Book Information for lwoody79
- Title
- Last to Die
- Author
- James Grippando
- Member
- lwoody79
- Publication
- HARPER TORCH (2004), Edition: First Edition
- Reading Dates
- Tags
- Collections
- Read but unowned
- Rating
- Review
- Not reviewed
- Lending
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Description
As a favor to his best friend Theo, Miami lawyer Jack Swytek reluctantly agrees to represent Tatum Knight, Theo's brother. Tatum is a thug-a hit man who claims he's gone straight. Tatum tells Jack that a woman named Sally Fenning hired him to kill her but he swears he refused the job. Now Sally is dead and she's named Tatum in her will, along with five other people, all of whom she had reason to hate. The catch is, the only one who will inherit the $46 million is the last one standing. show more Suddenly people are dying, and Jack has to find out if his client is an innocent man or a killer. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
Last to Die is a suspense murder mystery with an interesting plot. It's not your typical "Victim found murdered so who dunnit?"
Jack Swyteck has the unenviable task of defending his best friend's brother, thug-turned-angel, Tatum Knight. Knight is suspected of killing a woman, shooting her dead in broad daylight. He admits that the deceased, Sally Fenning, did approach him to play hit man but swears he turned her down. Little brother Theo believes him. It's when Knight is named in Sally Fenning's 46 million dollar will that things get complicated. For this is no ordinary bequeathment. While five other individuals are named in the will they are all people Sally hated and only one of them can inherit the money; the last one standing. Soon, show more as one would expect, people start to die.
What makes Last To Die truly interesting is the cast of characters. Every person has a unique story to tell and a past to hide. show less
Jack Swyteck has the unenviable task of defending his best friend's brother, thug-turned-angel, Tatum Knight. Knight is suspected of killing a woman, shooting her dead in broad daylight. He admits that the deceased, Sally Fenning, did approach him to play hit man but swears he turned her down. Little brother Theo believes him. It's when Knight is named in Sally Fenning's 46 million dollar will that things get complicated. For this is no ordinary bequeathment. While five other individuals are named in the will they are all people Sally hated and only one of them can inherit the money; the last one standing. Soon, show more as one would expect, people start to die.
What makes Last To Die truly interesting is the cast of characters. Every person has a unique story to tell and a past to hide. show less
This one was a bit slower than the first two I read. But they have been consistently unpredictable. I admit to being surprised a lot of the time. I still don't love the characters. Jack isn't exactly a catch. And he seems to attract the craziest of women. The women in these books, or the way they are portrayed, is a problem. But the plot has plenty of twists and turns that keeps you guessing until the end.
This was spooky getting off the ground. Then a little jolt to wake you right up. After that, it rolls along, and it takes a while to figure it out. Of course the name was easy enough, but not who it matched up to. A couple o very sly clues and you’re on the right track. It answered a very old question and brought up new ones. But I didn’t buy the sisters act for a minute!
After her daughter was murdered, Sally Fenning could not regain any love of life even after marrying for major bucks and living the high life. So she hired someone to kill her and left $47 million to the survivor of a group of six strangers. This plot had promise but I'm afraid Grippando did not do it justice. I've liked his other stuff but this was just poorly developed and the story telling was plodding. I'm adding it to the database so I'll remember I did read it :)
Sally Fenning's will includes five people she hated as her beneficiaries. Jack Swyteck is the lawyer for one the beneficiaries. The only restriction is that the last person alive inherits her 47 million dollars. The persons involved start bargaining and knocking each other off. This book has several twists that keep you guessing as to whom is going end up with the money.
I wanted to like this book because of the clever premise of the 'game' outlined in her will. But like so many books in this genre, the "shoot-em-up" ending was a bit disappointing. This was the first book by Grippando that I read; and I will probably try some of his other novels. Overall, "OK"
The third book in the Jack Swyteck series is a strong entrant. It's got greed, deception, mystery, stalking, and a character haunted by their tragic past.
The tortured character is a woman whose daughter was murdered, unable to stand life anymore she attempts to hire a contract killer to murder her however she is turned down, only to still turn up dead two weeks later.
At the reading of her will six people who made her life difficult are named in her will, all beneficiaries to 46 million dollars... if they are the last one alive.
Enter dead bodies and subterfuge.
Overall a well paced legal thriller/murder mystery that was not at all predictable and an easy pleasurable read.
The tortured character is a woman whose daughter was murdered, unable to stand life anymore she attempts to hire a contract killer to murder her however she is turned down, only to still turn up dead two weeks later.
At the reading of her will six people who made her life difficult are named in her will, all beneficiaries to 46 million dollars... if they are the last one alive.
Enter dead bodies and subterfuge.
Overall a well paced legal thriller/murder mystery that was not at all predictable and an easy pleasurable read.
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Author Information
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41+ Works 7,483 Members
Author James Grippando was born in Antioch, Illinois in 1958. He spent one year at the University of Illinois before transferring to the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he received his B.A. with high honors and his law degree with honors. While in law school, he was executive editor of the University of Florida Law Review. He was show more practicing commercial litigation with the law firm of Steel Hector & Davis for 12 years before becoming a full-time writer. He wrote his first two novels while he was still working as a trial lawyer. His novels include the Jack Swyteck series. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Some Editions
Series
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title*
- Le dernier à mourir
- Original title
- Last to die; Le dernier à mourir
- Original publication date
- 2003
- People/Characters
- Jack Swyteck; Kelsey Craven; Nate Craven; Vivien Grasso; Clarence "Tatum" Knight; Theo Knight (show all 13); Sally Fenning; Gerry Colletti; Migel Rios; Alan Sirap; Deirdre Meadows; Rene Fenning; Mason Rudsky
- Important places
- Miami, Florida, USA; Ivory Coast, Africa
- Dedication
- For Tiffany
It keeps getting better - First words
- At last the old house was quiet.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)I think you would be crazy if you didn't.
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
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- Members
- 348
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- Reviews
- 12
- Rating
- (3.57)
- Languages
- 6 — Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Portugal)
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 23
- ASINs
- 7