One Last Breath

A twisted thrill ride from the award-winning author of Blind to the Bones, "a leading light of British crime writing" (The Guardian).

Around the ancient cave system in Derbyshire are thronging tourists, a medieval castle, and the thriving town of Castleton. With its underground tunnels and caverns, it's the perfect place for a man to hide—or vanish. Detectives Ben Cooper and Diane Fry are looking for such a man, one who is on a murderous rampage.


An escaped convict is on the loose, and, after thirteen years in prison, he may be seeking revenge on the son of the cop who put him away in the first place . . . Cooper's father.

"As dark and winding as the labyrinth of caves below its Derbyshire setting . . . A master of psychological suspense, Booth hauntingly evokes the ambiguities of place and the enduring complexity of human relationships." —Publishers Weekly
"One Last Breath underlines Stephen Booth's status as one of our best storytellers." —The Sunday Telegraph
"Stephen Booth endows the crime novel with a literary strength that lifts it above the general ruck . . . He is a crime writer who gives a satisfying read rather than a quick fix." —The Independent
"The complex relationship between [Cooper and Fry] is excellently drawn, and is combined with an intriguing plot and a real sense of place: Stephen Booth is an author to keep an eye on." —Evening Standard
"Elizabeth George fans will queue up for this one . . . its continuing characters have uneasy relationships and secretive pasts." —Kirkus Reviews