The Last Time She Died - Zoe Sharp
Narrated by Tamsin Kennard

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture and I am leaving this review voluntarily

The sun is shining as the Fitzroy family gather to mourn the death of their beloved husband and stepfather. No one but Byron sees the young woman with the white-blonde hair hiding in the shadows. She watches them for a moment, then she is gone.

While the family is at the funeral, the woman breaks into their home. She waits for them to come home, for the police to be called. When she is arrested, she smiles calmly at the outraged people around her and says she has every right to be there. She is Blake Claremont, the late Mr. Fitzroy's daughter.

This book is told from multiple perspectives; the majority of the characters get their own chapters - but I am not sure this is entirely necessary. The chapters are short which makes it an easy read with a steady pace. It is an interesting mix of a cold case and a current investigation.

I initially had a bit of trouble getting into the story but soon settled into it. I thought that it was engaging and I enjoyed the many twists. It was a great introduction to the characters of Blake and Byron.

Rating: 4/5

Great detective / crime book, really enjoyed it. The characters were spot on, especially the two main characters. Highly recommend.

#NetgalleyReview

My summaries need work but the gist of the story- (which I’m sure you know if you are reading reviews, you most likely already read the book’s description) is this….
Blake disappeared when she was 15 years old. While her family was at her father’s funeral- 10 years later- she decides to come back home. Is this really Blake or an imposter looking for an inheritance? Her family is not so happy to see her especially since they thought they had killed her and buried her a long time ago. John Byron is an inspector who is supposed to be on medical leave but assigned to investigate the circumstances surrounding Blake’s death and gets caught up in Blake’s reappearance and becomes her ally.

I know my description probably isn’t doing the book any justice but this book was great and I’m so happy it’s the first in a new series revolving around Blake and Byron. The book hooked me two chapters in and I didn’t want to stop listening to see if Blake was really Blake or not and who had the most to lose with her sudden reappearance. The chemistry between Blake and Byron is awesome and one of the best things about the story. The storyline did get a little confusing/convoluted midway through the story although the author did a good job of explaining the reason for it with the story. I’m definitely looking forward to book 2 and I really enjoyed the narrator.

I'm a *huge* fan of Zoe Sharp's Charlie Fox series so approached this new departure with some trepidation... for me, this story is far more familiar and less unique than the Fox books, and it was clear to see where it was going from very early on so that it becomes tiresome waiting for the police to catch on. There's a strong Brat Farrer vibe, the kind of corruption and cover-up that has fuelled many, many popular thrillers, and too many pov characters along with too many cliff-hanger endings to short chapters. The relationship between Blake and Byron also shadows, though in a cosier way, the dangerous one between Charlie Fox and Sean Meyer. Still, if you're looking for a pacy crime novel with a strong female presence, this might be a good choice.

The reading is well done, with good voices for characters - just the thing for a commute.

When Blake disappeared her father never even reported her missing. Now, ten years on, he’s dead and Blake has shown up out of the blue for the funeral. Detective John Byron is involved because the accident that killed Blake’s father is very suspicious. But now the family also want him to investigate the reappearance of Blake; they believe the woman is an imposter. the real Blake is dead, they’re sure of it. A twisted story of family machinations

I received an advance review copy in exchange for an honest review

Loved, loved, loved this book!
This author keeps getting better and better and the narration made it super creepy! Definitely worth a listen or a read.