The Last Stage of Grief is Murder by Tam Barnett

🔥🔥🔥 Out 04 January 2026 🔥🔥🔥

Description from Goodreads:

"Time won't heal his broken heart, but revenge might...💔💀

Ivor has never loved anyone the way he loves Becky.

Then his world collapses – Becky is found dead.

Consumed by grief, Ivor is determined to find out what happened.

What he discovers is darker than controlling lies, family secrets and a past that refused to stay buried.

But Ivor has his own demons. And as his obsession with the truth deepens, his heartache for Becky curdles into something far more dangerous. Murder."

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I've got to admit that while I found this book a bit of a slog to get through at times, the compelling story and quality of the writing were such that I HAD to finish it.

The book is uniquely laid out according to the stages of grief: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance (or rather, murder in this case). It is written from two perspectives: Ivor's narrative and Becky's diary entries.

The writing style is really easy to read, but the story itself is heavy, though thankfully interspersed with moments of humour. Ivor is a seriously messed-up character, yet you still kind of root for him.

The suspense builds up slowly, contributing to the occasional slog, but the tension towards the end is on another level. I was left with a sense of sadness when I'd finished it - I won't give anything away, but you will understand what I mean when you read it.

Many thanks to the author, Boldwood Books and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts on this thought-provoking book.

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