Thank you for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
DNF @ 33%. I can't get into the book, nothing is making sense and its just overall confusing. The welsh parts aren't explained well - the author just says something in Welsh and doesn't explain, too many characters.

Thank you.

From the beginning of this book, with its little twist that I loved, to the end, I could not stop reading/listening! I thought I had it figured out who did it but was wrong. A small village in Wales has a famous rock star build a group of condos on a beautiful peaceful lake upsetting the locals. (The lake is shared on the borders of Wales and England.) On New Year's Eve, they have an annual swim across the cold lake. Rock star Rhys Lloyd and his business partner Jonty throw a big party to celebrate. However, the next morning there is a dead body in the lake. Who is it? And the big question is who did it? Detectives Ffion Morgan (Wales) and Detective Leo Brady (England) are called in to solve this murder mystery when it seems everyone has a reason to murder this victim. I read this book while listening to the audio as the Welsh language and expressions used at times was helpful for getting the most from this story.

this book was far too long and boring for it to be a thriller. I used to really enjoy Mackintosh's books but the last few have been duds.

Thank you to NetGalley, Clare MacKintosh and Sourcebooks for my free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

This author is one of my autobuy, don’t ask questions author but, I was actually pretty disappointed in this one. I didn’t connect with any of the characters or the place. I just felt kind of meh about the whole thing. I will recommend if you enjoy a slow burn type mystery.

I absolutely adored this procedural police drama mystery set in Wales! We follow two police detectives - one from England and one from Wales - as they try to solve this murder that occurred on Mirror Lake which happens to be on the border between England and Wales.

This story was filled with a plenitude of suspects - and I really had no clue who was responsible for the drowning of Rhys Lloyd. It played with timelines and went from the present back and forth with the past as we unraveled who really had a motive for murdering Rhys and discover that just about everyone in the small Welsh village had a reason to murder this man. He’s not good, y’all!

Also, the Welsh setting was picture perfect and made me want to book a flight to Wales like right now! I had the fortunate ability to also listen via the audiobook and the Welsh accents and words really made the entire book for me. I highly recommend the audio version along the the written version so you can feel like you’ve learned Welsh along with unraveling the mystery.

This is my first book by Claire Mackintosh and it will most certainly not be my last!

Oh my! Oh my! WOW!!

What a mystery this one was. I had so much trouble putting it down, even for the necessities of life.

When a local celebrity dies in the midst of a New Year’s Eve party, detectives from both the English and the Welsh side of the lake combine forces to unravel what really happened. Initially the suspects list is small, however, as the story unfolds we find that so many people had a reason to want him dead. Infidelity, extortion, and bad business dealings are just the tip of the iceberg.

Every time I thought I had this figured out, another twist blew in off the lake and spun my theory away with the breeze. I actually loved the fact that I was wrong at every turn. I felt the shivers of the freezing water during the New Year jump in the lake, and the fear and anger of most of the characters as their stories unfolded.

If you want to escape into a world of secrets, lies, privilege and teenage angst, you will not go wrong with us one. DON’T MISS IT!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book for a free and honest review.

I liked the characters, and if there's a second I'll read it. Lots to unpack with secondary characters which I hope continues in a next novel. Free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

The whole small village is gathered together, for the local celebrity, Ryes Lloyd’s New Year’s Eve party!
By midnight someone will be dead, and every secret that every person in the small town has will have to come to light to solve this mystery.

I am a huge fan of this author, and I loved this book, the small town, the characters and this is one page turner you will not want to miss.

I enjoyed Clare Mackintosh's Hostage, and was excited to read this book! The book started slow and at first it was hard to keep the characters straight, but it picked up at the halfway mark. I thought the book was very dialogue-heavy and it took awhile to get into. Overall, a good mystery that is very engaging in the second half.

Thank you to the author, SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and NetGalley for providing a copy to review!

The Last Party is a classic procedural, whodunnit-style mystery. It is set amongst the gorgeous, verdant backdrop of rural Wales. Our main characters are Ffion, a Welsh detective with plenty of shadowy secrets of her own, and Leo, an English detective who is motivated in his search for justice and the truth.

Ffion and Leo’s budding relationship is heartfelt and adorable. In many ways they are mirrors of each other, having more in common than either of them realizes. Leo wants nothing more than to have a relationship with his son, and Ffion’s situation is equally complicated. Ffion’s ‘don’t need no man’ cheeky attitude and snarky personality make for some hilarious banter between the two of them.

I enjoyed the investigative side of the story. The author has experience in police service and it really shows in how well this aspect of the plot is written. As someone with a degree in criminology, I appreciate the dedication to accuracy, as it makes the story feel all the more real. It makes for a more engaging environment and sequence of events when a book is researched so thoroughly.

