Last One Down

Sharyn Howard Mystery #10

by Joyce Lavene, Jim Lavene

Reluctantly, Sheriff Sharyn Howard has been forced to attend a training school for the local law enforcement officers. For years she's managed to skirt around it, but now it's time for her to take a helicopter up to Sweet Potato Mountain to attend a rigorous weekend of training at the grounds of an old mining town. The town, long abandoned by miners, is complete with an old jail and hotel. After attending just a few classes things start to go wrong. An officer goes missing, and while searching for him one of Sheriff Howard's men falls into an old mine breaking his leg. Things go from bad to worse when a truck explodes killing the man inside. To top things off, the radio has been broken and there is a ferocious storm brewing. Stuck in the old town with a group of hotheaded officers, sheriffs, police chiefs, and deputies, Sharyn quickly realizes the person attempting to hunt them down must be hiding among them. Unable to reach her office with cell phones or radios, and with the road impassable, Sharyn is worried that they may all be killed before anyone in Diamond Springs is even aware something is wrong. Meanwhile, back in Diamond Springs, a sniper has taken a shot at Sharyn's deputy, Ernie, and the former girlfriend of a drug dealer Ernie shot years ago has been found dead. Ernie and Nick Thomopolis, Sharyn's boyfriend and the medical examiner, try desperately to solve the mystery without bothering Sharyn, but get suspicious when she doesn't check in. Not once. With the help of Zeke Two-Rivers, nephew of Sharyn's long time friend Jefferson Two-Rivers, they strive to catch the killer and get off the mountain alive, all while Ernie, Nick, and the entire Diamond Springs sheriff's department desperately attempt to save them.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Suspense

186 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2004

About the author

aka Elyssa Henry and Joye Ames, J.J. Cook, and Ellie Grant

Joyce Lavene and Jim Lavene are a wife and husband team who have written and published more than 70 books since 1999. They live in North Carolina with their family and enjoy cooking, photography and ghost hunting.

Reviews

[Angela Porter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very gripping series. Seeing the story play out from two angles really kept me on my toes. Out of all the books in the series that I have been able to read this one has got to be my favorite. The last half of this book had me glued to the pages trying to figure out done it. A must read!

[Vicki Gooding · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so deeply saddened at the passing of this author. The Sheriff Sharyn Howard books have been one of my top three favorite series. Oh my gosh. So exciting, I could hardly stand it. I finished reading it in hardly any time and cried because this author (I believe cancer) can never write any more of these again. Absolutely wonderful series.

[Dharia Scarab · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...

1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.

2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.

3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.

4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.

5 stars... I loved this book! It had earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best Sharyn Howard mystery yet. This one got pretty tense and boy is the ending a surprise (or at least it was to me). I have come to really love the characters in this series. They are so "real". There are two more books after this one and I am hoping that isn't the end of the series.

[Douglas Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book overall. This was the first of these books which I have read, so I was a bit confused as to who all the characters were. Also the main character has a horrible streak of bad luck. I was waiting for the Apocalypse to occur.