Will Mary survive Mary's decision-making?
Three books into the Governess series, I've come to accept a few things. First, Mary is going to involve herself in situations that are absolutely none of her business, much like every single one of my 7th graders. Second, she will continue making choices that would have most sensible people backing slowly toward the nearest exit. Her curiosity consistently outruns her common sense. Third, somehow she keeps surviving.
This time, Mary finds herself entangled with a wealthy family in Savannah. Naturally, there is a murder. Actually, there are two murders, one recent and one that happened more than fifty years ago. Because why solve one mystery when you can solve two?
The family itself is a collection of colorful characters. There's a grandmother struggling with dementia and a mother who spends her time talking to her geraniums. To be fair, if I lived in that house, I might start talking to plants too.
One thing I appreciated in this installment is that Mary seems to have learned at least one lesson. Fence climbing appears to be firmly in her past. After a couple of unfortunate encounters with gravity, she has apparently decided that scaling obstacles is best left to younger people. Character growth!
Even more impressive, Mary finally remembers that emergency services exist. This may be the biggest development in the series so far. There were moments when I wanted to cheer and say, "Yes, Mary! Let trained professionals handle it!" Of course, that doesn't stop her from conducting her own investigation, because then we wouldn't have much of a story.
As a mystery, One Last Breath kept me engaged throughout my commute. The plot moves along at a good pace, and there were enough twists and family secrets to hold my attention. That said, it never quite reached the point where I couldn't wait to get back to it. This series continues to occupy that sweet spot of being entertaining without becoming all-consuming.
At this point, I've realized that the real attraction of these books isn't necessarily the mystery itself. It's Mary. She's stubborn, curious, and possessed of an almost supernatural ability to insert herself into dangerous situations. Watching her navigate eccentric families, old secrets, and murder investigations is consistently enjoyable, even when I find myself shaking my head (repeatedly) at her decisions.
Overall, I'd give One Last Breath three stars. It's a solid audiobook, an easy listen, and perfect commuting material. It held my attention, made the drive go by faster, and never once tempted me to sit in the parking lot after arriving somewhere just to hear one more chapter.
And honestly, that's not a bad thing. After all, the goal is to get home safely. Mary can handle the danger for both of us.
