His Last Lie by Erik Therme

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His Last Lie by Erik Therme

When Ryan’s dying father gives him a sealed shoebox with instructions to open once he’s passed, Ryan can only speculate on what’s inside.

The last thing he expects is for his father to shoot himself immediately afterward, or for the shoebox to contain ten thousand dollars cash.

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But the money isn’t for Ryan; it’s for someone named Jamie Norton. When Ryan learns Jamie is an old friend of the family with a shady past, he looks to his mother for answers.

But he isn’t the only one looking.

Ryan thought he knew his parents. But the deeper he digs, the more he learns that some families will do whatever it takes to keep their secrets buried—no matter what the cost.

My Review

I felt so sorry for poor Ryan. His father appears to dislike him and his mother is cold and uncaring. Or that’s how it seems. But His Last Lie is far more complicated than just poor family relations. Thank goodness he has Rachel, who loves him unequivocally.

The story starts with a bang – literally – when Ryan and Rachel visit Ryan’s father Lou. They are not welcome. However, Lou gives Ryan a sealed shoe box, which he says Ryan shouldn’t open till after Lou’s death. Little does he know that would be imminent. No sooner have they left the flat, when there is a loud bang and it turns out that Lou has shot himself.

The box contains ten thousand dollars and a sealed envelope addressed to someone called Jamie Norton. A lot of time is spent with Ryan and Rachel speculating on where the money has come from and what they should do. Their banter is actually very witty and well written, and they are both likable characters. Secretly I always thought Rachel might do a bunk with the loot – maybe she does – we’ll have to wait and see.

I have to be honest, I would have simply found Jamie and handed over the money. I wouldn’t care where it came from, in fact it wouldn’t have occurred to me that it was dishonestly come by, and I’m not really sure why it mattered so much. On the other hand, if I was Ryan I would be furious that Lou had left him nothing, his only child.

But Jamie Norton isn’t that easy to find. Ryan has an address of sorts but not the apartment number, Ryan’s mum says she has no idea who Jamie is, and the only other person who might know is his uncle Floyd, but he’s banged up for armed robbery. That leaves only one option – pay a visit to his cousin Daryl, who lives alone in a trailer in the middle of nowhere, shooting his own dinner and skinning it. It’s all getting a bit Grizzly Adams.

There’s also a character called ‘Knuckles’, a huge man-mountain covered in tattoos – you couldn’t make him up (actually the author just did). Ryan is so out of his depth.

The twists and surprises start coming in thick and fast. The pace picks up round about now and everyone seems to be lying or hiding something. His mum never lies – Ryan you are so naive – of course she does. Ryan and Rachel have so many theories, but they are all wrong. I had no idea and the outcome was nothing like I imagined. So well plotted – I read it in one sitting.

Many thanks to @ZooloosBT for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the Author

Erik Therme has thrashed in garage bands, inadvertently harboured runaways, and met Darth Vader. When he’s not at his computer, he can be found cheering on his youngest daughter’s volleyball team, or watching horror movies with his oldest. He currently resides in Iowa City, Iowa—one of only twenty-eight places in the world that UNESCO has certified as a City of Literature. Join Erik’s mailing list to be notified of new releases and author giveaways: http://eepurl.com/cD1F8L