The victim, Rhys Lloyd, is a cultural icon and has amassed quite the devoted fan base. But no one truly knows how deep his villainous streak really goes. And as the story progresses, we get to see just how perverse his character is. Everyone in this story is a suspect, and everyone has a motive for wanting Rhys dead.

The setting of the story is a strong point, with its small community atmosphere. There’s lots of clashing between the locals and who they deem to be outsiders. And there’s a strong push back against modernization and change. The animosity and judgemental stigmas between Welsh and English cultures creates tension throughout the story. And the overwhelming amounts of secrets and deceptions create drama between friends, family, and lovers.

The connections are deeply tangled and it weaves a twisted web of debauchery and ulterior motives. The plot is very slow-building, shifting between past and present. If I’m being honest, it was a little boring for the first half of the book and I felt a lack of connection to the story and the people in it. But it all comes crashing down in the end, with twists that are explosive and definitely nothing I was expecting.

I did find it a bit difficult to keep track of all the characters for the majority of the book. There are a lot of players in this story and I had a hard time piecing names and backstories together while reading. I also didn’t really feel attached to anyone for the majority of the story. But towards the end it did get emotional and I found myself finally rooting for Leo, Ffion, and her family. The character arcs are well done, even if delayed, and the many red herrings do keep the story intriguing, even if it's sluggish.

While not one of my favorite mystery/thrillers, it’s still an enjoyable read with a delightful setting. In the end, I think I would be interested to read the next book in this series. I only hope that the plot is a little more fast-paced for the next installment.

I’ve been debating about how I want to rate this one, but I think I’m going to settle with 3 stars (3.5 if it was possible). I was given an e-ARC by the publisher but I was excited enough that I actually decided to buy a physical copy to read. This was my first experience reading from this author, and I do like the writing style in general. I have another book by her I'm reading next so we'll see how it goes!

Absolutely loved the setting of this book - a beautiful lakeside village in rural Wales, right on the English border. I thought the Wales/England conflict was also a nice, accurate touch. So many possible suspects, it was great to be on the edge of my seat wondering who it was right up until the very end. Also, liked Ffion's personal story with her family/sister. Wasn't a huge fan of the male detective and his conflict with his ex-wife - came across a bit misogynistic to me. Was surprised a female author wrote the situation like that. But overall, a decent mystery and a good start to a series. Will definitely be on the lookout for Book #2.

This wasn't my favorite book by Clare Mackintosh. The story was very long with a lot of characters. I didn't really relate to any of the characters because there were just so many. I found myself skimming over some parts of the book because it did seem to drag a bit. I think that if the story were shorter, with a few less characters this would of been phenomenal. Overall it was a decent thriller.

Prior to reading this book, I read Hostage by Clare Mackintosh, which to this day remains my favorite. When I saw she had an upcoming release, I was more than excited to give it a read.

This book had a long list of suspects, and the list only seemed to get longer as the book continued. (I might argue that there were too many characters, and I must admit, I did need to go back a couple times to remember who is who). What I loved most was the banter/"love story" between the two main investigators who quickly learn share a past. Not only was the banter between (DCI Fifon) and her "partner" Leo Brady great, but knowing that they also had their own secrets to hide made the story even better. The book was quick paced which I enjoyed! Too many authors these days are usually 100+ pages too long, whereas I felt every twist and turn was worth the wait, and boy were there a lot of them!

Overall, I will continue to read books by this author, but I would definitely recommend Hostage over this book.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded down.

I have enjoyed the author’s previous murder mysteries which have come in several subgenres, and this is a solid mix of police procedural and small village whodunnit.

Rhys Lloyd was creating The Shore, a luxury enclave of houses on the English side of the Mirror Lake which was extremely unpopular with the locals on the Welsh side. When his drowned body is found in the lake on New Year's Day, DC Ffion Morgan, who lives in the local village, along with English DC Leo Brady is put on the investigation.

As they peel back the layers of both The Shore and the village, the two police officers find that pretty much everyone has a reason to hate Lloyd and a motive to kill him. It’s a satisfying trickle of revelations as we get to know the wealthy inhabitants of the first six houses in The Shore, the villagers who both resent and depend on this resort, and Ffi and Leo who have their own secrets and troubles.

The plot pivots from New Years Eve and goes back in time to take us through what led up to the murder and then forward in time as the investigation proceeds. There’s nothing particularly startling or revelatory, just good old fashioned betrayals, infidelity, and financial shenanigans. The climax is cinematic and very tense.

Though some characters are a little too caricatured, most are nuanced and ambiguous. Ffi and Leo make an appealing duo and their complex backstories feel lived in and authentic. It appears that Ffi is going to lead a series but I hope we see more of Leo too.

So while we’re not visiting the new Michelin starred restaurant, we do get a satisfying home-cooked meal with plenty of flavor and made with care.

Thanks to Sourcebooks and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

I loved this book.

The story of Cam Coed a small village in Wales and it’s residents - Who are mad because of The Shores being built. The Shores is a row of vacation homes right on the lake for the wealthy. Locals feel it’s taking away from the beauty and quaintness of their small town and ruining the natural beauty.

The story opens with the main protagonist Ffion who is a lifetime resident and now police officer in Cwm Coed and Leo a detective from the London side. They are put dually on the case to figure out what happened to Rhys Lloyd. Local Cwm Coed man who was famous for singing and has a vacation house at the Shores and is a partner responsible for The Shores development.

The Shores puts on a New Year’s party and invited the locals as well as themselves for a good time to celebrate the New Year. But, Rhys is found dead floating in the lake murdered.

Classic whodunnit mystery with many characters who have reason to kill Rhys. There are many, many layers to all of the characters and also to Ffion and Leo.
I loved how the author delved into their personal lives and made them real.

Told seamlessly from multiple points of view and moving from past to present this book is easily 5 stars from me. I truly enjoyed the entire story and I never guessed the truth. When it was finally revealed, it made me kind of cheer though.

Thank you to NetGalley for the Advanced Readers Copy. Really enjoyed and I can’t wait to read more of Ffion next case.

I love Mackintosh, and was disappointed my feelings for the book were the polar opposite.

It was tooooo long!!! No thriller needs to be 430 pages. Also there were so many characters we got a deep dive into their backgrounds and don’t think it was necessary. There really wasn’t much of a twist either. I was so turned off by the length, run on plot lines, and the fact that I could read for 30 mins and barely make a dent

The Last Party is an intriguing whodunit that revolves around a celebration that’s to die for.

“Marcus” and “Harriet” have an amazing one night stand on New Year’s Eve. It’s a lovely way to pass the evening but both are determined that the relationship, such as it is, does not extend into the next day. He pretends he’s asleep when she wakes up. She leaves without saying goodbye at what is for her the crack of dawn. Once at home she discovers she didn’t get up quite early enough because she missed the traditional New Year’s Day morning swim in the freezing waters of Llyn Drych that most in her small village consider a must-do. That means it is her mam and sister who fill her in on the dead man found floating in the frigid lake that morning. As expected, she receives a call from her boss almost immediately after hearing the news. She’s needed at the morgue to help deal with the corpse.

Detective Constable Leo Brady of Cheshire Constabulary is shocked when he arrives at the morgue to find his lady love of the night before waiting for him. How had she found him? Detective Constable Ffion Morgan of North Wales Police is equally surprised to see him. How had he found her? It takes only a few moments to sort out that they had both given fake names (Marcus and Harriet respectively) and fake careers upon meeting each other the night before. Apparently, the only real thing about their encounter was the scorching sexual chemistry between them. Something they will definitely need to put aside if they hope to work together on the case before them.

It turns out that while the two of them were banging in the New Year, famous singer and local boy made good (well, rich anyway) Rhys Lloyd somehow wound up in the frigid waters of Llyn Drych instead of the massive, fancy party at his resort. Was it a suicide, an accident – or something far more sinister?

This being a mystery it is naturally the latter and it doesn’t take long for our two detectives to figure that out. I won’t go into the details of the plot because the joy of a suspense novel lies very much in the journey of discovery, but I will say that this book uses the layered effect: Leo and Ffion will discover something and think they have the answer but when they peel it back, there is more beneath. At the center lies vigilante justice – Rhys had managed to cheat, offend or injure pretty much everyone he knew and someone decided that it had gone on long enough.

The author handles that portion of the tale fairly well. While Leo and Ffion are the majority view points in the story, we also hear from Rhys’ business partner, his wife, his daughters, his neighbors and numerous villagers. I loved how these multiple perspectives gave us insight into who the victim was,how he fit into the world he lived in and why pretty much everyone might want to kill him! I also loved how it shows the interconnectedness of the small community – they’re dominoes, with the movements of one inevitably sending a ripple through everyone else.

The author also does a terrific job with the location. After winning a music award, Rhys had left the small, very picturesque Welsh town where he grew up and gone on to find fame and fortune in England. He has been back only a few times since but his most recent return was deeply controversial. Rhys built luxury estates on the shore of Llyn Drych and the villagers were none too pleased to have rich, English strangers move into the villas at The Shore. For their part, those strangers were none too pleased with the racist, classist attitude of the locals and the fact that the posh vacation homes they were promised are less than the ideal they’ve been sold. This tension and the issues behind it are captured perfectly here.

