Detective Stephanie King series and the first Rachel Abbot book I have read. Usually I would try and read a series such as this in order to understand the back story of the main character however this book works really well as a stand alone novel. The references to previous storylines are subtle and wouldn't spoil any enjoyment of reading the others out of order.
The plot moves along at a good pace, with plenty of twists and turns along the way. It is skillfully written and kept me guessing right to the end. Thoroughly enjoyed reading my first Rachel Abbott thriller, looking forward to reading more.
Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for the advance reader copy in return for an honest review.
The Last Time I Saw Him is the fourth in the Detective Stephanie King series and the first Rachel Abbot book I have read. Usually I would try and read a series such as this in order to understand the back story of the main character however this book works really well as a stand alone novel. The references to previous storylines are subtle and wouldn't spoil any enjoyment of reading the others out of order.
The plot moves along at a good pace, with plenty of twists and turns along the way. It is skillfully written and kept me guessing right to the end. Thoroughly enjoyed reading my first Rachel Abbott thriller, looking forward to reading more.
Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for the advance reader copy in return for an honest review.
February 21, 2025
I always love a Rachel Abbott book.
The different view points, the constant twists and turns that keep you guessing thinking you are on the right track only to show you you’re not!
I really enjoy how the detective is always the same, you grow to love them and I felt in this we really got to see a different side to Stephanie King but was that on purpose because the ending-I didn’t expect that and I’m not going to lie it made me really sad 😢
The different view points, the constant twists and turns that keep you guessing thinking you are on the right track only to show you you’re not!
I really enjoy how the detective is always the same, you grow to love them and I felt in this we really got to see a different side to Stephanie King but was that on purpose because the ending-I didn’t expect that and I’m not going to lie it made me really sad 😢
August 21, 2024
Enjoyable enough romp set in a luxury hotel where a dead body is found just off its coast in a luxury yacht.
The man, who was staying at the hotel with his wife, is not a very nice man. With a couple of affairs under his belt and his wife metaphorically beaten to a shell by her husbands constant put downs and control, there are plenty of suspects.
Despite the heavy subject matter this has a real cosy thriller vibe to it and it zips along quite nicely. Surprisingly it spends more time with the female suspects than it does with police(Stephanie King arf arf) but it does have a lot of storytelling to do and a rather complicated and contrived plot to unravel.
It kind of loses its way a little at the end and perhaps is too long for its own good but it didn’t take away from the enjoyment of the overall experience.
Thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley.
The man, who was staying at the hotel with his wife, is not a very nice man. With a couple of affairs under his belt and his wife metaphorically beaten to a shell by her husbands constant put downs and control, there are plenty of suspects.
Despite the heavy subject matter this has a real cosy thriller vibe to it and it zips along quite nicely. Surprisingly it spends more time with the female suspects than it does with police(Stephanie King arf arf) but it does have a lot of storytelling to do and a rather complicated and contrived plot to unravel.
It kind of loses its way a little at the end and perhaps is too long for its own good but it didn’t take away from the enjoyment of the overall experience.
Thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley.
August 11, 2024
This is a great crime thriller.
Stephanie and her Mum are spending some time together and having a weekend away. At dinner a couple and another man catches her attention and she knows there’s a strange dynamic between the three of them.
A few days later she’s called out to the hotel as a man has been found dead on a yacht.
Stephanie suspects it’s one of the men she saw that night, and she’s right.
We then learn through flashback chapters that there’s three women who could have murdered Ellis - his wife or one of the two other women there who he’d had an affair with.
There’s quite a lot to this story and some twists and turns that will keep you guessing.
A great read.
Thanks to Headline and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
Stephanie and her Mum are spending some time together and having a weekend away. At dinner a couple and another man catches her attention and she knows there’s a strange dynamic between the three of them.
A few days later she’s called out to the hotel as a man has been found dead on a yacht.
Stephanie suspects it’s one of the men she saw that night, and she’s right.
We then learn through flashback chapters that there’s three women who could have murdered Ellis - his wife or one of the two other women there who he’d had an affair with.
There’s quite a lot to this story and some twists and turns that will keep you guessing.
A great read.
Thanks to Headline and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
June 14, 2025
All three woman have a reason to want Ellis Cobin dead but who did it? Pretty bog standard reasons for wanting to kill the man. He seemed a total d***. Fairly predictable. Was just sad at the ending, my poor Gus!!! What did he do to deserve that!
August 2, 2024
Another story about a horrible man that women inexplicably fawn over when it’s so obvious he’s terrible. This seems to be one of the current trends in thrillers and it’s not my favorite, as you can see. I’ve read every book by this author and I was hoping for more, some type of twist on it or something, because she’s brilliant and can do better than this. Every similar story tries to paint the woman/women in a sympathetic light but there’s just no excuse anymore for being so blind to someone’s faults just because they’re wealthy and attractive. Women are better than this.
So there’s no surprise that the man in question ends up dead and one of the THREE women obsessed with him are suspected to be involved. They’re all pretty unlikeable, too. Celia is the pushover wife, Nadia’s the manipulative singer, and married Julia who is the quickest to realize her mistake of getting involved with him while collaborating as a designer for his property.
The conclusion of the story is definitely shocking, but for the wrong reasons. It’s more than just solving the murder, it’s also consequences of doing so. And was justice served? Nowhere near like it should have been. I don’t want to spoil anything, but the actions of these women lead to even more tragedy and their accountability? Well.
The story certainly made an impact on me and it wasn’t like it was hard to push through and read, as it was a definite page-turner. I just hope the next book is more satisfying, a unique story that doesn’t read like so many others. And one that doesn’t leave me wishing all the main characters would have suffered more!
So there’s no surprise that the man in question ends up dead and one of the THREE women obsessed with him are suspected to be involved. They’re all pretty unlikeable, too. Celia is the pushover wife, Nadia’s the manipulative singer, and married Julia who is the quickest to realize her mistake of getting involved with him while collaborating as a designer for his property.
The conclusion of the story is definitely shocking, but for the wrong reasons. It’s more than just solving the murder, it’s also consequences of doing so. And was justice served? Nowhere near like it should have been. I don’t want to spoil anything, but the actions of these women lead to even more tragedy and their accountability? Well.
The story certainly made an impact on me and it wasn’t like it was hard to push through and read, as it was a definite page-turner. I just hope the next book is more satisfying, a unique story that doesn’t read like so many others. And one that doesn’t leave me wishing all the main characters would have suffered more!
December 11, 2024
An abysmal of a book from start to finish. The most repetitive book i’ve ever read - it could’ve been about half the size.
I’m so confused about the point of this book? The ending has absolutely nothing to do with what we’re meant to have been routing for or wanting to find out throughout. Are we meant to have garnered some connection or sympathy for Gus whilst reading this? Because he was the most minor character in all of this to have him die at the end - and for us to not care. This leaves the literal plot of the whole book (who killed Ellis) to be thrown away - literally the evidence thrown into the sea.
I’m so confused about the point of this book? The ending has absolutely nothing to do with what we’re meant to have been routing for or wanting to find out throughout. Are we meant to have garnered some connection or sympathy for Gus whilst reading this? Because he was the most minor character in all of this to have him die at the end - and for us to not care. This leaves the literal plot of the whole book (who killed Ellis) to be thrown away - literally the evidence thrown into the sea.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 24, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for providing this book, with my honest review below.
The Last Time I Saw Him was a great thriller, set in a romantic location of a new hotel on the English coastline, with the perfect build up of suspense.
Starting at the hotel we meet Stephanie, who we later find out to be a detective, observing the other vacationers at the hotel’s restaurant. Through her observations and on the grounds we are introduced to Juliette, an interior designer who is keeping a secret from her husband, Celia, a mother who is clearly terrified of her spouse, and Nadia, an emerging singer at the hotel. When Ellis, a by all means disgusting excuse for a human being (and Celia’s husband) dies, Stephanie is brought back to the hotel and remembers observing all the woman when she stayed there. As mentioned the build up of suspense was perfect, slowly revealing all the ladies secrets and ties to Ellis. With a burst of action at the end we find out who killed Ellis (and why) but also see Stephanie get drawn into the mystery in a tragic way.
A perfectly written thriller, this will pull you in from the start and not give you the option to stop reading until the very end.
The Last Time I Saw Him was a great thriller, set in a romantic location of a new hotel on the English coastline, with the perfect build up of suspense.
