The Last Request

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By Brandon Barrows

Publisher Description

Sixty million dollars. Five potential heirs. One house in remote rural Alaska. It’s a recipe for murder . . .

Summoned by letter, Holly Shaw and five of her cousins—virtual strangers to each other—have gathered at a grand house in the rugged wilds of Alaska. Equally unfamiliar to Holly is her great aunt Lydia, the woman who has called the family together and is dangling a massive inheritance before them. Her condition: they must remain in the house, with Lydia and her butler and caregiver, until she passes. Anyone not in residence at that time is out of the will, their share of the money split among the others. That night, everyone settles in. And the next morning, the murders begin . . .

From Mustang Award finalist and 2022 Derringer Award nominee Brandon Barrows, this is a twisting, atmospheric mystery and an utterly compelling tale of guilt, greed, and temptation.

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7 Reviews

3.5

Created about 1 year ago

Claire

Created over 1 year ago

“The Last Request by Brandon Barrows Murder Mystery — would you kill your family for money? Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 September 2023 The Last Request by Brandon Barrows is a fast paced psychological mystery thriller. A good page turner that had me guessing who the killer was till close to the end. I was instantly intrigued with this storyline — the thought of a rich family member on their deathbed pulled me in instantly. Overall an interesting plot with good strong dialogue. Holly Shaw is a strong character, her directive attitude may be off putting to some, but I quite liked it. Same goes with Great Aunt Lydia, I found her appealing. All of the characters have their own unique flaws that makes them stand out from each other. The storyline is gripping. Holly receives a letter requesting her to visit her Great Aunt Lydia, who is on her death bed — ‘she will make it worth her while’. Holly travels to a grand house in remote rural Alaska — perfect setting for the story. Once there she meets her family. She barely knows them. Great Aunt Lydia explains her plans to Holly and her cousins. Lydia is dying. There are Millions of Dollars in inheritance to share amongst them, but there’s a catch — they must remain in the house with Lydia until she passes. The following day there is a murder. Everyone is a suspect. Everyone has a motive. I enjoyed reading this — I’m positive other mystery lovers will love it too. I’d like to thank Bloodhound Books for the chance to review this ARC”

Crossstitchandstories

Created over 1 year ago

“What would you do for ten million dollars? What about twelve, fifteen, twenty or even thirty million? This is the question the Shaw/Hill/Orlov family heirs must consider when they travel to Dacha Orlov, the mansion home of their estranged great aunt, to fulfil her dying request. When it turns out that she simply wants them to remain in her house until she dies (and if they do so, they will inherit a fortune), they are thrilled. But then they start dying one by one, those remaining being able to split more and more of the money each time. The survivors must question what wealth means to them and how far they're willing to go for a higher share. I really enjoyed the high-stakes whodunnit aspects of this story. Like all murder mysteries with multiple suspects, nobody knows who to trust and blame is tossed around haphazardly, often with damaging results. Each of the characters reacts differently under pressure and it's easy to develop theories about who might have committed the crimes, only to have them dashed by new discoveries. Although I admire her bravery, I found it hard to connect with the main character, Holly. She apparently has a 'spark' that makes all around her swoon, but that doesn’t come across in anything she does. I’m also not a fan of her two admirers – they both feel too forceful and really creepy, which I'm sure is the point, but (as with any book) the premature declarations of love and undue jealousy don’t sit right with me or feel realistic. However, I loved the atmosphere of the whole narrative. The fact that the mansion is so high up in the mountains that rescue is not easy, phone signal is patchy and the onslaught of a snow storm traps them inside makes everything tense and claustrophobic, which is just how a thriller like this should be. If you're looking for a quick thriller read for spooky season and this sounds like something you'd enjoy, why not give it a try? Thank you to Bloodhound Books for my copy in exchange for an honest review.”

Sue

Created over 1 year ago

“The last request by Brandon Barrows. In a remote house in rural Alaska, six potential heirs gather with the promise of inheriting a huge sum of money. But how far will they go to get their hands on a fortune? With 6 people it's the next day and there is a murder already. Jonathan. Who is it? And will there be another murder? Really good read. I did like Holly. I didn't like Lydia at all. Wasn't sure about Blair Marcus his wife Chelsea Jonathan or Ryan and Nora. I didn't trust them. What a twist I certainly didn't see that coming. 5*.”

FanciGranci

Created over 1 year ago

“A good description had me hooked and the book delivered a good premise and plot. Intriguing and interesting the story quickly had me hooked and I couldn’t wait for the events to unfold! A thriller and thoroughly enjoyable and an author I will look for other books from! Thanks to Bloodhound Books for my ARC?”