Publication Date: February 11, 2025
After the last heir of Alexander Hamilton’s line is murdered, her heartbroken husband and best friend team up in this twisty thriller where a mysterious death uncovers not just an ancient secret society, but the treasures it holds—perfect for fans of Dan Brown and Sarah Penner.
The more they know, the more danger they’re in.
When Elizabeth Walker, the last heir of the Alexander Hamilton line, is tragically killed by a subway train in New York, foul play is immediately suspected. Elizabeth had been terrified, frantic, and manic during her last days, running mysterious errands, searching for a strange antique key, and sending cryptic messages to her best friend, Sarah Brockman.
The morning after Elizabeth’s death, a box of tattered documents lands on Sarah’s doorstep, confirming her suspicions about Elizabeth’s strange behavior and shocking death. She brings the box to Elizabeth’s grieving husband, Ralph. Working together, they are stunned to discover that Elizabeth was part of a secret society established by Hamilton himself to keep the United States just and free, its influence woven into every corner of the country’s history. As Sarah and Ralph race through the streets of New York to uncover the truth behind Elizabeth’s death, they must stop an ingenious and sinister plot before someone else catches up to them–and the secrets of Hamilton’s society are lost forever.
With fascinating details from the shadows of American history, The Last Hamilton is a sweeping and fast-paced thriller reminiscent of The Da Vinci Code.
When Alexander Hamilton’s last descendant meets an unfortunate end, Sarah Brockman must solve a puzzle to save the country in The Last Hamilton by Jenn Bregman.
Elizabeth Walker is the last descendant of the famed Alexander Hamilton. But when news arrives that Elizabeth is dead, her best friend Sarah and her husband Ralph are surprised to find a box of clues Elizabeth left them. Digging through it, they find that the Hamilton line has had one driving purpose—to protect the United States. And now, the danger is closer than they realize. With foreign interference in the international gold market, Sarah and Ralph must solve the clues before it is too late.
I have always had a love of history and solving mysteries. I was very excited to start this book as I felt it would be right up my alley. I loved that this book started off very strong in the prologue, but after that, the pacing became very slow. I was looking forward to more clues and linking those to history. However, 99% of the book was spent solving one thing that we, as the audience, already knew more than the other characters.
I also struggled with the changing perspectives within the chapters. I don’t mind reading a story from multiple characters’ perspectives as it can add depth to a story. However, the perspectives would change from one perspective to another in the next paragraph without any indication that the perspective had changed. I would get lost sometimes, trying to figure out whose brain I was in, which made the story a little muddled.
My biggest pain point of this story was the lack of mystery. I love reading stories where you have to follow clues. One clue leads to the next and then to the next. But this felt like the story started on the last clue. I wanted more from this story. I also felt that the antagonist wasn’t as strong as it could be. There wasn’t that life-or-death impetus or urgency that should be there.
The Last Hamilton provides a fantastic framework for a successful historical heist. It just needs a little additional refinement to achieve success.
Jenn Bregman is a UCLA Law graduate and former Big Law litigator who practiced both in Los Angeles and on Wall Street in New York. Author of the critically acclaimed thriller, The TimeKeepers and published in the UCLA Law Review, she is a closet adventurer, who loves to ski, run marathons, and hike giant mountains. She lives in Colorado with her family and sweet Havanese dog Babalu.
