The page-turning sequel to the best-selling psychological thriller Wrong Number. With her husband gone, and his legacy in her hands, Amanda Thorne is hell-bent on revenge.
Amanda Thorne is on a mission to avenge those who took her husband away from her. Restoring his honour and protecting his legacy will be dangerous, but she will not rest until all those who have hurt her loved ones have been dealt with.
Her only option is to go undercover in the murky world of the gang kingpin McCallister so, with her loyal companion Shane by her side, she heads back to Scotland to finish what they started.
McCallister's world is one of seedy nightclubs, drug deals and beautiful women, but he is a hard man to get close to. As Amanda gets deeper and deeper into his dangerous world, what secrets from the past will come back to haunt her, and will she be able to protect the last witness to the truth?
A compelling, heart-stopping thriller which you won't be able to put down..
Carys Jones is a thriller writer based in Shropshire where she lives with her husband, daughter and dog.
When she’s not writing she can often be found either walking round the local woodland or catching up on all things Disney related.
Carys also writes speculative thrillers with Harvill, Vintage as Carys Green. Always on My Mind is out now and The Other You will be released in March 2026.
Her favourite authors are Megan Abbott, Amy Engel and Taylor Jenkins Reid.
Carys is represented by Liza DeBlock at Greenstone Literary.
For more information about Carys please visit www.carys-jones.com or follow her online; @CarysJAuthor
I'm on the book tour for this one and I'm thrilled. I read book 1 which was really good, so was happy to pick up book 2 and dive into it right away.
The first book was fast paced and kept my attention and juices going, I had high hopes for this one too. I can honestly say that I throughly enjoyed getting into this one too.
It was great to catch up with the next revelation in this plot. The characters were the same and because of what I'd previously read it was easy to get engrossed.
Once you start this book, be prepared to get nothing else done.
My thanks to Aria via Net Galley for my early copy.
First, I must say that I think you should read book number one before this one if you haven't. Book number two picks up right after the last one left off. It also completely spoils the first, so you won't get much enjoyment out of Wrong Number if you read it after this one.
I felt like we were headed toward the ending conclusion in the middle of this one and was surprised to see I was only halfway done. It definitely packs a lot of action into just 300 pages! The romance aspect seemed very rushed and kept it from earning more stars from me, but that's just personal preference. I know a lot of people prefer their suspense mixed with a hefty dose of romance.
Amanda doesn't have time to mourn the loss of her husband and wrap her head around his death. She didn't even know the real name of the man she shared a bed with. Now he's been murdered, and the man responsible is still out there. She's terrified that he'll return for her husband's son. Though she just learned of the little boy's existence, she's now all he has. She's determined to protect him by any means necessary... whatever she has to do.
She's again accompanied by her old flame Shane as she uses her computer skills and darkweb knowledge to find McCallister. Brave to the point of being reckless, she begins to insert herself into his world to get closer to him and find information that would put him away forever. But how deep will she have to go, and will she be able to find her own way back out?
I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley and Aria, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.
Last witness by Cary's Jones. Wrong number #2. Amanda Thorne is on a mission to avenge those who took her husband away from her. Restoring his honour and protecting his legacy will be dangerous, but she will not rest until all those who have hurt her loved ones have been dealt with. I really enjoyed this book. I liked Amanda and Shane. I hope there is more to come. 4*.
Last witness by Cary's Jones. Wrong number #2. Amanda Thorne is on a mission to avenge those who took her husband away from her. Restoring his honour and protecting his legacy will be dangerous, but she will not rest until all those who have hurt her loved ones have been dealt with. I really enjoyed this book. I liked Amanda and Shane. I hope there is more to come. 4*.
I read this book in hopes of having questions from Wrong Number answered. That did not happen! Sure, so questions were answered, but not all.
I once again found the writing to be repetitive and flat. I am fully aware that it's a fiction book, but some of the scenarios were really reaching and unrealistic.
I'm always nervous to cite specific examples in my reviews. I don't want to spoil the story for anyone, but Ewan...his role in the story did not make much sense to me.
I'll read more by this author if it is suggested by a friend, but I don't imagine I will go out searching for the next book.
