Last Known Address

by Theresa Schwegel

Book Overview

Detective Sloane Pearson is new to the Sex Crimes Division and her first big case is as tough as they come: A rapist is on the loose, dragging women to deserted buildings in downtown Chicago and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 031236427X
• ISBN13: 9780312364274
• Release Date: July 2009
• Publisher: Minotaur Books
• Length: 374 Pages
• Weight: 1.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.4" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

tense one sitting thriller

Chicago police detective Sloane Pearson has moved from homicide to major sex crimes. Her current case involves a brutal serial rapist who leaves his prey near dead from strangulation. Her efforts to get someone to talk are futile as the women fear their predator will return to finish the job or worse. The brass demands she either finds a legitimate suspect or move on as they reject her belief a serial rapist is stalking Chicago. However, she has no clues so Pearson tracks what the victims claimed they did before being snatched and raped. She begins to find a tenuous link, but is running out of time as her boss orders her to drop the investigation immediately and start a new case while she knows the next victim is just around the corner. The latest Pearson police procedural (see PROBABLE CAUSE) is an exciting whodunit in which the heroine's boss and lover intrude in her inquiry. Her supervisor orders her to cease and desist though she believes another rape is imminent and Sloane is considering leaving her lover, but puts that on hold while investigating; on top of that her father is ill with a bad heart. The story line is fast-paced and never slows down as Pearson's tour of Chicago is no joy ride as the clues are few and the women begin to back away with her only ally being a Sun-Times reporter that she feeds information to that if her boss knew would cost her the job she loves. Theresa Schwegel provides a tense one sitting thriller. Harriet Klausner

Far from a cozy

This book is the 4th in a series featuring Chicago detective Sloane Peterson. I haven't read any of the others (I will tho) but that didn't take away from this absorbing novel. Chicago came alive for me - the cold, the streets and the sounds. Sloane Peterson also became very real to me. Her determination to find the serial rapist, her difficulties with the sometimes infantile males on the force and her frustration with her superiors who don't seem to support her efforts. I like Sloane and I REALLY liked the ending!

Intelligent,Gripping Detective Story

I loved this murder mystery and I read it far into the night, long past my bedtime. Some other mysteries and police procedurals have sent me to sleep while reading, but not this one. It's exciting, very competently written and while the ending is not a complete surprise, it is brought off with a surprise big fight scene. Sloane Pearson is a woman detective in a gritty, run down neighborhood in Chicago. She puts up with daily unfunny jokes and even harassment from her male colleagues but she doesn't let them see that sometimes it really gets to her. But as professional as she is, she trades insult for insult and never lets them see how upset it can make her. She is working on a case of a serial rapist who is choking women into unconsciousness and kills one or two of them. She is grimly determined to track this miscreant down. Meanwhile she has boyfriend trouble; her current boyfriend and she have reached the end of the relationship and she must find a new place to live. She doesn't like the car she's driving, she doesn't much like her job on some days, and still she is full of energy trying to track her criminal down. Also her father has had a heart attack, and she wants to be there for him, to take care of him, but her stepmother crowds her out whenever Sloane tries to do anything for her father, which makes her irate. All these details flow into the story and make it more realistic, it's as if you know Sloane is a real woman with real problems like other women. I was impressed with this novel and I recommend it for all adults who like gripping police procedurals.

A Lot Of Fun To Read!

Saying that a thriller is "fun" might sound odd, but I honestly enjoyed this book. Yes, it has a tight, frightening plot. Yes, it's reasonably well-written. But the best thing about Last Known Address is Sloane, the lead character. She shows that women can be tender and terrifying, understanding and underhanded, and always tenacious while remaining feminine. I won't rehash the plot; others have beaten me to that task. Trust that it's nicely-woven and exciting throughout. In short, this is one thriller with a female lead I could really understand and respect. Not an easy trick to pull off in the sea of poorly-created women detectives/lawyers/what-have-you. Simply a great read!