The Last Rights

by Elliott Light

Ashley Corbin, a former tennis prodigy turned prosecutor, finds herself entangled in a high-profile rape case in the small town of Freeman’s Gate. After the rapist, Daniel Lockhart, is acquitted by a jury, the victim, Sheila Fanning, having lost the protection of the rape exception in the abortion law, is arrested on the courthouse steps for having procured an illegal abortion.

Sensing something suspicious in the timing of Sheila’s arrest, Ashley asks questions she shouldn’t, inadvertently lifting the curtain on an insidious scheme instigated by the governor of the state to rip away the last rights of women to control their reproductive decisions. Ashley’s quest culminates in a final violent confrontation, one that forces her to accept that justice isn’t always achieved by following the rules.

A timely novel, The Last Rights is a legal thriller that delves into the complexities of justice, personal trauma, and societal morality.

243 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 4, 2025

About the author

Light grew up outside Washington, D.C. in McLean, Virginia before the beltway encircled the capital city, before farms were turned into housing developments, and before open fields became mega-malls.

Light attended the University of Virginia, receiving degrees in Electrical Engineering and Law. He has several patents to his name.

After stints as an environmental lawyer and a high tech in-house counsel, he practiced patent law in a private law firm.

Now retired, he resides in Naples, FL with his wife, Sonya. Throwaways is his fourth published novel.

Reviews

[Lupita_333 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Impactful book that explores what happens when the right to choose abortion is removed. The themes of the book are heavy and at times difficult to read through but its contents are super important to read about. It provoked a lot of anger with the way certain characters were treated and all the injustices they faced.

This book is fictional but it’s scary that this is what does happen when a much needed right is taken away. The writing was beautiful and highlights the importance of having the right to choose abortion regardless of the reasoning along with the devastating consequences of removing that right. There’s a lot of hatred, malice, and victim blaming that comes from those opposed to the right of abortion just as it happens in reality.

Abortion is a big topic in this book but it also discusses the negative impacts of AI(I’m against AI) and social media.

The cover is perfect and speaks so loud.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Sandy Stahl · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Last Rights is a legal thriller that addresses complex socio-political issues through relatable characters in the context of current events. This is a well-told and old story of personal autonomy, political power, the law and justice. The characters are well drawn, and the dialogue is interesting and energetic. Elliott has a knack for creating relatable characters in believable situations with sensitivity to female perspective. The Last Rights will draw you in, cause you to consider the issues, and leave you pondering the concepts of truth, justice and fairness over and against the exercise of political power. The haunting question the author leaves us with is whether individuals inevitably suffer collateral damage when government becomes a power struggle without principles.

[Paulette Mahurin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intelligently written and drawn on contemporary themes, I’m instantly involved with Ashley Corbin, an attorney, single mother, and woman drawn into a corrupt situation with a choice to make. Go with the cruel and damaging political scene or brave maintaining morality. The relationship with her fifteen year old daughter, Harper – their dialogue – helps bring focus to what motivates her. That along with her own traumatic past plays into her attorney role in prosecuting a rape case and then defending a woman ostensibly accused of a “Governmental determined” crime. Corbin is draw into a mess when she pursues an ethical course, instinctively doing right by another and stepping up, but to what consequence? The cards have been stacked against the woman she’s defending from the get go and it’s hard for the reader to see how she’s going to go up against the political powers that be and come out ahead, but here’s where the author shines in plot construction. Brilliant plot construction, I might add, that reads like a synopsis of current headlines, where one can’t help but root for the underdog. The writing is impressive, the pace fast-moving, the scenes filled with all that makes up the corrupt human condition and constructs the cruel political machine, designed for those in power and not the citizen. In reading this I am reminded of JFK’s Profile in Courage, and the acts taken by the few who risk position and power, and life and limb—the rare few, those that live in a purer stratosphere and can sleep at night because their day doesn’t consist of deceit. Throughout the read I wonder what really is it that motivates one to become a better angel, to turn a cheek on temptation that could economically make life easier, politically less stressful, and steer clear of the powers that be, a very current theme in our society. Through the rape courtroom scenes, the prosecution of a woman accused of a political crime, and in the face of an evildoer that will stop at nothing to coverup his past and those who seek to expose him, I am reading away at a rapid clip. Two days later, when the last page is turned, I’m left in awe at the brilliance communicated in the pages—the subtle way the author delivers messages—wake up calls that justice is not just and the law is a word game controlled by puppeteers pulling the strings. The only hope for compassion and courage to sustain is through critical thinking, getting outside one’s ego structure and embrace their own harmful, harm done through beliefs, harm done through religious and political constructs. Harm that is tipping the scales of society toward a dangerous war. This simple and entertaining story, a must read, is a metaphor for so much that is wrong in the world today, and in doing so offers up where hope lives. I loved this one.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Last Rights is both a tightly written legal thriller and a commentary on current social issues in America. It is more than a novel about a woman's rights over her own body, although that is the centerpiece. It also illuminates the slow erosion of rights through school boards and town councils until you no longer recognize your own community.

"Like many residents, I did my best to ignore the realities in plain sight. By the time I realized how these forces had transformed the attitudes and values of the community, it was too late."

"The city council meetings became a venue for voicing grievances and conspiracy theories at the expense of facts and loving thy neighbor."