Thrilled to be welcoming you to my stop on the Last Witness blog tour. As a self-proclaimed ‘Aria Addict’, I am looking forward to sharing my review with everyone!
Last Witness, the second book in the Wrong Number series by Carys Jones, was one of my most anticipated reads this spring. I had read Wrong Number last year and was completely sucked into its fast-paced plot and easily digestible narrative. Carys Jones does not disappoint in her follow up!
The second book opens where the first left off, which makes it a little difficult to pick up if you aren’t familiar with the first book. Amanda is escaping the scene of her husband’s (Will) murder with Shane (her ex-boyfriend turned detective) and Ewan (Will’s son). Amanda, hell-bent on revenge for the life she should have had, becomes obsessed with restoring Will’s honour and protecting his legacy. Going underground into the world of gangs and dealers, Amanda goes deeper and deeper into this dangerous environment and finds herself in danger! With her feelings for Shane resurfacing and the memory of Will haunting her, Amanda must put everything aside to help keep Ewan safe.
Similarly to Wrong Number, I found the pace of this novel to be right on point. There is non-stop action in this one and twists throughout. In fact, some of the plot points surprised me with how fast they were happening in the novel! I kept checking my page count and thinking “WHOA! THIS IS HAPPENING ALREADY??!” Although slightly predictable in its story arcs, I still found myself on edge several times throughout my reading! This novel packs quite the punch in its pages!!
There were a couple of things I found problematic in this text. For one, it was a little predictable. Secondly, Jones uses a flashback/flash forward type of narrative technique to dive into Amanda’s past relationships with both Shane and Will. I found this quite confusing, as they have no real rhyme, reason or notice to when they are happening. In fact, I wasn’t even sure for several chapters if they were flashbacks or if she was hallucinating. I truly do think it could have been a little of both, but I could see how this would an issue for some readers.
Overall, I enjoyed my reading and found it easy to binge. With a romantic subplot and non-stop action, I think this crime thriller would be the perfect to accompany a crime fan to the beach. Nothing like some rest, relaxation and revenge don’t ya think?
I enjoyed the first section of this book , up until the time one of the main characters is "injured", then I thought it lost its way a bit until much nearer the end with a long section where I felt not Mich was happening . I also thought that what Amanda planned and wanted to do was a bit unrealistic and I don't think her partner would have fine along with it considering his job. Having said that I would consider reading another book by this author as she has some good ideas .
Review: Last Witness by Carys Jones Published by: Aria (May 1 2017)
ISBN: 9781786612498
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 3*
Synopsis: Amanda Thorne is on a mission to avenge her husband. Restoring his honour and protecting his legacy will be dangerous, but she will not rest until all those who have hurt her loved-ones have been dealt with. Her only option is to go undercover in the murky world of the gang kingpin McAllister. So, with her loyal companion Shane by her side, she heads back to Scotland to finish what they started. McAllister's world is one of seedy nightclubs, drug deals and beautiful women, but he is a hard man to get close to. As Amanda gets deeper and deeper into his dangerous world, what secrets from the past will come back to haunt her, and will she be able to protect the last witness from the truth?
Review: I feel at a bit of a disadvantage as I didn't get the opportunity to read Wrong Number, the prequel to this book, before I started Last Witness. If I had, I think I'd have got to learn more about Will and understood his and Amanda's relationship better; ditto Shane. I think not only would I have enjoyed Last Witness more, but I'd have potentially awarded it a better star rating! In terms of characters, I found Amanda likeable, if not always believable. I thought some of her actions were questionable at times. especially given her feelings towards McAllister. I just don't think she would have been able to do some of the things she did, given her hatred of him. Shane seems more believable to me. The plot is good, and I enjoyed the pace of the story. It's gripping and gritty, with quite a lot of romance running through, which gives some light relief. The whole book does feel a little rushed and is only 320 pages long. Carys Jones has the potential to be a fantastic writer. Maybe I'll enjoy her other books more. I've added them to my TBR so I guess I'll find out soon enough! Thanks to Aria and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for my honest review.
Last Witness is the gripping sequel to Carys Jones' 'Wrong Number'. It continues the story of Amanda Thorn, who is out for revenge against the crime lord who killed her husband Will. With her childhood friend Shane as backup, Amanda intends to make sure that Gregg McAlllister can never harm Ewan, Will's son by his first marriage, ever again.
There is so much to love about this book! I loved catching up with Amanda, and her transformation from grieving widow to avenging angel is a good one in this novel. What I like the most about Carys Jones' writing is that the genre does not come second to the character development. We feel for Amanda with every twist and turn; we experience what she experiences, and we are willing her on through the pages of the novel. I'm a sucker for parallels in narrative, too, and there are some great ones here. The flashbacks to Amanda's childhood put her struggles in great context, and it was lovely, in this book, for those to broaden out, away from the initial trauma that we read about in book 1 to encompass other defining moments from her past. I would have loved to have met John in the book's current timeline, though, as we get to know Shane and Amanda very well. One particular parallel that really spoke to me was the one with the dice and the vampire...an excellent link to make between past experience and present conflict, and the nature of self sacrifice.
In terms of the antagonist, McAllister is such a good one! Dark, disturbed, shot through with his own personal tragedy, he's a worthy adversary. At times I felt sympathy for him, and at times I just wanted to put a contract on his head myself! Carys Jones has really painted an excellent picture of a man driven by his own demons to keep running. He and Amanda make up the yin and yang of this novel, but there are enough grey areas between them to keep it very, very interesting.
All in all, this is a brilliant sequel to 'Wrong Number' and one I thoroughly enjoyed. I can't wait for Carys Jones' next novel!
They say write about what you know i'd implore Mrs Jones to follow this advice.
It was if this book was written by two people. Some fantastic phrasing and similes which neatly pushed the story along in parts then in others the shallowness of the characters were truly matched by the shallow plot lines. Timelines were inconsistent at best and some chapters were so devoid of action and intrigue it felt almost as empty as the city centre glasgow hotel seemed to be as never a sole was seen. A great psychological thriller is entwined with realistic possibilities what grips the imagination is the empathic thought processes and the uncertainty of a) what happens next and b) what would you the reader do in that situation. Amanda...at best was unlikeable, selfish, controlling, somewhat dim and the story was transparent and largely pointless. Shane the weakest male lead and unknowledgeable policeman was as an accurate portrayal of a man as the sunrise in Glasgow being described as a fiery golden orb. As for the dark web knowledge of the technological expert, what a disappointment. I gave it two stars generously as it was free.
Amanda Thorn is on a mission. Her husband Will – who wasn’t really Will - see later - has been killed by the dark underworld laird Gregg McAllister and she knows that it is only a matter of time before he comes gunning for her and Will’s son by his first marriage, Ewan.
What else can she do but go after McAllister in order to protect Ewan?
This is the premise of the story, but for me, it didn’t quite sit right. The plot was set out well and moved apace, but the character of Amanda did not seem to be that of someone who would be able to carry out the task in hand – even if it were vengeance she was after.
Also, her friend Shane – boyfriend historically and now carrying a candle for her – is supposed to be a serving policeman. How he manages to go along with Amanda’s, at times, a hair-brained scheme is not really credible.
However, the story is well-written and was a pleasant read.
Sméagol
Breakaway reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
My my my, Mrs Jones ... What a great sequel to Wrong Number. Following the death of her husband, Amanda Thorne, a nice, normal IT bod, is out for revenge. She knows who was responsible for her beloved's death and she isn't going to rest until she has avenged his death. Last Witness is as fast paced and gritty as you would expect following Wrong Number. The storyline is slick and intelligent, if not a little far-fetched in places. This doesn't detract from the story line at all though, which is strange as when I read something that I find implausible, I tend to tune out and give up on the book, for some reason though, I felt compelled to keep reading, and I'm so glad I did! As Amanda gets closer to the truth behind her husbands death, she is dragged deep into the depths of Scotland's criminal underworld ... She could be about to see her husband a lot sooner than she ever thought she would! Last Witness is a great read and one I will be recommending!
Amanda Thorne is a woman on a mission. After the death of her husband, she is determined to find the man responsible and will not rest until he has been dealt with. Heading back to Scotland, she knows the only way to achieve her aim is to go deep undercover into the world of gang kingpin McAllister. This means immersing herself into the seedy world of drugs, women and nightclubs and exposing herself to extreme danger. Will she be able to protect herself from the secrets of the past and ensure that the last witness to the truth survives?
It was with some trepidation that I started to read this book as it is the continuation of the previous book, Wrong Number – a book I have not read. I was pleased to discover, however, that the author has given enough information to ensure that there is a full understanding of events that have previously occurred without spoiling the opportunity to go back and read the first book.
From the start, I warmed to Amanda, a woman who has taken on the responsibility of bringing up a child that is not hers. Her maternal, protective instinct is clear to see and so it is inevitable that she should want to eliminate the only threat to the child’s future – McAllister. I did question her friend Shane’s involvement in the whole scenario who seemed blinded by love despite his role as a police officer! I did admire his loyalty to Amanda, though, and thought he came across as a thoroughly nice man – exactly the sort of man Amanda needed in her life.
It is essential to suspend reality while reading Last Witness as Amanda pursues McAllister via the darkweb. As this is an area of the internet that, thankfully, very few people have access to, it became quite concerning as to how easy it was for Amanda to access weapons and hack into various databases. There were times when I wanted to scream at Amanda at how stupid she was being for putting her life into danger, especially when there was a child at home waiting for her.
Overall, I found this an enjoyable, fast-paced read and one that makes me regret not reading the first book in the series before this one!
With thanks to Aria, Head of Zeus and Net Galley for the ARC.
Only a 2* for this book by Carys Jones, that i received a download copy of via Netgalley. This is the first of hers i have read so did not know what to expect., but maybe it would have helped if i had read the first one first. "With her husband gone, and his legacy in her hands, Amanda Thorne is hell-bent on revenge." The book was fast paced but i found it very confusing and hard to get into., and it did seem to drag on a bit. However, the final quarter of the book made up for it.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC for my Kindle. I didn't read the first book, so I really didn't understand Will and his background. If I had, I might have liked this book better. Without giving away the ending, I thought it might have been a little rushed. Maybe, there be a sequel? There was some suspense and a few surprises, but the book was just o.k. for me.
I read this book fairly quickly and found it predictable. I am also distracted from a novel when grammatical errors pull my attention from the story line. I found the characters and their stories too easy to guess. Carys Jones tell a pretty good tale, but her leading people are not quite genuine enough to be realistic.
This book was really a 2.5* for me. I found the descriptive passages both excessive and repetitive and the plot just too over the top. I found the Glaswegian criminal entirely credible but the protagonist just too naive for her own good including her retrospective belief in her husband. As to the role of Shane...just didn't wash with me. Sorry, this is one crime novel I couldn't engage with.
I didn't realise it was #2 in the series when I started reading, I enjoyed it up to the part where the main character falls from a cliff into Scottish waters and lives.. I lost interest after that ridiculousness.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
RATING: 2 STARS (I received an ARC from the NETGALLEY) (Review Not on Blog)
Please note you must read book one (Wrong Number) for this book to make sense.
Amanda Thorne is living a great life until she receives a wrong number. After that phone call her husband disappears, but no one really believes he has been taken. Amanda must find her husband on her own. In this book we continue with the mystery of Amanda's husband. I won't say the plot as it is a spoiler for book 1.
I liked the premise of the first book, but what this novel turns out to be is not my cup of tea. The characters and chemistry between them all did not really work. The plot wasn't suspenseful so it was hard to keep reading. I read this one only because I had to see where it would go next and if it can get reined back.
You will DEFINITELY want to have read the first one, Wrong Number, or you won’t get the full context of the story and if you go back to read it after having read this it kind of ruins some of the suspense in that novel.
If you loved the first then you will love this because it has the same fast paced, thrilling suspense that will have you turning pages so fast you’ll be at risk of spraining the joints in your hand. Carys Jones knows how to write a female character that practically rivals the scariness and determination of the one from Basic Instinct only thankfully she’s trying to use those qualities for a good reason. She has to be strong in order to face everything she must on her road to revenge.
Turn off the phone, stay away from social media and just let yourself dive full on into this book because it’s worth the trip.