Last Breath

If you have read my review of The Good Daughter you know that I absolutely love Karin Slaughter. She is my crime-writer heroine and you know that I absolutely loved that book and I really hated to see it end. So when I came across Last Breath on Audible, I knew I had to listen to it. After all, Kathleen Early is once again the narrator and I am enchanted by her audiobook narrations. Last Breath is a novella which Slaughter often writes to accompany her books. These stories give a background of the main character(s) by telling a story about them that has no real impact on the novel but allows the reader to get to know the character better or see them in a different light. This story focuses on Charlie Quinn early in her career as an attorney. Outside the meeting, Flora Faulkner talks to Charlie about her life and the hell she endures living with her grandparents. Not the least of which is that they are draining the trust fund that was set up for her after her mother’s death when Flora was only eight years old. Knowing exactly how it feels to lose your mother at a young age, Charlie is determined to champion Flora in her fight for emancipation, even though she knows Flora can’t pay her. The story, told over the course of one day, has Charlie hitting the ground running to help the shy girl. But the more she learns, the more she wonders how she can ever get Flora out of all the problems that make up her life. Written with the precise and beautiful word flow that is characteristic of any Karin Slaughter novel, this is a story that will shock you with its twists and turns and unforeseeable ending. The only problem with this story is that it is far, far too short! See my other reviews on my blog, Propensity to Discuss

What in the world did I just read? This events in this prequel, Last Breath apparently occur 13 years prior to Karin Slaughter's novel The Good Daughter. I will start by saying.... go read The Good Daughter! I absolutely loved that book. But this little novelette... it was well-written. It had the familiar character of Charlie, who I just loved in the full length novel. But if you read Last Breath first and don't love it, don't be put off from reading The Good Daughter. The characters in Last Breath are kind of cartoonish. They're just... overdrawn or something. Unrealistic. But it makes for an entertaining read. The novel starts off with Charlie puking her guts out in a bathroom stall and being looked after by a kid... 15 year old Florabama Faulkner. The girl wants to be emancipated from her rather disgusting grandparents. Charlie suspects abuse is going on but Florabama is reluctant to give too many details. What follows is Charlie investigating the young girl's circumstances... what's her current situation? Who are these people she claims she'll live with if she wins her case with the courts for emancipation? My heart was breaking for the young teen. Then the whole thing just blows up in a big twist that I didn't see coming. The last 10 percent of the book (on kindle) is just a sample of The Good Daughter, so in that way I felt cheated. I don't regret reading this, but it left me wanting more. More complexity to these caricature-like characters. More of the book I bought and not the sample of another book that's available for free anyway. Karin Slaughter is a favorite author of mine. But her full length novels are all much, much better than this offering. Go read Good Daughter, then come back and read Last Breath if you fall in love with Charlie's character and want another little glimpse of her life.

Please note, I don't give plot summaries in my reviews, I hate spoilers and I assure you they're are plenty of other reviews that accommodate summaries. Let me start off my saying this was a short story that served as a prequel to her next book. I figure by now having read the reviews and the description of the book this would have been obvious but reading the 20 reviews that exist so far, it is apparently not. The only real criticism seems to be "I didn't like how short this was or that it left us without telling the whole story." Really, no kidding... it's a short story trust served as a prequel! It did exactly what it should have, it introduced you to the characters, their backgrounds, and their personalities. Moreover, it did it extremely eloquently. As for the merit of this story, like every other story I have read from Karin Slaughter, it was written very well, it fully engrossed me right from the start, it was fast pace, interesting... really all I can ask for, especially from a short story. She is an amazing story teller and I truly am excited to read The Good Daughter. Great characters! That said, even as a stand-alone short story (assuming you can accept that it is a short story), read this and you will not be disappointed.

A quick read written by Karin Slaughter, one of my Go-To authors! Flora is a 15-year-old girl whose mother died leaving her a trust fund for college and a better life. Unfortunately Flora finds that her guardian grandparents have been siphoning from the fund and she’s worried there won’t be anything left by the time she’s grown. She enlists the help of a local attorney, Charlotte (Charlie), who also lost her mother at a young age and Flora really pulls at Charlie’s heartstrings. Charlie must find out the truth about what Flora has been telling her and it may not be all that Flora describes, but something is definitely off. Good read! I liked it! Flora is the puppet master. At 15 she gets her grandfather addicted, abuses her grandmother, is a big drug dealer, smart enough to buy property and swindle the developer out of his own deal

This book was so good! Quick read, and the ending took me by total surprise!

Short book by Karin Slaughter standards but intriguing reading. It helps if you have already read “The Good Daughter” as there are numerous cross-references.

Last Breath is a prequel to The Good Daughter, a stand-alone (?) novel by American author, Karin Slaughter. Lawyer Charlotte Quinn wasn't planning to do any more pro bono work: she already has a client who owes her two grand. But Florabama Faulkner's appeal for help strikes a chord with Charlie. This girl lost her mother at a young age too, and she has hopes of doing what would make her mother proud: going to college. But her guardians are her grandparents, a couple who seem intent on working their way through Flora's trust fund until there's nothing left. Flora wants Charlie to help her achieve legal emancipation. Charlie duly checks what she needs to, and finds that not everything is quite as it has been presented, and no one involved is quite who or what they at first seem. This prequel, set thirteen years before The Good Daughter, gives the reader some insight into the main character, Charlie Quinn. It also introduces secondary characters: Charlie’s husband, prosecution lawyer Ben Bernard (sigh), her dad, notorious defense attourney Rusty Quinn, his secretary Lenore, Pikeville cops and the DA. Fast paced with plenty of twists, this is an excellent teaser that will have readers impatient for The Good Daughter.

This short single introduces the reader to Charlie, a lawyer, her father, and her husband. Charlie has lost her mother to violent crime and her newest client is using that as a way to worm her way into a defense. It is not a complete story, as this story continues through Karin Slaughter's next book, The Good Daughter. I like the characters and the speed of the action. I was left wanting to read the next book.

These are crime series by famous author Karin Slaughter. She has also been credited by many top American Newspaper for her writing and suspense. Some of her books have been converted into Crime TV series. Full of suspense once you start reading you get glued to the book. Considering her writing I went and purchased all her books of total 19 that were available. Those interested in Crime Stories I surely recommend these books by the author.

Well written and easy to read book that deals with a lawyer wanting to desperately help a young 15 year old motherless girl get away from her grand parents who are not looking after her properly. However the girls story doesn't seem right. Story is intriguing and full of twist and turns. The ending coming as a shock. Good Read. Highly recommend.

Karen Slaughter never fails to impress

Really good read. Ending could have been different. You will know what I mean once you have read it.

Karin Slaughter never disappoints, in fact her thrillers keep getting better every time, her characters are incredibly endearing and the only bad thing about her books is having to put them down and wait for the next one.