The Last Degree [Kindle Edition]

Review of The Last Degree by Dina Rae

5 stars

A complicated murder/terrorism/secret society mystery bouncing back and forth between time periods, "The Last Degree" also includes elements of romance and love; political stances and affiliations; and a plethora of "behind the scenes" kingmaking, queenmaking, and juggling of governments and economies. The novel doesn't blink at violence, either, whether on the individual scale or on the mass scale. Much of the covert activity is due to the higher councils of Freemasonry, but the Illuminati are also included, and an annual meeting called "Vanderbild" which strongly put me in mind of the rumours about Bohemian Grove.

Although I didn't read this in one sitting, the story did maintain my reader's attention throughout. Most definitely fans of Dan Brown's "The DaVinci Code" and "Angels and Demons" are going to devour "The Last Degree," as are conspiracy theorists of many stripes, and all who expect and are concerned about a coming "New World Order" and "one-world government."

I received a copy of this book by the author in return for an honest review.

This book is a conspiracy theorists dream! It certainly got me thinking about certain past events, and what the future holds!

There are too many points of view from different characters in this book to do a character breakdown, so I will refrain in this instance.

This story begins in 2000 and jumps between the years 1964 and 2012. It is told in a "past, present and future" style that I found slightly disconcerting. There are many different character timelines with in those time frames. However, as the time lines converge, the story takes a real twist. The story follows a few key people (fictionalized) belonging to the Freemasons and Illuminati and their plan for globalization. There is a prophecy, dating back to biblical times, about the rise of the "Shining One", a man who will bring peace to the world through New World Order.

As I was reading this book, I was struck by how well researched the subject matter was. Although the Freemasons have been shrouded in secrecy for hundreds of years, I doubt their secrets will be revealed in the future either. However, I did find myself struggling with belief (or is that disbelief?) of some of the claims in the book about what the people in the inner circles get up to. I also found this book quite a heavy read; I felt like I was wading in mud in places, because there was very little in the way of action; this book is very plot driven. The latter part of the book sees the action start to heat up though! I thoroughly enjoyed the story, and I am looking forward to reading the next book to find out what happens next.

Dina Rae has created a fantastic thriller/suspense/dystopian novel that will keep the conspiracy theorists paranoid for a while longer! I recommend this book if you love a good conspiracy/thriller. - Lynn Worton