4.5 stars. Gary Gusick's The Last Clinic is an intriguing mystery that is full of unexpected twists and turns. Pennsylvania transplant Darla Cavannah's murder investigation of a popular minister soon uncovers scandalous secrets and a shocking conspiracy. With time running out and a man's life at stake, will Darla put all of the pieces of this puzzling mystery together before it is too late?

A colorful cast of interesting characters is certainly one of the highlights of this entertaining and clever murder mystery. Darla is a richly developed and multi-faceted protagonist whose investigative skills are unsurpassed. As an outsider, she has a vastly different viewpoint of possible motives and suspects in Reverend Jimmy Aldridge's death and she follows the evidence rather than jumping to quick conclusions. Sheriff Shelby Mitchell is a charming Southern lawman with political aspirations who fully recognizes and appreciates Darla's expertise as an investigator. Unfortunately the good old boy network is firmly in place and Shelby reluctantly saddles, er, partners Darla with Tommy Reylander whose investigative skills are as abysmal as his Elvis impersonations. The other side of the bumbling investigator coin is the sharp as nails computer geek Uther Johnson whose tech savvy skills prove invaluable to Darla's investigation when he discovers a disturbing pattern to a seemingly unrelated series of crimes.

The logical suspect in the reverend's death is Doctor Stephen Nicoletti but Darla is not as convinced of his guilt as Tommy is. Instead, Darla focuses on Jimmy's life and the troubling evidence found at the crime scenes. Darla's intense scrutiny reveals very unsavory aspects of Jimmy's life and an appalling breach of his congregation's trust.

The only area the novel falters is the rushed romance between Darla and chief suspect Stephen Nicoletti. As the story opens, Darla is still deeply mourning of her husband's death, so I was a little taken aback at how quickly she fell in love with Stephen. Their relationship would have been much more believable if there had been a slower build-up and exploration of their growing feelings for one another.

The Last Clinic is a fast-paced and compelling mystery that I found impossible to put down. Gary Gusick deftly handles sensitive topics with ease and his characterization of Southern life is quite accurate. Unexpected plot twists keep readers guessing whodunnit right up until the novel's conclusion. An excellent first installment in what I hope is a new mystery series starring the delightfully engaging Darla Cavannah. Definitely a recommended read for anyone who enjoys mysteries. ( )

Darla Cavannah is a South Philly girl, a Philadelphia cop, who moved to Jackson Mississippi with her husband, Jackson native and football hero Hugh Cavannah. Injuries ended his career, and, just six months ago, a car accident, fueled by the pain pills demanded by his injuries, ended Hugh's life.

On a leave of absence from the Hinds County sheriff's department while she grieves Hugh's death, Darla is startled to be abruptly called back to work in the wake of the shooting death of Reverend Jimmy Aldridge.

The popular Reverend was killed in the early morning, in front of the women's health clinic he's been rather aggressively picketing. Popular opinion, including Darla's newly assigned partner, Detective Tommy Reylander, has already convicted the doctor who runs the clinic, Dr. Stephen Nicoletti.

Darla is not so sure. And as the investigation continues, the situation grows not more clear, but less clear. The reverend had an interesting set of extracurricular activities as well as an unsuspected source of income.

I'm really impressed with both the character development and the pacing in this book, which is apparently a first novel. I can honestly say it doesn't read like a first novel. Darla and her friends, colleagues, and rivals, including Reylander, who could easily be a clown, are very neatly drawn and none are two-dimensional or boring. The layers of what's really going on are peeled back at exactly the right pace, and this is a truly enjoyable read.

Recommended.

I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

This was an enjoyable, fast-paced story and provided much-needed lightness after the heavy books that I have read lately.

At first, I thought this was Christian Fiction, but it SO IS NOT. I saw another review that mentioned the same thing. Not sure why this feels like CF at first, but at least I was not alone. haha

With that said, this is the first novel by Gusick, who has a few non-fiction books under his belt. It is a good first novel with likable characters and believable action. There are a few loose ends, and I was left with more than one question, but I like the fact that this is a series and expect that these issues will be ironed out in subsequent books.

Recommended. ( )

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"Outside the local women’s health clinic, the Reverend Jimmy Aldridge waving his protest sign is a familiar sight. But that changes early one morning when someone shoots the beloved Reverend Jimmy dead. Sheriff Shelby Mitchell knows the preacher’s murder will shock the good people of Jackson—and the pressure to find the killer is immediate and intense, which is why Shelby calls in detective Darla Cavannah.

When police detective Darla moved from Philadelphia to Jackson with her husband—hometown football hero Hugh “the Glue” Cavannah—she never imagined the culture shock that awaited. Then after Hugh dies in a car crash, Darla enters a self-imposed exile in her Mississippi home, taking a leave of absence from the sheriff’s department. Now she’s called back to duty—or coerced, more like it, with Shelby slathering on his good-ole-boy charm nice and thick, like on a helping of barbecue.

Reluctantly partnered with a mulish Elvis impersonator, Darla keeps a cool head even as the community demands an arrest. The court of public opinion has already convicted the clinic’s doctor, Stephen Nicoletti, but Darla is just as sure he’s not guilty—even as she fights her growing attraction to him. From the genteel suburbs to a raunchy strip club, Darla follows a trail of dirty money and nasty secrets—until the day of judgment comes, and she faces down an ungodly assassin."

It has been a very long time since I read The Last Clinic, and surprisingly I can remember it very well. I think it says a lot about this book that it's stayed with me for over a year now and I can remember both the plot and the characters very clearly. Even the comedic ones.

This novel was written well and was a very fast read. I believe I got through it in a couple of days, and that was mostly due to the writing. It was engaging and had just enough description to build a good image, but wasn't too taxing to read and it kept the book moving smoothly. While it'll never be considered a literary classic, for what it is I'd consider it very well written. In some parts it had me laughing, in others cringing.

I found myself growing tired of the characters, especially the main character who I found to be a little immature and irritating. A little bit too much of a perfect Mary Sue for my tastes. But some other characters were fun, despite not seeing much of them. The character development was well done although I'd have liked to have seen more of it.

There is a romantic element within this book that I didn't enjoy at all and it felt out of place with the tone of the rest of the novel. It'd have been better without it, and I believe it'd have maybe gained another half star were it not within the book. I want to know who the murderer is. I don't want to see the unprofessional courting of the police officer and a suspect, whether they turn out to be guilty or innocent. It just didn't fit well.

The plot was interesting, although very formulaic. A typical crime thriller novel that was structured in the same way as all of the others. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, depending on your interests, and I found it an enjoyable and easy read because of this formulaic plot. It's a nice, easy, Sunday afternoon read that doesn't require too much thought or hard work on the reader's part.

Overall I did enjoy this book and would read others by this author also. 4/5 stars. ( )

Darla Cavannah owes Sheriff Shelby a favor. He’s come to collect. The good news is she can run the controversial murder of Reverend Jimmy Aldridge’s murder any way she chooses. The bad news is she’ll be working with Tommy Reylander, an Elvis impersonator on the side. Being pro-life, Reverend Jimmy had led many protests outside of Jackson Women’s Health Clinic. His style of protest was to carry a cross with the picture of a baby stapled to it. The sign read, “Aren’t you glad I was born?” Dr. Nicoletti had performed several abortions at the clinic and becomes Reylander’s prime suspect. Darla is not convinced and wants to further the investigation. The community at large is behind Reylander; they want someone to pay for this horrific crime. One of her many questions is why did the beloved Reverend have three thousand cash dollars in an envelope in the glove compartment of his SUV?

Set near Jackson, Mississippi, the small town charm is apparent throughout the story. Even the Sheriff takes his time getting his point across. There are many ‘good ole’ boys’ planted within the pages of this novel, and I enjoyed the author’s talent in presenting them with their ‘southern’ way of life. It was a good mystery with a side story of sorts. Someone else, with chapters of his own, is actively seeking and destroying abortion clinics. Darla is smart, handling the ‘politics’ of the situation well. The story line was well told and believable. Rating: 4 out of 5.

On a side note – This is the first book in the Darla Cavannah series. I had read them out of order, beginning with Officer Elvis (2nd in the series). They can both be read as a stand-alone, but while reading this, I now already know what is going to happen to Tommy Reylander in book 2. So, in summary, it may be best to read these in order. ( )