Review: Last Seen by Sara Shepard

Author: Sara Shepard
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Date of publication: October 2018

At first, the mystery they're tasked with seems to have nothing to do with Aerin or her kidnapper. But as Seneca, Maddox and Madison hit the Jersey Shore to gather clues, they begin to uncover the true background of the killer and the horrors that shaped him into who he is. The scavenger hunt leads them to the family of a recently kidnapped boy and dark secrets they could never have seen coming. 

As Aerin struggles to play nice with the person who killed her sister in order to buy herself time, her friends work feverishly against the ticking clock that could mean her life, and every clue they uncover leads Seneca to suspect she's more connected to the killer's history than she ever realised ...

Last Seen is the conclusion to "The Amateurs" trilogy.  I would not advise reading this one unless you have read the first two books.  This book assumes you have read them and will spoil you for the first book.  Last Seen picks up immediately after the events of Follow Me.  Seneca, Maddox and Madison have to solve a cold case of a missing child in order to find their missing friend.

Out of the three books, I liked this one the best.  I thought the mystery was the strongest and harder to figure out.  Even though the stakes were high and there was danger involved, I enjoyed following the group as they followed the clues.  The solution in the end wrapped up the entire series nicely.  

As in the other books, we get multiple perspectives. Aerin's perspective with her kidnapper was the most interesting as she figures out how to get out of her situation.  All of the characters have grown in their own way over the course of the series.  However, I will admit that Seneca's hot and cold attitude toward Maddox did kind of get old after  a while.  It definitely was the weakest part of this book.  To me, it felt like it was just used as a devise to set up the final act with Seneca being on her own. In the end, I do recommend this trilogy.  The first book was just OK, but they get better if you stick with it.