ARC Review: Last Redemption by Matt Coyle

Last Redemption
Author: Matt Coyle
Series: Rick Cahill (Book 8)
Publication: Oceanview Publishing (November 30, 2021)

Description: Will Rick Cahill survive an insidious disease long enough to see his first-born child—or will sadistic killers murder him first?

Rick Cahill is finally living a settled, happy life. His fiancée, Leah Landingham, is pregnant with their first child and he is doing PI work that pays well and keeps him out of danger. Then a doctor gives him the bad news about the headaches he’s been suffering—CTE, the pro football disease that leads to senility and early death—a secret he keeps from Leah and his best friend Moira MacFarlane.

When Moira asks him to monitor her son, Luke—who’s broken a restraining order to stay away from his girl-friend—a simple surveillance explodes into greed, deceit, and murder. Luke goes missing, and Rick’s dogged determination compels him to follow clues that lead to the exploration of high finance and DNA cancer research.

Ultimately, Rick is forced to battle sadistic killers as he tries to find Luke and stay alive long enough to see the birth of his child.

My Thoughts: This is the eighth Rick Cahill mystery and the first that I have read.

After years as a football player, cop, and private investigator, Rick has been knocked around a lot. He has recently been diagnosed with CTE - Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, the football player's disease. His prognosis is for dementia and early death.

He has recently fallen in love with Leah and the two are expecting a child. It is a miracle for both of them since they are in their early 40s. Rick finally has a chance to focus on his future. He hasn't told Leah about his diagnosis yet since he found out just after she became pregnant. She'd had a series of miscarriages and he didn't want to trigger another one with his news.

Ha e has switched his job to doing mostly background checks for corporate customers which should protect his damaged brain. Then he gets a call from his best friend and fellow investigator Moira who asks him to check on her son Luke. She's afraid that he is violating a restraining order that his ex-girlfriend placed on him.

Rick goes to check on the girlfriend's place and sees Luke visit the house next door. He follows Luke to his employers and then to his home. The next day he learns that Luke's boss has been murdered and Luke has disappeared.

Rick wants to turn things over to the cops, but Moira is afraid for her son. The two continue investigating and soon learn that the case has many complications having to do with DNA cancer testing and manipulating a company's value. And murders of those who might get in the way of a really, really big payoff.

Rick was an interesting character. It was easy to see that he had a history as a lone wolf investigator who wasn't afraid to put himself into danger for his clients. It was also easy to see that he really loved Leah and his unborn child and wanted to do what he had to to have a future with them. 

The mystery was nicely twisty and filled with action with some violence. Fans of the series will enjoy this latest episode. It was also an intriguing story for someone, like me, who is meeting these characters for the first time. 

Favorite Quote:

It was interesting, but murder investigations were law enforcement's field of expertise.

Mine was agitating people until they showed who they really were. Sometimes that spilled over onto murder investigations. And got me into trouble.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.