Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Publication
Sourcebooks Landmark (2022), 436 pages
Description
"Tucked into the mountains of North Wales, the village of Cwm Coed is bordered by a shimmering lake on one side and an army of pine trees on the other. But the tranquility is shattered when homegrown celebrity Rhys Lloyd returns to develop a luxury resort on the shore opposite the village. Old resentments begin to rise to the surface, and new tensions emerge between the locals and the outsiders. Still, when the resort throws open its doors for a New Year's Eve party, with champagne flowing through the night, none of the villagers can resist the invitation. The next morning, a body is found floating in the lake-and it's Rhys. Ffion Morgan is summoned to investigate, but with her deep ties to the village she dreads what she might find out about her neighbors, friends and family. And what about her own link to the victim?"--… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member SquirrelHead
Cymru am byth - Wales Forever. Rhys Lloyd is a local boy who achieved fame and fortune as a singer. He comes home to Cwm Coed, a small town in Wales, to build a resort for the wealthy on the lake. His wife seems to hate him. Actually, there wasn't a person in this book who didn't hate Rhys and as
If he died on the English side of the lake Detective Leo Brady will take over the investigation. If it's the Welsh side D.C. Ffion Morgan handles it. The two end up working together and I loved the dialogue, the Welsh language interspersed and the fantastic twist of events at the end. Every person in this book has a secret, including the detectives.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced readers copy of this novel.
The Last Party by Clare Mckintosh will be published November 8, 2022 by Sourcebooks Landmark Publishing. Genre: General Adult Fiction. Mystery as well (in my opinion). I will definitely be reading more by Mackintosh.
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you read on, you'll see why. His tuxedo clad body floats across the lake on New Years eve during the traditional swim attended by the local Welsh residents. If he died on the English side of the lake Detective Leo Brady will take over the investigation. If it's the Welsh side D.C. Ffion Morgan handles it. The two end up working together and I loved the dialogue, the Welsh language interspersed and the fantastic twist of events at the end. Every person in this book has a secret, including the detectives.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced readers copy of this novel.
The Last Party by Clare Mckintosh will be published November 8, 2022 by Sourcebooks Landmark Publishing. Genre: General Adult Fiction. Mystery as well (in my opinion). I will definitely be reading more by Mackintosh.
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LibraryThing member Sensory
I chose this book to buy the last time I went to my local bookstore. It turned out to be a good choice. I've previously read [I See You] by this author and enjoyed it. The Last Party was full of twists and turns down to the last page. The characters were mostly interesting and I especially liked
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the main female protagonist. A really fun mystery. Show Less
LibraryThing member Eyejaybee
This is an example of book buying serendipity. Having seen a book that I had wanted to buy for a while, I noticed that it was on a ‘Buy two, get one for half price’ offer. Consequently, seeing a stack of copies of this book, and being persuaded by the blurb on the back, I took a punt on it. I
Detective Constable Ffion Morgan lives in Cwn Coed , village in north Wales near the English border, which passes through a nearby lake. Early on New Year’s Day, Ffion is called on duty as a body has been found floating on the lake. It tuns out to be that of Rhys Lloyd. He had grown up in the village and had gone on to achieve huge international success as a singer. He had returned to the area and had been a leading participator in the development of a luxury resort on the English side of the lake. This development has sparked anger in the Welsh community. It becomes apparent that Lloyd had been murdered. Ffion finds herself working closely with Leo Brady, her counterpart from the Cheshire constabulary, whom she had encountered recently in an off-duty setting.
Clare Mackintosh handles the plot dextrously, capturing the tensions between the two neighbouring forces (jurisdiction for the case is unclear, with the body having been found in the no man’s land between the two areas), and the various conflicting emotions of Lloyd’s neighbours, and the various members of the local community. I found I was sucked into the story right from the first page. This was very entertaining, and I hope it proves merely to be the first in a series.