I also just absolutely loved Leo Brady. Recently divorced and the only Black man in the Cheshire Constabulary, he faces constant pressure both from his ex-wife and his racist boss. At the start of the story, he’s a rather shy, quiet guy who simply swallows whatever both of those people dish out to him. The fiery, strong Ffion helps him grow a backbone, essentially showing that he has the moral high ground in the relationships and should use it to his advantage. His growth is delightful to watch. It works in large part because Leo is very good at his job and very bright – he’s just allowed life to knock him around a bit. Once he’s got his footing, he’s amazing.

Leo’s relationship with Ffion is pretty much the same from beginning to end. They’re friendly but not intimate throughout the investigation and are just starting to explore the possibility of more when we leave them.

Speaking of Ffion, she represents pretty much everything I hate about fictional maverick cops. The law is very flexible as far as she’s concerned, more a tool to get her way than something that exists to protect and serve others, and throughout the investigation she tampers with evidence, goes rogue in talking to witnesses/suspects while often warning those she likes to mind themselves around Leo, and pretty much handles the inquiry in a manner which will ensure that the killer is brought to justice while no one she cares about is harmed when that happens. Like most of the villagers, she’s had a dust up with Rhys, and if she had had an ounce of integrity, she would have recused herself from the investigation. Instead she fights to stay on in order to ensure the outcome aligns with her desires. She’s not all bad – I loved her strength, resilience, tenacity and intelligence – but her lack of professional principles was a sore point for me.

In fairness, Ffion is a product of her environment. Pretty much every villager has a dark side and the intimacy forced by their cloistered living arrangement means that petty grievances often simmer beneath the surface, reaching a boiling point in a peevish, nasty way.

I also struggled with the victim blaming. While Rhys is assuredly a villain, I’m not sure he deserved what happened. As I said, most of the villagers are deeply flawed and while Rhys’ crimes are particularly heinous, I would have preferred legal ramifications to what actually occurred.

However, none of that detracts from the quality of the book. The mystery is perhaps stronger because of the murky questions of justice and how and when it should be meted out. It makes for an intriguing and thought provoking read.

In addition to my concerns about Ffion, The Last Party has two rather minor flaws that keep it from perfection. Some of the reveals simply didn’t make sense to me so I struggled to believe them, and the pacing at the beginning can be rather slow That said, this is a good mystery which revolves around some fairly bad people. I would recommend it to fans of the author or anyone who likes thinky thrillers.

What I love about Clare MacKintosh's books are her plot twists. They always take me by surprise, I never see them coming. The Last Party was no exception.

Rhys Lloyd's family has owned land on Mirror Lake for generations. After his father dies, Rhys inherits the land and decides to develop vacation homes on it. Rhys is hoping to attract wealthy people to buy into the high end vacation homes. The people of the small village are not happy about the development and to say Rhys Lloyd is a creep would be a huge understatement. During the annual New Years Day swim, Rhys Lloyd is found dead. This is Ffion Morgan's town. Where she grew up, she knows all of these people. So, investigating them for murder is challenging, especially considering Ffion has some secrets of her own to keep.

There were a lot of different characters in this book that all played very important roles, all of them had secrets and reasons they might want Rhys Lloyd dead. They weren't difficult to keep track of and as all of the different stories unraveled they just further revealed the type of person Rhys really was. The different characters and motives really kept me guessing and there were a few huge surprises along the way. I never figured out what happened to Rhys Lloyd and characteristic of the authors other books, when I thought things were wrapped up there was another twist I hadn't expected. In fact, I thought it was a plot point that just wasn't going to get addressed.

I am a big fan of police procedurals and I especially love a police procedural with a female investigator/detective. Ffion gets partnered up with Leo Brady on this case. While she'd prefer to work on her own, for the most part she and Leo compliment each other. There is even a little, will they, won't they in their relationship. I'd love to see these two team up again.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend for anyone who likes a police procedural, with a strong female lead and lots of plot twists.

I really enjoyed this whodunnit. Rhys was the local kid who went and made it big, but were the locals really happy with him? Everyone had a motive to kill Rhys, but who actually did?! This book had so many layers and such great character development. I loved the different points of view. I always try to solve the mystery, but this one has me stumped! There were some great red herrings and they fooled me. Overall, this book was very enjoyable and kept me guessing! I’m looking forward to her next novel!

Had a hard time starting off....lots of characters, Welch words and many locations to keep track of. Glad I stuck with it. Overall enjoyable!