Equally compelling in the story is the use of social media and technology for bad purposes. AI videos with sexual content are used to shame or accuse women, and can be deadly, but are impossible to regulate. In states where abortion has been declared illegal, officials use the internet to spy on women through fertility apps, targetless geofence warrants, and anonymous tip lines. Losing the right to bodily autonomy through the Dobbs Decision resulted in the loss of many more basic rights for women and the medical community.

This book doesn't preach about abortion rights. It does illustrate the snowballing effect of losing the most fundamental right of all, the right to make your own decisions about your body. Using two different characters, both raped, resulting in pregnancy, but they each chose different outcomes. If you've wondered why more women don't report rapes to the police, this story clearly illustrates the problems they face. The Last Rights was extremely difficult for me to read, and I had to walk away from it several times. I'm an old lady, and I remember well the days before Roe v. Wade. I'm also a retired teacher and a grandmother, so many of the events felt personal. This book is informative, thought-provoking, and infuriating. It's also incredibly well-written and timely, a cautionary tale about the erosion of Constitutional rights for all of us. I highly recommend it.

My thanks to NetGalley and Black Rose Writing for the opportunity to read this ARC. This review and all opinions are entirely my own.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

📚The Last Rights
✍🏻Elliott Light
Blurb:
Ashley Corbin, a former tennis prodigy turned prosecutor, finds herself entangled in a high-profile rape case in the small town of Freeman’s Gate. After the rapist, Daniel Lockhart, is acquitted by a jury, the victim, Sheila Fanning, having lost the protection of the rape exception in the abortion law, is arrested on the courthouse steps for having procured an illegal abortion.

Sensing something suspicious in the timing of Sheila’s arrest, Ashley asks questions she shouldn’t, inadvertently lifting the curtain on an insidious scheme instigated by the governor of the state to rip away the last rights of women to control their reproductive decisions. Ashley’s quest culminates in a final violent confrontation, one that forces her to accept that justice isn’t always achieved by following the rules.

A timely novel, The Last Rights is a legal thriller that delves into the complexities of justice, personal trauma, and societal morality.
My Thoughts:
Corbin, an attorney, single mother, and woman drawn into a corrupt situation with a choice to make. Go with the cruel and damaging political scene or brave maintaining morality. The relationship with her fifteen year old daughter, Harper – their dialogue – helps bring focus to what motivates her. That along with her own traumatic past plays into her attorney role in prosecuting a rape case and then defending a woman ostensibly accused of a “Governmental determined” crime. If courtroom drama, legal thriller add this to your TBR list.
Thanks NetGalley, Black Rose Writing and Author Elliott Light for the advanced copy of "The Last Rights" I am leaving my voluntary review in appreciation.
#NetGalley
#BlackRoseWriting
#ElliottLight
#TheLastRights
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Paul Jantzen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Last Rights is a solid courtroom drama. Its well structured, fast paced and has some good twists that will raise your eyebrows. Elliott Light has a nice touch as we follow Ashley, a prosecutor trying to convict a rape case. Things don't go well for the “he said she said” conundrum in this type of legal thriller. Plots thicken, characters are tested and we are left most likely taking a side.

This story will provoke some readers and nestle in nicely for others. There is plenty of deception and shady characters, and the story centers around a sensitive subject but its not hard to side with whats right. And there is an obvious what is right here. Just keep your mind on the prize, you’ll hope to get there.

Characters development is driven by strong dialogue and action. The dialogue is realistic and with that it’s not hard to delve right into this sticky world. If there is any lag it would be welcomed to catch your breath as this story keeps coming.

If courtroom drama, legal thriller is your cup of tea, bake some scones, this one will not disappoint.

[Gin Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elliott Light tells a story of one woman’s disastrous encounter while at the same time presents the universal story of the war women have fought since the beginning of time. Maybe it’s your story, or the story of someone you know. Statistically, it could become a story you are more familiar with. He manages to show us several sides of a controversial issue from the aspect of legal rights and basic human rights. Gritty, revealing, and unashamedly truthful, “The Last Rights” takes us on an emotional rollercoaster, giving us glimpses of the dark underbelly of our justice system. For women, it’s a must read. For men, a should read. Draw your own conclusions, pass your on verdict, but read this book. And be prepared to put your politics aside and leave your blinders at home. Well written, ell played. 5-Star Highly recommend – Gin Coleman, author of the Desert Born series

[Thomas Edmund · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I'm thankful for getting the opportunity to review this book, this is going to be quite a negative review...

I was initially attracting to the impending dystopia vibe this book gave, crafting a legal and political nightmare out of recent change in the US. However the writing style was far too perfunctory, there was an abundance of legal explanation, but not in an intriguing John Grisham kind of way.

The story did have some tension with the MC really backed into a corner legally and with physical threats from the villain, but ultimately the day was saved by an almost randomly introduced side-character who basically vigilante'd all the main characters out of danger - there wasn't really any lessons learned, decisions made or whatever that made the story worth reading, there was a lot of potential in the story but it just wasn't it.

[Trelia Luther · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it non stop

I could not put this book down. So "this could be true" to read. Believable story line and characters . Awesome

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Good Read

Not exactly a thriller but there is a twist at the end. Main character is a lawyer and a mother. A strong character.