This was a fun whodunnit - with a diverse group of characters who almost all have a reason to have "dunnit" - including one of the detectives working the case. The writing is excellent - providing an excellent sense of place and atmosphere without going overboard on the descriptive language. Most importantly it's got a couple of interesting main characters in this first book in a planned series - characters that make me look forward to the next book in the series.
Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

This was much better than I thought it was going to be. Plus the cover was so good! Who does not love a book with rich, entitled people behaving badly? These types of people are bound to have enemies because they lack compassion and empathy. The murder that resulted at a blowout party led to an in depth murder investigation.

I loved how to two two detectives and how they interacted with the characters that were in attendance at the party the night of the murder. It felt like I was along for the ride. There were a few plot twists that were predictable BUT who I thought was involved was wrong, so I liked being wrong in my guess.

Overall, I think this was a totally decent read and recommend it. I would definitely read more from this author.

Thanks to Netgalley, Clare Mackintosh and Sourcebooks Landmark for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Already available.

[It was okay]
The writing and narration of the audiobook was great. Personally, I thought there were way too many characters. I did like the two main characters (detectives) but didn’t care for many other characters. The storyline was a bit too long and dragged on a bit. I did really enjoy the ending but the book overall was just okay for me.

Thank you to the publisher and @netgalley for providing a free advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Thank You to NetGalley for ebook ARC.

This is the first time I've read Clare Mackintosh. The book is a slow burn. It can also be a bit confusing as sometimes there are too many details that it felt like a tangent. It definitely has some twists and turns and surprises. I loved the characters and will be reading more of the DC Morgan series.

Reading Between the Wines book review #60/115 for 2023:
Rating: 3 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book 🎧: The Last Party
Author: Clare Mackintosh
Available now!

Sipping thoughts: I was pretty confused most of this book with the characters and just was not into it much. Then the twist in the middle got me reinvested. I was able to finish it and liked the ending but I had to press on pass the slow burn for the first 35% of the book.

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley and @SourcebooksLandmark for an advanced copy of @TheLastParty.

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My mind is officially blown after reading Clare Mackintosh's "The Last Party" which contained more plot twists than I thought possible. Overall, an amazing read!

I did not finish this book I couldn’t get over how slow and unproductive it was sorry this one was not for me

Everyone here has secrets and some are worth killing for. Twists and turns galore, this book will keep you up at night so you can finish. A Clare Mackintosh great.

I really wasn’t into this in the beginning, but it got a lot better. there’s a twist about halfway through that I did not see coming and I was totally hooked from there. I was a little disappointed in the end twists around who did it. overall, this was a decent thriller, and I’ll probably continue with this series around the same detective as they come out because I feel slightly attached to this little Welsh town and its people now

I really enjoyed the Last Party and the author's ability to tap into local politics and gentrification while keeping the audience guessing as to who did it. I loved the twists and all of the quirky (and unpleasant) characters. The secondary characters were just as engaging and the main characters. I also appreciated the multiple perspective that the novel provides. Overall, a really enjoyable read.

I’m a huge fan of domestic thrillers so this was right up my alley! I really enjoyed HOSTAGE by this author so I was excited to read her newest! I loved all the shady characters and it had a great twist! I’d definitely recommend.

Rhys Lloyd is dead, but when everyone around town had a beef against him and wouldn’t mind him dead, how do you find the killer?

Typical police procedural, however the police have very little clues or evidence and tend to go off their feelings and hunches more than actual facts. Everyone gets taken into custody at least once, but that doesn’t mean the police can get it right.

Secondary timeline starts moving backwards, away from the crime, however follows numerous different characters and suspects. There are so many people and so many perspectives it’s a little hard to keep track of at times. Never mind all of the affairs and secrets between the characters, it’s impossible to keep track of at times.

The book was also at least 100 pages too long. With no evidence and such a long book, not much really happens for the majority of the story. It’s long, slightly boring, and a little sloppy with the intertwining off all of the characters lives.

A twisty plot and a long list of suspects. Gripping. I am happy this is a series and will be looking forward to the next installment.
Many thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love a good whodunnit. This novel hit the mark for me. I did end up figuring out what was going to happen but not until the book was nearly finished. I was invested fully in what happened to Rhys Lloyd and was thoroughly satisfied with the ending of this one.

I was lucky to receive an advance copy of The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review and opinion. This book drew me in right from the first page with the funny sense of humor and kept my interest until the very last page. I am truly looking forward to the next book in the series as it was such a good read. I highly recommend this book to anyone!

This was a stunning start to the DC Morgan series. Clare Mackintosh takes her time to introduce Ffion and the locale of Northern Wales. While investigating the suspicious death of Rhys Lloyd, the not so golden boy returned home, we meet what seems to be an average group of people. The little town Cwm Coed though will shock you with the secrets hidden behind its serene landscape.

I loved this deliciously twisty and suspenseful whodunit. Told from multiple points of view, we are introduced to a new gritty detective and an intriguing cast of characters- and I’m all here for it! It’s not too often a mystery novel has me second-guessing almost every character in the story, but this one did. And I was stumped right up until the big reveal at the end. I’m already looking forward to her next novel in the series.

There were so many nasty surprises in this story, and I found myself being super shocked as the past got slowly revealed while the present story unfolded. I liked Ffion a lot (the beginning of the story is pretty hilarious), and she definitely kept me interested in understanding where she came from and invested in her solving the mystery (even though, honestly, by the end it was clear the world was better off without Rhys). This has it all, - scandals, celebrities, murder, cops with secrets, high-speed chases…. Despite that fun first chapter, I initially found it hard to get into — but once I got going with it, I was invested.

This felt, familiar in terms of books I’ve already read, but I’m not sure which it reminded me of. It was okay…just okay. Kind of had it figured out early on, had a slow moving mid-section, and the end wrapped up rather quickly. If you like murder mysteries that aren’t too gruesome but keep you entertained, this is right up your alley.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publishers for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was the January pick for book club. I like when book club makes me pick up something I wouldn’t have on my own, and this one definitely qualifies.

There were a few things about The Last Party that I liked, and some that weren’t so awesome. I liked that it was sort of a thriller and detective story mixed together, and that there were some really interesting characters. However, there were SO MANY characters, I had a hard time following along at times.

The mystery part on its own was fun, and I didn’t guess the murderer until it was revealed. I didn’t love how much the detective was wrapped up in the story, though. She definitely shouldn’t have been working the case in the first place!

Overall, it was twisty and fun, but there were some drawbacks.