DS Becca Vincent is handed her biggest case to date when she goes after a serial killer who appears hell bent on revenge of those that have wronged him, but she can't do it alone and is given the help of 'super recogniser' Joe Russell whose photographic memory can remember hundreds of faces that he may have only seen once before and together they intend to crack the case before the death toll rises any further.

I've loved all the previous books by John Marrs that I've read so far and I wondered, as this is a police procedural, a change to his usual genre of psychological thriller, how it would compare but I have to say he's totally smashed it AGAIN!  I loved the concept of this story especially the super recognisers, it brings a whole new meaning to the saying 'once seen, never forgotten'.  The characters are all extremely likeable (except the perpetrator) especially Joe and Becca and in John's true style of writing he keeps you guessing throughout how the story will pan out.  If you love a good book that keeps you on the edge of your seat then I highly recommend this one, it's pure genius!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the approval and will post my review on Amazon and Goodreads.

What an absolute corker of a book! It starts with a bang and never lets up until the final page.
A serial killer is at work in London, with several bodies turning up in a matter of days, each death more vicious and depraved than the last. But what has sent the killer on his spree? And what links the victims? Luckily DS Becca Vincent and DS Joe Russell are on the case, each with their own points to prove. Becca is a young detective out to make a name for herself and Joe is a facial recognition expert that's been assigned to the taskforce. But how do they hunt for a killer who is as meticulous as he is cunning?
This book is a real nail biter, you find yourself racing through it long into the night, while you absorb the twists and turns as the story slowly reveals itself. This is the first John Marrs book I've read, but it definitely wont be my last. I recommend this book 100%.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Her Last Move is the first book in this new police procedural series. It is also the first book that I have read by Marrs. This series is off to a great start so I can’t wait to see how it progresses.

In this story, there is a serial killer with a list of names. The killer is determined to eliminate everyone on the list. The murders are cold, calculated with different MOs. Throughout the case; it is evident that the killer is steps ahead of the investigators. DS Becca is desperate to stop this Unsub even as the body count escalates. At the same time, Becca has a daughter who desperately needs her at home. She strives to balance between her personal and professional life. Working with her is Joe, a man with an interesting skill. Joe is a super-recognizer which means that he never forgets faces. The two team up to catch London’s most terrifying serial killer.

Readers get to follow the story from Joe’s and Becca’s perspectives. Joe is a character that you can’t help but like. His personal story is moving and personality quite charming. On the other hand, I adored Becca and her family. There are chapters narrated by the villain. These narrations were intense, addictive and had my heart racing.

This case was entertaining, complex and undoubtedly, addictive. I didn’t expect it to also get emotional but with such well developed characters; it was hard not to get emotionally invested. As much as I enjoyed the twists, there is one in particular that had me frustrated. I love surprises in thrillers but that twist ended up being a total blindside. Honestly, it felt like stumbling into a ditch in the dark.

Marrs is a gifted writer. He created an exhilarating, pacy, immersive case and gave us characters to root for. Through this book, I also learned about super recognizers, a skill I wish I had. I forget faces ridiculously fast so I am always having random conversations with people who I don’t remember but I’m embarrassed to ask their names again.

I loved this book and can’t wait to read the second one in the series. I highly recommend Her Last Move by John Marrs to fans of this genre.

This is my first book by John Marrs, I am embarrassed to admit. I know, I know, I should have read The One by now, everyone I know has raved about it, and I do have a copy sat on my shelf but I’ve just not got round to it yet. Having read this book and given the standard of the writing, I’ll have to move it up the TBR pronto.

This book is a breath-taking rollercoaster of a police procedural that kept me on my toes the whole way through. Honestly, every few pages there was a new plot twist that had me exclaiming ‘What?” and ‘No, that can’t happen!’, sometimes out loud. Lucky I’m on my own a lot otherwise people might have thought I was going a bit mad. (Actually, maybe that’s why I’m on my own a lot, constantly muttering to myself over books, I’ll have to watch it).

The book starts with a bang as we are launched straight into the mind of the killer, which is not the most relaxing place to be as the author has managed to create an extremely twisted mind to perpetrate the crimes in the book and he doesn’t pull any punches with the gruesome action right from the beginning. A seemingly random set of murders in quick succession leave the police, and the reader, scratching their heads as to what is the connection between and the motive for the murders. As we get alternate chapters from inside the mind of the killer, we have a better insight and a few more clues than the police but it is still baffling and kept me guessing all the way through.

The police woman at the forefront of the investigation is a young DS who is a single parent struggling to juggle home life and work and trying to make her mark in her job. Fortuitous timing leads to a toe hold in the investigation which she believes could be the big break she is looking for, but how can she square this with meeting the needs of her family? I thought Becca was a wonderful character that I could relate to very easily and this made the book all the more compelling as I was willing things to go well for her.

My favourite aspect of the book, though, was the involvement of DS Joe Russell, who is one of the Met’s ‘super recognisers’ – police men who have a photographic memory for faces and can be seconded to an investigation to help track down a perpetrator. I found the whole process behind his involvement absolutely fascinating, and he was another complex and well-drawn character that made the story even richer and more engaging.

This book was so well plotted, I was carried along with the story with ease and the author is not afraid to make some tough decisions with the story and the characters that really took the book in unexpected directions and left me shaken and affected. The last third of the book was so exciting that I had to read it straight through without even stopping to make a cuppa (unheard of!).

This book was a fast-paced, gripping read that kept me guessing right to the end. What more could you ask for?

“I don’t know why, but sometimes you can just tell when a person has a dark soul. His was the darkest I’ve met in a long time.”

We became fans of this author with The One, and with Her Last Move, John Marrs has provided yet another gripping and thrilling read! We nearly hyperventilated whilst holding our breaths, eager to reach the conclusion in this jaw-dropping story! This author knows how to capture his readers’ imagination, he knows how to entertain his readers and he certainly has a knack for keeping us on the edge of our seats! When we’re in the mood for suspense we know John Marrs will deliver!

Her Last Move is an impressive, well-paced suspenseful story with a sinister undertone, complex and emotional characters brought together with spectacular writing that took us on an adrenaline-fuelled hunt against the clock for a serial killer hell-bent on revenge in the most gruesome of ways.

‘For the last three years, he had felt like an empty well, drained and useless. But the satisfaction of each kill was slowly filling him up. He wasn’t returning to the man he used to be but becoming a new one. An empowered one. A man who was in control of not just his fate, but the fate of others too.’

This killer holds no remorse by enacting horrifying revenge on his victims. But why? What was his motive for these shocking murders and what was the common denominator between his victims? Well, the answer lies between the pages of John Marrs latest novel, and as the twists, turns and gripping race to catch the killer ensued, we were rendered immobile, unable to move until we reached the end!

‘They only had themselves to blame for creating a monster. And one by one, the monster was going to cause them more suffering than they could have ever imagined.’

Two murders within hours of each other sets off a desperate hunt for a cruel and sadistic killer, against an oppressive London heatwave, John Marrs tells Her Last Move in three POV’s. We get inside the thoughts and reasoning of the killer, we learn the inner turmoil and sacrifices of DS Becca Vincent and DS Joe Russell, a ‘super recogniser’ with the police. Joe is able to recognise a face from countless CCTV and until now, his department is a maligned area of the police force. An anomaly to some, an unknown source to others.

Joe is brought into the search in the hope his specialty can help them identify the killer. As more brutal murder occurs, a link between the victims becomes crucial, and so begins a game of cat and mouse, as piece by piece we learn the killer’s motives along with the detectives, in what was compulsive reading!

‘Some possessed dark souls……none of them could hurt him like his mother had hurt him.’

Every chapter felt like a pulse-raising cliff-hanger, each character peeled through layers of themselves and their pasts, we learn so much about the characters, their turmoil, and inner conflict. Both Joe and Becca are struggling with demons, guilt and the demands of family and the job. Each has their secrets, each has their pain. Each has to make sacrifices.

