One Last Look

Book Description

Linda Lael Miller ignites the combustible passion between attorney Clare Westbrook and homicide detective Tony Sonterra in this page-turning conclusion to her New York Times bestselling trilogy.

A senseless murder.

A sizzling adventure.

Carrying her lover Tony Sonterra's child, Clare Westbrook has finally buried her commitment phobia and said "yes" to Tony's marriage proposal. So why is fear running through her veins and haunting her dreams? Sonterra is fired up to leave Phoenix for small-town Arizona, to target a lethal desert crime ring. Clare's willing to stand by her man, but he won't be the only one flirting with danger on the job: as a special investigator for the D.A.'s office, Clare is plunged into a race to find a missing child whose mother was murdered. And on a case this hot, the promise of Clare's bright future could vanish in the blink of an eye....

Customer Reviews:

An interesting crime novel.......2007-09-28

This is the first time I have read a novel by this author. It is listed as the third novel in a trilogy, but reads fine as a stand-alone novel. I am reviewing the novel based on its own merits (I review novels, not authors). Contrary to statements by other reviewers, I found little similarity between Clare Westbrook and Stephanie Plum (I have read all the Plum novels), and cannot fathom why anyone would think they are similar. OK, so they both have a man in their life, but there are no strange relatives, no second man competing for attention, etc.

Clare Westbrook in an attorney with independent financial means who does a lot of pro bono work. She understands the problems of the people, having come from a lower class background (spending time in foster homes, working as a waitress, etc.). She has moved to Dry Creek with her significant other when he took the job of Chief of Police. She is pregnant with his child. She is familiar with the town from when she was a teenager.

Clare becomes personally involved when she takes a job as an investigator with the sheriff's office. That allows her to carry a badge. The case involves abusive males, two legged coyotes (bringing illegal immigrants across the border from Mexico), and relationships of various kinds. There are a number of side plots intertwined with the main plot. I personally thought the story was well written, and it held my interest and kept me up late. The conclusion has some surprises. Contrary to what one reviewer claimed, I did not think it was predictable.

The novel has some explicit sexual content as well as some amount of violence. I would rate it as AO for Adult Only.

Pretty Good But..........2007-02-16

I don't want to reiterate everything that everyone else said already but here's my review nonetheless. Overall, I found the story pretty engaging (hence the 4 stars) and I found myself really admiring Miller's ability to convey how perceptive and intuitive Tony and Clare were. There were many nuances to their characters that made them seem like very real characters. Also, I admired Miller's ability to tie up loose ends in the story because there were quite a bit of secondary story lines that could have easily been forgotten about. (Miller must have a really good editor!! :-))However, I'm used to reading Miller's western novels (i.e. McKettrick Series) and this being my first contemporary romantic suspense novel written by her, I was struck by how different the writing style was in this book versus her other novels. It made me think-"Okay, which series is the REAL Linda Lael Miller and which one is her ghostwriter?". Also, I have to admit, I could relate to Clare's bullheadedness where she deliberately went against Tony's wishes several times in the story but after a while I was like, "Jeez, Lady, you really have no respect for your future husband's wishes at all." I guess Tony's character must have had more depth than I was reading in the novel because I really couldn't see why he would be so patient and loving towards a woman who continuously interfered with his professional interests and seemed so reluctant to walk down the aisle with him. On top of all that, there just seemed like one too many crises going on one after the other, ESPECIALLY for a pregnant woman. Clare only seemed cognizant of being pregnant when it seemed like her life was in danger (due to her own stupidity IMO). In real life, most women would have gone into pre-term labor or had some other complication from all the stress surrounding her series of crises, but, alas, this is a fiction novel and therefore I really tried to suspend my disbelief and just be entertained for a little while.

Concludes the "Look" trilogy.......2007-02-15

One Last Look is the conclusion to the "Look" trilogy. To really get a feel for the characters you should first read "Don't Look Now" followed by "Never Look Back."

This series was very reminiscent of Janet Evanovich without the comical anctics and humor of oddball characters from the Plum series. It is more of a suspense novel with a hint of mystery to keep the reader engaged throughout, leaving the reveal to the very end.

However, I have only two complaints about this author's writing style. One is that she is very formulatic. She also fails to supply enough red herrings to make the mystery reveal more of a surprise. Both, tend to make the story that much more predictable.

On the up side, Linda Lael Miller is a good writer. She can keep the reader in suspense until the last few pages and the characters are well developed.

