This was a really intriguing book and one that I struggled to put down. I had a huge amount of respect and admiration for Kit, having gone into the role for very personal reasons and endeavouring to work to the best of her ability on every case. I also had a huge amount of sympathy for Dylan, as I usually find when I'm working with young people that when they're unwilling to share their thoughts it's because they're dealing with something that is too big, confusing or painful to process and this definitely came across in Dylan's story. I was invested in the characters and had to know how this one ended, so I read it quickly and will definitely be on the look out for more books by this author.

A good thriller, fast paced and tense. It kept on the edge and I appreciated the storytelling, the solid plot and the characters.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
This novel has interesting, credible characters with their own difficult backgrounds and family life. Kit had got on well as a new junior in the social work department under the leadership of Vernon, but his heart attack had led to the introduction of Georgia. The threat of 'the inspectors' as the department was under special measures creates the need to close cases quickly but Kit's own background makes her determined to investigate a phone call further. The following story has been thought out very well (apart from how Kit continued to manage getting into the work office without her missing ID badge) and is told effectively: fast-paced, thrilling and suspenseful with the final reveal cleverly-hidden until the final few pages. This novel is excellent, and I urge you to get it into your TBR pile !

The plot grabbed me straight away with this book. I do have to say that my attention did waver at times, but then it would pick up again. I really enjoyed the twists.

A twisty physcological thriller with lots of family secrets. A relatively new social worker takes on a case with a child who has come to there attention. Is mental illness involved. I loved this from start to finish and was unable to put it down.

This was one of those frustrating books where my attention massively waxed and waxed over the course of the book.

At the beginning, I was loving it. I made the deadly mistake of starting it just before bed and couldn’t pull myself away. I ended up falling asleep with my kindle in hand! As soon as I woke up, I went back to reading. The writing was engaging, and the author threw us right into the action. Sadly, it slowed down in the middle, which was a shame, but it picked up again. If it hadn’t had been for that, it would have been a 5 star read. By the end, I was racing to find out how everything fitted together.

The characters felt so real. I connected with Kit straight away. Her personal life was interesting and added another layer of complexity to the story. Her own complicated relationship with her family and her past related well to her job and the story events (in some respects), which gave her stronger motivation and reasons behind her behaviour.

The mystery surrounding Dylan and what was going on was fascinating. And also the mystery surrounding the anonymous caller. I thought I was clever in figuring out who it was, but alas, I was so wrong!

The atmosphere building was incredible. I found Rock easy to imagine (and I usually struggle to do that!), so I felt like I was right there in the book alongside Kit. I liked how proactive she was, going after her goals and pushing through the people higher in social services because of her powerful gut instinct. It certainly made for interesting reading! I mean, towards the end, some of her decisions were questionable and rather ridiculous, however; it was obvious it was in her desperation to get to the truth, especially when it kept evading her for so long, even when she thought she had it all worked out.

I had sort of guessed the ending before it happened. I had my suspicions, but still with quite a few questions I couldn’t answer, so I couldn’t figure it out completely. The way everything slotted together was super clever. It all made sense, even if I didn’t understand until it was all explained. The psychiatric aspect was interesting and something I had heard of little before, so it was fascinating to learn more about it.

I’ll look forward to reading more of this author’s work! Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher, for a chance to read and review this book.

The Last House by R. G. Adams.
Social worker Kit Goddard is convinced that Sandbeach Child Services have let an injured seventeen-year-old boy down, just like they'd done to her brother ten years earlier. Since the referral came in, it had been passed between departments, her own manager Georgia and colleague Tim brushing it off as a low risk, low priority case. But Kit can't shake the feeling that something isn't quite right. Scanning the referral, she notices that the house seventeen-year-old Dylan Meredith lives in with his 'weird' mother had been described as decrepit. The anonymous caller said he was injured, frightened and afraid to tell the truth. As Kit begins to look deeper into the history of the family, she learns that Dylan's grandmother had been an inpatient at Penlan psychiatric hospital and had died there in 2012. But as her colleague Tim had stressed, this was not a case for psychiatric services. In a bid to trace the anonymous caller for more information, Kit sets off to the small coastal town of Rock. Only to be confronted with the sense of strangeness that surrounds the Meredith family and the rumours that have troubled this small community for years.
Really enjoyable read. Twisty. I did like Kit. 4*.

