Last Witness by Jilliane Hoffman

The Last Witness was the latest book on CD I listened to in the car. It seems like it took me forever to get through it, but it really wasn't the book's fault. It was very suspensful and captiviting, and I am glad I got it from the library. 3 1/2 out of 5.

Miami Assistant State Attorney C.J. Townsend finds herself living a nightmare, beginning with a call to go to the homicide scene of Victor Chavez, a cop who helped her convict serial killer William Bantling. Chavez's body has been mutilated, his tongue twisted into what a former DEA officer calls the "Colombian necktie." Early clues to this and subsequent, equally brutal, murders point to Florida's drug underworld, but Townsend's fiancé, Special Agent Dominick Falconetti, and his team track the case back to Bantling. Falconetti is arrested for assaulting the ever-taunting Bantling, but even with the lead detective off the investigation, troubling facts emerge, while Townsend, haunted by her role in Bantling's trial (she withheld evidence to put the man who raped her on death row), tries to distance herself. Instead, she must confront her torturer in court, putting her career, her relationship and eventually her life at risk.

This was the second one in a series, and I had not read the first one. It was not necessary to read the first one, which is titled Retribution, though I wish I had. I think it would have added more to suspense of the story. The reader was great and had a pleasant voice to listen to. The reader of audio books can really make or break it for me. I remember one book I was listening to, every other sentence ended with "He said." I know that wasn't the reader's fault, but it was so distracting to me and I kept track of the times "said" was spoken. I didn't make it through the first C.D.

I did figure out who the bad guy was about 75% of the way in the story, but the clues were very well placed. Once I thought I knew who it was, I went back and realized that I was right. The ending was wonderful with a great cliffhanger, but Ms. Hoffman does not have a website so I am not sure if anything is coming out soon. I couldn't find anything on Amazon, but I hope it does. Up next on my radio is Carl Hiassen's Nature Girl. I absolutely adore his books, especially the audio ones. I am also currently reading his children's book Flush for part of a project I am doing for school. It is also putting a smile on my face.

Well off to bowling. We are on a bowling league with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law and we need to fight back in the rankings!