LAST STEP begins with a stark hook as a young woman lies dead—an accident of destiny and cruelty. One of Jacksonville’s unfortunate addicts, Karrie Moore made her living on the street and on her back to support her habit.

Despite repeated attempts to go straight, the allure of the drug had sucked her in until it was too late. So when the police dismiss Karrie’s death as yet another OD, only her mother tenaciously perseveres in uncovering the truth.

Karrie might have been an addict, but she was also a victim of Circumstance — and murder. Karrie’s mother Vickie refuses to accept the police’s dismissal of her daughter’s life. Determined to discover the truth, she leaves behind an empty life and a dying relationship to move into the neighborhood where her daughter lived and died. Her growth and self-discovery becomes a reclamation of her own power. Danger stalks her steps, however, as those who live from the profits of drugs are closing in.

LAST STEP moves beyond the simple teachings of treatment programs to tell the story of a mother who, in the seeking of truth, finds her own path to independence and real love. Written with a deep understanding of the power of drugs over life, LAST STEP evokes the power of the twelve step programs to salvage lives savaged by drugs. Further, the whodunit plot provides a strong counterpoint to the mother’s transformation, moving the novel along at a smart clip and providing a strong conclusion.

Highly recommended.

Cindy Penn

Senior Editor: WordWeaving (editor@wordweaving.com)

When Vickie Moore’s daughter, Karen, is found dead of a drug overdose, Vickie’s life is in for a major overhaul. In the face of police skepticismcertain that Karen was murdered, Vickie leaves behind her life – job, house, and husband – in order to do her own undercover investigation. Moving into her daughter’s building, meeting the people Karen knew, and searching for the truth, Vickie puts herself into mortal danger in her quest for answers… and finds more than she bargained for.

From a death in the prologue, through shady characters and Vickie’s descent into a drug-infested world, past a murder and into the depths of insanity, Last Step is a front-row seat on a roller coaster of intrigue. The primary focus of Last Step is a blend of mystery – determining the truth behind Karen’s death – and a message about drug use. A romance adds a slightly lighter tone from time to time.

Suspicions abound within this novel, and few of the characters are "friendly." Readers will meet people they might prefer not to know and see things they may prefer not to see. No punches are pulled in this portrayal of the seamy side of the city, and the realism is almost frightening. Fans of mystery will keep turning pages until the intrigue is revealed!

Reviewed By Carolyn Howard-Johnson, Author of "This Is The Place"

I’m not a reader of mysteries.
Does that mean I didn’t like Kathleen Walls new novel, "Last Step?" Absolutely not.
This new page-turner is a great read. You’ll get to the surprise ending this this book real fast—probably in two relaxing evenings by the fire.
"Last Step" is one of those titles with depth. Because it is a story about a mother who is convinced her drug-addicted daughter has been murdered, "Last Step" evokes the "We came to believe..." passage that all twelve-steppers know. But it is not a treastise on any program; it is a story about a woman who is taking not her last but her first step toward independence and toward love.
Here we have a tale about how a woman gathers up her strength to follow her convictions and, in doing so finds more strength. Here we have a story that combines a whodunit with some memorable characters, a little romance and a straight-forward attack at moving a mystery along. For those of you who like to learn a little something as you read, you won’t be disapppointed, either.

The reviewer, Carolyn Howard-Johnson, is a columnist for the Pasadena Star News and Glendale Community College’s El Vaquero. She occasionally writes movie reviews for The Glendale News-Press and is a contributing editor for Home Decor Buyer and the author of This Is The Place, Harkening and The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't.

Reviewer Rating: * * * *
Title: Last Step
Category: Romantic Suspense
Author: Kathleen Walls
Publisher: Kathleen Walls
ISBN: N/A
Release Date: Available Now

Kathleen Walls, author of Last Step, plummets the reader down a hauntingly realistic path of addiction, death by OD, and the pain and suffering those left behind have to deal with.

Vickie is just like any other mother who has just lost a daughter to a lethal addiction. She would not accept the police's resolution of her daughter, Karrie, just being another unfortunate statistic of the Jacksonville drug inflicted streets.

This mother is both strong and vulnerable, and the layers of her soul, are poignantly captured within Walls' artful words.

Leaving her marriage behind, Vickie goes undercover to infiltrate the haunts her daughter use to call home in a bid to discover the cause of her daughter's death, a fact she believes equals murder. For without this truth she cannot move on, re-build her life, and put her beloved daughter to rest.

Relying on instincts and inner will, Vickie begins to uncover a labyrinth of danger, deprivation, dependency and despair. Each step that leads to her ultimate goal is marred with characters as terrifying as the reality of a drug addict's life.

Yet, in the darkness there is one light - Hank. A man that has traveled the road of addiction and through a successful rehabilitation program came out the other side. Is it possible in all this misery, that Vickie could not only find the truth, but re-discover love also?

The suspense-filled pace and brutally honest imagery of "Last Step" will ensure you the reader will not be able to limit this highly recommended read to a few chapters each night.

Reviewed by J.B. Scott