I thought that this was a very well-done book. I am a mystery thriller fan so this book appealed to me from the start but I somehow neglected reading it for years. I feel bad about that because this turned out to be a very enjoyable read. The story opened with a bang and I was hooked early on. I am so glad that I finally picked this book up.

Ryker and his team are trying to find a serial killer that has been dubbed the Totem Killer. This killer creates a totem out of the body parts of the victims. The newest creation displays a whole body at the top and Ryker and his team feels that this victim is the key to finding the killer. Ryker and his team split up with Ryker following the trail to Alaska where things become even more intense. The team knows they need to find this victim before more victims are displayed.

The book had some pretty big twists and turns and while I guessed a few that did not hinder my enjoyment of the story. I really liked that the story did keep me guessing and had plenty of action to keep the plot moving forward. I liked Ryker and thought that his extra abilities added a nice element to the overall story. I did like the characters quite a bit and enjoyed seeing their relationships develop over the course of the story.

I would recommend this book to others. I thought that this was a well-done mystery that kept me turning the pages as quickly as possible. I wouldn’t hesitate to read more of this author’s work in the future.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Cosas Finas Publications via NetGalley. ( )

It has been a long while since I have read anything by this author. I was drawn to this book by the summary. It sounded right up my alley. Which it is but I felt that the characters were just alright. In fact, for the first third to half of the story I found myself more drawn to the Totem Killer than I was to Ryker. I could not get back to the killer's part of the story fast enough. Yes, I liked that Ryker was not perfect as shown by the family relationship and the suffering but after a while I found it more talking than really helping add anything to the story as a whole. Also, Ryker's skills did not see to be up to par as I would expect them to be. Yet, the second half of the story is a different story. It was stronger and had action which helped moved it along and keep the momentum going. ( )

The Last Victim (A Ryker Townsend Story) by Jordan Dane kept my kindle screen on fire whisking through the pages. This brutal suspense-filled thriller about a serial killer is five stars start to finish.

Ryker Townsend's first person perspective & his fear of descent into madness as he battles his psychic gifts & the demons that gift brings is well delineated. The third person account of other characters that are members of his FBI team is also intriguing. There are layers of mystery, romance, angst & suspense woven throughout this fascinating book.

This is the first time I've read Jordan Dane's work, but I will look forward to reading more.

I received a free kindle copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. My opinions were not influenced by this. ( )

Ryker Townsend is an FBI Profiler with an advantage. He doesn’t count it as an advantage and to him, it is more of a curse than a blessing. While most profilers rely on what they can determine from clues left at the scene, Ryker begins having nightmares giving him images into what the victim experienced. The dreams become particularly gruesome as they deal with a serial killer known as the Totem Killer (TK) who dismembers his victims. But, he left one victim whole placing him at the top of a totem pole. That victim is Nathan Applegate. Ryker travels to Applegate’s home in Alaska and begins to work with Alaskan State Trooper, Sergeant Justine Peterson. She is more engaged in this case than he first realizes as she’d had a close and intimate relationship with Nathan. Time is not on their side now that TK seems to have taken another victim.

This story moves along at a very quick pace. At times, the reader needs to process Ryker’s thoughts to determine if they are real or a dream. Then, once he becomes injured and begins to hallucinate, the reader’s job becomes even more difficult. And, though it sounds confusing, it’s not. I considered it a great challenge and I loved the additional mystification. The story is undoubtedly gritty and not for the faint of heart. The story teases of a love triangle, but it never fully develops. SA Lucinda Crowley feels great affection for Ryker, but he seems not to be aware. When he meets the beautiful Justine Peterson, the scenes make the reader wonder what may develop. This is one of the best FBI profiler stories I’ve read with flawed, relatable characters who remain strong in the face of danger. The Last Victim is the first in the Ryker Townsend series. Rating: 4.5 out of 5. ( )

Ryker Townsend is an FBI agent working in the Behavioral Analysis Unit as a profiler. He is currently on the hunt for a serial killer in the northern Pacific coast. Ryker knows this killer is different and it's not just because of the grotesque mutilations of the victim. This killer uses bits and pieces of each victim to make a totem and his latest kill comes with a message specifically for Ryker in Jordan Dane's The Last Victim.

Ryker Townsend knows that he is different from his coworkers. Others think of him as intuitive, but Ryker is hiding the fact that he has "visions" or dreams about the victims being tortured. When Ryker arrives at the latest totem site in Washington state, he realizes his most recent dream was of the last tortured victim. He also realizes that there has to be something special about this victim because his entire body has been left with a note addressed to Ryker. The complete body being left at the site along with the note push Ryker to find out as much as possible about the last victim, Nate Applewhite. The only thing left for Ryker to do is travel to Nate's home in rural Alaska and see if he can find anything that may lead him to the killer. Can he track down the Totem Killer before he kills another person? Is he playing straight into the killer's hands by visiting Alaska?

I found The Last Victim to be a somewhat slow read initially (this may have been related to a bad series of migraine headaches at the time), but by the time I got through the first half the story picked up its pace and pulled me in. I rather enjoyed reading about Ryker and his BAU team, although I felt like parts of the team were previously seen on the television show Criminal Minds, especially the somewhat strange but lovable and highly efficient computer technician. I wasn't quite sure where the story was going at first because of the "psychic" dreams that weren't initially defined as such, leading me to believe that Ryker was more than a little strange and might be having a breakdown. The Last Victim is filled with mutilations (not too graphic or gory), murder, mystery, mayhem and thrills. This isn't a typical mystery-thriller read, as it adds a slight paranormal twist to the story. The ending was a complete shock (no, I won't tell you how it ends...read it for yourself), but it worked with all of the other elements. There are plenty of twists in the storyline that kept me guessing until the end, but I'm glad I persevered in reading this story. If you've read any of the suspense-thrillers by Ms. Dane in the past or simply enjoy quirky mystery reads, then you'll definitely want to grab a copy of The Last Victim to read. It is my hope that this is the beginning of a new series by Ms. Dane. ( )