The Last Word-Kathy Herman

The Last Word
Kathy Herman
David C. Cook, Oct 2009, $14.99
ISBN: 9781434767851

In the Smoky Mountains, in the town of Sophie Trace Police Chief Brill Jessup is despondent that one of her officers Detective Sean O’Toole was stabbed in the PD building’s secure area and her former partner Zack Rogers was killed in Memphis. She knows the knife wielding killer is eventually coming for her as he told O’Toole that, but Brill remains hesitant as to what to do.

However, her options change when her daughter Vanessa, a college sophomore, comes home pregnant. Vanessa explains to her mom that the father Professor Ty Nicholson wanted her to abort the unborn, but she refused; so the dad walked. Brill is grateful her daughter did not fold under pressure, but also fears for the lives of Vanessa and her unborn grandchild as they make perfect targets forthe killer. As the Mayor, the media and the public criticize the chief, Brill plans to do the right thing for her family and the community.

The second Sophie Trace police procedural (see THE REAL ENEMY) is an exciting inspirational thriller that runs on two strong subplots that converge on Brill. The killer is coming for the heroine and others which makes for a tense tale as Brill prepares for the assault while keeping friends, family and the community safe; her dispute with the mayor seems unnecessary as the psychopath is all the tautness needed. The subplot with her daughter and Ty has a neat spin that will stun the audience. THE LAST WORD is that Kathy Herman has written another deep stirring tale.

Harriet Klausner