Starting at the hotel we meet Stephanie, who we later find out to be a detective, observing the other vacationers at the hotel’s restaurant. Through her observations and on the grounds we are introduced to Juliette, an interior designer who is keeping a secret from her husband, Celia, a mother who is clearly terrified of her spouse, and Nadia, an emerging singer at the hotel. When Ellis, a by all means disgusting excuse for a human being (and Celia’s husband) dies, Stephanie is brought back to the hotel and remembers observing all the woman when she stayed there. As mentioned the build up of suspense was perfect, slowly revealing all the ladies secrets and ties to Ellis. With a burst of action at the end we find out who killed Ellis (and why) but also see Stephanie get drawn into the mystery in a tragic way.
A perfectly written thriller, this will pull you in from the start and not give you the option to stop reading until the very end.
May 25, 2024
First I need to express how much I love a good whodunnit. I adore them and could read only them forever. Unfortunately this is not one of the memorable ones.
I didn’t realise this was part of a Stephanie King series but had no trouble reading it as a stand-alone book. Stephanie seems like a good character.
The main issue I have with this book is how unlikeable all the characters are. The women in particular are quite pathetic, moany, wimpy and the story is basically them going around in circles shaking & whinging.
I actually hated this book. It annoyed me.
Thank you to Net Galley for an advance copy
I didn’t realise this was part of a Stephanie King series but had no trouble reading it as a stand-alone book. Stephanie seems like a good character.
The main issue I have with this book is how unlikeable all the characters are. The women in particular are quite pathetic, moany, wimpy and the story is basically them going around in circles shaking & whinging.
I actually hated this book. It annoyed me.
Thank you to Net Galley for an advance copy
August 24, 2024
Dreadful book
I have read all of Rachel Abbott`s books and, up until now, have enjoyed all bar one This one, however, was dreadful in so many ways . There was not a single likeable character including the police who were without an ounce of personality. The story jumps from one storyteller to another and the time frame goes back and forth so much it made me dizzy. The conversational dialogue was turgid. This book is the complete onsite to a thriller. I have no idea why I suffered it to the end, but I did, despite the sore head it gave me night after night.
I have read all of Rachel Abbott`s books and, up until now, have enjoyed all bar one This one, however, was dreadful in so many ways . There was not a single likeable character including the police who were without an ounce of personality. The story jumps from one storyteller to another and the time frame goes back and forth so much it made me dizzy. The conversational dialogue was turgid. This book is the complete onsite to a thriller. I have no idea why I suffered it to the end, but I did, despite the sore head it gave me night after night.
May 22, 2024
A new Rachel Abbott book is always a cause for celebration but in this instance the celebrations were short lived.For me it just wasn't in the same style that the author is know for,parts were to far-fetched and I struggled to want to pick it up but finish it I did it just wasn't for me this time.
I look forward to the authors next book in the future.
Thanks to Netgalley and Headline Books for the ARC.
I look forward to the authors next book in the future.
Thanks to Netgalley and Headline Books for the ARC.
June 2, 2024
Detective Stephanie King is investigating the murder of Ellis Cobain a man with several enemies.
A story that kept me entertained and guessing until the end.
Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
A story that kept me entertained and guessing until the end.
Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
September 13, 2025
„Nasze ostatnie spojrzenie” Rachel Abbot, to czwarty tom serii thrillerów psychologicznych z sierżant Stephanie King. Choć nie czytałam poprzednich („Zmuszona by zabić” t.1, „Gra w morderstwo” t. 2, „Nie odwracaj wzroku” t.3) i drugi raz w tym roku zaczęłam cykl od końca, ponownie dałam się przekonać! Z pewnością sięgnę po prequele tej opowieści, gdyż niesamowicie zaintrygowała mnie postać głównej dowodzącej i chciałabym poznać jej historię dogłębniej.
Jak to w seriach o zabarwieniu kryminalnym bywa, każdy tom zwiastuje nową scenę zbrodni, całkiem świeże motywy do popełnienia mord3rstwa i zupełnie nieznane postaci. W tym wypadku autorka wykreowała trzy bohaterki, o solidnie nakreślonych portretach psychologicznych, których los zbiegnie się w najmniej spodziewanym momencie i zaprowadzi je w najmroczniejsze rejony ludzkich pragnień... Trzy kobiety i jeden mężczyzna, który ich łączy, choć wcale nie zdawały sobie z tego sprawy. Z pozoru jest idealną partią - filantrop, gwiazda medialna, niemalże szlachcic. Publicznie kreuje się na wzór cnót, a prywatnie okazuje się niesamowitą szują. Gdy na jachcie znaleziono jego zwł0ki każda z nich zdaje się być podejrzana. Same nie wiedzą, która z nich kłamie - czy Stephanie King doścignie prawdy?
