Book Review: Her Last Breath

Title: Her Last Breath

Author: Taylor Adams

Publisher: William Morrow

Publication Date:

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I'll be honest—I'm a huge Taylor Adams fan ever since I picked up No Exit, and Her Last Breath reminded me exactly why I keep coming back to his work. Tense and taut thrillers, traveling at breakneck speed. This is no exception.

Taylor Adams has this wicked talent for making you feel like you're suffocating right alongside his characters, and Her Last Breath might be his most claustrophobic yet. What begins as two friends on a caving trip—shy, broke Tess and her influencer bestie Allie—turns into something so much darker when they meet a stranger underground who clearly has no good intentions.

But here's where Adams gets you: just when you think you know what's happening, he pulls the rug out. Twice. Those plot twists hit like physical blows, completely flipping everything you thought you understood about who's the victim and who's the predator.

The whole thing unfolds through different timelines and perspectives, but it never feels gimmicky. Instead, it's like watching someone slowly peel back layers of lies until you realize the most terrifying question isn't "Will she survive?" but "Who exactly survived?" Because as one character puts it, "the killer always gets to tell the story, and the victims are only ever trapped inside it." This becomes the novel's central tension—questioning whose version of events we can trust when there's no one left to dispute the survivor's account.

I've never been caving and now I definitely never will. Adams doesn't just trap you in those narrow crawl spaces and rising water—he traps you in the horrible realization that sometimes the people you know the best are the people you know the least.

A big thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Book Review: Antihero

Title: Antihero

Author: Gregg Hurwitz

Publisher: St Martin's Press

Publication Date: February 10, 2026

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I'll be honest—those early pages with the drugged-up thugs nearly lost me. But once Hurwitz gets Evan Smoak into his real mission, the story found its footing and evolved into something more meaningful than just another action-packed mission.

This isn't your typical Orphan X rampage. When Anca, the assault victim Evan wants to help, looks him dead in the eye and tells him he has no right to kill for her—that he's not a hero but an antihero—it's like watching someone pull the rug out from under everything we thought we knew about the Nowhere Man. She makes him promise not to kill her attackers, and watching Evan wrestle with that promise? Pure gold. This is moral complexity rather than black and white thinking and fundamentally challenges everything the Nowhere Man represents.

This moral tension becomes the novel's greatest strength. Evan's character development feels genuine as he grapples with concepts beyond his usual black-and-white worldview. Hurwitz skillfully shows us a man learning that "there is no weakness in emotion" and that his rigid code must evolve. 

What got me most was seeing this unstoppable killing machine completely fall apart during a simple dinner date with Mia. The guy who can handle any life-or-death situation can't manage small talk over pasta. That scene alone is worth the price of admission because it shows just how broken Evan really is beneath all that deadly competence.

The author's exploration of vulnerability versus vengeance gives real depth to what could have been just another thriller. When Evan realizes his code "weighed more now" and creates a new commandment—"If you feel more, you have to feel more"—it represents genuine character growth that feels earned rather than forced.

Hurwitz succeeds in crafting a story that questions the very nature of heroism and justice. This isn't just about whether Evan will complete his mission, but whether he can evolve beyond the limiting confines of his own moral certainties. The result is a thriller that entertains while genuinely challenging both its protagonist and readers to consider the complex shades of gray between justice and vengeance.

A big thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Book Review: Other People's Houses

Title: Other People's Houses

Author: Clare Mackintosh

Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark

Publication Date: September 16, 2025

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I dove into this latest DC Morgan thriller expecting a solid crime read, but Mackintosh completely blindsided me with how cleverly she wove together multiple criminal cases, both current and cold. The story immediately draws you into The Hill, an exclusive Cheshire neighborhood where break-ins are escalating, while across the border in Wales, DC Ffion Morgan is investigating the suspicious death of an estate agent found in a lake.

The plot's complexity never feels overwhelming, instead building layers of intrigue that kept me constantly second-guessing my theories about who was behind the crimes. The author demonstrates remarkable plotting prowess, managing to keep the true culprits hidden until the final reveal.

Character development remains one of Mackintosh's strongest suits, particularly with DC Ffion Morgan. In this installment, we see meaningful growth in Ffion's character, especially regarding her commitment to both her personal relationships and professional responsibilities. Her evolution feels authentic and adds emotional depth to the procedural elements.

The investigation methodology and the way the separate cases eventually collide feels both organic and satisfying. Mackintosh expertly builds tension while exploring themes of secrets, privilege, and the lengths people will go to protect their carefully constructed lives behind closed doors. By the final chapters, I was completely absorbed, racing to see how all the threads would come together.

A big thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.