The Last Act of Hattie Hoffman
Twisty, shocking psychological thriller with the best heroine you will meet this year
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4.2 • 21 Ratings
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
SUNDAY TIMES CRIME BOOK OF THE MONTH 'A haunting piece of fiction'
'A suspenseful and heart-wrenching thriller about ambition, obsession, and what happens when the lies we tell about ourselves become indistinguishable from the truth' Robin Wasserman, author of Girls on Fire
No one keeps more secrets. No one is better at hiding them. Full of twists and turns, with an ending you will never see coming and characters that will stay with you long after the book is finished, THE LAST ACT OF HATTIE HOFFMAN is perfect for fans of THE ROANOKE GIRLS and THE DRY.
Eighteen-year-old Hattie Hoffman is a talented actress, loved by everyone in her Minnesotan hometown. When she's found stabbed to death on the opening night of her school play, the tragedy rips through the fabric of the community.
Sheriff Del Goodman, a close friend of Hattie's dad, vows to find her killer, but the investigation yields more secrets than answers: it turns out Hattie played as many parts offstage as on. Told from three perspectives, Del's, Hattie's high school English teacher and Hattie herself, The Last Act of Hattie Hoffman tells the story of the Hattie behind the masks, and what happened in that final year of her life. . .
Wonderfully evocative of its Midwestern setting and with a cast of unforgettable characters, this is a book about manipulation of relationships and identity; about the line between innocence and culpability; about the hope love offers and the tragedies that occur when it spins out of control.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Mindy Mejia’s gripping, sinuous thriller is no simple murder mystery. Hattie Hoffman is a final-year high school student with a flair for the dramatic and dreams that stretch well beyond the American Midwest. Weaving together three strikingly different perspectives on Hattie’s life and premature death, Meija skillfully builds suspense, redirects suspicion and creates a complex web of truth and deception. Set in the rural and small-town landscapes of Minnesota, Mejia’s home state in the U.S., The Last Act of Hattie Hoffman sheds light on themes of identity, aspiration and responsibility.
Customer Reviews
Bad call
Author
American from Minnesota who writes “because I believe in the reality of my fantasies.” Maybe @realDonaldTrump has a job for her in his administration. This is her second novel.
Precis
Seventeen year old Hattie, a high school senior and gifted actress living in rural Minnesota, is found stabbed to death in a disused barn following a triumphant performance as Lady Macbeth in the school play. Ageing sheriff Del Goodman (not to be confused with Delta Goodrem) is friends with Hattie’s Dad and vows to find her killer. Cue retrospective narrative in alternating chapters by Hattie, Goodman, and Hattie’s high school English teacher Peter Lund with whom she had an illicit affair. Add a disgruntled wife, a disgruntled boyfriend, a town full of angry farmers seeking vengeance, and voila.
Writing
Sparse prose, sharp dialogue, evocative portrait of the rural midwest. Well drawn, suitably flawed characters, all sympathetic on occasion. Suspicion falls on different characters in turn until there’s a confession, but that turns out to be false, paving the way for a final twist.
Bottom line
My major gripe: the publicity spiel comparing the book to ‘Gone Girl.’ Why not Macbeth? Time to hire new copywriters I say.