Juliette, to kreatywna i niezależna projektantka, która dała się omotać Ellisowi w chwili słabości. Celia jest jego żoną, niegdyś brylującą na salonach aktorką, dziś zalękniona, uwięziona w małżeństwie bez perspektyw. Nadia z kolei jest utalentowaną piosenkarką ze zrujnowaną karierą i zranionym sercem. Każda z nich ma inny powód by szukać zemsty, choć ich wspólnym mianownikiem jest ta sama persona.
"Nasze ostatnie spojrzenie" stanowi idealną mieszankę policyjnego śledztwa i gry psychologicznej. Autorka przeprowadza nas przez labirynt wypełniony licznymi kłamstwami, tajemnicami i niecnymi żądzami. Niełatwo jest tu wytypować sprawcę, gdyż podejrzany z każdym kolejnym rozdziałem jawi się zupełnie innym obrazem. Genialnie zbalansowana warstwa obyczajowa z detektywistyczną dostarczają wrażeń od samego początku, pomimo relatywnie powolnej narracji. Mamy tu do czynienia z typowym slow burnerem, który celuje w precyzyjnym namotaniu poszlakami, by finalnie dowalić z impetem wzruszającym i łamiącym serce zakończeniem. Przyznaję, ścisnęło mnie w gardle. Na tapet wzięto tu głównie motywy rodzinne - tj. problemy w małżeństwie, dziecięce traumy, bezdzietność, oraz zdrady. Spoiwem łączącym jest zemsta kobiet, która szczególnie wybrzmiała.
Ocena: 3,5/5 🌟
Jak to w seriach o zabarwieniu kryminalnym bywa, każdy tom zwiastuje nową scenę zbrodni, całkiem świeże motywy do popełnienia mord3rstwa i zupełnie nieznane postaci. W tym wypadku autorka wykreowała trzy bohaterki, o solidnie nakreślonych portretach psychologicznych, których los zbiegnie się w najmniej spodziewanym momencie i zaprowadzi je w najmroczniejsze rejony ludzkich pragnień... Trzy kobiety i jeden mężczyzna, który ich łączy, choć wcale nie zdawały sobie z tego sprawy. Z pozoru jest idealną partią - filantrop, gwiazda medialna, niemalże szlachcic. Publicznie kreuje się na wzór cnót, a prywatnie okazuje się niesamowitą szują. Gdy na jachcie znaleziono jego zwł0ki każda z nich zdaje się być podejrzana. Same nie wiedzą, która z nich kłamie - czy Stephanie King doścignie prawdy?
Juliette, to kreatywna i niezależna projektantka, która dała się omotać Ellisowi w chwili słabości. Celia jest jego żoną, niegdyś brylującą na salonach aktorką, dziś zalękniona, uwięziona w małżeństwie bez perspektyw. Nadia z kolei jest utalentowaną piosenkarką ze zrujnowaną karierą i zranionym sercem. Każda z nich ma inny powód by szukać zemsty, choć ich wspólnym mianownikiem jest ta sama persona.
"Nasze ostatnie spojrzenie" stanowi idealną mieszankę policyjnego śledztwa i gry psychologicznej. Autorka przeprowadza nas przez labirynt wypełniony licznymi kłamstwami, tajemnicami i niecnymi żądzami. Niełatwo jest tu wytypować sprawcę, gdyż podejrzany z każdym kolejnym rozdziałem jawi się zupełnie innym obrazem. Genialnie zbalansowana warstwa obyczajowa z detektywistyczną dostarczają wrażeń od samego początku, pomimo relatywnie powolnej narracji. Mamy tu do czynienia z typowym slow burnerem, który celuje w precyzyjnym namotaniu poszlakami, by finalnie dowalić z impetem wzruszającym i łamiącym serce zakończeniem. Przyznaję, ścisnęło mnie w gardle. Na tapet wzięto tu głównie motywy rodzinne - tj. problemy w małżeństwie, dziecięce traumy, bezdzietność, oraz zdrady. Spoiwem łączącym jest zemsta kobiet, która szczególnie wybrzmiała.
