The feeling that everyone is a possible suspect and that anyone in the village could have killed Rhys Lloyd was in my opinion, a winning move. The line of suspicion is strong. Accompanying themes of blame, doubt, trust and guilt level round off this novel perfectly. With multiple twists, varied points of view, a shifting timeline of events and a heavy dose of intrigue, The Last Party thrills to the max! There is a final flooring twist and last-minute reveal that will have you reeling. I didn’t pick up on it at all! Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

The Last Party is another very solid, twisty psychological thriller from Clare Mackintosh. The book started a bit slowly for me, there are so many characters to keep straight and so many back stories to remember. But, once the story got rolling I was hooked. I really liked the interplay between the two detectives working the murder case. DI Leo Bradly from Cheshire, England and DC Ffion Morgan from North Wales are teamed up to solve a crime that took place on a lake that divides the border of these two countries. The fact that they had recently shared a one night stand and had no idea the other was a police officer adds an interesting twist. Based upon the extensive background stories on the large cast I suspect this book will be the start of a series. I sure hope so!

There was a long list of 0f possibly guilty parties on this one! I didn't guess it however. Lots of twists and turns and great character development. This definitely highlights the strife between England and Wakes which I was oblivious to! Have enjoyed Claire's books and already see another on the way!

I love Clare Mackintosh and have really enjoyed all her books, but The Last Party was a struggle to get through. It's a slow police procedural with too many characters. The Welsh language and character names in the book were difficult and I found myself googling and translating more than I'd have liked.
I did like the banter between Ffion and Leo and the unexpected way they meet in the beginning. Otherwise, the characters from The Shore (high-end residences where the murder takes place) were so unlikeable and Rhys was so despicable that I didn't care who murdered him. There were a few twists (one about 60% through that was intriguing), but not enough to keep me entertained.
Disappointing.

I’m a huge fan of MacIntosh’s, so I was so excited for this book. Sadly, it was not a hit for me. It felt rushed but also dragged out if that makes sense. This one was a 3 star for me.

This book took a while to really get into. There were way too many characters (most with their own POV) and the names drove me crazy. One of the main characters was an eccentric and stubborn detective named Ffion - how do you pronounce that??? Even the town that they were in Cwm Coed and the lake Llyn Drych made me think there were typos in the book at first. That's my biggest con of this book.

Rhys Lloyd was murdered at The Shore's NYE party. So, when detectives Leo and Ffion come in to investigate, they realize that the number of suspects gets larger and larger the more they dig. People hated Rhys for a number of different reasons - and he is a pretty despicable character when you read his POV. Even Ffion, who is a town local, has hate toward Rhys, so she is on the suspect list too. There is a lot of animosity between the locals and the new residents of The Shore. But there are also a lot of intermarital affairs going on. So I don't think I liked anyone in this book.

The author did a great job of throwing red herrings out there, so by the end you have everyone on your suspect list. I wasn't that surprised by the twist at the end, I just wish everyone went down for the terrible things they did. Overall, this had a good plot and was a good mystery with a lot of dislikable characters.

The locals of Cwm Coed have an annual New Year's Day swim in the freezing Mirror Lake each year. But they'll never forget this swim... when the body of Rhys Lloyd washes up on shore. Once a local, Rhys left town for fame and fortune as a singer and only recently returned to start a fancy lakeside community known as The Shore on the "English" side of Mirror Lake. Suddenly DC Ffion Morgan of the North Wales Police has a dead body on her hands, a New Year's Eve party full of suspects, and an unwanted partner in DC Leo Brady from the Cheshire Constabulary.

"Out of the mist floats a man. Face down, and quite unmistakably dead."

I am a sucker for a good police procedural, but this one took it up a notch, as I didn't guess all the twists, which is so (so) rare. I also really liked the character of DC Morgan, and I'm so thrilled that she'll be back for another book. The narration alternates between the present-day investigation of Leo and Ffion and then chapters from the wealthy English personnel staying at The Shore. Their story is told backward, for the most part, starting with the The Shore's New Year's Eve party and heading back in time. We learn that just about everyone had a good reason to want Rhys Lloyd dead.

The setting of PARTY is wonderfully atmospheric, set right on the lake, and playing up the tensions of the locals from Wales versus the outsiders (seen as rich, snobby English folk). Even better is the fact that Rhys used to be one of "them" from Cwm Coed but now appears aligned with The Shore and all it stands for, including tearing apart landmarks passed down from his father, a member of the Cwm Coed community.