This was an uneasy, hair-raising story that kept us guessing, whilst also moved us with some truly sad and heartbreaking moments. Joe and Becca cut such troubled characters in their personal lives as they fight to stay one step ahead of a man hell-bent on revenge. John Marrs didn’t pull any punches in this thrilling gut-churning suspense and delivered a story that left our mouths agape. What a subtle yet impactful ending to a cracking read!

Her Last Move marks John Marrs' first attempt at a police procedural novel. John Marrs has always pushed the boundaries a little in his writing - creating quirky unforgettable storylines and characters in his thrillers. Moving away from a tried and tested formula could be seen as a risk for him, but in my opinion it pays off.
Her Last Move manages what many police procedurals don't. It is original, funny in places and doesn't fall victim to the tropes so common in the genre. Having a police officer (Joe) who works as a super recogniser (which is a real thing) lends this book the quirky edge that Marrs is famous for. Neither this character, nor the female lead (Becca) fall into the stereotypical world weary, borderline alcoholic detective role. They are unique and sympathetic characters, each driven by the ghosts of their past,
They are jointly tasked with finding a killer hell bent on revenge - in the most gruesome of manners. This is not a book for the faint hearted, but it is a gripping read.
There are twists and turns a plenty, and you'll feel an array of emotions as this book hurtles towards its conclusion.
I very much hope this is not a standalone and that the story will continue in further books.

She's chasing a killer. He's watching her every move. Each kill is calculated, planned and executed like clockwork. DS Becca Vincent has landed the biggest case of her career. With a list of people he plans to kill, he knows everyone will understand why they had to die. It's personal, but what connections are there between the victims?

The story is told alternately between DS Becca Vincent, super recogniser, Joe and the villains. There are twists galore in this action packed book from the start. Some of the killings are quite violent and graphic so this won't suit every reader. Becca is not a very likeable character, she's a bit self centred and jumps to conclusions. The killers identity is revealed quite early on in this story which I don't really like as it can spoil the read and I do prefer to guess who it is. This is quite a dark read. With its fast pace this is a gripping read.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and the author John Marrs for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

You are always guaranteed a quality read from John marrs. Great story and look forward to his next book.

This was not the first book I've read of John Marrs, and I have a few waiting to read on my Kindle which I've bought because I loved his others. There's a poignant freshness about his style. It superbly conveys the structure of modern society with all its flaws and weaknesses with bucketsful of political correctness. It's impressively executed. DS Becca Vincent and Joe Russell are the main characters. Becca's account of how difficult it is to be a single mum with a Down's syndrome child and work a stressful job with erratic, long hours is moving. Her love and guilt for her child whom she fears she is neglecting, poignant and heartbreaking in more than one way. Joe is gay and in an established marriage with Matt. Joe is urgently wanting to find a lost relative. Becca and Joe are trying to unravel the case of a determined serial killer with a massive grudge. The portrayal of the gruesome perp was astoundingly perceptive, and despite everything, I toyed with compassion over the life he'd led. Not that it excused his actions. At one point the plot is so shocking it reduced me to tears. I thought it was a very ambitious, daring twist. I liked the references to television and celebrities as well as social media. It gave the plot so much depth and a grounding. I loved the ending. Thank you, NetGalley and Thomas Mercer.

I really like John Marrs as a writer and this is the third book of his I've read.
It's not as chilling as The Good Samaritan, but it is a gripping story.
I was put off by the amount of "I said thanks to God" and "I prayed to God" peppered throughout it, it was a bit out of place and unnecessary with the story.
I also think that they could have gone into a bit more detail about Becca's relationship with Maisie, and the conflict there and troubles she had with her etc. there was a lot of scope there to explore more.

Review in full to come as part of Website re-launch and interview with the author.

Review expected online week of November 10th.

I have read all of John Marrs books and this could well turn out to be my favourite one.
It had me gripped from the very first page to the last. The writing is sublime, the characters are well drawn and the storyline is up to date which made for a compelling read.
Highly recommended!

