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Anna Curtis #5
The Last Good Girl
In the bestselling tradition of Jodi Picoult and written “in a style that’s as real as it gets (USA TODAY), this ripped-from-the-headlines novel features prosecutor Anna Curtis as she finds herself again at the center of a national story involving a freshman girl at a prestigious university who disappears after filing rape charges against a young man in a powerful fraternity.
Emma, a freshman at a Michigan university, has gone missing. She was last seen leaving a bar near Sigma Pi, the prestigious and secretive fraternity known on campus as “the rape factory.” The main suspect is Dylan Brooks, the son of one of the most powerful politicians in the state. But so far the only clues are pieced-together surveillance footage of Emma leaving the bar that night…and Dylan running down the street after her.
Anna Curtis is on the case when she discovers the video diary Emma kept over her first few months at college, exposing the history she had with Dylan—and accusing him of rape before she disappeared.
Emma’s disappearance gets media attention and support from Title IX activists across the country, but Anna’s investigation hits a wall. Now Anna is looking for something, anything she can use to find Emma alive. But without a body or any physical evidence, she’s under threat from people who tell her to think hard before she ruins the name of an “innocent young man.” Inspired by real-life stories, The Last Good Girl shines a light on campus rape and the powerful emotional dynamics that affect the families of the men and women on both sides.
Emma, a freshman at a Michigan university, has gone missing. She was last seen leaving a bar near Sigma Pi, the prestigious and secretive fraternity known on campus as “the rape factory.” The main suspect is Dylan Brooks, the son of one of the most powerful politicians in the state. But so far the only clues are pieced-together surveillance footage of Emma leaving the bar that night…and Dylan running down the street after her.
Anna Curtis is on the case when she discovers the video diary Emma kept over her first few months at college, exposing the history she had with Dylan—and accusing him of rape before she disappeared.
Emma’s disappearance gets media attention and support from Title IX activists across the country, but Anna’s investigation hits a wall. Now Anna is looking for something, anything she can use to find Emma alive. But without a body or any physical evidence, she’s under threat from people who tell her to think hard before she ruins the name of an “innocent young man.” Inspired by real-life stories, The Last Good Girl shines a light on campus rape and the powerful emotional dynamics that affect the families of the men and women on both sides.
292 pages, Hardcover
First published May 3, 2016
129 people are currently reading
2340 people want to read
About the author
Allison Leotta
11 books420 followersFor twelve years, I was a federal prosecutor in Washington, DC, where I specialized in prosecuting sex crimes, domestic violence, and crimes against children.
I started writing because I saw heartbreaking tragedies, acts of shocking evil, and vulnerable victims every day - but also moments of real heroism, true love, and healing. Given the stories I witnessed, the rich cast of characters I worked with, and my lifelong love of fiction, I had to write a book.
I wanted to create a story that would both entertain and teach about the way the criminal justice system works—and doesn’t work. I focused on a nightmare shared by domestic-violence prosecutors: losing a case and setting free an abuser who eventually kills his victim. I wanted to explore why so many women stay with boyfriends who hurt them. And I wanted to create a strong, smart female prosecutor who would empathize with her witnesses because she shared some of their experiences – but whose romantic life would suffer from those same experiences.
Law of Attraction was written in the spaces of my life between prosecuting and mommying. I started writing while I was pregnant with my first son. I would wake up at 5:00 a.m. and write for a couple of hours before heading to work. I wrote at night and on weekends. After my son was born, I wrote during his naps and after bedtime. Now, the sound of a softly snoring baby triggers a Pavlovian response in me to start typing.
In 2010, Simon & Schuster published LAW OF ATTRACTION. The Washington Post called it “a racy legal thriller, taking on a still-taboo subject.” Suspense Magazine named it one of the best books of the year, and Library Journal gave it a starred review, calling it "riveting."
The sequel, DISCRETION, will be published this July, and is available for pre-order.
I also blog about what TV crime shows get right and wrong, from my perspective as a real sex-crimes prosecutor. The ABA named my blog, the Prime-Time Crime Review, one of the best legal blogs in America.
I went to Michigan State University and Harvard Law School. Now I live in Maryland with my two sons and my husband, Michael.
I started writing because I saw heartbreaking tragedies, acts of shocking evil, and vulnerable victims every day - but also moments of real heroism, true love, and healing. Given the stories I witnessed, the rich cast of characters I worked with, and my lifelong love of fiction, I had to write a book.
I wanted to create a story that would both entertain and teach about the way the criminal justice system works—and doesn’t work. I focused on a nightmare shared by domestic-violence prosecutors: losing a case and setting free an abuser who eventually kills his victim. I wanted to explore why so many women stay with boyfriends who hurt them. And I wanted to create a strong, smart female prosecutor who would empathize with her witnesses because she shared some of their experiences – but whose romantic life would suffer from those same experiences.
Law of Attraction was written in the spaces of my life between prosecuting and mommying. I started writing while I was pregnant with my first son. I would wake up at 5:00 a.m. and write for a couple of hours before heading to work. I wrote at night and on weekends. After my son was born, I wrote during his naps and after bedtime. Now, the sound of a softly snoring baby triggers a Pavlovian response in me to start typing.
In 2010, Simon & Schuster published LAW OF ATTRACTION. The Washington Post called it “a racy legal thriller, taking on a still-taboo subject.” Suspense Magazine named it one of the best books of the year, and Library Journal gave it a starred review, calling it "riveting."
The sequel, DISCRETION, will be published this July, and is available for pre-order.
I also blog about what TV crime shows get right and wrong, from my perspective as a real sex-crimes prosecutor. The ABA named my blog, the Prime-Time Crime Review, one of the best legal blogs in America.
I went to Michigan State University and Harvard Law School. Now I live in Maryland with my two sons and my husband, Michael.
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June 13, 2017
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When I started reading this book, I didn't realize it was a part of a series. I should know better as this has happened to me before. Had I checked Goodreads, I would have seen that it was in fact book #5 of the Anna Curtis series by Allison Leotta. However, the description intrigued me so I thought I'd give it a go........and I'm really glad I did.
Prosecutor Anna Curtis is at home relaxing with her sister and niece when she sees the news that a university student is missing. When they play the grainy surveillance footage that shows the girl being pursued by a man the night she was last seen, Anna says a little prayer for her. What Anna doesn't realize is that she will soon be at the center of this story, an integral part of the investigation into what has happened.
At the same time Anna is also trying to figure out a few things in her personal life.
Emily Shapiro (it does say Emma in the description but her name is Emily in the book) is a freshman at Michigan university who has gone missing. Emily recently filed rape charges against a member of the a popular fraternity, nicknamed "the rape factory." Right away the boy in the tape is identified as Dylan Highsmith. Dylan is the student that Emily filed charges against.
Making the case even more sensitive is that Emily's father is the president of Tower University. As well, Dylan Highsmith belongs to Beta Psi, a powerful college fraternity. His father is also a very powerful politician. Anna and her team are worried that Dylan's father will impede the investigation.
Where is Emily?
Anna finds out that Emily was keeping a VLOG for one of her courses she hopes that it will help her learn more about Emily and Dylan.
The majority of the story is told from Anna's point of view but with a few others mixed in. We are given more background into Anna's life and some difficult choices that she's facing. There are also chapters with Emily's VLOG that really added to the story. I was gripped from the first page right through to the end of the book.
This book is inspired by real life stories and I have seen many of these cases in the news. It's hard to believe that things that are portrayed in this book still go on, but the sad reality is that they do. There were a couple of parts in the book that upset me so much that I was literally shaking. Not only in regards to sexual assault but also college hazing. I wanted to think that what I was reading was fiction or an exaggeration but I know that's unlikely.
I don't understand how some Universities can care so little for their students. Some do seem to be about the big donors and making sure that they keep incidents out of the media. On top of that there are many cases where Universities have outright lied about how many actual assaults occurred on campus. When I came to a part of the book where a College Sexual Assault Disciplinary Hearing was taking place, I was horrified. I have a feeling that some of these hearings have definitely gone the way it was depicted in the book.
I found it interesting that the author was a federal sex-crimes prosecutor in Washington, DC for twelve years before she decided to focus on writing full-time. I think her experience shows in her writing.
THE LAST GOOD GIRL is a well-written, entertaining novel with some very important messages. I read this book in just a few sittings. Some parts were very uncomfortable to read but I'm very glad that I stayed with it. I'm positive this won't be the last book by Allison Leotta that I read.
When I started reading this book, I didn't realize it was a part of a series. I should know better as this has happened to me before. Had I checked Goodreads, I would have seen that it was in fact book #5 of the Anna Curtis series by Allison Leotta. However, the description intrigued me so I thought I'd give it a go........and I'm really glad I did.
Prosecutor Anna Curtis is at home relaxing with her sister and niece when she sees the news that a university student is missing. When they play the grainy surveillance footage that shows the girl being pursued by a man the night she was last seen, Anna says a little prayer for her. What Anna doesn't realize is that she will soon be at the center of this story, an integral part of the investigation into what has happened.
At the same time Anna is also trying to figure out a few things in her personal life.
Emily Shapiro (it does say Emma in the description but her name is Emily in the book) is a freshman at Michigan university who has gone missing. Emily recently filed rape charges against a member of the a popular fraternity, nicknamed "the rape factory." Right away the boy in the tape is identified as Dylan Highsmith. Dylan is the student that Emily filed charges against.
Making the case even more sensitive is that Emily's father is the president of Tower University. As well, Dylan Highsmith belongs to Beta Psi, a powerful college fraternity. His father is also a very powerful politician. Anna and her team are worried that Dylan's father will impede the investigation.
Where is Emily?
Anna finds out that Emily was keeping a VLOG for one of her courses she hopes that it will help her learn more about Emily and Dylan.
The majority of the story is told from Anna's point of view but with a few others mixed in. We are given more background into Anna's life and some difficult choices that she's facing. There are also chapters with Emily's VLOG that really added to the story. I was gripped from the first page right through to the end of the book.
This book is inspired by real life stories and I have seen many of these cases in the news. It's hard to believe that things that are portrayed in this book still go on, but the sad reality is that they do. There were a couple of parts in the book that upset me so much that I was literally shaking. Not only in regards to sexual assault but also college hazing. I wanted to think that what I was reading was fiction or an exaggeration but I know that's unlikely.
I don't understand how some Universities can care so little for their students. Some do seem to be about the big donors and making sure that they keep incidents out of the media. On top of that there are many cases where Universities have outright lied about how many actual assaults occurred on campus. When I came to a part of the book where a College Sexual Assault Disciplinary Hearing was taking place, I was horrified. I have a feeling that some of these hearings have definitely gone the way it was depicted in the book.
I found it interesting that the author was a federal sex-crimes prosecutor in Washington, DC for twelve years before she decided to focus on writing full-time. I think her experience shows in her writing.
THE LAST GOOD GIRL is a well-written, entertaining novel with some very important messages. I read this book in just a few sittings. Some parts were very uncomfortable to read but I'm very glad that I stayed with it. I'm positive this won't be the last book by Allison Leotta that I read.
July 12, 2016
The Last Good Girl was the second book I have read by Allison Leotta, and the 5th book in the Anna Curtis series. The author was a former sex crime prosecutor, and tackles the subject of college campus rape in this gripping novel. I was totally immersed in this book until the very last page.
Anna, a federal prosecutor, is in charge of the investigation of a missing college student, Emily Shapiro, who has been raped and then goes missing. This book is so relevant in today's society, where many times campus rapes are not reported or swept under the rug to protect the reputation of the college. Allison Leotta is a terrific writer! I am going to go back and read each one of this series, having read #4, "A Good Killing", which was also excellent. I highly recommend this book!
