Some Serious “Series Building”
and A Murder Mystery Too!
Last Man Out introduces us to Dr. Andromeda “Andie” Markos,
heroine of the Markos Mystery series.
And by the end of the book, she may feel like your best friend. You’ll learn about her and the Greek culture,
transplanted to Tarpon Springs, Florida, in which she was raised. You’ll met her three best friends, her
mother, her somewhat moody teenage daughter, her philandering husband or
ex-husband (depending on who you talk to), and her new romantic interest, Sean. Sean just happens to be a detective in the
local police department and Andie’s high school boyfriend. Yep, there’s a lot of family, a lot of
history, a lot of Greek culture in this first installment of the series, and the
author does it well. Add to that her
skill in bringing the sights and smells of this Gulf Coast city to life and this
first novel involves some serious building of the series setting and its
characters.
But
don’t worry; there is a murder mystery too!
Andie treats one of the criminals early in the story, then stays
involved in the case through a combination of bad luck, coincidence, and some
meddling by one of her friends who wants to fan the flames between her and
Sean. The author maintains the story’s
tension skillfully, but overall, the pace is a bit slow, especially for a book
in the crime-thriller genre. There are
explosions and murders, but there are also quite a few chapters with only
backstory, devoid of any event that moved the plot forward. But as the first book in the series, this
heavier focus on character development and setting building is understandable. And the finale, while short, is action-filled
and tense.
Overall,
Last Man Out is a deliberately paced,
suspenseful murder mystery, introducing us to an interesting amateur sleuth,
complete with nods to her family, friends, and Greek life in a Gulf Coast
city. It’s a solid foundation for a
series.
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