Not my first John Marrs book and certainly won't be my last. Love this author.

DS Becca Vincent together with facial recognition expert Joe Russell, are on the hunt to solve murders happening in London and try to uncover the murder connection quickly before they strike again. But they are very clever and always one step ahead - the characters and their personalities really come to life.. .Unputdownable - highly recommend if you don't want any sleep!!

There's a reason that the London tube system scares the life out of me and that prologue just confirmed my fears! With a serial killer targeting seemingly unconnected victims, London detectives are left with no clues as to who their murderer could be.

Three narrators tell the story; the killer, Joe Russell, facial recognition expert or super recogniser as they are known and detective Becca Vincent, a single mother who feels she has to prove her worth not only as a detective but also as a parent.

The chapters narrated by the killer are quite chilling and serve as a reminder of how much we all make the assumption that those we know are telling the truth about who they are. Hidden in clear sight we begin to understand what motivates the killer.

Both Joe and Becca are hiding their own secrets about their lives and each of these are revealed throughout the book. If I'm honest Becca really irritated me at times: her over-dependence on the approval of others and especially men grated on my nerves a little and her constant whining! I did warm to her a little more when I heard about her path to motherhood but at times I wanted to give her a bit of a kick in the ass for being so shallow and whiny! I definitely preferred Joe's character and I connected with him more than Becca.

The plot moved along at a good pace and I found myself zipping through the chapters. The murders were certainly twisted and the author is a brilliant storyteller who knows how to keep you hooked! Things definitely ramped up in the second half of the book and this is where I found myself becoming truly engrossed in this tale of revenge, guilt and rejection. The inclusion of the super recognisers was fabulous, this was a fascinating insight into a team that I didn't even know existed! The acknowledgements have links to a number of articles for those who want to find out more.

Each book that John Marrs writes is completely different and this one veered towards the police procedural. It isn't my favourite of all of his books but it is definitely one that provided a good solid read, twists, turns and the "just one more chapter" kind of read that kept me hooked until the end.
review will be on the blog as part of the blog tour

A man falls or is pushed under a tube train. DS Becky is in the crowd on the platform and notices something. Another man is found dead shortly afterwards and Becky can put the two together from what she has seen. She liaises with the super recognisers team- those who have a much better memory from most of us that can spot the face in the crowd and remember that they are on a crime sheet somewhere in the depths. Joe appears to have his own mission and Becky isn’t too pleased about it as she feels that she is being sidelines and made to look a fool. She has her own issues at home- a daughter who is cared for by her mother who lives with them but Becky isn’t spending the time with her daughter that she promised. A daughter who has more needs than others and who needs that special time. Yet again John grabs you from the word go and you want to keep turning to find out what happens. This is slightly different from his other books as it starts out more of a crime book than a psychological thriller. A plot that grabs you and holds you, turning the pages to try and find out that bit more of what happens. A different read , a clever and a highly enjoyable one.
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I've read I've read and loved all John Marrs' books to date and also read a lot of police procedurals, some good, some just okay so I was intrigued to read his first venture into this genre.

As always with this author the writing is engaging and the characters are believable, none are stereotypical and their back stories are deftly woven into the storyline. The juggle between the professional and personal lives of key characters was absolutely nailed, I was enthralled to learn about the super-recognisers (yep I checked they are real!) and this added a clever dimension to the storyline. The utterly compelling plot is really well crafted, brilliantly paced and I'm a bit gutted that it doesn't seem to be the first in a series as I'd love to read more!

Original and riveting - imo the author has mastered this genre too!

Many, many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read this book, my honest thoughts and opinion are expressed in this review.

