In this second book in the Searchers series, Lex takes the lead with Elsa consulting. Lex is having problems with Adam and isn't sure if they are even a couple anymore. But work is work and this is a case that just keeps getting more tangled up. 

Titus "Crisp" Crespo is a mixed race kid from Brighton Beach. Raised by his mother and grandparents, Crisp is a smart guy a day away from graduating as Valedictorian when he is arrested on a charge of riding a bike on the sidewalk, so instead of going home, he gets tossed in jail for a night. From the roof he can see into the patio of a high-rise and a girl sitting smoking a joint and getting some sun. They both realize they met last summer and when Crisp is released he goes to meet Glynnie to explain why he was up there.

Crisp is a straight arrow. He doesn't get into trouble. He's going to Princeton.

Glynnie is the opposite of Crisp. Rich. Doesn't care about school or college. And she is white.

When she begs him to come with her to visit her weed dealer, he impulsively agrees and that one bad decision leads them on a road that neither of them wanted to be on. 

Now stuck in the projects with an arms dealer and a dead body they may not have to worry about college or anything else.

I felt so sorry for Lex in this one. Not just because he battles his own demons while battling real life bad guys, but because of the kids. Not one of them is telling the whole truth about that day. Now he has to think like a teenager. Which means don't think. 

I liked these characters and this series feels as if it is going in the right direction! A good one!

Well Done!

Netgalley/February 26th 2019 by Mulholland Books

Good read. It held my interest. Enjoyed the way Karen Ellis shaped Crisp and Glynnie through family dynamics. JJ stole my heart.
Many thanks to Karen Ellis, Mulholland books, and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book before its publication on February 26th.

Dark, nuanced, twisty and surprising, LAST NIGHT opens the door on family secrets and neighborhoods which spring to life on every page. Well-crafted characters and a compelling plot keep the pages turning--

Last Night is book 2 in The Searchers series by Karen Ellis (pseudonym Katia Lief). In Last Night we have as a main character Detective Lex Cole, who was also in A Map of the Dark, and worked that case along side FBI agent Elsa Myers. Ms Myers was in Last Night, but more as a "bit player" than one involved in the action. I find this an enjoyable series and am looking forward to whatever comes next. I was given an early copy to review.

The Last Night by Karen Ellis is the second book in a series called The Searchers. Right now there are just two books and I plan to read the next one when/if it comes out. Before talking about The Last Night, I want to say that the first book in the series, A Map of the Dark, had me eager to read this second book. The main character in the first book was FBI agent Elsa Myers, a very flawed, emotionally damaged character, that I really liked and wanted to know more about. I was hoping this second book would continue with her story but although she does make minor appearances in The Last Night, the main law enforcement character in this book is Lex Cole, her temporary partner in the first book.

This second book didn't capture my interest as much as the first book. Crisp, a half black/half white 19 year old who is valedictorian of his high school graduating class and is on his way to Princeton in the fall, makes one bad decision after another, the day before he is to address his graduating class. He is unfairly ticketed for riding his bike on a sidewalk but rather than handling the issue tactfully, he explodes in anger, gets thrown in jail, misses his graduation and rather than stopping his bad decision making, goes on to make more bad decisions over the next 24 hours. How a smart young man made valedictorian and Princeton could all the sudden lose his common scene, is a mystery to me. For this reason, the events of Crisp's life over the next 24 hours seem forced but the book suggest that the things that Crisp and his friend Glynnie do is because they are teenagers and think differently than adults.

Lex is the officer in charge of finding out what has happened to Crisp and he's distracted by not sleeping for 2 nights and days and because he thinks his boyfriend is cheating and/or has left him. Lex is a former drug addict and lack of sleep and stress over his boyfriend has him aching for a hit. This too seems like a forced issue and didn't ring true to me.

I do look forward to the next book in the series, hoping it reads more like the first book. The books have some interesting characters but I think all the self induced teenage drama in this book was just too far fetched for me. Thank you to Mulholland Books and NetGalley for his ARC.

I thoroughly enjoyed this sequel. The author brings to the forefront the issue of race and bigotry in a manner that allows the reader to reflect...what if...? I felt that we got to know more about detective Cole and gained insight into his character. I hope that this becomes a series continuing to follow Cole and Elsa.

Second book in this excellent series, does not disappoint. This book touches on the inequality of lives and how a simple decision can change the course of the future. Everyone has their own burden and how we balance that burden effects our interactions with those around us. I hope there will be more books, just as I hope the troubled souls each find their own way, and ultimately, peace. Excellent read.

Last. Night by Karen Ellis exposes the lives of black and white youth in New York.
Almost whiplashing me with the sensations of how unequal expectations for each youth is, but include the criminal element and it all unravels.
Brilliantly written.

Last Night by Karen Ellis is the second book in her The Searchers series. I read the first book in the series. It was an OK read. This second book is very slow-moving with not a lot of action. I just lost interest and had trouble finishing it.

Karen Ellis is back with Last Night the anticipated sequel to A Map of the Dark and she doesn't disappoint. Worth the read!

I liked the book but it did not grab me like the first book in the series did. The human flaws of the characters is not as startling. That may be due to the age of the kids. 18 and feeling entitled seemed to be the gal's mentality. Elsa, FBI from the first book, is a minor character. Lex is central in the hunt for the kids. While he had plenty of issues they just aren't as interesting to me. I found the book compelling, just not a page turner.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mulholland books for an advance read in exchange for this review.  

I really liked A Map of the Dark and was excited to read this one.  A black boy, Crisp, and a white girl, Glynnie go missing under strange circumstances.  Detective Lex Cole is trying to find them as he battles his own personal demons.  Crisp is a highly intelligent teenager with a bright future ahead of him, but a horrible cop puts that in jeopardy.  As a result, Crisp makes horrible decisions as he fears his future is slipping away from him.  The author touches on some corruption and racial profiling in the book.  It is a thought provoking story that made me uncomfortable at times.  While I liked the first book better, this is still a good, suspenseful novel.  I hope the author writes more in the series.

In her sequel to A Map of the Heart, Lex Cole is searching for a missing teenager, a boy who despite his background, stands to make a real name for himself in the world. Unfortunately his choice of friends pulls him back into his father’s dangerous orbit and all the good choices the boy have made thous far may be undone by one simple decision. If you haven’t read the first book in this series, I highly recommend you do before starting this one. It will provide a solid framework for this story and explain a lot of plot devices

Interesting story about teens trying to find themselves. Very complex and intriguing. Some adults also having problems. You'll keep reading to find out how their problems are resolved.

I really loved A Map of the Dark, so I was very excited to see that Karen Ellis had another book in this series. I didn't remember a few things about Detective Lex Cole that I wish I had - probably would have been a good idea to revisit the previous book, but I didn't do that.

This title takes a slightly different angle on missing teenagers. A black boy, Titus "Crisp" Crespo, and a white girl, Glynnie, go missing under bizarre circumstances, and the ensuing investigation into their whereabouts takes some odd turns. The racial aspects of policing are reflected in this book, though these fictional teenagers are lucky to run across the path of Lex Cole, gay detective and ex-junkie extraordinaire, who is probably more radical and sympathetic than other members of the force would be. It's a really timely book, but I did find some of the writing in this book a little clunky. Overall, though, a good read, and I will definitely pick up future additions to this series.