Her Last Cry is an ideal story for readers who enjoy an edge-of-your-seat, hard-hitting, complex mystery. This is the third book in the Detective Delaney Pace series which has become a favorite of mine. Hutchins takes her readers on a chilling and twisted journey that keeps them guessing until the final page.

A young woman has vanished into thin air.
When much-loved Annabeth Dillon is reported missing during a snow storm in Kearney, Wyoming, Detective Delaney Pace is called in. The search leads to a remote woodland cabin, and Delaney is distraught to find Annabeth’s lifeless body on the bed, dark red ties gripping her tight, long black hair covering her face. Searching the scene, she spots a dark figure at the window and rushes to give chase, but he gets away. Could it have been the killer?
Another victim is about to be taken.
As a local activist, Annabeth had a lot of enemies and she was no stranger to death threats. So why was she alone in an isolated cabin? And when one of Annabeth’s colleagues is found dead in her own home, Delaney fears that the murders are linked. Were the women hiding a secret that someone killed to keep?
A twisted killer is in town and they’re only just getting started.
Days later, Delaney discovers that the murderer left DNA evidence on the body, and she’s shocked to her core when she learns who it belongs to. She knows the killer. As she jumps to action, another call comes in—someone close to her has gone missing. Delaney knows just how dangerous the killer is, but she’s prepared to risk everything, even her own life, to save the life of another innocent victim. Will she find them in time?
If you’re a fan of Mary Stone, Kendra Elliot, Robert Dugoni and C.J. Box you won’t be able to put down this absolutely nail-biting crime thriller from USA Today bestselling author Pamela Fagan Hutchins.

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Reeling from the events of their previous case, Delaney and Leo desired some downtime. However, their desires were shattered when a call for a wellness check led them to a murder scene. The victim had aspirations of climbing the political ladder all the way to the White House.
At first it appears as if a night of passion went wrong, but evidence indicated murder. The questions of why and who were at the forefront of Delaney and Leo’s minds. The murder of their main suspect only added to the complexity of the situation.

Talk about intense! Her Last Cry kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The suspense was relentless, never giving me a moment to relax. The numerous twists and turns guarantee a page-turning experience as one tries to piece together the myriad of puzzles.

Along their career path, Delaney and Leo made enemies determined to destroy them. In this installment we see the lengths to which such an enemy would go to destroy their reputation. From the start of the series, readers are made aware of the intense attraction between Delaney and Leo. Because of their work relationship, a personal, intimate connection was off-limits—at least, that’s what they told themselves. Despite being a strong, determined, and independent woman, insecurities cast a shadow over her life. These insecurities fed her fear of moving beyond a professional relationship with Leo.

The numerous subplots can be overwhelming; however, Hutchins masterfully intertwines them all into the main mystery. The end result an intriguing story that was difficult to put down.

 

Story Evaluation
Plot	4.5
Characters	4.5
World Building	4
Writing Style	5
Pacing	5
Cover	5
Enjoyment	5
Ending	4.5
Overall:

About Pamela Fagan Hutchins

I’m a USA Today bestselling crime fiction author and a big horse and sled dog enthusiast. I’m published by Bookouture and independently.

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• COYER-Out to Lunch 2025