Heather’s Bookshelf: The Last Review
Author: Lucas Pogrzebny
Released: 09/03/20
Genre: Detective Mystery
““It’s a shame you don’t want to cooperate with the truth of things,” he said. “I’ll have to reach it…with or without your help.”
“The Last Review” introduces Polo Levington (Levin), a film critic whose work increased the legitimacy of a magazine previously known for gossip. His work has his old employer reaching out to him and assigning him to an important set- one where two previous stars have decided to make their return to the big screen. The set of “The Last Farewell” is darkened by a past fatal tragedy, egos, and fights between cast members. All meaningless drama- that is until someone drops dead.
When a prop apparently malfunctions and results in the stabbing of someone on set, there are more questions than answers. But when a woman drops dead and a subsequent death also occurs, questions turn to accusations and Levin turns into more of a detective. Working with Clara, an actress from the set, the duo investigate the deaths but find they don’t agree with the conclusions of the police.
Levin’s past and the past of the the victims come into play. Both must be negotiated if the truth is to be revealed and the safety of everyone else involved ensured.
Trigger Warning: murder, death
Overall, I was a little torn on this story. I love a good murder mystery and an intriguing who-dun-it. And while this story had elements of both, it just didn’t come together. Some of the characters were more developed than others. Levin as a protagonist I found to be interesting- broken and determined. His blooming friendship with Clara was also done in a way that was graded and believable. However, I found that many of the other characters (including the victims and the main suspects) were not developed or relatable enough to find a connection to. There were some things that also did not make sense to me including some of the police procedures. Then ending did wrap up all of the mysteries, some more satisfying and less obvious than others. Again, I wish the characters would have made me care about them — the reveals may have had more impact if I did. As it was, I learned a little about filming movies and have a solid background on Detective Levin.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A mystery introducing a reluctant new detective on the trail of a murderer on a movie set. The story lacks ancillary character development resulting in less impact when the mystery is finally revealed.
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