Day of the Dead by Nicci French

Happy Monday, readers! Today I'm a stop on the TLC blog tour for Nicci French's final Frieda Klein thriller, Day of The Dead.

It's been coming for years, the final showdown between therapist Frieda Klein and serial killer Dean Reeve. And now it's finally here!

A car crashes into a clothing store but the body of the suspected driver has been dead for days. Just a week later, another body is found, burning but covered in flame resistant material. They're clearly meant to be found, to be noticed. A spectacle put on display by a killer who wants attention. But it isn't until Frieda Klein's name is connected that the police realize they're dealing with Dean Reeve. 

Meanwhile, Klein is nowhere to be found. Her friends and family haven't heard from her. She's gone underground, seemingly without a trace. And the police aren't the only ones interested in finding her. 

Lola Hayes isn't sure what she'll write her dissertation on but the suggestion that she dig into Frieda Klein's story piques her interest. Unfortunately, her attempts to ferret out information on Klein catches the unwanted attention of Dean Reeve himself. Now, Lola is at the center of a cat and mouse game that has been playing out for almost a decade and only the mysterious Frieda Klein can help her. 

As a long time fan of this series, this is the book that each new installment has been building towards. And that comes with a lot of expectation and anticipation! I won't torture you by making you wait - the book lives up to it!

Frieda has gone into hiding. No one knows where and no one has heard from her. Which is why it's particularly hard for Lola Hayes to successfully research her suggested topic of study. But she's curious, even if she has only passing familiarity with a few of the cases Frieda has been involved in.

Part of her research involves following in Frieda's footsteps, walking the city and discovering the things around her. This particular piece of the story is a great way to illustrate just how innocent and naive Lola is when the story begins.

Meanwhile, a full quarter of the book goes by before the reader actually meets up with Frieda again! This little detail also helps build the suspense, introducing two new detectives involved in the latest stream of crimes with brief snippets updating us on the current state of Frieda's closest friends and family.

But of course the biggest build of suspense involves Dean Reeves and his actions. The crime that kicks off the book and the subsequent crimes that are tied to his latest endeavor to tease Frieda out of hiding, all building to a denouement that has literally been years - and books - in the making.

While I am sad to say goodbye to this series and these characters, Day of the Dead is a satisfying end to the story. These authors work together so seamlessly, bringing to life smart and suspenseful thrillers with each and every new book, and I'm dying to see what they'll do now!

To see more stops on the tour be sure to check out the official TLC tour page here.

For more on the husband and wife team that make up Nicci French and their work you can like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

Purchase Links: HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble