One Last Breath

by Ginny Myers Sain

The New York Times bestselling author of Dark & Shallow Lies delivers another chilling supernatural thriller filled with murder, romance, and a decades-long mystery that haunts a small Florida town.

The perfect blend of Natasha Preston, Krystal Sutherland, and Delia Owens, with a paranormal twist.

Mount Orange, Florida, is famous for two things: cerulean freshwater springs, ideal for free divers who aren't afraid of lurking gators. And the gruesome cold case murder of best friends, Bailey and Celeste, twenty years ago.

Bailey and Celeste's murders cast a permanent darkness over sunny Mount Orange. Tru has always lived in that shadow. Now she's supposed to head to FSU in the fall with her boyfriend, but those unsolved murders—and the death of her own sister—invade her every thought. It’s only in the shadowy deep of Hidden Glen Springs that she can breathe. 

When a strange girl named Rio rolls into town, hell-bent on figuring out who killed Bailey and Celeste, Tru can't resist entangling herself in the thrill of solving the decades old mystery any more than she can resist her familiar, aching attraction to Rio.

As the summer heat ignites, so does the spark between Tru and Rio…along with their otherworldy connection to Bailey and Celeste. But when someone begins stalking them, the girls become convinced the killer is back in town. And if they keep digging into the past, Tru and Rio know this time, it could be their blood that makes the springs run red.

• ISBN10: 0593625455
• ISBN13: 9780593625453
• Publish Date: 5 March 2024
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: G.P.Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers'
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 384
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780593625453

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

Book Summary:

Twenty years ago, two young women were murdered. It’s still the town gossip to this day, drawing in nearly as many tourists as the Cerulean freshwater springs. Tru grew up hearing their stories, knowing the risk of living alongside a murderer.

The one place Tru feels free - and ironically alive - is when she’s in the deep water. Holding her breath and testing how far she’ll go. Somehow, these waters will throw her into an investigation into the past - finally providing the truth she longed for.

My Review:

Whew! Ginny Myers Sain does have a way of combining paranormal and thrillers. I love her writing style and will always jump at the opportunity to read her next book. So, here I am, having just finished One Last Breath.

As with the rest of Ginny Myers Sain’s novels, One Last Breath is this intricate blend of thriller and paranormal. It starts as a creepy thriller with a history of girls dying in the area. But at some point, it’s hard even to mark when the paranormal elements begin bleeding through.

I love that subtle shift in the writing, even when I don’t always love how the twist ends (which is the case here). Ultimately, this wasn’t my favorite twist, and I wished there had been more exploration of other core elements.

Highlights:
Paranormal Thriller
Fantasy & Horror Elements
LGBTQ+

Trigger Warnings:
Gaslighting
Drowning

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