Thank you Netgalley for this audiobook edition of The Last Time She Died by Zoe Sharp.

On the day of her father's funeral, Blake has returned home to her family after being missing for ten years. But her family is dubious that it's her. Ten years has changed Blake's appearance a lot. She's thinner, her hair is a different color, but everything else checks out that she is who she says she is.

But no one is happy to see her. They don't believe that she is actually Blake, and desperately want her to exit her lives again. Enter detective Byron, who is there not only to investigate the death of Blakes well known father, but where Blake has been, and why suddenly, she has returned.

First off, the narrator did a wonderful job, I believe that I have heard her multiple times, and I always enjoy her.

Second, the cover of the book is so perfect for the story, because the story is dark, atmospheric and full of foggy foreboding. I loved the cold and grasping hands of a family unhappy to see their long lost daughter and sister. The story did drag a bit, and it got murky at times, but overall, a very fun story.

Oh this book was wonderful twisty goodness it felt like everyone had a secret but the past always comes out especially when someone you thought for sure was dead is back. Oh man I don’t want to give anything away this was an excellent thriller and kept me guessing.

This was a new to me author and I look forward to reading more from her!

Tamsin Kennard’s narration was very well done this was my first narration by her and I will seek out other narrations!

4 stars
I received this audiobook from the publisher, Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for a fair and honest review

Full of tension and suspense, The Last Time She Died had me jamming my buds into my ears or picking up my Kindle at every opportunity. After the enticing prologue, the book begins at a funeral. What's not to love?

And it just keeps on getting better, and better - there's a family fortune to be inherited, and a second wife. But is everything quite as straightforward as it seems!

a contemporary mystery set in Derbyshire which is my home town so i loved this. The narrator was amazing and delivered the story so well i felt as if i was there. It is basically a lot of family drama with a mystery involved.
I loved Byron's character she was well developed and i really warmed to her
The story is fast paced, great British crime fiction with and nicely complex story line.

I tried three times to get into this one before I was successful. I liked it, it was well written, but I listen to 3-4 audiobooks a week while I walk my dogs and there just wasn't anything to make it stand out from most of the other books I read and it wasn't compelling enough to make me extend my walks to hear what happens next. I would still try more from this author but this particular one just wasn't something I could enthusiastically recommend.

Zoe Sharp is a new author to me but I loved her writing style and the two main characters in particular. Initially I struggled to get into the audiobook due to the number of characters being introduced and the story switching between multiple points of view but it was worth the effort.

Blake has been missing for 10 years when her apparent reappearance at her father's funeral ruffles more than a few feathers and leads to a series of attacks in the otherwise sleepy rural area.

Detective Superintendent Byron is ostensibly on medical leave when he finds himself at Fitzroy's funeral, looking into the details around his death, and inadvertently drawn into the drama surrounding Blake's sudden reappearance.

A great read with intriguing characters, which is written from multiple points of view, gripping, suspenseful and packed with twists. I can't wait for the rest of the series.

This was my first experience with the author Zoe Sharp. I got caught be the title and was happy to receive a listening copy of this book. Another thing is that I like stories set in the UK. So off we go to Derbyshire, situated in the East Midlands of England.

This is the place where Blake Claremont disappeared ten years ago. She was presumed to be either a ranaway or dead because they most definitely buried her body.
Suddenly Blake returns to her family home, shocking everyone. A few people seem happy to see her, but some are not.
Blake's father, a former member of Parliament, died in a suspicious way, which was investigated by
Detective John Byron.
Another POV in this story is Lily, Blake's stepsister. I love it, when books are told like this and not just from on POV.
However, I was not too gripped very often but the plot is set for a new series indeed.
Thanks #NetGalley #Bookouture Audio, Bookouture for an advanced listening copy

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for an advance audio copy of The Last Time She Died by Zoë Sharp and narrated by Tamsin Kennard. My review consists of thoughts and opinions which are all my own.

This was my first title by this author and who wouldn't be drawn to a title like that?

This book did not disappoint!

Murder, or was it?
Long, lost, presumed dead relatives.
Dark, sick and twisted family secrets.
Dirty politicians and cops.

All set in a small village in England, where everyone knows everyone's business...but they don't know this. A small group of elite men formed their own little club.

I absolutely loved this story and it kept me guessing till the very end. The main character is completely believable and I adore her. The villains are so slimy and their crimes, also shockingly believable, making me detest them so much more.

The narration was appropriate being a story set in England and who doesn't love an accent?

Highly recommend!

She came back on the day of her father’s funeral, ten years after she vanished. But she can’t be who she says she is…

When Blake disappeared as a teenager, on a cold dark night, her father never reported her missing. She is presumed dead.

Now, ten years later, a young woman with white-blonde hair sits comfortably in the family living room and smiles at the shocked faces around her.

“Don’t you recognise me?” she says. “I’m Blake.”

Detective John Byron isn’t sure whether she’s telling the truth. But as he investigates, he soon realises no one is happy to see her.

And the people who should be welcoming her back with open arms know she can’t be Blake. Because they killed her the night she vanished…

Didn’t they?

This book and the storyline had a lot of promise. The writing was extremely hard to follow on an audiobook because of the continually change of POV every few minutes. I really couldn't follow the storyline and all the characters involved which was disappointing because it could have been a great read. I definitely would be happy to read other books from this author if there was a better flow in the future.

I listened to the audio version of this book, and thought that the narration was incredibly engaging. The story is told from multiple points of view with lots of characters, the skilled narrator has no problems managing to differentiate between each individual. She also has an excellent tone and pace, that kept me listening, even when my interest in the story was slipping.

The story itself is somewhat overly complex. Beginning 10 years earlier as a young girls body is dumped in a wooded grave, the story then moves to the present day at the local ex-MP's funeral. Attending his funeral are his daughter Blake, (who has suddenly reappeared after being missing for the past ten years) and DS John Byron. Questions are raised; is Blake who she says she is, or an imposter trying to claim her inheritance? Why is John Byron in the area when he is on medical leave from the MET? Why are people so angry to see Blake back in the village? Who was the girl buried at the start of the book? Does the village have a secret to hide? For much of the book the multiple viewpoints adds more confusion to these questions. Whilst this initially created intrigue and tension, unfortunately this technique gradually becomes repetitive and slows the pace of the book.
However, the last few chapters rapidly pick up the pace as the villains expose themselves and the truth about both Blake and John's pasts are revealed.
The burgeoning relationship between Blake and John is intriguing, and the book does leave sufficient mystery to whet my appetite for book 2. I am hoping that there is a bit more editing and this could become a series to watch out for.

My thanks go to the publishers and NetGalley for the advance copy in return for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Time She Died was just okay for me. I liked it, don't get me wrong, but I couldn't help but feel like this had been done before. Like a lot before. Like it was just a book full of tropes and typical thriller things. I think I would enjoy this more if thrillers were not my usual genre. I think that this book is great for those venturing to break up their normal reading with a little thriller, but this one was just super cliche and not for those who read mostly thrillers. 3 stars from me, but I know folks who would love this and it would be a 5 star read for them, so going with 4 stars on my rating.

This was just okay. The pacing of this is wonky and the first 60% is a lot of filler scenes and descriptive text that mostly bored me. It wasn’t until the last 25% that the pace and investigation started to pick up. Now, I’m not one of those people that believes “but it gets better” is a good thing.

This mystery is like making your way through a maze. You think one path is the way out only to be turned around and headed in another direction.
The death of an important former member of the British Parliment leads to the reappearance of his daughter, who had disappeared to parts unknown, even supposedly dead, for the past 10 years. Her resurrection has the town speculating if it is really her, and her father’s new readymade family worried about their financial situation if it is!
There is a complicated backstory of hidden secrets that evolve and shed an ugly side to this British higher up who’s death started this investigation.
The detective assisting at the scene is on leave due to personal medical/emotional issues but on special assignment here to observe and assess the situation. He and the “missing” daughter develop an interesting camaraderie: both working the present crime and crimes of the past that led to her disappearance.

It was a good “listen”…….

When the daughter of a wealthy man turns up at his funeral, having been missing since she was a teenager, the family is thrown into disarray as they try to establish if she is who she says she is. But then there are a series of attacks and violent incidents. It seems like someone is determined to make sure that whatever secrets the family has remain dead and buried forever. Fortunately, off-duty police detective Byron is in the area and isn't going to let it lie.

There are so many ups and downs with this story that at times it seemed to all get a little bit daft, particularly related to Blake and who she is or isn't. For the most part I quite enjoyed being kept on my toes, but at times it felt like a bit of a stretch. The story was quite gripping though and full of action which made up for the occasional necessity to suspend disbelief.

I liked the narration, and I thought the narrator did a good job of reflecting the different character voices and paced it well.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the audiobook in return for an honest review.

This was an intriguing premise with a whole lot of behind the scenes family drama. I felt the characters were well developed and it was well paced and suspenseful. I did have some difficulty following this one, perhaps with the different perspectives or perhaps the audio narration was not the best format for me to enjoy this one. If you have trouble with multiple perspectives in audio narration, maybe stick to a physical copy. All in all, I think many people would get sucked in immediately and enjoy it.

I enjoyed this book. It held my attention and the general tension of the story was good. Blake and Byron are strong characters that are at times not very likeable, and then the most likeable among the lot of characters. Some "twists" are a bit predictable, while others only reveal their treasure towards the end. Of the recent books I've listened to, this was one of the ones I enjoyed more. Three-and-a-half stars from me.

3.5 ⭐

If it weren't for something that I considered to be a mayor spoiler, which we were aware of from the start, I’m sure I would enjoy this book even more than I did. It was well written and the premise was just so intriguing, I knew I had to know what’s going on from the moment I read that blurb.

The book wasn't perfect, but it had a lot going for it. I am a huge fan of short chapters, and these were super short. There were also plenty of twists and turns, both obvious and unexpected. Maybe even a few too many, but at least they kept me on the edge of my seat.

I also liked the characters. There was something about them that kept me engaged the whole time. I’m not much into detective stories, but this one I actually liked quite a bit. I enjoyed it and I can definitely see myself continuing with the series.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for providing me with an audio ARC of The Last Time She Died by Zoë Sharp in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fairly run of the mill thriller with a throw back feel. I was reminded of books about evil rich men and their ways. I was reminded of 80s soap operas and nighttime detective duos. I liked all of this stuff and this book was very cozy and familiar because of it. There are no real surprises in these twists and turns. It's just a quick little ride to pass the time.

EXCERPT: Prologue - ten years ago

Three go into the forest.

Two squint against the lash of rain, grunt with the effort it takes to half carry, half drag the third through the claw of branches and brambles. Mud already slick beneath their boots. Feet already sodden.

One of them wishing to be anywhere but here.

The other just wishing it done.

Their burden is not yet sixteen. Easier to haul than a full-grown adult, but . . .

Dead weight.

Dead.

ABOUT 'THE LAST TIME SHE DIED': She came back on the day of her father’s funeral, ten years after she vanished. But she can’t be who she says she is…

When Blake disappeared as a teenager, on a cold dark night, her father never reported her missing. She is presumed dead.

Now, ten years later, a young woman with white-blonde hair sits comfortably in the family living room and smiles at the shocked faces around her.

“Don’t you recognise me?” she says. “I’m Blake.”

Detective John Byron isn’t sure whether she’s telling the truth. But as he investigates, he soon realises no one is happy to see her.

And the people who should be welcoming her back with open arms know she can’t be Blake. Because they killed her the night she vanished…

Didn’t they?

MY THOUGHTS: It is not often that I agree with the statement, bandied about so often on book covers, mostly undeserved, that the book contained within is “A totally unputdownable crime thriller with a mind-blowing twist.”, but in this case I do. Wholeheartedly.

Full of tension and suspense, The Last Time She Died had me jamming my buds into my ears or picking up my Kindle at every opportunity. After the enticing prologue, the book begins at a funeral. What's not to love?

And it just keeps on getting better, and better - there's a family fortune to be inherited, and a second wife. But is everything quite as straightforward as it seems? Especially if the stranger at the funeral does indeed prove to be Blake, the dead man's daughter who disappeared ten years earlier and was presumed, if not actually declared dead; something the second wife Virginia was intent on taking care of the minute she had Gideon's funeral out of the way.

Other than an old neighbour, no one is convinced Blake is who she says she is, including John Byron, a detective on recuperative medical leave who, strictly speaking, shouldn't even be there.

There are many twists and turns in this book, but all work well and keep the reader guessing and off balance. And while there is plenty of action in The Last Time She Died, it is really the amazing cast of characters that Sharp has created that carry the plot.

Blake is a chameleon. She is Blake. She isn't Blake. She may be Blake. Whoever she is, her presence is a danger, and there's more than one person who wants her out of the picture, completely.

Byron is an astute and more than competent detective. But has he hooked his wagon to the wrong horse in believing in Blake?

Even Gideon's death in a motor accident may not be quite as straightforward as it seemed. That's what Byron is there to find out - unofficially. There is just a hint of scandal in his past and the possibility that someone may have killed him to prevent it coming to light. Or, the car accident could just be . . . a car accident.

Virginia and her children Lily and Tom (not Gideon's children); Underhill- a bent cop; Roger Flint - Virginia's brother, Gideon's right hand man, and a compulsive gambler; the Hardings, with whom Blake often took refuge after the death of her mother; and a delightfully nosy pub landlady are some of the other characters who people this novel.

Tamsin Kennard, narrator of the audiobook, had me completely entranced and believing in her characters. I will be looking for more books using this narrator.

I was totally riveted by The Last Time She Died; from the title - that is definitely an attention grabbing title! - to the very last word. Sharp hasn't put a word wrong.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#TheLastTimeSheDied #NetGalley

I: @authorzoesharp @bookouture

T: @authorzoesharp @Bookouture

#fivestarread #contemporaryfiction #crime #detectivefiction #familydrama #mystery #suspense #thriller

THE AUTHOR: Zoë Sharp spent most of her formative years living aboard a catamaran on the northwest coast of England. She opted out of mainstream education at the age of twelve and wrote her first novel at fifteen. She became a freelance photojournalist in 1988 and started writing her Charlie Fox crime thriller series after receiving death-threats in the course of her work.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture and Bookouture Audio via Netgalley for providing both a digital and an audio ARC of The Last Time She Died by Zoë Sharp for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

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