Kit is a relatively new and inexperienced social worker. She learns about a closed case involving an anonymous tip about the mistreatment of a 17 year old and takes it upon herself to investigate further. I enjoyed learning more about being a social worker, but the story was a bit too slow and plodding for me.

I reviewed the first book of this series earlier this year and I remember stating that I hoped this would be made into a series, so I was delighted to see the 2nd installment in the Kit Goddard Series. I absolutely loved the first book so could not wait to dive into this one.

Kit Goddard is a newly qualified social worker, who has only been in the job a year, however she is dedicated to her career and to helping those in need. We come to learn about her past in foster care and why it matters to her so much that she does everything she can to support the children in her care. Her character is brilliant, flawed, and relatable, she has been written very well.

This time around Kit is adamant that not enough is being done to help a 17 year old boy about whom they receive an anonymous tip. We see her grit and determination in making sure that the outcome for him is the best possible solution, even if it means fighting against the powers that be.

This is a great story with both a strong storyline, as well as a character thread alongside it. The imagery throughout of the Welsh landscape can also be clearly pictured. A brilliant book.

The authors own experiences of working as a social worker before she embarked on her writing career, give an excellent insight into the world of social work, which makes this book even stronger.

Thank you to Netgalley and Quercus Books for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Kit looks into the case of a seventeen year old, Dylan, as an anonymous call has been received that he had been hit. The home situation is very strange, and as Kit delves further, the weirder it gets!
A great twist as all the pieces come together. Amazing writing and characters, I was totally hooked! Very hard to put down!

Thank you to the publisher for inviting me to be part of the tour and sending me a gifted copy of this book
Also, thank you to Claire for another great buddy read
I really enjoyed meeting Kit in the first novel, Allegation
The Last House is second in the series. I really felt like you needed to have read Allegation, to understand the background of this book. I would not recommend that this is read as a standalone.
Kit is a newly qualified social worker and when presented with a new case, that her supervisor is keen to complete, Kit trusts her instincts and investigated further.
The book was a real slow burner. It was very drawn out throughout the book. I would have perhaps like to have seen more to do with the Dylan, and more insight into his family and the behaviour throughout the book. It did feel to me that the majority of the storyline happened in the last quarter of the book.
That said, the book provided me with a fantastic insight into our social care system and it’s flaws. It left me with questions and discussions surrounding how our care system works and just how much trouble it is actually in
I loved Kit and her stories
I hope the author does release more in the series.

Had been excited to read this. The description sounded great. The cover was really nice but sadly this wasn’t for me. It was rather dull. Slow paced and just felt lost to me

Kit Goddard thinks a 17 years old boy has slipped through the system and she is worried that it will be a copy of
what happened to her brother.

An anonymous caller gives Kit information she needs to investigate. and finds a community which is very strange and she delves into the family history she finds the boys grandmother was in a psychiatric hospital, but the question is why and how does it all connect.

I loved this book, it grabbed me from page 1 and wouldnt let go..
The combination of a gripping story, believable character I could connect with really made the story real.
It felt very intense in parts but not enough to put you off it made the atmosphere and pace of the book perfect.

Highly recommended

Thank you to #NetGalley and #riverrun for my advance copy of #TheLastHouse by #RGAdams
This is the second book in the Kit Goddard series, although I haven’t read the first one that did not affect my enjoyment of the book.
Kit is a relatively new social worker only being in the job for a year, but she has great instincts.
When she finds out that a case has been closed with no action taken, she starts investigating and discovers a very disturbing story, one that someone does not want her to reveal.
A gripping read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Although an avid thriller reader, I had not been aware of R. G. Adams, so I was surprised to find that this novel is the second instalment in a series centred on a fictional South Wales social worker by the name of Kit Goddard. It is to the author’s credit that this novel can be read as a stand-alone, and in an already crowded marketplace, creates yet another believable female character trying hard to solve cases whilst dealing a substantial backstory of her own. The plot in this novel revolves around a mother and her son, living in hermit-like conditions. Both the plot and the distinctly Welsh setting have been created very well and would recommend this book for any reader looking for a fresh voice in fiction. Thank you to the publishers and to NetGalley for the complimentary copy that made this book review possible.

Kit is back and still the same as book one. I love her. She is a proper feisty no cares given character and I wish there was more for me to delve into immediately.

The Last House introduces us to the Meredith family. Dylan and mother Rhian, referred to social services anonymously. Kit obviously suspecting something decides to pay a visit.

From the get go, there is something about Rhian that has made me feel uncertain. I have loved Kit’s determination throughout this one. I have adored that she has persisted in trying to develop and maintain a positive relationship with Dylan throughout.

This is a book which also portrays the pressures on the services as the local department face scrutiny of inspection. This is completely unpredictable and addictive from the very beginning.

I absolutely adored Adam’s previous book and this one is equally ad fantastic. I have devoured page after page of this gem in hours. Returning to Kit has been fantastic, she is definitely a character who is easy to like and become invested in.

Dylan is an intriguing young man from the beginning, there is something about him which has kept me wanting more depth. He has clearly had some troubles but I was unable to put my finger on what they were.

This is a book I have absolutely adored. For me, Adams is a must read author and this is another gem for the collection.

So if you haven't read the first book in this series I would say it isn't necessary to be honest as Kit is still relatively new to the job and finding her feet. Her recent case is referenced and there are still teething problems to her settling and finding her rhythm. A seventeen year old comes across her radar, a fair few red flags and it seems people in the office are quite eager to close the case. Kit being a kid from a care background feels something isn't right and takes a vested interested getting herself into some hot water, bit of a theme with her.

I think this book is very different pace and feel from the first book, this one has a more slower pace as Kit tries to bond and get a handle on Dylan, his mother and their situation. We also see a lot of Kit's own personal life, issues with her biological parents, her relationships with her siblings and a bit of a curve ball from life causing them all to assess their relationships and actions going forth.

I think the book may prove a tad emotive for some depending on your own personal history and mental health does feature a bit within this book. We also have a look at the issues faced by social workers, red tape. office politics and abuse of power and manipulation especially as Kit is a newbie and does get herself involved more than some of the other workers seem to. Really interesting to read despite not being huge parts of the story I thought it was interesting none the less and how shady and not very nice some of these characters are. It is a bit of a slower start than book one but the last quarter really kicks up a notch and you find yourself not wanting to put it down to see where it goes 4/5.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.
Kit a fairly new social worker with very little experience takes on a case that everyone else else in the service wants to close. A seventeen year old has dropped out of school and is being bullied. He lives with his paranoid mother in a delapitated house in the wilds. This was a very slow burner which really did not hold my attention. I had no empathy for any of the main characters and the story itself was so long winded. This book had so much promise but unfortunately for me it did not deliver. Saying that I am sure other readers will enjoy it more just not for me.

Kit is a reasonably new and inexperienced social worker. However she throws her heart & soul into the job having been in the care system as a child. She continues to delve into a case long after it was deemed to be complete.
As the book develops we learn about Kit, her past and her family. We discover what makes her so keen to discover if all is well with 17 year old Dylan and his family.
I found this book very slow to begin with. I didn't take to Kit from the outset which resulted in me struggling with the book.
I did complete the book. Although it did pick up, I didn't warm to Kit. I struggled to get into the story and found it hard. I found it easy to walk away from this book & a struggle to care about returning to it. Not the book for me.
I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.

Kit a newly qualified social worker fights for a 17 year old lad so he doesn't slip through the cracks in the system like her brother 10 years before. A former foster child herself, Kit loves her job but is willing to risk it all so that mistakes won't be repeated. As she delves into the case we learn more about Kit's family and her past this both helps and hinders her investigation and her career.

Why does Tim and georgia want the case closed before it's opened?

A great read 4 stars which I read thanks to an arc through netgalley.