I have mixed feelings about this book. The first half for me was meh – I didn't like it, I didn't hate it, and I didn't feel much of anything about the characters one way or the other. The second half was better because the plot finally started to progress, which in turn made the characters more interesting.

The mystery itself – who killed Maddie Morrison and why? – was pretty middle-of-the-road. I saw a good portion of the big reveal coming, and I'm not at all clever at solving murder mysteries. There were small twists of the plot here and there but nothing that felt particularly surprising. Still, while Last Night wasn't a shocking read, it wasn't a terrible way to spend a few hours. It's well written and absent of any major plot holes. The main characters were mostly likable and Conor Reid was a competent (but rather conventional) detective. Despite a decent number of suspects and characters investigating Maddie's murder, the plot never got confusing and I was easily able to keep track of who was who.

I didn't especially enjoy the chapters written from the point of view of CeCe, but I've never really been fond of narratives written from a young child's perspective so that's not something that's unique to this book.

Overall, I felt that Last Night was a decent, but not especially novel, murder mystery. I might go back and read Last Day (which focuses on Conor and Kate and the murder of Kate's sister, Beth) just to finish the story … or to start the story, I suppose?

3.4 stars, rounded down.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review!

Synopsis (from Netgalley, the provider of the book to review)
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From the Amazon Charts and New York Times bestselling author of The Shadow Box and Last Day comes a breathtaking thriller about a family shaken by lies, vengeance, and a cold-blooded crime.

A fierce blizzard is burying the eastern seaboard, but on the icy Rhode Island shore renowned artist Maddie Morrison finds warm sanctuary from a contentious divorce at the legendary Ocean House. Hours later, her body is found buried under a blanket of snow and her little daughter, CeCe, has disappeared without a trace.
For Detective Conor Reid; his brother, Tom, a coast guard commander; and Maddie’s grieving sister, Hadley, the posh hotel becomes ground zero for an investigation. Trapped by the blizzard, they must hunker down and determine who in the young mother’s life could have possibly wanted her dead. There are stories of a twisted romantic past. Of old jealousies and resentments that still cut to the bone. And a history of greed, rage, and revenge that created the perfect storm for murder. A storm that has just begun.

Oooooh, the houses of Rhode Island on Ocean Drive … what beautiful behemoths – I cannot imagine the upkeep on them in general and heating them in the winter? Yikes. It is so hot right now that I am wishing I was in that blizzard and ice storm. There is nothing like old feelings and jealousy and resentment to make a storm even more fierce. Luann Rice has this magic ability to make everything in a book work like it was meant to be, even if there is a missing child and a dead body.

Highly recommended to fans of Miss Rice and those in search of a ripping yarn to cozy up with while enjoying a cuppa tea or any hot beverage. An excellent holiday gift idea: wrap it in some festive tea towels and your gift will be doubly appreciated. #shortbutsweetreviews

Maddie, a famous artist, is killed on a snowy beach near a luxury hotel in Rhode Island.
Her six year old daughter CeCe is missing. Her sister, Headley, who just arrived to visit the two for the holidays is devastated and just wants to find her niece. Fortunately a cop, Colin, and his girlfriend Kate are staying at the hotel too and Colin tries everything to uncover all the mysteries...

Who killed Maddie and why?
And where is CeCe??

READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT!

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Great Luanne Rice mystery novel!
I loved everything from the pretty cover to the last word!
The whole snowy, wintery, christmassy mood is just my thing. Add in the murder and the kidnapping and all the mystery stuff - perfect book for a cuddly afternoon with a hot beverage!

I should add - if you're weird like me about book series.... There was another book before this one called LAST DAY. That was Colin and Kate's love story. Her sister was killed too and Colin was the cop on the case. And after that book came another one where Colin was the cop too! THE SHADOW BOX! So if you're a series-weird reader like me - read those first! 🤣

► LAST NIGHT was such a great mystery novel. Exciting. Heartbreaking. Sweet. Sad. Full of secrets. Mysteries. Families. Sisters. Lies. And so much more! And we get so witness all of that in this perfect snowy, wintery coastal setting. I just loved it!

Good book! This book had a bit of everything! It had suspense, Action, intrigue, mystery, revenge, murder, child kidnapping, great plot twist, and some crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle! I definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!