Two women go into a maze of caves and only one comes out alive in a story with as many twists and turns and hidden depths as the caverns they are exploring in Taylor Adams’ Her Last Breath. The palpable sense of claustrophobia is strong in this one, so be ready to step back and take a break when the walls start closing in.
You might think that a character named Tess De Water would be more suited to a book set on a super yacht, but when we first meet her Tess is definitely on dry land, obsessively checking and re-checking that she has everything she needs before leaving home. She’s being picked up by best friend Allie Merritt and they are heading off for a subterranean adventure in the wilds of Stevens County in Washington State.
Tess and Allie are chalk and cheese. Tess is careful and cautious, always one to take the path of least resistance; Allie, on the other hand, is an adrenaline junkie who travels the world seeking adventure for her hugely popular podcast Keep Calm and Carryon.
They’re heading to the Devil’s Staircase, where Allie is taking her friend on her first caving expedition. It’s an odd choice for a beginner, maybe, because this network of caves goes down deep and has a chequered history, but Allie assures Tess that they will only go down as far as she feels comfortable.
It’s early on a Saturday morning and they’re hoping to have the place to themselves, but there’s a man hanging around at the entrance to the caves, and he seems intent on tagging along –until, in no uncertain terms, Allie tells him to take a hike. That’s when things begin to go wrong for the two women. Soon, one will have been shot and the other trapped in one of the Devil’s Staircase’s most treacherous descents. It is dark and narrow, and there’s no way to turn back…
An unnerving sense of place makes Her Last Breath a hugely uncomfortable read, particularly for anyone who balks at the thought of being confined in a tight space underground. To add to the growing tension, Adams paints the scene in shades of grey and black, with the occasional splash of brightness as the tale gathers momentum and the boundaries begin to blur. The questions – and you’ll have plenty of those as you progress through the pages – work well at blurring the boundaries, leaving the reader scrabbling for purchase on the truth.
Let’s just say that it pays to err on the side of Detective Washington, an older female officer who has been sent to interview Tess as she lies in her hospital bed, recovering from her ordeal in the caves. Tess is surprisingly calm after what she’s just gone through and Washington takes it slowly. She knows her colleagues think she’s lost her edge, but Washington is about to surprise everyone – even herself. The Washington-Tess encounters are where the narrative really hits its stride.
Her Last Breath is a disturbing tale of friendship, hardship and sheer determination, where the landscape is a major player and the characters are almost relegated to playing second fiddle, bringing to mind the ultra-claustrophobic City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita. This is a book that would transfer well to the big screen, and it boasts a denouement that will either leave you gasping aloud in shock, or shaking your head in annoyance. So, which side will you be on? I advise you to grab a copy and find out.
The Alone Time by Elle Marr is another fast-paced story of survival following a disaster in Washington State.
Harper Collins
Print/Kindle/iBook
£11.99
CFL Rating: 4 Stars
