Gong, Chloe. Last Violent Call. Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2023. 978-1-665-93451-0. $19.99. 240 p. Grades 9-12.

Last Violent Call is a collection of two novellas set after the Secret Shanghai duology and in the midst of the new companion novel, Foul Lady Fortune. After the events of Our Violent Ends, Roma and Juliette are living a comfortable and peaceful life much different than the gang life they left behind in Shanghai. However, they are still running a weapons business, and when they are approached by a young couple looking for protection, they agree to help them and discover the young woman has a connection to their former lives and families. When Roma reaches out to Benedikt and Marshall for assistance finding the scientist Lourens, they board the Trans-Siberian Express for a week-long journey to his home. When a murder is committed early in the journey, Marshall convinces the train officer that they are private investigators and that the train should not be stopped. Together, they dive into an investigation of the train passengers and make some surprising discoveries along the way.

THOUGHTS: Last Violent Call is only for readers of Gong’s previous work, the Secret Shanghai duology. That being said, I think it’s a must read for fans, and I believe these novellas, like so many others, were written for pure enjoyment for the reader. These are the love stories we weren’t able to witness, and since the main story centered around Roma and Juliette, it was a bonus to have a story written specifically for Benedikt and Marshall. My only complaint is that they were too short, and I was left wanting to hear more. I’m impatiently waiting for Foul Heart Huntsman to see how these characters are connected to Gong’s newest series.

Fantasy