Review: Last Seen Alive by Claire Douglas

Journalist turned novelist, Claire Douglas, has a new mystery and Kerry Hammond is here today with her review.

Last Seen Alive by Claire Douglas releases on June 26 from Harper publishers. This is the author’s third standalone novel after working as a journalist for 15 years. It’s the follow up novel to her bestsellers The Sisters and Local Girl Missing.

In the book, Libby and her husband Jamie are going through a rough patch. Libby has just suffered a miscarriage and the couple’s marriage is under a lot of stress. It seems like a dream come true when they are contacted about a house swap. A wealthy couple with a seaside home is looking for a place in the city where they can be close to their daughter while she gets medical treatment. Libby feels like to swap is unfair—a beautiful estate for a small apartment—but she knows that she and Jamie need the break.

The trip is strained from the beginning, but when Jamie gets violently ill and needs hospitalization, Libby really feels like someone is out to get them. Jamie thinks she’s paranoid, Libby thinks they’re being watched, and the whole time the secrets that Libby is keeping are slowly creeping to the surface. What really happened nine years ago in Thailand when a fire took the lives of several people, including Libby’s friend? It seems that Libby will do anything to keep that from Jamie.

The book was a roller coaster ride, but one where the rider is blindfolded. I never knew where it was going or how it would end. The plot was extremely creative and believable at the same time. It was a cleverly told story that kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end, and then stayed with me for days afterward. 

Douglas did a great job of keeping the tension going and giving out information little by little, keeping the reader wanting more. This is a great thriller you can take with you on this year's summer vacation.