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chose wisely, as it is an excellent novel.Detective Constable Ffion Morgan lives in Cwn Coed , village in north Wales near the English border, which passes through a nearby lake. Early on New Year’s Day, Ffion is called on duty as a body has been found floating on the lake. It tuns out to be that of Rhys Lloyd. He had grown up in the village and had gone on to achieve huge international success as a singer. He had returned to the area and had been a leading participator in the development of a luxury resort on the English side of the lake. This development has sparked anger in the Welsh community. It becomes apparent that Lloyd had been murdered. Ffion finds herself working closely with Leo Brady, her counterpart from the Cheshire constabulary, whom she had encountered recently in an off-duty setting.
Clare Mackintosh handles the plot dextrously, capturing the tensions between the two neighbouring forces (jurisdiction for the case is unclear, with the body having been found in the no man’s land between the two areas), and the various conflicting emotions of Lloyd’s neighbours, and the various members of the local community. I found I was sucked into the story right from the first page. This was very entertaining, and I hope it proves merely to be the first in a series.
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LibraryThing member jetangen4571
new-series, Wales, crime-fiction, thriller, murder, murder-investigation, procedural, suspense, family-dynamics, family, friction, friendship, frustration, relationships, cultural-differences, celebrities*****
As if it isn't enough that the lake where the body of a celebrity is found is one which
Neither wants to work with the other jurisdiction, let alone be partnered! But. That only adds to a story filled with wonderful descriptions of the area and the process they must both go through to bring a fraught investigation full of lies and half-truths to a close. A pretty great read!
Being a North American, my only wish is to find it in audio so I don't feel a dunce in mispronunciations.
I requested and received a free temporary e-book copy from Sourcebooks/Landmark via NetGalley. Thank you!
As if it isn't enough that the lake where the body of a celebrity is found is one which
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divides England and Wales so that two detectives from different jurisdictions are in charge, teaming up for solving the case. The worst is that those two detectives (Leo Brady from Cheshire Major Crime and Detective Constable Ffion Morgan from North Wales CD) had a one night stand the night before they met as colleagues!Neither wants to work with the other jurisdiction, let alone be partnered! But. That only adds to a story filled with wonderful descriptions of the area and the process they must both go through to bring a fraught investigation full of lies and half-truths to a close. A pretty great read!
Being a North American, my only wish is to find it in audio so I don't feel a dunce in mispronunciations.
I requested and received a free temporary e-book copy from Sourcebooks/Landmark via NetGalley. Thank you!
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LibraryThing member SilversReviews
It definitely was the last party for Rhys Lloyd.
Was it an accident or did someone kill him?
There were quite a few people who didn't like him so there are many suspects for the police to interview.
We meet Ffion and Leo in the opening pages as they crawl out of bed after a one-night stand and then
We follow the investigation and the stories behind the these two characters and others.
THE LAST PARTY was a slow read, a bit confusing, difficult for me to keep track of the many characters, and not one I was anxious to get back to.
There were a few surprises, but I was disappointed because I always enjoy Ms. Mackintosh's books.
I hope it turns out better for you when you read it. 3/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.
Was it an accident or did someone kill him?
There were quite a few people who didn't like him so there are many suspects for the police to interview.
We meet Ffion and Leo in the opening pages as they crawl out of bed after a one-night stand and then
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when they are shocked that they are assigned to the same case.We follow the investigation and the stories behind the these two characters and others.
THE LAST PARTY was a slow read, a bit confusing, difficult for me to keep track of the many characters, and not one I was anxious to get back to.
There were a few surprises, but I was disappointed because I always enjoy Ms. Mackintosh's books.
I hope it turns out better for you when you read it. 3/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member Twink
Bestselling author Clare Mackintosh's newest book, The Last Party, has just released.
Rhys Lloyd, a partner in a contentious luxury home development close to a small village in Wales, is found dead on On New Year's Eve, in his condo in that development.
