Last Redemption

This was a great book. I've read several of Matt Coyle's books before and his writing is always terrific. Suspenseful, interesting plots, dynamic characters. I really enjoyed this installment.

A Riveting Thriller

The novel starts with Rick Cahill waking up to all the physical problems that he has earned with his life of violence to date. This neurologist believes he is suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. He has terrible headaches and at times, he seems shuts down in what he calls a fugue state that seems to becoming worse. His vision has improved to 20/200 after being completely blind. He receives a call from Moira MacFarlane with whom he often collaborates. She can’t contact her 24-year-old son. He recently was served with a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO), and she fears that he is breaking it. Moira wants Rick to find her son before he does something stupid. Rick stakes out Luke’s girlfriend who obtained the TRO, and Luke shows up but goes to a neighbor’s residence. Later, Luke leaves and goes to his workplace late Saturday night. Rick sees Luke enter the building where he works, sees him in the only lighted window, and then Rick leaves. Monday morning, his boss is found murdered in his office. At this point, Luke really disappears. The main storyline launches itself from this start.

The main storyline quickly captured my attention by what should be a relatively simple task becomes complicated by the police involvement, with whom Rick as a very poor relationship, and Moira becomes quite introspective as she becomes more protective of her son that helping finding him. The flow alternates between Rick’s action of chasing down leads and then discussing them with Moira to determine what to do next. There were many twists, turns and misdirections that maintained my interest all the way to the end. The heighten tension throughout the story also assisted keeping my attention. This story has a strong emotional side that was the third in this trifecta of this novel’s main storyline that ensured that my attention did not wonder.

The B-storyline was extensive for both Rick and Moira. Two threads involving Rick’s accommodation to his physical limitations and still maintain his code of justice, and with Leah, Rick’s pregnant girlfriend, has given an unexpected possibility that Rick never thought that he would have. Both of these threads greatly affect his ability to take the actions he wants to take. The voice of this novel is essentially only Rick and all of these threads are from his thoughts. The other thread was Moira’s changing from an aggressive private investigator into a paralyzed mother with a son in trouble for whom she doesn’t seem to be able to help.

There are not any intimate scenes. There is a definite use of vulgar, rude and disrespectful language at a level that was not at a red flag level for me. Violence was described both in the less edgy after the fact, but some, especially involving Rick, is described as it occurs. These three aspects combined, did not raise any issues with me, but let the reader beware.

This is the eighth novel in the series. I have read three previous novels, and this one is the best that I have read so far. After reading the previous novel, I did not expect that there could be a better novel, but was I ever wrong. Based upon the four novels that I read, I purchased the remaining four novel in the series. I did not find any aspects in this novel that required reading the other novels first, so this can be your first novel in the series. I was quite happy with the ending and strongly recommending this novel if you enjoy private investigator thrillers. Several times I could not stop reading well past midnight. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel and rate this novel with five stars.

I received a free e-book version of this novel through NetGalley from Oceanview Publishing. My review is based only by my own reading experience of this book. I wish to thank Oceanview Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.

Open "Last Redemption" and catapult into a thrilling whodunnit. We quickly bond with the main character, Rick Cahill, a private investigator whose rough past has left him beaten up and facing a shortened future plagued by a CTE brain damage prognosis. He is now engaged and expecting his first child and swears he is not taking on the dangerous jobs any longer... but the suspicious disappearance of his best friend's son sucks him back into that homicidal world.

Matt Coyle has won two Seamus Awards for earlier books in this series. While there is no need to have read earlier encounters, Rick Cahill's character is so riveting I intend to go back and devour them... I want to see this man's history. Like James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux or Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch, we have a heroic but flawed man being handled by a master author.

This happy discovery merits five stars from me. Thank you to Oceanview Publishing, NetGalley, and Matt Coyle for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. #LastRedemption #NetGalley

Are we allowed to give out 10 stars? No? Well, this book was jipped. Last Redemption is a wild ride. Not only is it an exceptional thriller, the writing style is so well done you cant help but drool over each flip of the page.

I had no idea when I requested Last Redemption that it was a part of a series. Once I was made aware I went back and started at the very beginning and I am so glad I did. Each book can be read as a stand alone, however, with the character development and characters that reappear throughout the series, I would recommend reading them in order. Plus they are all incredible, so why not?

The entire series is so well narrated. There is so much complexity. Each novel is character driven and feels just so real!

I highly recommend this series and Last Redemption to all detective/murder mystery lovers.