Ocena: 3,5/5 🌟
October 2, 2025
Celia, Juliette i Nadia nie znają się - ale łącze je jedno: każda z nich została skrzywdzona przez tego samego człowieka. Ellis Cobain to filantrop, medialna gwiazda i kandydat do tytułu szlacheckiego. Publicznie - wzór cnót. Prywatnie - potwór.
Gdy zupełnie przypadkiem losy trzech kobiet się splatają, zdeterminowane, by odzyskać kontrolę nad swoim życiem, zawierają ryzykowny pakt - szantażować Ellisa i zmusić go, by raz na zawsze zniknął z ich świata.
Ale następnego ranka Ellis zostaje znaleziony martwy.
Takiego zakończenia oraz środka się nie spodziewałam. W końcówce już wiedziałam jaki był zamysł i połączyłam kropki.
Książka opowiada o tym, jak pozwalamy komuś przejąć nad sobą kontrolę całkowitą. Nad czynami, nad myślami, nad przyszłością. Gdy dajemy się całkowicie podporzątkować.
Wiem, że takie sytuacje są obecne w naszym otoczeniu. Czasami nawet nie zdajemy sobie sprawy kto pozostaje w takiej relacji dopóki ona nie wyjdzie na światło dzienne.
Trzy kobiety, które zniszczył i podporządkował sobie jeden mężczyzna. Może nie tylko trzy, a było ich więcej ale o tym nie wiemy, ale podejrzewam.
Trzy kobiety, które chciałby się z tego uwolnić i poczuć swobodnie. Zacząc same decydować o sobie i nie patrzeć przez ramię czy on ich nie obserwuje.
Jest to ciężkie i męczące doznanie, ale mamy nadzieję na szybkie zakończenie.
Niestety czasami ono nie przychodzi szybko i łatwo. Czasami musimy coś poświęcić by od tego się uwolnić. I w tym przypadku także tak było. Każda z nich musiała coś poświęcić by się od tego mężczyzny uwolnić. By zacząć kolejny rozdział już bez niego. By móc iść dalej przez życie i nie obracać się za każdym krokiem i sprawdzać czy nie czai się za rogiem.
Historia, która połączyła nasze bohaterki jest tragiczna, wręcz groteskowa. Wspólna realizacja planu jednej z nch. Każde decyzje, które doprowadziły ich do tego miejsca w którym się spotykają i nadarza się okazja by się uwolnić.
Ciesze się, że udało im się wyzwolić spod jego wpływu i mogą spokojnie patrzeć w przyszłość. Jeśli szukasz historii, która da Ci do myślenia nad swoją sytuacją życiową oraz zastanowienia się czy ktoś z twojego otoczenia nie jest w podobnej sytuacji to książka jest dla Ciebie. Jak dla mnie pozycja do przeczytania, a autorka zrobiła świetną pracę.
Może w przyszłości sięgnę po inne książki autorki.
Gdy zupełnie przypadkiem losy trzech kobiet się splatają, zdeterminowane, by odzyskać kontrolę nad swoim życiem, zawierają ryzykowny pakt - szantażować Ellisa i zmusić go, by raz na zawsze zniknął z ich świata.
Ale następnego ranka Ellis zostaje znaleziony martwy.
Takiego zakończenia oraz środka się nie spodziewałam. W końcówce już wiedziałam jaki był zamysł i połączyłam kropki.
Książka opowiada o tym, jak pozwalamy komuś przejąć nad sobą kontrolę całkowitą. Nad czynami, nad myślami, nad przyszłością. Gdy dajemy się całkowicie podporzątkować.
Wiem, że takie sytuacje są obecne w naszym otoczeniu. Czasami nawet nie zdajemy sobie sprawy kto pozostaje w takiej relacji dopóki ona nie wyjdzie na światło dzienne.
Trzy kobiety, które zniszczył i podporządkował sobie jeden mężczyzna. Może nie tylko trzy, a było ich więcej ale o tym nie wiemy, ale podejrzewam.
Trzy kobiety, które chciałby się z tego uwolnić i poczuć swobodnie. Zacząc same decydować o sobie i nie patrzeć przez ramię czy on ich nie obserwuje.
Jest to ciężkie i męczące doznanie, ale mamy nadzieję na szybkie zakończenie.