In this installment, Clare and Tony move to a small town outside of Tucson, Arizona. Immigration smuggling over the Mexico border is out of control and so is domestic violence which seems to make nearly everyone in the town a suspect at one thing or another. It's even harder finding a friend in the small town to trust. Luckily, all of Clare's friends from Scottsdale are still included in the story line. Yet, her best friend Loretta is going through a sticky situation of her own, and Tony is rushing Clare into getting married faster than she expected. Having finally agreed to the wedding, all Clare needs to do is stay alive long enough to make it through the horrifying week.

Is it worth buying?

As a series it is not bad. However, full price is a little much knowing that the consumer's expectations will be higher. If you find it on sale, along with the others, than maybe. I ended up buying this one before I realized it was part of a trilogy and then had to get the others before reading "One Last Look." I found the first two at the library thankfully, because I think if I had bought all three at once, I may have been disappointed. Hopefully, that gives you more of an idea of whether you should buy it or not. Personally, it was an okay read and entertaining enough, but nothing I will keep on my book shelf for years to come.

Predictable...............2006-05-14

In this trilogy, I enjoyed the first book, the second book was so-so, but this third one was much too predictable. Some reviewers say this book can stand alone, but I didn't think so. I recommend reading the trilogy in order.

But here's something that bothered me. Several people mentioned in reviews of the first two books of this trilogy that they were reminded of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. To be honest, overall, there were so many similarities to Evanovich's Plum books that I was stunned.

Great ending to a fabulous trilogy.......2006-03-13

I have read all books in this series and they are extremely good. In fact so good, that I cancelled a hair appointment to finish this one, and I really needed my hair cut.

I am not going to tell you the plot as others have done this, but if you haven't already read Don't Look Now and then Never Look Back, buy both of those when you buy this one. Start with Don't Look Now.

I really hope there are other books in this series because I really like these characters and the plots. I think Linda Lael Miller has lots of mileage yet in Clare and Sonterra.

Definitely worth buying.

One last look: A sentimental journey to the Eighth Air Force heavy bomber bases of World War II in England

Average customer rating:

An excellent look back
Wonderful written and picture account
bomers
One Last Look
A great start to an enjoyable series

One last look: A sentimental journey to the Eighth Air Force heavy bomber bases of World War II in England
Philip Kaplan , and Rex Alan Smith
Manufacturer: Abbeville Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

An excellent look back.......2004-04-12

This book is an excellent postscript to reading thousands of pages about the air war in Europe. I've always been fascinated by what the air crews did, and how they lived their lives. Part of what makes it so interesting is the vast span of time that exists between now and then. This book, through photographs, documents that span of time... and through these photographs, you can see how something so large as a world war can fade into the past, which in a special kind of way makes the people involved that much more interesting: larger than time... bigger than anything you can see now. The text in this book is limited (by their design), yet concise and informative. Yet, if a picture is worth a thousand words, this book is probably a million words long. I haven't seen pictures as vivid as those in this book anywhere else. Many are in full color, some are vintage WWII color photos spanning two pages. The appendix is filled some pretty amazing statistics, right down to the number of .50 caliber rounds fired by 8th AF bombers.

The foreword by Andy Rooney is pretty revealing as well. You won't watch him on 60 minutes the same way again.

Wonderful written and picture account.......2002-05-06

This was so well done!!! The written account was complimented so well by the great pictures that I felt like I could get an better idea of being there. This really needed to be recorded before it was a forgotten era in history. Thank you for doing that.

bomers.......2002-03-09

enjoyed the book and found an artist rendering taken at a train staion, i beleive. the approximate page location is 70 & 71, give or take. what i need to know is where i can obtain a source that has this picture showing this german train station during WWII. it is for a friend who works for union pacific and loves enginges. please contact me about the picture. as for the book i grew up near wright-patterson AFB, Dayton OH and love planes - loved the book - hope to purchace it someday. any direction to a source will be greatly appreciated. thank you. Dave Falknor.

One Last Look.......2001-11-21

As the son of a surviving B-17 pilot, I have spent considerable time poring over books specific to the subject. This book, along with Half a Wing, Three Engines and a Prayer are true treasures. History books alone cannot convey information to our successors like a story retold by someone who had the events firmly planted in their memory by the first-hand impact of the situation.

A great start to an enjoyable series.......1999-03-25

This is not a formal history, but an attempt to convey the atmosphere and experience of the time. Well written and artfully laid out.

