The Last Patient

by M.K. Farrar

Only two men really know what happened in that room...
One is dead.
The other catatonic.

When a routine doctor’s appointment ends in brutal murder, shock ripples through East London. A respected GP lies dead—stabbed to death with his own scissors—while his killer, an ordinary family man with no history of violence, sits in custody unable to explain why he did it.
DI Erica Swift and DS Shawn Turner face one of their most baffling cases yet. The suspect’s wife insist he’s incapable of harm. He has no motive, no enemies, and no memory of his actions.
So why did he kill?
Meanwhile, another doctor’s wife is growing afraid. Her husband has been acting strangely since the murder, and she’s beginning to wonder what he’s hiding. Is he in danger—or does he know more than he’s saying?
Erica must untangle a mystery of fractured memories and hidden secrets before another life is lost.

Don't miss out on the final book in the DI Erica Swift series!

307 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 23, 2026

About the author

M K Farrar had penned more than ten novels of psychological noir and crime fiction. A British author, she lives in the countryside with her three children and a menagerie of rescue pets. When she’s not writing—which isn’t often—she balances out all the murder with baking and binge-watching shows on Netflix.

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t normally write reviews of detective stories, as they are just escapism for me. However, I recently read the first 12 books of the Scarpetta series and quit when I realized the constant arguing of the characters in her books was irritating me. I hadn’t grown to like any of the characters, and I just wasn’t enjoying the books. However, I have to say that the dialogue in the Scarpetta books was dynamic and totally believable; one could ‘hear’ that dialogue was real for her characters. That is not true of the dialogue in the ‘The Last Patient’. The characters in this book say things that police would not need to state in terms that are overly formal. The internal, unspoken dialogue of the characters is believable, but the spoken language is not. However, the characters are likable, which is important for me to enjoy a book. This is the last book in a long series, and I think the author did a nice job of rapping it up. I read all seventeen of the series, and they were a pleasant way to escape into a simple police procedural/detective book with a little emotional depth.

[T.M. Payne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Last Patient (A DI Erica Swift Thriller Book 17)
by M K Farrar
My Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by: Tammy - Book Nook Nuts

REVIEW
Vengeance is best Served COLD!

The last book in this series, and it's a MINDBENDER!
Be careful at the Doctor's Office!!!

I have loved the books in this series, every single one,
but THIS IS THE BEST...

Erica and Shawn have their hands truly full in this story.
A killer, a quiet murderer, but...

The past has come back with a vengeance, and it's truly UGLY...

What a story! Mystery, Suspense, and many who did it.

[Fiona Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book and the series. I've really enjoyed following the development of Kim and her team...plus the family dynamics on the side. Sad there won't be more but also felt this was an appropriate place to end the series...although there could be a Kim consulting thread when Poppy has left home? 😉

[Mrs. Phyllis E Gall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth reading

I have now read all 17 books in this series and enjoyed every one. I have neglected chores and lost sleep because I wanted to read. These are good stories and told well. Definitely worth reading.

[poodlechick17 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another FANTASTIC book

Another FANTASTIC book ,I love the characters and the story flowed well. I just hope this is not the last in the series. I thoroughly enjoyed all the books. Mk Farrar is one of my favourite authors.

[Andrea Gilsenan · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE LAST PATIENT

Well, what a series this has been.I’ve read all 17 of the series and always waited eagerly for each new release. If you haven’t read any of them then where have you been? Thank you for writing this series for us. First class.

[margaret biggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

Read this book in two days hated having to put it down it was so good .Think Erica Shawn and Poppy make a good team