The village is on the dividing line between
The Last Party has a 'locked' room feel to it. The village is small, with everyone in each other's pocket. There is only a small group of condo dwellers as well. We come to know all of the possible suspects through gossip, flashbacks and an ever changing point of view. Honestly, each and every one of them has a reason to not like Rhys...but to kill him? My answer for the whodunit changed with every revelation. There are some really good twists throughout the book as well. I like being kept guessing in a book, especially in a murder mystery. The timeline does flip from present to past and back, so watch the chapter titles.
The setting is well described and I could easily imagine the water, the forest, the village and The Shores.
The two leads are very different from each other in their methodology, creating more than a little friction. At the same time, both are struggling within their personal lives. I enjoy knowing more about the protagonists as it gives the characters more depth. It looks like we might be seeing more of DC Morgan. The Last Party is listed as DC Morgan number one. But I really hope Ffion is also part of future books.
Another great tale from Mackintosh.(Gentle readers - there are some trigger situations.)
Rhys Lloyd, a partner in a contentious luxury home development close to a small village in Wales, is found dead on On New Year's Eve, in his condo in that development.
The village is on the dividing line between
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England and Wales and jurisdiction is murky. Two investigators are tasked with the case - local copper DC Ffion Morgan and English based DC Morgan.The Last Party has a 'locked' room feel to it. The village is small, with everyone in each other's pocket. There is only a small group of condo dwellers as well. We come to know all of the possible suspects through gossip, flashbacks and an ever changing point of view. Honestly, each and every one of them has a reason to not like Rhys...but to kill him? My answer for the whodunit changed with every revelation. There are some really good twists throughout the book as well. I like being kept guessing in a book, especially in a murder mystery. The timeline does flip from present to past and back, so watch the chapter titles.
The setting is well described and I could easily imagine the water, the forest, the village and The Shores.
The two leads are very different from each other in their methodology, creating more than a little friction. At the same time, both are struggling within their personal lives. I enjoy knowing more about the protagonists as it gives the characters more depth. It looks like we might be seeing more of DC Morgan. The Last Party is listed as DC Morgan number one. But I really hope Ffion is also part of future books.
Another great tale from Mackintosh.(Gentle readers - there are some trigger situations.)
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LibraryThing member susan.h.schofield
This was another great domestic suspense novel from Clare Mackintosh. There were lots of surprising twists and it kept me guessing the entire time. I will definitely read the DC Morgan series. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.
LibraryThing member jmchshannon
I enjoyed every Clare Mackintosh novel I’ve read, so when I saw she had a new book out in 2022, I jumped at the chance to obtain a review copy. The Last Party has all the hallmarks of Ms. Mackintosh’s previous thrillers, which is excellent. What is not great is that it is not a standalone
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novel. You would not think it to be a big deal because most of Ms. Mackintosh’s books do not have clean, happy endings anyway, so not knowing more about Ffion Morgan’s past or getting any resolution regarding her self-sabotaging tendencies should not be that big of a deal. For me, it was, which makes me sad because The Last Party is a good mystery/thriller. With plenty of twists and turns, successful red herrings, and enough secrets that you need a chart to keep them all straight, the story captured my attention and didn’t let it go. My guesses were always wrong, and I had no idea what would happen next. Yet, even as I felt drawn towards Ffion, all I could envision was another J.D. Robb-like series with sixty-three books or Louise Penny with eighteen in her series. I love series, but I love when they end even more. While I loved The Last Party, I’m not sure I have the desire or energy to commit myself to yet another series that may or may not have a finite number of books. Show Less
LibraryThing member reading_fox
Fun. Enjoyed this new crime drama, start of a new series set in teh Welsh valleys and mountain lakes close to the english border. Well worked mystery, but slightly confusing timeline (even though well sign-posted in the chapter headings) as it jumped back and forth between previous events, and the
A body washes up on the shore of a lake just as the village partakes of it's annual New Year swim. It quickly proves to the be the investor in The Shore, and settlement of upmarket tourist lodges on the english side of the lake, and not much liked by village inhabitants... however nearly everybody had been there for the NYE party the night before. One fo the few exception is 'wild' Ffion Morgan who's now a Detective with the local constabulary, somewhat respectable, but never really settled down even after her marriage. As the body originated in england the Cheshire constabulary send one of their detectives too - Leo Brady - who's got a lot of the rubbish jobs as his DI appears not to like him. Ffion and Leo realise they've met before, but try to put their past behind them as they work together, using Ffion's local knowledge and Leo's greater resources to find out what happened to a respectable stalwart.
The author's background both as a policewoman and a Welsh native, clearly comes through with a believable plausibility to the setting, characters and mannerisms. The spark between the personalities is particularly enjoyable. The plot is perhaps overly complex, but everything is explained and the motivations provided match the characters actions, which isn't always the case in crime fiction.
Enjoyable. Apparently the start of a series, the author's previous works all being standalone, but I shall follow this and see how it progresses - I'm not sure this particular village has capacity for further crimes, but the setting could be much wider.
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detectives investigating the case.A body washes up on the shore of a lake just as the village partakes of it's annual New Year swim. It quickly proves to the be the investor in The Shore, and settlement of upmarket tourist lodges on the english side of the lake, and not much liked by village inhabitants... however nearly everybody had been there for the NYE party the night before. One fo the few exception is 'wild' Ffion Morgan who's now a Detective with the local constabulary, somewhat respectable, but never really settled down even after her marriage. As the body originated in england the Cheshire constabulary send one of their detectives too - Leo Brady - who's got a lot of the rubbish jobs as his DI appears not to like him. Ffion and Leo realise they've met before, but try to put their past behind them as they work together, using Ffion's local knowledge and Leo's greater resources to find out what happened to a respectable stalwart.
The author's background both as a policewoman and a Welsh native, clearly comes through with a believable plausibility to the setting, characters and mannerisms. The spark between the personalities is particularly enjoyable. The plot is perhaps overly complex, but everything is explained and the motivations provided match the characters actions, which isn't always the case in crime fiction.
Enjoyable. Apparently the start of a series, the author's previous works all being standalone, but I shall follow this and see how it progresses - I'm not sure this particular village has capacity for further crimes, but the setting could be much wider.
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LibraryThing member jmoura01
I loved the fast pace of this book. As well as the many twists and turns. The structure of the past timeline made me want to keep reading. I did stumble over the Welsh words thrown here and there but they were relatively easy to figure out and just made the story seem more authentic. Yes, it was
Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
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dark and probably should come with trigger warnings. What a dysfunctional group of characters! I can’t wait to see what Clare Mackintosh comes up with next. Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
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LibraryThing member nicx27
Clare Mackintosh's first series has got off to a cracking start with The Last Party and the fiery protagonist, DC Ffion Morgan.
The setting is a contentious one, at least for the locals in North Wales. On one side of the lake is the small Welsh village of Cym Coed and on the opposite side are the
I loved everything about this book. The characterisations are perfect. Ffion and Leo meet in a rather unexpected way which worked really well to make their working relationship complicated and fun to read. Leo's boss, DI Crouch is a nightmare but on more than one occasion I did a double-take and laughed out loud at Ffion's sharp comebacks to his barbed comments.
The plot is great with skeletons jumping out of the closets all the time. As the story progresses it becomes clear that there are multiple possible suspects for the death of Rhys Lloyd and I liked being kept guessing (although I did have an inkling which proved partly correct).
I also loved the quite remote and quiet small village setting which sounded idyllic, if too sleepy for some of the natives. A setting with one foot in Wales and one in England was a stroke of genius I thought.
This is such a fabulous crime read and I can't wait to read book two and find out what will happen next for Ffion (and hopefully Leo).