An old-fashioned, rock-'em-sock-'em PI novel (and I mean that in the very best sense) that comes with an underlying layer of touchy-feely, Southern California, personal-redemption bullshit (and I mean that in the very worst sense). The former makes the book a great read while the latter tries hard to ruin it. Fortunately, the former prevails over the latter, even if only just.

Great to have Rick back in this ongoing series. Trying to settle down is harder than he thinks, and he’s soon back going full speed as he tries to help Moira.whose son has gotten into quite a mess.

This is another fabulous novel by Matt Coyle. I’ve really enjoyed this series, Rick is such a great character. It was easy to lose myself between the pages for many enjoyable hours. It’s very well written, and I quite like how tense the plot is.
Leah thought Rick was finally safe doing his job from home sitting in front of his computer, instead of working out in the field, where he tended to put his life on the line. Leah had the right to ask Rick to make this compromise after she became pregnant and upended her life to come and live with him. Rick was very good at his job, however he somehow found himself in some very dangerous situations. When his best friend Moira asked him to carry out surveillance on her son who had an AVO out on him from his ex-girlfriend. Should be a walk in the park for Rick. Should have been.
Hands down, this is a great story and well worth a read. 5/5 Star Rating.

Rick Cahill is back, and the poor guy can't catch a break.

At least here - at least at the beginning -he's safely ensconced behind a desk, running employment checks for companies and pulling in a regular income from it. He's also been diagnosed with CTE (chronic, traumatic encephalopathy, AKA head trauma from football) and is experiencing brain fog and missing time, something he has not told wife Leah, who is carrying their first child. He still feels the itch of being in the field, though, running down a case.

So when Moira, his best friend, wants Rick to tail her son to make sure he isn't violating a restraining order, he doesn't think twice. Moira is his friend, after all, and tailing someone without interacting with them seems safe enough.

It never is, though.

Rick trails the son and finds out he's visiting an apartment not just in the same complex in which his girlfriend lives, but directly across from it. What is going on here? When Rick goes to speak to the girlfriend, he finds her dead - murdered in her apartment. When the son's boss also ends up dead, Rick has to decide whether to tell law enforcement that he tailed the young man to his place of employment during the time stated as the time of death. Moira's son? Vanished. And the primary suspect in both murders.

The case takes a giant leap here into the investigation, and it is wild, involving a consulting company that has top programmers in its stable, a secret project, competing firms, corporate espionage, and a new technology for screening DNA in search of various conditions so the problematic genes can be "switched off". That reminded me of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2502504501" target="blank">this book</a> about Theranos and their "one drop" wonder machine that never worked.

The stakes get higher, and more dangerous, especially for Rick and his unpredictable time losses. Moira finds out by accident that he's been seeing a neurologist, and insists he tell Leah, or she will. He promises to do so, then promptly breaks that promise when Leah goes out of town for a big design job. He offers excuses to Moira, but knows he must do it, because Moira is a woman of her word.

The last 150 pages are so are terrific: action packed, danger, loose threads pulled together, and an entirely satisfying ending.

Five out of five stars.

Thanks to Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley for the reading copy.

Rick Cahill has been doing background checks for different companies to keep him safely behind a desk. When his friend Moira's son goes missing he once again enters the part of being a PI he loves. A gritty thrill ride till the enc.

Another stellar book in this ongoing series! Rick Cahill continues to evolve as he works cases with everything he has. This time he's on the job for his friend and sometimes investigator,Moira. Matt Coyle plots some of the best stories I've read, and this is one is no exception. Twists and turns, suspense, intrigue, it's all here and it's very good!

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!

My guess is that every avid reader has a series (or two, or three) that never fails to be a sure bet for an entertaining, comforting go-to. I know I do, and this one isn't all that far from the top of my favorites list. This entry - the eighth - certainly doesn't disappoint; in fact, it just may have moved the series up a notch or two.

At the outset, Rick's life is something of a roller coaster; happily, he's going to be a father as his fiancee, interior designer Leah Landingham, is in the early stages of pregnancy. Not so happily, he's been diagnosed with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, for which the prognosis is early death (and meantime, he's experiencing brief lapses in memory). He plans to tell Leah, and his sometime P.I. partner and best friend, Moira MacFarlane, but the time just never seems right.