Average customer rating:

The real thing is much more interesting
I wanted to love it...
Susanna Moore evokes a most exotic world, a time long past & characters forever transformed.
Fascinating narrator...
I Loved this Book

One Last Look
Susanna Moore
Manufacturer: Penguin Books Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

War | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0141013923

Book Description

Calcutta in 1836: an uneasy mix of two worlds–the patient, implacably unchangeable India and the tableau vivant of English life created of imperialism’s desperation. This is where Lady Eleanor, her sister Harriet, and her brother, Henry–the newly appointed Governor-General of the colony–arrive after a harrowing sea journey “from Heaven, across the world, to Hell.” But none of them will find India hellish in anticipated ways, and some–including Harriet and, against her better judgment, Eleanor–will find an irresistible and endlessly confounding heaven.

In Lady Eleanor–whose story is based on actual diaries–we have a keenly intelligent and observant narrator. Her descriptions of her profoundly unfamiliar world are vivid and sensual. The stultifying heat, the sensuous relief of the monsoon rains, the aromas and colors of the gardens and marketplaces, the mystifying grace and silence of the Indians themselves all come to rich life on the page. When she, Harriet, Henry, and ten thousand soldiers and servants make a three-year trek to the Punjab from Calcutta under Henry’s failing leadership, Eleanor’s impressions of the people and landscape are deepened, charged by her own revulsion and exaltation: “My life,” she says, “once a fastidious nibble, has turned into an endless disorderly feast.”
Harriet, whose passivity conceals a dazed openness to the true India, and Henry, with his frightened adherence to the crumbling ideals of empire, become foils to Eleanor’s slow but inexorable seduction.

Historically precise, gorgeously evocative, banked with the heat of unbidden desires, One Last Look is a mesmerizing tale of the complex lure of the exotic and the brazen failure of imperialism–both political and personal. It is a powerful confirmation of Susanna Moore’s remarkable gifts.

Customer Reviews:

The real thing is much more interesting.......2007-05-13

The British Raj (rule) in India is a fascinating era. If reading Moore's book about the period sparks your interest, I recommend the DVD "Jewel in the Crown" to get a stunning visual of the late Raj period. The plot of Moore's book seems to be based on the governor-generalship of Lord George Auckland who went to India in 1836 with his two sisters Emily and Fanny Eden. Emily wrote a journal about it which is outlined in Marian Fowler's "Below the Peacock Fan - First Ladies of the Raj" I recommend this book highly. It gives an overview of the Raj period thru the wives of the governor-generals who were later called viceroys after the mutiny. Another fun read is "Plain Tales From the Raj" (Charles Allen)which is a sort of anthropological study of the daily lives of the ordinary British in India and the weird stuff they had to contend with in day-to-day life. Another great read is "Raj: A scrapbook of British India 1877-1947" (Charles Allen) which is heavily illustrated. These are good introductory books. There is so much out there to read about the whole fasciniating and yet in many ways ugly period known as the Raj. Put on your topees sahibs and memsahibs and explore!

I wanted to love it..........2006-11-11

I love this time period and was excited to start this book. What a disappointment! I couldn't follow it half the time and the other half...well, let's just say I didn't want to follow it. The subplot felt straight out of Flowers in the Attic. No thanks, I'll take my historical fiction "straight."

Susanna Moore evokes a most exotic world, a time long past & characters forever transformed........2005-09-29

When Lord Henry Oliphant is appointed Governor-General to India in 1836, his devoted sister, Lady Eleanor Oliphant, a 34 year-old spinster, agrees to accompany him as does Harriet, their artistic younger sibling, and also their cousin Lafayette, a lady's man and a libertine. Lady Eleanor keeps a journal in which she recounts the significant events that occur over the six year period they spend on the subcontinent, as well as the more personal changes in character and points of view.

Susanna Moore, a superb writer, brings vividly to life the grandeur, beauty and squalor that was India - a place so far removed from anything the Oliphant's had previously experienced as to be totally unimaginable. The small group of family members arrive in the country, like so many before them, with great confidence in the superiority of their British aristocratic heritage and their right to rule. Each is to change slowly over the years, and as they become accustomed to the heat, the brilliant local color, the extremes of wealth and poverty, the claustrophobic inbred social life, each one grows to love India, and all are transformed.

Elegantly written and well researched, Ms. Moore recreates with great accuracy the language and experiences of an English lady living in early 19th century India. "One Last Look" is loosely based on the lives of a real governor-general and his sisters who went out to India in 1836 to serve the British Empire. The diary is fictional and spans seven years, but primary sources for the narrative are the published writings of sisters Emily and Fanny Eden, who accompanied their brother George, Earl of Auckland, when he was sent to Calcutta as Governor General. The author also consulted the diaries of another period traveler and contemporary of the Edens, the wife of a civil servant, described by Moore as "the sublime Fanny Parks."