Niestety czasami ono nie przychodzi szybko i łatwo. Czasami musimy coś poświęcić by od tego się uwolnić. I w tym przypadku także tak było. Każda z nich musiała coś poświęcić by się od tego mężczyzny uwolnić. By zacząć kolejny rozdział już bez niego. By móc iść dalej przez życie i nie obracać się za każdym krokiem i sprawdzać czy nie czai się za rogiem.
Historia, która połączyła nasze bohaterki jest tragiczna, wręcz groteskowa. Wspólna realizacja planu jednej z nch. Każde decyzje, które doprowadziły ich do tego miejsca w którym się spotykają i nadarza się okazja by się uwolnić.
Ciesze się, że udało im się wyzwolić spod jego wpływu i mogą spokojnie patrzeć w przyszłość. Jeśli szukasz historii, która da Ci do myślenia nad swoją sytuacją życiową oraz zastanowienia się czy ktoś z twojego otoczenia nie jest w podobnej sytuacji to książka jest dla Ciebie. Jak dla mnie pozycja do przeczytania, a autorka zrobiła świetną pracę.
Może w przyszłości sięgnę po inne książki autorki.
July 14, 2024
What did I just read? I mean ... It was one of those kind of books. The ones that leave you reeling. That take time to get over. Prepare yourselves. That is all I am saying about it but ... gah. My flabber was well and truly gasted.
Anyhoo - if that hasn't piqued your curiosity, then, well, there is no hope for you. The last Time I Saw Him is classic Rachel Abbott novelisciousness, a story of a police investigation where we hear not only from the Police, largely by way of the series heroine Stephanie King, but also from the prime suspects in what is very quickly determined to be murder. And, unlike some other books in the series, or even the author's other, equally brilliant, Tom Douglas series, there is not just one suspect, or key witness, but three. Yes - three very important, very different women, all of whose lives intersected that if the victim, and all of whom may have had good reason for wanting him dead. But the question is why now, and what was so bad about him that murder was thought to be the only choice?
Well ... not going to lie, Rachel Abbott has done a superb job here of creating a victim for whom I felt not an ounce of pity. He is the kind of guy you take an instant dislike to, and it hardly came as a surprise that he might meet his maker. What was more of a surprise was the where and the how of it all, and what remained a complete mystery until just the right moment was the who. It was a strange experience reading this book as while I felt a certain amount of sympathy for the three women, I also didn't. It not hard to see how they got swept up into the world of Ellis Cobain, how they may have been tempted. And the more we learn about them, their lives and their pasts, the easier it is to accept their behaviour, at least in terms of falling for Ellis. It is perhaps his long suffering wife I felt for most, and while it is easy to judge, Rachel Abbott has actually made her a very sympathetic character and her personal situation is reminiscent of far too many women who are trapped in a situation over which they have no control.
There is a lot of misdirection in this book, and quite a bit of misinformation from some of the 'witnesses', or suspects as they are moe rightly known. It was hard to know who to trust, and where the lies ended and the truth began. Little is as it seems, but there is an underlying, pulsing, tension right from the very beginning. In a twist of fate, Stephanie finds herself caught up in the case in a way she definitely could not have been expecting, that adds a very different perspective on the investigation as she has, to a degree, met both the victims and suspects before, when staying as a guest at the same location the murder takes place. But what she thinks she saw, and what she can actually prove, are entirely different matters, and Rachel Abbott leads us, very skilfully, through the various twists and turns of an investigation that can, ultiamtely only lead to tragedy.
The setting of the book, the Cornish coastline, provides a contrast that really elevates the investigation, and also lends itself to the rising sense of jeopardy that I felt as we hurtled towards the end of the book. In fact, the conclusion comes at a more abrupt pace than even I was expecting. There is an escalation of tension, a showdown and, whilst I could see the direction the story was heading, it still led to one of those jaw-dropping moments (see paragraph 1) that I just wasn't ready for. Did the ending fit the book? Sadly, it did. Was justice served? Well ... you'll have to judge for yourselves when you read it, won't you. If yo love the series, you will love (and possibly hate) this book too.
Anyhoo - if that hasn't piqued your curiosity, then, well, there is no hope for you. The last Time I Saw Him is classic Rachel Abbott novelisciousness, a story of a police investigation where we hear not only from the Police, largely by way of the series heroine Stephanie King, but also from the prime suspects in what is very quickly determined to be murder. And, unlike some other books in the series, or even the author's other, equally brilliant, Tom Douglas series, there is not just one suspect, or key witness, but three. Yes - three very important, very different women, all of whose lives intersected that if the victim, and all of whom may have had good reason for wanting him dead. But the question is why now, and what was so bad about him that murder was thought to be the only choice?
