Where are my Mackintosh fans at?

There is something incredibly special about an approval that you were pining over. For me, It was The Last Party.

All of my friends were deep in discussion over Clare Mackintosh's new novel and as I listened, I could feel myself getting way too excited. How could I get my hands on this sure to be, 5 star read?

Well, I prayed to the book gods, I asked my book fairies for assistance, and I did a little rain dance.

Low and behold, my approval came!

Yes!!! I'm one of the cool kids!

Also, fun fact, this is the first book in the DC Morgan series. Now, don't get me wrong, I have HUGE commitment issues and I am usually not one to even want to initiate a series BUT when Clare Mackintosh is the author, you know it will be done with perfection.

In true Mackintosh fashion, this book is easily a 5 star read and belongs on all of our bookshelves. Heck, Christmas is right around the corner, this would make an incredible gift for your favorite book lover.

There is no shortage of twists and turns all while narrating a perfectly executed storyline. You will be introduced to characters you will like and some you will hate, but hey that's how these thrillers roll. The pace is set, the conclusion is satisfying, and all in all I am left with a major book hangover.

Teaser:

It's 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.


So here is my question... Do you want to be one of the cool kids? I promise you, you dont want to be the only one who has not read this blockbuster hit.

I did not realize, until I came to write my review, that this was going to be a series! I immediately went and added the second book to my TBR pile. Why? Well, because even if I can't pronounce any of the Welsh names or locations, Ffion Morgan and the little town of Llyn Drych fascinate me and even though this book was 400 pages, it wasn't enough to give me all that I want from them. A small insular town with all its secrets but so very close to the English border makes it feel almost like a Brigadoon setting. Add in the injection of British wealth and Detective Leo and you have a multi-layered story to unravel. The characters introduced on both sides of the lake provide a wonderful counterbalance of old and new, small town and cosmopolitan. Neither one is better and when they mix, the result can be very engaging, as is shown in this first book of what I'm excited to learn is a series.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book.
As always, Clare Mackintosh does not disappoint! I love a good murder mystery, and this one captured my attention from the beginning and held it through the end. There were a lot of characters to keep track of, and at times I thought if it had fewer characters I could see more character development and get more invested in their personal stories. Overall, great read and would recommend to others!

This was a really good whodunnit mystery. It kept me guessing until the very end. I liked how it was written, and it made me feel like I was right there.

There were a lot of characters to try to get straight in the beginning, but once I figured everyone out, it was easy to follow. I found it to be more mystery than thriller. I do like a good cop mystery and am looking forward to seeing some of these characters again.

Thank you for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

I struggled a bit with the amount of different characters and POVs. It was also quite long with a slower pace. The twists were enjoyable though. I loved the main characters / detectives, Ffion and Leo. I look forward to reading about them again in the next book of the series!

Everyone is a suspect in this newest crime thriller from Clare Mackintosh. The annual New Year’s swim reveals a dead body in the lake of this Welsh village and everyone in town is a suspect.

The victim is an aging rock star who has come back to his hometown to build an upscale lake community. The local residents aren’t thrilled with his return or the influx of new seasonal residents but when everyone is invited to a New Year’s Eve party in the Mirror Lakes vacation homes, they can’t resist the invitation.

A small town murder mystery that’s well written and reminded me of the Broadchurch setting. The Last Party sets up a perfect series with many intriguing characters, especially the two detectives. Can’t wait to see what this author does next!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this title in return for an honest review.

I enjoyed this police procedural and the chemistry between Ffion and Leo and the growth of their characters. This is a multi-layered story that unfolds gradually and could be a bit slow at times. We go back and forth between the past and the present, learning the reasons everyone had for wanting Rhys dead. I initially had my ideas about who I thought killed him, but as time passed I changed my mind multiple times and in the end I was surprised and satisfied about the conclusion.

A wonderful first book for what looks to be a series in the making. This one kept me guessing and never really knowing which of the (many) cast of characters might have done it. The ending was surprising and not one I saw coming at all. Lots of characters to keep track of but with a great sense of place. Not a fast-paced page turner but a story I was interested in moving through. I enjoyed meeting our MC, Ffion, and her detective friend, Leo. These are characters I am interested in reading more from when the next in the series publishes.

I heard so many good things about this book, and it sounded awesome in theory. Unfortunately, something about it didn't click for me and I ended up putting it down at about 14% and moving on to something else. One thing to note was that the Dutch (I think?) vocabulary was slightly overdone and ofputting - I would be actually engaged for a minute and get thrown out of the story. Unfortunately, this one wasn't for me.

I am a huge fan of Clare Mackintosh, so I was very excited to read an ARC of The Last Party! Sadly, this wasn’t my favourite book of hers, but I still enjoyed it and look forward to her next!
Filled with many potential suspects to a murder, this novel had twists right until the end! Although well written, I found it to drag on it several parts a bit longer than I thought necessary. I also found there to be a few plot holes- however this may have changed by the final draft. That being said, Mackintosh is known for her build-ups and last page reveals - and this novel definitely follows suit.
Big thank you to NetGalley, and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for my early copy!
3.5/5

The first book in any new series must take the time to introduce not only the main characters but all of the supporting characters along with the different back ground communities involved. Clare Mackintosh has done double duty here by setting her latest thriller in a lake area that border both Wales and England. But more than the lake divides the two communities. Lifestyles and ethics differ between the have and have nots. When one of the celebrity personalities is found murdered after a party attended by both sides of the lake, readers again have two completely different sets of suspects and motives.
Enter our law enforcement personnel. Welsh DC Morgan is partnered with English DC Brady. Their investigation will find the list of suspects grows daily with few clues as to who actually committed the crime. While their methods may differ, these two will learn to be a team that readers will definitely want to see again. Oh, and they catch the killer, too! This was a very good read for me.

