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The Last Cold Case #4
Last Spring's Stranger: The Last Cold Case Book #4
In this 4th book from the author's Last Cold Case series, MJ LaBeff has upped the stakes for Homicide Detective, Rachel Hood.
Secrets can have deadly and life altering consequences. The legend of Verch’s Hollow has intrigued the residents of Snug Harbor, Ohio for generations. Myths about the abandoned property abound. When a teenage girl is murdered in the Hollow, her gruesome death threatens to expose a secret from Homicide Detective Rachel Hood’s past. Forced to face the truth of her deception, she reopens a cold case that could jeopardize her career. A victim of adolescent cyber-bullying, messages fill her personal inbox with threatening undertones from years ago. Do keep evidence and share it with an authority.
Enter FBI Agent Nick Draven an occult crimes specialist and Hood’s fiancé. As they delve deeper into the sender’s motive, Rachel has to confront the harsh reality she left behind over twelve years ago: a murdered friend, Tina; a glimpse of the killer at the scene of the crime, who she can’t identify despite her psychic empathy; and her own involvement with the evening’s sinister events.
Secrets can have deadly and life altering consequences. The legend of Verch’s Hollow has intrigued the residents of Snug Harbor, Ohio for generations. Myths about the abandoned property abound. When a teenage girl is murdered in the Hollow, her gruesome death threatens to expose a secret from Homicide Detective Rachel Hood’s past. Forced to face the truth of her deception, she reopens a cold case that could jeopardize her career. A victim of adolescent cyber-bullying, messages fill her personal inbox with threatening undertones from years ago. Do keep evidence and share it with an authority.
Enter FBI Agent Nick Draven an occult crimes specialist and Hood’s fiancé. As they delve deeper into the sender’s motive, Rachel has to confront the harsh reality she left behind over twelve years ago: a murdered friend, Tina; a glimpse of the killer at the scene of the crime, who she can’t identify despite her psychic empathy; and her own involvement with the evening’s sinister events.
328 pages, Paperback
Published October 30, 2022
4 people want to read
About the author
M.J. LaBeff
6 books29 followersM.J. LaBeff is an American author best described as the girl-next-door with a dark side. She's drawn to writing suspense novels, featuring complicated characters and twisted plot lines that will keep readers turning page after page. When she's not writing or plotting her next novel, MJ enjoys reading, running, lifting weights, and volunteering for the American Cancer Society. She lives in southern Arizona with her husband, Jeff, and their two big dogs, Samson and Wally.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 8, 2024
Last Spring's Stranger: The Last Cold Case Book #4 written by MJ LaBeff is a complex, psychological thriller that chills the reader to the bone. Webster's dictionary describes a psychic empath as: the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another.
LaBeff 's supreme writing sweeps its readers into gut-wrenching emotions. Not only hurtling Detective Rachel Hood into a rollercoaster ride of disproportionate fear and anger because of her psychic empathy, but she also gives the stage to the antagonist, a sadistic killer, and lays bare his twisted, dark mind.
"Her mind replayed the moments she walked in the killer's shoes. She despised the pleasure he took from the murder. His elation sickened her. The way the knife had punctured Tina's flesh, bones, and internal organs had remained with her..."
Rachel also harbors a secret. A secret that eats away at the very pit of her soul and could even jeopardize her job as a detective.
I've read other books by LaBeff. She never leaves the reader dissatisfied. If psychological thrillers are what you're looking for, I'd highly recommend LaBeff's The Last Cold Case Series. They are gripping, haunting, and leaves the reader with an appetite for more.
LaBeff 's supreme writing sweeps its readers into gut-wrenching emotions. Not only hurtling Detective Rachel Hood into a rollercoaster ride of disproportionate fear and anger because of her psychic empathy, but she also gives the stage to the antagonist, a sadistic killer, and lays bare his twisted, dark mind.
"Her mind replayed the moments she walked in the killer's shoes. She despised the pleasure he took from the murder. His elation sickened her. The way the knife had punctured Tina's flesh, bones, and internal organs had remained with her..."
Rachel also harbors a secret. A secret that eats away at the very pit of her soul and could even jeopardize her job as a detective.
I've read other books by LaBeff. She never leaves the reader dissatisfied. If psychological thrillers are what you're looking for, I'd highly recommend LaBeff's The Last Cold Case Series. They are gripping, haunting, and leaves the reader with an appetite for more.
April 18, 2021
The opening chapter of Last Spring’s Stranger (the 4th book in M J LaBeff’s Last Cold Case series) sees homicide detective Rachel Hood first to arrive on the scene of a gruesome murder. It’s 4am. making the atmosphere even more chilling and giving the reader a sense of how it must feel to walk in her shoes.
