Review: The Last Commandment by Scott Shepherd

Publisher: Mysterious Press

Published: July 13, 2021

Source: Publisher:

Summary:

Christmastime in London. When three seemingly unconnected victims are murdered with matching sequential Roman numerals carved into their foreheads, Metropolitan Police Commander Austin Grant finds his answer in one of the last places he’d expect: the Holy Bible. Each of the deaths correspond to a transgression of one of the Ten Commandments, and Grant must find the killer before the remaining Commandments are commemorated with homicides.

Unfortunately for Grant, the next victim with a number on their forehead turns up not in London, but across the pond at the iconic St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, turning this English murder case into a transatlantic manhunt spanning two global metropolises, each with its own rich history and culture. Commander Grant must team up with a charming NYPD detective named John Frankel, as well as his own estranged daughter Rachel—a cunning investigative reporter with conflicting feelings about her father.

The Last Commandment is the third novel by acclaimed screenwriter and producer Scott Shepherd, whose decades of television writing experience shine through in the swift pace and character-driven storytelling of this devilishly fun, page-turning mystery. Flipping the “buddy cop” story on its head with a touch of Old Testament fatalism, this twisty tale leads from the seedy back-alleys of Piccadilly to the Grande Dame hotels of Midtown Manhattan and back again.

My thoughts:

I love discovering new-to-me authors, and it’s even better when I find out that the book is the first in a series! I was thrilled when I reached out to Mysterious Press and they sent me a bunch of thrillers and this one was included…a police procedural involving a serial killer – sign me up!

This was just such a smart, thrilling read that kept me engaged right from the start. I loved how it incorporated the religious angle, though it most certainly is not a religious read by any means. And I also loved how it involves a NYPD detective and a Scotland Yard Commander working together and racing back and forth across the pond to solve this case.

This book was a rather quick read and I found myself guessing non-stop as to what was going to happen next. The character development is really good and I’m glad that this is not the last we will see of these characters as there are some developments that I am excited to see continued in the next book. I was able to chat with the author along with a few other bookstagrammers and we got a sneak peak of book two and I am already looking forward to it!