I first got into John Marrs by reading The One, a brilliant read. Then The Good Samaritan which I thought was even better. And now Her Last Move-his best yet. Make no mistake, this truly is unputdownable and will hook you straight away. The two main characters, DS Becca Vincent and Joe Russell a super-recogniser, ie someone who remembers faces, are on the hunt for a serial killer in London. Both main characters, and the killer, come with a past that is brought out through the story, and the plot twists and turns right through to the shocking end. As in the previous two books, the writing is sharp, fast and true to life, and really brings out the characters of the two protagonists.
What I particularly like about John Marrs writing is that every book is so different, all stand alones, and take in different genres, this falling into the catagory of police procedural I suppose, but it is so much more.
I have read over a 100 novels in 2018 so far, and this definitely goes into my top three, just as the Good Samaritan did last year, and The One the year before that.
I can’t wait for John’s next book, The Passengers next year, which I am sure will be in my top three for 2019.
I cannot recommend Her Last Move highly enough, it really is that good and a definite 5 stars.

What a great book! This is my second John Marrs book and they have both been amazing. This book grabbed me from the first page and I couldn't put it down! I'm usually not a big fan of police books, but this one was put together really well and had so much other story that kept me interested. I always enjoy reading from different character's points of view. Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to read this book!

Her Last Move is the latest offering from author John Marrs and his first police procedure novel, so I was interested to see if he could manage to put his own unique spin on a genre that can sometimes feel oversaturated with similar plots. Although parts of Her Last Move felt familiar, for example serial killer becomes vigilante, I do think John Marrs has managed to add a couple of unique features to the read, I was especially intrigued by Joe Russell a facial recognition expert, I must admit I thought it was something the author had dreamt up, but no! one search on google proved me wrong, I ended up doing a test I found and I’m potentially a super-recogniser, how cool is that? Anyway I’m digressing here I throughly enjoyed this fast paced, dark and sometimes disturbing read.

Detective Sergeant Becca Vincent is trying to balance her career and family life without much success. In hope of advancing her career she takes the lead on a new case, which finds her tracking a vigilante serial killer, where each death becoming more violent and gruesome than the next. With no leads and no idea who the next victim will be, Becca is teamed up with a facial recognition expert, Joe Russell. As she strives to get a lead on the elusive murder, time is running out as the killer plots the murder of the final victim on his “to kill” list. Both Becca and Jo have very interesting back story’s and personally I thought this added another layer of suspense and intrigue to the overall plot.

As to the serial killer John Marrs has created a monster, he is calculating, cold and lacks any remorse for his actions, making him an unsettling character. The killers identity is revealed early on which can sometimes spoil my enjoyment of a read, but in fairness to the author the story lies in his motives and once revealed you realise just how warped the killer really is. There were parts of Her Last Move I found predictable but then the author threw in a couple of curve balls which made this novel stand out from many other police procedure novels I have read. This book is darker than some of the author’s previous books, but personally that’s the way I like them. John Marrs takes one very bold step (that’s all saying) and it worked perfectly and made the read all the more riveting. It’s certainly a book I would recommend to those who enjoy a crime procedure novel with a compelling plot

This review maybe altered slightly and edited prior to publication on my blog

Without exception, I very much enjoyed each of the author’s previous novels. It’s no secret either that John Marrs is one of my favorite authors who I often recommend to other readers. Well if someone’s looking for a new detective novel I can now recommend Her Last Move as well. This novel is his first foray into the police procedural genre, using a detective’s point of view and I have to give him another round of applause because he pulled it off in a genre I read plenty of books in: the plot is original, the cast authentic and the writing superb.

Detectives usually pair up in novels, that’s a standard deal, but I’d never read a novel about a duo like the one (Detective Sergeant) Becca forms with Joe Russell. What am I saying, I hadn’t even heard about the job of a super-recognizer before. Joe Russell is the bunny in the hat and it works brilliantly. I was sceptical of his role and his usefulness but quite fascinated as well.

I didn’t even read half the novel before I absolutely had to know if super-recognizers are really employed in the police force. Google and Wikipedia showed that Scotland Yard has a squad of over 200! Huh! The internet also provides many tests as well apparantly if you want to check if you are in doubt (or convinced) that you have this very special ability of being able to recognise 80% of faces, whereas normal people only score a good 20%.