An absolutely gripping and intriguing storyline that sends shivers down your spine and gets into your mind. The writing is flawless and this is one book that can be honestly described as full of twists and turns. A huge 5*

If you’ve read books by John Marrs before then you may wonder after reading the first few pages of Her Last Move where this one is going! This is a rather different storyline for this author as it’s more of a police procedural novel but DO NOT FEAR!! Once the plot develops, you’ll soon see the authors signature style of darkly, disturbing crime scenes is still there along with some VERY shocking twists!

I found Her Last Move fascinating for two reasons apart from the storyline itself. One was the use of the facial recognition expert Joe. This caused me to google the term to see if this was a real “thing” and I didn’t just find out that it was but also that I am a potential super recogniser myself! The background to how they are used within the police force and the results that they get are truly amazing so I’d recommend looking into it further if this part of the narrative intrigues you as much as it did me!

The other part of the storyline that really resonated with me was how the relationships Becca had within her family were dealt with. As someone who lives in a similar situation, I found this part of the book to be handled perfectly so that all of the emotional responses Becca and Helen brought to the surface were delivered with a natural depth of feeling. This provided a real contrast to the depravity of the unknown serial killer although it was obvious that the reasoning behind their spree was also of a personal nature. I loved the fact that I felt a real connection to all the characters (apart from the vile, despicable serial killer ofcourse!) and Joe especially stood out for me. His backstory was intriguing and as the layers of his personality were slowly unwrapped, my admiration increased of how he used his “gift”.

This was an addictive read that shocked and surprised me throughout. John Marrs has created a police procedural that delivers his own unique brand of unsettling storytelling in a more traditional setting but it worked far better than I expected. Yes there are some rather distressing scenes but overall I really liked this crime thriller!

This was a great read but different to how I expected it.
Becca is a DS who teams up with Joe who works as a super recogniser for the Police. His skills are needed to identify a sick individual who is on a murder spree.
The deaths come in quick succession and Becca and the team ask Joe for his help to help catch the killer.
Becca is juggling being a single mother with her job and is struggling to cope with both.
With the body count rising, time is not on their side. the attacks are striking closer and closer to home.
We get an insight into the killer’s mind and know he has a list of people he wants dead and he is punishing them for something they’ve done to ruin his life.
Becca and Joe need to uncover the connection between the murders before the killer strikes the last name from his list and it’s a real race against time.
I won’t spoil it for you but the last death was a shock and has serious repercussions for the killer.
Thanks to Thomas and Mercer and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Compelling, fresh, and utterly disturbing, HER LAST MOVE by John Marrs is everything I didn't know I wanted in a book and completely unputdownable.

DS Becca Vincent is juggling her career, which seems to have stalled and being a good mother which she always feels she is failing at. When a murder case falls into her lap, Becca is determined to show her boss what she can do and when it becomes obvious that they have a serial killer on the loose, Becca will join forces with Joe Russell, a super-recogniser, to take this monster down. But the monster always seems to be one step ahead of the game, methodical and sadistic and he has his eyes set closer to home than Becca could ever imagine.

This book scared the living bejaysus out of me because it was realistic with characters that you could meet at any time and be completely oblivious to the horror hiding behind a friendly smile. The pace is perfect with enough detail to really hook you in without overdoing it, and I loved the super-recogniser aspect of the story which takes the old phrase 'I never forget a face' to a whole new level.

HER LAST MOVE by John Marrs is a tense, dark, and absorbing thriller that will take you by surprise at many points of the story and leave you wanting more. I don't think this is the beginning of a new series but I would love it if it was! A must-read for crime fiction, psychological thriller, and thriller fans alike.

Read in almost one sitting, this is a fast paced action packed police procedural. It is a little different from the author’s usual type of story but just as engaging. A very easy read despite the grisly outcomes!

A few red herrings along the way meant that whilst I had worked out some of it, i was taken by surprise on a couple of occasions.

Great characters, human interest and realistic incidents.

