This is mind spinning, complex, absolutely deeply layered and well written small town murder mystery!

I’m a big fan of author! Normally if any other authors created a slow burn murder mystery with a large of number characters, I would have a second thoughts to get into the story and I could stop reading to grab another book.

But the deeply layered character stories, Wales and England detectives’ forced teaming up, elaborated descriptions of the area, smart dialogues, the plot line about multiple suspects keeping ugly secrets including main character, well structured development about a victim who is the worst man damaged people’s lives are brilliant elements that attract my full focus.

The Broadchurch vibes of haunting mystery surrounding around the tight knitted community makes you drawn into the story a little bit more!

Summary of plot: on New Year’s Eve a very rich, popular singer Rhys Lloyd is found death, floating in the freezing water of the lake, found by townies who want to swim in the lake as a New Year tradition.

Rhys Lloyd threw a big party party at that night. There are too many witnesses and also suspects because Rhys wasn’t a good man and touched so many people’s lives and ruined them including his own family.

The lake his body is found that divides England and Wales so two detectives from different jurisdictions are in charge, teaming up for solving the case. Unfortunately those two detectives: Leo Brady from Cheshire Major Crime and Detective Constable Ffion Morgan from North Wales CD had a one night stand in New Year’s Eve. Both of them didn’t plan to see each other. But now they have to act like what happened on New Year’s Eve stays in New Year’s Eve, focusing on the case.

But Ffion is under a lot of extra pressure. Even she wants, she doesn’t walk away from the case. She’s keeping a big secret, protecting someone. But who and why? Will Leo find out about her secret agenda?

Overall: this is not my all time favorite work of the author but the writing is so good. It was long and keeping taps on lots of characters was a little exhausting but I still enjoy to get lost in this smart, challenging murder mystery! The ending was heartbreaking and moving!

I’m rounding my 3.5 stars to 5 I have to learn Welsh language stars.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.