Her Last Move is the first book by John Marrs that I have read and it was an enjoyable crime story with a number of twists and turns including one towards the end of the story that I wasn't expecting.

The 2 main characters, Joe & Becca, both work for the Met and are involved in the investigation of a series of murders that on first fight do not appear to be connected.

The story is well paced and engaging and is recommended

UN-FREAKING-BELIEVABLY GOOD!!! I don’t think the world will ever have enough books by John Marrs, my kindle/book case definitely won’t. I am obsessed by his books and this one is yet another amazingly written, thrilling and captivating example of John Marrs’s writing magic.

Time works against DS Becca Vincent in chase of serial killer who seems to be choosing his victims randomly. How to trace someone who is untraceable? Maybe bringing facial recognition expert will do the job… Becca has landed the case of her career if not lifetime. Chase is on and everything else has to wait. This case feels more personal by each day and Becca has to catch him, no matter what. Her family and life has to go aside until serial killer is behind bars and murders stopped.

Chase. Reading this book certainly felt like a chase! I didn’t seem to read fast enough to catch up with the story. It was so engaging and exciting, I felt like my heart rate was speeding up by a minute. And then, way to soon, the book was over and book hungover has set in. What an impossible task to choose what to read next after such an amazing book, right?

I will try not to repeat myself in expressing my awe over this talented author and simply say: Get this book as soon as it becomes available and read away!!!

Wow that was one heck of a roller-coaster ride, absolutely thrilling from start to finish.

Given that this is the authors first venture into the genre of police procedure, it is a very impressive read, it has a brilliant story plot, well thought out dialogue, well written characters that were real and believable, a bit of goriness which makes you cringe and plenty of guessing as to how it would all end.

As much as I enjoyed the book, there was one part of the story's outcome that I didn't like and when it happened, I was like No no no, so I was a little sad by that, but I can see why the author did it.

As for the rest of the ending to this book, it was brilliant and there was a shocking twist at the end, which I totally didn't see coming.

So final words, if you haven't read a book by John Marrs before, I can highly recommend that you read one at the very first opportunity you have, you won't regret it.

John Marrs is an auto-buy author for me, meaning I'll read anything he writes. When I found out he had a new book, Her Last Move, coming out, I couldn't wait to request it on Netgalley! Regular readers of my blog and reviews know by now that I love books that involve some element of stalking, and this one did, and I loved it. 

The book alternates between three POVs - our protagonist Becca, who is a detective hoping to have her big career break on this case, Joe, a "super-recognizer" that works for the police, and our unnamed killer. I really enjoyed the killer's chapters and getting that creepy insight into his twisted mind. I was constantly trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together, and while I was able to figure out part of the mystery, there were other pieces that I didn't see coming, so I really enjoyed the twists and turns throughout the story. 

I feel like Marrs did an excellent job of developing all three of our POV characters. I felt like I could feel Becca's internal struggle as she fails to balance a career that the loves with her home life. I loved Joe's character - he was one of my favorites. His knack for remembering faces can be both a blessing and a curse. Lastly, the killer. He was dark, and twisted, and it was clear that he had a motive, but unclear what that motive was until later in the book. 

All in all, I loved the book, and I loved the ending. It started off with a bang, and kept up it's momentum throughout the book. If you're a fan of Marrs' other books, or if you enjoy reading police procedurals, I think this will be a winner for you!

What seemed like an entertaining, but very standard thriller, quickly became an engrossing and surprising page turner. Marrs is excellent at turning things on their head after luring the reader into a false sense of security, and it makes for an unexpectedly emotive read.

The author also deserves kudos for creating such a loathsome, but fleshed out, antagonist.

