The Last Word by Kathy Herman, Paperback | Barnes & Noble® B&N Top 100 NY Times Bestsellers
Sophie Trace Trilogy Series , #2
Bestselling suspense novelist Kathy Herman has written twenty novelsincluding Not by Sight, the Sophie Trace trilogy, and the Secrets of the Roux River Bayou Seriessince retiring from her family's Christian retail store in Tyler, Texas. She and her late husband, Paul, have three grown children. Kathy now lives in the Pacific Northwest. Learn more at www.kathyherman.com.
The Last Word 4.3 out of 5 based on 0 ratings. 11 reviews.
Love how scripture played a role in the plot. A must-read for non- Christians and Christians. Helps to understand the need for a relationship with God.
This is my first introduction to Kathy Herman, but it won't be my last! She delves deeply into the lives and hearts of her characters, revealing their personal thoughts and deep feelings throughout all the turmoil: Vanessa showing up at home pregnant and unmarried; Brill's disappointment in her daughter's lack of morals; her daughter's indecisive decision-making about her future with or without her baby; her youngest daughter's PTSD from a previous trauma (book one: The Real Enemy); her own marriage to her husband and his issues and concerns, finding the deadbeat father of Vanessa's baby; and the safety of her family, her officers, and herself while the murderer is still at large. Kathy's fast-paced rhythm of suspense throughout the book keeps you gripping the pages of this novel till the end. Her use of personal prayers and Scripture makes the book special to me-faith in action. Many of her characters are well-grounded in Scripture and are living it out. For those who aren't, there is always God's grace. This is the type of Christian fiction that endears books to me. I highly recommend you read this book, but encourage you to start with the first in the series, The Real Enemy. If The Last Word is any indication of her other writings, I'll be reading more! This book was provided free from Audra at The B & B Media Group, Inc., for my review and blog. I enjoy reading, and blog on books I can feel confident in highly suggesting. Thanks to Audra and B & B Media Group.
Thank you to The B & B Media Group, Inc. for my copy of this Christian fiction novel. This is the second installment of the Sophie Trace Trilogy series, and can be read without having read the first as the author nicely fills in all gaps. The character of Brill is one I connected with in the first book. She's the first female police chief in the town's history. Working in a high pressure position, while being wife to Kurt and mother of three gives her depth. The layered story begins when her teenage daughter comes home from college seven months pregnant, shocking her parents. People begin dropping like flies as a murderer takes revenge, threatens that Brill is next. Talk about a stressful life! However, there is too much repetition. This character tells that character about a circumstance, and later, the reader reads yet another conversation about the same topic being discussed between two others. Nonetheless, the book is a worthy read, with a bit of romance and the suspense of tracking a slippery killer. Discussion questions are included.
I've finished reading The Last Word, book two of the Sophie Trace Trilogy by Kathy Herman. I had been excited for this to come out after reading book one The Real Enemy. I was not disappointed! This is another great read, and I found it hard to put down. Sophie Trace Chief of Police Brill Jessup must be on guard at all times because someone she convicted years ago is now out of prison and has threatened Brill. He's already gone after others and Brill is next on his list. Besides this danger, Brill's daughter Vanessa comes home from college seven months pregnant. I thought the author did an excellent job telling this story and making a strong point through the book about the importance of the witnessing as Christians. One thing that I liked about this second book of the series is that the author did not spend pages and pages referring to the first book. She did make mention of events from book one. It wasn't necessary to read book one to enjoy this book though. I've read some books in a series that I feel spend too much time repeating what happened in previous books which is information I don't want to reread. I really liked how Kathy Herman mentioned things from book one but didn't dwell on it in great detail. I enjoyed this book and look forward to number three!
In the Smoky Mountains, in the town of Sophie Trace Police Chief Brill Jessup is despondent that one of her officers Detective Sean O'Toole was stabbed in the PD building's secure area and her former partner Zack Rogers was killed in Memphis. She knows the knife wielding killer is eventually coming for her as he told O'Toole that, but Brill remains hesitant as to what to do. However, her options change when her daughter Vanessa, a college sophomore, comes home pregnant. Vanessa explains to her mom that the father Professor Ty Nicholson wanted her to abort the unborn, but she refused; so the dad walked. Brill is grateful her daughter did not fold under pressure, but also fears for the lives of Vanessa and her unborn grandchild as they make perfect targets forthe killer. As the Mayor, the media and the public criticize the chief, Brill plans to do the right thing for her family and the community. The second Sophie Trace police procedural (see THE REAL ENEMY) is an exciting inspirational thriller that runs on two strong subplots that converge on Brill. The killer is coming for the heroine and others which makes for a tense tale as Brill prepares for the assault while keeping friends, family and the community safe; her dispute with the mayor seems unnecessary as the psychopath is all the tautness needed. The subplot with her daughter and Ty has a neat spin that will stun the audience. THE LAST WORD is that Kathy Herman has written another deep stirring tale. Harriet Klausner