Anna, a federal prosecutor, is in charge of the investigation of a missing college student, Emily Shapiro, who has been raped and then goes missing. This book is so relevant in today's society, where many times campus rapes are not reported or swept under the rug to protect the reputation of the college. Allison Leotta is a terrific writer! I am going to go back and read each one of this series, having read #4, "A Good Killing", which was also excellent. I highly recommend this book!
March 20, 2016
Focus is on hot-button issue of universities failing to report sexual assault cases.
Despite heavy topic, it's an easy read. You do not have to read other books in the series to understand the events of The Last Good Girl.
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Despite heavy topic, it's an easy read. You do not have to read other books in the series to understand the events of The Last Good Girl.
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 24, 2016
Quick review for a quick read. Honestly, as a lover of mysteries, procedurals, and tough subject narratives - this book was not good at all. I know that "The Last Good Girl" is a part of a longer series surrounding the character of Anna Curtis, but getting into the scheme of the narrative with the familiar characters wasn't the challenge for me. I followed their inclusion in the narrative fine despite this being the first book in the series that I've read. However, taking the narrative's promise of "[shining] a light on campus rape and the powerful emotional dynamics that affect the families of the men and women on both sides" in the description was simply an outright lie as far as this narrative was concerned. I felt cheated at a very terse, trite summation of a case surrounding the disappearance of a young woman (Emily Shapiro) who accused one of the young men (Dylan Highsmith) of the campus fraternity Beta Psi of raping her.
The opening chapter of this book showing the disappearance had my attention, but it quickly went downhill from there. I knew I'd have trouble with this narrative from the moment it described Emily's experiences of rape as being "Bill Cosby style" and the way the narrative shortchanges all the injustices, corruption and betrayals of Emily's trust and what led to her disappearance. As also noted from the myriad of pop culture references and inserts, it's a very shallow presentation of a rape victim's story and didn't really have any emotional clarity or emphasis at all. The emotional distance in this book is very telling and it seems like instead of illuminating rape culture stereotypes and showing well dimensioned characters on multiple sides of this overarching story, it shows one-dimensional, cookie cutter presentations that do nothing to clarify details or make the expansion meaningful when it comes to the case. In fact, the only thing about this narrative that seems accurate are the procedural details and the actual filings and procedures with Title IX policy in the university system as well as critiques of academic discipline committees trying to deal with sexual assault cases. Even Emily's V-logs don't really seem like true V-logs, they feel forced for narration and description and they didn't have consistency in length or resonance.
The narrative became easier to tolerate as the detectives questioned multiple witnesses and marched to discover what happened to Emily, but where I could've given the book credit for at least improving to some extent I completely threw in the towel as I read the unsatisfying ending. Like, it felt like the conclusion was just dropped in your lap, that was that, and then it was back to the regular characters and resolving their ongoing role in the narrative. It wasn't fulfilling or even remotely resonant at all.
Suffice to say, if this is what the overarching series is like, I'm probably not going to pick up any other entries within it. I honestly think the word that encompasses this book's experience to me was "shallow" and I couldn't get behind it for that.
Overall score: 1/5 stars.
The opening chapter of this book showing the disappearance had my attention, but it quickly went downhill from there. I knew I'd have trouble with this narrative from the moment it described Emily's experiences of rape as being "Bill Cosby style" and the way the narrative shortchanges all the injustices, corruption and betrayals of Emily's trust and what led to her disappearance. As also noted from the myriad of pop culture references and inserts, it's a very shallow presentation of a rape victim's story and didn't really have any emotional clarity or emphasis at all. The emotional distance in this book is very telling and it seems like instead of illuminating rape culture stereotypes and showing well dimensioned characters on multiple sides of this overarching story, it shows one-dimensional, cookie cutter presentations that do nothing to clarify details or make the expansion meaningful when it comes to the case. In fact, the only thing about this narrative that seems accurate are the procedural details and the actual filings and procedures with Title IX policy in the university system as well as critiques of academic discipline committees trying to deal with sexual assault cases. Even Emily's V-logs don't really seem like true V-logs, they feel forced for narration and description and they didn't have consistency in length or resonance.
The narrative became easier to tolerate as the detectives questioned multiple witnesses and marched to discover what happened to Emily, but where I could've given the book credit for at least improving to some extent I completely threw in the towel as I read the unsatisfying ending. Like, it felt like the conclusion was just dropped in your lap, that was that, and then it was back to the regular characters and resolving their ongoing role in the narrative. It wasn't fulfilling or even remotely resonant at all.
Suffice to say, if this is what the overarching series is like, I'm probably not going to pick up any other entries within it. I honestly think the word that encompasses this book's experience to me was "shallow" and I couldn't get behind it for that.
Overall score: 1/5 stars.
June 9, 2017
I really enjoyed this book! It is the first in the series I've read but the author did such a great job of letting this book stand on its own that this didn't matter at all. It also really tackled an important and upsetting issue - rape on campus - with thoughtfulness. I will definitely be reading more books by Allison Leotta!
May 7, 2016
A special thank you to Touchstone and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 4.5 Stars
Allison Leotta, former D.C. federal sex-crimes prosecutor, returns with her riveting mystery series, (Anna Curtis #5) THE LAST GOOD GIRL a sensitive case, a freshman girl at a prestigious university goes missing, two powerful families, a monster, and Anna, an unstoppable federal prosecutor-- who has prosecuted congressmen, street gangs, serial rapists----and now, frat boys.
Set in Michigan, Emily Shapior, a freshman at a Michigan University (fictional) —she goes missing, after filing rape charges against Dylan. Emily’s father is the president of Tower University, Dylan Highsmith (third generation legacy at Tower University--belongs to a popular college fraternity--four US presidents were alumni, along with countless senators, and CEOs). The big boys.
Anna Curtis, sex-crimes prosecutor is on the case—a missing girl; warned to handle with care, and watch her back. A hot topic: "College campus sex assault."
Emily had waited her entire life to become a student and enjoy the entire college experience. Her dreams had turned into a nightmare. In addition, there were parent issues with divorce, etc. Betrayal. She was brought up to be the good girl. Attend the right schools and the right people. Appearances. Bury the ugly.
For a class assignment, freshman students were assigned to record at least one video a week, to describe their college experience. A log of time known as a vlog, to be continued throughout the year. BlueTube. (like YouTube), but just for Tower University stuff.
A secret. A party. Frat boys. Sexually assaulted by high-profile Dylan. Drugged. Black out. Dylan takes what he wants and does not know the meaning of “no”. He is protected by his family, frat brothers, followers, and a high powered team of attorneys. Power was on his side.
Beta Psi had three rules: (1) Trust the brotherhood (2) what happens in the house, stays in the house (3) trust the brotherhood. Dylan was the brotherhood. Known as the Rape Factory. Secrets, crimes, skeletons—Underground. Wealth and power.
A recording. Six months prior. A statistic. One in five. A diary. Raped. A mom wants her to go to the police. Her mom wants to get back at her dad for ruining her own life. A father falling for a woman half his age. She does not want to hurt her father. She is not planning on posting; however, talking about her family on the vlog is therapy. She is the only one who can figure it out.
She knew it would be hard to face Dylan, his frat brothers, her classmates. Afraid of being judged, blackballed, laughed at. But being slapped down the school which is supposed to protect. A surprise.
Together, Anna and Samantha Randazzo, FBI make their way through politics, going up against the University, stonewalling as they hammered out a plan. Inside the modern amenities and the historic architecture, there was sex, a part of college life. Other women. Victims.
Two days prior to the time Emily goes missing, something happened. Something changed. There previously had been a disciplinary case. What happened? Emma’s disappearance gets media attention and support from Title IX activists across the country, but Anna’s investigation hits a wall. On a personal note, she turns to Jack for help. She was just getting over him—however, Anna is desperate to find the girl before it’s too late.
The Highsmith’s always seem to be one step ahead. Things turn very personal. Anna could lose her license, her job, and her reputation. It is down to the wire. Anna needs a break. Is Emily still alive? Where is she? Dylan was the last to see her alive? Can they get the girls to talk? Psychological damage. Victims.
Inspired by real-life stories, a need for justice, The Last Good Girl is a perfect example what goes on throughout our campuses today; the politics and power---leaving victims sometimes powerless to fight for their rights. As though they have been assaulted all over again. Sadly, often by the college.
Wow, this was intense, evil, sinister—debutantes versus prostitutes? Compelling- lots of unexpected twists, turns and red herrings. Just when a victim seems to think they have justice; things turn in a different direction. Well-developed and timely, combined with the author’s vast legal and crime expertise, she brings critical insights to the powerful and emotional highly-charged topics, ripped from today’s headlines.
From fast action, and corruption--the suspense is high, keeping you page-turning. Leotta creates stories that both entertain and teach about the way the criminal justice system works – and doesn’t work. Weaving statistics, true facts with fiction--a nice mix with likable characters and enough wit, to balance out the heavy subjects.
Since this was my first book by the author, (would enjoy reading the previous books) however, the author gets you up to speed.
Anna’s life in Michigan. She is currently living with an old friend, Cooper, (new love interest) PTSD, and her sister Jody (gives her plenty of advice), and Jody’s baby. A nice tie in with the men in her life. Anna thinks Jody would make a great detective. She has been working remotely for the US Attorney’s office as prosecutor, after taking time away to defend her sister in a trial (plus the breakup with Jack). Should she stay with Cooper, or could there be a chance with Jack back in DC?
I enjoyed the characters, (especially Anna) and Sam; infused with Anna’s personal and career life, as well as the usage of Emily’s personal blog (vlog) accounts which delves into the raw feelings and challenges in dealing with rape.
Since legal and crime - my favorite genres, delighted to discover this exciting talented author! For fans of Lisa Scottoline, Mary Louise Kelly, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Marcia Clark, Lisa Gardner and Laura Lippman.
A nice mix of legal, psychological, crime, suspense, mystery, cop procedural, and thriller--with a touch of romance. An ideal read for adults, parents, teens and college students, as well—a cautionary tale. Especially those with teens heading off to college.
Highly Recommend!
Watch Video
Fox2Detroit
Read the Author's Blog College Decisions & Campus Sex Assaults
JDCMustReadBooks
Allison Leotta, former D.C. federal sex-crimes prosecutor, returns with her riveting mystery series, (Anna Curtis #5) THE LAST GOOD GIRL a sensitive case, a freshman girl at a prestigious university goes missing, two powerful families, a monster, and Anna, an unstoppable federal prosecutor-- who has prosecuted congressmen, street gangs, serial rapists----and now, frat boys.
Set in Michigan, Emily Shapior, a freshman at a Michigan University (fictional) —she goes missing, after filing rape charges against Dylan. Emily’s father is the president of Tower University, Dylan Highsmith (third generation legacy at Tower University--belongs to a popular college fraternity--four US presidents were alumni, along with countless senators, and CEOs). The big boys.
Anna Curtis, sex-crimes prosecutor is on the case—a missing girl; warned to handle with care, and watch her back. A hot topic: "College campus sex assault."
Emily had waited her entire life to become a student and enjoy the entire college experience. Her dreams had turned into a nightmare. In addition, there were parent issues with divorce, etc. Betrayal. She was brought up to be the good girl. Attend the right schools and the right people. Appearances. Bury the ugly.
For a class assignment, freshman students were assigned to record at least one video a week, to describe their college experience. A log of time known as a vlog, to be continued throughout the year. BlueTube. (like YouTube), but just for Tower University stuff.