I loved the police procedural aspect of this book, as there is a true investigation going on to discover exactly what happened to Rhys, but there are also character-driven stories everywhere. Many of the characters are despicable, but as secrets unravel and dark pasts are told, you learn why many are the way they are. I loved the nuances and depth to so many in this mystery. Even better, plenty of twists and surprises exist to keep you on your toes.

Mackintosh is a wonderful writer, and it was great to have THE LAST PARTY to remind me of that. I look forward to the next book in this series. 4.5 stars.

This psychological thriller will not disappoint, not only because Claire Mackintosh wrote it, but the characters are interesting and unique. The setting is the lakes and mountains of North Wales in a fictional Cwm Coed with vacation homes dotting the grounds known as The Shore. The locals are not impressed and the scene heats up against the developer, Rhys Lloyd.
The scene opens with Rhys confronting his own death and circumstance. The story sprouts with the past building frenemies along the way. An eye opening scene is when the local investigator, Ffion Morgan, investigates his death and has access to the security cameras and erases some of it. You know there is some type of connection between all the characters and they all appear as suspects.
Claire’s style is one of my favorites even though the first 50% is setting the scene for a long list of suspects. At one point I thought about giving it a rest but had read the reviews and knew to keeping plowing because the TWIST is worth it!
It represents the rich and famous, as well as the locals trying to figure them out. The landscape is luxurious and inviting like the New Year’s Eve party that will end it all!
Thank you NetGalley and Sources Landmark for this incredible ARC for my honest review!

I just reviewed The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh. #TheLastParty #NetGalley

I could not put this down! I was left guessing to the last minute and everyone really did have a dislike for Rhys. I really enjoyed the story lines in this book and am looking forward to seeing what else happens in this new series!.

Amazing story telling and I will pick up the next book when it comes out!

So far I like every book I´ve read by Clare Mackintosh and this one is not an exception. I like the description of the Welsh countryside where the crime is set. What I found a little unfortunate is the fact that the Welsh inspector had to work with the English inspector.

I loved this book! In this great suspenseful story set in Wales, a dead body, identified as Rhys Lloyd, is found floating face down during the locals annual New Year’s Day polar swim. It was only the night before that there was a meet and greet party between the townspeople and the wealthy new residents of the upscale resort which was hosted by Rhys Lloyd, a music mogul and his wife. Ffion Morgan, the local constable, missed the swim this year, as she wakes up in the bed of a hunky man after a one-night stand. But then it turns out he is Leo Brady, of the Cheshire Major Crime unit whom she needs to partner up with to help solve this murder. There are plenty of secrets that come out in this tight community, including from Ffion who is investigating the case. Rhys was not well liked which leads to so many suspects with great motives who wanted the victim dead. But who actually was the killer? Lots of twists and turns, this story will have you guessing until the end. The writing is rich with great dialogue, just keep track of all the characters. Again, I loved it and enjoyed trying to figure out this murder mystery. While sometimes confusing, I found it interesting and authentic in the use of the Welsh language. I’m hoping that this author will continue to write about Ffion and Leo again.

Many thanks to #netgalley #thelastparty #sourcebooks #claremackintosh for the opportunity ot read and review this book.

To start and celebrate the New Year, the villagers of Cwn Coed plunge into the icy waters of Llynn Drych (Mirror Lake) on the Welsh/English border. However, this year’s swim is quickly interrupted when the body of Rhys Lloyd is found floating in the lake. Did Rhys have an accident or was he murdered?

The majority of the story is told through multiple perspectives on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. The people are divided between The Shore/English side and the villagers/Welsh side. Rhys grew up in the Welsh village, but found fame and fortune through his singing career and he has come back and created The Shore much to the consternation of the villagers. Rhys is not well liked by many people so the list of suspects is long and complicated.

This police procedural/psychological thriller was such a fun read. I wish I could have listened to this book because I would have loved to hear the Welsh pronunciations.

I enjoyed this. it's a murder mystery with multiple points of view. The victim is a hated local celebrity so the suspect list is pretty long. It reminded of The Guest List but I enjoyed this one more. I loved the banter between the two police officers and even laughed out loud a few times. I also liked some of the Welch language that was included but I'm sure I mispronounced everything, lol.

