HOPE DIES LAST

Hope Dies Last by Burt Weissbourd is a pulse-pounding thriller that leaves you turning the pages, thanks to the unpredictable plot and the never-ending action that moves the story forward. Sara and Alvaro are drawn into a deadly conspiracy when a shocking photo hints at a connection to a $350 million Venezuelan military heist. What starts as a surprise visit from a cousin with a secret quickly spirals into violence, leaving Sara hospitalized and their young son terrified. Dead bodies begin to mount, and the couple turns to Sara’s father, Cash—an ex-operative with a lethal skill set and a network of allies. Together, they must unravel a web of offshore shell companies, networks, and powerful enemies determined to keep their secrets buried. From Miami to international networks of corruption, the race against time reveals a family’s courage to unravel deception. Perfect for fans of The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides and The Gray Man series by Mark Greaney, this relentless, resonant thriller explores how far some will go to protect their secrets—and what it takes to fight back.

 Burt Weissbourd knows how to keep readers enrapt, and I got more than I expected in this crime thriller with complex characters and a plot that is taut and tangled. I enjoy crisp writing that balances descriptive prose with exceptionally written dialogue, and this book delivers that. The short sentences, timely paragraph breaks, and short chapters with cliffhangers make it hard to put this one down. But there is more: you’ll appreciate the humor, the quick pacing, and the sophistication in character development. Hope Dies Last masterfully explores characterization, thematic development, and conflict through a cast of vivid, morally complex characters. Callie and Cash make you think about what it means to be psychologically strong and determined, and about their resourcefulness and their willingness to confront danger head-on, like their daring plan to kidnap Ruben to leverage Stanley White’s interests. I am left in awe. Thematic threads of greed, betrayal, and justice are cleverly woven into the story. The layered conflict, complex characters, and exceptional prose are among the elements that make this novel a must-read.