I’m incredibly grateful to Olivia Mead for my copy of The Last Act of Hattie Hoffman by Mindy Mejia and I’m delighted to be part of the launch celebrations for this exciting new writer.

The Last Act of Hattie Hoffman is published by Quercus on 9th March 2017 and is available for purchase here.

The Last Act of Hattie Hoffman

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.

My Review of The Last Act of Hattie Hoffman

When perfect high school student and budding actress Hattie Hoffman is found murdered, the community of Pine Valley will be left reeling.

I loved this book. Firstly, I’d like to praise the title The Last Act of Hattie Hoffman as it has multiple meanings, from Hattie’s roles in life to her actions and death but to say too much would spoil the plot.

The Last Act of Hattie Hoffman is the perfect blend of police procedural, crime and psychological thriller in a unique genre all of its own. Mindy Mejia has created a narrative that had me guessing from the first page to the last and I must have suspected just about every major character of having murdered Hattie at some point. There’s such a brilliant quality of writing here. I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a crime book style quite like it and I was completely absorbed every moment I was reading. I could feel the claustrophobic atmosphere of small town America almost oozing from the pages.

Sometimes I find multiple perspectives irritating or repetitive but Hattie, Sheriff Del and teacher Peter have such compelling and individual voices that I thoroughly enjoyed and believed the story told from their perspectives. I liked the way the events were anchored by the dates in each section too as we move towards Hattie’s last act.

However, the absolute triumph aside from a brilliant plot and wonderful settings, is the incredible characterisation; of Hattie particularly. With the conceit of drama, especially the curse of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, running through the story in an intelligent and captivating way, Hattie is the female equivalent of Everyman as she plays the different roles of daughter, student, friend, worker and girlfriend. So skilled is she in putting on an act that she is not entirely sure of her own true identity and as the events are revealed and we move towards her last act and action, it becomes clear that Hattie is as complex, human and flawed an individual as it is possible to meet. I thought she was an outstanding creation.

The Last Act of Hattie Hoffman is fresh in style, unique and utterly, captivatingly, entertaining. I can’t praise it highly enough. I’m desperate to read more from Mindy Mejia as soon as possible.

About Mindy Mejia

Mindy Mejia is a fiction writer, finance manager, weekend jogger, wife, and mother of two. She writes what she likes to read-contemporary, plot driven novels that deliver both entertainment and substance. She lives in the Twin Cities and is currently working on a project that might or might not be a trilogy.

You can follow Mindy on Twitter and visit her website. You’ll find her on Facebook too. There’s more with these other bloggers: