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The Last Victim
A Killer's Masterpiece
At first, Bridget Corrigan's work with her twin brother's senatorial campaign is an exciting distraction from the trauma of her messy divorce. But everything changes when Bridget is reminded of the secret she and Brad have been keeping since high school, a secret that could destroy the campaign—and their lives. Someone else knows what they did. Someone who's been picking off the members of their little group one by one...
Will Be Painted
His job keeps him busy, but he loves every moment of it. Following them, photographing them, and immortalizing them on canvas. He knows exactly how they'll look when the last breath is drawn, because he has planned out their deaths with perfect precision. And the best is yet to come: Bridget Corrigan. He has very special plans for her portrait—she just doesn't know it yet...
In Cold Blood
With every "accident" that befalls the members of her old clique, Bridget feels danger edging closer to home. Yet uncovering the truth about the killer would mean revealing what really happened that horrible night years ago. She'll have to find someone to trust—the question is, who? Because turning to the wrong person could be the last mistake she ever makes...
At first, Bridget Corrigan's work with her twin brother's senatorial campaign is an exciting distraction from the trauma of her messy divorce. But everything changes when Bridget is reminded of the secret she and Brad have been keeping since high school, a secret that could destroy the campaign—and their lives. Someone else knows what they did. Someone who's been picking off the members of their little group one by one...
Will Be Painted
His job keeps him busy, but he loves every moment of it. Following them, photographing them, and immortalizing them on canvas. He knows exactly how they'll look when the last breath is drawn, because he has planned out their deaths with perfect precision. And the best is yet to come: Bridget Corrigan. He has very special plans for her portrait—she just doesn't know it yet...
In Cold Blood
With every "accident" that befalls the members of her old clique, Bridget feels danger edging closer to home. Yet uncovering the truth about the killer would mean revealing what really happened that horrible night years ago. She'll have to find someone to trust—the question is, who? Because turning to the wrong person could be the last mistake she ever makes...
416 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2005
89 people are currently reading
1059 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
June 12, 2016
I’ve read a number of Kevin O’Brien’s books but this is my favorite to date. Gripping and suspenseful, combining mysteries from the past and present, this book had me eagerly swiping pages on my Kindle well into the night. I liked the fact that it wasn’t just the present storyline that created a mystery, but also tragedies from the past. I have a particular fondness for books in which the lead characters are haunted by old secrets. In the case of The Last Victim, the author did a superb job of tantalizing the reader with hints of skeletons lurking in the closet.
So many plot points had me guessing. Several times I was certain I knew where the outcome was headed—only to be proved wrong later. I can always count on a riveting tale from Kevin O’Brien, but this one was impossible to put down. Riveting story-telling with an ending I never saw coming. Superb!
So many plot points had me guessing. Several times I was certain I knew where the outcome was headed—only to be proved wrong later. I can always count on a riveting tale from Kevin O’Brien, but this one was impossible to put down. Riveting story-telling with an ending I never saw coming. Superb!
June 22, 2014
RATING: 2.75
It's an exciting time for Bradley Corrigan. He's running for the senate, and the campaign is going well. He's assisted by his twin sister, Bridget, who has recently been divorced. The campaign work is a welcome distraction for her as she raises two sons on her own. Brad is always there for her and her family, the picture-perfect brother and uncle. Underneath the rosy exterior, however, is a dark secret that is shared by Brad and Bridget and four of their former high-school friends. Something happened twenty years earlier that, if revealed, would mean an end to Brad's aspirations and Bridget's burgeoning independence.
And that secret is about to be revealed. Someone is killing the people who shared their guilty knowledge. In addition to struggling with what they did, Bridget is beginning to feel that they need to come clean before anyone else dies. Brad is too focused on his professional aspirations and unwilling to jeopardize his future by speaking up.
Partnering with a former high school friend who has turned from a geek into a hunk, Bridget investigates the circumstances of the murders that have been occurring. Unbeknownst to her, the killer is following them around, photographing her and her children and planning to immortalize them in his own unique way. He is an artist, of sorts, who makes elaborate plans for the manner of death and then recreates the tableau on canvas.
