My first novel by Chris Merritt and didn’t originally realise it was the 2nd in the series but it worked well as a stand-alone. Interesting storyline and characters. Will look for the others in the series.

Really great debut, I wasn't expecting the end and I found the characters realistic and engaging. I suggested this book for my book club. Hoping they pick it up!

I have never read this author before.
I did enjoy this book andnit did move at a quick pace.
I did however manage to guess who the killer was. This was a bit disappointing.

But overall i did enjoy this book

This is the second book that I have read by this author and the second featuring DI Boateng and his team. I do enjoy their different personalities but I didn’t fully gel with Boateng in this book.

I enjoyed the plot, I felt that it slowed down towards the middle of the book so I was really pleased when the pace picked back up as I got past the half way stage. I enjoyed the writing style and DS Jones was really able to come out of her shell and I admired her spirit and determination to get the case solved despite the criticism and mocking from some of her male team members.

I did like that there were a number of potential suspects for me as to who was responsible and I was still guessing very near the end of the book. I liked that I got to see inside the killers mind and their thoughts – but I still couldn’t guess who it was – I did enjoy the ending and how it wrapped up all the loose ends.

Four stars from me – an enjoyable read!

Detective Zac Boateng receives and invitation to meet up with an old friend Troy McEwen to talk about the old days but when he arrives he finds his friend dead. The verdict is suicide but Zac has his doubts so he starts to delve deeper only to find that there is a link to another incident two decades ago and that more people who were there that day are now dead. In order to conduct a full investigation Zac will have to disclose everything he knows about what happened that fateful day and he never told anyone not even his wife Etta and he knows by revealing what he knows he could put everyone he cares about in danger.
Last Witness is a very intense gripping read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

Thank you to Bookouture, NetGalley and Chris Merrritt for the arc of Last Witness my review is honest and unbiased in any way.

This was an incredible book! Well written, gripping, with a strong storyline and really good characters.

Zac Boateng is back with a bang, when a good friend commits suicide. Or did he? As Zac investigates, there are lots of red herrings. And then someone else dies, someone connected to that terrible situation in 1998...

As in the first book, I really liked Zac, he is a strong, ethical man who has the respect of his team and the love of his wife and child. He isn't afraid to show weakness, and again, I LOVE the relationship he has with his wife, it is really special. The case he tackles in this book though, is a doozy and I did not see the twist coming, which is always a good thing.

This author is one to watch.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.

5 solid stars from me.

​I went to start book 3 in this series and suddenly realised I hadn't read book 2, how bad of me is that. So over Christmas I decided while I had a little time off work, I could play catch up on some of the series I've gotten a little behind with. Starting with this bad boy.
What a brilliant read I picked. I was introduce to Zac Boateng in book one, Bring her back. That book opened with such a gripping start it was so difficult to put it down. This one was no different. Another brilliant start to a book, and a main character who is growing on me the more I read about him. What is it with Bookouture authors, they seem to crate some of the best fictional characters there is. Mainly detectives.
This book kicks off with Detective Inspector Zac Boateng receiving a call from an old friends, a long time friend, yet when he arrives at the house there is no answer. gaining entry to the house he discovers his friend, Troy McEwen is dead. It looks like suicide to anyone but Zac, Zac is convinced that his friend would not have committed suicide.
Zac has to investigate Troy's death off the record, there is no way he can leave it at a suicide verdict, he know's different. When other things start happening that seem to relate to something that had happened in Zac and Troys past, Zac knows he's on the right tracks.
But at what expense will Zac go to to prove himself right.
A brilliant nail biting read. Any crime thriller fans will enjoy this series. There is only one thing for me to do now and that is to start book 3.

This was the second book by Chris Merritt I've read this month, and they just get better and better. The book grips you from the beginning and doesn't let go until the very end. Recommended.

Case n° 2018-104

Location: Chocolat’n’Waffles precinct

Date: Monday 24th, December 2018

Time: 7:00am

Interview n°1

Witness: Meggy Roussel

Officer Review to interview Ms Roussel regarding her activity of reading Last Witness by Chris Merritt. This is a formal interview. Ms Roussel has declined the presence of a solicitor.

 Police Officer

Are you comfortable?

 Ms Roussel

As much as one can be when sitting in a lotus position while her mind is bursting with things to say.

