The Last Flight is a fast-paced, edgy psychological thriller that follows two women whose lives briefly intertwine as they try to escape from toxic men who want to see them fail at all costs.

This is a tension-filled story by Julie Clark that will keep readers on their toes, but it’s also a character study of two women who bravely do whatever it takes to leave dangerous situations. The topics addressed and the focus on character development give the story a strong contemporary fiction feel and tied it in with the #MeToo movement. Through the points of view of both Eva and Claire, readers get to know each woman – their secrets, flaws, lies and the personal horrors they are trying to escape.

If we (women) don’t tell our own stories, we’ll never take control of the narrative.

I enjoyed this read but I have but a few issues with it. I sympathized with Claire and found her POV much more interesting than Eva’s (whose life choices needed a big overhaul) and there were a few implausible scenarios that seemed too convenient to be believable. Also, generally speaking, this is a fast-paced read but the tension takes a bit of a nose dive midway but thankfully picks up for a tense second half that had me furiously turning the pages and gasping at the twists. Things wrap up neat and tidy which was kind of satisfying, but after all the build-up, I guess I was hoping for just a bit more oomph in the ending.

Overall, this was a great suspense read that had that little bit more due to its focus on important women’s issues. Intricately plotted with solid character development, good twists and an interesting premise, I highly recommend this book to suspense fans.

— Laurie P.