3.8 Stars

One-Liner: Steady-paced thriller with corporate and Pharma dealings

Rick Cahill is leading a settled life after pretty much giving up on dangerous detective pursuits. His fiancée, Leah, is pregnant with their child, and Rick is more than delighted by the news. However, his health seems to be a concern, as the headaches suggest a grave brain-related disease. Rick just wants to stay alive long enough to see his child and maybe spend some quality time with the baby.
When Moria, his dear friend, and investigative partner, calls for help, Rick knows he’ll do anything for her. She’s been through thick and thin by his side, and it’s time to help her. Moria’s son Luke seems to have broken a restraining order, and she wants to know what Luke is up to.
Rick finds the request simple enough. However, the surveillance and Luke’s subsequent disappearance, followed by deaths in the past and present complicate the case. Rick is now deep into the dealings of the corporate and Pharma world. With billions of dollars at stake, no life is safe. It’s up to Rick to find the truth and keep Luke alive (if he isn’t already dead). Of course, it feels as if Rick’s time has become rather limited on the earth.
Will Rick manage to expose the dark dealings and stay alive long enough to see his child?
Last Redemption is the eighth book in the series and can be read as a standalone. It starts a little slow but soon picks up the pace and keeps the story going. There’s a mystery, thrill, suspense, intrigue, danger, and action.
Even though this is my first book, I had no trouble understanding the relationship between the characters. There are enough snippets to provide a backstory when necessary. Rick is a rugged PI who goes more by instinct than by the book (PIs can’t solve cases if they go by the book). That puts him in danger more than once, but it goes with the job. He’s extra worried this time because of the ticking clock and a miracle child on the way.
The plot is revealed one step at a time through different characters and developments. I enjoyed how the whole thing was structured to arrive at the final conclusion. The culprit wasn’t hard to guess. In fact, we pretty much know who it is halfway through. The rest of it is to uncover the what, how, when, why and bring everything together.
There were a couple of incidents that made me wonder why Rick didn’t think of those on his own. He is an experienced PI, after all. But I let go because his character was clearly not at his best in this book. He was worried about the brain damage, and that most likely affected his instincts.
There’s an epilogue of sorts, which ties up the loose ends (almost). The book ends in such a way that there may or may not be a continuation. It leaves the reader satisfied and gives the author a chance to decide what to do with the series.
To sum up, Last Redemption is a steady-paced thriller with a capable PI taking control of the case. I’m going to check out the previous books in the series and start from the first.
Thank you, NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The latest and eighth adventure in the Rick Cahill mystery series is Last Redemption by Matt Coyle. The Private Investigator is enjoying life, with his first child due and well-paid desk work investigating. Some unwelcome medical news causes unease but an easy surveillance job for a friend proves a blessing. As Rick investigates, complications arise and his PI colleague struggles with the direction of the case. As usual, Cahill finds himself banged up and in a deepening conspiracy. Read as a standalone novel, this leisurely paced venture has a three-and-a-half-star read rating. With thanks to Oceanview Publishing and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and are made without fear or favour.

Facing a devastating diagnosis, Rick Cahill must go on as his investigative partner Moira is searching for her son. I've enjoyed the Rick Cahill series and Last Redemption is no exception. With his life expectancy in danger, Cahill is an expectant father with his girlfriend Leah. Sadistic killers really stand no chance against a man so driven.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

*Thank you to NetGalley, Matt Coyle, and Oceanview Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Previously published at https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/last-redemption/

Last Redemption is the eighth in the Rick Cahill series and the first one I have read. The novel begins with Rick waking up to all the physical problems that he has earned with his life of violence and his football career.

The neurologist believes he has Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, which is a progressive brain condition that’s thought to be caused by repeated blows to the head and repeated episodes of concussion. Rick suffers from terrible headaches and memory loss. He often forgets what he is doing and who is around him. He has not told his pregnant fiancé or his partner, Moira MacFarlane.

