Kill You Last

Thrillogy #3

by Todd Strasser

Nominated for 2012 Edgar Allen Poe Award by the Mystery Writers of America

"They always agreed to meet me. Of course, I told them I was bringing them money. I said it was cash and I didn't want to send it through the mail.  They might have hesitated at first about meeting me, but I never had to work very hard to convince them.  Why?. . . It was the only way they could prolong their pathetic dreams of someday becoming rich, famous models."

Shelby's life in Soundview has always been comfortable. Her dad provides a luxurious lifestyle for his family through his photography business. He makes a ton of money taking headshots of pretty young teens who are desperate to become models. Shelby
has always enjoyed driving around town in a red sports car, shopping with her best friend at her side. And her Mom is laidback,so it's all good.

However, as reports of girls disappearing from nearby towns start to appear on the news, Shelby's seemingly perfect life begins to fall apart. The three missing girls have one thing in common--they were all clients of her dad's photography business. Secrets
begin to surface as the investigation continues. Shelby receives threatening e-mails, battles the nosy media, and tries to keep her family together. Now that her dad is implicated in the disappearances, can Shelby figure out a way to clear his name? Or is dad not as innocent as he seems?

PRAISE FOR BLOOD ON MY "[A] rare teen thriller with an actual mystery, this is as quickly paced as it is heart-wrenching."
- Booklist "Author recognition, teen love of mystery, and a stellar cover will...make this a well-circulating title." - School Library Journal
PRAISE FOR WISH YOU WERE "Hits all the right notes of a teen thriller[...] his gripping plot will keep readers turning
pages late into the night" - School Library Journal "Carefully plotted; this suspenseful novel blends the traditional with new tech details to
successful end [...] will keep readers guessing right up to the satisfying conclusion." -
Kirkus Reviews

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Thriller, Fiction, Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Family

240 pages, Hardcover

First published November 8, 2011

About the author

Todd Strasser is an American author of more than 130 novels for adults, young-adults, and middle graders.

His most recent novel is Summer of '69

Booklist review: "Drugs, sex, and rock 'n' roll, those hallmarks of the summer of 1969, are all here, but there's so much more. In this loosely autobiographical novel, Strasser introduces 18-year-old Lucas, who is bright and sensitive but also a screw up…. The picture painted of the Woodstock music festival shows the dark side of peace and love, and the prevalence of drugs is on almost every page…The best part of the book, however, is the one that transcends eras: Lucas' introspection as he contemplates his place in the world."

Kirkus review: "Strasser perfectly captures the golden haze of youth and life on the cusp of adulthood. Readers fascinated with this time period will find much to enjoy... Vietnam, Woodstock, road trips, and acid trips: a sweetly bittersweet, surprising, even melancholy bildungsroman set against a world in flux. Groovy, man."

His most recent young adult novel is Price of Duty:
2018 New York Public Library Best Book for Teens
“Compact and suspenseful, the novel raises important questions about war.” – Kirkus 
“This thought-provoking book is both welcome and imperative.” – Booklist * (starred review).
"Rather than attempting to sway the reader, it offers awareness." - VOYA 
“Tightly wound and compelling ... appropriate for an older middle school and high school audience. VERDICT: Highly recommended.” – School Library Journal 

Bio: Todd was born in New York City. When he was young his parents moved to Roslyn Heights, New York (Long Island). Todd went to the I.U. Willets Elementary school and then attended the Wheatley School for junior high and high school. His best subjects were math and science. He also liked to read, but he had trouble with spelling and grammar, and didn't do well in English. His favorite sports were tennis, skiing and fishing. Todd went to college at New York University for a few years, and then dropped out. He lived on a commune, then lived in Europe where he was a street musician.

All the while, Todd wrote songs and poems and lots of letters to his friends back home. Finally he decided to try being a writer. He returned to the United States and went to Beloit College where he studied literature and writing.

After college, Todd worked at the Middletown Times Herald-Record newspaper in Middletown, New York, and later at Compton Advertising in New York City. In 1978, Todd sold his first novel, Angel Dust Blues. He used the money to start the Dr. Wing Tip Shoo fortune cookie company. For the next 12 years, Todd sold more fortune cookies than books.

Todd now divides his time between writing books and speaking at schools and conferences. When he's at home, he likes to spend time with his children and dog, Cooper. He still likes to play tennis and ski, but his favorite new sport is surfing.