A secret. A party. Frat boys. Sexually assaulted by high-profile Dylan. Drugged. Black out. Dylan takes what he wants and does not know the meaning of “no”. He is protected by his family, frat brothers, followers, and a high powered team of attorneys. Power was on his side.
Beta Psi had three rules: (1) Trust the brotherhood (2) what happens in the house, stays in the house (3) trust the brotherhood. Dylan was the brotherhood. Known as the Rape Factory. Secrets, crimes, skeletons—Underground. Wealth and power.
A recording. Six months prior. A statistic. One in five. A diary. Raped. A mom wants her to go to the police. Her mom wants to get back at her dad for ruining her own life. A father falling for a woman half his age. She does not want to hurt her father. She is not planning on posting; however, talking about her family on the vlog is therapy. She is the only one who can figure it out.
She knew it would be hard to face Dylan, his frat brothers, her classmates. Afraid of being judged, blackballed, laughed at. But being slapped down the school which is supposed to protect. A surprise.
Together, Anna and Samantha Randazzo, FBI make their way through politics, going up against the University, stonewalling as they hammered out a plan. Inside the modern amenities and the historic architecture, there was sex, a part of college life. Other women. Victims.
Two days prior to the time Emily goes missing, something happened. Something changed. There previously had been a disciplinary case. What happened? Emma’s disappearance gets media attention and support from Title IX activists across the country, but Anna’s investigation hits a wall. On a personal note, she turns to Jack for help. She was just getting over him—however, Anna is desperate to find the girl before it’s too late.
The Highsmith’s always seem to be one step ahead. Things turn very personal. Anna could lose her license, her job, and her reputation. It is down to the wire. Anna needs a break. Is Emily still alive? Where is she? Dylan was the last to see her alive? Can they get the girls to talk? Psychological damage. Victims.
Inspired by real-life stories, a need for justice, The Last Good Girl is a perfect example what goes on throughout our campuses today; the politics and power---leaving victims sometimes powerless to fight for their rights. As though they have been assaulted all over again. Sadly, often by the college.
Wow, this was intense, evil, sinister—debutantes versus prostitutes? Compelling- lots of unexpected twists, turns and red herrings. Just when a victim seems to think they have justice; things turn in a different direction. Well-developed and timely, combined with the author’s vast legal and crime expertise, she brings critical insights to the powerful and emotional highly-charged topics, ripped from today’s headlines.
From fast action, and corruption--the suspense is high, keeping you page-turning. Leotta creates stories that both entertain and teach about the way the criminal justice system works – and doesn’t work. Weaving statistics, true facts with fiction--a nice mix with likable characters and enough wit, to balance out the heavy subjects.
Since this was my first book by the author, (would enjoy reading the previous books) however, the author gets you up to speed.
Anna’s life in Michigan. She is currently living with an old friend, Cooper, (new love interest) PTSD, and her sister Jody (gives her plenty of advice), and Jody’s baby. A nice tie in with the men in her life. Anna thinks Jody would make a great detective. She has been working remotely for the US Attorney’s office as prosecutor, after taking time away to defend her sister in a trial (plus the breakup with Jack). Should she stay with Cooper, or could there be a chance with Jack back in DC?
I enjoyed the characters, (especially Anna) and Sam; infused with Anna’s personal and career life, as well as the usage of Emily’s personal blog (vlog) accounts which delves into the raw feelings and challenges in dealing with rape.
Since legal and crime - my favorite genres, delighted to discover this exciting talented author! For fans of Lisa Scottoline, Mary Louise Kelly, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Marcia Clark, Lisa Gardner and Laura Lippman.
A nice mix of legal, psychological, crime, suspense, mystery, cop procedural, and thriller--with a touch of romance. An ideal read for adults, parents, teens and college students, as well—a cautionary tale. Especially those with teens heading off to college.
Highly Recommend!
Watch Video
Fox2Detroit
Read the Author's Blog College Decisions & Campus Sex Assaults
JDCMustReadBooks
May 2, 2016
I received a copy of this title from NetGalley. It does not impact my review.
I love this series so much! Leotta writes such realistic characters and intense situations that keep me glued to the pages. I’ve been looking forward to this book for a while and it definitely didn’t disappoint me.
Anna is still in Michigan, living with her old friend/current love interest Cooper, her sister Jody, and Jody’s baby and working remotely from her job as a prosecutor in the US Attorney’s office. She had taken some time away to go home to Michigan to defend her sister in a trial – and get away from her recently broken engagement. Then her ex-fiancé, Jack, calls her to say he’s in Michigan and needs her help on a case. A young college girl has gone missing and the last person she was seen with was the boy she accused of raping her.
This book really starts off running and never slows down. There was never a chapter I didn’t feel was important or a moment where I wanted to set the book down. Interspersed with Anna’s POV, we get a few scenes from Wyatt, Cooper’s younger brother and pledge at the fraternity that Dylan, Emily’s accused rapist, runs. There are also entries from Emily’s vlog where we learn all of the events leading up to her disappearance, and legal letters and documents regarding Emily’s accusation of Dylan. I really enjoyed the style and the use of non-traditional narration with the vlogs and letters.
In addition to the mystery of the missing Emily and the sexual assault allegations against Dylan, Anna is forced to confront the uncertainness of her own life. Her ex-fiancé Jack is in town, working along side her again and trying to win her back. Meanwhile she’s still living at Cooper’s and meeting his family. She never meant for her relationship with Cooper to be serious, but she cares for him more than she ever planned to. She tries to envision what her life would be like if she went back to DC with Jack or if she stays with Cooper, but neither one seems exactly right. This is actually a very small portion of the story, but since I am strongly Team Cooper, I was really invested in it. I also really enjoyed seeing Anna come to some realizations about herself and her relationships and making decisions. She’s such a likable character and I loved seeing her develop even more in this installment.
Overall, I really enjoyed The Last Good Girl. It’s a steadily paced, solid mystery with surprises along the way. Like all of Leotta’s novels, the crimes involved are very relevant to the world today and her own experience and insight into the legal world really brings an authenticity to the story. I definitely recommend this series to everyone who enjoys the mystery/suspense/crime genre.
Overall Rating (out of 5): 4 Stars
I love this series so much! Leotta writes such realistic characters and intense situations that keep me glued to the pages. I’ve been looking forward to this book for a while and it definitely didn’t disappoint me.
Anna is still in Michigan, living with her old friend/current love interest Cooper, her sister Jody, and Jody’s baby and working remotely from her job as a prosecutor in the US Attorney’s office. She had taken some time away to go home to Michigan to defend her sister in a trial – and get away from her recently broken engagement. Then her ex-fiancé, Jack, calls her to say he’s in Michigan and needs her help on a case. A young college girl has gone missing and the last person she was seen with was the boy she accused of raping her.
This book really starts off running and never slows down. There was never a chapter I didn’t feel was important or a moment where I wanted to set the book down. Interspersed with Anna’s POV, we get a few scenes from Wyatt, Cooper’s younger brother and pledge at the fraternity that Dylan, Emily’s accused rapist, runs. There are also entries from Emily’s vlog where we learn all of the events leading up to her disappearance, and legal letters and documents regarding Emily’s accusation of Dylan. I really enjoyed the style and the use of non-traditional narration with the vlogs and letters.
In addition to the mystery of the missing Emily and the sexual assault allegations against Dylan, Anna is forced to confront the uncertainness of her own life. Her ex-fiancé Jack is in town, working along side her again and trying to win her back. Meanwhile she’s still living at Cooper’s and meeting his family. She never meant for her relationship with Cooper to be serious, but she cares for him more than she ever planned to. She tries to envision what her life would be like if she went back to DC with Jack or if she stays with Cooper, but neither one seems exactly right. This is actually a very small portion of the story, but since I am strongly Team Cooper, I was really invested in it. I also really enjoyed seeing Anna come to some realizations about herself and her relationships and making decisions. She’s such a likable character and I loved seeing her develop even more in this installment.
Overall, I really enjoyed The Last Good Girl. It’s a steadily paced, solid mystery with surprises along the way. Like all of Leotta’s novels, the crimes involved are very relevant to the world today and her own experience and insight into the legal world really brings an authenticity to the story. I definitely recommend this series to everyone who enjoys the mystery/suspense/crime genre.
Overall Rating (out of 5): 4 Stars
September 23, 2020
A solid 4 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
I was totally enthralled while reading this book, rooting for the good guys while the “good old boys” and their league of pathetic followers did their best to crucify the good girl.
A disclaimer: this book deals with rape. Ergo, read this tale of fiction with that in mind first and foremost.
That said, the author did an enviable job weaving the ins and outs of the justice system with the story of Emily who was drugged and raped on a college campus by a rich entitled frat boy. The author also introduced and educated me about Title IX and the various strategies college campuses willingly take to bury rape statistics thereby enabling a continuation of the exact same behaviors by the “good old boys” who are coming of age.
I was totally enthralled while reading this book, rooting for the good guys while the “good old boys” and their league of pathetic followers did their best to crucify the good girl.
A disclaimer: this book deals with rape. Ergo, read this tale of fiction with that in mind first and foremost.
That said, the author did an enviable job weaving the ins and outs of the justice system with the story of Emily who was drugged and raped on a college campus by a rich entitled frat boy. The author also introduced and educated me about Title IX and the various strategies college campuses willingly take to bury rape statistics thereby enabling a continuation of the exact same behaviors by the “good old boys” who are coming of age.
May 12, 2016
This is by FAR my favorite book of 2016 so far! I just LOVED reading this book! There were a variety of reasons I loved this book so much, but the most outstanding one is this author's writing! This book read so well, you would start reading and the next thing you knew 50 pages just flew by! This author kept you glued to the pages in this book! Anything could have happened around you while you were reading this book and you wouldn't have even known it! She described things extremely well, the characters interacted very well and it was easy to know who was talking, whom they were talking to, and when a new character joined in or the scene changed. Overall, from start to finish this author never disappoints us as we are reading this book that is so simple yet at the same time very complex and a very detailed and complicated story, I call this 'reading through butter', meaning it reads so smoothly and with such ease!
This is Book Five of the Anna Curtis Series, (she works at the FBI and works whatever cases are given her), but this being Book Five means 'nothing'. This is a "stand-alone" book well worth your time and effort to read! I will be collecting her other four novels and I very much look forward to reading them and all her future books! Anna has a love interest, and she just made a huge decision, so I really want to learn more about that!
So what happens? This book is about rape that happens on college campuses, and in this case, it happens at a Michigan university, right where a particular student lives, a woman named Emily Shapiro. Emily actually grew up at this university because her father is the President of it. Amazing, huh! We learn some pretty shocking statistics in this book about rape, and other shocking information about fraternities, too. I always knew college fraternities do get a little crazy, but not quite like the one in this book, but then again I never did go away to school. This is downright scary to think of some of these things are going on at our colleges. We have seen movies show us what some college fraternities focus on, and that is strictly on and about women, and we are not made to look very respectful, and that is how women are treated and demonstrated by a certain fraternity in this book. It's quite shocking.