Unfortunately, I cannot recommend THE FINAL VICTIM. Although I really liked the lead character and the book flowed well, it was ultimately unsatisfying. Full of clichés, melodrama and some glaringly horrible characters, it became unbelievable and predictable. It felt like a fueled-up romance novel, the strong independent woman with the ever-loyal and understanding handsome man by her side. What was particularly disappointing was that there was no in-depth portrayal of the artist, his motivations and psychology. In fact, he was a very secondary character and pretty much overlooked except for the gimmick of the painting of the death scene. The revelation of the secret and its resolution was the final straw that killed any enjoyment I had in reading the book.
It's an exciting time for Bradley Corrigan. He's running for the senate, and the campaign is going well. He's assisted by his twin sister, Bridget, who has recently been divorced. The campaign work is a welcome distraction for her as she raises two sons on her own. Brad is always there for her and her family, the picture-perfect brother and uncle. Underneath the rosy exterior, however, is a dark secret that is shared by Brad and Bridget and four of their former high-school friends. Something happened twenty years earlier that, if revealed, would mean an end to Brad's aspirations and Bridget's burgeoning independence.
And that secret is about to be revealed. Someone is killing the people who shared their guilty knowledge. In addition to struggling with what they did, Bridget is beginning to feel that they need to come clean before anyone else dies. Brad is too focused on his professional aspirations and unwilling to jeopardize his future by speaking up.
Partnering with a former high school friend who has turned from a geek into a hunk, Bridget investigates the circumstances of the murders that have been occurring. Unbeknownst to her, the killer is following them around, photographing her and her children and planning to immortalize them in his own unique way. He is an artist, of sorts, who makes elaborate plans for the manner of death and then recreates the tableau on canvas.
Unfortunately, I cannot recommend THE FINAL VICTIM. Although I really liked the lead character and the book flowed well, it was ultimately unsatisfying. Full of clichés, melodrama and some glaringly horrible characters, it became unbelievable and predictable. It felt like a fueled-up romance novel, the strong independent woman with the ever-loyal and understanding handsome man by her side. What was particularly disappointing was that there was no in-depth portrayal of the artist, his motivations and psychology. In fact, he was a very secondary character and pretty much overlooked except for the gimmick of the painting of the death scene. The revelation of the secret and its resolution was the final straw that killed any enjoyment I had in reading the book.
April 29, 2025
4.5 🌟's! I enjoyed this book so much! There's nothing like a great mystery to get the brain waves waving! It keeps me on my toes and desiring each step of the story when the mystery is based on past and present. This is a solid, memorable read for me. Recommended!
June 28, 2011
I have mixed feelings about this new Kevin O'Brien novel. I read all his work, so I think I'm a good and fair judge. As always, his writing is technically very well done and it flows nicely, but the story this time was lacking in many departments. Much of the dialogue felt melodramatic and at times -- gulp! -- it seemed like a tv-movie-of-the-week. The dialogue for Janice's character seemed way over the top, as did the Senatorial candidate Jim Foley.
I've read way too many stories about the cliched plot where a childhood secret comes back to haunt the protagonist. I didn't feel the killer in this was very credible, intelligent, or scary at all. He was just a crazy painter with a strange obsession that's never explained. In conclusion, I just didn't feel that Kevin was very inspired in writing this book. It felt like a paycheck. I want the dark, edgy author that gave us "Make Them Cry" back. That book dripped with evil and was a much better read.
I've read way too many stories about the cliched plot where a childhood secret comes back to haunt the protagonist. I didn't feel the killer in this was very credible, intelligent, or scary at all. He was just a crazy painter with a strange obsession that's never explained. In conclusion, I just didn't feel that Kevin was very inspired in writing this book. It felt like a paycheck. I want the dark, edgy author that gave us "Make Them Cry" back. That book dripped with evil and was a much better read.
June 20, 2017
I read this book in a day. The pace was fast and a lot was going on- but not too much to take away from the main plot. While not a deep story, there were several variances and possibilities to the plot which were mostly explored well. I would have perhaps liked Cheryl to be used as a red herring, but it worked all the same.
