The Last Girl by Jane Casey

 

When a mother and daughter are brutally murdered at home the police investigation turns to the husband and father, Philip Kennford QC. Potential suspect or has his family been targeted because of his role as a criminal barrister. DC Maeve Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwent investigate and find a dysfunctional family.

The Last Girl by Jane Casey is the third book in the Maeve Kerrigan series. When I reviewed book 10, The Close, I was shocked to discover this series had passed me by and vowed to catch up, hopefully before book 11 appears.

This book is a little different to the first two books in the series as there's no serial killer element for the team to hunt down before there's another victim. This time around the police are investigating a double murder, a pretty gruesome one. I really enjoyed the focus being on solving a single crime and how the police turn over every stone in the hope that they'll find some clue. The story clearly shows that there are times when there are no obvious clues and it's sheer hard work that results in a break in a case.

The relationship between Kerrigan and Derwent is still hostile but you can see there is a thawing in their relationship. Lots of barbed comments pepper their interactions but at times there is genuine humour between them.

Philip Kennford is extremely unlikeable. He is written to elicit little sympathy from the reader. As a possible target, we deplore his role in defending criminals; as a victim he comes across as cold and uncaring. His reluctance to engage with the police make him even more of a suspect.

Alongside the murder the team are also investigating a battle between two organised crime groups over territory. This has links to characters in the previous book, The Reckoning, and it's great to see that these characters and crimes still have an impact on the team. There may even be links to the current crime.