Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: The Last Grift
SERIES: Subtle Deceptions #1 of 4
AUTHOR: Elle Keaton
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 258 pages
RELEASE DATE: April 21, 2025
BLURB:
Jaded confidence man Gabriel Karne is on the run. A literal snarling, slobbering guard dog nips at his heels.
If he makes it over the chain-link fence, he vows to skip town for friendlier climes. Somewhere no one knows his name.
It will be fine. Everything will be fine.
Less than twenty-four hours on the island and Gabriel’s had a nasty confrontation with two local good ol’ boys, earned a tresspassing citation from an infuriating but compelling forest ranger, and offered to search for a missing person. So much for lying low.
Being off his game only partially explains why Gabe would rather focus on a stranger’s bad luck than his own. Fact is, he’s always had a soft spot for losers and maybe, just maybe, he’s tired of the game.
The Last Grift is the first installment in the Subtle Deceptions series, a mystery with romantic elements. The series is written in the third person and follows the unplanned adventures in the life and loves of the disreputable Gabriel Karne.
REVIEW:
Gabe is on the run from a con that could leave him in cement shoes. Barely making his escape, Gabe heads for somewhere out of the way. The residents of Heartstone Island don’t know Gabe, and Gabe doesn’t know them. But apparently, there’s something there for him. Ranger Casey preferred the woods to people, and given some of the local characters, who could blame him? A run-in with Gabe puts the man on his radar. Then someone goes missing, and other drama ensues. Who knows what will happen next in a town where influential people’s relatives run amok and secrets are intrinsic parts of its makeup? All this doesn’t help the fact that Gabe wants to hide and not be attracted to the Ranger man with a law-abiding stick up his ass.
Elle Keaton creates immersive stories filled with places, people, and friend-building drama, along with histories to fall in love with, and this takes time. The Last Grift is the first in what appears to be a four-book series, so in many ways, this instalment sets the scene for the others; with each turn of the page, I fell a bit more for the characters and the world Elle Keaton has crafted. However, I find it difficult to give full marks to a groundwork book. While I appreciate the hard work, I also know the best is yet to come—so I apologise for that. Nevertheless, if you enjoyed the Veiled Intentions or West Coast Forensics series (there are crossovers), you’ll love this one. By the end, I had an inkling of where the series could progress, and it’s looking goooood.
The story is told in the third person from the viewpoints of Casey and Gabriel, with a brief perspective from Gordon. The author guides the reader around Heartstone Island, introducing its inhabitants, flora, fauna, and layout. However you look at it, the featured words are “slow-burn.”
Gabe is not a model citizen, and considering he’s a conman, I love how honest he is about himself. He’s on the run, but finds more in Heartstone than just an inheritance. Ranger Casey doesn’t trust easily, and with good reason. He is so passionate about the law that brooms could be involved, when in reality, all he wants to do is protect the land and people of Heartstone. Regardless of their backgrounds, both men have good hearts.
The extended cast includes a variety of personalities, including bullies, biased officials, wise oldies, and a few others who could be for good or bad. Also, one can’t deny the wuhoooo of the crossover effect—that’s all I will say about that.
Subtle Deceptions is not a series of individual tales. The Last Grift is the first of an adventure that looks like it will get more involved with each book. From a tempting beginning, I am excited for what is to come.
RATING: 
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