Her Last Goodnight – Michael Scanlon
Eddie stands at his door anxiously waiting for her to arrive, touching the box in his pocket for luck. He doesn’t hear the footsteps behind him until it’s too late…
Detective Finnegan Beck is called to a violent crime scene – a remote house near the rural Irish town of Cross Beg – where a dog lies whimpering beside his beloved owner’s body.
At first it looks like a burglary gone wrong. But Beck spots something his colleagues didn’t. The victim, Eddie Kavanagh, was wearing his smartest clothes. He’d brushed his hair. And, on closer inspection, a small velvet box containing an engagement ring is discovered in his pocket, along with a letter to a nameless woman, which seems to suggest she’s in danger.
Those who knew Eddie have no idea about a female friend though – there’s been no one in his life since a girl who he’d loved and who’d broken his heart decades before.
So who was the woman Eddie was waiting for? And did his connection with her ultimately lead to his murder? When a beautiful young woman is then found beaten to death, murdered exactly as Eddie had been, Beck has to ask – is the danger over? Or is it just beginning?
I received a review copy from the publishers through Netgalley.
The third book to feature Detective Finnegan Beck but my introduction to the series. It’s always a bit of a worry to jump into a series and not be sure if you need to know the background of the characters to enjoy the newest title. Having not read the first two books I can honestly say I didn’t feel there were aspects of the stories where I had no idea what was going on. Important facts and characters were introduced in what felt a natural way so I didn’t feel detail was being shoe-horned into the plot to ensure newbies like me could keep up. Naturally I will expect there are some subtle or less critical details which will slip by unnoticed and I have no doubt a returning reader will pick up on them.
Her Last Goodnight opens with a violent killing of an elderly man. He is in his good clothes, has an engagement ring in a box in his pocket and police find a letter to a lady-friend which suggests the victim (Eddie) was hoping to save someone from a life he did not feel she should be leading. Eddie’s friends are bemused – they had no idea he had a companion and the manner of his death is deeply shocking to the whole community.
Beck is an experienced police officer but Eddie’s death leaves him deeply troubled and Beck isn’t going to be on top of his game during this investigation. The reasons for his discomfort are revealed through the story and as Beck turns to a bottle to help him cope with events the author handles his situation very well. I found Beck’s situation upsetting and the support his colleagues tried to offer was heartening.
While trying to find a murderer Beck uncovers a seedier side to his small town and I was highly amused by the revelation of how two local residents would supplement their income. Their information led to a peek behind the curtains of a quiet suburban house where all was not as it seems.
But for Beck the real mission was to track down a murderer. For the murderer the stakes have been raised and more proactive action is required to keep their secrets safe. The one thing you can count on in a crime thriller – secrets will out.
I read Her Last Goodnight over 2 days, thoroughly enjoyed my introduction to a new series and will be picking up the earlier books to catch up. That’s a sure sign this was a hit with me – I want more.
Her Last Goodnight is published by Bookouture and is available in paperback and digital format. You can order a copy of the book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B081576NZB/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2