THE PERFECT MURDER by Brenda Novak is the final installment of The Last Stand Series.

The Last Stand has a new associate who is eager to prove that she can handle the job, so when Gloria Rickman came to victim advocate, Jane Burke she didn't think twice about offering to help find Gloria's missing sisters even though her mentors and bosses were out of the country on a case of their own.

It doesn't take Jane long to figure out that she is somewhat in over her head. She is looking for the man who she believes kidnapped Gloria's sisters even though all leads point to the girls disappearing on their own. However, Jane isn't the only person looking--Sebastian Costas is also searching for Jane's mystery man.

Sebastian believes that the man who murdered his ex-wife and son is still alive, and doing evil, dastardly things such as kidnapping two young woman for who knows what?

Sebastian and Jane make an unlikely pair of detectives, but they do know how to research, and put various pieces of the puzzle in order to make the police detective in charge of the missing girls' case to stand up and take notice.

Whether or not they can find their man in time to save the girls remains to be seen. The time they spend together does however help them to both let go of their pasts and realize that perhaps the time has come to take a chance on a new love.

Ms. Novak doesn't necessarily write spine tingling suspense. She does however write books that prove that anything can be accomplished if you are determined enough to follow through to the bitter end. She also writes characters whom you might be scared of, but who in the end show that even though they have a rough exterior they truly are redeemable.

THE PERFECT MURDER wasn't necessarily my favorite of this year's trilogy, but I had the same problem with it, as I did with The Perfect Couple, and The Perfect Liar...I didn't want to set it aside to worry about work and domestic chores.

Now I have to wait for Ms. Novak's next work, and I promise that won't be easy!