Last Shield by Mary Stone – Summary & Review

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May 29
3 min read

🕵️‍♀️ Last Shield by Mary Stone – Summary & Review

A killer in disguise. A team on edge. A past that won't stay buried.

📖 Introduction: A Killer Among Them

Last Shield, the fourteenth installment in Mary Stone’s Emma Last FBI Series, throws readers into a psychological storm where mistrust brews inside the Bureau and a killer might be hiding in plain sight.

FBI Special Agent Emma Last is still reeling from the traumatic Salem case, but her recovery is cut short when a DC rookie cop is murdered—by someone wearing an FBI windbreaker. Could the murderer be one of their own?

This thriller explores betrayal, identity, and family secrets in a twisted manhunt where the line between ally and enemy is razor-thin.

📚 Quick Snapshot

Title: Last Shield
Author: Mary Stone
Series: Emma Last FBI Series (#14)
Genre: Psychological Thriller / Crime Thriller
Main Themes: Betrayal, trauma, trust, identity, revenge
Standout Features: Unpredictable plot, complex characters, high-stakes tension

🧩 What Is Last Shield About?

A chilling spree begins when a young officer is gunned down in a federal garage—his killer dressed as an FBI agent. As another officer is murdered, the message becomes clear: this isn’t random. It’s personal.

Emma and her team must uncover whether they’re being targeted by an outsider—or betrayed by one of their own. Meanwhile, a mysterious new agent, Colton Wright, joins the investigation, but his sketchy background raises more questions than answers.

Add in whispers of a long-lost sister with a deadly grudge, and Emma’s fight becomes as personal as it is professional.

🔥 5 Burning Questions the Book Answers

Can Emma survive the emotional fallout from Salem?
Is the killer an FBI imposter—or a rogue agent?
What is Colton Wright hiding?
Is Emma’s murderous sister real—or a ghost from her past?
Can Emma regain her team’s trust before another officer dies?

🧠 Psychological Depth Meets Procedural Grit

Mary Stone’s storytelling shines with emotional realism:

Emma is haunted, not hardened—her trauma feels authentic.
The internal paranoia inside the FBI makes for gripping tension.
The possible connection to Emma’s unknown sister raises the emotional stakes.

Every death, every clue, feels personal.

🧩 Suspense, Twists & Red Herrings

What makes Last Shield a standout:

A murder weapon links to Sheriff Celeste Foss—a woman Emma killed.
The killer leaves symbolic messages at crime scenes.
Colton Wright’s behavior grows more suspicious with every chapter.
Twists keep readers guessing who’s really pulling the strings.

👥 Key Characters in Last Shield

Character	Role
Emma Last	Protagonist, FBI agent grappling with trauma and suspicion
Leo Ambrose	Loyal teammate, cautiously supportive
Vance Jessup	Distrustful, skeptical of Emma and Colton
Mia Logan	Analytical, skilled at connecting subtle clues
Colton Wright	New agent with a secretive past—ally or enemy?
Jacinda Hollingsworth	SSA who supports Colton, possibly overlooking red flags

📣 What Readers Are Saying

✅ Praise

“Best in the series so far—keeps you guessing!”“Emma Last is complex and relatable.”“Stone delivers edge-of-your-seat suspense.”

⚠️ Critiques

“Vance’s mistrust gets repetitive.”“The cliffhanger ending left me needing the next book—fast!”

✍️ About the Author: Mary Stone

Mary Stone crafts spine-tingling thrillers from her peaceful home in the Blue Ridge Mountains. With 14+ books in the Emma Last series, she’s mastered the art of building tension, exploring emotional depth, and creating characters readers care about.

Experience: Seasoned psychological thriller author
Expertise: Strong female leads, crime fiction
Reputation: Known for gripping plots and fast pacing
Publishing: Runs her own publishing house

🎯 Final Thoughts

Last Shield is more than just a crime thriller—it’s an emotionally layered investigation into trust, identity, and survival. If you enjoy psychological suspense with real emotional stakes, this is a must-read.

Paranoia runs high. The killer could be anyone. And Emma Last might be the only one who can stop the bloodshed.