Reviews

[Veronica Morfi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5/5

What a wild ride. I need more of these books. Why aren't there more?

Kill You Last is the story of Shelby and how her family, and more specifically her father, ends up the murder suspect of young aspiring models. Pretty young teens are going missing in her town and Shelby's father is their only connection. Now that he is a murder suspect more terrifying secrets are finding their way to the surface about him. Shelby needs to figure out who the true killer is in order to clear her father's name even if it means breaking apart her whole family in the process.

Another insanely good story by Todd Strasser. I really enjoyed how he weaved the web of this one with closely kept family secrets. Shelby was always chasing after a lead (usually a red herring). I loved how even though she learned all those horrible things about her father she never stopped wanted to learn who the true killer was, even if it was someone she loved.

All of Todd Strasser's stories were great so far. They have an Agatha Christie vibe to them that I really appreciate. I am just sad there aren't more books to his Thrillogy.

[s · Rating 3 out of 5]

As reports of girls disappearing from nearby towns start to appear on the news, Shelby's seemingly perfect life begins to fall apart. The three missing girls have one thing in common--they were all clients of her dad's photography business. Secrets begin to surface as the investigation continues. Shelby receives threatening e-mails, battles the nosy media, and tries to keep her family together. Now that her dad is implicated in the disappearances, can Shelby figure out a way to clear his name? Or is dad not as innocent as he seems?

*I have not read the previous two books in the trilogy. Each of the books in the series can can be read as stand alones*.

The mystery was really good. The author really has you turning pages and guessing whodunnit and when we do find out whodunnit it makes the reader feel like the answer should have been really obvious.

I liked the idea of the creepy father. He was just downright nasty, creepy and disgusting. I liked the idea of how Shelby wanted to prove his innocence of murder, and learning about the not-so innocent other things he's done and how she starts to disgust her father.

***Creep Alert***

"Like once he'd ask me what Courtney's bra size was. And then there was the time he wanted to know what my friends and I talked about when we took showers after gym, and other times when he made sexist jokes that I found seriously distasteful."

What the actual fuck though?

"'Before the Ferrari, we had a Porsche. That's what I learned on. Dad taught me to drive in a parking lot when I was fourteen. He thinks it's sexy when a woman can drive a stick.' But now I wondered, had it been appropriate for Dad to say to me, his daughter, that driving a stick was sexy?"

What is wrong with her dad?

"Dad hadn't moved. He was still staring at the table. 'They said... they were all over eighteen.'"

God, he was sleeping around with young girls, while he had a wife and a daughter.

"I shivered. It was disgusting. There was no other way to describe it. A man in his position of power and influence over young, naïve, starstruck girls."

Her dad is truly a disgusting person, but he wasn't the only one with dirty secrets. Shelby's friends, and family all had dirty secrets. You really couldn't trust anyone.

The author did a great job with the pace of the book, plot, and characters. Throughout the book, I didn't know which characters to trust and I really was wondering about whats going on. I really wasn't dissapointed.

There definitely was character development. I noticed how Shelby had to become braver and deal with all these conflicts. and figuring out the murderers identity. I liked every twist and turns in this book, though I still have questions.

How did Shelby figure out the murderer was going to kill Ashley?

What kind of sickness did Shelby's mother have?

Why would her father sleep around like that? With younger girls?

Overall, this was a great thriller with many twists and turns. The pacing and plot was great and I really had no idea of who could've dunnit.

The ending was really crazy. .-.

[✨CAROLINE’S LIBRARY✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

100% recommend this book, it kept me guessing till the very end and was exciting the whole way through! Read it in one sitting! Cant wait try other books from this author

[Amy Huntley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a great pace for my more reluctant readers. It's got lots of possibilities for what might be going on and who might be responsible. It's easy to believe that under the emotional distress the character is facing she'd have trouble trusting anyone. A definite top shelf "to hand students" selection for kids who are impatient readers and like to focus on plot.

[Randa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cover:

I love it and it totally fits the subject of this book. Period.

The storyline:

How do I even start this?!

After finishing Blood on My Hands, I immediately started reading this one. I knew I’d love it because I became familiar with the writing style and because I was anticipating the thriller in it :).

The writing style was somehow different which got this book another star (or flower in my case.). The pacing of the story was just right. There were some times when I’d be like “Seriously, now?” but I’d forget about that the instance I read the next sentence, so it wasn’t a big deal for me.

In this book, we meet Shelby, a nice and wealthy girl who lives in Soundview and goes to the Soundview High School. Her father is a well known photographer and a modeling agency director and a father that other girls would dream of. Her mom is a housekeeper who’s been keeping to herself since Shelby’s little brother of 4 months died of Pneumonia.

Then, three girls go missing, and while all the three girls are from different cities other then Soundview, the only thing in common between them is the fact that all three of them were photographed by Shelby’s father.

Shelby finds herself in a mess and later in shock while trying to prove her father innocent and at the same time deal with the revealed truths about her family.

At the end, she does reach her goal of revealing the real murderer but it came with a price she had to pay.

What I loved:

The story was heartbreaking and breathtaking. It had suspense, a lot of twists and a horrifying aspect.
Shelby, the main protagonist, was a very believable character. She was thinking exactly like a real teenager put in her situation.
The chapters of course. There are 45 which are not long at all, and in each chapter you start, you find a new twist that you can’t but finish it and so on until you find yourself at the end of the book!
There’s Spanish in here! I love it when I find other languages in books, they make it more interesting ^_^.
What I disliked:

Nothing!
The characters:

Shelby is my favorite in the three books by far. She was normal and brave at the same time, and when you read the ending you’ll find that she’s especially brave and very responsible.

Mr. Sloan, who’s Shelby’s father, needs more than one therapist, seriously. But, to be fair, I admired him being honest to her, even if it was at the end, and how he loved her.

Mrs. Sloan needs a therapist too. I figured that at the beginning of the book, but the reason she needed the different for turned out to be totally different from what I had in mind for her.

Roman is Shelby’s best friend and let me tell you something, I wish I had a friend like her!

Whit is a journalist who gradually becomes Shelby’s friend as they discover the truths behind the disappearances together.

Other characters worth mentioning are: Gabriel, the good looking guy who works for her dad, he has plenty of secrets ;). Janet is another worker in her father’s modeling agency, she has secrets too. Mercedes is a worker too, but she’s too nice and kind. Oh, and Chief of police Jenkins is here too! :D (If you don’t now who he is, then read Blood on My Hands first :)).

Conclusion:

This was a great book. The best out of the three ones in the thrill-ogy. This one deserves 5 flowers.

Would I recommend the thrill-ogy?

If you like thrill, mystery, suspense and twists brought to you in a unique style each time then, definitely, you won’t regret reading it at all.

[Jack Shanks · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my first time reading a book by Todd Strasser, and I completed this as a read along with one of my good friends. I wasn't really the biggest fan of this book. While it is part of Strasser's "Thrillogy", it does not relate to the first two novels.

I'm not overly fond of Strasser's writing style - if I don't enjoy the way the book is written, then it makes for very difficult reading as I become uninterested and bored of the words before me. I was fairly disconnected from his style from the very first chapters, and it made me hesitant to continue reading the novel - but I persevered and continued nonetheless.

There was nothing wrong with the plot, it was fine. A decent enough concept, interesting enough to convince me to continue reading irrespective of the lack of appreciation for Strasser's writing style alongside the hope that the book would pick up and become more enjoyable.
However, I do feel that there were too many potential suspects put forward. Each character within the book became a possible subject and had some form of involvement in a greater issue within the novel - I feel that this made the story unrealistic and it felt like the author was trying too hard to keep people interested or add length to his story.

I would recommend this book perhaps only if you were looking for some kind of mild thriller novel, and if you were looking for something that is extremely easy reading in terms of the words used and the structure of the sentences.
However, if you are looking for detailed, well thought out characters... I would suggest looking in the direction of a different book as these characters do not reveal much about themselves and are not particularly interesting in any way.

While I completed this book, I'm afraid I won't be in a hurry to read any more of Todd Strasser's books unfortunately.

[Laura Salas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shelby's photographer dad falls under suspicion when two girls who had head shots done at his photography studio go missing. Shelby must deal with a scummy dad, a distant mom, and threatening emails that tell Shelby the sender likes her, so if the sender has to kill her, Shelby will be last. She doesn't know who to trust--journalism student Whit, her best friend Roman, her dad's hot assistant Gabriel. The plot is fine--lots of red herrings and a few clues along the way, but the characters didn't pull me in all that strongly. I liked Shelby and wanted her to catch the killer, but I wasn't really all that invested. I like plot-driven novels more than charcter-driven ones, and this is the rare case where I say, It would have been so much better with more in-depth characterization. Still a good light mystery read, though.

