I did not have high hopes for this book. I wasn’t very excited to read it. So I sat down and just started to see where it would take me. It’s a mysterious, murderous Hallmark movie in a book and I am here for it!

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but this blew away all my preconceived notions. I was looking for a Megan Miranda-esqe title but with a little more romance and I was NOT disappointed.

"Point Last Seen" by Christina Dodd combines heart-pounding suspense with emotional depth as a determined protagonist searches for the truth. Dodd's storytelling prowess shines through as the narrative explores themes of resilience and justice, making for a gripping read that leaves a lasting impact.

There are a lot of characters in Point Last Seen. At first I didn’t understand why, but when I read the ending it made sense. This is the first book in the Last Seen in Gothic series, but the main characters don’t necessarily stay in Gothic.

Christina Dodd has many little mysteries going on in this book. It made for a happening story. There is a lot to remember though and even I was getting confused and I’m pretty good at remembering things. I was starting to think I needed a cheat sheet. For some parts of the story, you need to forget about reality and just enjoy the fiction part of it.

Dodd introduces a character who says to Elle that they are whatever pronoun Elle sees when they look at them. I really wish Dodd had consulted a sensitivity reader for the character of Rune. The author couldn’t even keep up with the use of pronouns and it was annoying to read and disrespectful of the character. As a rainbow who uses they/them pronouns, I found it offensive.

I like Elle and I really like Adam. I truly appreciated the ending in regards to Elle’s life. Dodd wrote a solid heroine for Gothic. I am curious about the next heroine for Gothic so I will be continuing the series and sending a note to the publisher about getting Dodd a sensitivity reader.

Unfortunately after trying quite a few times, over the last year, this will be a DNF for me.

I'm honestly not sure what in the world this was. Point Last Seen was a hot mess.

Dodd is an automatic go to author for me. I've been reading her since I was in HS. But this...this is NOT the Christina Dodd I'm used to reading. I just had this same issue with another long term author I have been reading for years.

I was thinking this was a me issue since I've been in a reading funk for awhile now, but I don't think so. Especially, if I go by the other 1 and 2 star reviews for this book.

I’ve enjoyed this author before and expect to again.

This is an edge of your seat thriller with an ending that will leave you breathless. Ok maybe I saw it coming but still…

From beginning to end it will have you turning the pages. Great thriller. Great writing. Great all around novel.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

4/5 stars

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Edge of your seat suspense does not get any better than Christina Dodd’s latest nail-biting thriller, Point Last Seen.

Elle’s half frozen body had been pulled from the surf on a desolate California beach by Adam Ramsdell. Elle has no recollection of her past. She has no idea who she is, she does not even know what her name is and she she does not know how she got those bruises around her throat. Just who is this woman? And what led to her almost drowning in the ocean? Was it an accident? Suicide? Or attempted murder?

Elle finds sanctuary in Adam’s home on the edge of Gothic, a town situated between the California ocean and the steep and mysterious mountains. Elle’s arrival unsettles the local community of Gothic. In this town, everybody has something to hide and there are plenty of skeletons and long-buried secrets people will go to great lengths to keep under wraps. However, could this mysterious town help Elle figure out the truth about her past?

As fragments of her memory slowly begin to return, Elle comes to a startling conclusion – she is in danger and has just remembered something that could get her killed. Can Elle trust Adam? Is he a friend or foe? With nobody to turn to and nobody she can trust, Elle needs to tread carefully because one wrong move could end up costing her her life…

Christina Dodd is on superb form with her latest thriller, Point Last Seen. A high stakes and high octane chiller that will leave readers breathless, Point Last Seen is a creepy and intense heart-stopper about trust, secrets and lies that kept me on the edge of my seat and reading all through the night.

Brilliantly plotted, deftly executed and packed with hair-raising twists and turns readers simply won’t see coming, Point Last Seen is an outstanding thriller from a writer who knocks it out of the park every time: Christina Dodd.

This new series from Dodd grabs my attention and keeps me turning page after page. The character development as well as the small-town antics keeps me amused. You can really tell that this mystery/thriller is published by Harlequin, because it has that campy romance thing going on big time. All the same, it's a fun read if you want a sort of romantic modern sexy "Murder She Wrote" kind of thing set in coastal California with movie stars, fortune tellers and troubled pasts. The sex is very PG, even though it is a big part of the plot. This is an entertaining romantic suspense thriller. It has likable characters, murder, mystery, intrigue, a beautiful setting, interesting secondary characters, twists and turns and a happily ever after ending. Not exactly what I expected, but I ended up enjoying. 3.5 stars rounded up.

This was an easy-to-read work of suspense with just the right blend of quirky characters, danger, intrigue, supernatural, and romance. It wasn't too scary or too intense. It was gripping - leaving me with the desire to read "just one more chapter" until the very end.

I love stories where the setting has as much impact as the characters. Gothic is a weird little town filled with quirky characters that raise your eyebrows but make you smile. Even though Adam and Elle are at the center of the action going on, everyone else, the town included, plays a part in the twist and turns that drive the story along. It pulls you in, keeps you guessing, and leaves you with a satisfied sigh at the end. The bad guys are vanquished and the good guys are left to live their happy ever after.

Christina Dodd, you have outdone yourself...

Point Last Seen will bring you to a place of darkness all while constantly coming at you with twist after twist.

I instantly became addicted to this book and there was no way I would be able to put it down until I finished the last word. The talent that plasters itself across each page will leave you in constant awe and satisfaction with Dodd's writing style.

I have always been a Christina Dodd fan. I have read everything from Hard to Kill to Dead Girl Running . I also highly recommend you read her entire back log of previously published books, there is no way you will be disappointed.