This book takes place at The Tower University in Detroit, Michigan. This campus has a clock tower which has turned into a special gathering place for the students, and a landmark on and for this campus (a lot of campuses have this.) Yes! Our good ‘ole state of Michigan does have a college in Detroit called Wayne State University, and yes, they also have a clock tower too, called 'Old Main', built in 1894! (There are so many similarities between this book's universities (colleges) and three others here in Michigan I thought it was pretty neat since I live here and know what and where the colleges are! For a college to have a clock like this is considered a status symbol. This author graduated from Michigan State University, and they have a clock tower on it's campus, too, built in 1928 and is referred to as the Beaumont Tower! The name Beaumont here is HUGE in our state, or at least in the suburbs of Detroit. It is a huge hospital system and more. It is SO large it's difficult to find whatever it is we need, and I say this from experience. It's amazing to me how colleges are so intertwined with other businesses, etc., in the states they are located in. Since there are so many similarities between the colleges here in Michigan, I thought this was pretty neat since this book takes place here where I live, and I know what colleges are here and where they are located, and I am somewhat familiar with the city of Detroit, etc.! When you read about a book based in and around the area you live in it is really neat!
And yes! There truly “ARE” farms in the middle of Detroit! They are seasonal, of course, due to our weather, and some of them can be quite large. Since the city of Detroit has fallen by the wayside, and is no longer the ‘auto capital of the world' as it was once known as the 'Motorcity’, people in Detroit have had no choice but to reinvent Detroit all on their own. Homes still get burned down to the ground left and right, and usually it's always arson when that happens, and is truly pathetic because those old homes were more than beautiful! The art in the woodwork and the stained glass windows alone! The care people used to put into their AMAZING homes! If only people had kept them up instead of letting them go and then they turn into blight in the city perfectly waiting for someone to come along and ignite them - UGH! You just are not and/or were not safe. Jobs still are still scarce, so people started claiming the land on their blocks (yes, sometimes and most of the time their house is the ONLY house on their entire city block when prior to that the houses were almost one on top of the other) and they are reinventing their blocks, their jobs, and turning their houses into farms! Yes! When you read that, it IS happening like that and the author is NOT stretching to making this up, nor is this some type of Apocalyptic thing!
Why am I talking about the community in Detroit? They ALL come together and help look for Emily Shapiro after she disappears. It's amazing! At this point, the only thing to look for is her dead body. There would be no way for her to be able to remain alive with the weather elements the way they were at the time. No one has heard from her, no one has seen her, and it's been months. She's gone. Here's what happens.
As I said above, this book is about women who go off to college and unfortunately are raped. Their risk of rape is extremely high especially in the first few weeks of school starting. This is SO sad! It's wrong and needs to be stopped, and it's books like THESE that bring out the truth that will do it! Koodles to this author for writing about this in this book bringing it to the attention of everyone who will end up reading it, most likely millions upon millions of people who will also feel like I do and want this stopped and there WILL BE ACTION TAKEN TO STOP THIS when in the past it was looked away from and more! You'll learn more about that in the book. This NEW action will result in NO ONE being able to keep rape a HUSH-HUSH SECRET ANY LONGER and this WILL be taken extremely seriously from now on!
Emily Shapiro attended her first college party the very first night she moved into her dorm. She got ready with her other two suite roommates and they were off to party at a frat house! Emily ended up with a guy named Dylan and she is raped. Emily was not flirting with this guy, she just found herself with him. How? As she lay underneath of him and was being raped, she felt drugged as she could not stay awake, and she kept falling asleep, but why she was being raped? How? What was happening to her? She was aware of what was happening, but she felt helpless to fight him back. When she woke up the next morning, she definitely knew what happened, it was not a dream.
A few months later, she fights for her rights after being raped by this guy, even if it did take her a few months to do so, but he keeps getting off free? Why? After a very short while, Emily disappears. She doesn't just go missing and is found at a friends house, she is completely gone for months and months and months with ZERO clues as to where she could possibly be. Is she dead? The FBI gets called in. No police department, including college security likes when this happens. The FBI takes over this investigation, in particular, Anna. Anna is from Michigan, too, so this is nice in that she gets to stay with her family while she is working this case. The problematic part for Anna is that her former fiance' is also HERE in Michigan, and he is HOT! His name is Cooper. One night Anna caught herself thinking how good it feels to be back home (with Cooper). Whoa! Stop! She cannot be thinking like this because she is not going to marry Cooper. Oh, problems.
Now the last time anyone ends up seeing Emily is getting longer and longer since the last time. It is seriously time to start searching for her and NOW! Thankfully, due to traffic cameras and some cameras at a few people's houses, including recordings Emily made herself for homework for her one Professors. Emily had to post her videos on a special server called Blue Tube and she was able to keep them set as "private" until others found them and someone took the videos down at that point. Anna was able to see Emily and also Dylan on camera chasing her down the street past anything where she might have found safety at until they get to the last place anyone wants to go or end up at, and that is “The Pit”. It happens to be an area at the college where construction has been going on for quite a while now. It’s more off to the side of the college where accidents have happened before. They do find some of her personal items in The Pit, but they don’t find her or her body in there. At this point, all that's left to try to use is DNA matching. This is GREAT! Maybe she still has a chance? Everyone IS HOPING she has that chance, but they can’t find her no matter what! The FBI does now know for a fact Emily was chased into The Pit by Dylan as it's on tape. They do get a search warrant and now they have one LIVID man at the frat house and college. More detective work goes on and more discovery is made, and some things will completely catch you by surprise!
All in all, yes, the subject matter in this book was dark, edgy, and grimy, but you KNEW that it had to be like this so that eventually ALL of this bad and evil secret keeping done intentionally by the fraternity houses will stop! Especially with the FBI on this trail, you KNOW justice will prevail! We just don't how or when, who would get hurt, if Emily is alive or not, and on and on with the questions.
This book was one heck of a suspenseful one! Again, this author is VERY talented, and it made reading this book an outstanding experience despite the subject matter. I LOVE books like these where the author has you so hooked into their books and you end up reading one like this in ONE DAY! (300 pages which normally doesn't happen that fast for myself!) This book is just SO good, I could NOT put it down! My nose was buried! So . . . there is so much more information you will learn from this book, hold on for the ride!
I have to admit I have seen this same 'that doesn't happen here' thing that is in this book about rape at colleges/universities on TV news reports, and in hour long documentaries, too. It's about Universities don’t want ONE WORD uttered that 'THEIR' college was a part of or had some type of problem with the act of "rape". I never knew it was because they were worried about the numbers game! The number of students who want to enroll versus the number who drastically don't want a thing to do with a college any longer. It makes a HUGE difference! Plus, these shows I saw did not come out with the complete truth like this book does. It was so wrong to try to keep this so hush-hush! This is a book about to change all of that. MAKE SURE TO SHARE THIS BOOK WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY! THIS INFORMATION NEEDS TO BE SPREAD AROUND! YOU KEEP YOUR DAUGHTERS SAFE THE MORE YOU BRING THIS TO THE PUBLIC'S EYES, or else there is more, just like in this book! No, it's NOT OVER YET! Enjoy!
I received this book for FREE from the Publisher, Touchstone, A CBS Company, (and I thank them very much!) in exchange that I read then write a review about this book/what I read. "Free" means I was provided with ZERO MONIES to do so, but to just enjoy the sheer pleasure of reading this book and then writing an honest review about what I thought about this book, regardless if my opinion is positive or negative. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the law set here: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/wa... The Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, 16 CFR 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising Federal Acquisition Regulation.
This is Book Five of the Anna Curtis Series, (she works at the FBI and works whatever cases are given her), but this being Book Five means 'nothing'. This is a "stand-alone" book well worth your time and effort to read! I will be collecting her other four novels and I very much look forward to reading them and all her future books! Anna has a love interest, and she just made a huge decision, so I really want to learn more about that!
So what happens? This book is about rape that happens on college campuses, and in this case, it happens at a Michigan university, right where a particular student lives, a woman named Emily Shapiro. Emily actually grew up at this university because her father is the President of it. Amazing, huh! We learn some pretty shocking statistics in this book about rape, and other shocking information about fraternities, too. I always knew college fraternities do get a little crazy, but not quite like the one in this book, but then again I never did go away to school. This is downright scary to think of some of these things are going on at our colleges. We have seen movies show us what some college fraternities focus on, and that is strictly on and about women, and we are not made to look very respectful, and that is how women are treated and demonstrated by a certain fraternity in this book. It's quite shocking.
This book takes place at The Tower University in Detroit, Michigan. This campus has a clock tower which has turned into a special gathering place for the students, and a landmark on and for this campus (a lot of campuses have this.) Yes! Our good ‘ole state of Michigan does have a college in Detroit called Wayne State University, and yes, they also have a clock tower too, called 'Old Main', built in 1894! (There are so many similarities between this book's universities (colleges) and three others here in Michigan I thought it was pretty neat since I live here and know what and where the colleges are! For a college to have a clock like this is considered a status symbol. This author graduated from Michigan State University, and they have a clock tower on it's campus, too, built in 1928 and is referred to as the Beaumont Tower! The name Beaumont here is HUGE in our state, or at least in the suburbs of Detroit. It is a huge hospital system and more. It is SO large it's difficult to find whatever it is we need, and I say this from experience. It's amazing to me how colleges are so intertwined with other businesses, etc., in the states they are located in. Since there are so many similarities between the colleges here in Michigan, I thought this was pretty neat since this book takes place here where I live, and I know what colleges are here and where they are located, and I am somewhat familiar with the city of Detroit, etc.! When you read about a book based in and around the area you live in it is really neat!
And yes! There truly “ARE” farms in the middle of Detroit! They are seasonal, of course, due to our weather, and some of them can be quite large. Since the city of Detroit has fallen by the wayside, and is no longer the ‘auto capital of the world' as it was once known as the 'Motorcity’, people in Detroit have had no choice but to reinvent Detroit all on their own. Homes still get burned down to the ground left and right, and usually it's always arson when that happens, and is truly pathetic because those old homes were more than beautiful! The art in the woodwork and the stained glass windows alone! The care people used to put into their AMAZING homes! If only people had kept them up instead of letting them go and then they turn into blight in the city perfectly waiting for someone to come along and ignite them - UGH! You just are not and/or were not safe. Jobs still are still scarce, so people started claiming the land on their blocks (yes, sometimes and most of the time their house is the ONLY house on their entire city block when prior to that the houses were almost one on top of the other) and they are reinventing their blocks, their jobs, and turning their houses into farms! Yes! When you read that, it IS happening like that and the author is NOT stretching to making this up, nor is this some type of Apocalyptic thing!
Why am I talking about the community in Detroit? They ALL come together and help look for Emily Shapiro after she disappears. It's amazing! At this point, the only thing to look for is her dead body. There would be no way for her to be able to remain alive with the weather elements the way they were at the time. No one has heard from her, no one has seen her, and it's been months. She's gone. Here's what happens.
As I said above, this book is about women who go off to college and unfortunately are raped. Their risk of rape is extremely high especially in the first few weeks of school starting. This is SO sad! It's wrong and needs to be stopped, and it's books like THESE that bring out the truth that will do it! Koodles to this author for writing about this in this book bringing it to the attention of everyone who will end up reading it, most likely millions upon millions of people who will also feel like I do and want this stopped and there WILL BE ACTION TAKEN TO STOP THIS when in the past it was looked away from and more! You'll learn more about that in the book. This NEW action will result in NO ONE being able to keep rape a HUSH-HUSH SECRET ANY LONGER and this WILL be taken extremely seriously from now on!
Emily Shapiro attended her first college party the very first night she moved into her dorm. She got ready with her other two suite roommates and they were off to party at a frat house! Emily ended up with a guy named Dylan and she is raped. Emily was not flirting with this guy, she just found herself with him. How? As she lay underneath of him and was being raped, she felt drugged as she could not stay awake, and she kept falling asleep, but why she was being raped? How? What was happening to her? She was aware of what was happening, but she felt helpless to fight him back. When she woke up the next morning, she definitely knew what happened, it was not a dream.