 Police Officer

Let’s cut to the chase then. Can you describe what you saw?

 Ms Roussel

Everything.

 Police Officer

Be more specific.

 Ms Roussel.

Okay, I’ll try. I… Saw a cover. I’ll admit I couldn’t resist. The train station image stuck with me. The darkness, the loneliness, the danger, I could feel it all. Now, I have learned to be patient, so I waited. I waited so long. Then one day I just gave in… I picked the book. I took a peak.

 Police Officer

So, you admit to having read the novel?

 Ms Roussel

There is no point in denying it, now. You caught me red-handed. But it’s okay. I would it again.

 Police Officer.
You’re admitting you would do the exact same thing with the risk of being discovered again. Can you explain why?

 Ms Roussel

Because you’d have to be crazy not to read this book!

 Police Officer

Can you elaborate?

 Ms Roussel

Do you know how hard it is to find a police procedural that keeps me up at night? I have insomnia, so I have a strict routine and it takes a lot. And I mean A LOT to make me forget about the rules and stay awake until two. Well, I’m usually awake but books are forbidden in case one is so good that my brain feeds off it and uses it as an excuse to get even less sleep than usual. That’s what happened with Last Witness.

 Police Officer

And does it explain your erratic behaviour?

 Ms Roussel

I wouldn’t call yelling ‘I knew it!!!!!!’ at 2.07am an erratic behaviour.

 Police Officer

Your neighbours disagree.

 Ms Roussel

Because they haven’t read what I read. And they’re no fun.

 Police Officer

Can you tell us what led you to this… situation, late at night?

 Ms Roussel

It is simple. I grabbed my Kindle at 4pm that day. I just wanted to chill. I wanted to tackle that frightening TBR and make a dent in this awful NetGalley backlog. The title appealed to me. I mean, witnesses, you never know if you can believe all they say, right? But also, they can be so dangerous… What can they do with the information they get? Often, they don’t ask for anything, and surely, the opening of Last Witness proved that being an unintentional witness can scar you for life. I mean. That opening? Did I tell you how good it was? How my blood went from regular to cold, to burning with adrenaline, to dead freezing?? If you start reading a book and it has this effect on you, don’t ever stop, do you hear me???

 Police Officer
I’m the one asking the questions here. So, you had fun with the beginning of a book.

 Ms Roussel

Fun is NOT the word I would use for this opening. I was scared, my body was shivering with trepidation, my brain was sizzling, trying to get all the details in. Okay, yes. I loved it. I was breathless and stunned by the impact of each chosen word. That’s when I knew.

 Police Officer

Knew what?

 Ms Roussel

That the author had won. I was hooked. His writing is razor-sharp, intense, and yet there is so much emotion coming and going, it’s bliss. Pure bliss. I know you’re gonna say everyone can write. No. No, you are so wrong. There are lots of amazing authors, I’ll give you that. But Chris Merritt? He knows how to get you hooked and unable to think of anything else than what’s awaiting you on the next page. I physically could not put the Kindle down!

 Police Officer

Was there a gun pointed at you to prevent you from putting said object on a table?

 Ms Roussel

You don’t get it, do you? The book was the gun! I read as if my life depended on it. Nothing else mattered.

 Police Officer

What made you feel this way?

 Ms Roussel

What, you’re a psychiatrist now? Sorry, officer. The plot. Obviously, it was the plot. You must be at the heart of the action on a daily basis but for my part, I get my action through books. Last Witness is taut, crazily good, mixing past and present in a way that makes your stomach churn. A sense of foreboding crept up on me. I don’t know why or how, but I cared for the characters, all of them. Zac Boaten has seen a lot during his career as a police officer. And his early days are back to haunt him. He has to deal with losing a friend, connecting dots, fighting against people who won’t listen to him, just to get to the bottom of a deadly, outstanding scheme for revenge. I loved getting to know him through the man he is now, the things eating at him, his decisions, and his family. No Super Cop, just a family guy with death at his heels. Isn’t it exciting?

 Police Officer

I am getting worried about your mental state. Do all crimes have that effect on you?