[Melissapalmer404 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book #75 Read in 2012
Kill You Last by Todd Strasser

This is a great YA mystery. Shelby's father is a photographer. Three girls who he did business with have been reported as missing and Shelby's father is a person of interest. Shelby begins her own investigation to try to clear her father's name. She gets some help from her best friend Roman and a reporter, Whit, whom she is beginning to trust. Will Shelby find out who the killer is?

This book had good twists and turns. It was a very quick read and kept my interest throughout. Shelby is a good main characters--she has brains and guts. There was also some humor and romance in the book but the action and the mystery were the main plot points. I recommend it.

http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com

[Mrs. Palmer · Rating 2 out of 5]

The last in Strasser's "Thrillogy". It was more of the same-mysterious killings, a twist at the end, lots of red herrings and cliffhanger chapters. I am sure it will appeal to students who want a quick, exciting read, but I just don't like the way Strasser writes female characters. The entire 3 book set in the "Thrillogy", (also includes Wish You Were Dead and Blood on My Hands) heavily features girls as main characters and they all seem rather flat. The only character that was mildly interesting to me was Whit-a young man. Strasser should stick to writing books with male characters. He's much better at it.

[mer · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 21%. Oct. 18, 2014.

I've been in on-and-off relationship with this book for a while and I decided to put this book down for good I just can't seem to go on. One minute it's about the mystery and then it abruptly changed into the ridiculous thoughts of the girl's having a huge crush on a guy. That move is inconsistent and the romance, to be honest, without it in the book, it would be utterly great.

Read on your own peril.

[Library Lady 📚 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow. Painful. Just painful. Can't believe this is the same author who wrote Give a Boy a Gun. It was labeled as "middle grade" on the back, but I had to stop listening with my son when it started getting really weird...a lot of statutory rape stuff, psychotic parents, and people threatening each other with knives...all the men in this book creeped me out. I would not recommend this book to children. Do not think I'll be reading any more from this author.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

A finalist in the Edgar awards, this book got me out of the dystopian doldrums and into a fast moving, engrossing mystery, with lots of red herrings and a surprise finish. Also some themes of who do you trust, friendship and fathers were things to think about.

[Gilanni Khongsavanh · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Kill You last" by Todd Strasser was very interesting. It had you thinking "Whats gonna happen next?" I'd recommend it to a friend.
Tip: You have to remember what you are read in the previous pages because it refers back to some hints in the book about The Killer.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as book one, but way better than book two. I didn't see the ending coming, although if I would have stopped and thought about it some more, I probably should have as it made a lot sense. Creepy story, with some really suspenseful moments.

[Amelia Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a thrilling story with an amazing plot but I think Todd Strasser did go a little off the original storyline which made it hard to follow. Overall though, it was a good book.

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an easy quick read. I don't actually have much to say about it, but I really liked it and the end really threw me off

[John Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kill You Last, another Edgar Award nominee, has an unusual plot element, at least one I don't recall seeing before. Shelby's parents have a strained marriage and she's not certain exactly why. Her mother is remote and seldom talks to her in any meaningful way. Shelby knows some of what affects her mom stems from the trauma experienced when mom took her infant brother out in winter weather and he got sick and died, but she's sure something else is going on. Her dad, a professional photographer, is funny and supportive, having been the parent she could count on as she grew up, but there's something odd about the way he looks at her teen girl friends and how he interacts with them.
When three girls from different cities disappear, the only immediate connection is the fact that they all had modeling head shots done by Shelby's dad. When suspicion turns to her father, Shelby decides she needs to investigate because everyone at school is looking at her strangely and her personal life is beginning to unravel. In the process, she starts discovering that almost everyone, dad, mom, Gabriel the hunky model who works with her dad, the high-strung office manager at her dad's office and the mysterious text messenger who sends her mean and innuendo-filled messages after every new news break are not who/what they seem. Her only allies are her best friend, Roman and a college student working for a local college newspaper and Shelby has trouble trusting either of them as things unfold.
This is a very well written tale, one I think both male and female young adults will enjoy. The plot element surrounding Shelby's father and his unnatural attraction for teen girls will resonate with some YA's. Once more, I can see why this was nominated for an Edgar.

[Chopette · Rating 4 out of 5]

"It's young love. It's passionate, impatient and impetuous."

