Last One To Die

Detective Nikki Cassidy, #2

by

Dana Perry

The tension mounts as FBI agent Nikki Cassidy searches for a serial killer.

Last One To Die is the second book in author Dana Perry’s Detective Nikki Cassidy series, and once again, FBI Agent Nikki Cassidy finds herself involved in a cat-and-mouse game with a serial killer. The tension starts right away and builds as the killer taunts and teases law enforcement from somewhere nearby but just out of sight. 

The story unfolds from Nikki’s point of view and picks up only months after her successful resolution of her sister’s cold-case murder. She’s still mentally recuperating from some of the awful truths she uncovered and the death of an officer with whom she had developed a romantic relationship. But a desperate mother’s direct appeal for her help in solving her daughter’s 20-year-old murder galvanizes her and her partner, Alex, into action. Nikki is a strong and tenacious protagonist with definite ideas about how the investigation should proceed. Although she is capable and confident she will find and stop the killer; she barely gets started before he strikes again, this time in her hometown of Huntsdale, where her sister had been abducted and murdered. 

The plot splits the investigation between cities and the old and new cases, which have some surprising connections. The cold case investigation had a lot left undone by local law enforcement, but they had a quick arrest and a suspect who confessed to the murder at the time. Tracking down witnesses and clues 20 years after the fact is naturally difficult, so the agents must get creative. Nikki finds the new police chief in the town where the cold case occurred easy to work with, and he becomes an interesting distraction. The taunting notes from the killer were chilling in their knowledge of what was going on in Nikki’s investigation and the threats about more to come. 

Although this is the second book in the series, it can easily be read and enjoyed as a standalone. While the author does a comprehensive job of catching new readers up on what preceded the current events, these could be spoilers for readers who want to back up and read the first book. 

With its tense plot, steady, compelling pacing, and likable main character, I recommend LAST ONE TO DIE to readers of mysteries, thrillers, and crime fiction, as well as fans of the previous book in the series. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.