Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Park Row (2021), Edition: Reissue, 384 pages
Description
Fiction. Literature. Romance. HTML: From a remarkable new voice in suspenseful women's fiction comes an emotionally searing drama about a woman who risks her life to discover the devastating truth about her family... Humanitarian aid worker Gia Andrews chases disasters around the globe for a living. It's the perfect lifestyle to keep her far away from her own personal ground zero. Sixteen years ago, Gia's father was imprisoned for brutally killing her stepmother. Now he's come home to die of cancer, and she's responsible for his care--and coming to terms with his guilt. Gia reluctantly resumes the role of daughter to the town's most infamous murderer, a part complete with protesters on the lawn and death threats that are turning tragedy into front-page news. Returning to life in small-town Tennessee involves rebuilding relationships that distance and turmoil have strained, though finding an emotional anchor in the attractive hometown bartender is certainly helping Gia cope. As the past unravels before her, Gia will find herself torn between the stories that her family, their friends and neighbors, and even her long-departed stepmother have believed to be real all these years. But in the end, the truth--and all the lies that came before--may have deadlier consequences than she could have ever anticipated.....… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Cherylk
This book is more than just a book. The Last Breath is a breath taking good read! Instantly I felt for Gia, her father, her brother, sister, and Uncle. What they all were going through as a family felt very real. From the anger, sadness, fear of facing reality, death, love, and the truth. So many
Right from the beginning however I had a really good idea of who killed Gia's mother and why. However this did not keep me from still reading the book and wanting to see how it would all play out. Again it had to do with the author and her talent for telling a good story. The characters just leap off the pages and invited me to read their story. I look forward to reading more books by Kimberly Belle.
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emotions. The author did a wonderful job of weaving them all into the characters and the story. Right from the beginning however I had a really good idea of who killed Gia's mother and why. However this did not keep me from still reading the book and wanting to see how it would all play out. Again it had to do with the author and her talent for telling a good story. The characters just leap off the pages and invited me to read their story. I look forward to reading more books by Kimberly Belle.
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LibraryThing member SilversReviews
Was it her husband, her lover, or an intruder that took Ella Mae's last breath?
Regardless of who the guilty party was, her husband, Ray Andrews, was convicted and sent to prison for sixteen years. Ray was now on his way home but not because he had served his sentence but because he was dying of
THE LAST BREATH moves from past to present telling the story of Ella Mae's life before she was suffocated with Saran Wrap and her daughter's life as her father comes home.
While Gia Andrews struggles with coming home and having to face the shame of what happened sixteen years ago and finding out if her father really did kill her mother, you also follow her through her sexual romps. Her mother's romps with her lover were also part of storyline and definitely were a part of solving the mystery. These descriptions aren't graphic, but I had to give a warning. :)
As Gia investigates, she questions her uncle who was her father's attorney about his defense and if everything was truly done to prove Ray's innocence. Could the evidence all have been false or contrived and the real killer still be free?
Gia had to know. Would the professor writing a book about her father have the real facts or would it all be water under the bridge for now?
The book was tense and made me anxious to find out the truth and oh so good because you can't figure out who the guilty party really was. You think you have it and then you change your mind.
The ending has a surprise, and it is an ending that I really liked. :) 4/5
If you read the book, please let me know what you thought.
This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.
Regardless of who the guilty party was, her husband, Ray Andrews, was convicted and sent to prison for sixteen years. Ray was now on his way home but not because he had served his sentence but because he was dying of
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cancer. Will his children be there to greet him or have they forgotten him as they did when he was in prison?THE LAST BREATH moves from past to present telling the story of Ella Mae's life before she was suffocated with Saran Wrap and her daughter's life as her father comes home.
While Gia Andrews struggles with coming home and having to face the shame of what happened sixteen years ago and finding out if her father really did kill her mother, you also follow her through her sexual romps. Her mother's romps with her lover were also part of storyline and definitely were a part of solving the mystery. These descriptions aren't graphic, but I had to give a warning. :)
As Gia investigates, she questions her uncle who was her father's attorney about his defense and if everything was truly done to prove Ray's innocence. Could the evidence all have been false or contrived and the real killer still be free?
Gia had to know. Would the professor writing a book about her father have the real facts or would it all be water under the bridge for now?
The book was tense and made me anxious to find out the truth and oh so good because you can't figure out who the guilty party really was. You think you have it and then you change your mind.
The ending has a surprise, and it is an ending that I really liked. :) 4/5
If you read the book, please let me know what you thought.
This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member Staciele
Kimberly Belle packs a punch with a gripping prologue and keeps you turning the pages, assessing your beliefs and leaving you holding your breath all the way to the end. This is Belle's debut novel and hopefully more are to come.