Kill You Last is the final book in Todd Strasser's Thrillogy series. This has been quite a good trilogy that I have slowly read over the last two years. I love putting on my detective cap and reading a good mystery and Todd Strasser is yet to disappoint. This book was quite short and constantly had me guessing and changing my mind about who the killer was. I did figure it out just before it happened but at the same time I didn't want to believe it and hoped that I was wrong. While I was reading this I tried to put myself in Shelby's shoes and my god what a horrible thought to have your dad not only a creepy, creep but also the prime suspect in an ongoing investigation plus everything that follows after that. Shelby was definitely a strong character.

Shelby is sitting in the library one day with her friend Roman when she receives a bizarre email saying that she doesn't know what her father has really been up to. Shelby thinks it is a practical joke and leaves it at that. Later, the same day she stops by at her dad's modelling agency to discover the police leaving. Two women have disappeared and both of them had, had photo's taken at the agency. Shelby's best friend Roman is a real crime buff and when they find out the next day that now three women have gone missing Roman is very, very interested. Unfortunately so is everyone at Shelby's school plus the media. With the three missing girls and her dad all over the news other stories are coming up in the media, stories of a scam and also of him taking advantage of young girls. It get's to the point where Shelby doesn't know what to believe and just who she can trust.

Check out my blog: http://www.chopettescorner.blogspot.c...

[Allie Reisman]

Kill you last by Todd Strasser is a mystery novel about a young girl named Shelby. Shelby is in a tough situation, since her dad is being framed for the disappearance of three young teenage girls. Shelby is your average school girl who goes to parties, and gets into a little trouble. Her dad owns a photography business, and they are the average family. Shelby is a very interesting character, when she wants she can be very determined but then other times she is ready to give up right then and there. When the three girls go missing in the town there is a lot of evidence pointing to her dad since he took photos, being a professional photographer, of all three girls before they disappeared. The whole town and even Shelby at one point believes that her dad is the one responsible. The story takes place in a small suburban town. Shelby struggles to determine if her dad is actually part of the reason why the girls disappeared. I can not relate to this because I have never been in a position where I do not trust my own father. This is a very hard time for Shelby because everything that she has come to learn and know is now changing. Strasser has a very interesting way of writing, and throws any twists and turns your way that will constantly make you second guess yourself on who really is to blame for the kidnappings. I was very intrigued throughout the whole novel it forsure a page turner. The whole story had a really good pace, and keep your mind turning. There really was no climax since the whole book was very dramatic. I recommend that this author writes his next stories just like this one, and I have actually read other books by this author and have not been disappointed. All in all I really enjoyed reading this book, and would recommend it to a friend.

[Paula Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever since I was younger, I have always been a Todd Strasser fan and when I discovered the first book in the Thrillogy I just knew I had to read the rest as I was hooked. One of my favourite genres is Mystery novels and what I loved about Todd Strasser's Kill You Last was that he used modern technology , what once would have been anonymous messages sent by Post are now email messages and text messages received on the main character Shelby's Blackberry and her friend Roman , a huge crime fiction and non-fiction buff reads her books and surfs the news on her Ipad. In Kill You Last , Shelby receives text messages and emails threatening to Kill her last because they like her , the next one though is the one that sets the story as it asks her "Do you really know the truth about your father?" . Shelby worried heads to her Dad's model studio and discovers her father being questioned by the police as two girls that signed up at her father's modelling agency have gone missing. Is this just a coincidence or something more sinister ? Soon the investigation escalates and Shelby finds herself bombarded with threatening messages and one's encouraging her to dig deeper about her father. Is her father guilty of having something to do with the three girls who have disappeared or is somebody setting him up ? Shelby eager to find out whose behind the messages and what's really going on puts on her Harriet the Spy Hat along with friends Roman and reporter Whit to discover the truth but if Shelby's not careful- she may be the one winding up dead next.
Fans of Anne Cassidy's books and Sara Shepard's Pretty Little Liars series will love Todd Strasser's Thrillogy.

[Lecea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kill You Last follows Shelby Sloan as she deals with recent abductions and deaths, all of which are somehow connected to her father, who photographs models. Shelby, of course, is brought into this mess because she receives threatening e-mails referring to her and her father.

The book has all the elements of a mystery novel: suspects, secrets, clues, surprises, and even distractions. Though the story itself is intriguing, Shelby's character felt one-dimensional. She blindly defends her father even when she knows that he may be responsible for the case at hand. After all, she has observed that he looks at her friends in unwholesome ways and that he tends to ignore her mother. Furthermore, her voice just seems so monotone throughout the book–she does not seem to react to events as if she were a regular teenage girl. For example, when she searches for information about the missing girls and finds their pictures, she merely says that they do not appear to have model figures. No emotion there.