The author peppers Her Last Move with plenty of revelations and both of the main characters have very interesting backgrounds and family relationships that are out of the ordinary and make you sympathise with them right away as they both have their own personal issues as well. I can’t say much about the investigation but I can tell you that I was hooked as soon as the first murder occured in the very first chapter because I felt I could almost touch the murderer myself. The setting of the unfortunate event was a metro station so the thought that someone can harm someone else so easily if it’s a bit crowded makes me want to keep my distance from everyone from now on, even more than before ;-). The second murder was already more gruesome and I could only guess at the reasons why the killer let his victim suffer without remorse. Marrs kept me on my toes the whole time as I was trying to figure out what connected these people and who might have been doing this but the underlying reasons are of course not easy to spot. Just when Joe’s closing in on the suspect and the story shifts into its highest gear, there’s that one big twist that happened that I was totally unprepared for and it completely knocked me out of balance. I’m talking about one VERY intense scene. I still can’t get over it. There were so many thoughts running through my head at the time and I was holding onto my dear heart too. The author kept me guessing about the outcome for sooo long, it was bloody torture and I could only think nooooo in my head. I didn’t expect this turn of events AT ALL and I loved it as much as I hated what came out of his twisted mind.

Overall, Her Last Move was amazingly entertaining so I definitely recommend!

“She’s chasing a killer. He’s watching her every move. He hides in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment. Each kill is calculated, planned and executed like clockwork.” A fast-paced, gripping novel that proves to be another success for John Marrs! The characters were all extremely well-developed and interesting, each with unique backstories. I have to be honest, I was bored at times and found myself wanting to skip chapters, but overall the book was satisfying! Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the free advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

I had a really hard time deciding what to rate this book. Personally,  I found it hard to stay engaged with it and I came to the conclusion one of the reasons was the constant spinning between the 3 main characters, Becca, Joe, and the killer. Each had their own way of seeing the situation. Each having their own internal struggles that shaped their decisions and the scope of the storyline. It just got to be a bit much for me.

Otherwise, it was enjoyable to read and I'm sure many people will enjoy it more than I did. It read at a good pace. The characters were well developed. The book had a good storyline, yet the ending was a bit predictable with the foreshadowing that was in the book.

Overall, a good read. I didn’t love it & I didn’t dislike it. I would still recommend this book; it just wasn’t a favorite of mine.

Great book, quite a shocking development, but far too much from the murderer’s point of view in my opinion. I know readers vary in how much they enjoy this, but for me it ruins the ‘puzzle’ of a really good thriller.

This book was a bit confusing to me at times. While I think the story was intriguing and definitely had some high tense spots, I sort of got lost in some areas, so I had to go down a star. I do think this author is one I'll definitely be reading more of, I love his disturbing, tense, and chilling themes and characters.
Will be recommending, using in a daily challenge, and talking about in Chapter Chatter Pub!

Right so now that I can breathe again, I can start my review, this is my first read by John Marrs and very happy to report that it certainly won’t be my last.

What an action packed book full of twists and turns. To say this grips you from page 1 is an understatement. DS Becca Vincent and super-recogniser DS Joe Russell are on the investigating team in the search for a serial killer on a spree in London. The killer is organised, methodical and leaves no trace or DNA evidence, each kill different from the other. The pressure is on as the body count rises, can they track him before its too late? With both Vincent & Russell having their own personal issues, can they put them to one side and focus?

Thoroughly enjoyed this and would highly recommend as MUST READ, can’t wait for the next one… will we find out about Linzi….. oooh that was an evil way to leave it!!!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is an excellent book! I have enjoyed all of John Marr's books but this one is my favourite. It is in part a police procedural which is a change of direction for the author, but it is definitely a cut above some of the run of the mill offerings prevalent at the moment. I loved the partnership between DS Becca Vincent and facial recognition expert Joe Russell, it brought a fresh dynamic to the genre. The pair are working together to try to identify and stop a serial killer, as they realise that there is a link between the killer's victims. Very cleverly done, some real shocking moments with an absolutely terrifying protagonist, this book certainly gave me the fear! Darker than the previous books by this author, I would highly recommend it.

I’ve never enjoyed a book about police working on a case. I’ve never even finished one. It was only because I’ve loved the author’s other books that I went for this. Thankfully I did. Blimey it was terrific.

Within 2 or 3 pages I was engrossed.

All of the John Marrs hallmarks are there - fantastic characters, compelling storyline, unexpected twists and just enough humour. In addition there was a real level of detail about the police stuff that I shockingly enjoyed. I loved the insight into the lead character’s police role, that was just fab.

This is the first book I have read my John Marrs and I couldn't put it down. The characters comes to life as readers find hunting a man who is trying to right a set of perceived wrongs or as readers will discover and eye or an eye, punishment fits the crime and whatever else you can think of to describe this killer. He focuses only on the killing as a job. Te different characters are set up in a way that no one is a waste of space.

Readers could define this as a police procedural mixed with a thriller. Readers do not start this book unless you plan o finish reading it in one sitting because you will not walk away from this story that has twist and moments of sadness as the story comes to an end.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Thomas & Mercer for the advance copy of John Marrs Her Last Move


This is a can't miss book and can't miss author! I cam going to find his other books and start reading them as well

I have absolutely loved everything else I have read by this author but for some reason this one was just okay for me. It was enjoyable to read and many people will enjoy it more than I did but it was missing something that always made his books stand out from the rest for me so I only gave this one three stars. The characters were hard for me to like and some parts of it I was able to figure out beforehand. Despite me not being a huge fan of this one I still look forward to reading future work from John Marrs. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this.

"Her Last Move" is the second book I've read by John Marrs, and I am hooked! Someone needs to give this man a movie deal because the screenplays would write themselves!

DS Becca Vincent has landed the biggest case of her career investigating a series of murders with the help of Joe Russell, a "super-recognizer" with a natural skill for facial recognition. As they race to find a clue to the killer's identity, the body count is increasing faster than they can put the pieces together.

Becca and Joe become good friends as they go through this investigation. We learn their interesting and painful back stories and can see how they would bond. We also get to know the twisted back story of the killer. If you are a fan of crime shows, you will love this book. John Marrs knows how to tell a good story, and while I'm a sucker for a happy ending in a rom-com, I'm happy to find thriller writers who understand that everything doesnt tie up in a neat little bow. I won't say anything more because I don't want to give anything away. This is simply a fantastic read!

This title is due for publication in November 2018. Pick it up. You'll be glad you did. Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for a free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Other than the blurb, I'm not giving any further info on this book. I went into it blind and am so glad I did. Her Last Move is a very exciting psychological crime thriller. It's an easy but not necessarily a fast read. I took my time reading it as I was enjoying it so much. The story unfolds slowly and steadily, ramping up the suspense and the drama. Told in three narratives, the character development in this book is superb and I loved all of the characters, even the perpetrator. I found myself thinking about the characters, especially the perpetrator (whose life we are given a great insight into), when I wasn't reading the book and regretted each time I had to put it down, anxiously waiting for the moment I could resume the story! A fantastic, brilliant read with "OMG" twists and turns of events that truly made me gasp 😱 Absolutely loved it

A pacy and addictive police procedural, a fast and satisfying read - whilst I can't say it brought anything new to the table, also there were a few little irritating cliche plot devices, overall Her Last Move is a great read for anyone who loves this genre. 

There are some unexpected moments, always a pleasure for us readers who tend to see the path of a plot more often than not through the sheer volume we read - that raised the game slightly and I thought it had a brilliantly evocative ending.

John Marrs is a good writer who knows how to tell a good and entertaining story. Her Last Move is quite dark, which I like and I will be recommending this to a few people I know will love it.