Well ... not going to lie, Rachel Abbott has done a superb job here of creating a victim for whom I felt not an ounce of pity. He is the kind of guy you take an instant dislike to, and it hardly came as a surprise that he might meet his maker. What was more of a surprise was the where and the how of it all, and what remained a complete mystery until just the right moment was the who. It was a strange experience reading this book as while I felt a certain amount of sympathy for the three women, I also didn't. It not hard to see how they got swept up into the world of Ellis Cobain, how they may have been tempted. And the more we learn about them, their lives and their pasts, the easier it is to accept their behaviour, at least in terms of falling for Ellis. It is perhaps his long suffering wife I felt for most, and while it is easy to judge, Rachel Abbott has actually made her a very sympathetic character and her personal situation is reminiscent of far too many women who are trapped in a situation over which they have no control.
There is a lot of misdirection in this book, and quite a bit of misinformation from some of the 'witnesses', or suspects as they are moe rightly known. It was hard to know who to trust, and where the lies ended and the truth began. Little is as it seems, but there is an underlying, pulsing, tension right from the very beginning. In a twist of fate, Stephanie finds herself caught up in the case in a way she definitely could not have been expecting, that adds a very different perspective on the investigation as she has, to a degree, met both the victims and suspects before, when staying as a guest at the same location the murder takes place. But what she thinks she saw, and what she can actually prove, are entirely different matters, and Rachel Abbott leads us, very skilfully, through the various twists and turns of an investigation that can, ultiamtely only lead to tragedy.
The setting of the book, the Cornish coastline, provides a contrast that really elevates the investigation, and also lends itself to the rising sense of jeopardy that I felt as we hurtled towards the end of the book. In fact, the conclusion comes at a more abrupt pace than even I was expecting. There is an escalation of tension, a showdown and, whilst I could see the direction the story was heading, it still led to one of those jaw-dropping moments (see paragraph 1) that I just wasn't ready for. Did the ending fit the book? Sadly, it did. Was justice served? Well ... you'll have to judge for yourselves when you read it, won't you. If yo love the series, you will love (and possibly hate) this book too.
August 18, 2024
When Steph had a weekend away with her Mum she never expected to be back a few days later on duty, She is a detective and in a relationship with Gus whose also her boss.
Ellis Cobain is not a great guy despite the image he wants the world to see but one great thing about thrillers or crime novels. mysteries is unlike real life where the good guys often get killed the bad ones can be destroyed. Incase there is any doubt I don’t like Ellis I feel you may not either but he doesn't last long. It's a shame sometimes good guys or ladies die as well
Celia, Juliette and Nadia 3 strangers if you've read the blurb you know they didn't know each other till recently but they have one thing in common Ellis he's been well he's been Ellis to them mean cruel and generally vile. So when he's found dead these 3 obviously will be suspects and their stores or story is great this is one crime novel that you will love well I did I think it was brilliant. I loved the story the characters (well apart from Ellis obviously) Julliette and Steph are my 2 personal favourites their story is told really well not that the others aren’t but we hear a lot more from these 2 but you will get the full account of the others far not
So I can only give this 5 stars I loved every page and well read it you will hopefully see what I mean and love.
Ellis Cobain is not a great guy despite the image he wants the world to see but one great thing about thrillers or crime novels. mysteries is unlike real life where the good guys often get killed the bad ones can be destroyed. Incase there is any doubt I don’t like Ellis I feel you may not either but he doesn't last long. It's a shame sometimes good guys or ladies die as well
Celia, Juliette and Nadia 3 strangers if you've read the blurb you know they didn't know each other till recently but they have one thing in common Ellis he's been well he's been Ellis to them mean cruel and generally vile. So when he's found dead these 3 obviously will be suspects and their stores or story is great this is one crime novel that you will love well I did I think it was brilliant. I loved the story the characters (well apart from Ellis obviously) Julliette and Steph are my 2 personal favourites their story is told really well not that the others aren’t but we hear a lot more from these 2 but you will get the full account of the others far not
So I can only give this 5 stars I loved every page and well read it you will hopefully see what I mean and love.