Still, the journey to nab the person responsible for the deaths of some aspiring models leads Shelby to friendships and betrayals, which were interesting to read. There is much closure at the end for both Shelby’s personal life and the case. The ending (i.e. who’s responsible for the deaths) is surprising yet inevitable.

The plot of Kill You Last is well-done, but the dialogue and characters lack depth. For the most part, I would say that it is an engaging read.

[Taylor Santucci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kill you last was about a girl ,named Shelby, whose dad is a fashion photographer, or so she thinks. One day, when Shelby stops by at her dad's work, like every other day. She finds out that three of her father's clients
have gone missing. Shelby and her friends,Roman and Whitt, start researching the case and eventually found
out that her dad and some of his assistants are scam artists.
Suddenly the missing girls starrt turning up
dead, and her dad is the top suspect. When Shelby finds this out, she starts getting serious and questions her father. Finally her Father admits that he scammed the girls and took advantage of some of them. Shelby finds out that her friend ,Emma, was one of them.
Shelby pieces together the clues and figures out that all of the dead or missing girls went to meet her father at the mall, and all those girls were killed by someone. Shelby figures out that the next victim could be her friend Emma. She rushes to where Emma worked and figures out that she just left to go meet someone in the forest, Shelby runs into the forest with her friend Whitt, hoping not to be too late. Suddenly Whitt gets hit over the head by shelby's mother with a flashlight. After some persuading, Shelby's mom shows her where Emma is, tied up, just as the police arrive.
Shelby's mom is sentenced to jail, her dad is taking therapy, and Selby is staying wither her friend Roman. Shelby ends up teaching special Ed.

[Mei Lin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kill You Last was a book full of suspense. It had many twists to it. When the girls disappeared and everyone thought it was Shelby Sloan's dad, the author made Gabriel sound very suspicious. Gabriel was a guy that was described as a great gambler and someone that has a new girl every week. this caused me to think that it is most likely for Gabriel to be the reason of the missing girls. However, things started to shift when Roman appeared in the front of Shelby's dad's store when Shelby was sneaking in there to look for clues. This made Roman a suspicious suspect; however, I predicted that Gabriel was the main suspect especially after he threatened to kill Shelby for a ransom. I was very surprised to find out I was wrong. I was even more surprised when i found out the actual murderer. Shelby Sloan mom was the one that killed the girls. The most quiet and depress character of the book was actually the murderer. That was totally out of my imagination.
Due to all the unexpected change and twists, i was always found on the edge of my seat. I just had the urge in me to keep flipping the page so i will know who is the real killer. This book had be so interested that I was yelled at by my mom for not going to sleep. I will totally suggest this book to anybody is this ready for some extreme suspense.

[Mateja · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I really enjoyed this book, it got me out of a reading funk I've been stuck in for the lat couple of days. It's a quick and fast-paced read that gives you plenty to think about.

I loved the mystery and the danger in the this book even though it was more subtle than in the previous books. I loved that the story is written from a perspective of the suspect's daughter. It portrayed really well the struggle a loved one faces when his or hers parent is accused of a serious crime. The main character was constantly torn between her feelings and her more logical side that saw the overwhelming evidnce against her family. I especially liked that the main chracters was very careful while getting involved in trying to solve the mystery, she was appropriately cautious in unknown situation and she didn't blindly trust people, even if she did sometimes take a risk, but nothing that would make her seem like just another bimbo in a horror movie. I really liked the character of Whit, I liked him from the start so that litte bit at the end was a real treat to read.

I highly recommed this book if you're a lover of crime stories but want to read something quick and engaging, but also well written and thought-out.

[Ang Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review and more found on my blog

I found this book incredibly boring. Maybe it's because I'm used to reading thrillers like Stephen King or Dean Koontz or something, but I didn't find this book all that entertaining or action-filled. I felt like some of the story was so unbelievable (for example - how did the police even put together that all 3 girls were clients of Shelby's dad's when he apparently had HUNDREDS of clients and they were all from random towns near hers? Seems like a bit of a stretch, if you ask me).

The only reason why this book got 2 stars instead of 1 is because I actually liked Whit. He was kinda funny (I actually kept thinking he was witty, which is fitting since his name was Whit) and the ONLY character in this book that I liked. I hated Shelby, I hated her stupid best friend who's name I can't even remember, and I hated that Gabriel guy. It looks to me like I'm pretty isolated in my thoughts on this book as most people seem to love it, but maybe THIS kind of teen book is too "young" for me and I should stick to my usual YA books.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cross between American Beauty (the movie), Barry Lyga's new series, and any crime drama show on television and you've got the last in Strasser's Thrillogy, again, completely unrelated to the other two but just as riveting. The girl's father is a creepy who does modeling shots, supposedly for famous people and for those getting started in the modeling business, though things don't seem right to Shelby. Then some girls go missing that all had head shots done by her father and while she's suspicious, she's Daddy's girl and doesn't think he did anything. Yet she begins to uncover her father's shady dealings, the fact that he was sleeping with underage girls including ones at her school, and that they were losing money fast. Come to find out, Shelby's mother, bitter, sad, and clearly mentally unstable, was the killer of these girls and more if Shelby hadn't figured it out, because of her husband's trifling ways. There was some crazy stuff going on in this short, thrilling story but absolutely worthwhile and absolutely worth picking up for it's mystery and suspense. A definite whodunnit?

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are thrills aplenty as well as twists, turns, and bumps in the road--even a bump in the night or two--as teen Shelby tries to unravel the mystery behind the disappearance of three girls. It seems odd that all three girls visited her father's photo studio for model shots before disappearing, but Shelby is sure her father can't be involved. And yet...she is bothered by his penchant for looking at her friends in unfatherly-like ways. As she forms a shaky alliance with a university reporter looking for news in the case, she begins to wonder exactly whom it is that she can trust. As more and more bodies pile up, just about everyone in the book comes under suspicion, and Shelby learns more about her family than she ever wanted to learn.

As in the rest of the books in this "thrill-ology" series, the pages fly by quickly, and I couldn't help trying to guess the reasons for the threatening text messages Shelby was receiving. Reading this one was great fun although everything ended up sorted out all too neatly--and for me, predictably--at the book's conclusion.

[Cherese · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Kill You Last. I enjoyed the book because it was fast paced and the ending had enough of a twist that I didn't know who the suspect could have been. There was a plot- three missing teenaged girls who had aspirations of becoming models and a subplot- the heroine in the story, Shelby is receiving threatening text messages after the girls disappear because her father had photographed all three of the girls. I don't want to tell too much because I really enjoyed this book and think that others who enjoy mysteries and are looking for a quick read will appreciate this so, sorry no spoilers...well, maybe one. I wouldn't quite give the book 4 stars because there should have been something about missing and exploited kids in the end of the book so that teens might be aware of scams and other situations that could be dangerous. The three missing girls had been scammed by Shelby's creepy dad because he lost lots of money and was trying to maintain a lifestyle that he could no longer afford. So, he made them promises that they could be models and never found them work.

[Riley King · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided to read this book because the title caught my eye. I knew that it would be about murders and unlocking the truth. Since i love programmes that involve many murderers, i figured that i should give a book a try. A character i found interesting was definitely Gabriel (the hot model who works for Shelby's father)because he seemed really nice at first and then in the end he was actually a shallow and rude guy. He threatened Shelby on their first date and it was a shock because she wasn't expecting that at all from him. My favourite quote from the book is "My father wasn't one of those guys who stared a little too long... He was far, far worse". I chose this quote because it is when Shelby first finds out that her dad had raped 3 women. I could tell that she was heart broken and shocked to find out that her dad wasn't really what she thought he was. Something i learnt from this book is that im blessed with amazing parents and i shouldn't take them for granted because they could be far worse like Shelby's.

[Amy Y. · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book "Kill You Last" is about a teenager named Shelby. Her father was a fashion photographer and was investigated by detectives. Shelby must cope with the detectives, reporters and cameras at her house when she discovers a threatening text-message sent by a mysterious text-er. Determined, Shelby realizes that her father is in a scandal with his clients after the abduction of one of his models. Now, she realizes that her life is at stake and she would do whatever it takes to find out who the kidnapper is and what her father and his clients are up to before it's too late.

The story was okay but heart-grabbing at the same time. I never would have anticipated of someone that close to the protagonist would have been the kidnapper! I think the author really did a good job of hiding and exposing details at the right time when readers never would expect it. Overall, if I would've rate this book on scale of 1-10, I would give it a 6 because of it's conflict, creative plot and originality.