A mother and daughter are brutally slain inside their exclusive London residence. The only witnesses are the troubled twin that survived and Phillip Kennford, her father and a defense attorney who makes a practice out of twisting the truth. Detective Constable Maeve Kerrigan must pick through the half-truths and lies of this wealthy family to separate the fantasy of their privileged lives from reality if she wants to catch the murderer before they strike again.

THE LAST GIRL by Jane Casey continues to follow DC Maeve Kerrigan as she tries to find her spot inside the male dominated London police department. I really enjoyed the continued banter between Maeve and her partner Detective Inspector Josh Derwent. Derwent is prickly, egotistical and a fantastic character. His off-color jokes make me laugh out loud. Derwent and Maeve complement each other in surprising ways. The fact that there is absolutely no sexual chemistry allows them to explore the roles as partners and unusual friends. I can't wait to see how their partnership will evolve throughout this series. The dynamics Maeve's interaction with various characters always reveals more of Maeve's personality. She's a very complex and real character.

I love the multiple levels of plotting in Casey's novels. The Kennford case is the main focus, but Casey never forgets about the outside world while building this suspenseful mystery. Casey's world is incredibly realistic and detailed. Maeve's still trying to find her footing in her relationship with Rob Langton and deal with his transfer to another division and his new overly friendly boss. Add in a series of drug and gang related hits that have all of London on edge and it's another typical day for Maeve. Like all great series, Casey continues to build character and recurring plot lines while heightening the suspense of the current case.

The Kennford case is extremely tragic and the fine twists of the plot caught me by surprise. I've loved every Jane Casey book I've read to date and highly recommend them. THE LAST GIRL is intricately plotted, heart-wrenching, and suspenseful.