The Last Breath

The Last Breath by Kimberly Belle

Playing with fire. Ella Mae Andrews knows it's wrong to succumb to the undeniable attraction she feels for Dean Sullivan, the new next-door neighbor, yet she is powerless when it comes to his irresistible charms. But where there's fire, there's also danger.

As Ella struggles to breathe with the plastic wrap covering her mouth and nostrils, she knows the end is near. In one instant, she recognizes the eyes behind the mask. If only she hadn't played with fire.

Sixteen years later, global humanitarian Gia Andrews reluctantly returns to her birthplace in the remote back- country of Tennessee. It seems she has been given the unwanted role of caregiver for her dying father, Ray, who was convicted of stepmother Ella's murder, years ago. The courts are allowing him to return home to die under house arrest, but Gia's brother and sister want no part of helping a guilty man. Ray always maintained his innocence. Hot shot criminal lawyer, Cal Andrews, Ray's brother, was unable to clear his client, but then how hard did he really try?

The townspeople of this little village tucked into the heart of Appalachia don't welcome a convicted murderer in their midst. Their wild protests and death threats intended to make Gia abandon her father, only make her more determined to make his final days as peaceful as possible whether he's innocent or guilty. When she meets the local bartender who steals her heart, she finds a comrade who is willing to help her uncover hidden secrets and repressed memories. But when this new love admits his own startling secret, Gia realizes the mystery surrounding Ella Mae's murder is complex and twisted. The truth may be too much to fathom.

First time novelist Kimberly Belle writes a page turner that will keep you guessing until the end as to who committed a hideous crime. It's full of small town scandal and plenty of torrid passion that at times seems to be unnecessary for plot development. Nevertheless, it's a story that examines the tenuous and fragile relationship between siblings and parent, and the art of forgiveness, difficult as that may be.