 Entertaining page-turning horror thriller YA debut One of the back-cover quotes calls Cynthia Murphy’s entertaining YA horror thriller debut Last One to Die “Point Horror for a new generation” and it is not wrong. This quote might well catch the eye of school librarians and others in the book trade; however, it is unlikely to impress the target audience of 12-15 years-of-age kids. Sadly, 99.9% will not have the faintest idea what this famous horror series, which was at its peak in the late 1980s and early 1990s, was all about! However, nobody can argue against the fact that RL Stine, and the other Point Horror authors and the nostalgia surrounding it, is great source material to call upon for inspiration and Cynthia Murphy achieves that in some style. Last One to Die is a very easy read and I found myself speeding through it trying to identify who the killer was, in fact there were only a few suspects, so even if the big reveal might not come as a huge surprise it was an entertaining journey getting there. Genuine teen readers should have a lot of fun negotiating the red herrings and it was one of those books which had “I’m just going to read one more chapter before bed….” written all over it, which is what all YA novels should attempt to deliver. It does not pretend to be deep, or have anything particularly new to offer, but instead delivers a solid page turner and escapism around shadowy areas of the Southbank area of London. YA literature is drowning in ‘serious’ books loaded with heavy subjects, Last One to Die thankfully abandons that in favour of solid entertainment over a deeper message. And quite right too as page-turners should be the bread and butter of YA literature. The story begins when 16-year-old Niamh arrives in London to study drama for the summer, as part of the course she will also work in a Victorian museum which has interactive exhibits in which she will play a teenager who is connected to one of the paintings/exhibits in the museum. Niamh also looks uncannily like the genuine Jane Alsop who died in 1838. She has arrived from a rural part of Ireland and the story successfully plays upon the fact that Niamh is quite isolated, does not have any friends, and is away from home for the first time and desperate to make the trip a success and have some fun along the way. One of the most popular story strands of the Point Horror series were young women being stalked by unknown assailants and Last One to Die honours this simple blueprint, but also cleverly fleshes it out. As the novel begins Niamh arrives at her YMCA style lodgings and switches rooms with another girl who is killed the same day and within no time at all there are other assaults in the local area, all young brunette woman who have a striking resemblance to Niamh and the action moves closer to home and eventually into the realms of the supernatural and connections to the Victorian era. Niamh was a very sympathetic leading character which is an important attribute in a YA novel, and I am sure most readers will connect with her plight. Apart from Tommy, who also works at the museum, not that many other characters have enough page time to make much of an impact, except for a nice support role for a kindly librarian. The early stages of the romance between Niamh and Tommy were also very cute and added an extra element to the story. Overall, although it had some chilling moments, I would allow any children of secondary school age to read Last One to Die, as the violence was not too explicit and there was no swearing or sex. Last One to Die is written in such a way that it should appeal to both thriller and horror fans, with the supernatural element becoming more pronounced as the story develops. There were no drops in pace and readers will be quickly sucked along into Niamh’s world, including the museum which was a great setting and the historical references to Spring-Heeled Jack. Although it lacks the scares or the intenseness of the very best YA horror, Amy Lukavics or Dawn Kurtagich for example, it was a book perfect for getting kids to switch the TV off or putting their devices down. Another quote claimed this was “Point Horror for the social media generation” but I am not sure about that as there was virtually no social media in the story! If this debut is anything to go by then Cynthia Murphy looks like a good signing for Scholastic who have a great recent track record for their current YA fiction, including Kathryn Foxfield (Good Girls Die First), Melinda Salisbury (Hold Back the Tide) and KR Alexander (The Collector or FearZone – both aimed at younger children). It is heartening to see big publishing houses giving horror a decent push and considering there is very little competition, except for the Red Eye series (Little Tiger), who have not released anything since 2018 and seem to have given up the ghost, there is most definitely space for a Scholastic ‘brand’ in the YA book world. With Last One to Die just the type of book to get young teens interested, also acting as a nice gateway into horror. Tony Jones Yesterday we welcomed Cynthia to the site with her entry in our The Good, The Bad and The Ugly series of articles, check it out here  Young, brunette women are being attacked in London. 16-year-old, Irish-born Niamh has just arrived for a summer of freedom, and quickly discovers that the girls being attacked look frighteningly similar to her. But Niamh is determined not to let her fear destroy her Summer. But can her new friends be trusted? Will she be able to stay ahead of the attacker? Or will she be next? Packed with voice-driven whodunit storytelling, and a retro slasher-movie feel reminiscent of cult classics Scream and Urban Legend, this dark, pacy, and irresistibly-creepy debut really has something for everybody! One of Us is Lying meets This Lie Will Kill You but with a chilling supernatural twist that will keep you guessing until the very end . . .'Chilling, funny and gripping' Emily Barr, author of The Truth and Lies of Ella Black 'A supernatural terror-fest!' Kat Ellis, author of Harrow Lake 'Point Horror for a new generation' Kathryn Foxfield, author of Good Girls Die First   |
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