What do you think?
Rate this book
Final Breath
At first, the deaths seem random. A young Portland couple brutally murdered in a game gone awry...a Chicago woman who plummeted to her death from an office building...an aspiring screenwriter asphyxiated in his New York apartment. But the macabre souvenirs television reporter Sydney Jordan receives hint at a connection that is both personal and terrifying. After events in her own life went wrong, Sydney fled to Seattle with her teenage son. But instead of getting a fresh start, Sydney is plagued by strange occurrences. Someone is watching, someone who knows her intimately...someone who's just waiting to play the next move in a twisted game. She is his chosen one. Every murder is a sign, and soon, Sydney will understand why each victim had to suffer - and why she's the next in line.
436 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
144 people are currently reading
946 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
August 23, 2018
Well, Kevin O'Brien can always be relied upon to write a pretty decent thriller. The story opens with the brutal slaying of two popular Portland students. The relevance is apparent as you read the book.
Sydney Jordan is a news presenter for a weekly television show called Movers and Shakers. It often featured people who had performed some heroic act. Sydney does a feature on a young engaged couple who, while having dinner at a Thai restaurant, managed to foil an armed robbery and save the staff from being shot. A week later the young couple are gunned down in their home. And so it begins. Sydney starts getting notes from families of people tragically killed. They are thanking her for sending flower arrangements to the funerals. The only problem is, she hasn't sent any flowers.
Meanwhile her 12 year old son Eli is off having his own adventures. They recently moved from Chicago to Seattle when Sydney found out something concerning about her husband. But the townhouse they moved into is reputed to be haunted. A young mother apparently killed her son and then herself in the unit they are renting. Eli is determined to find out the story behind the deaths as the 'ghosts' are kind of bothering him. I found Eli quite annoying as he never seemed to do as he was told and got himself into some pretty tight corners.
Eventually Sydney realises that someone is out to get her. They are murdering people she has featured in her show who have saved someone in the same manner that they were saved from (awkward wording I know). But its hard to distinguish between the friendly ghosts and her malevolent stalker. And who is the stalker anyway? To her credit Sydney doesn't turn into a puddle of anxiety, she sets out to warn further potential victims and to identify the culprit. What she finds out shocks her to the core.
Sydney Jordan is a news presenter for a weekly television show called Movers and Shakers. It often featured people who had performed some heroic act. Sydney does a feature on a young engaged couple who, while having dinner at a Thai restaurant, managed to foil an armed robbery and save the staff from being shot. A week later the young couple are gunned down in their home. And so it begins. Sydney starts getting notes from families of people tragically killed. They are thanking her for sending flower arrangements to the funerals. The only problem is, she hasn't sent any flowers.
Meanwhile her 12 year old son Eli is off having his own adventures. They recently moved from Chicago to Seattle when Sydney found out something concerning about her husband. But the townhouse they moved into is reputed to be haunted. A young mother apparently killed her son and then herself in the unit they are renting. Eli is determined to find out the story behind the deaths as the 'ghosts' are kind of bothering him. I found Eli quite annoying as he never seemed to do as he was told and got himself into some pretty tight corners.
Eventually Sydney realises that someone is out to get her. They are murdering people she has featured in her show who have saved someone in the same manner that they were saved from (awkward wording I know). But its hard to distinguish between the friendly ghosts and her malevolent stalker. And who is the stalker anyway? To her credit Sydney doesn't turn into a puddle of anxiety, she sets out to warn further potential victims and to identify the culprit. What she finds out shocks her to the core.
February 15, 2015
Oh. My. God! What an absolute page-turning thrilling adventure. I've read all of Kevin's novels and he has NEVER disappointed in the telling of chilling stories. As soon as his new book is out, I buy as soon as I'm in BN and/or BAM. Kevin just has this way of keeping the reader on their toes and guessing till the very last page. A few of his stories made me gasp out loud! If you're into crime fiction, Kevin O'Brien is an author you need to be reading! I compare him to Karin Slaughter, Lisa Gardner, Cody McFadyen, Tess Gerrittsen, Gregg Olsen, just to name a few.