 Ms Roussel
Only the best ones. And I haven’t told you about the rest of the team. Well, the other characters, because the author didn’t create a perfect paper world. No, he filled his novel with likeable and unlikeable characters. People you judge based on what you’re given, before something happens and your opinion changes. Once. Twice. Thrice… You see, they all have a face and a body language in my mind. Again, that’s the writing’s fault. They are not soulless sculptures, they are real life guys and women. Some I’d like to chat to, like Jones, and others I’d avoid at all costs. But they made it so easy to imagine every interaction that I took a guilty pleasure in trying to figure out who to put in the good guys box, who to send to the bad place, whose arse to kick.

 Police Officer

So, you made up for your lack of real-life friends with book characters…

 Ms Roussel

You make my life sound very dull.

 Police officer

Isn’t it the truth? It still doesn’t explain the sudden screams and excitement.

 Ms Roussel

Have you ever played Cluedo? Don’t you throw your fist in the air and grin because you’ve found out who killed Mustard in the library? Don’t answer this, I know you’ve done it. We all have. It’s the same thing here! I was given suspects. Well, I suspected everyone. I had no choice but to follow Zac, try not to be freaked out by the weird chapters from an unknown narrator, and see evil close in on a good cop who had made a bad decision years back. Don’t you get it? How can our brain take so much tension and no release it when you think you’ve got the theory right? Because I had!!! I am a great detective, by the way. Do you take applications?

 Police Officer

You don’t fit the profile. Let’s go back to the crime.

 Ms Roussel

If you think waking up kids in the middle of the night is a crime, you don’t fit the profile to be a cop either! Hey, I have dealt with gruesome deaths, a million questions, and I made it out alive! I was never sure of anything until I neared the end, and even then, I was scared as hell about what was going to happen! Isn’t that brilliant??? There is a dark undertone to this series and I want more.

 Police Officer

Alright. Let’s imagine your reasons are valid. What happens next? Do you know?

 Ms Roussel

I know I won’t be the Last Witness.

7.49am End of interview. The witness is unstable and obviously still in shock. She keeps repeating the address of the website where you can get the book mentioned. She won’t apologize for having one of the best nights of her life. However, she doesn’t appear to be a danger to anyone except her neighbours…

Detective Inspector Zac Boateng receives a call to visit a friend, but when he arrives, Troy McEwen is dead. It looks like suicide , but Zac is convinced that this is not the case. As more of his former colleagues are discovered dead, Zac realises that their deaths are connected, and he could be next. Can Zac find the perpetrator before his own life is in danger?
Last Witness is the second book in the series featuring DI Zac Boateng. I haven't read the first book in the series, but I still enjoyed this one, so it can clearly be read as a standalone, but I will be catching up as soon as time allows! Zac is a very likeable character with a complex and interesting back story which kept me intrigued as I read. I was also pleased to learn more about his domestic life, as this gave him a more relatable edge, which helped me to understand the desperate nature of his situation as the plot escalated. As a police officer, Zac is committed and compassionate with strong leadership skills and a good relationship with his team, and I also enjoyed seeing these characters, particularly Jones, thrive.
From the beginning, it is clear that Zac has a secret. There are frequent references to "back then" and "1998" but it is not until much later that we find out what this means. By the time we do, the tension has reached the ceiling, and my heart was racing as I pieced together the different parts of the plot.
Many of the characters, including some of the police officers, are rather shady. This means the list of suspects is fairly long, and Merritt definitely keeps you guessing! There are several twists that threw me off the scent, but there was always something that kept me captivated.
Whilst I can't say too much about the ending without spoilers, it sets us up perfectly for the third book, and I can't wait to see what happens next.

I was a big fan of Chris Merritt’s debut novel The Murder List (since renamed to Bring Her Back) that introduced us to the character of Zac Boateng. I went into Last Witness with much excitement however I failed to engage with the main story, felt that certain things were a little bit cliched and I also didn’t enjoy the reveals and explanations that the author presented at the end.

I really liked Zac in The Murder List, especially when he went off the reservation a little bit in his quest to find out more about who killed his daughter. Here in Last Witness we once again see Zac having to go against his superiors, and also lie to his own wife. I felt that the overall story just wasn’t strong enough to warrant this kind of reaction from Zac. I became bored throughout and my eyes started to glaze over what I was reading and I just wanted to reach the end to see how everything tied together. It was an incredibly lacklustre ending. I found the policing element to be really lacking with plot hole after plot hole showing up as the story progressed. The stupidity and naivety from superior officers and also Zac’s team just had me rolling my eyes.