When washed-up singer Rhys Lloyd is found dead in the lake on New Year’s Day, local DC Ffion Morgan has her work cut out for her because pretty much everyone in her small Welsh has a reason (or two) to kill Rhys.

I loved the setting, the relationship between Ffion and Leo, and the complicated cast of characters. They all had such good reasons to wish Rhys dead, and I was guessing who did it until the end. I did get people confused here and there, but I sorted myself out.

I’ve only read two of Mackintosh’s earlier books and didn’t particularly love either of them, but with The Last Party she’s got me hooked! I’m so thrilled that this is the start of a new series. Ffion is a great character, and I can’t wait to see what happens next (mystery-wise AND with Leo).

When the body of singer Rhys Lloyd Is found in the lake Detectives try to piece together what happened but only discover there were more people on The Shore that wanted Rhys dead then not.

At first I found the story to be a bit dragging and difficult for me to get into, making me consider giving up on it. I’m so glad that that I pushed through and finished to the end. Looking back I saw how the different story lines helped to build up to the very end and helped to lead to all the wonderful twists and turns this story took. The characters were wonderfully complex and the ending was very well done.
I look forward to the next book in this series and I thank Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy.

If you love a great detective book, you are going to love this one. Leo and Ffion aren’t your typical police officers but they are sharp, cunning and fun to root for. They are trying to solve the mystery of local celebrity Rhys Lloyd and it seems like everyone in town has a motive and wants Rhys dead. A surprising ending and a fun ride…put this one on your list!

This was a solid murder mystery that kept me interested from the start. It was my first book by this author, but I will definitely be reading more of her work in the future.

Perfect end of the year read. I love when a thriller/mystery has substance like a literary fiction - really stood out in this one! Loved.

Count me a fan! Where is the next book in the series? I need it now. Please write quickly Ms. Mackintosh.

This one was more of a slow burn type of thriller than the fast-paced kind that are everywhere right now. This gave it a bit more of a whodunit vibe, which was a nice change. The slower pacing allowed time to get to know a cast of characters, who of course all have a reason to commit murder, and also to learn more of the Welsh-UK history and dynamics. The Welsh lake and mountains were a very atmospheric background. In the last 1/3 the pacing was a lot faster and full of more reveals. I anticipated some of them, but not all of them. I read a lot of mysteries and thrillers, so I'm always pleased when this happens. I'm looking forward to more books starring Ffion and Leo, our detective pair in this novel.

Rating: 4/5 stars
Pub Date: November 8, 2022 (Available now!)

A New Year’s Eve party is all fun and games until a body is discovered in Mirror Lake. Detective Ffion Morgan is assigned to the case in her tiny hometown. Everyone in the village has something to hide and they all secretly wanted the man dead. It’s Ffion’s job to solve who finally killed him, but she too has secrets of her own. In the mysterious village, murder is just the beginning to discovering the truth.

This book really surprised me! I wasn’t sure about it in the beginning. I didn’t instantly feel a connection with any of the characters and the strong Welsh dialect was hard to get used to. It took me quite a while to get a grasp on the names and setting (everything was very unfamiliar to me) but once I did, I was hooked!

Although it slowed me down in the beginning, I came to appreciate the language and culture throughout the book. The descriptions of the setting were so vivid I could picture it perfectly and I felt like I was there.

There were so many secrets slowly uncovered from each character. Everyone was a possible suspect and the tension was incredible. I love a good mystery that has you thinking one thing then second guessing everything and keeps you guessing until the very end.

The only negative for me was there were SO many characters. I didn’t know who was who at least halfway through.

Everything really came together at the end and I wasn’t left with questions. The ending was amazing, one of the best endings I have read in a while. The twists and surprises didn’t end until the very last page.

This is the first book of the series and I am excited to read more from this author. This book was so good!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the eARC!

Bestselling author Clare Mackintosh's newest book, The Last Party, has just released.

Rhys Lloyd, a partner in a contentious luxury home development close to a small village in Wales, is found dead on On New Year's Eve, in his condo in that development.

The village is on the dividing line between England and Wales and jurisdiction is murky. Two investigators are tasked with the case - local copper DC Ffion Morgan and English based DC Morgan.

The Last Party has a 'locked' room feel to it. The village is small, with everyone in each other's pocket. There is only a small group of condo dwellers as well. We come to know all of the possible suspects through gossip, flashbacks and an ever changing point of view. Honestly, each and every one of them has a reason to not like Rhys...but to kill him? My answer for the whodunit changed with every revelation. There are some really good twists throughout the book as well. I like being kept guessing in a book, especially in a murder mystery. The timeline does flip from present to past and back, so watch the chapter titles.

The setting is well described and I could easily imagine the water, the forest, the village and The Shores.

The two leads are very different from each other in their methodology, creating more than a little friction. At the same time, both are struggling within their personal lives. I enjoy knowing more about the protagonists as it gives the characters more depth. It looks like we might be seeing more of DC Morgan. The Last Party is listed as DC Morgan number one. But I really hope Ffion is also part of future books.

Another great tale from Mackintosh. (Gentle readers - there are some trigger situations.)