Title: The Last Time I Saw You
Author: Liv Constantine
Published: May 2019, Harper
Format: ARC Paperback, 309 pages
Source: Author
Summary:
The internationally bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish follows that success with an addictive novel filled with shocking twists about the aftermath of a brutal high-society murder.
Dr.
Kate English has it all. Not only is she the heiress to a large
fortune; she has a gorgeous husband and daughter, a high-flying career,
and a beautiful home anyone would envy.
But all that changes the
night Kate’s mother, Lily, is found dead, brutally murdered in her own
home. Heartbroken and distraught, Kate reaches out to her estranged best
friend, Blaire Barrington, who rushes to her side for the funeral,
where the years of distance between them are forgotten in a moment.
That evening, Kate’s grief turns to horror when she receives an anonymous text: You think you’re sad now, just wait. By the time I’m finished with you, you’ll wish you had been buried today. More than ever, Kate needs her old friend’s help.
Once
Blaire decides to take the investigation into her own hands, it becomes
clear that all is not as it seems in Baltimore high society. As
infidelity, lies, and betrayals come to light, and tensions rise to a
boiling point, she begins to alienate Kate’s friends and relatives with
her relentless, accusatory questions, as she tries to find Lily’s
killer. The murderer could be anyone—friend, neighbor, loved one. But
whoever it is, it’s clear that Kate is next on their list. . .
In The Last Time I Saw You, Liv Constantine takes the lightning pace of The Last Mrs. Parrish
and raises the stakes, creating an exquisitely tension-filled and
absorbing tale of psychological suspense in which innocent lives—and one
woman’s sanity—hang in the balance.
My thoughts: Last year I read, and absolutely loved, Liv Constantine’s debut novel, The Last Mrs. Parrish. So of course I was excited to get my hands on their sophomore novel, The Last Time I Saw You…and while I liked it, it didn’t quite live up to the hype that their debut novel did.
I think I may have set my expectations a little too high for this book. It was good, I just felt it was not quite as stellar as their previous book. I liked the way the book was set up and felt it had some really good potential, but then it becomes rather repetitive and drags a bit. Was it still an entertaining read, yes…but did I get a little bored at times, most definitely.
I think for me, this book just became a bit too soap opera-ish. I’ve watched way too many of them and that was not what I was expecting here, yet that was the feeling I kept getting. I just couldn’t get a feel for the characters…and I have nothing wrong with not liking the characters – in fact, I love when I don’t. But that wasn’t the case here. I’m not exactly sure what it was with them, but it just didn’t jive. They just didn’t seem to be believable for what was going on. Their actions were a bit over-the-top for the circumstances a bit too often to be realistic.
This was an easy book to read and I would say if you like murder mysteries, give it a shot. Because I loved their first book so much, I will definitely be keeping an eye out for what comes next from Liv Constantine!