One of the highlights of The Murder List for me was Zac’s home life. Very rarely in this genre do we get a detective who can hold down a job and a happy marriage with a child. For the most part that’s what we get with Zac, a believable family set-up that makes him a likeable and believable character (most of the time). As the character we have come to see, I would have expected Zac to be more open and honest with his wife and not keep these secrets from her.

Unfortunately this seems to be yet another crime series that has a sub-plot that looks like it will be dragged out book after book before eventually giving us a resolution and that sub-plot is the death of Zac’s daughter with this book ending on a bit of a cliffhanger surrounding that. I am not a fan of books that drag these plots out for years on end but I feel invested enough in Zac’s story that I do want to read on and see what happens. Ultimately though I found this book to be rushed, lacking in suspense and believability and just feel there isn’t anything special about it to make it stand out in a crowded genre.

Set in South East London, Last Witness opens with Detective Zac Boateng receiving a text message from his old friend and former colleaoge, Troy McEwen, that reads "Can you come over. We need to talk about back then." On arriving on Troy's house, however, Zac finds his friend dead from a gunshot wound. Officially ruled a suicide, Zac finds it hard to accept Troy would've killed himself and suspects he was murdered. But by whom?

Investigating 'off-book', what Zac discovers leads him to believe Troy's death is linked to an event that took place in 1998 - an event that only those present know the truth about; one that's haunted him and of which he's never spoken about since.

When another officer who was present that fateful day is also found dead, Zac's suspicions are confirmed. Someone else knows what he did and is exacting their revenge. But that means Zac's secret has also placed him firmly in the killer's crosshairs...

In creating Zac Boateng, Chris Merritt has brought a wonderfully interesting character to life. Married and devoted to Etta, the couple have a young son, Kofi and on the surface the threesome appear to have a happy home life. However, five years previously Zac and Etta's daughter, Amelia, was gunned down in a drive-by shooting. Her killer was never caught. This story-line features more prominently in The Murder List (aka Bring Her Back), the first novel in the series, and takes a backseat in this sequel, yet Zac's need for vengeance remains and this personal tragedy is an essential part of his character. A decent, honourable man who's good at his job, Zac also has a dark, rebellious side. He isn't afraid to circumvent procedure if the end justifies the means.

I also really like the fact that the author chose to make his detective a member of the BAME community. For a large multi-cultural city like London, high-ranking black police officers are still rather rare, both in fiction and real-life. Scenes in which Zac relays anecdotes about Anansi folk tales and Ghanian culture to his son, Kofi, and others in which the Boateng family sit down to eat traditional West African fare, the recipes having been handed down through generations, help add an authenticity to the background the author's created for his detective.

For most of Last Witness the events that took place in 1998 are referred to as 'back then' and while I can see how that may frustrate some readers, the author's deliberate vagueness compelled me to keep turning the pages. What DID happen in 1998? You'll have to read the book to find out!

All in all I found Last Witness to be an engrossing, fast-paced police-procedural that gripped me from the first chapter and held my attention throughout, and I have no hesitation in recommending this series to crime fiction aficionados.

What if you made a mistake and it came back to kill you?

In a clever, noir, and intriguing tale, Merritt writes about a suicide case that could have possibly been a murder. While it took me a while to get into the story, once the secrets, lurking in the shadows, came to light, I couldn't stop reading.

It must be a demonstration of excellent characterisation when you read the next book in a series and meeting familiar characters is like reuniting with old friends. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting up with Zac Boateng, Etta and Kofi and Kat Jones and the team. The story line was good, but at times I did get muddled with Operation Spearhead and the investigation into Troy's death. I wasn't sure if they were meant to be running in parallel or intersecting at some point. I didn't think that Evans added much to the story, except to confuse matters even more. That aside, Zac's rogue behaviour was again absorbing. He spends so much time policing 'off piste' it's a wonder he ever gets anything done! The Cleaver Street aspect of the story was by far the superior component of the book, and the part I enjoyed the most. It was good to see Etta branching out a bit; she's a great character and I'd love to read more about her. A good story and I'll definitely read more by Chris Merritt.

