Gosh I don’t know why this wasn’t a hit for me. I really tried to get into it, but I just couldn’t. It started off nice, but then it fell flat. It could’ve also been that I was reading other books that grasped my attention more? I love this author and her previous books have been amazing and memorable.

I am a huge fan of this author and typically will purchase anything she puts out. However, this one fell short for me. I will still buy what she puts out was just disappointed in this book.

I really enjoyed the mystery and the setting in Wales. It seemed different than her earlier books I’ve read—more complete and less sensational. The issues like new developments in small coastal towns seemed topical and timely. The different points of view were all very distinct and actually informed a lot of the story.

On New Year's Eve, Rhys Lloyd is found dead in the freezing lake surrrounding his housing development, The Shores. Fion Morgan is a detective and part of the village in Wales by The Shores. She is working with the British police and might even be a suspect herself There is no shortage of suspects which just adds to the fun. There is a very colorful cast of characters. I just read a book that I felt had too many characters in the story but these all just flow into the narrative beautifully.

Clare Mackintosh always has a way of twisting things at just the right time and you will enjoy every bit of them. Well-written mystery with a great ending.

Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for a copy of this book for review.

So this was just too much back and forth for me. The story of the drowning of Rhys and what really happened to him just jumped around too much for me: from Years Eve to the summer before and back to the present and then back again, to the fall and from character to character.
Did not transition smoothly enough for me and as a result, the story seemed almost to be in disarray at times.
I liked Mackintosh's Hostage but just could not get in to this.

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.