The setting is a contentious one, at least for the locals in North Wales. On one side of the lake is the small Welsh village of Cym Coed and on the opposite side are the
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new English lakeside holiday homes named The Shore. When Rhys Lloyd, a Welsh opera singer from the area, but also a co-owner of The Shore, is found dead in the lake, Ffion is the local investigating officer along with DC Leo Brady from the English police.I loved everything about this book. The characterisations are perfect. Ffion and Leo meet in a rather unexpected way which worked really well to make their working relationship complicated and fun to read. Leo's boss, DI Crouch is a nightmare but on more than one occasion I did a double-take and laughed out loud at Ffion's sharp comebacks to his barbed comments.
The plot is great with skeletons jumping out of the closets all the time. As the story progresses it becomes clear that there are multiple possible suspects for the death of Rhys Lloyd and I liked being kept guessing (although I did have an inkling which proved partly correct).
I also loved the quite remote and quiet small village setting which sounded idyllic, if too sleepy for some of the natives. A setting with one foot in Wales and one in England was a stroke of genius I thought.
This is such a fabulous crime read and I can't wait to read book two and find out what will happen next for Ffion (and hopefully Leo).
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LibraryThing member rmarcin
Ffion Morgan is a detective and on New Years Day, a dead body has surfaced in the lake. It is Rhys Lloyd, the man that all the young girls admired, but now that he is older, most of the town despises. Many people wanted him dead, but who actually killed him?
Ffion and her partner, Leo, try to
As Ffi and Leo work through the details, you will be surprised at how many people despised Rhys and why. Surprising end.
Ffion and her partner, Leo, try to
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discover who killed Rhys, and in the meantime, the reader learns of all the things that Rhys did to the various townspeople. He built a series of homes overlooking the lake, and his plans and rules are not what everyone expected. He also has a few secrets, as do the townspeople. As Ffi and Leo work through the details, you will be surprised at how many people despised Rhys and why. Surprising end.
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LibraryThing member tamidale
I love a good small town murder mystery and this one was a gem. Set in Wales in a small lakeside village, this book had a wonderful sense of place. The author even included many Welsh phrases and some social politics between Wales and England.
Almost every character in the story was a suspect,
The story did move a bit slow at times, but I find that is often the case when the story revolves around a police investigation. What kept my attention were the little twists along the way, that developed into a whopper of an ending.
One can assume this is the first in a series, so I will definitely be looking out for the next story the author publishes.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to offer my honest review and recommend to other readers.
Almost every character in the story was a suspect,
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except for the detectives Leo and Ffion. The chapters were dedicated to each of the people involved and went by the timeline leading up to the day of the murder.The story did move a bit slow at times, but I find that is often the case when the story revolves around a police investigation. What kept my attention were the little twists along the way, that developed into a whopper of an ending.
One can assume this is the first in a series, so I will definitely be looking out for the next story the author publishes.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to offer my honest review and recommend to other readers.
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LibraryThing member bookappeal
The audiobook accent is gorgeous and adds to the atmospheric impact of the book. The mystery is solid but takes a twist I felt was excessive. The relationship between the two investigators is compelling and it will be interesting to see if/how it develops.
LibraryThing member StressedRach
The Last Party is set at Mirror Lake in Wales everyone knows everyone. On New Year’s Eve Rhys Lloyd hosted a party, just past midnight his body was found floating on the lake. Who killed him and why?
The book flips from past to present and has a lot of characters. It is a slow burn but I think it
It flowed perfectly and I really liked DC Ffion Morgan. I can’t wait to read more from this series.
This was a great addition to Clare Mackintosh’s books.
The book flips from past to present and has a lot of characters. It is a slow burn but I think it
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needs to be to get all the important information across and there are a lot of twists to this mystery. I was shocked by the revelation at the end. It flowed perfectly and I really liked DC Ffion Morgan. I can’t wait to read more from this series.
This was a great addition to Clare Mackintosh’s books.
