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medgeperry's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoy the characters in this book and the emotional journey that progressed in this series. It was great learning more about Lex and his inner workings. I'm excited to see more!
linesuponapage's review against another edition
3.0
Holy cow this book made me so frustrated. Princeton bound Titus Crespo “Crisp” as he is nicknamed, is smart, a good boy and responsible. One cop changes Crisp’s whole life. The situations he gets into in Last Night seems so far fetched. It goes to show that smarts doesn’t always give you the ability to know when to speak up and get the crap out of somewhere you don’t feel comfortable.
Glynnie Dryfus, 18 years old is portrayed as a stereotypical rich girl who thinks she rules the world and her brain doesn’t think through any situation she gets herself in. She drags Crisp into a dangerous situation all because “she wants a gun” and has the ability to get on no matter where she has to go to get it. It’s that simple- she wants something she’s going to get it no matter the outcome. Sadly, Crisp is the one that pays for it.
The one line in the book that sums this whole story up is from Detective Lex, when Detective Elsa tells him to think like a teenager, “Don’t think at all. Act and react. Think later.” This is that story.
Even with that said the characters are not as shallowly written as they are in person. Author Karen Ellis rolls out a good story that is filled with danger, examples of police profiling and teen angst.
I give this book 3 stars not because of the writing but because of the stereotyping and dimwit moves of a very spoiled girl.
Glynnie Dryfus, 18 years old is portrayed as a stereotypical rich girl who thinks she rules the world and her brain doesn’t think through any situation she gets herself in. She drags Crisp into a dangerous situation all because “she wants a gun” and has the ability to get on no matter where she has to go to get it. It’s that simple- she wants something she’s going to get it no matter the outcome. Sadly, Crisp is the one that pays for it.
The one line in the book that sums this whole story up is from Detective Lex, when Detective Elsa tells him to think like a teenager, “Don’t think at all. Act and react. Think later.” This is that story.
Even with that said the characters are not as shallowly written as they are in person. Author Karen Ellis rolls out a good story that is filled with danger, examples of police profiling and teen angst.
I give this book 3 stars not because of the writing but because of the stereotyping and dimwit moves of a very spoiled girl.
trisha_thomas's review against another edition
4.0
I really like reading stories by this author. She does a wonderful job of really pulled me in. There are two storylines here - 2 detectives, and 2 teenagers (there are more, but these are our main). And each of them have a unique POV in the story.
The two teenagers meet by chance and then head off into the night. When they don't show up the next morning, the detectives then get called in. Slowly, as the detectives are trying to piece together the night, the chapter will switch and backtrack to the night with the teenagers and slowly show you what happened.
This story has a lot of themes it tackles and, I think, tackles well: race, socioeconomic disparities and that funny time after turning 18 - when you're technically an adult but maybe not ready for it. The story is so well done, well laid out and the mystery was great. I found each part interesting and enjoyed the whole thing. I'll keep watching for more from this author.
The two teenagers meet by chance and then head off into the night. When they don't show up the next morning, the detectives then get called in. Slowly, as the detectives are trying to piece together the night, the chapter will switch and backtrack to the night with the teenagers and slowly show you what happened.
This story has a lot of themes it tackles and, I think, tackles well: race, socioeconomic disparities and that funny time after turning 18 - when you're technically an adult but maybe not ready for it. The story is so well done, well laid out and the mystery was great. I found each part interesting and enjoyed the whole thing. I'll keep watching for more from this author.
kbranfield's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars.
Last Night by Karen Ellis is a fast-paced and engrossing mystery. Although this newest addition is the second installment in The Searchers series, it can be read as a standalone.
Titus "Crisp" Crespo is the valedictorian of his graduating class and he has been accepted into Princeton. However, his bright future is suddenly in jeopardy after a racist cop targets the mixed race young man. After a night in jail, Crisp makes an ill-advised decision to go with casual acquaintance Glynnie Dryfus to buy some more pot from her dealer, JJ. Glynnie then drags both Crisp and JJ along with her on an ill-fated mission in Red Hook. Glynnie's parents and Crisp's mom report their children as missing and Detective Lex Cole and Detective Saki Finley work together to locate the errant teens.
Lex is fighting his demons following a horrible fight with his boyfriend, Adam. Despite these distractions, he works diligently to find Crisp. Utilizing all of the technological resources available to them, they manage to retrace many of the Glynnie's, JJ's and Crisp's stops from the night before. Unfortunately, they are a few steps behind Crisp and Lex and Saki are also stymied as they try to find out more details about JJ.
Crisp is highly intelligent but when it appears his plans for the future are ruined, he acts without thinking about the consequences of his choices. He does have a few qualms about joining Glynnie, but he ignores his doubts. The situation goes horribly awry very quickly but Crisp manages to keep his wits about him as he tries to figure out how to escape from his increasingly dire situation.
Last Night is an riveting mystery that features a topical storyline that is quite insightful. The characters are well-rounded with realistic strengths and shortcomings. Lex's situation with Adam revives painful memories and fears and he is tempted to return to unhealthy methods to help him cope. Crisp and Glynnie make some very poor choices that force them to grow up and accept responsibility for their actions. JJ's story arc is utterly heartbreaking and highlights how easy it is for at risk youths to fall through the cracks. Karen Ellis brings this suspenseful and thought-provoking novel to an uplifting conclusion. I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend The Searchers series to fans of the genre.
Last Night by Karen Ellis is a fast-paced and engrossing mystery. Although this newest addition is the second installment in The Searchers series, it can be read as a standalone.
Titus "Crisp" Crespo is the valedictorian of his graduating class and he has been accepted into Princeton. However, his bright future is suddenly in jeopardy after a racist cop targets the mixed race young man. After a night in jail, Crisp makes an ill-advised decision to go with casual acquaintance Glynnie Dryfus to buy some more pot from her dealer, JJ. Glynnie then drags both Crisp and JJ along with her on an ill-fated mission in Red Hook. Glynnie's parents and Crisp's mom report their children as missing and Detective Lex Cole and Detective Saki Finley work together to locate the errant teens.
Lex is fighting his demons following a horrible fight with his boyfriend, Adam. Despite these distractions, he works diligently to find Crisp. Utilizing all of the technological resources available to them, they manage to retrace many of the Glynnie's, JJ's and Crisp's stops from the night before. Unfortunately, they are a few steps behind Crisp and Lex and Saki are also stymied as they try to find out more details about JJ.
Crisp is highly intelligent but when it appears his plans for the future are ruined, he acts without thinking about the consequences of his choices. He does have a few qualms about joining Glynnie, but he ignores his doubts. The situation goes horribly awry very quickly but Crisp manages to keep his wits about him as he tries to figure out how to escape from his increasingly dire situation.
Last Night is an riveting mystery that features a topical storyline that is quite insightful. The characters are well-rounded with realistic strengths and shortcomings. Lex's situation with Adam revives painful memories and fears and he is tempted to return to unhealthy methods to help him cope. Crisp and Glynnie make some very poor choices that force them to grow up and accept responsibility for their actions. JJ's story arc is utterly heartbreaking and highlights how easy it is for at risk youths to fall through the cracks. Karen Ellis brings this suspenseful and thought-provoking novel to an uplifting conclusion. I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend The Searchers series to fans of the genre.
mommasaystoread's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 stars
While Last Night explores socio-economic and racial lines, at its core, it is a story about a couple of teenagers and the choices they make to lead them down a dangerous path. The problem is those choices aren't really explained other than to say that teenagers don't think like adults, which doesn't really explain anything. As far as the mystery or police procedural aspects, this one leaves something to be desired on both counts. We're spoon-fed Crisp and Glynnie's journey of bad decisions while the missing persons cases for them are on again, off again, and it all comes together rather slowly for the first half of the book. Things do pick up in the second half and we get a little more on the procedural side of things, but for those who read book one and are hoping for more of Elsa, those glimpses are few and far between. We do get plenty of Lex, who I liked in the first book, but here, he comes across as whiny and insecure. I get it, there are relationship problems and he doesn't know where he stands with Adam, but sometimes, less is more. The number of times the lack of text messages from Adam was mentioned quickly grew tedious. We're also introduced to Saki as she and Lex work together to find both Glynnie and Crisp. Saki had the potential to be a great character, but she isn't given much in the way of personality. We're told that she's 'on the spectrum', but other than a lack of social cues, we aren't given much else about her. While the blurb calls this one a sequel, it works as a standalone, and I feel like those who aren't familiar with the first book may enjoy it more than I did. For me, Lex was just too different than what I saw in book one, and too much of the story just doesn't ring true.
While Last Night explores socio-economic and racial lines, at its core, it is a story about a couple of teenagers and the choices they make to lead them down a dangerous path. The problem is those choices aren't really explained other than to say that teenagers don't think like adults, which doesn't really explain anything. As far as the mystery or police procedural aspects, this one leaves something to be desired on both counts. We're spoon-fed Crisp and Glynnie's journey of bad decisions while the missing persons cases for them are on again, off again, and it all comes together rather slowly for the first half of the book. Things do pick up in the second half and we get a little more on the procedural side of things, but for those who read book one and are hoping for more of Elsa, those glimpses are few and far between. We do get plenty of Lex, who I liked in the first book, but here, he comes across as whiny and insecure. I get it, there are relationship problems and he doesn't know where he stands with Adam, but sometimes, less is more. The number of times the lack of text messages from Adam was mentioned quickly grew tedious. We're also introduced to Saki as she and Lex work together to find both Glynnie and Crisp. Saki had the potential to be a great character, but she isn't given much in the way of personality. We're told that she's 'on the spectrum', but other than a lack of social cues, we aren't given much else about her. While the blurb calls this one a sequel, it works as a standalone, and I feel like those who aren't familiar with the first book may enjoy it more than I did. For me, Lex was just too different than what I saw in book one, and too much of the story just doesn't ring true.
jdr0426's review against another edition
3.0
This is the second book in this series. I just recently read the first one and I did enjoy it more than this one only because it took me a little longer to become invested in the characters in Last Night. Once I found the groove though I was sucked in and ended up really enjoying it. I hope there will be more in this series. I love the author’s writing style and good suspenseful crime drama.
nicolepeck's review against another edition
4.0
Another fast read in this series and another great book in this series and by this author. The timeline is very fast, over about a week (as is the timeline of the previous book), so, though while the point of view switches back and forth between Lex and Saki (the cops working the case) and Crisp and Gwynnie (the missing teens/young adults) and sometimes between days (the previous day and the "current' day), the pace of the story moves fairly quickly as we learn what is going on and how everything ties together. There is a lot of strong language in this book, more than in the first book. The setting is again NYC, moving all over the city and more the less touristy places that many readers less familiar with the city would be aware of. However, the main character is not Elsa, the FBI agent from the first book but, instead, Lex, the male cop Elsa worked with in the first book (though Elsa does make several appearances). We also learn more of Lex's background from his childhood growing up in Russia and personal demons to his present-day fight with his boyfriend and how those relationship struggles may be trickling down to affect his work.
There is lots of commentary on racism and socioeconomic status in NYC (and big cities in general) as we follow Crisp (one of the missing teens) through these few days and his thought processes as he struggles with the situations he finds himself in and how they could affect his future, at Princeton and beyond, as well as his relationship with his white Russian mother and grandparents and the previously nonexistent relationship with his African American father and the stereotypes others place on him (and others) simply by looking at him and in the situations he finds himself in with the other teens. There are also comments from the opposite point of view, from Gwynnie and her privileged upbringing and how her carelessness as a result place the three teens (Crisp, JJ, and Gwynnie) in precarious situations that could have long-standing disastrous consequences for their futures. By the end of the book, we see a reversal of the situations in which Gwynnie and Crisp at the beginning of the book come across each other and how those perceptions (both at the beginning and the end of the book) shape their thoughts and their actions as well.
I really enjoyed the writing and how the author ties things together, while also leaving possibilities open at the end of the book, for all the characters in the story, the adults and the teens/young adults alike. This book is full of vivid descriptions of places, the action, and the people and, like the previous book, deals with some dark subjects, though not in an overly descriptive manner that would make the reader (at least me) too uncomfortable. I'm enjoying getting to know these characters and look forward to seeing what comes with other books the author releases in this series and the evolving relationships between Elsa, David, Lex, Saki, etc.
Content: Strong language (F bombs) throughout and descriptions of murder, drug dealing, etc.
***I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.***
There is lots of commentary on racism and socioeconomic status in NYC (and big cities in general) as we follow Crisp (one of the missing teens) through these few days and his thought processes as he struggles with the situations he finds himself in and how they could affect his future, at Princeton and beyond, as well as his relationship with his white Russian mother and grandparents and the previously nonexistent relationship with his African American father and the stereotypes others place on him (and others) simply by looking at him and in the situations he finds himself in with the other teens. There are also comments from the opposite point of view, from Gwynnie and her privileged upbringing and how her carelessness as a result place the three teens (Crisp, JJ, and Gwynnie) in precarious situations that could have long-standing disastrous consequences for their futures. By the end of the book, we see a reversal of the situations in which Gwynnie and Crisp at the beginning of the book come across each other and how those perceptions (both at the beginning and the end of the book) shape their thoughts and their actions as well.
I really enjoyed the writing and how the author ties things together, while also leaving possibilities open at the end of the book, for all the characters in the story, the adults and the teens/young adults alike. This book is full of vivid descriptions of places, the action, and the people and, like the previous book, deals with some dark subjects, though not in an overly descriptive manner that would make the reader (at least me) too uncomfortable. I'm enjoying getting to know these characters and look forward to seeing what comes with other books the author releases in this series and the evolving relationships between Elsa, David, Lex, Saki, etc.
Content: Strong language (F bombs) throughout and descriptions of murder, drug dealing, etc.
***I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.***
kellym_16829's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
longtimereader's review
4.0
Hello, a sequel to the book I just recently read. Map of the Dark started this, now we are back. Our messed-up FBI agent was stronger in this book. Vanishing teens, and one very scary, last night with a murder to be solved. This book was stronger than the first book, and I liked that.
My copy came from Net Galley. My thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is left of my own free volition.
My copy came from Net Galley. My thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is left of my own free volition.
lisastein's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.
This was my first novel from Karen Ellis and I liked it! It was written in a way that kept my attention, I really liked the characters, and I wanted to see where they ended up, so I didn't want to stop reading.
You know, it's a thriller, of sorts, but not one of the latest trendy ones where there are 16 plot twists and you're basically just finishing it to be finished. This was a methodical police drama, and I liked it. I look forward to reading more from the same author.
Solid 3 1/2 stars.
This was my first novel from Karen Ellis and I liked it! It was written in a way that kept my attention, I really liked the characters, and I wanted to see where they ended up, so I didn't want to stop reading.
You know, it's a thriller, of sorts, but not one of the latest trendy ones where there are 16 plot twists and you're basically just finishing it to be finished. This was a methodical police drama, and I liked it. I look forward to reading more from the same author.
Solid 3 1/2 stars.