When the body of another teenager is found in Verch’s Hollow – a sinister place with haunting memories for the detective – so begins a cold case investigation and a nightmare return to her past.
The plot is complex, particularly when the death toll starts to rise, and we are left speculating as to who is behind it all, a surprise that is cleverly withheld.
There are many aspects of M J LaBeff’s books that I like and this latest novel is no exception. The brutality of the murders is well depicted, but the violence isn’t gratuitous. The essence of the investigative methods and police procedures are an obvious necessity in a story of this nature, but the reader isn’t bombarded with all the minute details, which lends more pace to the story.
The author has a flair for natural dialogue, clearly demonstrated in the interactions between Rachel and her fiancé, FBI Agent Nick Draven. Their relationship adds spice to the story, both characters well rounded and authentic. I particularly like the way Nick doesn’t always get his own way with her, despite his advice having good intentions. She’s a sassy lady.
I have become a fan of this author who’s easy style flows effortlessly. Hats off to you Ms LaBeff for yet another enjoyable 5* read that I can highly recommend.
When the body of another teenager is found in Verch’s Hollow – a sinister place with haunting memories for the detective – so begins a cold case investigation and a nightmare return to her past.
The plot is complex, particularly when the death toll starts to rise, and we are left speculating as to who is behind it all, a surprise that is cleverly withheld.
There are many aspects of M J LaBeff’s books that I like and this latest novel is no exception. The brutality of the murders is well depicted, but the violence isn’t gratuitous. The essence of the investigative methods and police procedures are an obvious necessity in a story of this nature, but the reader isn’t bombarded with all the minute details, which lends more pace to the story.
The author has a flair for natural dialogue, clearly demonstrated in the interactions between Rachel and her fiancé, FBI Agent Nick Draven. Their relationship adds spice to the story, both characters well rounded and authentic. I particularly like the way Nick doesn’t always get his own way with her, despite his advice having good intentions. She’s a sassy lady.
I have become a fan of this author who’s easy style flows effortlessly. Hats off to you Ms LaBeff for yet another enjoyable 5* read that I can highly recommend.
March 9, 2021
MJ LaBeff’s Last Spring’s Stranger is the fourth in her compelling The Last Cold Case series, and it’s a marvelous addition to the ongoing adventures of detective Rachel Hood, a psychic empath, and FBI Agent Nick Draven, an occult crimes specialist with a secret, who’s now her fiancé.
The plot is complex, as you’d expect from a good murder mystery/thriller—and from the other novels in the series. It’s so full of twists and turns, in fact, that I guarantee you won’t be able to guess the ending no matter how diligently you try to solve the case along with Rachel and Nick.
The characters here are real, sometimes quite sympathetic, sometimes quite weird, even creepy, which makes this a multifaceted read. We’re not only thrust into the thoughts and feelings of the main characters, we get to feel the anger, the angst, and the crazed motivation of the killer they’re trying to identify. LaBeff even gets us to feel some sympathy for the doer of these most evil deeds. At times Rachel’s psychic empathy throws her headlong into some very dark places, and she isn’t always the easiest person to deal with. Rachel Hood is not an easy person to deal with. And Nick’s patience and determination to keep her safe is tested often in the narrative.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention LaBeff provides plenty of detail in each scene. You feel as if it’s you battling a storm, it’s you facing death at the hands of a mad man, and it’s you trudging through the terrain. There were times when I had to stop myself from checking my shoes for slush and mud. It felt that real. And the descriptions of the meals prepared by Rachel’s sister, Amy, are described so well you might just suffer some hunger pangs. I did.
The story ends the way you want a thriller to end, but the path to that conclusion is anything but smooth. There is even a scene near the end that gives us hope that there will be more of Rachel Hood and Nick Draven in the future. I certainly hope so. Yes, LaBeff has run out of seasons, but an author of her caliber might just be able to find a way around that.
Last Spring’s Stranger gets my highest recommendation. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.
The plot is complex, as you’d expect from a good murder mystery/thriller—and from the other novels in the series. It’s so full of twists and turns, in fact, that I guarantee you won’t be able to guess the ending no matter how diligently you try to solve the case along with Rachel and Nick.
The characters here are real, sometimes quite sympathetic, sometimes quite weird, even creepy, which makes this a multifaceted read. We’re not only thrust into the thoughts and feelings of the main characters, we get to feel the anger, the angst, and the crazed motivation of the killer they’re trying to identify. LaBeff even gets us to feel some sympathy for the doer of these most evil deeds. At times Rachel’s psychic empathy throws her headlong into some very dark places, and she isn’t always the easiest person to deal with. Rachel Hood is not an easy person to deal with. And Nick’s patience and determination to keep her safe is tested often in the narrative.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention LaBeff provides plenty of detail in each scene. You feel as if it’s you battling a storm, it’s you facing death at the hands of a mad man, and it’s you trudging through the terrain. There were times when I had to stop myself from checking my shoes for slush and mud. It felt that real. And the descriptions of the meals prepared by Rachel’s sister, Amy, are described so well you might just suffer some hunger pangs. I did.
The story ends the way you want a thriller to end, but the path to that conclusion is anything but smooth. There is even a scene near the end that gives us hope that there will be more of Rachel Hood and Nick Draven in the future. I certainly hope so. Yes, LaBeff has run out of seasons, but an author of her caliber might just be able to find a way around that.
Last Spring’s Stranger gets my highest recommendation. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.
February 2, 2021
Another Wonderful Mystery!
“Last Spring’s Stranger” is a wonderful crime thriller by MJ LaBeff. This is book 4 in her The Last Cold Case Book series. I have read and loved all of LaBeff’s books, and the author has written another great mystery with her most recently published book.
Psychic empath police detective Rachel Hood and FBI agent Nic Draven unravel another cold case in a seemingly cozy middle America town aptly named Snug Harbor. Outwardly Snug Harbor is a quiet town, yet hidden in its shadows are grisly murders, tortured souls and many with motive to commit murder.
LaBeff’s mystery writing lends to a realistic background which gives authenticity to Hood’s psychic empathy as well as the gruesome murders central to the book’s plot. In “Last Spring’s Stranger”, Hood must confront her past and her own tightly held secrets in order to fully access her psychic empathy in order to solve this cold case.
This was a perfect weekend read that kept me turning pages of the book as I, too, tried to solve the case. Excellent mystery and look forward to more of Ms. LaBeff’s psychological crime thrillers!
“Last Spring’s Stranger” is a wonderful crime thriller by MJ LaBeff. This is book 4 in her The Last Cold Case Book series. I have read and loved all of LaBeff’s books, and the author has written another great mystery with her most recently published book.
Psychic empath police detective Rachel Hood and FBI agent Nic Draven unravel another cold case in a seemingly cozy middle America town aptly named Snug Harbor. Outwardly Snug Harbor is a quiet town, yet hidden in its shadows are grisly murders, tortured souls and many with motive to commit murder.
LaBeff’s mystery writing lends to a realistic background which gives authenticity to Hood’s psychic empathy as well as the gruesome murders central to the book’s plot. In “Last Spring’s Stranger”, Hood must confront her past and her own tightly held secrets in order to fully access her psychic empathy in order to solve this cold case.
This was a perfect weekend read that kept me turning pages of the book as I, too, tried to solve the case. Excellent mystery and look forward to more of Ms. LaBeff’s psychological crime thrillers!
February 12, 2021
MJ has done it again, exceeding all expectations with the latest in the Cold Case Series. Psychic empath police detective Rachel Hood finds her past coming back to haunt her and her empathic abilities growing stronger and controlling her emotions and logic. She and FBI agent Nic Draven work close together to solve the multiple murders that at first site didn't seem to be linked but have one common link that will surprise and shock you when it's finally revealed. It's hard to say too much about this book without spoiling it for you, just let it be said it will be hard to put this book down as it has the ability to pull you into the mystery almost from the very first chapter. I'm hoping this won't be the last in this series and we'll be reading more about Rachel and Nic soon.
June 7, 2021
Last Spring's Stranger is the latest in MJ LaBeff's chilling Last Cold Case series, and in the town of Snug Harbor, you can bet that every new season brings with it a new series of murders. The snows of winter are gone, and Detective Rachel Hood is once again hip-deep in bodies, but this time her psychic empathy keeps steering her back toward her own past, and the deep, dark secret she's been hiding for years. At her side is her fiance, FBI Agent Nick Draven, but even he can't stop her from spiraling out of control in her obsession with finding the link between past and present, and perhaps atoning for the part she played in what happened all those years ago.
I have read the entire Cold Case series, and I've loved every page. MJ LaBeff not only knows how to build a compelling mystery and keep the action roller-coastering along to the ultimate conclusion, but she also knows characters, and the need to develop those characters over time while still keeping them true to themselves. Not even a year has passed in Snug Harbor, but I've been riding along with Hood and Draven long enough to think that I knew what to expect from them in Last Spring's Stranger, and they surprised me still. Even Rachel's father managed to throw me for a loop, and if I can be that invested in what is essentially a secondary character, it means that Ms. LaBeff has done her job right. And speaking of doing a job right, I thought I had the killer pegged a dozen times, but I was surprised there too. Full props, MJ. If an author can keep me guessing after I've read every word they've ever written, they must have a seriously devious mind.
The Last Cold Case series was originally planned to end at book 4, but thankfully the universe has convinced MJ LaBeff to give us a book 5. I have no idea where we'll be going since we're all out of seasons, but I need to know the extent of Rachel's abilities, I want her to finally be at peace, and I really want to know why so many bad things happen in Snug Harbor. Oh, and if there's going to be wedding, something tells me it won't be going quite as planned.
Five stars for Last Spring's Stranger, and for the star of mystery/thrillers, MJ LaBeff!
I have read the entire Cold Case series, and I've loved every page. MJ LaBeff not only knows how to build a compelling mystery and keep the action roller-coastering along to the ultimate conclusion, but she also knows characters, and the need to develop those characters over time while still keeping them true to themselves. Not even a year has passed in Snug Harbor, but I've been riding along with Hood and Draven long enough to think that I knew what to expect from them in Last Spring's Stranger, and they surprised me still. Even Rachel's father managed to throw me for a loop, and if I can be that invested in what is essentially a secondary character, it means that Ms. LaBeff has done her job right. And speaking of doing a job right, I thought I had the killer pegged a dozen times, but I was surprised there too. Full props, MJ. If an author can keep me guessing after I've read every word they've ever written, they must have a seriously devious mind.
The Last Cold Case series was originally planned to end at book 4, but thankfully the universe has convinced MJ LaBeff to give us a book 5. I have no idea where we'll be going since we're all out of seasons, but I need to know the extent of Rachel's abilities, I want her to finally be at peace, and I really want to know why so many bad things happen in Snug Harbor. Oh, and if there's going to be wedding, something tells me it won't be going quite as planned.
Five stars for Last Spring's Stranger, and for the star of mystery/thrillers, MJ LaBeff!
June 1, 2021
A riveting suspenseful addition to Cold Case series! From the first couple of pages, the reader is instantly drawn back into Rachel Hood’s world as she begins to investigate a new homicide case. However, the case becomes convoluted when another body appears. As the story develops, her fiancé, Nick Draven, joins in the case and adds another layer of tension. On top of it all, Rachel’s psychic abilities connect her to a different victim…one who was killed decades earlier. ‘Last Spring’s Stranger’ pace increases and ends with a surprising twisted finale…that I didn’t even see coming!
‘Spring’s Stranger’ has some beautifully written moments and brings to life well developed secondary characters. LaBeff brings reality to a different darker view than the previous novels, something I truly enjoyed. More so, she brilliantly and successfully paces the story on such a quick clip that her writing skills are astounding. I kept turning the pages faster just to see what happens next. Bravo! Most of all, not giving any spoilers, LaBeff integrates the harsh reality of the brutal crime scenes and the ongoing mysticism within the story to make the unbelievable believable. By far, one of LaBeff’s best books in the series…will there be a number five? I can only hope. Fantastic dark read!
‘Spring’s Stranger’ has some beautifully written moments and brings to life well developed secondary characters. LaBeff brings reality to a different darker view than the previous novels, something I truly enjoyed. More so, she brilliantly and successfully paces the story on such a quick clip that her writing skills are astounding. I kept turning the pages faster just to see what happens next. Bravo! Most of all, not giving any spoilers, LaBeff integrates the harsh reality of the brutal crime scenes and the ongoing mysticism within the story to make the unbelievable believable. By far, one of LaBeff’s best books in the series…will there be a number five? I can only hope. Fantastic dark read!
April 21, 2021
No Clue Until the End
Now this is a muder mystery for sure. The story is tightly woven and bits and pieces of insight slowly given while the drama and suspense keeps on going. Each time I thought I had the murdered picked out, my choice was entirely wrong. Nice use of psychic empathy. Five stars.
Now this is a muder mystery for sure. The story is tightly woven and bits and pieces of insight slowly given while the drama and suspense keeps on going. Each time I thought I had the murdered picked out, my choice was entirely wrong. Nice use of psychic empathy. Five stars.
April 25, 2023
I'm a big fan of this series and in Book 4 of the Last Cold Case, the stories keep getting better. Last Spring's Stranger has LaBeff's MC facing very tough decisions. Love the plot and a satisfying ending. Well done.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews