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The Last Victim
Helping her parents to renovate a stately old Victorian home, sixteen-year-old Kelly Donovan discovers an important clue that would reveal the truth behind a crime considered to be a closed case, and begins a desperate race against time. Original.
- GenresHorror
144 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
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August 8, 2021THE LAST VICTIM and MISSING! are two excellent teen mysteries from the sisters Kuraoka, starring their Japanese American Nancy Drew, Kelly Donovan. The books are noteworthy for featuring an Asian American protagonist amongst a sea of overwhelmingly white 90s YA thrillers (Kelly is mixed: Japanese on her mother's side and White/Irish on her father's), but both THE LAST VICTIM and MISSING! are also exciting, fast-paced adventures, demonstrating a level of storytelling craft that most of their contemporaries fall short of.
Kelly is a plucky, charming heroine whose desire to be helpful keeps causing her to stick her nose squarely into trouble as she and her parents move from town to town renovating old houses. And the trouble that the Kuraoka sisters cook up for Kelly is PRETTY TROUBLING: across the two books, Kelly contends with a serial killer who has racked up 47 BODIES (!) across three states and then a baby-napping ring with no compunction whatsoever about killing the mothers or the babies. When not stunning every boy in town with her dazzling looks, Kelly is ::being:: stunned by a baddie with a short, sharp whack over the back of the head. Fortunately, her resourcefulness-- and cast of supportive family and friends-- leave us confident she'll find her way out of each new mess, even if she has to perform some literal cliffhanging along the way.
The formula the Kuraoka sisters establish over the two books is a satisfying one, and the indications at the end of MISSING! as to where a possible Book 3 would head are extremely tantalizing. (Kelly Donovan: Scream Queen!) Tragically, Avon Flare published no more Kelly Donovan novels after these first two. I would have greedily read 100 more.
Kelly is a plucky, charming heroine whose desire to be helpful keeps causing her to stick her nose squarely into trouble as she and her parents move from town to town renovating old houses. And the trouble that the Kuraoka sisters cook up for Kelly is PRETTY TROUBLING: across the two books, Kelly contends with a serial killer who has racked up 47 BODIES (!) across three states and then a baby-napping ring with no compunction whatsoever about killing the mothers or the babies. When not stunning every boy in town with her dazzling looks, Kelly is ::being:: stunned by a baddie with a short, sharp whack over the back of the head. Fortunately, her resourcefulness-- and cast of supportive family and friends-- leave us confident she'll find her way out of each new mess, even if she has to perform some literal cliffhanging along the way.
The formula the Kuraoka sisters establish over the two books is a satisfying one, and the indications at the end of MISSING! as to where a possible Book 3 would head are extremely tantalizing. (Kelly Donovan: Scream Queen!) Tragically, Avon Flare published no more Kelly Donovan novels after these first two. I would have greedily read 100 more.
August 6, 2021
The sleazy lawyer did it!!
Why is her hair Auburn in the book but black on the cover?
Watch out for hidden doorways in your armoire.
Older cop kissing her is kinda gross.
Why is her hair Auburn in the book but black on the cover?
Watch out for hidden doorways in your armoire.
Older cop kissing her is kinda gross.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 2, 2025
Like Asian Nancy Drew but not as good. Short about 130 pages. Really awkward shoehorned romance at the end with 2 different guys.
March 23, 2015
Actual page number- 138 pages
Summary- Kelly Donovan and her family moved to a new but temporary home because her parents are house renovators and plan to fix up the home they're staying. Kelly, later, discovered some hidden secrets in the attic of a gold bracelet and some newspaper clipping that hints about the murder. Kelly can't help but wonder what they're doing in the attic. As the story progresses, Kelly and her new friends must solved the case in a race against time. Meanwhile, the killer seems to be interested in Kelly...
First things first, this book is not written by Hannah Kuraoka as that's just a pen name but the real authors are Bonnie and Meghan Kuraoka. This probably explains the multiple point of views of various characters since one book written by multiple authors usually means different point of views at least from what I read.
This isn't too much horror but more on mystery. It isn't chilling but more suspenseful and it is suspenseful sometimes when Kelly is targetted by the killer or the fact that Kelly has to solve the case in certain time limit which adds in the suspense as well.
But, overall the murder mystery aspect is meh because the mystery isn't too impossible for me to try to understand as it's basic which is probably due to short amount of pages the book has. There's not much twist to the suspect reveal as well.
The multiple P.O.Vs just seem unnecessary as the characters don't reveal too much inner thoughts.
Kelly has somewhat interesting personality. She's a mystery lover so she's pretty adamant in solving the case and she is nice and her solving skills are basic but decent so overall, she's likable.
I can't say too much about Amy other than her brother's being accused for murder which makes her lest trustful to other people but meh she doesn't have her personality.
The old librarian is perhaps my favorite character. I don't know, but it's probably because of her friendly tone to other people
The killer is just a generic perverted psychopath so he's bland.
Overall, this isn't too complex of mystery and I only recommended younger readers who want to read mystery for first time.
Summary- Kelly Donovan and her family moved to a new but temporary home because her parents are house renovators and plan to fix up the home they're staying. Kelly, later, discovered some hidden secrets in the attic of a gold bracelet and some newspaper clipping that hints about the murder. Kelly can't help but wonder what they're doing in the attic. As the story progresses, Kelly and her new friends must solved the case in a race against time. Meanwhile, the killer seems to be interested in Kelly...
First things first, this book is not written by Hannah Kuraoka as that's just a pen name but the real authors are Bonnie and Meghan Kuraoka. This probably explains the multiple point of views of various characters since one book written by multiple authors usually means different point of views at least from what I read.
This isn't too much horror but more on mystery. It isn't chilling but more suspenseful and it is suspenseful sometimes when Kelly is targetted by the killer or the fact that Kelly has to solve the case in certain time limit which adds in the suspense as well.
But, overall the murder mystery aspect is meh because the mystery isn't too impossible for me to try to understand as it's basic which is probably due to short amount of pages the book has. There's not much twist to the suspect reveal as well.
The multiple P.O.Vs just seem unnecessary as the characters don't reveal too much inner thoughts.
Kelly has somewhat interesting personality. She's a mystery lover so she's pretty adamant in solving the case and she is nice and her solving skills are basic but decent so overall, she's likable.
I can't say too much about Amy other than her brother's being accused for murder which makes her lest trustful to other people but meh she doesn't have her personality.
The old librarian is perhaps my favorite character. I don't know, but it's probably because of her friendly tone to other people
The killer is just a generic perverted psychopath so he's bland.
Overall, this isn't too complex of mystery and I only recommended younger readers who want to read mystery for first time.
October 12, 2018
eh...it was just allright...
January 1, 2025
3.5/5
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews