"The Last Party" by Clare Mackintosh was a great, thrilling read. I love anything Clare writes and this did not disappoint.

I really wanted to like this one. I thought the idea of it was good and the setting was VERY good, but I just couldn't get into it. I didn't really like or connect with the characters. I thought the opening scene was the 2 detectives was hysterical, but it didn't continue that way for me. The setting was the best part of the book. I have never been there, but could really visualize the lake and village. The story was too slow and by the end I didn't really care who did what. I was just happy it was over. Lots of people loved this one though so be sure to check out some reviews with an opposite opinion. I would also try another book by this author.

Thank you Sourcebook for providing me with ARC, in exchange for my personal opinion.

On New Years Day, the people of Cym Coed cold plunge at the local  lake where Rhys Lloyd's body appears.  It appears that something happened to him last night.  The story evolves around what happened to Rhys the night before was he killed or did he die naturally?  What we know is that he was awfully drunk last night. 
New Year's Eve Ffin is at a local bar and meets someone who she hooks-up with.  Unfortunately, the next day when she is called on site for the investigation of Rhys death.   She is placed in a very awkward position, as it turns out she assigned to work on the case with the very person she went home with night before.  It's very embarrassing because she gave him the wrong name.

As the story unfolds we learn about the small community, Ffin's backstory, and learn more about Rhys' character.
I enjoyed reading the book and found it interesting. I found the book to be a long read and it took me a while to get through it as there were lots of Welsh words in the book.  I did enjoy the story but felt it was a bit long in some parts.  I enjoyed learning  about Wales and some of the backstory to the local history which was new to me.
I am looking forward to reading the next book I the series.  I found the twisty twists good and I wasn't quite able to guess where this one was going.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader's copy of this publication.

This is one of those books that can't be set aside for long periods of time. Exciting plot lines and great descriptions. I really felt like I was a neighbor in the storyline looking out my window.

I love this author and was so excited to start this book.

This was a great twisty turny book and then BAM I didn't see that last twist. I love the author even more for it. This book had many characters and it was a little hard to keep straight. I did end up making que cards for this so that I could keep it all straight and to keep my own little notes of who I thought it was.

I loved how dark and grimey this book felt to me. I really wanted to know who did it so that I could shake their hand. I also really enjoyed the Welsh names as they aren't usually names I would hear in my own every day life.

10.10 would absolutely recommend.

It's New Year's Eve and there's a party to end all parties. Except the host, Rhys Lloyd, happens to end up dead in the lake and there's a village full of suspects. This was such a good story! Tons of mind boggling reveals, twists you'll never see coming and such engaging characters!

The habitants of a small lake town in Wales are ready to partake in the annual New Year's Day swim when a body floats to the surface. The corpse belongs to none other than Rhys Lloyd, the celebrity who has been developing cabins across the lake on the English side. While he wasn't that great of a person and no one is all that upset to find him dead, the case of his death still has to be explained.

This was such a tricky one! There were so many motives here and I found myself second guessing every single character. I loved how the timeline was not linear and how it all came together in the end to paint a clear picture of who everyone was and what their motivations were - and there were a lot! This book had me guessing the entire time and I loved it. My only gripe was that there were a lot of characters in this one and at times it was a little tricky to keep them all straight; the Welsh was also a bit confusing at times but I also loved the English/Wales setting. Overall I really enjoyed this one and would recommend it!

Good story with a long developing plot with twists and turns. Good character development and strong voice. A little hard to understand the life of the wealthy jet setters, but good to realize no one is immune from tragedy.

The Last Party follows two police officers investigating the murder of Rhys Lloyd, a wealthy land developer new to the small village. Told from multiple perspectives, the reader soon learns that many in the small village had a motive... the question is not who wanted Rhys dead, but who got acted on theirs first.

I found the first 60% of this book good, but very slow. There were so many characters to keep up with, and I just didn't really feel that invested in learning who the murderer was. Overall, this section of the book felt too long and somewhat hard to get through. However, I loved the last 40% and couldn't put it down! I wish the whole book had had that excitement and page-turner feel to it. The last 40% easily added an extra star to my rating.

Thank you to the Netgalley, the publisher, and Clare Mackintosh for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This one was really hard for me to get into, but the 2nd half of the book picked up and ended up enjoying it. I didn’t understand the end, though, and thought I missed something, but sounds like there is another book being written so perhaps it was a cliffhanger for that? The story centers on the murder of a washed up singer named Rhys, who returns to his hometown to open a luxury resort. Police detectives Ffion and Leo are paired up to investigate.

The first half of the story moves at an extremely slow pace and there were many Welsh names and phrases that I didn’t understand. However, as the book continues (in alternating timelines both leading up to and after the murder) the story grew on me. There were many surprises through that 2nd half (and mostly the last quarter) of the book that kept me fully engaged. I also found that I became more empathetic to characters who initially seemed unlikable as the book continued. The unveiling of the villain was a surprise, and many viable red herrings appeared throughout.

Overall, I’d recommend the book, though you do have to get through the somewhat boring beginning, the many confusing Welsh words, and the very end that seems to forecast another book. If you can do that, it’s an interesting story with many twists you’ll not see coming. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this book - (I have love-loved Clare Macintosh’s stand-alone thrillers in the past, this is a different approach with the detective as a lead.)

It was a slow burn small-town murder mystery with a lot of different characters to remember - but I don’t mind that. I will definitely pick up book 2 with Ffion Morgan - I am curious what happens between her and Leo.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

I liked this. The characters were mostly good, I enjoyed the stories and the perspectives and the back and forth timelines. What I don’t like was how long it was. It seemed like we were introduced to the whole village and I was over it. I get having a lot of suspects to keep you guessing but this get overboard to me. Overall a good read though!

Unfortunately this book didn’t work for me :( I was originally so invested in the story but it ended up completely dragging throughout the middle and end. While I love multiple POV books this one included a ton of POVs that were pointless to the main plot of the story. Additionally, there were some plot holes and character decisions that didn’t make sense to me. It ended up being longer than I would have liked and not too “shocking”. :(

I really enjoyed this book. There were however quite a few characters/suspects. Lots of twists and turns. Thanks to NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this book.

🎉Book Review🎉
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Summary: Its the party to end all parties….but not everyone is here to celebrate.

On New Year's Eve, Rhys Lloyd has a house full of guests. His vacation homes on Mirror Lake are a success, and he's generously invited the village to drink champagne with their wealthy new neighbors.

But by midnight, Rhys will be floating dead in the freezing waters of the lake.

On New Year's Day, Ffion Morgan has a village full of suspects. The tiny community is her home, so the suspects are her neighbors, friends and family―and Ffion has her own secrets to protect.

With a lie uncovered at every turn, soon the question isn't who wanted Rhys dead…but who finally killed him.

In a village with this many secrets, murder is just the beginning.
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Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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My thoughts: this was the first book in the series and I thought it was a good mystery! I liked the characters a lot and some of the twists were pretty shocking. A good plot but it could have been a little faster paced, it dragged in some parts. Ffion was pretty fantastic I would consider getting the second book in the series of this one! Thank you @sourcebooks @netgalley for the advanced copy this one is out now !
*

In all honesty, this book was not for me. I usually love a good police procedural mystery but this was so slow. I was not drawn in to the plot, I was not invested in the characters, and I just felt that it dragged. At times it was extremely difficult to keep track of all of the characters.

While I was surprised with some of the book plots and elements, I just wanted to get through the book. I switched between the ebook and audiobook.

***** Many thanks to Sourcebook Landmark, Clare Mackintosh, and NetGalley for the #gifted copy as it was provided to me in turn for my honest opinion.

I received this book as an ARC and this is my review. Clare Mackintosh writes about Wales and her descriptive phrases bring the aromas and surroundings right to the reader. The characters are so flawed and realistic they jump off the page. There are always twists and turns and the story never disappoints. This one has a limited group to consider. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy mysteries with so many possible villains it is tough to settle on the most likely choice.

Clare Mackintosh’s novels never disappoint and this was no exception! I love the new detective character that apparently we’ll be seeing again since this is listed as book 1 in a series.

While nothing can top I Let You Go in terms of shock value and perfectly executed twist, the mystery of The Last Party was excellently plotted and gripping. I was invested in all of the well developed characters/suspects living in the community and the story was so engaging it made the book hard to put down. I didn’t solve the crime before the reveal but now n hindsight you can see how the author laid out factual support for who committed the murder and why, so the solution didn’t feel out of nowhere or unbelievable. The detective is a fascinating new character and I can’t wait for her next case! Highly recommended this book!!!

Rhys Lloyd is a successful musician who recently developed an elite vacation retreat near his rural, poor hometown in Wales but when Rhys if found dead on New Years Day, the reader will quickly realize that Rhys was not the person he claimed to be and many had reason to wish him dead!! In The Last Party, everyone from the local citizens to his family to the vacationers and even the local police investigator, DC Morgan, are suspects!!

The first part of The Last Party is like a carrot dangling in front of you and multiple times, you'll think you have reached the point where the story gets interesting but it is isn't until part 2 that things really pick up but if you can muddle through, it is well worth it!! With so many suspects, it's almost impossible to guess who the guilty party is and I promise there will be some jaw dropping moments!!

Synopsis: After a rowdy New Year’s Eve party, a body is found in Mirror Lake, which separates the local villagers from the wealthy resort owners of The Shore. Detectives from both jurisdictions are tasked with working together to solve the crime, bringing their own secrets with them.

Review: I have to say I really enjoyed reading this one. Thrillers often focus so much on the atmosphere and the mystery that the main characters get lost in the mix. This book, however, had a significant focus on the relationship and intriguing pasts of our lead detectives, which I loved. That’s not to say this book doesn’t also have some major faults. There were so many secondary characters who were weakly characterized (umm, the three identically shallow and rich wives for example), I actually stopped halfway through the book to re-read earlier chapters and try to figure out who was who. But I’m glad I did! Once I settled into the story I was completely absorbed, and my heart was literally pounding during the climax. There were also so many cool and clever stylistic things in this book (that, granted, could also be disorienting at times), such as the way the “past” timeline starts at the murder and works its way backwards and then forwards again, giving us the same scenes from a different character's perspective (neat!). Or the cliches/tropes that have you thinking you know exactly what’s going on, only to have your expectations subverted (fun!). The writer in me was definitely fangirling a bit. There’s lots to love, but you definitely have to pay attention. In fact, I still have a few unanswered questions I’ll be bringing to my book club!

Overall, a great main cast, a complex mystery, a wealth of secrets, but be prepared to flip back through pages to keep it all straight.