September 5, 2024
The Last Time I Saw Him
The queen of the page turner returns with her most twisty thriller yet
by Rachel Abbott
The Last Time I Saw Him by Rachel Abbott is a gripping thriller that pulls you in with its intriguing premise and complex characters. The story revolves around three women—Celia, Juliette, and Nadia—who unite over their shared desire to bring down Ellis Cobain, a seemingly untouchable philanthropist with a dark side. The plot is full of suspense, twists, and turns that kept me hooked until the very end.
However, the book’s ending left me disappointed. I was fully invested in the characters and the mystery, but the final twist felt unsatisfying, almost as if it undermined the buildup of the entire story. The alternating perspectives were interesting, though I found Juliette’s parts a bit repetitive.
Despite the ending, the book is well-paced with strong characters and an engaging storyline. While it could have been a 4-star read, the conclusion brought it down for me. Still, it’s a solid thriller worth reading.
Very grateful to the publisher for my copy, opinions are my own
The queen of the page turner returns with her most twisty thriller yet
by Rachel Abbott
The Last Time I Saw Him by Rachel Abbott is a gripping thriller that pulls you in with its intriguing premise and complex characters. The story revolves around three women—Celia, Juliette, and Nadia—who unite over their shared desire to bring down Ellis Cobain, a seemingly untouchable philanthropist with a dark side. The plot is full of suspense, twists, and turns that kept me hooked until the very end.
However, the book’s ending left me disappointed. I was fully invested in the characters and the mystery, but the final twist felt unsatisfying, almost as if it undermined the buildup of the entire story. The alternating perspectives were interesting, though I found Juliette’s parts a bit repetitive.
Despite the ending, the book is well-paced with strong characters and an engaging storyline. While it could have been a 4-star read, the conclusion brought it down for me. Still, it’s a solid thriller worth reading.
Very grateful to the publisher for my copy, opinions are my own
October 13, 2024
Oh wow!
Rachel has only gone and done it again
In the Last time I saw him. We once again meet DI Stephanie King, along with her Partner Gus who is also a Police officer.
At the start of this book Stephanie and her mum, have gone away for a weekends break to a lovely hotel set in beautiful grounds near the sea while there Stephanie finds it difficult at times to turn of her work brain and spots a few things, which cause her to ponder.
Shortly after she returns to work and is called by her Partner Gus, to join his murder investigation. A body has been found at the hotel her and her mum were staying g at.
We Leo meet 3nwomen, who seemingly have never met and have nothing in common or do they?
Steph, Gus and the team work hard to solve this case
I found myself drawn to most of the characters and thoroughly enjoyed reading this title. Several tears were also shed!
Thank to Netgalley and Rachel for allowing me to be part of her early reader team (sorry I am behind with this one)
Rachel has only gone and done it again
In the Last time I saw him. We once again meet DI Stephanie King, along with her Partner Gus who is also a Police officer.
At the start of this book Stephanie and her mum, have gone away for a weekends break to a lovely hotel set in beautiful grounds near the sea while there Stephanie finds it difficult at times to turn of her work brain and spots a few things, which cause her to ponder.
Shortly after she returns to work and is called by her Partner Gus, to join his murder investigation. A body has been found at the hotel her and her mum were staying g at.
We Leo meet 3nwomen, who seemingly have never met and have nothing in common or do they?
Steph, Gus and the team work hard to solve this case
I found myself drawn to most of the characters and thoroughly enjoyed reading this title. Several tears were also shed!
Thank to Netgalley and Rachel for allowing me to be part of her early reader team (sorry I am behind with this one)
December 14, 2024
Celia, Juliette and Nadia are strangers who have one thing in common – Ellis Cobain. Celia is his wife, Juliette his most recent mistress, and Nadia a previous mistress. They meet by chance in a Cornish hotel and plot revenge on the nasty piece of work who is Ellis. Then Ellis is found dead on his yacht and the three women are unsure if one of them actually killed him, or someone else did. DI Gus Brodie and DS Stephanie King are sent to solve the case and the story is told with flashbacks from the three women. I was absolutely hooked on this from page one and it has a brilliant twist at the end. The plot is so clever, with all its twists and turns, that I'm already looking for more by this author.
Review by: Norfolk Gal, Oundle Crime
Review by: Norfolk Gal, Oundle Crime
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