Last Redemption by Matt Coyle - Book Review

Last Redemption by Matt Coyle

Rick Cahill Series #8 (Standalone)

Publication Date: 30th Nov 2021

Genre: Thriller

3.8 Stars

One-Liner: Steady-paced thriller with corporate and Pharma dealings 

***

Rick Cahill is leading a settled life after pretty much giving up on dangerous detective pursuits. His fiancée, Leah, is pregnant with their child, and Rick is more than delighted by the news. However, his health seems to be a concern, as the headaches suggest a grave brain-related disease. Rick just wants to stay alive long enough to see his child and maybe spend some quality time with the baby. 

When Moria, his dear friend, and investigative partner, calls for help, Rick knows he’ll do anything for her. She’s been through thick and thin by his side, and it’s time to help her. Moria’s son Luke seems to have broken a restraining order, and she wants to know what Luke is up to. 

Rick finds the request simple enough. However, the surveillance and Luke’s subsequent disappearance, followed by deaths in the past and present complicate the case. Rick is now deep into the dealings of the corporate and Pharma world. With billions of dollars at stake, no life is safe. It’s up to Rick to find the truth and keep Luke alive (if he isn’t already dead). Of course, it feels as if Rick’s time has become rather limited on the earth. 

Will Rick manage to expose the dark dealings and stay alive long enough to see his child? 

Last Redemption is the eighth book in the series and can be read as a standalone. It starts a little slow but soon picks up the pace and keeps the story going. There’s a mystery, thrill, suspense, intrigue, danger, and action. 

Even though this is my first book, I had no trouble understanding the relationship between the characters. There are enough snippets to provide a backstory when necessary. Rick is a rugged PI who goes more by instinct than by the book (PIs can’t solve cases if they go by the book). That puts him in danger more than once, but it goes with the job. He’s extra worried this time because of the ticking clock and a miracle child on the way. 

The plot is revealed one step at a time through different characters and developments. I enjoyed how the whole thing was structured to arrive at the final conclusion. The culprit wasn’t hard to guess. In fact, we pretty much know who it is halfway through. The rest of it is to uncover the what, how, when, why and bring everything together. 

There were a couple of incidents that made me wonder why Rick didn’t think of those on his own.  He is an experienced PI, after all. But I let go because his character was clearly not at his best in this book. He was worried about the brain damage, and that most likely affected his instincts. 

There’s an epilogue of sorts, which ties up the loose ends (almost). The book ends in such a way that there may or may not be a continuation. It leaves the reader satisfied and gives the author a chance to decide what to do with the series. 

The story reminded me of the current scenario where a section of the Indian media and opposition has been lobbying for Pfizer to be brought when our Indian vaccines are already effective. 

To sum up, Last Redemption is a steady-paced thriller with a capable PI taking control of the case. I’m going to check out the previous books in the series and start from the first. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

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