A brilliant continuation to a series which I look forward to reading. The author is going from strength to strength and Zac Boateng is becoming someone I want to read more about,

Second book in the series. But there's no problem reading it as a standalone. A very fast paced crime/police book. I kept turning the pages. Highly recommend it. Thanks Netgalley and Bookouture.

I hadn’t read the first book in this series featuring Detective Zak Boateng but it certainly didn’t spoil my enjoyment of this this book.
Zac has a text from an old friend Troy, who wants to see him. But when Zac arrives Troy is dead, apparently having committed suicide by shooting himself. The case is closed but Zak is convinced it is murder so he starts his own enquiries. More people that Zak now turn up dead and he realises that they are all connected to an incident in his past and believes that he will be the next victim. We learn, as the story progresses, about the incident in 1998 that went wrong and about all the lies and secrets that have been kept. This book was a gripping and tense read with a very intricate plot, plenty of twists and turns and a story full of intrigue. An excellent read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I want to thank Bookouture and Netgalley for this partnership.

I was immediately attracted by the cover, we see a man walking on the platforms of a station and the catchphrase: And if you made a mistake and it came back to kill you?

It all starts when Zac's old friend Troy is found dead at home: suicide verdict. But Zac thinks of a murder made up in suicide and he is sure he will be next on the list. Investigating Zac will come across an affair more than ten years old where mistakes would have been made. Especially as the number of victims increases.

A thriller read in one go, I hooked immediately to the scenario, the story was captivating, filled with suspense and twists. The pen of the author is addictive, eager to read another of his books.

EXCERPT: I didn't know people had so much blood inside them.

Hidden in the pantry, I watch through narrow slats, holding my breath. I'm so scared, I can't move - not even a millimeter. I don't think anyone has seen me, but I can see them. I saw what they did.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: What if you made one mistake and it came back to kill you?

Detective Zac Boateng’s old friend, Troy McEwen, is found dead in his home. The official verdict is suicide. But Boateng believes it was murder. And he thinks he might be next on the killer’s list.

If Troy didn’t take his own life, then who did? As he investigates, Boateng discovers a link to an incident from decades earlier. Mistakes were made that day. Lives were lost and secrets kept. Until now…

As more people who were there on that fateful day are found dead, Boateng knows that the killer is closing in on him…

MY THOUGHTS: I enjoyed meeting up with Zac Boateng, his team and family again. And while I didn't quite like Last Witness as much as Bring Her Back, it was still a fast paced and thrilling read.

The author strikes a good balance between the structure of a police procedural and the development of the characters, both in their professional and personal lives. An effective trail is laid, hinting at something sinister in Boateng’s past. Something he shared with a fellow officer who has just been found dead. Something bad enough that, if revealed, could end his career. Merritt creates a suspenseful setting with no shortage of possible suspects. I didn't know who to trust. And I am sure that we have not seen the last of some of the characters introduced here. . .

Another thing I like about this series is that the main characters are mostly 'normal' people. Yes they have pasts, and not always squeaky clean ones, but mostly they are well adjusted and lead relatively regular lives.

Although this is the second book in a series, it is perfectly able to be read as a stand-alone. But believe me, you will be missing out on a great read if you bypass Bring Her Back.

😍😍😍😍

Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Last Witness by Chris Merritt for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system.

This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

“The only mistakes you make are the opportunities you don’t react to”
Zac Boateng is back and he’s policing in his own unique way again. And it’s another personal case he’s got to solve! Old friendships die hard and Zac has to open old wounds. Painful wounds and the old friends all have something to hide….but someone wants the secrets out in the open. Who can Zac trust?!
I’m one of those people who wants to solve the case before the grand reveal. Frequently I get it wrong or I can’t settle on a suspect. But with Last Witness, just before half way through I had my suspect….and despite the author’s efforts to change my mind, I didn’t waver from my choice which does make a change. Was I right? Now that would be a spoiler and there are #nospoilers here!
I was extremely intrigued who is Jim and who he works for?? How does he fit into this complex story? He was a man I needed to keep an eye on….and I’m glad I did!
“Your sin will find you out”
This is a very tense read from Chris Merritt which I thoroughly enjoyed. And the climax!! Oh my that was brilliant! This dark crime thriller is a cracker of a read. I can’t wait for Book 3! Mr Merritt, I can’t believe you left me hanging!! I need Book 3 right now!!!!