September 19, 2018
I am normally all over Kevin's books, but this one kind of fell short for me. I found myself skimming over thing's that had to do with Sydney's son Eli. Maybe it was just the wrong time to read it. Who knows. Hopefully the next book in line for me to read by him is better.
April 9, 2015
one of his best
May 4, 2019
I do believe this is my favourite Kevin O’Brien novel. Two stories - one supernatural, and one of a murderer - are woven together for a compelling read. Sydney, a television personality, leaves her cop husband in New York and moves to Seattle with her son. Their new home is haunted by a mother and son who were murdered there in the 70’s. Both Sydney and Ian (her son) experience their otherworldly communications. Then there are the very present day murders of people who had been on Sydney’s tv program about heroes. It seems like everyone is in danger and Sydney takes it upon herself to discover who the killer is and stop him. The novel is very tense although the very ending seems a bit limp.
November 17, 2025
3.5 stars
I enjoyed this mystery, but managed to figure out who the killer was about 30% of the way through. That being said, I enjoyed the twists and alternating POVs of the victims. I forgot how entertaining some of the early 2000s thrillers were!
I enjoyed this mystery, but managed to figure out who the killer was about 30% of the way through. That being said, I enjoyed the twists and alternating POVs of the victims. I forgot how entertaining some of the early 2000s thrillers were!
August 2, 2018
I loved this book!! Great story!! 1st time reading this author's books!! Will read more of his books!!
January 21, 2012
The wonderful thing about living in a world so full of talented writers is that, no matter what your reading preferences may be, you will most likely be able to find an author that satisfies. I would hope you would find more than just one. Anyway, since I get tired of police and FBI always barging into what I am reading and dulling it down, Kevin O'Brien is perfect for me. Final Breath is my fifth O'Brien read and it is another excellent book. Surprisingly touching, masterfully written, sometimes frightening, Final Breath is a great example of a mystery/thriller in which police take a backseat and the regular folks solve the mystery. (Not saying police aren't regular people). I really enjoyed everything about the book and am only giving it four stars instead of five because O'Brien has done this even better in his novel Disturbed. This leads me to criticisms that others might have of him although I have not yet been buged by them. I noticed that O'Brien thanks the horror/suspense author John Saul on the acknowledgements page and it is interesting that he does so because, like John Saul, Kevin O'Brien has a habit of repeating themes and plots. For example, O'Brien's main characters seem to almost always involve a rebellious teenager going through a tough time brought on by school or a parent's divorce, and a mother or step-mother struggling to relate to that kid. Also, O'Brien has had a few books that nicely portray homosexual characters which is a very nice surprise. Then, we have the earlier mentioned kid solving one part of the mystery while mother or step-mother solves the other part with both of them coming together in the end. Finally, we have the issue of school shootings and suicide but again, these are just things I notice happening without them being annoying, YET. John Saul is one of my favorite authors but I have read about thirty of his novels and his themes and similar plots do wear thin after a while. Let's hope that Kevin O'Brien isn't all that influenced by Saul but even if he is, I think he will be fine. The man can write fantastic stories and I will continue to read him.
January 13, 2020
There were parts of this book that I could not put down . The plot was very good as was the major subplot. I think my major issue was the fact that Eli was supposed to only be 12. If he had been 15 or even 14 I may have been able to buy into his actions more but 12?? Even explaining him as very mature was still not enough for him to be acting like a 12 year old boy. Bringing all the various pieces of the story together towards the end of the book felt sloppy to me. At times when a character would bring up the idea of something being related to the current murders I heard myself saying "yeah right" out loud. If you suspend believe and take the story as is then it is a very enjoyable book
May 10, 2009
This is the first book I've read by Kevin O'Brien and I truly enjoyed it. I usually read a Sandra Brown "type" mystery which also has a strong love interest and although it has a wonderful mystery as well, I usually have an idea of who the perpetrator is before the ending. This particular book did not have the love story I enjoy but as a mystery - I could not put it down. I truly did not know who the murderer was or his motivation. The ending shocked me. Have already passed it on to my sister to read.