When he receives a call from Moira with whom he works with fairly often and calls his best friend, he finds out her son, Luke, is missing. Luke was recently served with a restraining order from his girlfriend, Gabby Gates. Moira is worried Luke has done something that might get him into trouble and wants Rick to find him. When Rick trails Luke and finds out he’s visiting an apartment in the same complex as Gabby, his ex-girlfriend who has the restraining order on him, he knows Luke is in trouble. But who is he going to see? Rick then follows him to his office at ConnectTech. When he finds out the next morning that Luke’s boss has been murdered, Rick has to decide whether he will tell law enforcement or keep his word to Moira and continue searching for Luke. By the time he decides, Luke has vanished.

There are many threads going through this storyline. Rick’s illness and his decision to keep it from everyone, the disappearance of Luke MacFarlane, and the relationship between Moira and Rick, which was surprisingly hostile given that they are best friends. As I have not read the first seven books, I can only assume their friendship is rough because of the circumstances of Moira’s son. What started as an investigation into Luke jumps into something entirely different involving corporate espionage, secret cancer projects, competing firms, and murder. With Rick’s time losses and the fact that he keeps getting more head injuries makes the stakes much higher and more dangerous.

This is an amazing, action packed, suspenseful thriller. I love Rick Cahill’s vibe as just a “regular guy.” There are some scenes which are gory but other than that it is clean. The writing is solid and the pacing of the plot and character development are both really well done, so the story moves fluidly while keeping you turning the pages following a case that keeps surprising you.

Last Redemption, the eighth book in Coyle's Rick Cahill private eye series set in modern-day La Jolla, California, finds Cahill a bit out of sorts suffering from head injuries and, finally doing steady corporate work. Leah is finishing up her work in Montecito with the baby on her way before they settle down to blissful married life. But, it wouldn't be much of a story if Cahill merely settled down to a boring humdrum life. The solution here is for Cahill's private eye buddy Moira to ask Cahill to monitor her son who now has a restraining order against him from his ex girlfriend and has disappeared from the face of the earth. This leads into a sordid tale that demonstrates just how much La Jolla and northern San Diego County have become another Silicon Valley, but focused on medical high-tech and just how much Silicon Valley scandals have come south. This is an exciting private eye tale that has Cahill operating on his own and by his own set of rules until the climatic finish.

I have read and enjoyed every Rick Cahill novel and this one was extra special as Rick deals not only with his profession as a private investigator, but his health and his questionable future. Rick is asked to locate the missing son of one of his best friends. He doesn’t have a lot of “best friends”, so this is important to him. When the son’s name is mentioned in regards to the recent computer research he completed, he becomes a possible suspect in a murder. Others are looking for the young man and they may not have his best interests at heart. Meanwhile, Rick’s companion is expecting their child which adds a new purpose to his life. As he investigates and makes some dangerous people very angry, will he survive to see his child born? Rick is not your “polished” private eye who has all of the technology and contacts, but what he does have is perseverance as step by step he finds justice for the victims. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

This was my first read of a Matt Coyle book. Very intriguing story from start to finish. The main character is a private eye suffering from CTE whose life seems to be on a pitch count. He is asked by his best friend and fellow private eye to help find her missing son. The search for this young man evolves into a web connections and mysterious happenings that make the book riveting. I enjoyed this from start to finish because the author did well in staying in course and not deviating into a meaningless sub plot. There were numerous tie ins to what really happened and why this young man disappeared and it held my interest to,the point that the book was tough to put down. I definitely will read more of what Matt acoyle has to offer..

Well I’m guessing this will be the last Rick Cahill book and the title might be a clue. Rick is a former police officer, now PI, in San Diego. He is typical of the old school, hard boiled detective. His partner, Leah, is pregnant and they are both pretty excited as neither had thought they would ever have children. So Rick is now working the lucrative corporate background checks which he can do from his home office and the work is risk free. Until he gets a call from his best friend, Moria McFarlane, another PI. Her 24 year old son Luke has had a temporary restraining order placed against him by his girlfriend, Gabriela (Gabby) Dates. Moria wants Rick to surveil Luke to ensure he doesn’t breach his TRO. Easy work - right? Wrong!

Rick doesn’t need to follow Luke, just ensure he doesn’t approach Gabby. But as he is watching Gabby’s place Luke turns up. Interestingly he goes into the apartment opposite Gabby’s. Hmmm. And a different man visits Gabby. Later, Luke leaves the stranger’s apartment and Rick follows expecting him to go home but instead he detours to the place he works, ConnectTech, a software development firm. Rick’s curiosity is piqued. I won’t go into all the details as it is quite complex. But by Monday morning Luke’s boss is found murdered in his office and Luke is missing.

Moria implores Rick to find her son but she won’t contemplate that he did anything wrong even though it’s not looking good. Rick does what he does best, rubbing people up the wrong way and prising answers out of them. Rick follows the trail through Gabby’s workplace Sequence Corp which is working on a genetic screening test for cancer which could be a game changer. He finds out who the woman is who has an apartment opposite Gabby. He talks to Luke’s friends at work and from his college days and he calls in a favour from an investment guru who owes him one. The picture that starts to emerge is very concerning!

Big pharma is very influential and lucrative, there are billions of dollars at stake. Luke is still in hiding but Rick is now concerned for his safety. The pacing was superb, the suspense built up throughout the book and the ending was climactic. It was great to see Rick’s softer side. He was so looking forward to a chance at redemption with Leah and his child to be but he also owed Moria big time so he stuck with the case, hoping that he would come out the other side unscathed. As I said, I’m guessing this is the last book and it’s a good one to out on. I haven’t read the whole series but I’ve read a few and can confidently say that Matt Coyle is an excellent writer. I look forward to seeing what he comes up with next. Many thanks to Netgalley and Oceanview Publishing for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly. 4.5 stars rounded down.

Though this is the eighth book in the series, I slipped into it without a hitch. However, it didn’t take long to realize that it would have been a good series to have started with the first book. Not because I needed to, but because I enjoyed the writing style and the characters.

This detective/crime thriller moved at a good pace and had just the right amount of humor thrown in to make it even more enjoyable.

When Rick is asked by his best friend Moira to tail her son to make sure that he isn’t violating a restraining order, he doesn’t hesitate. He’s been working a desk job and is anxious to take in some fresh air on a simple tailing activity. Only, Rick, who was recently diagnosed with a reason for his brain fog and headaches, discovers that this simple job is anything but simple. It’s complicated. And dangerous.

While the story captured my interest quickly, the more I read the faster the pages turned. And the last 100 or so pages completely had me in their grip.

My Concerns
Nothing comes to mind, other than maybe to have had a few aha moments. It was a very good plot put pretty straightforward.

Final Thoughts
Without a doubt, I would recommend giving this series a try. Coyle definitely shares my kind of humor, and I loved that it found a place in the story just often enough to make me smile.

Thumbs up for The Last Redemption and Matt Coyle.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC for early review. My review is strictly my opinion

Last Redemption by Matt Coyle is a very highly recommended classic PI novel and the 8th in the Rick Cahill.

Rick Cahill, the hard boiled PI from La Jolla, CA, finally has his life heading toward a quiet, satisfying life. He and his fiancée, Leah Landingham are thrilled that she is pregnant with their first child and he is doing background checks for companies rather than field work, which pays well and keeps him out of danger. When he is then informed that he his current headaches are due to CTE, he keeps it a secret for the time being. It still seems like a safe job when his best friend, PI Moira MacFarlane, asks him to watch her son, Luke, from a distance to make sure he doesn't violate a restraining order against him. But this very simple surveillance job changes rapidly when Luke disappears, his boss is found murdered, and the trail of information is becomes increasingly complicated very quickly.

Last Redemption is an excellent PI novel. The writing is exceptional, the case is compelling and complicated, and the danger increases with every page. The plot moves at a fast pace and the action picks up along with the tension. Rick ends up putting his safety at risk again as the danger increases as each new piece of information is questioned and uncovered. Once you start reading Last Redemption it will be hard to put it down.

Rick Cahill is a great character and with each novel he continues to experience more growth and advancement as an individual. The great news is that you can appreciate this novel without reading previous books in the series, but once you do read it, you will want to read the other books in the series. If you enjoy hard boiled PI novel, then you have to start reading Matt Coy's Rick Cahill novels.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Oceanview Publishing.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Google Books, and Amazon.

Rick Cahill has a new found fan in me. First time reading this series and I can’t wait to read more books from this author. If all the bad things in the world were to happen to one guy, Rick is the man for the job. This character can’t catch a break and to top it off his personal life is also in some type of turmoil plus his health is in serious trouble. Fast paced, action ridden, keeping you in the edge of your seat type of book, a must read. The story and the character will keep you entertained and invested in finding out who did it.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Rick is doing a favor for allowing friend and watching out for Luke. While working undercover he is drawn into a murder investigation. With more questions than answers he will need to use everything in his arsenal to solve this case.

Rick Cahill has retired from the more active PI work and only does desk work now. That is until his dear friend, Moira, asks him to help her find her missing son, Luke. Things aren’t looking good for Luke, with a restraining order against his girlfriend and his boss newly murdered, Luke is looking like the prime suspect. Moira refuses to look at the evidence piling up and bands together with Rick to prove that her son is innocent, but Rick’s not so sure. With a clever plot, fast pace and characters that you can’t help but root for, this book was one that had me hooked. I had no idea it was the eighth in a series, but there was no need to fear as it reads quite well as a stand alone. If I have one regret it’s that this was my first Rick Cahill book! Looking forward to catching up with his past and hoping there’s more in the future!

The Rick Cahill series never disappoints. Rick and crew are wonderful characters and the stories are always clever and well-plotted. LAST REDEMPTION is exactly that. In this outing, Rick is facing a potential deadly health issue, awaiting the birth of his first child with fiancee Leah, and biding his time in a safe line of PI work. No snooping or following or confronting but rather chasing facts on the computer. All is good. But when friend and colleague Moira asks him the check out her son Rick who she feels might be violating a restraining order issued by his girlfriend. A violation that could land him behind bars. So, Rick hits the streets, a place he loves to work. But this simple surveillance quickly turns dark and Rick confronts a cadre of killers that threaten all he holds dear. You won’t be able to put this fast-paced thriller down.

DP Lyle, award-winning author of the Jake Longly and Cain/Harper thriller series

I don't think I have read any of this series before. This book was okay as a stand alone book though, although I am curious about the other books now. Good book, pace was good, interesting main character and so was the story.

I thoroughly enjoy the Rick Cahill series by Matt Coyle. You don't need to read them in order, they stand well on their own, and the high quality of the story lines, characterizations, and intriguing plots runs throughout the series.

Last Redemption finds Rick, 42, and a private investigator, on the edge of both joy and heartache. He is soon to marry Leah, 41, who is pregnant with their child; a miracle neither of them anticipated. Yet he has recently been diagnosed with CTE - Chronic Trauma Encelphalopathy, which not only has begun putting him into fugue states, but which also carries a prognosis of dementia and an early death. (This is divulged in the first chapter, so it is not a spoiler.)

When Moira MacFarlane, Rick's best friend and fellow investigator for seven years, calls for his help, he is quick to respond. Her 24 year old son Luke has had a temporary restraining order placed on him by his current girlfriend, and Moira wants Rick to surveil her son to ensure he doesn't land himself in deeper trouble.

But it seems Luke is already in over his head. Rick tries to get Moira to put her mother-mode anguish aside and get her back into the mode of the ace investigator she is so that they can once again work closely together to solve what's going on. With his undisclosed illness, he needs her to be at the top of her game for both of them.

There are plenty of twists and turns uncovered as Rick and Moira race against time to find Luke alive and bring him safely home.

Last Redemption is a very good addition to an already excellent series. I highly recommend this book!

My thanks to Oceanview Publishing for providing me access to an ARC via NetGalley The book is scheduled to be published on 11/30/21. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.

Wish I knew this was part of a series before I read definitely would have checked out the others.
Writing is superb...draws you into the characters and storyline.
Can be read as a standalone. More of this author will be on my watch list.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

I received a free advance copy of The Last Redemption from Net Galley, the author and publisher. My thanks to all.

“ The Last Redemption”is the eighth , and possibly the last novel in Matt Coyle’s excellent series featuring Rick Cahill. Not only the title, but the theme of the book gives the reader that impression.
Rick Cahill is a private detective in San Diego who has seen happier, healthier days. That is what comes for a forty- something ex-cop with a long history of getting in the way of all kinds of mayhem wises up to the toll taken on his body . At the beginning of the book, Rick has just gotten his sight back after taking severe damage suffered in the misadventures of his preceding novels . He is also experiencing brain fugues because of the many concussions his brain suffered. His body is a mass of scars, as is his soul. His past is littered with regrets.
His first wife was murdered and Cahill, a cop at the time, was arrested. Eventually cleared ( the subject of an earlier book in the series) , his stubborn refusal to give up on as case until the victims get justice has resulted in the bleak truth that he has few friends and not much of a future. Even with brain damage, he has a new reason to live as his new love is pregnant. He works behind a computer vetting prospective employees for corporate clients and life is settled into a comfortable rut. Then one of his few lasting , almost friends , Moria, a private detective herself, calls to ask him to help her look for her missing son.
Cahill agrees with of a sense of obligation to Moria who often kept Rick from harm. This case will involve an investigation into a high tech medical research firm , a beautiful wife and her hedge fund investor husband , and the glossy owner of the research start up. With literally $$$$$ at stake, can chicanery and murder be ruled out?
The author knows how to plot a good story, building up tension as Cahill investigates. There is depth to the main character that allows the reader to care about his long abused psyche and body. The despair and fear of the mother her missing son is a murder suspect is palpable. A vignette invoking the brave sadness of the widow of a recently deceased officer of the tech firm is quite well written.
The ending: a typical Rick Cahill deep into danger, with cops pounding on the door.
Good book and recommended to those who enjoy dark thrillers and taut writing.
Note: Expect violence which is part of the dark world of Rick Cahill. No gross sex or language. The story does not require it.
It this the last of the Cahill series. Don’t know for sure, but my guess yes. Let Rick enjoy time with his family and avoid allow bad guys using his head for batting practice.

This is the eighth Rick Cahill mystery and the first that I have read.

After years as a football player, cop, and private investigator, Rick has been knocked around a lot. He has recently been diagnosed with CTE - Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, the football player's disease. His prognosis is for dementia and early death.

He has recently fallen in love with Leah and the two are expecting a child. It is a miracle for both of them since they are in their early 40s. Rick finally has a chance to focus on his future. He hasn't told Leah about his diagnosis yet since he found out just after she became pregnant. She'd had a series of miscarriages and he didn't want to trigger another one with his news.

Ha e has switched his job to doing mostly background checks for corporate customers which should protect his damaged brain. Then he gets a call from his best friend and fellow investigator Moira who asks him to check on her son Luke. She's afraid that he is violating a restraining order that his ex-girlfriend placed on him.

Rick goes to check on the girlfriend's place and sees Luke visit the house next door. He follows Luke to his employers and then to his home. The next day he learns that Luke's boss has been murdered and Luke has disappeared.

Rick wants to turn things over to the cops, but Moira is afraid for her son. The two continue investigating and soon learn that the case has many complications having to do with DNA cancer testing and manipulating a company's value. And murders of those who might get in the way of a really, really big payoff.

Rick was an interesting character. It was easy to see that he had a history as a lone wolf investigator who wasn't afraid to put himself into danger for his clients. It was also easy to see that he really loved Leah and his unborn child and wanted to do what he had to to have a future with them.

The mystery was nicely twisty and filled with action with some violence. Fans of the series will enjoy this latest episode. It was also an intriguing story for someone, like me, who is meeting these characters for the first time.

This one gets a forward-leaning 3.5 stars.
First of all, the writing is solid. The pacing of the plot and character development are both really well done, so the story moves fluidly while keeping you turning the pages following a case that keeps surprising you.
My one complaint is that it gets a bit too dark sometimes. It feels a bit like Coyle is kind of mad at his character and is making him suffer just for jollies. As much as I wanted to know what happened next in the story, I sometimes had to stop just because I had to take a step away from the torturous violence. This is something that might just be a negative for me, but I just could not keep going.
Finally, don't let the fact that this is the 8th book in the series keep you from jumping on. There are minor details that I suspect would have hit harder knowing the backstory, but I never felt like I was lost because Coyle gives you all the information you need right in the story.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for the early read!