The Last Verse

Oh Twyla, how I fell in love with you! I'll be honest, country music is not a topic that I naturally relate to, so I didn't expect to be so deeply entertained by a story of a rising musician.

I absolutely adored Shadows of Pecan Hollow, so I knew I wanted to get my hands on this one, but as soon as it came up in my library holds, I worried I wouldn't be able to connect to it. No need for concern, though, because Caroline Frost's writing talent once again swept me away from beginning to end. The Last Verse should be a big hit with both crime fiction and historical drama lovers alike.

Twyla is a nineteen-year-old aspiring musician, living with her strict mother and stepfather. Buckling under the weight of her mother's religious expectations, and pining for the connection she had with her deceased father, who was a musician himself, Twyla decides to head to Nashville with little but the guitar on her back. After paying homage at the funeral of her idol, Elvis, Twyla is swept up into a crime and circumstances wholly outside of her nature. Working to process the trauma, she writes a song and sings it to what she thinks is an empty bar. Weeks later, though, she hears another woman performing it on the radio — and it's an instant hit.

I loved the echoes of this book, which reverberate across three distinctly different women, each seeking to prove and redeem themselves in a world stacked against them — Twyla, the woman who stole her song, and the female detective who circles around them both. While their life circumstances are unique and they’re fundamentally at odds with each other, I found something deeply universal about the female experience in each of their stories. While it was impossible for them all to "win" when their needs were opposing, I related to each so much that I found I would be equally content with a number of different endings. It was this theme of female struggle and empowerment that spoke most loudly to me, though you'll also see themes of love, sexuality, self discovery, self esteem, and redemption.

I listened to this book on audio, and I'll say that Joy Nash's narration was exceptionally well done. She created an immersive experience that blended in with Frost's work seamlessly.

This is a great choice for readers who enjoy historical fiction, coming of age tales, cat-and-mouse mysteries, and good, heartwarming stories with a hefty dose of redemption.

With a second home run for me, Frost has now firmly found a place on my must-read list.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!