Anyway, back to Point Last Seen.

If you are looking for a book that will take your breath away, there is no need to keep searching. From chapter 1, your attention will be captivated and this book never looses its pace. At one point I got up and checked to make sure the doors were locked in my house. Yes, I was that terrified. I am also not too sure I will sleep with the lights off any time soon.

Buy the book, read the book, thank me later. Five Stars.

This one is going to take me a while to wrap my head around. To say a lot happened in Point Last Seen would be an understatement - and not just the "first book in a series character set up" sort of way.

Point Last Seen is one of those books that is all encompassing because it isn’t just a character driven story – at least not just a main character driven story. The town of Gothic seems to take on a life of its own and has drawn in some pretty interesting characters within its borders. Those supporting characters are part of the charm and they definitely kept things interesting.

As much as Adam tried to be a recluse, he was more a part of Gothic than he realized. He was perfectly happy keeping to himself, until he found a lifeless Elle on the beach. Helping her definitely took him out of his comfort zone. Her outgoing personality was the polar opposite of his, but he was drawn to her from the beginning.

Elle wasn’t sure who she could trust, but Adam made her feel safe – even though she knew there were things he was keeping from her. Actually, pretty much everyone in Gothic had something from their past that brought them to where they were and Elle wasn’t the only one who was in danger. The past of more than one character was haunting their present.

I loved the twists and turns in this first book in the Last Seen in Gothic series. Things were revealed that changed things for a lot of the characters, but there are even more mysteries and secrets to discover. I can’t wait to see what Christina Dodd has in store for Gothic and its residents.

This was one of those “I have to stay up all night reading” books! I love a good suspense story and I liked the characters in this novel, too. This was my first Christina Dodd book – but it won’t be my last! Thanks for my copy and for making me part of the tour!

What a way to kick off a new series! And Christina Dodd has dreamt up a great little village that's perfect for some mystery and romance. It seems everybody has a secret in Gothic, so Adam and Elle fit right in. I liked this pair, which made them easy to root for, and since I can never resist a good mystery, I was all set with Point Last Seen. As much as I like romantic suspense, I enjoyed getting to know Gothic as much as I enjoyed the storyline. The village is practically a character in its own right, and it's filled with quirky characters I can't wait to see more of as the series progresses. Rather than give away the book's secrets - and there are plenty of secrets - I'll just sum it up by adding that this introduction to Christina Dodd's Gothic is everything I've come to expect from this author. It's romantic, it's suspenseful, and I'll be looking forward to my next visit to Gothic.

Christina Dodd rarely disappoints. POINT LAST SEEN is set in Big Sur. Adam Ramsdall thinks he has found the privacy he needs in Gothic, CA. But his plans are blown to smithereens when he goes to the beach on the advice of a fortune teller and finds the nearly dead Elle.

She doesn't remember much. Adam has his own ghost. They make a good team, and the story is filled with twists and turns.

Christina Dodd is a new-to-me author, but I love romantic suspense, so I’m always willing to give a new-to-me author a try. Some are a hit. Some are a miss. And some are a draw. Despite the fairly slow start to Point Last Seen, overall, I’d call this one a hit.

Set amongst a beautifully rugged backdrop of the Pacific Coast, the fictional town of Gothic is full of quirky yet (mostly) lovable characters. And the suspense definitely gave me Murder She Wrote vibes, with sometimes less than believable scenes (that’s why it’s called fiction, though). But once I made it about 25 percent into the story, I found myself intrigued and entertained. Christina Dodd’s plot and execution would make Jessica Fletcher proud.

3.5 stars

A new town & a new set of characters that does not disappoint. Ms. Dodd has once again woven a compelling thriller with multiple twists that will keep you guessing & gasping until the end.

Adam finds Elle washed up dead on the beach and somehow brings her lost soul back to life. However, Elle is missing her memory, but she knows she is running from someone who tried to kill her. Adam and the small-town of Gothic become her protector as she works on recovering her memory. From one twist to another the reader is taken on a ride thru the quirky town of Gothic. I look forward to reading more about Gothic and it's charming characters.

I received this advance review copy from from NetGalley & the publisher for my honest review.

Introducing Gothic, CA, the home of lost souls. Artist Adam finds a lost soul on the beach in Elle. She was more than half dead and without a memory of who she is or how she got there. ARC from NetGalley.

𝐏𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐧 has the perfect dark, gothic feel. In fact, the town where it is set is named Gothic.


Gothic is a remote town set upon the California cliffs overlooking the turbulent ocean. The town is filled with eccentric types: psychics, a former actress, a war vet, and Adam, an artist who creates sculptures from metal that washes up from the sea.

On a stormy night, Adam ventures down to the rocky water and discovers a body. Realizing the woman is still alive, barely, he takes her in. She is badly bruised and terribly frightened. She can’t remember much; she knows her name is Elle and that she is a scientist, and apparently, someone is trying to kill her.

The setting and the characters are great in this book. Everyone has their own little quirks, and everyone is hiding something. Adam and Elle are both hurting, lost souls that end up helping each other. There is romance added in as a bonus to the suspense.

This is book one in the Last Seen in Gothic series, and I’m excited to return to Gothic soon.

Thank you @harpercollins and @HQNbooks for a spot on tour and a gifted ebook.

Oh I think this is my favorite book so far! I know say that about every book but that’s because they are all my favorite books! There’s so much fun activity going on in this book and so much chemistry that what’s not to fall in love with it! Damsels in distress and knights in shining armor to top it all you have to read it to find out for yourself! Thanks for another get book Christina!