5* Really enjoyable read

John Marrs has done it again in this reliably entertaining and twisty thriller, as always I know to make the time to read this book in a single sitting because I will not be able to put it down, and this indeed proved to be the case. The book opens with a murder in an underground railway station, as told from the killer's perspective, and throughout the book we are given chapters from this angle, which I have to admit greatly added to my enjoyment of the book.. The heart of the book and it's most empathetic character is DS Becca Vincent, a commuter at the station who witnesses the crime, and then finds out that it may be much more than it seems when she learns that the victims flatmate was killed that same day. As more bodies begin to pile up, each killed in a different gruesome manner, it soon becomes clear that the killer has a hit list, and he won't be stopped unless he is caught. What makes Becca such a relatable character is her struggle as a single mum, juggling the demands of work and her adopted daughter who has a tragic history of her own. I also really liked the character of DS Joe Russell, a so called super recogniser, an idea I found fascinating. I admire the way his sexual identity was handled and simply allowed to be part of the story rather than a defining aspect of his character.
Chapter by chapter the tension builds as a cat and mouse chase takes place and the final expose is nothing if not dramatic. While having the identity of the killer revealed a little earlier than in many thrillers may have been a risk, I really feel it has paid off in this case and the final dramatic showdown is nothing short of nail biting.
Clever, well crafted and supremely entertaining, I would not hesitate to recommend this book.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own .

This book opens in London, with an unknown perpetrator preparing to kill the first person on his list, before moving on to his next target. Within hours, two men are dead in two completely different, yet equally gruesome manners, and their only connection is they have the same tattoo and they were room mates.

DS Becca Vincent happens to be present to witness the aftermath of the first death, and steps in to assist. As a single mom, she feels that younger, less experienced colleagues are getting promoted over her, and following the discovery of the second murder, she believes this is the kind of case that will highlight her skills and cement her standing within the department, so she fights her way onto the investigation. DS Joe Russell, a facial recognition expert, is brought in to review the CCTV footage to help identify the perpetrator, but not before he strikes again. It appears London has a serial killer on their hands, and the authorities must work quickly to determine the connection between the victims if they have any hope of stopping him.

The novel initially unfolds from the POV of Becca, Joe, and the killer, but unexpectedly drops to two. As the motives of the killer are slowly revealed, the reader may find they sympathize with aspects of his life, but cannot deny his mind is deeply fractured and his methods are disturbing. While it concludes with a not-quite unexpected ending, the rest of the book is good, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys police procedurals. And the links to articles about facial recognition experts is a nice bonus!

NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer kindly provided me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

DS Becca Vincent is struggling to balance motherhood and move on her career in the police force when she witnesses the death of a man at a tube station, without realising it she’d just stumbled onto the biggest case of her career.

A second body turns up Becca sees a link with the body and the man in the tube station, she’s tasked to liaise with Joe Russell, a facial recognition expert otherwise known as a super recogniser.

More bodies start to turn up, each more gruesome than the next, the team are struggling. How will they catch a killer who’s always one step ahead of them?

So John Marrs has been on my radar for a while now, in fact I have two of his other books languishing unread on my kindle (I know I have a problem, I really need to stop buying books and not reading them!) and I’m kicking myself that I haven’t gotten round to reading his books sooner!

Now I love police procedural but I’m always on the look out for something with a bit different or unusual, so I jumped at the chance to read this specifically as it has super recognisers in it. I’ve been fascinated with them since I watched a program about them last year. Their job must be quite hard trawling through hours of CCTV footage looking at criminals faces.

I felt for Joe. He wants to find his sister Linzi so badly after she went missing when they were just children, he’s taken to searching for her wherever and whenever he can yet his super recogniser skills seem to be letting him down.

Becca is another good character, although I didn’t like her quite as much as Joe. At first I thought she was a bit selfish, putting her career before her disabled child but the reasons for this become apparent as you’re reading, it’s tear worthy is all I’m saying on that!

We also get inside really get inside the head of a twist and deranged serial killer, hell-bent on revenge but as we go on you see the more human side of him trying to get out. Weirdly, I actually felt kind of sorry for him!

Her Last Move is a real rollercoaster of a book, with so much tension, twists and shocks, I raced through it. It’s absolutely addictive!