A few months later, she fights for her rights after being raped by this guy, even if it did take her a few months to do so, but he keeps getting off free? Why? After a very short while, Emily disappears. She doesn't just go missing and is found at a friends house, she is completely gone for months and months and months with ZERO clues as to where she could possibly be. Is she dead? The FBI gets called in. No police department, including college security likes when this happens. The FBI takes over this investigation, in particular, Anna. Anna is from Michigan, too, so this is nice in that she gets to stay with her family while she is working this case. The problematic part for Anna is that her former fiance' is also HERE in Michigan, and he is HOT! His name is Cooper. One night Anna caught herself thinking how good it feels to be back home (with Cooper). Whoa! Stop! She cannot be thinking like this because she is not going to marry Cooper. Oh, problems.
Now the last time anyone ends up seeing Emily is getting longer and longer since the last time. It is seriously time to start searching for her and NOW! Thankfully, due to traffic cameras and some cameras at a few people's houses, including recordings Emily made herself for homework for her one Professors. Emily had to post her videos on a special server called Blue Tube and she was able to keep them set as "private" until others found them and someone took the videos down at that point. Anna was able to see Emily and also Dylan on camera chasing her down the street past anything where she might have found safety at until they get to the last place anyone wants to go or end up at, and that is “The Pit”. It happens to be an area at the college where construction has been going on for quite a while now. It’s more off to the side of the college where accidents have happened before. They do find some of her personal items in The Pit, but they don’t find her or her body in there. At this point, all that's left to try to use is DNA matching. This is GREAT! Maybe she still has a chance? Everyone IS HOPING she has that chance, but they can’t find her no matter what! The FBI does now know for a fact Emily was chased into The Pit by Dylan as it's on tape. They do get a search warrant and now they have one LIVID man at the frat house and college. More detective work goes on and more discovery is made, and some things will completely catch you by surprise!
All in all, yes, the subject matter in this book was dark, edgy, and grimy, but you KNEW that it had to be like this so that eventually ALL of this bad and evil secret keeping done intentionally by the fraternity houses will stop! Especially with the FBI on this trail, you KNOW justice will prevail! We just don't how or when, who would get hurt, if Emily is alive or not, and on and on with the questions.
This book was one heck of a suspenseful one! Again, this author is VERY talented, and it made reading this book an outstanding experience despite the subject matter. I LOVE books like these where the author has you so hooked into their books and you end up reading one like this in ONE DAY! (300 pages which normally doesn't happen that fast for myself!) This book is just SO good, I could NOT put it down! My nose was buried! So . . . there is so much more information you will learn from this book, hold on for the ride!
I have to admit I have seen this same 'that doesn't happen here' thing that is in this book about rape at colleges/universities on TV news reports, and in hour long documentaries, too. It's about Universities don’t want ONE WORD uttered that 'THEIR' college was a part of or had some type of problem with the act of "rape". I never knew it was because they were worried about the numbers game! The number of students who want to enroll versus the number who drastically don't want a thing to do with a college any longer. It makes a HUGE difference! Plus, these shows I saw did not come out with the complete truth like this book does. It was so wrong to try to keep this so hush-hush! This is a book about to change all of that. MAKE SURE TO SHARE THIS BOOK WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY! THIS INFORMATION NEEDS TO BE SPREAD AROUND! YOU KEEP YOUR DAUGHTERS SAFE THE MORE YOU BRING THIS TO THE PUBLIC'S EYES, or else there is more, just like in this book! No, it's NOT OVER YET! Enjoy!
I received this book for FREE from the Publisher, Touchstone, A CBS Company, (and I thank them very much!) in exchange that I read then write a review about this book/what I read. "Free" means I was provided with ZERO MONIES to do so, but to just enjoy the sheer pleasure of reading this book and then writing an honest review about what I thought about this book, regardless if my opinion is positive or negative. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the law set here: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/wa... The Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, 16 CFR 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising Federal Acquisition Regulation.
August 10, 2021
Normally I wouldn't pick up a book that is about sexual assault but something compelled me to still read it. It was a good crime book but also it was a bit difficult to read at times but I still thought it was a well done book. Both as touching at a sensitive point but at the same time being a good crime book.
August 11, 2020
This is the fifth installment in the Anna Curtis series. It's the first time I've read the series and I must say, this book had me on the edge of my damn seat--squirming quite a bit.
What should have been the time of her life, as would be expected of any young freshman hopeful embarking upon college life, didn't quite pan out that well for Emily Sharpiro. College life wasn't unfamiliar territory for Emily. In fact, she and her family lived in the campus community. This was her dream to one day become a student and enjoy the life she imagined other students enjoyed.
She carried a secret, and one she'd hope none of the other students would ever find out. It wasn't anything that would hinder her work, but it would cause her peers to look at her differently, and she didn't want that. Her roommates asked her to go to the party of the year and mingle with frat boys. After all, isn't this why parents paid all that money for their kids to go to college, to party, drink and become hungover? But what Emily's parents couldn't possibly foresee was their daughter, in which she was one of many girls, sexually assaulted by a particular high-profile frat brother, Dylan Highsmith.
Dylan had all the prestige any Highsmith was afforded. His father was a well-respected man in the community and a high ranking political figure and he wanted to ensure that his son would graduate top in his class, as well as carry on the legacy of their family name. Unfortunately, Dylan would carry on the name, but not in the way his father would have respected. It would appear Dylan has a problem with the word "no." When Emily came into contact with Dylan, she thought he was cute and she liked him. They were getting along and dancing to the music and acting crazy like all the other college kids were doing. There didn't appear to be anything out of the ordinary. He was such a gentleman to ask if she wanted something to drink, and Emily happily accepted.
The next morning when she awoke, she found herself lying next to a sleeping Dylan, nude and sore. She thought she recalled seeing him on top of her at one point, but she blacked out and couldn't remember.
Unfortunately, what happened to Emily was a fact of life that sometimes happens to women on college campuses. Of course, the colleges and/or universities want to sweep those unfortunate "incidents" under the rug for that kind of publicity would stop potential applications from coming their way. Any school worth its salt needs a student body in order to survive. Was the rape all in Emily's head or was she just an intoxicated naive girl out for a little fun, but got a little too carried away?
Dylan and Emily were seen having an argument. When the argument was over, it appears that Dylan went after Emily and that would be the last time he or anyone else saw her alive. Emily's mother was extremely distraught of her daughter's disappearance, but her father didn't think much of it at the time. As the reader continues with the story, what you learn will be mind blowing and quite witty at the same time.
This was a fast-paced thrill ride type of read. I hated to get off! Between the legal aspect and Emily's disappearance, there was so much going on your mind will be in a whirlwind of drama. The Sexy Nerd gives The Last Good Girl five stars.
What should have been the time of her life, as would be expected of any young freshman hopeful embarking upon college life, didn't quite pan out that well for Emily Sharpiro. College life wasn't unfamiliar territory for Emily. In fact, she and her family lived in the campus community. This was her dream to one day become a student and enjoy the life she imagined other students enjoyed.
She carried a secret, and one she'd hope none of the other students would ever find out. It wasn't anything that would hinder her work, but it would cause her peers to look at her differently, and she didn't want that. Her roommates asked her to go to the party of the year and mingle with frat boys. After all, isn't this why parents paid all that money for their kids to go to college, to party, drink and become hungover? But what Emily's parents couldn't possibly foresee was their daughter, in which she was one of many girls, sexually assaulted by a particular high-profile frat brother, Dylan Highsmith.
Dylan had all the prestige any Highsmith was afforded. His father was a well-respected man in the community and a high ranking political figure and he wanted to ensure that his son would graduate top in his class, as well as carry on the legacy of their family name. Unfortunately, Dylan would carry on the name, but not in the way his father would have respected. It would appear Dylan has a problem with the word "no." When Emily came into contact with Dylan, she thought he was cute and she liked him. They were getting along and dancing to the music and acting crazy like all the other college kids were doing. There didn't appear to be anything out of the ordinary. He was such a gentleman to ask if she wanted something to drink, and Emily happily accepted.
The next morning when she awoke, she found herself lying next to a sleeping Dylan, nude and sore. She thought she recalled seeing him on top of her at one point, but she blacked out and couldn't remember.
Unfortunately, what happened to Emily was a fact of life that sometimes happens to women on college campuses. Of course, the colleges and/or universities want to sweep those unfortunate "incidents" under the rug for that kind of publicity would stop potential applications from coming their way. Any school worth its salt needs a student body in order to survive. Was the rape all in Emily's head or was she just an intoxicated naive girl out for a little fun, but got a little too carried away?
Dylan and Emily were seen having an argument. When the argument was over, it appears that Dylan went after Emily and that would be the last time he or anyone else saw her alive. Emily's mother was extremely distraught of her daughter's disappearance, but her father didn't think much of it at the time. As the reader continues with the story, what you learn will be mind blowing and quite witty at the same time.
This was a fast-paced thrill ride type of read. I hated to get off! Between the legal aspect and Emily's disappearance, there was so much going on your mind will be in a whirlwind of drama. The Sexy Nerd gives The Last Good Girl five stars.
August 10, 2016
I have found a new author to love. I started this series with the 5th book and was drawn in so much I read it in a day and am now looking for the earlier books in the series. Anna Curtis is a federal prosecutor who teams up with FBI Agent Samantha Randazzo to find out what happened to a missing college student Emily Shapiro who was raped on her first night at Tower University (where her cold-as-ice dad is president) last seen running from her rapist frat boy Dylan Highsmith who has gotten away with drugging and raping girls because of his rich, influential father. The fraternity is known for rape but Emily's father has seen to it no rapes get reported so to keep the university's name good and the donations coming in. It is obvious that the school reputation is more important than Emily.
There are side stories such as Anna's boss being her ex fiance and her new man but this actually ties in with the story and does not distract. I love so many of the characters. It is a taut novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat wondering if Emily will be found alive.
There are side stories such as Anna's boss being her ex fiance and her new man but this actually ties in with the story and does not distract. I love so many of the characters. It is a taut novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat wondering if Emily will be found alive.
May 7, 2016
(Thanks to Touchstone and Netgalley, I received a copy of this book for free to read and review.)
I didn't realize this was the fifth book in the series. Even though I have not read the first four books I took this story as it was and was able to do so very easily. I suppose the first four books give you a better background story of the main character. I wonder if you could read all of the books in the series as standalones. I know that’s what I did with this book and it worked out very well.
Allison Leotta is an amazing author. This is the first book I have read by her and I will definitely be reading more. This book made me want to pick up the whole series. The writing style almost reminds me of James Patterson who is one of my favorite authors. It flows very easily and is a quick read. The story is the thrilling and quite a roller coaster ride. From beginning to end I was completely enthralled.
I didn't realize this was the fifth book in the series. Even though I have not read the first four books I took this story as it was and was able to do so very easily. I suppose the first four books give you a better background story of the main character. I wonder if you could read all of the books in the series as standalones. I know that’s what I did with this book and it worked out very well.
Allison Leotta is an amazing author. This is the first book I have read by her and I will definitely be reading more. This book made me want to pick up the whole series. The writing style almost reminds me of James Patterson who is one of my favorite authors. It flows very easily and is a quick read. The story is the thrilling and quite a roller coaster ride. From beginning to end I was completely enthralled.
