Hillary’s Final Case by Faith Martin

Hillary’s Final Case by Faith Martin
Publisher: Joffe Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Can Hillary finally close the case of the missing young women?

Can she take down one of Oxfordshire’s most wanted criminals?

Can she handle her new boss?

Can she help one of her team get answers on his long lost sister?

And will she really get married and leave her beloved boat?

FIND OUT THE ANSWERS IN THE FINAL HILLARY GREENE BOOK!

Hillary Greene has returned to Thames Valley Police HQ, acting as a cold-case consultant for the Crime Review Team, looking into murders which the police have never been able to solve.

This is a crime mystery full of well-observed characters, which will have you gripped from start to the absolutely thrilling conclusion.

Hillary’s life is reaching another changing point – with a new boss, a new series of linked missing girl cases and a huge change in her personal life. Can Hillary keep her wits about her as things reach their inevitable tipping point?

I was pleased to see that – despite the title – this is not the final book in the series. The author had taken a sabbatical from the series so it was quite a relief to find there are still a few more books to come.

Retired DI Hillary Greene has been solving cold cases for a while now, but her last case opened a can of worms that I was pleased to see take center stage in this book. This particular plot has been percolating a while in the background and I found it deeply satisfying to see it all come to a head. I was even quite impressed I guessed some of these answers myself though there was still plenty of mystery to keep me eagerly turning the pages.

I do feel this book can be enjoyed by itself – but have to admit readers who have read some of the previous installments might find a greater emotional connection and satisfaction than someone just picking the book up on a whim. This is quite a culmination and having read the series myself I could see some of the hooks and I grasped the slightly different sense this book had.

Readers who enjoy a British police procedural mystery should find this a solid read with a good and complicated plot and a fresh, somewhat modern take on the regular mystery. I have been greatly enjoying this whole series and found this an excellent addition. Recommended.