This is my introduction to the Bentz/Montoya books. It starts with an unknown killer about to murder Kristin Bentz, the daughter of Rick Bentz and a true crime author. The killer was unsuccessful but he was able to kill Kristin’s husband. I rated it 2 hours because the story was too slow. It came to the point that I didn’t care what happens to the characters. There was also a lot of things happenings and I couldn’t care less. I guess it was just too long.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC copy of the book. ( )

“Kristi Bentz is still alive.” But after reading the first pages of this book you wouldn’t give her a chance in the world of surviving. The killing scene is crazy, out of this world, thoughtful, and violent. Being able to read and thereby hear the killer’s thoughts makes the action that much more terrifying. Jackson has upped the ante with that chapter.

Kristi Bentz is a true crime writer who doesn’t believe her job is dangerous. Her husband is of a different opinion and her father is a cop who has seen and knows the levels of depravity of the criminal. For him the horror is all too personal. A serial killer, with a religious bent and moniker, had set New Orleans as his killing field years before. Rick Bentz thought he has taken down the murderer but when there is no body there is no closure and Bentz believes Father John is back to continue his reign of terror.

There are several tangents that tickle your mind and are neatly tied together as the story progresses. The juxtaposition of the innocence of the children in the story allowed for a short but palpable foray into the tough condition of the world: climate change, social unrest, a recent flu outbreak, overpopulation and wars. Nothing too heavy, just a reminder that this story isn’t being told in a vacuum. The Last Sinner is a solid crime-police procedural with more than a jab of frustrated impotence, a whiff of terror and the constant back and forth of a random attack versus a targeted murder.

Thank you Kensington Books and NetGalley for a copy. ( )

Kristi was attacked outside her yoga class. Her husband was the one who took the brunt of it. He was there to apologize and he ended up getting killed trying to save her. Now Kristi is widowed, pregnant and determined to find out who killed her husband and why they came after her.

Is Father John back??? Bentz firmly believes he is and he is determined to find him and take him down. And Father John is targeting people close to Bentz, so time if of the essence.

I have been a fan of this author forever! I have not read a book by her in quite a while. This one was just ok. But, now to be honest, it could be me. She has some great ratings on this book. And I have been reading a whole lot lately and sometimes that leads me to burnout. And I may be headed that way. So my suggestion is read it! It is intense…which is what kept me reading!

Need a quick read for the beach…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this book from the publisher for a honest review. ( )

The Last Sinner by Lisa Jackson
New Orleans #9

Twenty-two years after Lisa Jackson introduced us to Detecitve Rick Bentz and he began his dance with the Rosary Killer, we finally find out how that portion of the New Orleans series is put to rest. We also find out that Bentz is contemplating retirement and both he and his partner, Reuben Montoya, are married with small children. A lot has happened over the years in this series and it might require a bit of refreshing of my memory and a walk down memory lane BUT for now…here’s my take on book nine.

What I liked:
* The action-packed, intense, devastating introduction to the story
* Catching up with Bentz and Montoya and trying to remember what they did in the first eight books of the series
* Kristi Bentz McKnight: true crime author, suffered a great loss in this book, pregnant, dealing with grief, strong, resilient, daring to the point I would sometimes want to shout “no”, has a part in the next book in the series – unless it is a spinoff instead
* Jay McKnight: can’t remember much about him, had a small but epic part in this book, his “presence” in the story
* Meeting and being intrigued by Cruz Montoya
* Wondering if Bentz will retire and if so, who Montoya’s new partner will be
* The twists, turns, red herrings and review of Kristi’s past books
* That we finally found out the truth, or some of it, about the Rosary Killer and whether or not he is the person who attacks Kristi at the beginning of the book
* Wondering if this series will continue or if it is done now and a spinoff series will begin with Kristi and Cruz

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about how warped, evil, and amorally soulless some people are

Did I enjoy this book? Mostly
Would I read more in this series? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC – This is my honest review

4-5 Stars ( )

The Last Sinner by Lisa Jackson is a very highly recommended twisty Southern Gothic thriller which has led me to declare that I am never visiting New Orleans.

New Orleans homicide detectives Rick Bentz and Reuben Montoya are back. When a crazed killer targets Kristi Bentz, she is injured, but her husband Jay McKnight is killed defending her. Kristi has a series of true crime best sellers and one of the killer she wrote about may be after her. At the same time it appears that Father John, a fake priest obsessed with killing women that they though was killed and left for dead in a swamp, may be back or a copycat is at work. Several recent murders have followed Father John's modus operandi, choking victims to death by a string of sharpened rosary beads.

The set ups of the attacks happening and questions surrounding them work up to a frantic nail-biting pace that will keep you glued to the pages as they flew by. I was surprised at the page count as it felt shorter when I was reading. Is Father John back and responsible for all the murders and attempt on Kristi's life? She did write a book about him. Or is it someone else Kristi wrote about? What is happening is unpredictable and held my attention from beginning to end.

This is my first in the New Orleans series and I think I need to read the previous installments. It does work as a stand-alone for anyone who wants to start here, but you'll feel the same way and want to revisit previous novels in the series. All of the characters are great and feel like realistic, unique individuals. The plot was totally unpredictable and kept me guessing to the end. The Last Sinner is a winning summer read!
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Kensington via NetGalley.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2023/06/the-last-sinner.html ( )