Full disclosure – I was provided an advanced reader’s copy of this book by the author or their representative but have voluntarily provided a review. All opinions are my own.
Last Seen Alive is scheduled for an October 6, 2022 release date
Too close to home
Detective Amanda Steele is back in yet another gripping case by best selling author Carolyn Arnold. At the urging of her best friend Becky, Amanda finds herself on an unwilling night on the town. When she reconnects with one-time fling Logan Hunter at the Tipsy Moose, Amanda knows this is not a good idea. Still, she accompanies him back to his house for a little alone time. As the sparks and clothing begin to fly, Amanda makes the discovery of a scantily clad, very dead woman in Logan’s bed. After the initial shock wears off, Amanda learns that the deceased is Hunter’s estranged wife Claire. But if the pair have been separated for almost five years, why is she in his house? The optics are not good from any angle and with the evidence piling up, the focus is primarily on Claire’s past and her final steps leading to her demise and discovery. As detectives Steele and Stenson start to investigate, the trail winds into the territory of a string of high-end art heists and a cold case that tracks too closely back to their vic. Amanda is getting close to cracking the case but when her beloved adopted daughter is targeted the detective knows that she needs to watch her step. One wrong move or missed lead could be detrimental not only to the case, but to Steele on the most personal of levels.
Last Seen Alive is the sixth in the Detective Amanda Steele series of novels by Carolyn Arnold. Coming off the heels of “Her Frozen Cry” where the lines between Detective Steele’s past and present began to intersect, this case sees the lines between personal and professional threaten to blur to nonexistence. Starting with the discovery of a murder victim in the home a past fling and current love interest Amanda immediately draws the suspicion of her superior who rightly questions if Amanda can stay objective when she has such a close relationship to the prime suspect. Never one to back down from a challenge, however, Detective Steele and her partner doggedly pursue all leads under the stifling supervision of Sergeant Graves. But tracking a woman who was practically a ghost for the past four years proves challenging and ends up in lots of long nights and hastily arranged sitting arrangements for her young adoptive daughter Zoe. Add in the fact that Amanda is starting to have stronger feelings for Trent than just a work partner and there really is a lot going on in this book. Even so, Arnold manages to deliver yet again with a fast paced, intriguing thriller that will have you guessing until the very end. If you are already a fan of Carolyn Arnold and her work, Last Seen Alive will not disappoint
Jennly Reads 