Friday, January 16, 2009

Review: Last Breath by Mariah Stewart

Title: Last Breath
Series: Last
Author: Mariah Stewart
Read copy: Mass Market Paperback
Published: March 25, 2008
Publisher: Ballantine Books
ISBN: 0345492250
ISBN-13: 9780345492258

As renowned archaeologist Dr. Daria McGowan readies the most important project of her career–a University museum exhibit showcasing the priceless artifacts her great-grandfather unearthed a century earlier in the Middle East–she makes a shocking discovery: many of the most significant pieces have vanished. Panicked, Daria turns to the FBI.

Solving the mystery is an assignment that Connor Shields is more than happy to accept: Daria is the same intriguing blonde archaeologist he’s had on his mind since their paths first crossed two years ago. Working together to track down the stolen artifacts, Daria and Connor discover a trail of bodies–collectors who have met brutal, bizarre ends at the hands of a killer whose murderous methods are based on the rituals of an ancient civilization.

Amid rumors of a curse and mounting pressure from both the FBI and the University, Daria and Connor race to unmask their enemy and unravel a mystery stretching across oceans and centuries. All the while, an ingenious murderer follows a sinister plan to gather the coveted antiquities and one last acquisition–Daria.


My rating:

As a renowned archaeologist, Dr. Daria McGowan is invited to prepare an exhibit of priceless artifacts unearthed a century ago by her great-grandfather.

As she starts cataloging the artifacts, she makes a shocking discovery. Some are missing. With her back against the wall, she calls the FBI, actually an FBI agent, Special Agent Connor Shields, she's met a few months back in Morocco...And he is more than happy to accept, since she's been "haunting" his dreams ever since their (one and only) encounter.

Now, working together, Connor and Daria are quickly swamped by dead bodies of the collectors who used to own the stolen artifacts, and the two race against the clock to unmask the murderer, find the stolen loot and keep Daria safe.



A romantic suspense my patootie!
It was neither romantic nor suspenseful. I was bored to tears by the end of the first chapter and not even a "beautiful man" FBI agent could spark my interest.

The story was severely hampered by the boring, and extremely repetitive details of the ancient city of Shandihar, its culture, history, religion, and the blood-thirsty wench that was the goddess Erishkegal. Additional hampering was brought forth by the terrible and somewhat amateurish narration. I felt like I was reading something written down by an eighth-grader (no offense to all the eighth-graders).

*deep sigh*

So, the suspense was lacking - the book was so boring, I didn't care whodunit, I just wanted it to END ALREADY!
The romance was something you could find only in a laboratory under a very good microscope. The two seemed more like life-long friends than two adults apparently pining for each-other. And when they finally did the deed, it was so short and unspecific... *snore*

Yeah, this is another one of those sleeping-pill-substitutes.



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