October 10, 2021
SO GOOD. I’m still mad at myself for not knowing this was part of a series until after I started it because I definitely would have read them all, especially if they were as good as this was. If you do plan to read it definitely look up the trigger warnings before.
The best and also worst part of this book was how realistic it was. When I picked this up I thought it was going to be more focused on murder but it’s main focus is on the rape- more so on victim blaming. It’s infuriating how many people this girl went to, who instead asked her if SHE was sure it wasn’t consensual, and how could she be sure if she can’t remember? I wanted to reach in the book and punch everyone who had a chance to help and did nothing. Not to mention the politics of it all. How can someone sleep at night knowing they’re helping a rapist? Purposely making it harder to arrest a rapist!
Ugh, I could rant all day about it, because it’s true and it happens all the time, unfortunately. Which is what made this book so hard to put down. Finally having someone fighting for the victims and getting something done about it, I couldn’t wait for justice to happen. I’ll admit I was a little obsessed with it until I finished the whole book.
The best and also worst part of this book was how realistic it was. When I picked this up I thought it was going to be more focused on murder but it’s main focus is on the rape- more so on victim blaming. It’s infuriating how many people this girl went to, who instead asked her if SHE was sure it wasn’t consensual, and how could she be sure if she can’t remember? I wanted to reach in the book and punch everyone who had a chance to help and did nothing. Not to mention the politics of it all. How can someone sleep at night knowing they’re helping a rapist? Purposely making it harder to arrest a rapist!
Ugh, I could rant all day about it, because it’s true and it happens all the time, unfortunately. Which is what made this book so hard to put down. Finally having someone fighting for the victims and getting something done about it, I couldn’t wait for justice to happen. I’ll admit I was a little obsessed with it until I finished the whole book.
January 7, 2018
Kind of ripped from the headlines of what has been happening at college campuses the last few years! Luckily or hopefully Title 9 is take more seriously now. Anyway, good story on a terrible topic!
August 21, 2016
This was very good. I've enjoyed the series so far. Anna Curtis works for the United States District Attorney's office in Washington D.C. The past year she's been in Michigan, first serving as her sister, Jodie's, lawyer when she was accused of murder, then staying on for the birth of Jodie's baby. Anna had once been engaged to her boss, Jack. She was going to marry him and become a mother to his young daughter. But Jack's ex-wife came back into his life, wanting his forgiveness, wanting a second chance. Jack thought it only fair to give it to her. So he broke Anna's heart and they cancelled the wedding. Admittedly, she isn't thrilled about returning to work with the man. Besides, she's developed a relationship with an old friend, Cooper, and their feelings for one another are growing. Cooper was a wounded warrior, having lost part of a leg when an IED exploded. He's living in downtown Detroit, farming, and trying to get rid of the blight in the city. So far it's working. He's thrilled about Anna moving in and hoping she'll stick around.
In this story, college girl, Emily Shapiro, was raped by popular frat boy, Dylan Highsmith. Or so she says. She filed a complaint against him with the college but he barely got a slap on the hands. His father is a politician and has connections which he doesn't hesitate to use on his son's behalf. As a result, Dylan is still walking around campus acting all smug about it while Emily is getting spit on and called all sorts of terrible names. She's determined to make him pay. However, she steps out of a bar one night only to run into Dylan and his fraternity buddies. Dylan sends his friends inside so he can talk to Emily alone. They argue and when she walks away, he follows. It's caught on security footage outside the bar. A good thing because now Emily's missing and Dylan could very well be the last person to see her alive. Anna finds herself in a race against time as she attempts to find Emily and get justice for her once and for all.
Loved the suspense in this one. The reader learns several things about Emily from her point of view as she makes a video blog as part of a class assignment. And Dylan is one bad boy you love to hate. There were several times I wanted to get a gun and shoot him. Talk about a first class scumbag! At any rate, I breezed through this one. It kept me entertained the whole way through. The ending was totally unexpected and blew me away. I did struggle with Anna's relationship with Jack. He is part of the story, in Michigan, and right in Anna's path. It sounds funny but I've grown quite fond of Cooper and was hoping he and Anna would get together. While they are lovers I'd like to see them together permanently. That's all I can say because I don't want to give anything away.
This certainly gave an eye opening account of fraternity life and also portrays how difficult it is for young girls being preyed upon on our college campuses. If they do cry rape, it is very hard to get anyone to believe them or follow through. This book was right out of today's headlines which added to its appeal. I definitely recommend.
In this story, college girl, Emily Shapiro, was raped by popular frat boy, Dylan Highsmith. Or so she says. She filed a complaint against him with the college but he barely got a slap on the hands. His father is a politician and has connections which he doesn't hesitate to use on his son's behalf. As a result, Dylan is still walking around campus acting all smug about it while Emily is getting spit on and called all sorts of terrible names. She's determined to make him pay. However, she steps out of a bar one night only to run into Dylan and his fraternity buddies. Dylan sends his friends inside so he can talk to Emily alone. They argue and when she walks away, he follows. It's caught on security footage outside the bar. A good thing because now Emily's missing and Dylan could very well be the last person to see her alive. Anna finds herself in a race against time as she attempts to find Emily and get justice for her once and for all.
Loved the suspense in this one. The reader learns several things about Emily from her point of view as she makes a video blog as part of a class assignment. And Dylan is one bad boy you love to hate. There were several times I wanted to get a gun and shoot him. Talk about a first class scumbag! At any rate, I breezed through this one. It kept me entertained the whole way through. The ending was totally unexpected and blew me away. I did struggle with Anna's relationship with Jack. He is part of the story, in Michigan, and right in Anna's path. It sounds funny but I've grown quite fond of Cooper and was hoping he and Anna would get together. While they are lovers I'd like to see them together permanently. That's all I can say because I don't want to give anything away.
This certainly gave an eye opening account of fraternity life and also portrays how difficult it is for young girls being preyed upon on our college campuses. If they do cry rape, it is very hard to get anyone to believe them or follow through. This book was right out of today's headlines which added to its appeal. I definitely recommend.
July 28, 2016
This is the first novel I have read by this author and I thought it was very well written. The story is based upon current events going on in the United States today. The rape of women attending universities is something all too common in this country. There have been several nonfiction books written about this very subject. (The author is a former federal sex crimes prosecutor in Washington D.C. and knows her subject well).
In this story, Emily Shapiro attended a fraternity party and was given Rohypnol, a date rape drug, and found herself victimized by Dylan Highsmith, the son of a high placed politician. She filed a complaint against Highsmith, and he was supposed to be expelled from the university, but of course it never happened. Even the fact that Emily's father is the university president carried little weight in the outcome of the complaint. Highsmith had a history of doing the very same thing to several other women and getting away with it. Apparently, rape is something this particular fraternity saw as a rite of passage, and it had been going on for decades.
No one seemed to take any of this seriously (as in several universities, even currently), and no matter what Emily did, nothing was done to punish her rapist at all. And then Emily disappeared, and the federal government became involved in the case. The story, involved with the investigation of Emily's disappearance after she was last seen near Dylan Highsmith, takes off and it is quite involved. I thought the book was quite true to incidents that are happening even now, and it actually angered me that our great country does not really see this as the heinous crime that it is. The statistics say that one in five, or 20%, of women will be rape victims at some point in their lives. I think that is inexcusable in a society that is supposed to be all about equality, freedom and the pursuit of happiness. The author did a great job in making her point, and I totally agree that this crime needs to be taken seriously, and the perpetrators need to be punished, just as any other criminal action against individuals and/or society is.
In this story, Emily Shapiro attended a fraternity party and was given Rohypnol, a date rape drug, and found herself victimized by Dylan Highsmith, the son of a high placed politician. She filed a complaint against Highsmith, and he was supposed to be expelled from the university, but of course it never happened. Even the fact that Emily's father is the university president carried little weight in the outcome of the complaint. Highsmith had a history of doing the very same thing to several other women and getting away with it. Apparently, rape is something this particular fraternity saw as a rite of passage, and it had been going on for decades.
No one seemed to take any of this seriously (as in several universities, even currently), and no matter what Emily did, nothing was done to punish her rapist at all. And then Emily disappeared, and the federal government became involved in the case. The story, involved with the investigation of Emily's disappearance after she was last seen near Dylan Highsmith, takes off and it is quite involved. I thought the book was quite true to incidents that are happening even now, and it actually angered me that our great country does not really see this as the heinous crime that it is. The statistics say that one in five, or 20%, of women will be rape victims at some point in their lives. I think that is inexcusable in a society that is supposed to be all about equality, freedom and the pursuit of happiness. The author did a great job in making her point, and I totally agree that this crime needs to be taken seriously, and the perpetrators need to be punished, just as any other criminal action against individuals and/or society is.
November 5, 2016
It was a Friday night in March 2015 when Emily Shapiro went to Lucky’s Bar, trying to move beyond events that began for her the previous September. But as she left the bar that night, a Delta Psi fraternity member, Dylan Highsmith, confronted her and then chased her down the street.
Later, when she was reported missing, video coverage showed him chasing her…and then there was no further sign of her. A missing Tower University freshman was a big deal, especially as her father, Barney Shapiro, was the university president.
Anna Curtis, a federal prosecutor, has been staying on a Detroit urban farm with old friend/new lover Cooper Bolden, still torn about her broken relationship with Jack, the Homicide Chief at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in D. C. She is pulled into the investigation, and is working alongside her friend, FBI agent Sam Randazzo. Just as they are getting started, Jack joins them, and they begin coordinating their efforts with his task force on college sexual assaults.
The Last Good Girl takes the reader into the daily pursuit for the missing girl, and we follow their efforts to break behind the secretive walls of the popular fraternity, protected by all the Old Boys’ networks, including local law enforcement. It seems that Dylan’s father is a politician and big contributor to the university.
Alternating narratives reveal to the reader Emily’s video log, as it details how Dylan drugged and raped her, how she tried to get justice, and how she met with resistance along the way. Her frustration and sense of powerlessness grew with each new post.
I also loved how the author brought the reader right into the personal world of the characters, spotlighting their thoughts, their feelings, and their childhoods. I loved having a sense of who they were as people.
As I quickly turned the pages of this intense thriller, I was captivated throughout; I didn’t see the final revelation coming, but then it all made sense. 4.5 stars.
Later, when she was reported missing, video coverage showed him chasing her…and then there was no further sign of her. A missing Tower University freshman was a big deal, especially as her father, Barney Shapiro, was the university president.
Anna Curtis, a federal prosecutor, has been staying on a Detroit urban farm with old friend/new lover Cooper Bolden, still torn about her broken relationship with Jack, the Homicide Chief at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in D. C. She is pulled into the investigation, and is working alongside her friend, FBI agent Sam Randazzo. Just as they are getting started, Jack joins them, and they begin coordinating their efforts with his task force on college sexual assaults.
The Last Good Girl takes the reader into the daily pursuit for the missing girl, and we follow their efforts to break behind the secretive walls of the popular fraternity, protected by all the Old Boys’ networks, including local law enforcement. It seems that Dylan’s father is a politician and big contributor to the university.
Alternating narratives reveal to the reader Emily’s video log, as it details how Dylan drugged and raped her, how she tried to get justice, and how she met with resistance along the way. Her frustration and sense of powerlessness grew with each new post.
I also loved how the author brought the reader right into the personal world of the characters, spotlighting their thoughts, their feelings, and their childhoods. I loved having a sense of who they were as people.
As I quickly turned the pages of this intense thriller, I was captivated throughout; I didn’t see the final revelation coming, but then it all made sense. 4.5 stars.