Bridget was a boring narrator, but such is often the case. And her kids watch too much TV. The senate campaign added some dynamic to this typical "I Know What You Did Last Summer" plot. Made it a lot more fun but it could have been used better to provide other suspects.
Very predictable ending. The last 20% of the book really ruined it, particularly the bit involving Janice, Brad Sr, and Zach with the ape man. I wanted it to just be done with then. It was a mostly enjoyable easy read though. Just roll your eyes through the ending and don't expect a great reveal.
I was hoping not all the murders would be solved by the end of the book so there could be a series theming the towns and Devil's Gulch, but no such luck.
Bridget was a boring narrator, but such is often the case. And her kids watch too much TV. The senate campaign added some dynamic to this typical "I Know What You Did Last Summer" plot. Made it a lot more fun but it could have been used better to provide other suspects.
Very predictable ending. The last 20% of the book really ruined it, particularly the bit involving Janice, Brad Sr, and Zach with the ape man. I wanted it to just be done with then. It was a mostly enjoyable easy read though. Just roll your eyes through the ending and don't expect a great reveal.
I was hoping not all the murders would be solved by the end of the book so there could be a series theming the towns and Devil's Gulch, but no such luck.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2025
Another amazing book by Kevin O'Brien. I have been on a journey of his books and thus far I have not been disappointed.
I loved the slow burn of this book in the beginning. You're questioning who are these people, and why are they being murdered. As the story unfolded, the pieces started coming together one by one.
The other thing that I absolutely loved was that I was questioning up until almost the very end who was behind these schemes and killings. Someone was orchestrating it all, and I was on the edge of my seat wanting to find out who. At one point or another in the book, it seemed like it could have been several people. In one chapter I was convinced I knew who, but then the next chapter started, and I would start guessing all over again.
The vivid descriptions of the murder scenes and the thought process of the murderers was a great touch.
I highly recommend "The Last Victim"
I loved the slow burn of this book in the beginning. You're questioning who are these people, and why are they being murdered. As the story unfolded, the pieces started coming together one by one.
The other thing that I absolutely loved was that I was questioning up until almost the very end who was behind these schemes and killings. Someone was orchestrating it all, and I was on the edge of my seat wanting to find out who. At one point or another in the book, it seemed like it could have been several people. In one chapter I was convinced I knew who, but then the next chapter started, and I would start guessing all over again.
The vivid descriptions of the murder scenes and the thought process of the murderers was a great touch.
I highly recommend "The Last Victim"
January 9, 2018
I had struggled to go throw this novel as it was very boring... The writer kept describing a lot of trivial things that actually won't matter in the story and won't affect the target he wants to shed light on or even won't help you in imagining the scene ... Sometimes you will find your self reading a whole chapter without getting any thing useful out of it ... and when events stars to get more interesting and you think that things is going to take a new turn, you will find that some how the Writer succeed in getting your hopes down and make things boring again.
Encourage who to read it?
-If you are looking for a thrilling Novel that is full of events then this novel is not for you, If you are more of a drama loving person and can stand reading a very very descriptive novel that's full of family tragedies then its definitely for you.
Encourage who to read it?
-If you are looking for a thrilling Novel that is full of events then this novel is not for you, If you are more of a drama loving person and can stand reading a very very descriptive novel that's full of family tragedies then its definitely for you.
October 30, 2018
This started out strong, as do all of the KOB books that I've read so far. I enjoyed this book despite it having political talk & politics being the backdrop. I had some of the plot points figured out early on, but I still wanted to finish to see how it all turned out. There are a lot of characters and it was pertinent to pay attention b/c if not, I'd not know who they were talking about. The book skips back b/w past and present & b/w scenes rather quickly. I don't know if that's b/c I was listening to the audio version or if it's like that in the book too. Anyway, I would recommend this book. It was great and on-the-edge-of-your-seat up until the very end! If you haven't read any of KOB's books, I wouldn't suggest starting with this one. You may be turned off. But definitely check it out at some point! You won't be disappointed!