Governor Oliphant's reign has been largely unsuccessful. Hoping for support in his quest to win Afghanistan for Britain, he undertakes the "Great Progress" in 1937, a two-and-a-half-year journey from Calcutta to Kabul to cement an alliance with the Maharajah Ranjit Singh, an old warlord. Accompanied by a huge retinue of 12,000 people, Lady Eleanor asks: "Why must we travel with scribes, equerries, victualers, cooks, officers with their wives and children and parrots and spaniels, tent pitchers, herdsmen, syces, grass cutters, musicians, dancing girls, water bearers, butchers, sweepers, tailors, valets, hairdressers, the Bombay Troop, the queen's 12th Regiment, the Irish guards and 2,000 native archers?" Because everything is a big production in India. Much of the author's extraordinary descriptions of this dramatic trip is taken directly from the journals of Emily Eden.

Eleanor, Harriet and the "sublime Fanny" were adventurous, spirited women, who opened to their new bicultural experience and thrived. "The danger of this place is that I am learning to deny myself nothing," writes Eleanor. And, "My life - once a fastidious nibble - has now turned into an endless disorderly feast." These women were far different from the memsahibs who came later to India in the early 20th century. The staid latecomers felt it necessary to enforce their hierarchical society, and to maintain English dress, customs and culture, rather than to adapt more and to enjoy.

"One Last Look" is an atmospheric novel, the action is character driven, the conflicts internal. With richly textured, lush prose, Susanna Moore evokes a most exotic world, a time long past, and characters forever transformed. Highly recommended.
JANA

Fascinating narrator..........2005-05-21

...not someone to trust or like, but an astonishing portrayal. Eleanor's voice stayed with me long after I read the book. I have read several of Susanna Moore's books now, and am in awe of the unique perspective she gives her characters. They tend to be passionate but amoral, intelligent but capable of making terrible decisions. I hesitate to say that they are realistic women, because that implies that realism is somehow a virtue, which is not necessarily true. Rather, they are vibrant and galvanizing. Recommended to read alongside this novel: Philip Hensher's The Mulberry Empire, in which these characters take a secondary role.

I Loved this Book.......2004-08-16

Yes, as one post stated, this is a somewhat difficult book to follow, mainly because of the indian words. However, it is worth reading. I could not put it down half-way through.

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One Last Look
Linda Lael Miller
Manufacturer: Pocket Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0739462628

Product Description

Miller concludes her bestselling romantic suspense trilogy (Don't Look Now; Never Look Back) with more slick sleuthing featuring blunt, resourceful attorney Clare Westbrook and her fiancé, homicide detective Tony Sonterra. After a string of personal and professional troubles, Clare, four months pregnant and desperate for peace and quiet, leaves Phoenix and follows Sonterra to the Arizona hill town of Dry Creek, where he is to be sworn in as police chief. But the small town turns dangerous when a mysterious driver viciously totals Clare's Escalade. Sonterra tries to keep track of an immigrant-smuggling ring of coyotes, and Dry Creek's secrets slowly begin to reveal themselves. Clare takes a job with the shady county prosecutor just as a case of domestic abuse escalates to murder and a child goes missing, sending her snooping around a local trailer park and a gossipy book club for clues. Clare and Sonterra survive several more violent attempts to scare them off, including gunshots that turn their wedding day into a bloodbath, but the daring duo manage to make it all in a day's work, including a revelation about Clare's family lineage. Miller delivers a serviceable and mostly engaging windup to the three-part series, complete with a happily-ever-after ending. (Jan.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Canadian let down

One Last Good Look
Michael Winter
Manufacturer: Porcupine's Quill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This title was sold to the House of Anansi.

Customer Reviews:

Canadian let down.......2001-06-21

I first heard a selection from Michael Winter's writing on the Canadian Broadcasting Co. while touring Nova Scotia. I was taken by what appeared to be a young man's reminiscences of growing up in Newfoundland. I left the tale on a "to be continued" note and I yearned to hear the ending. Excited when I finally got One Last Good Look into my hands, I kept reading thinking that it had to get better, but, break my heart, not so. A collection of short stories ranging from past loves to moose hunting, these peices often read like the ramblings of journal writing, and unfortunately, a self-absorbed one at that.

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One Last Look
Linda Lael Miller
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000PJBXCK

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One Last Look
Susanna Moore
Manufacturer: ALFRED A. KNOPF
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OJT5TE

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One Last Look
Demitri Kare
Manufacturer: Authorhouse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Romance | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1410738418

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One Last Look
Douglas Sharman
Manufacturer: Minerva Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

One Last Look - Someone Wants Her Next Breath to Be Her Last...

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One Last Look - Someone Wants Her Next Breath to Be Her Last...
Linda Lael Miller
Manufacturer: Double Day Large Print
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0739462520

Customer Reviews:

Worth Reading.......2005-07-05

I find myself striking a balance between wanting to say, "This is not one of de Lint's best works," and "This is a thoughtful and interesting to his novel Moonheart." I found the initial structure of the book to be a bit off-setting; the book is more like three interconnected novellas instead of a solid single novel. However, by the end of the book I was emotionally vested in the characters, to the point of blurting out, "She did WHAT?" in the laundromat in the final chapter. So while not as moving nor as fantastic as Moonheart, Spiritwalk is a thought-provoking collection on life, love, relationships with the divine, and relationships with people - including ourselves.

Not De Lint's best.......1999-07-05

I was expecting a fine read when I began this book, since the writer is such a good one, a master of both short stories and novels. This book was, to put it briefly, a major letdown. The pagan characters are of course one hundred percent virtuous and always manage to save the day, an example of perfect propoganda. If an author had attempted similar characters, only making them Christian or Jewish, they would be condemned for preaching, but I guess it's okay if they're Wiccan. While De Lint condemns New Age theology in this book, he presents quite a bit of it. The attempt to mix together several plots is also a failure - the first story is extremely dry, the second moderately interesting and the third average at best. Overall the attempt to mix them into one coherent book does not work and the whole comes across as very convoluted (sp?). I'd recommend Trader for anyone who wants a real taste of De Lint's writing - even fans of his should skip over this.

An interesting new kind of fantasy.......1999-03-15

Spiritwalk is a sequel to Moonheart. I accidently read this book before Moonheart, but I have since corrected that error. It makes much more sense when you know who the characters are ;)

I think that de Lint's writing is decent, and his stories are good. They are a different kind of fantasy, pulling the otherworld into our world, an occurance that surprises the characters as much as the reader. They are perhaps gothic, having a dark tone to them, but good still triumphs over evil.

Moonheart is definately a better book, but those who liked it would be interested in the stories in this one. Other reviewers have compared de Lint to Tolkien and CS Lewis, but I think they were misguided. The fantasy of Tolkien and Lewis is of a different brand. For one thing, they are Christian, and this is clearly reflected in the organization of their secondary worlds. De Lint's writing is based on a different, polytheistic tradition, and this also is apparent in his writing. [In Moonheart, it is mainly Celtic w/ some Native American, in Spiritwalk it focuses more on the Native American, and in later works such as Svaha, it is a blend of Native American and Eastern mysticism]. Not that you can't like all three of these authors [I do], but I do not think that they are similar enough to be compared. I appreciate each for his merits. I would consider de Lint to be modern in his themes, and his writing to be exclusively for teenagers and adults [NOT children!] My reason for this would most likely be sex scenes, which, while I'm on the topic, tend be described in rather ridiculous terms, but then, I am no fan of romance novels. These stories are an interesting rendition of ancient rituals of magic crossing into modern Canada.

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Spiritwalk
Charles de Lint
Manufacturer: Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0333637291

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Spiritwalk
Charles DE LINT
Manufacturer: Tor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OPAKBK

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Spiritwalk ... sequel to "Moonheart"
Charles ..jacket art by David Bergen de Lint
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTLLNW

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SpiritWalk: Daily Devotions on the Holy Spirit
Robert White
Manufacturer: SpiritLife Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0871489678

Book Description

365 devotions on the Holy Spirit by over 350 Pentecostal/Charismatic men and women.

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SpiritWalk: Personal Prayer Journal
Kathy White
Manufacturer: SpiritLife Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0871489716

Book Description

This companion to SpiritWalk: Daily Devotions on the Holy Spirit, gives structure to your prayer life. Each month has places for you to record your prayers, needs, answered prayers, praise scripture, and prayer of praise. It also contains a small scriptural prayer guide.

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Spiritwalk
Smithmark Publishing
Manufacturer: Smithmark Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0831741732

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Spiritwalk
Charles De Lint
Manufacturer: Pan Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000U59CTA

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Spiritwalk
Charles DeLint
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000TIH4XO

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Spiritwalk
Charles De Lint
Manufacturer: UNSPECIFIED VENDOR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000V8G6V8

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