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The Last Refuge

Available in Canada for the first time – a compelling debut from a fresh new voice in crime fiction.

Sam Acquillo’s at the end of the line. A middle-aged corporate dropout living in his dead parents’ ramshackle cottage in the Hamptons, Sam has abandoned his friends, family and a big-time career to sit on his porch, drink vodka and stare at the Little Peconic Bay. But when the old lady next door ends up floating dead in her bathtub it seems like Sam is the only one who wonders why. Burned-out, busted up and cynical, the ex-engineer, ex-professional boxer, ex-loving father and husband finds himself uncovering secrets no one could have imagined, least of all Sam himself. Meanwhile, a procession of quirky characters intrudes on Sam’s misanthropic ways. A beautiful banker, pot-smoking lawyer, bug-eyed fisherman and gay billionaire join a full complement of cops, thugs and local luminaries in this tale of money and murder.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Compelling Series Debut
The Last Refuge introduces Chris Knopf’s sleuth, Sam Acquillo, a former engineer (and former boxer) who has left his marriage and his job to drink himself to death at his parents’ cottage in The Hamptons, not the cheeriest premise of mysteries I’ve encountered. But even in the depths of his depression, Acquillo has a sharp wit that makes the reader hope that solving the mystery will force him out of his self-imposed exile back into the land of the living. He finds the body of his elderly neighbor, Regina Broadhurst, in her house, and his engineer’s mind registers that something is not quite right about the police assumption of accidental death. No one else is eager to launch an investigation, but Acquillo, who has nothing but time on his hands, starts poking around, drawing someone’s attention–someone with the money to hire a goon to intimidate him. Acquillo also begins something of a flirtation with a married woman who works at his bank, renews an old friendship with a rich lawyer, and begins an odd friendship with a police officer who is unconvinced by Sam’s suspicions but unable to dismiss them. The plot is tight, the dialogue snappy, and best of all, the venue of The Hamptons is sharply drawn, giving a realistic picture of the tensions between the rich summer people and the locals who both loathe and depend on them. Lucky for me (and you), there are three more Sam Acquillo mysteries: Two Time, Head Wounds, and the forthcoming Hard Stop. I’d recommend this series to anyone looking for a compulsively readable character study, complex mystery, and believable portrayal of The Hamptons.

4 Stars A very good debut book — When’s the next one out??
Sam Acquillo is unemployed; living on what money is left from his invention after his divorce, drinks too much and lives in a ramshackle cottage in Southampton, Long Island. He has also inherited the care of his elderly neighbor, Regina Broadhurst, and her house from his father. When Sam finds Regina dead in her bathtub he doesn’t believe it’s an accident and becomes administrator in order to investigate her death.

I can’t blame the author for the publisher’s lack of proofreading and editing, but it did detract from the book. The story, however, I loved. This is plot-driven story that seems simple but becomes more complex as it progresses. It shows the side of Southampton not inhabited by the wealthy, but the ordinary person. Having spent time in this area, I really enjoyed the setting. I wasn’t certain I liked Sam in the beginning, but he definitely grew on me as his history was unveiled. I very much enjoyed this first book and have his second ready to read and hope there will be many more books to follow.

4 Stars A shamus to die for
Hard to believe this accomplished, engaging novel is the author’s first full-length offering. Its protagonist is the kind of outsider heroes fans of Lee Child and Michael Connelly will love. Ex-prize fighter, ex-engineer, ex-father, seeking refuge on the edge of the Atlantic. Sam stumbles across the body of an elderly neighbour and finds himself embroiled in mysteries and old secrets that involve land deals and hidden scandals. Snappy dialogue and punchy prose. Good fun.

4 Stars A great character to carry a series
The Last Refuge is the first of a series of mysteries about Sam Acquillo by Chris Knopf. The novels are published by a small publisher, the Permanent Press, but the author has recently been signed by St. Martin’s to do a spin-off series. It’s neat to know that publishing small really can lead to publishing large, but I suspect it only works if you’re a good writer. Chris Knopf is clearly that.

Sam Acquillo’s not a particularly nice guy for a hero, not safe, not easygoing. But he already seems very real to me. I trust him. At least I think I do, though I’m sure he drinks way too much. And I like him, but I’d probably not talk to him in the coffee shop. I might watch for him to appear. I’d view him with vague suspicion over my shoulder, and wonder about his past and his motives perhaps.

The author does a good job of keeping the reader questioning. At first meeting Sam is kind of down-beat, kind of negative. The reader might wonder what on earth he does all day, why’s he on his own, where does he get his money. He’s kind, but he doesn’t think of himself as kind. And he’s really sort of abrasive. The book doesn’t telescope any great answers, but dribbles them over conversation, keeping you off balance and looking for more. It’s like slowly getting to know someone, getting used to their presence in the store, with the added bonus of an investigation that keeps growing into something more. Then you’re glad Sam’s on the case.

So now I’m off to read more, still not really knowing Sam, but truly intrigued.

5 Stars Excellent . . . Excellent . . . Excellent
I’ve had Chris Knopf on my list for so long that at the time he had only written The Last Refuge and now has 4 books out. I finally ordered from another bookseller, just finished it and on the strength of the first book am going to order the next 3. I won’t go into a summary of the character or book as other Amazon reviewers have done so. I don’t drink Absolut and have no desire to sit out in a cold screened in porch looking at the water, but am having second thoughts after reading The Last Refuge.

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