The book begins with the murder of Ella Mae in a small Appalachian
As Gia returns to the home Ella Mae was murdered in, a slew of emotions surface. Her siblings refuse to answer her calls and run out the back doors of their office. Her uncle, Cal, who is also her father's lawyer, continues to fill her with lies about the case and the local bartender's food (and sex appeal) are too hard to resist after living in third-world countries. Gia begins to unravel memories that were long buried and starts to piece together the night that Ella Mae was murdered. When she finds out the truth about Ella Mae's murderer, it may be more than she can handle.
This is definitely a page turner and one that will keep you guessing all the way to the end. There were several occasions where I was sure I knew who the murderer was and then my opinions were abruptly changed, only to be changed again a few chapters later. There is plenty of family drama and secrets to keep the reader interested and eager to start the next chapter. I'm sure you will be on the edge of your seat in the final chapters.
Along with the telling of Gia's story, we are taken back to Ella Mae's final days. We learn some of Ella Mae's secrets and are given more insight into who may have been Ella Mae's murderer. You will wish there had been a different outcome for Ella Mae. Her choices in life, as well as her murder, left ripple effects on her family and the whole community.
Each character in the story has their own personality and is vividly portrayed. From Ray, suffering through his final days, to Fannie, his spunky hospice nurse, Belle shows she can paint each scene with dramatic details.
The only negative about this book was the explicit sex scenes. Sometimes I prefer to leave these pieces of the story to the imagination rather than read the passionate details. Everything else about the book held my attention including the emotions Gia and Jake experienced as well as her siblings. Ultimately, this story is about betrayal and the importance of forgiveness, both for the living and the dying.
The book begins with the murder of Ella Mae in a small Appalachian
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community. We know that Ella Mae knew her murderer, but is the murderer the man who spent sixteen years in prison for the crime? Gia, Ella Mae's step-daughter, has spent her adult life traveling the country assisting with disasters, feeding the hungry, and doing everything she can to stay away from her home full of bad memories. After being gone since high school, she must now come home to care for her father Ray, the murderer. He has been released from prison to live out his final days at home with hospice. Gia is thrown into chaos with a father she hasn't seen since he was taken to prison, two siblings who want nothing to do with their father, a street full of protesters, and a nagging doubt about her father committing the crime the entire community thinks he did.As Gia returns to the home Ella Mae was murdered in, a slew of emotions surface. Her siblings refuse to answer her calls and run out the back doors of their office. Her uncle, Cal, who is also her father's lawyer, continues to fill her with lies about the case and the local bartender's food (and sex appeal) are too hard to resist after living in third-world countries. Gia begins to unravel memories that were long buried and starts to piece together the night that Ella Mae was murdered. When she finds out the truth about Ella Mae's murderer, it may be more than she can handle.
This is definitely a page turner and one that will keep you guessing all the way to the end. There were several occasions where I was sure I knew who the murderer was and then my opinions were abruptly changed, only to be changed again a few chapters later. There is plenty of family drama and secrets to keep the reader interested and eager to start the next chapter. I'm sure you will be on the edge of your seat in the final chapters.
Along with the telling of Gia's story, we are taken back to Ella Mae's final days. We learn some of Ella Mae's secrets and are given more insight into who may have been Ella Mae's murderer. You will wish there had been a different outcome for Ella Mae. Her choices in life, as well as her murder, left ripple effects on her family and the whole community.
Each character in the story has their own personality and is vividly portrayed. From Ray, suffering through his final days, to Fannie, his spunky hospice nurse, Belle shows she can paint each scene with dramatic details.
The only negative about this book was the explicit sex scenes. Sometimes I prefer to leave these pieces of the story to the imagination rather than read the passionate details. Everything else about the book held my attention including the emotions Gia and Jake experienced as well as her siblings. Ultimately, this story is about betrayal and the importance of forgiveness, both for the living and the dying.
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LibraryThing member celticlady53
I received The Last Breath by Kimberly Belle for review and was excited to read it, based on the description on the jacket. It sounded like a great dramatic, mystery novel, but after finishing it, it was not what I had expected. And not in a satisfying, surprising way.
Goodreads has provided the
Humanitarian aid worker Gia Andrews chases disasters around the globe for a living. It's the perfect lifestyle to keep her far away from her own personal ground zero. Sixteen years ago, Gia's father was imprisoned for brutally killing her stepmother. Now he's come home to die of cancer, and she's responsible for his care—and coming to terms with his guilt.
Gia reluctantly resumes the role of daughter to the town's most infamous murderer, a part complete with protesters on the lawn and death threats that are turning tragedy into front-page news. Returning to life in small-town Tennessee involves rebuilding relationships that distance and turmoil have strained, though finding an emotional anchor in the attractive hometown bartender is certainly helping Gia cope.
As the past unravels before her, Gia will find herself torn between the stories that her family, their friends and neighbors, and even her long-departed stepmother have believed to be real all these years. But in the end, the truth—and all the lies that came before—may have deadlier consequences than she could have ever anticipated…
There were elements of intrigue, mystery, compassion, suffering, etc. Everything a great suspense novel should have. But I felt it was more romantic suspense than anything else, and that was misleading. Romantic suspense is not my preferred genre. I mean, the main character falls in love with a guy within a few days, while her siblings are refusing to talk to her and her father has come home from prison (still incarcerated with an ankle bracelet) to die humanely? I was disappointed that this plotline seemed to overshadow what I presumed the actual plotline to be, simply based on the jacket description. There is mention of a “handsome bartender” so I knew there would be some romantic elements, but I was hoping more for a Gillian Flynn type of novel (not Gone Girl; don’t even get me started on the ending of that book).
Don’t get me wrong; some parts of this book were pretty good. There was a weird twist at the end with Gia and Jake, and as much as you want a happy resolution between children and a parent on his deathbed, it doesn’t always happen. So at least she didn’t give us a “too perfect” little happy ending where everything is sunshine and rainbows and everyone lives happily ever after. I was pleased with the ending of the book in a way that it wasn't corny and expected.
I see this book has been getting 4-5 stars on Goodreads and I’m not absolutely certain it deserves that. I would say 2.5-3 stars. In the author’s defense, she is a good writer. The book kept my attention for the most part but I found myself just wanting to be done with this book so I could start a new book.
Guest Reviewer: Kara Kelly
Goodreads has provided the
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following description of the novel:Humanitarian aid worker Gia Andrews chases disasters around the globe for a living. It's the perfect lifestyle to keep her far away from her own personal ground zero. Sixteen years ago, Gia's father was imprisoned for brutally killing her stepmother. Now he's come home to die of cancer, and she's responsible for his care—and coming to terms with his guilt.
Gia reluctantly resumes the role of daughter to the town's most infamous murderer, a part complete with protesters on the lawn and death threats that are turning tragedy into front-page news. Returning to life in small-town Tennessee involves rebuilding relationships that distance and turmoil have strained, though finding an emotional anchor in the attractive hometown bartender is certainly helping Gia cope.
As the past unravels before her, Gia will find herself torn between the stories that her family, their friends and neighbors, and even her long-departed stepmother have believed to be real all these years. But in the end, the truth—and all the lies that came before—may have deadlier consequences than she could have ever anticipated…
There were elements of intrigue, mystery, compassion, suffering, etc. Everything a great suspense novel should have. But I felt it was more romantic suspense than anything else, and that was misleading. Romantic suspense is not my preferred genre. I mean, the main character falls in love with a guy within a few days, while her siblings are refusing to talk to her and her father has come home from prison (still incarcerated with an ankle bracelet) to die humanely? I was disappointed that this plotline seemed to overshadow what I presumed the actual plotline to be, simply based on the jacket description. There is mention of a “handsome bartender” so I knew there would be some romantic elements, but I was hoping more for a Gillian Flynn type of novel (not Gone Girl; don’t even get me started on the ending of that book).
Don’t get me wrong; some parts of this book were pretty good. There was a weird twist at the end with Gia and Jake, and as much as you want a happy resolution between children and a parent on his deathbed, it doesn’t always happen. So at least she didn’t give us a “too perfect” little happy ending where everything is sunshine and rainbows and everyone lives happily ever after. I was pleased with the ending of the book in a way that it wasn't corny and expected.
I see this book has been getting 4-5 stars on Goodreads and I’m not absolutely certain it deserves that. I would say 2.5-3 stars. In the author’s defense, she is a good writer. The book kept my attention for the most part but I found myself just wanting to be done with this book so I could start a new book.
Guest Reviewer: Kara Kelly
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LibraryThing member kbranfield
4.5 stars.
The Last Breath is a very intriguing mystery and Kimberly Belle does an outstanding job keeping readers guessing whodunit right up until the novel’s conclusion. The cast of characters is well-developed with realistic flaws, but what really drives the story is the clever plot. A sizzling
Gia Andrews has not seen her father Ray since he was convicted of killing Ella Mae sixteen years ago. But when Ray is diagnosed with terminal cancer and released from prison to await a new trial, she returns to her small hometown to care for him. With her brother, sister and uncle avoiding her, Gia tries to set aside her ambivalence about her father’s guilt and comfort him in his last days. When new information about Ella Mae surfaces, Gia uncovers compelling evidence that her father’s claim of innocence might, in fact, be true.
The Last Breath is written from two very distinct points of view. Gia’s first person narration details the unfolding events in the present while third person narration from Ella Mae’s perspective reveals the events leading up to her death. Ella Mae’s last months are a tangled web of lies and deceit that have remained hidden since her death and Gia’s search for answers uncovers Ella Mae’s secrets. This newly discovered information leads to a reconciliation between Ray and his estranged children but will a shocking revelation jeopardize their tenuous bond?
The only bright spot in Gia’s homecoming is her surprising romance with bar/restaurant owner Jake Foster. Jake is not only helpful in her investigation, but his nightly visits to her family home lift her spirits and give her something to look forward to each day. Their relationship coasts cheerfully along until their conflicting plans for the future and a surprising disclosure threaten their happiness.
From the dramatic opening scene until the very last page, The Last Breath is a riveting mystery that is impossible to put down. Kimberly Belle brings this spellbinding tale of love gone horribly wrong vividly to life. A series of twists and turns carefully conceals the murderer’s identity until the novel’s incredibly dramatic conclusion.
A very smart and cunning debut novel that I highly recommend to readers of crime fiction.
The Last Breath is a very intriguing mystery and Kimberly Belle does an outstanding job keeping readers guessing whodunit right up until the novel’s conclusion. The cast of characters is well-developed with realistic flaws, but what really drives the story is the clever plot. A sizzling
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hot romance, long held secrets and complicated family relationships are secondary story arcs but they provide a fascinating backdrop to learning the truth about who killed Ella Mae Andrews.Gia Andrews has not seen her father Ray since he was convicted of killing Ella Mae sixteen years ago. But when Ray is diagnosed with terminal cancer and released from prison to await a new trial, she returns to her small hometown to care for him. With her brother, sister and uncle avoiding her, Gia tries to set aside her ambivalence about her father’s guilt and comfort him in his last days. When new information about Ella Mae surfaces, Gia uncovers compelling evidence that her father’s claim of innocence might, in fact, be true.
The Last Breath is written from two very distinct points of view. Gia’s first person narration details the unfolding events in the present while third person narration from Ella Mae’s perspective reveals the events leading up to her death. Ella Mae’s last months are a tangled web of lies and deceit that have remained hidden since her death and Gia’s search for answers uncovers Ella Mae’s secrets. This newly discovered information leads to a reconciliation between Ray and his estranged children but will a shocking revelation jeopardize their tenuous bond?
The only bright spot in Gia’s homecoming is her surprising romance with bar/restaurant owner Jake Foster. Jake is not only helpful in her investigation, but his nightly visits to her family home lift her spirits and give her something to look forward to each day. Their relationship coasts cheerfully along until their conflicting plans for the future and a surprising disclosure threaten their happiness.
From the dramatic opening scene until the very last page, The Last Breath is a riveting mystery that is impossible to put down. Kimberly Belle brings this spellbinding tale of love gone horribly wrong vividly to life. A series of twists and turns carefully conceals the murderer’s identity until the novel’s incredibly dramatic conclusion.
A very smart and cunning debut novel that I highly recommend to readers of crime fiction.
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LibraryThing member Lcmcsr
Gia, Lexi and Bo's father has been in prison for years convicted of killing their stepmother. Now, he's dying of cancer and is sent home for hospice. The siblings all have different ways of dealing with their past, their future and their feelings. I enjoyed this book but truly hoped there would be
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a different ending vis a vis who really killed Ella Mae. However, the author did a great job of providing descriptive settings, vivid characters and shocking scenes between the family members. Show Less
LibraryThing member rmarcin
I loved this book! The mystery, the deception, the relationships, and the people! Kimberly Belle did a great job looking me from the very first pages of this novel.
Gia Andrews returns home from her job as an aid worker in Africa to be there when her father is released from prison to die at home.
Gia and her siblings abandoned their father when he went to prison, but they were never sure of his innocence or guilt. Now, Gia makes it her mission to find out the truth. Did her father kill Ella Mae, or was it Dean Sullivan, the handsome neighbor who was having an affair with Ella Mae? Meanwhile, Gia itches to leave Rogersville, TN, a town full of heartache for her, but Jake Foster is holding her back.
I am glad I read this early book from Kimberly Belle- just the right mix of dark and sexy!
Gia Andrews returns home from her job as an aid worker in Africa to be there when her father is released from prison to die at home.
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Sixteen years earlier, he was convicted for killing his wife, Ella Mae, Gia’s stepmother.Gia and her siblings abandoned their father when he went to prison, but they were never sure of his innocence or guilt. Now, Gia makes it her mission to find out the truth. Did her father kill Ella Mae, or was it Dean Sullivan, the handsome neighbor who was having an affair with Ella Mae? Meanwhile, Gia itches to leave Rogersville, TN, a town full of heartache for her, but Jake Foster is holding her back.
I am glad I read this early book from Kimberly Belle- just the right mix of dark and sexy!
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Language
Original language
English
Physical description
384 p.; 6.97 inches
ISBN
0778311635 / 9780778311638