Last Kiss

The sequel to her much-loved novel Beach Girls, Luanne Rice’s romantic mystery Last Kiss follows Nell Kilvert and Sheridan Rosslare as they continue to grieve the mysterious death of Charlie, Nell's boyfriend and Sheridan's son. A year before, Charlie went out one night and was discovered dead twenty-four hours later. There was no motive for the murder and no clues left behind to guide the police in their investigation. In Last Kiss, Nell finally acts, hiring Gavin Dawson, a private investigator and the long-lost lover of Sheridan Rosslare. As they try to find the answers to Charlie's death, they also look for ways to come together, despite their overwhelming grief.

The novel begins where Beach Girls left off, in Hubbard's Point, Connecticut, a quiet coastal town where a tragedy has wrecked the lives of two strong women. One year before the novel begins, beloved Charlie Rosslare went out for an evening on the town and was discovered dead less than a day later. His death was horrifying for all the residents of the small town, who saw his face on posters seeking information about his death. A year after the murder, many have moved on, but Nell Kilvert and Charlie's mother Sheridan are still looking for answers.

Sheridan Rosslare has been a musician all her life, but since Charlie's death, she hasn't touched a single instrument. In the aftermath of her son's death, Sheridan has become a hermit, unable to partake in the music that used to heal her, or even to share in her grief with her sisters and her best friend, Stevie. Instead, nearly catatonic from her grief and the mystery surrounding Charlie's death, Sheridan has hidden from it all in the small house on the beach where she raised Charlie by herself. This is concerning to Stevie, who wants to see her friend take action.



Stevie is also troubled by the actions of Nell Kilvert, a young woman whom she considers a foster daughter. Nell, Charlie's girlfriend at the time of his death, feels that she lost her soul mate when Charlie died. Unlike Sheridan, Nell wants to find a way to get some of the answers she desperately needs. She decides to hire Gavin Dawson, a private investigator, to find some answers.

Gavin has a history with Charlie and with Hubbard's Point. Originally from New York, Gavin came to Hubbard's Point to look for work. Young and wild, he soon fell madly in love with Sheridan Rosslare, the beautiful, beachy musician. However, Sheridan left him because he was too erratic, and their lifestyles weren't compatible. Now that Gavin has grown up and settled down, he still yearns for Sheridan. And now, investigating Charlie’s death, he spends most of his time moored in his boat outside her home, waiting for some clues to arise in the case. However, Charlie's death has only made Sheridan more distant from the possibility of love.

Last Kiss explores the lasting power of grief, and the power of love to heal from even the deepest pain., Through deep character development, it explores life in a small, close-knit town, and the residual pain of small-town tragedy.



Rice is the author of thirty-three novels, primarily in the romance and mystery genres. Some of her titles include Cloud Nine, Beach Girls, and Last Day. Many of her novels have been included on the New York Times bestseller list, and many have been adapted for television and film, including two pieces that have been adapted for off-Broadway theatre productions. There are six books in total in the Hubbard's Point series, including Firefly Beach and Safe Harbor. Rice currently lives on the coast of Connecticut.