July 7, 2019
Real talk, FBI agents and/or prosecutors wouldn't go question a suspect for the first time during a frat party. That's the worst idea any law enforcement agent has had in the history of the world.
The other point I would add is that by making it makes it less applicable. The point here seems to be that we're making Tower University into the "Every University," and so with some of these details, it made it feel less and less like the typical case that we're trying to show here. There's a difference between
Also, having sharks circling in a tank in the bedroom feels just a little too on the nose, you know?
The other point I would add is that by making it makes it less applicable. The point here seems to be that we're making Tower University into the "Every University," and so with some of these details, it made it feel less and less like the typical case that we're trying to show here. There's a difference between
Also, having sharks circling in a tank in the bedroom feels just a little too on the nose, you know?
April 27, 2016
Having been through a similar experience as Emily, I thought that Allison Leotta did a fantastic job of being respectful and knowledged about rape culture, the aftermath and the effect it has on the victims and their families. With rape being such a heavy subject matter, I believe it was executed incredibly well here.
I honestly loved this book. The characters were fantastic, the setting was realistic and the plot line had some great twists that kept me glued to the edge of my seat. I think this is a fantastic crime thriller and it's a shame that I have only just come across this author until now.
I would definitely recommend this book but would suggest to any rape survivors to be wary of being triggered, depending on which stage of recovery you are at.
I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I honestly loved this book. The characters were fantastic, the setting was realistic and the plot line had some great twists that kept me glued to the edge of my seat. I think this is a fantastic crime thriller and it's a shame that I have only just come across this author until now.
I would definitely recommend this book but would suggest to any rape survivors to be wary of being triggered, depending on which stage of recovery you are at.
I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 1, 2017
This was a great, gripping thriller! A quintessential beach read - I started reading it at the beach on Sunday and couldn't put it down. It is part of a longer series starring federal prosecutor Anna Curtis, but I think it stands on its own. At any rate, I hadn't read any of the earlier books, and although there are allusions to previous events, it's not confusing or too spoiler-y.
The plotting is tight, the pace is quick, and the action is pretty much non-stop. The topic - sexual assaults on campus - is definitely ripped from the headlines, and reminded me a lot of the Stanford swimmer/rapist case from last summer. There are clearly very disturbing scenes and characters in this book ( that can be very tough to read. Especially so when you consider how many of these crimes go unreported, or simply ignored, dismissed or not treated with the gravity they so deserve.
In this case, justice wins out in the end, but so often in real life, that doesn't happen. And Leotta does an excellent job at illuminating that tragedy. I will definitely read another Anna Curtis book by this author!
One last note - I really liked the setting of the book - Detroit and a fictionalized Michigan campus, reminiscent of Ann Arbor. You can tell the author is very familiar with the locations she chose, and I found it really interesting to read more about the decline...and the slow, steady rebirth, which one character in particular (a love interest of Anna's) plays a big role in...of Detroit.
The plotting is tight, the pace is quick, and the action is pretty much non-stop. The topic - sexual assaults on campus - is definitely ripped from the headlines, and reminded me a lot of the Stanford swimmer/rapist case from last summer. There are clearly very disturbing scenes and characters in this book ( that can be very tough to read. Especially so when you consider how many of these crimes go unreported, or simply ignored, dismissed or not treated with the gravity they so deserve.
In this case, justice wins out in the end, but so often in real life, that doesn't happen. And Leotta does an excellent job at illuminating that tragedy. I will definitely read another Anna Curtis book by this author!
One last note - I really liked the setting of the book - Detroit and a fictionalized Michigan campus, reminiscent of Ann Arbor. You can tell the author is very familiar with the locations she chose, and I found it really interesting to read more about the decline...and the slow, steady rebirth, which one character in particular (a love interest of Anna's) plays a big role in...of Detroit.
June 12, 2017
Suspenseful and full of mystery and well developed characters. When a college student goes missing, what level of investigation will happen to find her? This is written for those who like darker novels with plot twists and interconnected storylines between characters.
April 25, 2022
Oh a must read book about rape, privilege, and bravery to do the right thing!
July 1, 2016
What happened to Emily Shapiro? We see her, in the opening scene, at a bar near campus. She is listening to the “mating call” of a frat boy: “Wanna do shots?” To anyone else, “she probably looked like any other carefree girl basking in a Friday night.” The bartender puts down two shots of a “shimmery blue potion” but soon Emily knows she needs to leave to avoid an encounter with a guy she’d rather not meet. Or see again. Ever.
The first thing Anna Curtis sees of Emily Shapiro is on a “grainy surveillance video, the type that only become relevant when something terrible happened.”
We’re in Michigan. Anna, a prosecutor, has temporarily moved to the Detroit area to be with a man she befriended during a previous case involving her sister, Jody. Anna has known the man she’s living with, Cooper, since the two were in elementary school. Anna is still sorting through the wreckage from her previous relationship with Jack and her ongoing relationship with Jack’s daughter, a girl Anna thought she would end up mothering. Cooper is a former Army Ranger who lost the lower part of one leg from an IED explosion in Afghanistan.
Anna’s life, and all its romantic and sexual entanglements, make for a stark contrast to the college-boy antics of the case she’s about to dive into. Jack, it turns out, turns out to be in Michigan on a work-related matter; he’s the chief of homicide at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C.
Without going into too much detail here, Jack pulls Anna into the case of the missing Emily Shapiro.
Complications abound. So legal technicalities. Dylan, the boy on the grainy video with Emily, is identified. Dylan’s father is Michigan’s lieutenant governor. Dylan belongs to Beta Psi, “a college fraternity in the Skull-and-Bones tradition. Four U.S. presidents were alumni, along with countless senators and CEOs.” And Emily’s father is the president of the university, where maintaining reputation and public image is paramount.
And so Anna dives in. She’s thorough, methodical, detailed and tireless. What she finds will be no surprise to anyone who has followed the recent stories of campus sexual assault and rape from Vanderbilt to Missoula to Stanford—and for many decades prior. The story in "The Last Good Girl" s loaded with legal and strategic intricacy. It’s rich, layered—and gives you the feeling for why the arrogant frat boy college culture has been allowed to persist on so many campuses. The palpable tension over Emily Shapiro’s whereabouts is heightened by the fact that Emily has left a video diary of her chilling experiences. Leotta intersperses excerpts with Anna’s investigation. The trails leads to the top, the “1 percent of the 1 percent,” and to the secret basement caverns with the secrets, the histories, the traditions, the culture.
The ending offers a fine twist, two back-to-back gulp-gasp moments. Leotta handles them skillfully. "The Last Good Girl" is clearly the product of a writer who knows the territory (Leotta’s real-life credentials in this territory are sterling). With Anna’s layered romantic adult complications providing a solid counterpoint to the spotlight Leotta shines on exploitation and college-age cruelty (and the adult enablers of it). There is one scene that is a graphic and jolting that brings the crime, the product of entitlement and power, front and center.
"The Last Good Girl" is a topical, layered, tense and palpable piece of crime fiction. You just wish it weren’t quite so real, so plausible.
The first thing Anna Curtis sees of Emily Shapiro is on a “grainy surveillance video, the type that only become relevant when something terrible happened.”
We’re in Michigan. Anna, a prosecutor, has temporarily moved to the Detroit area to be with a man she befriended during a previous case involving her sister, Jody. Anna has known the man she’s living with, Cooper, since the two were in elementary school. Anna is still sorting through the wreckage from her previous relationship with Jack and her ongoing relationship with Jack’s daughter, a girl Anna thought she would end up mothering. Cooper is a former Army Ranger who lost the lower part of one leg from an IED explosion in Afghanistan.
Anna’s life, and all its romantic and sexual entanglements, make for a stark contrast to the college-boy antics of the case she’s about to dive into. Jack, it turns out, turns out to be in Michigan on a work-related matter; he’s the chief of homicide at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C.
Without going into too much detail here, Jack pulls Anna into the case of the missing Emily Shapiro.
Complications abound. So legal technicalities. Dylan, the boy on the grainy video with Emily, is identified. Dylan’s father is Michigan’s lieutenant governor. Dylan belongs to Beta Psi, “a college fraternity in the Skull-and-Bones tradition. Four U.S. presidents were alumni, along with countless senators and CEOs.” And Emily’s father is the president of the university, where maintaining reputation and public image is paramount.
And so Anna dives in. She’s thorough, methodical, detailed and tireless. What she finds will be no surprise to anyone who has followed the recent stories of campus sexual assault and rape from Vanderbilt to Missoula to Stanford—and for many decades prior. The story in "The Last Good Girl" s loaded with legal and strategic intricacy. It’s rich, layered—and gives you the feeling for why the arrogant frat boy college culture has been allowed to persist on so many campuses. The palpable tension over Emily Shapiro’s whereabouts is heightened by the fact that Emily has left a video diary of her chilling experiences. Leotta intersperses excerpts with Anna’s investigation. The trails leads to the top, the “1 percent of the 1 percent,” and to the secret basement caverns with the secrets, the histories, the traditions, the culture.
The ending offers a fine twist, two back-to-back gulp-gasp moments. Leotta handles them skillfully. "The Last Good Girl" is clearly the product of a writer who knows the territory (Leotta’s real-life credentials in this territory are sterling). With Anna’s layered romantic adult complications providing a solid counterpoint to the spotlight Leotta shines on exploitation and college-age cruelty (and the adult enablers of it). There is one scene that is a graphic and jolting that brings the crime, the product of entitlement and power, front and center.
"The Last Good Girl" is a topical, layered, tense and palpable piece of crime fiction. You just wish it weren’t quite so real, so plausible.
May 8, 2016
The Last Good Girl by Allison Leotta is a highly recommended topical novel of suspense.
This is the fifth book in a series that features Anna Curtis, a federal sex crimes prosecutor based in Washington, D.C.. She is visiting her sister and niece in Detroit when she is called into help with an investigation by her former fiancé, Jack and is once again working with her friend in the FBI, Agent Samantha Randazzo.
It seems that freshman college student Emily Shapiro has gone missing. Emily just happens to be the daughter of the college president. She also has recently filed rape charges against Beta Psi Fraternity member Dylan Highsmith, the son of the state's lieutenant governor. Dylan is caught on security tapes following Emily and is arguably the last person to see her.
In-between chapters following Anna and the investigation, as well as other characters, is the transcripts of the vlog, video log/diary, Emily was keeping for a class. The diary tells Emily's story while the investigation uncovers more information about Dylan, his actions, the frat parties, Emily's case, and the university's response. Anna is also asking herself questions and must make some choices about her uncertain personal life.
The Last Good Girl is well written and the plot moves along at a good pace. The suspense of the investigation and what they are discovering will keep you reading. There are several surprises along the way too, especially the ending. This would be a great airplane book. It'll hold your attention.
While I like the character of Anna, I did feel like I was missing some vital background information jumping into this fifth book in the series. The plot lost nothing, the suspense was there as the investigation was underway, but I was lacking the extra information about the character's relationships. Now, this is easy to simple overlook, but it's always good to know that the book is fifth in a series before you start it.
I'd also have to agree that Dylan is an over-the-top stereotype/parody: the bad frat boy who is rich and arrogant with a well-connected, powerful family. It's not that it can't be true, but he's just so.... everything.
The actual "ripped-from-the-headlines" plot consists of the statistics for rape on college campuses and problems relating to fraternities. Living in a town with a large university means that these problems aren't just statistics for my community. It's a real problem. But for those of us who went to college many years ago, we know it has also been a problem for years. I'd like to think, from what I have read, that most colleges and universities are taking rape and sexual assault very seriously now, which makes this novel a bit unfortunate, as far as the depicted reaction of those at the college.
The same can be said about problems with fraternities. Frats don't seem to getting away with what this frat did anymore. That's not to say that there can't be problems, but, again, I think most colleges try to keep a closer eye on things now.
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Touchstone for review purposes.
July 31, 2016
This is closer to a 4.5 star rating for me. The Anna Curtis series has quickly become one of my favorite contemporary mystery series -- excellent writing, likable characters, and women's issues make each book a must read for me. As soon as I got my hands on this one, I couldn't read it fast enough and thought it was a strong addition to an already compelling series. The newest novel begins with AUSA Anna Curtis being asked to assist with a federal case in Michigan. A college freshman and daughter of the university's president, Emily Shapiro, has gone missing and foul play is suspected when the last person to have seen her is the male student, Dylan, she accused of sexual assault earlier in the year. Dylan is connected to a powerful family and uses those connections to obstruct the case at every turn. If ever there were a villain deserving of justice, Dylan certainly would fit the bill. While the tale is told primarily from Anna's point of view as she pursues the case, the reader is introduced to the missing Emily through a series of vlogs (video blogs) that were intended to be a class project to capture the freshman experience. I found the storytelling technique highly effective and helped explain what led up to Emily's disappearance. Also effective in moving the plot forward were the other inserts, such as the letters from the law firm representing Dylan.
One other aspect of the story that was resonated with me was how the real stats regarding assaults that occur on college campuses and the steps taken to cover up those crimes were woven into the story. The author's prior work as a federal sex-crimes prosecutor is evident in the writing in that she brings a realism to the cases and issues featured in each book. Bringing these facts into the light is so critical, and even more important to confront. I was fortunate to hear the author speak about the book and college sexual assaults at a local library event and it enhanced my reading experience even more. It is stunning to think that 20% of women and 6% of men will be sexually assaulted while attending college, 80% of sexual assaults are never reported (often because the victims fear they will not be believed), and most colleges report a whopping zero cases of sexual assault (can't have enrollment applications or donor contributions drop off, can they?). Outrageous does not cover it. If you have not yet discovered this series, add it to your "to read" list today if you are a mystery fan who enjoys legal thrillers that deal with serious women's issues. While many of the topics are difficult, they are important ones that deserve to be discussed and addressed. The books in this series are an excellent step in that direction.
One other aspect of the story that was resonated with me was how the real stats regarding assaults that occur on college campuses and the steps taken to cover up those crimes were woven into the story. The author's prior work as a federal sex-crimes prosecutor is evident in the writing in that she brings a realism to the cases and issues featured in each book. Bringing these facts into the light is so critical, and even more important to confront. I was fortunate to hear the author speak about the book and college sexual assaults at a local library event and it enhanced my reading experience even more. It is stunning to think that 20% of women and 6% of men will be sexually assaulted while attending college, 80% of sexual assaults are never reported (often because the victims fear they will not be believed), and most colleges report a whopping zero cases of sexual assault (can't have enrollment applications or donor contributions drop off, can they?). Outrageous does not cover it. If you have not yet discovered this series, add it to your "to read" list today if you are a mystery fan who enjoys legal thrillers that deal with serious women's issues. While many of the topics are difficult, they are important ones that deserve to be discussed and addressed. The books in this series are an excellent step in that direction.
May 7, 2016
Updated Review: Engaging, gripping, and intense, The Last Good Girl gives a false sense of predictability with a surprising outcome.
I wasn’t sure what to expect with The Last Good Girl because I’d never read Allison Leotta’s work before; I only knew the synopsis drew me in enough that I was intrigued. I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed this gripping story from the first page. I also didn’t realize this was the second book in a series when I requested to read this book, which gives credit to the synopsis, but it can certainly be read as a standalone; I don’t feel as though I’ve missed anything by not having read the previous books in the Anna Curtis Series, but I will be correcting that oversight and reading more from this series. My first thought and reactions as I read through the beginnings of this novel were those of Missoula, a book I recently read that fueled a rage in me. The anger I felt with that book returned in this book, as I navigated through this crime thriller and read how the authorities and justice system treated the rape of a college student.
The story features Emily Shapiro, daughter of the university president, who is missing and Anna Curtis, the federal prosecutor assigned to Emily’s case. The author draws you in from the very beginning with an allusion as to what happened to Emily and who is the culprit but just as looks can be deceiving, so can allusions. This is the type of story in which you think you know the what, how, and who of the events but the deeper you delve into Emily Shapiro’s case through a ride-along investigation with the prosecutor, the more you realize there is more to the story.
Ripped from the headlines, Allison Leotta delivered true crime into the fictional world with a gripping mystery filled with suspense, college fraternity secrets, family secrets, political power, and touches on rape on college campuses. There isn’t a lot I can add that isn’t included in the synopsis already without giving away much of the story, but I will add I loved this compelling story, every mislead, and misdirection. The Last Good Girl is one to read if you love mysteries and suspense thrillers that are filled with red herrings and a false sense of predictability while gradually exposing the truth and the why of it all.
I wasn’t sure what to expect with The Last Good Girl because I’d never read Allison Leotta’s work before; I only knew the synopsis drew me in enough that I was intrigued. I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed this gripping story from the first page. I also didn’t realize this was the second book in a series when I requested to read this book, which gives credit to the synopsis, but it can certainly be read as a standalone; I don’t feel as though I’ve missed anything by not having read the previous books in the Anna Curtis Series, but I will be correcting that oversight and reading more from this series. My first thought and reactions as I read through the beginnings of this novel were those of Missoula, a book I recently read that fueled a rage in me. The anger I felt with that book returned in this book, as I navigated through this crime thriller and read how the authorities and justice system treated the rape of a college student.
The story features Emily Shapiro, daughter of the university president, who is missing and Anna Curtis, the federal prosecutor assigned to Emily’s case. The author draws you in from the very beginning with an allusion as to what happened to Emily and who is the culprit but just as looks can be deceiving, so can allusions. This is the type of story in which you think you know the what, how, and who of the events but the deeper you delve into Emily Shapiro’s case through a ride-along investigation with the prosecutor, the more you realize there is more to the story.
Ripped from the headlines, Allison Leotta delivered true crime into the fictional world with a gripping mystery filled with suspense, college fraternity secrets, family secrets, political power, and touches on rape on college campuses. There isn’t a lot I can add that isn’t included in the synopsis already without giving away much of the story, but I will add I loved this compelling story, every mislead, and misdirection. The Last Good Girl is one to read if you love mysteries and suspense thrillers that are filled with red herrings and a false sense of predictability while gradually exposing the truth and the why of it all.
July 1, 2016
The Last Good Girl by Allison Leotta
Allison Leotta has received high praise and critical notice for her four previous Anna Curtis novels. With The Last Good Girl, Leotta continues to shine, examining a complex social and legal issue with compelling storytelling.
In The Last Good Girl, Leotta examines campus rape, at Tower University, an esteemed university near Detroit, Michigan.
Emily Shapiro, a freshman student at Tower, disappears after leaving a bar near campus. Dylan Highsmith, president of the Beta Psi fraternity chapter, was the last person seen with Emily. Emily had accused Dylan approximately six months earlier of drugging and raping her at a campus party. However, Dylan’s wealthy and powerful family had used their resources to blunt any hope that Emily had of receiving the justice she sought.
Anna, normally a Federal prosecutor operating out of Washington, D.C., is in Michigan, having helped her sister, Jody, out of a legal issue, and finding a new love interest, Cooper Bolden.
Anna is drafted by her boss, her prior love interest, as a special prosecutor to oversee the Shapiro investigation with the FBI as a hate crime. Beta Psi has a reputation on campus as “the rape factory”, and with Highsmith as their leader, it’s no surprise when the investigation leads Anna to their door.
Leotta’s experience as a federal prosecutor is apparent. She unfolds her story, laying out the environment ripe for campus rape and the complexities of prosecuting cases. Late reporting, reluctant witnesses, rampant alcohol usage, and rape shaming make cases hard to make and harder to prosecute. When campus administrators are determined to impede progress, it makes it nearly impossible to succeed.
But Leotta’s story is hardly a recitation of prosecutorial potholes. She writes a tight, personal story of an Anna dealing with her life and her work in a direct uncomplicated manner removed from melodrama. Anna is a sympathetic character with a backbone of steel and one you want to root for.
The investigation’s procedural elements are well-presented, tightly structured, allowing for some surprise elements that fit nicely with the facts and leading to a satisfying resolution. The Last Good Girl is a solid story, nicely told.
Allison Leotta has received high praise and critical notice for her four previous Anna Curtis novels. With The Last Good Girl, Leotta continues to shine, examining a complex social and legal issue with compelling storytelling.
In The Last Good Girl, Leotta examines campus rape, at Tower University, an esteemed university near Detroit, Michigan.
Emily Shapiro, a freshman student at Tower, disappears after leaving a bar near campus. Dylan Highsmith, president of the Beta Psi fraternity chapter, was the last person seen with Emily. Emily had accused Dylan approximately six months earlier of drugging and raping her at a campus party. However, Dylan’s wealthy and powerful family had used their resources to blunt any hope that Emily had of receiving the justice she sought.
Anna, normally a Federal prosecutor operating out of Washington, D.C., is in Michigan, having helped her sister, Jody, out of a legal issue, and finding a new love interest, Cooper Bolden.
Anna is drafted by her boss, her prior love interest, as a special prosecutor to oversee the Shapiro investigation with the FBI as a hate crime. Beta Psi has a reputation on campus as “the rape factory”, and with Highsmith as their leader, it’s no surprise when the investigation leads Anna to their door.
Leotta’s experience as a federal prosecutor is apparent. She unfolds her story, laying out the environment ripe for campus rape and the complexities of prosecuting cases. Late reporting, reluctant witnesses, rampant alcohol usage, and rape shaming make cases hard to make and harder to prosecute. When campus administrators are determined to impede progress, it makes it nearly impossible to succeed.
But Leotta’s story is hardly a recitation of prosecutorial potholes. She writes a tight, personal story of an Anna dealing with her life and her work in a direct uncomplicated manner removed from melodrama. Anna is a sympathetic character with a backbone of steel and one you want to root for.
The investigation’s procedural elements are well-presented, tightly structured, allowing for some surprise elements that fit nicely with the facts and leading to a satisfying resolution. The Last Good Girl is a solid story, nicely told.
July 12, 2016
I stumbled across this book only aware that it was a new fiction release at my nearby library and it received great reviews on goodreads. I took the chance to read this book without knowing that it was apart of a series, "The Last Good Girl" being the 5th installment. I am PRAYING I didn't ruin reading this series because this author can write! According to Allison's goodreads profile these fictional books are inspired by her real life work as a federal prosecutor specializing in sex crimes and domestic violence. "The Last Good Girl" is a page turner! I can't wait to read more of Allison's page turning thrillers full of intricate details drenched with the reality of those who fight for justice! GOOD READ!
May 9, 2016
I haven't read any of the other "Anna Curtis" series, but this book works well as a stand alone. Anna is a likeable enough heroine although perhaps because I haven't read the previous books, she isn't as fleshed out as I generally expect. The story itself is engaging, a "ripped-from-the-headlines" plot that is as disturbing as it is realistic. I thought about this book, and the story's victim, even when I wasn't reading it which is the sign of a well crafted novel.
Thanks to Netgalley and Touchstone for this advanced reader's copy.
Thanks to Netgalley and Touchstone for this advanced reader's copy.
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