City Threads - Shop now
Kindle Unlimited
Unlimited reading. Over 4 million titles. Learn more
Read for Free
OR
$0.99 with 90 percent savings
Print List Price: $9.99

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Sold by Amazon.com Services LLC.
Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the authors

L.T. Vargus
Follow
Tim McBain
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Last Victim: A Violet Darger Novella (Violet Darger FBI Mystery Thriller) Kindle Edition

by L.T. Vargus (Author), Tim McBain (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 2,437 ratings
An escaped killer. A troubled investigator. Secrets that haunt the past and present. T

he Violet Darger series continues with this gripping short, The Last Victim.

New crimes lead FBI profiler Victor Loshak to revisit former scenes and witnesses in the Las Vegas area. The evidence suggests the return of a notorious and brutal serial killer from years ago -- the one who got away.

Loshak conceals his work from his partner, Violet Darger, and tries desperately to stay one step ahead of both her and the murderer.

Leonard Stump is back. Maybe. And things are about to get so much worse.

While the Darger books can be read in any order, here is the chronological order of the series:
Dead End Girl
Image in a Cracked Mirror (A Darger Novella)
Killing Season
The Last Victim (A Darger Novella)
Read more
Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    86 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Accessibility
    Learn more
  4. Publication date
    November 6, 2017
  5. File size
    1.1 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
Next slide of product details
Unwell Hydration from Alex Cooper
Hydrate & focus with every sip Shop now

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0777RMWBQ
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Smarmy Press
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 6, 2017
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.1 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 86 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 2,437 ratings

About the authors

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Previous page
  1. L.T. Vargus

    L.T. Vargus

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    L.T. Vargus grew up in Hell, Michigan, which is a lot smaller, quieter, and less fiery than one might imagine. When not click-clacking away at the keyboard, she can be found sewing, fantasizing about food, and rotting her brain in front of the TV.

    L.T. Vargus now lives in New Mexico with her special man friend/writing partner, Tim McBain.

    She likes YouTube videos of cute animals, mystery novels, punk rock, and pizza.

    http://ltvargus.com

    See more on the author's page
  2. Tim McBain

    Tim McBain

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    People say your author bio should tell the world why you write. I write because life is short, and I want to make something awesome before I die.

    http://timmcbain.com

    See more on the author's page
Next page

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
2,437 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers find this novella to be an excellent, well-written read that keeps them engrossed. They appreciate the character development and the author's quality, with one customer noting how the story makes them feel the pain of the characters. The novella receives mixed feedback regarding its length, with several customers finding it too short.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more

53 customers mention "Readability"44 positive9 negative

Customers find the book to be an excellent and captivating read that is easy to follow, with one customer noting it's a quick read.

"Vargus and McBain have done it again. Another stellar installment in the Violet Darger series...." Read more

"This is a must read. Loshak has been keeping a huge secret from his partner Violet. He has a very good reason...." Read more

"...Will follow the series, Vargus and McBain, are great writers. Perfect story." Read more

"I really like the writing style of McBain and Vargus. They have a way of inserting you into the story...." Read more

33 customers mention "Story quality"33 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the story quality of the book, finding it engrossing and interesting, with one customer describing it as a gripping short story and another noting how it sets the scene for the next book in the series.

"...He has a very good reason. Goodness this really sets the scene for the next book." Read more

"...The author has packed a lot of story into this short story of less than 60 pages...." Read more

"Great characters set up. Perfect scenario,begs me to continue. Will follow the series, Vargus and McBain, are great writers. Perfect story." Read more

"...They have a way of inserting you into the story. You get a true feel of what the characters are thinking and going through." Read more

11 customers mention "Character development"11 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, with one mentioning how it made them feel the pain of the characters.

"Great characters set up. Perfect scenario,begs me to continue. Will follow the series, Vargus and McBain, are great writers. Perfect story." Read more

"...This shorty is enticing and exciting. Vargus and McBain create great characters. Highly recommend." Read more

"...One of the reasons I like the series is the care spent in developing characters you only see for a few pages, it provides a richness to the story." Read more

"...stars this book is very interesting and great how the characters stay well into your mind love it it is amazing well written" Read more

6 customers mention "Author quality"6 positive0 negative

Customers praise the author's work.

"...As I read the whole series I had to finish it. Great characters. I love the authors and have now moved on to the next series." Read more

"...read,set u on the edge of your seat.so many details.this is one heck of author.recommend everyone to download and read" Read more

"...Great characters and great writing. Can't wait for this new story to continue!" Read more

"these authors always deliver..." Read more

14 customers mention "Short story"7 positive7 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the length of the novella, with some finding it a good short story while others consider it too brief.

"...This shorty is enticing and exciting. Vargus and McBain create great characters. Highly recommend." Read more

"Very entertaining and suspenseful but too short, almost like a short story. When reading Loshak and Darger books I dont want them to end." Read more

"Great short. Love the Darger stories. The authors write it so you feel like you are there living through the moment...." Read more

"...The reason for only four stars was that it was too short now I need to get the next one!😁..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • elfshanx
    5.0 out of 5 stars Whatever you do, don't miss it.
    Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Vargus and McBain have done it again. Another stellar installment in the Violet Darger series.

    The Leonard Stump case has been haunting Agent Loshak since it went cold a couple decades ago. Now that Violet Darger has caught Stump's attention, Loshak goes chasing ghosts in Las Vegas...without his trouble-magnet partner.

    Where most "serial killer books" focus on the minds of the murderers and the people who hunt them down, only showing us the victims in terms of grisly remains, Vargus and McBain's Violet Darger series takes extra pains to humanize the victim, to remind us that they were real people whose lives were stolen from them in horrible ways.

    In the Last Victim, we meet Claire, a college student who went out for a night of dollar beers and woke up in a drug-induced haze, tied up and lying in the backseat of Leonard Stump's car with her best friend, Tammy. Rather than just drive us to the scene of the slaughter, however, The Last Victim takes us back in time to show us how these two future victims became friends and why Claire refuses to leave Tammy behind. It's a look into the mind of the victim for a change, and the better we get to know Claire, the more disturbing her fate becomes.

    While I don't doubt that Darger's next book will be self-contained enough to stand on its own, this novella sets the stakes for Loshak's confrontation with Stump in a major way. Vargus and McBain are about to have a crowd of rabid fans demanding the next Darger novel. Whatever you do, don't miss it.
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • GDG
    4.0 out of 5 stars Wow this packs a punch
    Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    This is a must read. Loshak has been keeping a huge secret from his partner Violet. He has a very good reason. Goodness this really sets the scene for the next book.
    Helpful
     Report
  • booklover
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Real Nail-Biter!
    Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    I kept seeing these authors' names next to some really interesting covers, so I decided to try one out before committing to the entire series. Although this is okay as a stand alone, I highly recommend starting at the beginning ... just like I'm going to do.

    While the Darger books can be read in any order, here is the chronological order of the series:
    Dead End Girl
    Image in a Cracked Mirror (A Darger Novella)
    Killing Season
    The Last Victim (A Darger Novella)

    FBI Profiler Victor Losack is chasing an old familiar serial killer .. Leonard Stump. responsible for multiple deaths in the Las Vegas area, he was caught, but then escaped. Looks like he's back and Victor is relentless in hunting him down.

    There was only one survivor ....

    Claire tells her story of what led up to being tied up next to her friend and being whisked away ... and ultimately how she survived. If you don't already bite your fingernails, you might start while reading this one.

    The author has packed a lot of story into this short story of less than 60 pages. Claire is expertly drawn ... with just a few sentences she comes to life and leaps off the page.

    I'm looking forward to reading the entire series .. from start to finish.
    4 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • D.C. George
    3.0 out of 5 stars Good, But Not Fulfilling
    Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Don't read it expecting any sort of resolution -- I can only assume that this is all about setting up the next full-length Darger book, because it doesn't really have much of an actual ending. Was already looking forward to reading that one, and this didn't change that feeling in either direction.
    Helpful
     Report
  • lisa marie
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wow.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Great characters set up. Perfect scenario,begs me to continue. Will follow the series, Vargus and McBain, are great writers. Perfect story.
    Helpful
     Report
  • D. Matteson
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good quick read.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I really like the writing style of McBain and Vargus. They have a way of inserting you into the story. You get a true feel of what the characters are thinking and going through.
    Helpful
     Report
  • WhoRU
    5.0 out of 5 stars Addicted to Darger Series
    Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Love the depictions and imagery. I can almost hear and smell the words formed on paper. Can't wait to read the next.
    Helpful
     Report
  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Always great
    Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Very entertaining and suspenseful but too short, almost like a short story. When reading Loshak and Darger books I dont want them to end.
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • Jean
    2.0 out of 5 stars Cliffhanger!!!!!!
    Reviewed in India on December 4, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Though the premise said it's a standalone book and can also be read in any order, it really isn't!!!
    The story has a backstory that's just skimmed through and the reader has to connect the dots. With such rave reviews I believed the book to be quite a thrill ride but I lost interest with the girls friendship story that went on in detail but held no relevance with the way it ended between them at the end of the book. Don't want to give out spoilers as much as a let down it was for me.
    Report
  • david wright
    5.0 out of 5 stars This is how to write a short story
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 11, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    What can I say? I have been a fan of L.T Vargus and Tim McBain for some time now, right from reading 'The Scattered And The Dead'. The Violet Darger series is something else. The characters are lifelike and instantly likeable with wisecracks and sarcasm to boot. This story actually features Loshak, Violets colourful partner. You feel instantly drawn in with the descriptive past of the two unfortunate victims and the balance between past and present is perfect, faultlessly blending in to create another masterpiece. If you are a fan of crime fiction or even fancy a change, this short story needs to be in your collection.
    Report
  • Sady
    3.0 out of 5 stars Short !
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 21, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Well that was over quickly , I was really getting into it then it ended. Disappointed
    :{ Well written and interesting but !
    Is there a follow on ? Was that just a taster? No mention at the end .
    Report
  • Sarah G
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 27, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Great reading, can’t put it down!
    Report

Report an issue


Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report