Last Seen by Kent Harrington is the second in the San Francisco Police Department’s Michael O’Higgins series. Having not encountered the author previously, the initial confusion at the beginning of the book seems to be a common theme of other reviewers. The focus on the crime with the disappearance of a French girl was most promising, even if the Michael O’Higgins’ character was not so much so. With satisfactory suspense, it is an enjoyable enough tale for a three-star crime story rating. With thanks to NetGalley and the author for a preview copy for review purposes. All opinions expressed herein are bias free and totally my own.

This has some potential - a microdosing detective with PTSD is hunting for a missing deaf teenager from France who might have been abducted by a villain who has targeted other young women- but it fell short for me. Detectives Michael O'Higgins and Marvin Lee make for an interesting pair but the basic plot didn't grab me,. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I missed the first book; I suspect those who enjoyed that one will like this as well.

I think there's potential but the story didn't keep my attention as I found it a bit confusing.
The character development is interesting and I think it could become a good series.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Whoever wrote the description of the novel for NetGalley should have written the book too. That one paragraph says so much and the book does not come close to living up to its description. The writing is simply not good. The story is not well-organized. Ultimately I gave up.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

Hopefully I won't be saying this very often, but I found this to be an extremely bad book.
On several levels, the writing was poor, the text didn't seem to have been edited, the characters were completely stereotypical and unbelievable, the plot forced, the dialogue, hackneyed. I may even have detected traces of sexism, ableism and racism.
I found myself looking forward to one scene, and it didn't happen, brushed away with a cursory retrospective comment.
Excruciating.

Although I did enjoy this book, I was really confused why the whole first half only had a few chapters about the disappearance of the french girl and the rest devoted to storylines of supporting characters. I kept thinking, maybe these other storylines will circle back to the french girl somehow. Needless to say I was a little frustrated by it but I was too invested in figuring out what happened to her that I couldn't abandon it. Being the second book of the series it was likely intentional to set the stage for the next book. It is wonderfully written with characters so well developed I came to have a love/hate feeling towards so many of them. Definitely recommend for those that enjoy a crime novel with thrills and suspense.

World weary detective Michael O'Higgins struggles with memories of his deceased wife, PTSD from his military service, uncertainty about his current romantic relationship and, most urgently, how to stop a serial killer who threatens the life of a young deaf woman. It's a race against the clock and a battle with his own demons.

Ultimately the book works thanks to a few surprises and the unexpected development of what appears to be a secondary character but turns out to be a major piece of the story -- his partner's beautiful, seemingly too good to be true wife, Cassie. It is perhaps Cassie's story that is most interesting, but the hunt for the serial killer doesn't disappoint.

The actions are gripping and the book works well overall. Some weaker points involve the strange medical treatment O'Higgins undergoes to cope with his PTSD, the implausibility of a cop having a gorgeous billionaire begging for his attention, some elements of Cassie's bizarre backstory, and the curious mystery of the Indian woman that doesn't really get explained very well.

What I enjoyed as much as anything is the wonderful San Francisco setting of Last Seen. It really feels like a "San Francisco story" and anyone who appreciates an author's ability to infuse his characters with a sense of place will be satisfied.

Spend a few hours with this book. At times you'll find it frustrating and implausible, but it never fails to redeem itself with compelling characters, a gripping story, and ultimately a likable and appropriately flawed hero.