He's also trying to get comfortable working behind a desk rather than in the field, where danger lurks at any given moment (and has resulted in injuries that no doubt contributed to his brain condition). That switch in focus, he says, he owes to Leah - and his intense desire to become a first-time dad. His resolve gets set aside, however, when Moira calls to say her son Luke is missing - not long after his girlfriend Gabrielle took out a Temporary Restraining Order against him. Moira, needless to say, is frantic with worry, although she refuses to believe that her son did anything to warrant the TRO, much less anything worse.

But spotting Luke at Gabrielle's condo building - but going into an adjacent unit - hints at a different story that spirals into a scenario immediately calling to my mind the currently (as I write this) in-the-news trial of Elizabeth Holmes, founder of the much-hyped but ill-fated blood testing firm Theranos. In any event, it's a plot that ultimately puts Rick in serious danger almost from the git-go (and for those who might care, some of what happens gets a little cringe-worthy in spots).

The ending wraps things up nicely, with one exception that no doubt will play a role in the next installment - to which, needless to say, I'm looking forward. Meantime, thanks once again to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to enjoy a pre-release copy of this one. Great job!

Life is good for Rick Cahill. He has his sight back. He has a thriving business with a strong roster of clients to finally keep him out of harm’s way. He’s soon to be married and his fiancée Leah is pregnant with their first child. He’s happy in a way he never thought possible. But when his friend and fellow private investigator Moira comes to him asking for help in finding her missing son, the specter of his former risk-taking self surfaces. The game is afoot, and Rick is understandably excited by the thrill of the hunt. A hunt that leads him straight to the edge of losing everything—his fiancée, their unborn child, his dog, Midnight, maybe even his own life. Is this case worth it? To Rick it is. Loyalty means everything to him. Moira has been there for him more times than he can count. Now it’s his turn.

Vicious killers, cut-throat corporations and high personal stakes drive “Last Redemption” to its edge-of-your-seat conclusion. Matt Coyle's “Last Redemption,” book eight in the Rick Cahill series, is a thrilling addition to the collection. Clear your schedule, Readers, you won't want to put this book down.

I received an ARC through "NetGalley" read now program.

This story is about Rick's assistance in locating the son of Moira, a friend, who has gone missing. As the story progresses and as Rick gets closure to the truth, things start to get out of hand. At the same time this is going on, Rick is trying to deal with CTE, a football injury, which has him worried about his health and how it will impact his future life.

To discover how successful Rick was in his search and why has so much concern with regard to his health, then you need to read this book.

The characters are great, and the plot is good, but not very extensive. Thus, the story is partially made with lots of ranting and some repetitions that make the pace too slow. Still, it's an entertaining and moving book.

Last Redemption is the eighth book in Coyle's Rick Cahill private investigator series, but it reads well as a stand-alone book with just enough back story splashed in to orient the reader. Cahill is not on the best of terms with the local law enforcement stemming from days when he was the primary suspect for his wife’s murder. Cahill has just seen a neurologist and learned that he has cumulative brain trauma from multiple concussions and is facing early dementia from it. He’s experiencing fugue states which he attributes to this diagnosis. His girlfriend, Leah, is pregnant and trying to run her interior decorating business in Santa Barbara while awaiting the birth. A fellow PI, Moira, has worked with Cahill on a few cases and calls on him to help locate her missing son.

Cahill is a great wounded hero, and Coyle does a superb job of capturing Cahill’s efforts to handle his diagnosis while keeping Moira from freaking out over her son’s disappearance. Cahill is a moody PI, tough, hard-boiled, and unapologetic, in the tradition of Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe. The secondary characters are well-developed.

This book is a real treat for fans of hard boiled detective fiction. This is the first book I've read by Matt Coyle but it won't be the last. Fast paced, with great characters, it grabbed me from the first page and kept me reading late into the night. Highly recommended.

Rick Cahill manages to be in a good place with his pregnant partner Leah. Unfortunately, he is also in a bad place suffering from debilitating headaches that his neurologist believes is a death sentence. Talk about being between a rock and a hard place! His joy over the impending birth of their baby is clouded by fears about his mortality.
When his colleague and friend Moira asks him to help her locate her son, Luke, it seems like an assignment that he can do from his desk. If you have read any of the prior books in this series, you know that very little goes according to plan for Rick. He is like a magnet pulling him ever closer to dangerous situations. When Luke seems to be the most likely suspect in not one but two murders, Rick has to decide between protecting Moira and her son or going to the police with the damning information he has uncovered. If you know this character, you will guess which path he takes.
Lots of twists and turns and more than a few times of me screaming at my Kindle, 'watch out Rick'. Another page-turner and I can't wait to see what happens next.