Rating: 
Summary: A Memorable and Clever Thriller
Review: "Be careful what you wish for."The above quote could well be the theme statement for James Grippando's newest thriller, LAST TO DIE. Miami criminal attorney Jack Swyteck is asked to represent his best friend's older brother, Tatum Knight, a former hit man. Swyteck was successful in getting Theo Knight released from death row, serving time for a murder he did not commit. A beautiful woman named Sally Fenning, who is worth millions of dollars, has tried to hire Tatum to kill her. He refuses her offer, but she soon turns up dead. Tatum is called to the dead woman's attorney's office for a meeting but wants to have his own attorney present. Swyteck accompanies him to a reading of Sally's will. The reading of this document is a life-altering event for those involved. One of six persons named in the will is going to inherit $46 million. The catch is that the recipient will be the last one of them still living. The unlikely beneficiaries include a former husband, divorce lawyer, female crime reporter, assistant district attorney, Tatum, and a mysterious no-show at the reading named Alan Sirap. Throughout, Grippando develops the cast with believable motives and personalities. Each has a history with the deceased woman that indicates more reason for her hatred than the benefit of her generosity. Swyteck's involvement takes him from Miami to Africa, where he meets Sally's sister Rene, a medical doctor as beautiful as her dead sibling. His near-romantic entanglements become complicated when he dates a law assistant and mother of his "little brother" Nate. The friendship is threatened when Kelsey divulges information from Swyteck's investigation to determine the guilt or innocence of his client in Sally's death. One by one, the possible beneficiaries are murdered. Violence, bloodshed and death haunt the remaining ones enough to form alliances to protect themselves and their claims to the inheritance. When clues hint that Tatum is not whitewashed from blame, Swyteck is determined to find the remaining Alan Sirap. LAST TO DIE is a clever rendering of motives, crimes both past and present, and a shocking resolution to the question of who will receive the millions. Courtroom drama is alive with wit and humor in the scenes when bumbling Gerry Colletti seeks a restraining order against Tatum. Grippando depicts Theo with humor as well and involves his audience with his characters as they wheel and deal their paths to conclusion. Swyteck is as real as the odd assortment he cohabits with on the page. LAST TO DIE will have a place with most memorable thrillers. I highly recommend it for one who enjoys a great mystery. --- Reviewed by Judy Gigstad
Rating: 
Summary: "One Amazing Story"
Review: "Last To Die," by amazing storyteller James Grippando, is one amazing story! I was glued to my cozy chair throughout the whole book. The characters are colorful, the dialogue captivating, and the plot thrilling to the very last page! "LAST TO DIE," is a Must Read Novel, to be sure! Take "10" writer Grippando you've certainly earned it with this novel! (Highly Recommended Novel!)
Rating:
Summary: Keeps You Hooked
Review: A good novel intrigues you from start to finish. James Grippando sucedes admireably in Last To Die by keeping his audience hooked throughout the 369 page thriller. Sally Fenning has been murdered and a will has been found leaving all her money to six beneficiaries. The critical aspect is that the last one standing gets the money. Throughout the novel there is bribery, conspiracy, and mysterious murders that keep you guessing who is behind all of this? Jack Swychek, public defender tries to untangle this mess. With the help of Theo Knight he goes on a long journey to seek justice. It seems as if the murdering reign may be too much for Swychek as the culprit(s) seem to have everything all figured out. However, in the end justice is served. Similar to John Grisham's legal thrillers and certainly in the ballpark on a quality level.
Rating:
Summary: A must read for thriller fans
Review: A must read for thriller fans
I first started with this book by James Grippando, I know completely out of sequence but what a fantastic read. It was one of the best books I have read in such a long time (and I read Plenty). This book has a great opening, strong story with a satisfing ending. His characters are realistic and down to earth. I went out - persistently and purchased 5 of his other books and I am now a devoted fan. If you like this book read The Pardon and Undercover of darkness. James Grippando you have got my vote.
Rating:
Summary: The most exciting book I ever read!
Review: Although a little gorey and graphic, this book kept my nose stuck between the pages.
The concept behind the storyline is brilliant and original.
The characters are very well defined, and their stories unfold seamlessly.
Strongly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: A good legal thriller
Review: Before picking up LAST TO DIE, I had never heard of James Grippando, and I was pleasantly surprised by this smoothly written legal thriller. Jack Swyteck, a Miami defense lawyer, is approached by his best friend Theo to represent his brother Tatum, a one-time contract killer who believes he is going to be implicated in the murder of Sally Fenning. Sally's tragic past has strange implications in what unfolds next: she has left 46 million dollars to six potential beneficiaries, but only the last alive will receive the money. Who is the mysterious sixth beneficiary? Why did Sally leave her money to these six, all of whom appear to be enemies? What connects them? What did Sally hope to achieve? And most pressing of all, who is murdering them one by one? Jack is a likeable protagonist. He is earnest, intelligent, professional, with a soft spot for kids. He is one of the few legal heroes of the genre who looks at his career as a job and not the driving force of his life. What spurs him onward is his own curiosity. I did object to Jack's treatment of one character (and I can't specify without ruining the plot), a reaction that seemed excessively harsh and unforgiving given the circumstances and Jack's emotional attachment to the character. Grippando's writing is unobtrusive - not noteworthy but smooth enough to propel the story forward. For a thriller, the suspense does not reach adrenalin-pumping levels, although Grippando kept me interested throughout by his judicious meting out of details. I did lose some interest as Grippando took me to Africa, a portion of the book that reads more like a travelogue than a thriller. However, my main complaint with this novel is the weak ending. It lacks the oomph of a first-rate thriller, although the rest comes close. This book's undemanding yet exciting premise is perfect for beach or airplane reading, and for anyone desiring pure entertainment. Those who love legal thrillers should definitely add Grippando to their reading lists. I'm looking forward to Grippando's next book.
Rating: 
Summary: Done Before, Done Better
Review: I could really get into the reasons why Last to Die bored me so much, but that would probably be tougher to read than the book. To be fair, my dislike of the book stems mostly from personal taste. Some readers, especially die-hard mystery and legal thriller fans will may glean some enjoyment from this book. Anyone else, well, good luck... The book is based around a well-worn mystery premise. A lot of money at stake, and a group of people that are in line to get it. Shockingly for people who have never read a book before, these people, one by one, start dying mysteriously. The originator of this little morality game is one Sally Fenning, an extremely wealthy Miami socialite with a shadowy and tragic past. Following her murder, an event that seems to defy logical explanation (the rest of the story doesn't cure that minor plot point) a group of disparate individuals is called together by a high-powered legal official in Miami. The main figure the reader is interested in is Tatum Knight, a "reformed" contract killer who gets mixed up in the whole mess. Along for Knight's adventure is Jack Swyteck, an all around boring defense attorney who is called on by a friend to help out Tatum. These two meander through, as more of the participants die and the 46 million reward for living the longest get closer and closer. I think I made it more exciting than it is. Oh well. The problems with this book are legion, but I'll keep it relatively short, as criticism is best served quickly. The characters are by far the worst, a cast so devoid of fascination or intrigue that it's a wonder they did not fall asleep themselves. No one is sympathetic or interesting in the least, it's almost as if Mr. Grippando took a list of modern day stereotypes and threw them immediately into his little plot. Tedious, really tedious. The story offers little relief, as it is a weak rehash of a mystery genre devise used ad nauseum. I am not a very smart sleuth, but I saw the ending coming a mile away, and I think most intelligent readers will too. Please, how could anyone compare this to Christie's Ten Little Indians, which is a masterwork not just of mystery but of fiction as well? That comparison just shows that the device of a "survivors bonus" has been done to death, and, much better. So, unless you have a natural inclination or love of boredom, steer clear of this book.
Rating:
Summary: "Surprises" were too obvious, Character uninteresting
Review: I downloaded this book for MS Reader without knowing anything about the author. Although the premise of the book seemed somewhat intriguing at first, I got tired of the author trying to "surprise" me with events that were so obvious that a kid would have seen them coming. With few exceptions, the characters were not given enough "character" to make them interesting in the least. I can't believe that this is supposed to be a best-selling author. I suppose on some levels this book could be interesting (such as the descriptions of Miami), but for me it was plain boredom.
Rating:
Summary: The Sins Of Manipulative Wealth Never Rest Even After Death!
Review: I found the book worth reading and will now read more from this author and publisher who showed the good judgment in publishing James Grippando. The book starts slow out of the necessity to setup the many twists and turns needed for an exciting and thrilling ending. I really enjoyed the easy way he writes about legal complexities, world geopolitical influences, and inner personal relationships that provides an outstanding premise to plot to climax into a very satisfying ending. The book has an eerie reversal grand premise, why not leave $46 million to one of six people who have hurt you deeply in your life. And tell them the last one standing gets it all? This makes them plot, scheme and create sinister dealings that pass suspicion on anyone with the compulsive obsession to plot against everyone to boot for the booty. After understanding the various characters and players in this book, it is worth your time to finish it. You then move on in trying to figure out the motives and actions of each one as you read towards a very unexpected and volatile ending. I disagree with the professional reviewers about the African Coast details too. I believe they added to the book substance and content in another way often misunderstood by reviewers. The African Coast is the source of the wealth, but you must learn how that wealth was acquired. I found that such details did provide a parallel example of what the exploitation of wealth can do to anyone and anything in life. It is not the solutions we pretend them to be! I recommend this book become a movie and could be made into a Mini-TV series since it is based on the same premise as many Reality TV Shows. But at much higher stakes and with more legal intricacy combined with a legacy of colonialism rotten residue in Africa, if you are familiar with its history too. I thank this author and publishers for giving me a great joy as I traveled to my nephews' wedding on the Navy Pier in Chicago. It is an outstanding way to pass the time as you travel and want to read something of substance and intrigue at the same time. I highly recommend this book and look forward to the authors' next book too!
Rating:
Summary: An entertaining read
Review: I thought this was a good and entertaining book - it kept me up late a few nights. The main selling point of this book is that it is so "wide" that revelations and plot/mystery-unravelling isn't saved until the last chapter. FYI: Microsoft is giving this book away in e-Book format.
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