This was an ARC in exchange for an honest review. With thanks to Netgalley and Amazon UK

After reading The Good Samaritan, I immediately added John Marrs to my must read all his books list. Lucky for me, it wasn't his debut, and I have since read and enjoyed his other books. I was excited to read the book description for Her Last Move and once again, his writing drew me in from the first page.
DS Becca Vincent feels like her career is going nowhere and her personal life is a mess. She desperately wants the chance to prove herself at work and when she connects the dots between seemingly unrelated murders, she gets her wish and is on the hunt for a serial killer. Joe Russell works in an elite police unit, using his talent for facial recognition( I thought this was made up but Google provided a ton of information and this is a real skill, who knew) to recognize and apprehend criminals. Becca and Joe work together to catch this killer who seems to always be one step ahead of the police as he terrorizes the city. With few leads and no idea what motivates this killer, Becca and Joe race against the clock determined to end this killing spree.
The author lets us know early on the identity of the killer and as the story progresses, we learn the connection between the victims as well as his reasons for killing. I liked how the perspective shifts from Becca to the killer, and Joe, and I suppose the killer should have been my least favorite character, but I have to say I never totally 'warmed up' to Becca. Her personal and professional struggles felt real but her reactions had me shaking my head more than once. I did not see how the author would pull everything together and the ending surprised me. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Her Last Move as it was a fast-paced page-turner.4.5 shiny stars.
I received a DRC from Thomas & Mercer and Amazon Publishing UK through NetGalley.

3.5 stars (rounded up)

“HE” has a list of people that he plans to kill. And, he just knows the everyone will understand WHY each victim had to die, once he explains the reasons why...

Yes, it’s personal.

BUT what is the connection between the victims?

Tasked with solving this mystery are DS Becca Vincent and Joe Russell, a member of the Super Recognizer task force (yes, I googled it, and there IS such a department! 🤓)

Each of them has lost a sibling, and neither has fully recovered from their loss.

And, each is also battling a “personal demon”.

But will these things, become twists in the story?

OR, are are they just “red herrings” the author uses to develop the characters or throw his readers off track?

That is one of the things that John Marrs excels at doing, and I will never tell! 🤫

Although I did not enjoy this book as much as his previous books, “The One” or “The Good Samaritan”, I would still recommend it for readers who enjoy police procedurals, and I will always eagerly look for his next book!

Also of interest are the articles (links provided) about the real life facial recognition experts being used in the field today...

I would like to thank Netgalley, John Marrs, and Amazon Publishing, UK for the ARC provided in exchange for a candid review. This title will be available on Nov 8, 2018 so you don’t have to wait long to receive your copy!!

She's chasing a killer. He's watching her every move.

He hides in the shadows and wait for the perfect time. Every kill is calculated and perfectly executed. Young DS Becca Vincent has just landed the biggest case of her career, one that will either make or break her. To catch the killer, she joins forces with facial recognition expert Joe Russell but they soon find out he is always one step ahead. With the body count rising, will Becca and Joe be able to uncover the connection between the murders before the last name on the hit list is scratched?

The story was fast paced and addicting with numerous twists throughout the entire novel, even more so with the ending! It contained very well written characters who all had interesting stories. This was my first John Marrs book and it got my attention from page one up until the very last word. An absolutely gripping thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. I will be adding his previous books on my TBR list!

Thank you to NetGalley, John Marrs and Amazon Publishing UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 Stars* (rounded up).

The body count keeps rising and neither DS Becca Vincent or the rest of her team are able to work fast enough to track the killer. Knowing that time is of the essence, Becca calls in the help of super facial recognition expert Joe Russell. If Joe can’t find this guy, well then, all bets are off. One by one, the murders get more gruesome and more personal with Becca and Joe racing to try and figure out what their connection is.

As the tension mounted in this crazy mystery / suspense, so did my anxiety. "Her Last Move" is one John Marrs novel that improves as it goes on. Recommended for fans of police procedurals.

This was another great buddy read with Kaceey!

Thank you to NetGallley, Amazon Publishing UK and John Marrs for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 10.22.18.

I've read all this author's previous stand alone books with mixed reception, so I was a little wary when I saw that he had turned his hand to one of my favourite genres; the Police Procedural. This being my bread and butter, go to genre, I was interested to see how he would fare and, on the whole, I think he did a good job.
We follow Becca, a young DS who is just at the start of her promotion to the rank and looking to make her mark, at the same time as finding her feet within the Met. She inveigles herself onto a high profile murder case when she spots a connection, and is soon teamed up with Joe, a Super Recogniser, a little know branch of the Met, the two of them tasked with identifying suspects. To say that the two of them have teething trouble working together initially would be a bit of an understatement, Becca is juggling her work with being a single mum and Joe appears to have his own issues (no spoilers) but they do manage eventually to put their issues aside and get on with the job in hand. This being quite key as the body count is increasing rapidly with no end in sight.
Where this was a good solid read on the whole, I did have to accept more than I would have liked along the way. A few things were also a bit implausible and I did a fair bit of eye-rolling along the way. Some of the situations and resolutions did feel a little contrived rather than being natural. It also went above and beyond the necessary cliche of damaged main characters and there was a little too much personal stuff getting in the way of the main story; for me anyway. This can be forgiven more if the book turns out to be part one of a series and we see certain characters develop further along the way. Either way, I never really warmed to Becca. I've not wanted to slap a MC so much for a while, but she was really whiny at times.
Now for the good bit. I was really interested and intrigued by the concept of Super Recognisers. Being extremely challenged in this, especially with respect of recognising people out of context, I was completely rapt by the description of and work done by this little known department.
Also good were the actual murders but, be warned, they are a tad on the gruesome side. The killer is a bit of a nasty one truth told. Me, I love that stuff, the more gruesome the better but if you aren't then brace yourself!
All in all, above comments aside, this was a reasonably solid first attempt at the genre. It did keep my attention nicely throughout (eye-rolling aside) and left me satisfied at its conclusion. I keep wondering if the author will break with tradition and make this book one of a series, hopefully featuring more from Joe. Personally, as he has shaped Joe so well in this book, it would be a shame to leave him here and, anyway, I want to read more about Super Recognisers.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Twisty and terrifying! This is not your standard detective vs killer story!

Prologue:
We are in the shoes of an unknown individual (I will use 'he' for simplicity). He's weaving through the packed crowds of the tube station, following a large man named Demitru. He has been stalking Demitru for some time and he knows his daily movements, which is what he's counting on. He closes in, closer and closer, using the crowd to remain unnoticed. Standing directly behind Demitru he stabs him with a syringe. What happens next is the beginning of his quest to eliminate the people on his list, one by one.

******
Detective Becca Vincent has put nearly everything into her career, now she's landed a place on a high profile murder case and she wants nothing more than to solve it. But what price will she pay at home?
The description sounds like the standard detective storyline, I know. But hold on....
It's not! Her Last Move by John Marrs has a ton of unusual twists throughout the entire storyline, with all three elements, the characters, the killer, and the victims.
I've never read a book like it. So is that a good thing?
For me it's a very good thing! I loved it!
I was completely unprepared all the shocking events that occur throughout the entire story,
Highly recommended!

This is my first book by John Marrs but it won't be my last!

Thanks to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK, and author, John Marrs, for my uncorrected advanced digital copy in return for my honest review.

This is the second book by this author that I have read, and it was a brilliant read from start to finish. The storyline, the characters, there was nothing about it I didn’t like. Highly recommended.

This was the perfect combination for me- a John Marrs book which is a Crime thriller. Wow- it didn’t disappoint. Everything about this book was perfect: great fast moving plot, brilliant team of detectives, especially the main characters Becca and Joe, and a thrilling end to the book. Great Plot which grabbed me from the first page and lots of twists and turns. I will be recommending this to many friends. Can’t wait to see what John Marrs writes next?

John Marrs has done it again! Another amazing page turner!

This time Marrs writes his first police procedural book. The complexity of his characters along with the detail he uses in his writing is superb! He manages to give you just enough information to make you wonder, to make you really think as you try to solve this crime and the reasons behind it.

He brings in just enough of the sick and twisted inner makings of a killer on the loose and at points makes your pulse quicken as you devour the pages to find out what happens.
Brilliant!

An intriguing, enjoyable, fast paced and different crime novel. A broad cast of complex characters with several unexpected twists and a shocking conclusion combine to make this a recommended read

This is my third book by John Marrs, having previously read – and loved – When You Disappeared and The Good Samaritan. The author certainly cannot be accused of writing predictable or 'safe' stories. Instead, he grabs the reader from the outset and takes them on a journey filled with drama, tension and some real edge-of-the-seat moments.
Her Last Move differs to his other work, in that it focuses on the efforts of CID officer DS Becca Vincent and DS Joe Russell – a police 'super recogniser' – to track down a brutal killer. I'm sure I'm not alone in being dubious about people having 'an in-built facial recognition that's better than a computer', but they do exist.
The story flits between the perspective of the two police officers and the murderer himself, deftly peeling away layers to reveal his motive and the reasons behind his gruesome choice of killing methods. It builds up to a nail-biting crescendo – with one episode causing me to squeal in disbelief – but … My only gripe would be the ending. It just didn't gel for me, but I have added the author's other two books to my TBR pile. My thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an advance copy. All opinions are entirely my own.

Not my first John Marrs book and certainly won't be my last. Love this author.

DS Becca Vincent together with facial recognition expert Joe Russell, are on the hunt to solve murders happening in London and try to uncover the murder connection quickly before they strike again. But they are very clever and always one step ahead - the characters and their personalities really come to life.. .Unputdownable - highly recommend if you don't want any sleep!!

There's a reason that the London tube system scares the life out of me and that prologue just confirmed my fears! With a serial killer targeting seemingly unconnected victims, London detectives are left with no clues as to who their murderer could be.

Three narrators tell the story; the killer, Joe Russell, facial recognition expert or super recogniser as they are known and detective Becca Vincent, a single mother who feels she has to prove her worth not only as a detective but also as a parent.

The chapters narrated by the killer are quite chilling and serve as a reminder of how much we all make the assumption that those we know are telling the truth about who they are. Hidden in clear sight we begin to understand what motivates the killer.

Both Joe and Becca are hiding their own secrets about their lives and each of these are revealed throughout the book. If I'm honest Becca really irritated me at times: her over-dependence on the approval of others and especially men grated on my nerves a little and her constant whining! I did warm to her a little more when I heard about her path to motherhood but at times I wanted to give her a bit of a kick in the ass for being so shallow and whiny! I definitely preferred Joe's character and I connected with him more than Becca.

The plot moved along at a good pace and I found myself zipping through the chapters. The murders were certainly twisted and the author is a brilliant storyteller who knows how to keep you hooked! Things definitely ramped up in the second half of the book and this is where I found myself becoming truly engrossed in this tale of revenge, guilt and rejection. The inclusion of the super recognisers was fabulous, this was a fascinating insight into a team that I didn't even know existed! The acknowledgements have links to a number of articles for those who want to find out more.

Each book that John Marrs writes is completely different and this one veered towards the police procedural. It isn't my favourite of all of his books but it is definitely one that provided a good solid read, twists, turns and the "just one more chapter" kind of read that kept me hooked until the end.
review will be on the blog as part of the blog tour

A man falls or is pushed under a tube train. DS Becky is in the crowd on the platform and notices something. Another man is found dead shortly afterwards and Becky can put the two together from what she has seen. She liaises with the super recognisers team- those who have a much better memory from most of us that can spot the face in the crowd and remember that they are on a crime sheet somewhere in the depths. Joe appears to have his own mission and Becky isn’t too pleased about it as she feels that she is being sidelines and made to look a fool. She has her own issues at home- a daughter who is cared for by her mother who lives with them but Becky isn’t spending the time with her daughter that she promised. A daughter who has more needs than others and who needs that special time. Yet again John grabs you from the word go and you want to keep turning to find out what happens. This is slightly different from his other books as it starts out more of a crime book than a psychological thriller. A plot that grabs you and holds you, turning the pages to try and find out that bit more of what happens. A different read , a clever and a highly enjoyable one.
For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/
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I've read I've read and loved all John Marrs' books to date and also read a lot of police procedurals, some good, some just okay so I was intrigued to read his first venture into this genre.

As always with this author the writing is engaging and the characters are believable, none are stereotypical and their back stories are deftly woven into the storyline. The juggle between the professional and personal lives of key characters was absolutely nailed, I was enthralled to learn about the super-recognisers (yep I checked they are real!) and this added a clever dimension to the storyline. The utterly compelling plot is really well crafted, brilliantly paced and I'm a bit gutted that it doesn't seem to be the first in a series as I'd love to read more!

Original and riveting - imo the author has mastered this genre too!

Many, many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read this book, my honest thoughts and opinion are expressed in this review.