November 29, 2017
Have a huge problem with chapter 24......there is some information in this chapter that does not quite flow. I do not want to give away details to others about the characters at this point in the book. I am a bit miffed as to how an author, editors, and a publishing company could miss this? Maybe there is something I missed even though I went back through the chapter to review, and was just as disappointed. But seriously.....it was kind of a very important detail that got overlooked by the bad guy.
July 31, 2018
Me gustó mucho este libro. Una muy buena novela policiaca con tintes paranormales, me mantuvo atrapada desde el principio hasta las últimas letras. Emocionante, lleno de intrigas, buenos personajes. Que no me gustó: El don de Charlie. Me pareció un poco insulso, inútil. No sé, ella no tiene ningún control, no los puede obligar a ayudarla. Espero que pueda desarrolla más su don, expandirlo, convertirlo en una herramienta ventajosa para ella.
February 11, 2025
Unsatisfyingly predictable, I absolutely love Kevin O’Brien’s books, but this one didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I did appreciate the antagonist’s unsettling hobby of painting his victims' last moments, but the story focused almost entirely on the characters’ activities surrounding the murders rather than the murders themselves. As a result, it felt like it dragged on a bit too much for my taste.
July 15, 2018
Awesome story about a family in politics and the skeletons they have buried in the closet. A little predictable in spots, but it also takes a few turns that you don't see coming. If you like thriller stories and you are looking for something a little different, Kevin O'Brien might just be what you are after. Definitely give this one a look.
September 18, 2024
I've recently hopped onto the Kevin O'Brien train and have read a lot of his books recently. This is the first book by him that hasn't been a 5 star. It was still a great book, but I found some of the book highly predictable, but then again, maybe it's because I've been so invested in his work and writing style. Still, this book would be recommended by me.
June 27, 2017
Perfect reading for a long plane trip, or for the beach, and I don't mean that condescendingly. Mr. O'Brien knows how to keep the suspense amped up, and how to create constant twists and turns. I'll be reading more!
December 30, 2018
I always love Kevin O'Brien books. This was no exception. It started out trite, kids do a bad thing as teens, comes back to haunt them. But it is do much more than that either layers upon layers of mystery and deceit. A very well written book until the very last page
May 9, 2020
First time I read this author and found the book to be well plotted with some interesting twists and turns. The villains were truly frightening and Bridget, the main character, is complex and interesting. Some very scary situations.
November 6, 2022
Suspenseful and full of twists, but mostly predictable. Picked it up a "buck-a-bag" sale so nothing lost. Had all the suspense cliches including some too-stupid -to-live moments for the main characters.
January 6, 2024
3.75 Wow! Story was great, with several unpredictable twists. However, it was a tad overlong. The other book I read by the same author was too long as well. But I like the books well enough to continue reading the author’s other works.
April 21, 2024
Kevin o'Brien is definitely one of my all time favorite authors. It's been a few years since I have read one of his books. I decided to take a break from reading series. I could NOT put this down. I was guessing about everything the whole time.
August 31, 2024
finished 31st august 2024 good read three stars i liked it kindle library loaner first from o'brien. entertaining story with scenes from twenty years in the past and today's present. there's more than one devil past and present and all indications are they aren't going anywhere soon.
March 21, 2025
This is an older book, picked because I was out of credits and it was free. It felt really long, and there was a whole lot (almost too much) going on, with some really messed up character, but overall it was well-written and interesting.
February 20, 2018
If you have any interest in true crime/serial killers, this is a must read!!
March 30, 2018
My blood pressure went up on this one! Each page brought another twist right up until the end!
April 9, 2018
great story awesome!!
Loved every second couldn't put it down.
Loved every second couldn't put it down.
July 7, 2018
One of my fav books so far!!! Could't put it down!
August 18, 2019
slow start but it gradually built up and i couldn't put the book down!
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July 7, 2022Awesome book! Kept me guessing!
October 17, 2022
again - the surprise is always so good at the end
December 15, 2022
Kept me guessing till the very end. LOVED the twists!!
December 4, 2023
I love all of the Kevin O’Brien books I’ve read so far, and this one did not disappoint!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews