Title: HER LAST SCREAM – Carson Ryder #08
Author: J.A. Kerley
ISBN: 9780007384341
Publisher: Harper Collins
Pages: 422
Source: Library Book
A serial killer targets the country’s most vulnerable women in this new thriller featuring Detective Carson Ryder. They thought they were safe at last… Across the US, a secret network of crisis centres permanently relocates women in serious danger from domestic abuse. But now someone is killing them before they reach their destinations. Detectives Carson Ryder and Harry Nautilus are having trouble gaining the trust of the volunteers who run the scheme. The only way in is for an undercover police officer to pose as a threatened woman, making herself a target and drawing the killer out. Reinetta Early is the ideal candidate – but she also happens to be Harry’s niece. He always promised his sister that he would keep Reinetta safe from harm. Suddenly, he’s unsure if he can even keep her alive…
Official Summary
23 October 2025
Her Last Scream is another instalment in J.A. Kerley’s Detective Carson Ryder series, and it opens with an intriguing and chilling premise. Across the U.S., a secret network helps women escape domestic abuse by relocating them to safety — but someone has found a way to infiltrate that system. Before these women can reach their new lives, they’re being hunted down and murdered.
Detectives Carson Ryder and Harry Nautilus find themselves navigating this sensitive and dangerous investigation, but the case becomes deeply personal when Harry’s niece, Reinetta Early, volunteers to go undercover. What begins as a calculated plan to catch a killer quickly turns into a tense fight for survival.
The plot has plenty of promise, especially with the emotional stakes woven into Harry’s storyline. The idea of a serial killer targeting the most vulnerable adds a chilling realism, and Kerley does a good job of highlighting the courage of those trying to protect these women. The pacing is steady, with enough twists to keep the reader interested, even if it never quite reaches the level of intensity I’d hoped for.
Carson Ryder remains a compelling protagonist — smart, level-headed, and driven by a strong moral core — but I found myself wishing for a little more depth from some of the supporting characters. While the premise is dark and full of potential, the emotional connection didn’t land as strongly as it could have, which made certain scenes feel less impactful.
That said, Kerley’s writing is accessible and crisp, and the tension in the final act delivers a satisfying close to the story. It’s a solid thriller with flashes of brilliance, even if it doesn’t quite match the high bar set by earlier books in the series.
Her Last Scream was a three-star read for me — an engaging concept with moments of genuine suspense, but not quite the heart-stopping ride I expected. Still, if you’re a fan of the Carson Ryder series or enjoy crime thrillers centred on moral dilemmas and emotional stakes, this one is worth a read.
Also by J.A. Kerley
BURIED ALIVE
Soon after witnessing the escape of violent psychopath Bobby Crayline from prison, Alabama detective Carson Ryder takes a rare break in the mountains. But his vacation is interrupted when an anonymous phone call summons him to the scene of a grisly murder. With more savage killings and the heavy-handed FBI only inflaming the situation, Ryder and local detective Donna Cherry sift through the increasingly bizarre clues. Is there more than one killer on the loose? And how does Carson’s clinically insane brother, Jeremy, now on the run, fit into the picture? It is down to Ryder to unearth horrors from the past that others believe should remain buried…
About the Author
Author bio from the author’s site
John Albert Kerley is an American author. He spent 20 years in a successful advertising career before writing his first book, The Hundredth Man.
He currently lives in Newport, Kentucky, and is married with two children. He enjoys the outdoors, particularly fishing.
He is the author of the acclaimed Alabama-set series of Carson Ryder novels.
This one was book eight in the series, and there are another five to go. I struggled with this one a little; it was missing something. But I have come this far, so I will continue reading. Have you read all the Carson Ryder books? Should I keep reading? Or am I going to be disappointed? Let me know in the comments below. Until next time…. Happy Reading!