On New Years Day, Rhys Lloyd, the owner of a resort called “The Shores,” situated on the English side of the border between England and Wales, is found dead in the lake near his lodge, one of five luxury vacation cabins built near Mirror Lake. The previous evening, he and the owners of the other lodges opened up their private property to the full time residents of Cwm Coed, a nearby small town situated in Wales. Although Rhys Lloyd was formerly from Cwm Coed, he had left to pursue a career in music, and only returned to promote the new resort he had planned on land he inherited from his father. There are a plethora of suspects, as he was a man who created many enemies, both in the past when he lived in the town and in the present. Ffion Morgan, a policewoman on the Welsh side, and Leo Brady, from the English side, are both in charge of the investigation because of the multi-jurisdictional aspects of the crime.

POV alternates among various characters, including Ffion and Leo, the owners of the lodges and various town residents. The timeline switches from the previous summer, the fall, Christmas Eve and Christmas, New Years Eve and New Years Day, the first ten days in January and ends with events on the following June, not always in chronological order. With the plethora of characters, this could be confusing at times, but the author does an excellent job of reminding readers who the individuals are with a few well chosen words and heads each chapter with the time period in question.

The characters are complex, and intricately drawn with sharp dialog and witty repartee, particularly between Ffion and Leo, who have an unacknowledged attraction to each other. The plot is well crafted, with an unexpected twist at the end. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves intricately plotted mysteries with well drawn characters. It is the first in a series, and I look forward to reading the next installment.

(NOTE: Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for providing me an ARC copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review).

The Last Party is a twisty, thrill ride of a police procedural set in Wales. When a local celebrity is found dead in the lake on New Years Eve, the two detectives working the case soon find out the victim had many people who would want him dead.

This book was so much fun! The action starts from page one, and doesn’t let up. This book is full of twists and turns, and just when you think you have things all figured out, something else happens and you realize things are not as they seem. Everyone truly is a suspect, and everyone in this small town is keeping secrets that could impact the case. I really enjoyed our main character detectives Ffion and Leo. Besides watching them solve the mystery, we also see them grow as people throughout the story. I’m hoping there is a second book coming with these characters! If you like police procedurals, you will like this!

Amazing thriller that not only built the tension & mystery it also brought the characters to life with rich descriptions & building of their lives & own struggles.

In the end it seemed all had a reason for murder.

New Years Day in the small Welsh lake side town of Cwm Coed starts like any others. All the locals are off for a swim until a dead body is found. Who is none other then local child prodigy Rhys Lloyd, who’s taking up across the lake creating an English vacation rental community.

This was such a great who done it, everyone is a suspect and everyone (and I mean absolutely everyone) has motive.

I found myself giving up trying to figure out who was responsible and embracing and enjoy the story, it was such an easy read and pulled me in right from the start. It literally had me guessing until the very last page.

When I found out the author was writing Ffion in a second story I was weary not sure if I’d feel invested enough for a second story but now I can’t wait to get my hands on more of Ffion’s story

I am a fan of Clare MacKintosh and this book was just as exciting as others I have read. It's a murder mystery set in Wales and had many twists and surprises I wasn't expecting as a reader. Some of the Wales language was challenging for me at times, but didn't distract form the suspenseful story. This was a fun ride.

When I read crime fiction, I can usually see the plot structure as I read along. With a police procedural, I tend to see the plot working as a sort of flow chart. Now, this book is technically a police procedural, since its main characters are police detectives, but it doesn’t follow the usual pattern of its sub-genre. Instead, it’s more of a peeling-the-onion structure. With each chapter, a layer comes away, revealing secrets from the past. It’s the past, not so much forensics, that will reveal who killed Rhys Lloyd, and why.

Mackintosh is terrific at making her characters fully dimensional and her setting feel real. It’s easy to picture every bit of this story as you read, because of Mackintosh’s skills. It’s a gripping tale, with loads of twists and turns, and even one last surprise after you think it’s all wrapped up. I’ve never read Mackintosh before, but I’ll be seeking out her prior books—and especially looking forward to the next Ffion Morgan book she says she’s writing.

Good characters and plot, but this was frustrating to read. There’s no pronunciation guide, so for those not familiar with the Welsh language, a lot of the names of people and places are gobbledygook. This wouldn’t be as big of a deal if it weren’t for the fact that the other makes references to the name that the reader wouldn’t understand unless they translated every Welsh term they came across (like Dragon Mountain in the prologue)