The Last Con by Zachary Bartels

★★★★★

When a con man trying to redeem himself gets pulled back into his old ways, determining which version of himself is the real one may prove his most difficult job yet.

Former con man Fletcher Doyle is finally home after six years in prison. He's working hard to restore his relationship with his wife and twelve-year-old daughter, but it's slow going. He hopes that the upcoming mission trip into Detroit will allow him to demonstrate his newfound faith and honorable intentions – that is, if he can keep himself from murdering Brad, the uptight and condescending church leader who also happens to be his landlord.

But within hours of arriving in the city, Fletcher can feel the pull of the life he thought he'd left behind. And when he runs into his old partner, he finds himself blackmailed into doing another job for a mysterious criminal who calls himself the Alchemist.

Between trying to hide his reawakened criminal life from his wife and the ever-present Brad, and trying to keep the Alchemist from bringing it all crashing down, Fletcher is in over his head. When the unthinkable happens, Fletcher will have to call on his years in the game and his fledgling faith to find an ancient treasure – and restore his family.

After reading Playing Saint last year, I knew I had to read more from Zachary Bartels, so I picked up The Last Con. The story of Fletcher Doyle, a reformed con man recently returned home from prison and drawn back to his old ways, The Last Con has all the qualities I loved in Playing Saint placed within a new and unique storyline. With plenty of suspense, mystery, intrigue and a cast of interesting characters (many easy to like in one moment and then dislike in the next), the stakes become bigger and bigger as the pages pass and Fletcher struggles to understand his true identity. This book kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering what would happen next, and I really enjoyed seeing how it all played out in the end. Fans of mystery and suspense will not want to miss this latest novel from Zachary Bartels. I recommend it.

Thanks to BookLook Bloggers, I received a copy of The Last Con and the opportunity to honestly review it. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. (I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”)

About the Author

Zachary Bartels is the author of Playing Saint. An award-winning preacher and Bible teacher, he serves as pastor of Judson Baptist Church in Lansing, MI, where he lives with his wife Erin and their son. You can find him online at his website, Facebook and Twitter.