suspense, mystery, child, cults, family-dynamics, friendship*****

It begins with the half sister of a friend who had had a miserable childhood coming to ask for help about her husband absconding with their three year old only child. The child's mother and father are part of a seculsive fundamentalist religious organisation so the mother is conflicted about a course of action. There is a note that the father has written, but the mother is reluctant to let Claudia photocopy it for further analysis despite its red flags to the forensic graphologist. Then comes the temporary stay at the group's compound and things get really twisty and gripping. I love this author's writing and the way she makes me feel like a fly on the wall of the story's reality. Another excellent read!
I love the narrations performed by Anna Crowe! ( )

An friend's unknown niece, a cult(ish) group, all lead to another detecting adventure for our Forensic Handwriting analyst (and her sidekicks).

The story was a bit worn, but I did enjoy the escapades.

Honestly, probably a 3.5, but I'm feeling generous today ( )

Like her previous three books in the Claudia Rose series this novel has good and bad parts. We're thrown into the story with the very first word. There was a very big thriller undertone to this novel as well, though it was set up as a mystery, not a thriller.

A child, Claudia's friend Kelly's niece Kylie, was taken and instead of the police or FBI, or even a PI Kylie's mom goes to Claudia. And there we're off and fighting for good and for Kylie.

Technically the writing is great, and the settings and plot points are interesting, but one of the big problems I have with the novel is the fact that it was just too obvious to me, the mystery and the twists just weren't surprising and that's the part of mysteries that I like. It should also be well written and plotted, but I like being surprised by where the mystery goes and where the characters go as well. This novel wasn't surprising at all. There wasn't a whole mystery to the mystery. ( )

I enjoy these books. The background information on handwriting analysis is fascinating and woven into the story in such a way that you don't realize how much you are learning.

I wasn't wild about this story line (cult members) mostly because it is so often done badly. Still, I do enjoy the series so I read on. There were parts of this I didn't care all that much for but it didn't slip into the "all people in cults are crazy or evil" and "all people on the outside know best". There was a couple of "uh oh" moments but for the most part it showed the good and evil on both sides. A bit of a shocking ending but that was good too.

I'm looking forward to the next in the series. ( )

Last Writes by Sheila Lowe
Published by New American Library
(Division of Penguin Group)
ISBN 978-0-451-23110-9
At the request of Kaye Publicity, a PB copy was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
Synopsis (back of book): Claudia's friend Kelly learns that she's an aunt where her estranged half sister, Erin, shows up at her home in desperate need of help. Erin and her husband have been living quiet lives as members of the Temple of Brighter Light in an isolated compound. But now her husband and young child ave disappeared, leaving behind a cryptic note with a terrifying message.
Seizing an opportunity to use her special skills as a forensic hand-writing expert, Claudia becomes one of the few outsiders ever to be invited inside the temple's compound. She has only a few days to uncover the truth about Kelly's missing niece before the prophecy of a secret ancient parchment can be fulfilled and a child's life is written off for good.....
My Thoughts and Opinion: I have to be upfront and honest regarding 2 issues. When I first accepted the request to read Last Writes, I thought it was going to be an easy and fun cozy mystery but I was wrong!!. It also took me some time to finish, but to the author's credit, it was because of being bogged down with real life, and not the story. Matter of fact, this should have taken me just a few days to read because it was a page turner. It was a fast paced story line with some twists and turns that had me guessing throughout the book to the very last page. The ending a total surprise!!! The author's writing style was fluid and expressive, to the point, that it felt like I was visualizing a movie in my mind. The references to the science of forensic handwriting quite interesting. This was the first book that I have read by Ms. Lowe but have already put her previous novels on my to be read list.
My Rating: 4 ( )