Tru lives to dive. Living in Mount Orange with its crystal clear mineral springs, Tru has learnt to free dive far below the surface. It’s the only place she can feel completely at peace, then rising up through to the surface leaves her feeling invigorated – until she can dive again.

Mount Orange is not only famous for its beautiful springs. Twenty years before, a brutal double murder happened not far from where Tru dives. Two teen girls were slashed with a knife and left to die. One in a spring, and one in their tent.

True crime buffs and creepy murder enthusiasts have gathered in Mount Orange for the 20th anniversary of the killings and Tru is avoiding them. But she cannot deny her own fascination in the murders – even from small. It happened before she was even born, but still, she cannot leave their terrible deaths alone.

She has had her own tragedy in their family – losing her older sister. Something she has always blamed herself for. Now it’s summer break before going off to college with her best friend and boyfriend East, just as everyone has predicted for years. But Tru knows something her town and mother doesn’t.

Just as she is wrangling with this secret, a new girl arrives among the throng of tourists. Her name is Rio and she’s also an accomplished free diver.

There’s something intriguing about this girl, but Tru can’t put her finger on it. She too feels connected to the murders somehow, but not in the morbid sense like so many others.

Just as Tru is getting to know Rio, strange things are happening again in Mount Orange. Someone is lurking just out of sight each time Tru is in the bush around the springs.

Has the murderer returned to relive his or her crimes in the glory of the 20th anniversary? Or are the murders connected to Florida’s serial killer?

With so many unsolved murder novels hitting the shelves for young adults, I wasn’t sure what I would find in One Last Breath.

Main character Trulee’s free diving was an interesting trait, and I felt down under the surface with her as she descended into the clear, cool, quiet water. I felt her panic more than once as she rose again, knowing she’d dived too deep to be safe.

I was also pleasantly surprised with an intriguing premise I didn’t expect. One Last Breath is a thrilling murder mystery with another difference. The characters aren’t police, family members or true crime podcasters of the murdered girls – but they are connected to the crime.

The mystery component kept me guessing right up to the end of the novel, as clues were picked up and pieced together by Tru. But just as she was fooled again and again, so was I.

One Last Breath has a gripping and unique plot, a setting that is alive with summer heat, alligators and refreshing springs, and authentic characters.

Great read!

Author – Ginny Myers Sain

Age – 13+

(Violence, Crime scenes)

Read an excerpt here

(2024, Harper Collins, Crime, Violence, Murder, Mineral Springs, Free Diving, New Girl, Secrets, Lies, Newspapers, True crime, Serial killer, Clues, Necklaces, Best friends, Summer before college, 20th anniversary, Drunk, Alcoholic mother, Dead sister, Florida, Action, Betrayal, Guilt, Grief, Love, Mystery, Secret, Family)