The Last Time She Died by Zoë Sharp: The First Novel in This Series Will Keep your Brain Spinning

The Last Time She Died by Zoë Sharp Series: Blake & Byron Thrillers: Book 1 Kindle Edition, 384 pg. Bookouture, 2021 Read: December 2-6, 2021 Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

What’s The Last Time She Died About?

I’m feeling pretty paranoid about what I’m going to write in this post, I don’t want to give anything away. It’d be really easy to do with this one, so I’ll just borrow this from Sharp’s website:

She came back on the day of her father’s funeral, ten years after she vanished. But she can’t be who she says she is…

When Blake disappeared as a teenager, on a cold dark night, her father never reported her missing. She is presumed dead.

Now, ten years later, a young woman with white-blonde hair sits comfortably in the family living room and smiles at the shocked faces around her.

“Don’t you recognise me?” she says. “I’m Blake.”

Detective John Byron isn’t sure whether she’s telling the truth. But as he investigates, he soon realises no one is happy to see her.

And the people who should be welcoming her back with open arms know she can’t be Blake. Because they killed her the night she vanished…

Didn’t they?

Lily

‘I’m Lily. Does this mean you’re sort of my sister? I’ve always wanted a sister. Well, I really wanted a kitten, but a sister would be nearly as good.’

At the root of everything in this novel are some deep and dark secrets—many of which will be brought out of the shadows–but there are several moments of light throughout. The brightest beam of light comes from Gideon Fitzroy’s twelve-year-old step-daughter, Lily.

She’s adorable—it jumps off of the page. She feels neglected by her mother and uncle, her older brother’s at that stage of adolescence where the last thing he wants to do is spend time with his little sister. So the prospect of having a brand-new, adult, sister? Lily’s awed by her. And then when Blake’s friendly with her, spends time with her? Lily’s devoted.

She doesn’t understand what’s going on—and is largely kept in the dark by her family. But she’s Blake’s biggest fan, no matter what that might mean for her family. There’s a sweetness to her that makes her future and welfare as important to the reader (at least this one) as Blake’s and Byron’s.

Byron +

Byron, considered solely, is an intriguing character—and I have a note or two about wanting to write about his psychology a bit. But I don’t think we have quite enough information yet to do the deep(ish) dive that I want to. Sure, not having that information is part of what makes him intriguing.

Where we really learn about him is from other characters and from his interactions with others. For example, PC Jane Hudson knew him as a trainee, and gained certain impressions of him, and shares them with her superiors, predecessor, and others (including the reader).

But it’s in his interactions with others that you really get to like him. With the pub’s skittish cleaner. He’s great at winning her over and getting her to talk. He’s got this wonderful banter with his superior that speaks to a long association/friendship and liked their conversations enough that I’d pay for a novella featuring them just meeting for tea and chatting. It’s probably there that I decided that I liked him as a person.

But in his conversations and interactions with Blake (and the way they both respond after each encounter) is where he really stands out. The two “get” each other in a way that just makes you want to read more, just to watch their verbal dance (and the choreography of what they don’t say is just as agile). We’re talking Poe and Tilly, Spenser and Hawk, Cormoran and Robin levels of chemistry here. It’s almost like there should be a series based on the pair.

Oh, wait…

So, what did I think about The Last Time She Died?

I’ve been reading Sharp’s Charlie Fox for over a decade, but I hadn’t read anything else by her. I’ve always suspected that was an error in judgment, and this certainly suggests that I’m right.

How many times since Martin Guerre* has the story of someone presumed dead come back and had to prove they weren’t an impostor? How many times have we read about a police detective with emotional and physical scars doing some off the books work because they can’t do anything else? How many stories of small-town secrets being exposed have been written? How many…well, you get the idea. This novel is full of ideas we’ve all seen more times than we can count. But Sharp shuffles them, remixes them, and presents them to the readers in a way that could almost convince you that you’ve never read/seen anything like it before.

* Sure. before that story, too.

How good is Sharp? The series is called Blake & Byron Thrillers—and yet you will wonder on more than one occasion if she’s actually Blake. And you may keep wondering after you finish the book.

So many of the characters really popped and will linger in the back of my mind for quite a while. I’m already impatient about getting answers to how Blake and Bryson will have another adventure together. I wouldn’t mind an update on some of the other characters, either—although it appears that Bryson’s new job will be taking him to a different part of the country.

The Last Time She Died is entertaining, twisty, tense, with just enough wit to keep you grinning. This is going to be a series to watch, readers, get started now.

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