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LibraryThing member Enid007
This is the second book that I have read by Clare Mackintosh and I love it. I do not typically like so many different POV in one book but she makes it work.
Everyone has a motive but who actually commits the crime had me shocked. This isn't a fast paced book but I was so enthralled into it that I
* Slow thrill
* Different POV
* Who Done it
* Shock Value!
* Detective/Investigative
Definitely recommend!
Everyone has a motive but who actually commits the crime had me shocked. This isn't a fast paced book but I was so enthralled into it that I
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kept on reading, I would have read it in one setting but other priorities came about.* Slow thrill
* Different POV
* Who Done it
* Shock Value!
* Detective/Investigative
Definitely recommend!
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LibraryThing member suzanne5002
It is New Year's Eve grand party where many high-society people are invited.
The next day, a father and son are walking along the shoreline and are shocked to see a dead man. There is blood all around
this dead person.
The police enter the scene and establish that this is a
murder
There are several characters in this book who I thought killed the owner of the resort. Is it for love, money, or revenge?
Mackintosh has the knack for introducing several characters who maybe did the job. She will keep you guessing until the end.
I almost gave her book 3 stars but gave it 4 for the spectacular ending.
The next day, a father and son are walking along the shoreline and are shocked to see a dead man. There is blood all around
this dead person.
The police enter the scene and establish that this is a
murder
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investigation.There are several characters in this book who I thought killed the owner of the resort. Is it for love, money, or revenge?
Mackintosh has the knack for introducing several characters who maybe did the job. She will keep you guessing until the end.
I almost gave her book 3 stars but gave it 4 for the spectacular ending.
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LibraryThing member gretchgriff
I saw a bunch of reviews that complained about trying to keep up with all the different characters, but I didn't find it too problematic -- I thought they contributed to a sense of a full, rich community. It felt a little like Murder on the Orient express, where everyone has a motive for killing a
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victim who becomes more horrible with each new revelation. The two main characters had more of an arc than detectives generally do in crime novels. The whodunnit reveal was believable and satisying. Show Less
LibraryThing member Carol420
Rhys Lloyd’s dead body has been discovered during the traditional New Year’s polar swim in the village of Cwm Coed, (don't waste your time even trying to pronounce any of the names in this one), we quickly learn that there is no lack of suspects since a lot of people wanted to see him dead. As
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the owner of The Shore, a new resort community, Rhys was a larger-than-life figure and not very well thought of despite having grown up in the village. The lake and the new mansions sit right on the border between England and Wales, and we quickly learn about the unsettled history between these two countries. Police officers from both countries are assigned to the case. The investigators who must somehow work together, are Ffion Morgan who is a local girl that is trying to live down her "history" as “Ffion Wyllt” (Wild Ffion) and recover a balance to her life after a divorce, and Leo Brady who is haunted by a decision he made that might still cost him joint custody of his young son. To further complicate things; neither are exactly strangers to one another, having spent one night together that was never supposed to mean more than that. Ffion and Leo must now put aside their own tensions...both sexual and otherwise...as well as working around the historic tension that yet exists between their two countries, coupled with the extreme hierarchy of the social class as it pertains to both their wealthy victim and their suspects. The author has offered multiple perspectives as the chapters go from New Year's Day and slide back into the past. As with most well-done mysteries, the identity of the murderer, is usually revealed after we are thrown a few red herrings that all seem perfectly logical at the time. I found, that along with the unpronounceable names, the movement back and forth through timelines and perspectives was sometimes jarring and made the book a very slow read. If you can stick with it, you will find that the mystery, as well as the relationships of the characters and the side plots will offers a deep acceptance of human fragility and complexity. You will be glad that you stayed to cheer them on. Show Less
Awards
Theakstons Old Peculier Prize (Longlist — 2023)
LibraryReads (Monthly Pick — Hall of Fame — November 2022)
Language
Original publication date
2022