May 12, 2009
A good, fast read that keeps you guessing.
June 10, 2009
Good thriller - kind of scary
September 3, 2009
A "who done it" story. An okay read.
December 30, 2012
I had a hard time staying with this book. I was expecting more.
February 20, 2017
It started off really interesting, and then it kinda dragged. I enjoyed the last chapters, but I couldn't tell if it's because I was happy that it was over, or if it finally picked up again.
June 21, 2017
I have read 3 of Kevin's books and have decided they are too strange for me to read anymore. Too many plots going on at the same time makes it tedious reading for me
July 26, 2019
Kevin O'Brien is usually great for horror and thrillers, but this one fell flat. What really turned me off to this one was the repeated use of stereotypes and stereotypical behaviors as a means of describing the characters. All in all, he's got others that are better, and every author's allowed a dud now and then. This is the dud.
May 6, 2021
Sidney and her son, Eli, live in Seattle. This is a recent development because her husband hit her and kicked her out. He did something bad and kicking them out was the only way he could see them still living. Now, they live in a haunted apartment and people that Sidney has worked with are turning up dead. It was like two scooby-doo stories in one.
January 31, 2022
There is a lot going on in this book but it was a good read. Sydney Jordan is television reporter who focuses on stories of every day heroes. She is having issues in her marriage and has moved from Chicago to Seattle with her son. She starts receiving strange tokens when the people in her stories start dying and begins to feel like she is being watched. This book has suspense, the paranormal, romance, family. It is a little bit much but and although all of the storylines tie together, there is a lot happening that could probably be pared down. Overall it was a good mystery/suspense novel.
March 14, 2022
I've read a few of Kevin O' Brien books and loved them all. Unfortunately, this one was horrible. I didn't enjoy it. I forced myself through it just to see who the killer was at the end, and it was exactly who I thought about mid way through the book. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone, but his other books I've read are fantastic.
December 17, 2025
Final Breath
By Kevin O’Brien
(Thriller)
❤️❤️❤️❤️🖤
It’s an okay thriller, but fairly predictable. Sydney is a tv journalist who specializes in stories about everyday heroes. She discovers that a serial killer is murdering the heroes of her broadcasts. It’s mostly fun because the setting is Seattle.
By Kevin O’Brien
(Thriller)
❤️❤️❤️❤️🖤
It’s an okay thriller, but fairly predictable. Sydney is a tv journalist who specializes in stories about everyday heroes. She discovers that a serial killer is murdering the heroes of her broadcasts. It’s mostly fun because the setting is Seattle.
October 26, 2019
This book was a page turner! Very suspenseful and a wonderful story line! This is one of the first books to almost make me cry! The ending thoughhhhhhhh!!! The feelings!!! Grab some tea, and some tissues! 5 star read!!
October 22, 2020
I enjoyed reading this fast moving mystery with several possible suspects. The additional subplot of Sydney's son Eli chasing the story about previous tenants who lived in their home added to the tension and emotional push in the book. I will look for more stories by Kevin O'brien.
June 1, 2017
Breath taking and had me on the edge of my seat constantly!
July 25, 2017
O'Brien
This is the 2nd book I have read of Kevin o'brien. He books pull you in and don't let go until the end. This one did not disappoint
This is the 2nd book I have read of Kevin o'brien. He books pull you in and don't let go until the end. This one did not disappoint
April 25, 2018
This guy is always entertaining and suspenseful!
October 8, 2018
This was a fast=paced thriller. It was easy to read and kept me in suspense until the end.
January 7, 2019
Final Breath review
Final Breath is an excellent fast paced book written by author Kevin O'Brien. This author always delivers a great storyline with interesting characters.
Final Breath is an excellent fast paced book written by author Kevin O'Brien. This author always delivers a great storyline with interesting characters.
January 8, 2019
FINAL BREATH
Loved this book, it's a page turning thriller. There are a few different scenarios going on at the same time, all are solved by the end of the book.
Loved this book, it's a page turning thriller. There are a few different scenarios going on at the same time, all are solved by the end of the book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews