I am completely addicted to this series! Ffion and Leo are one of my favorite detective duos and the chemistry they share is absolutely adorable. They represent the term 'opposites attract' in the best possible way. I always look forward to the exciting and interesting cases they are tasked to solve, and in this book, the author didn't just captivate me with a thrilling whodunit...she blew my mind with THREE! There were three separate mysteries to solve: the burglaries, the death of the estate agent, and the cold case murders. The way that they slowly unraveled and came together at the end was epic! I really enjoyed the podcast and social media posts scattered throughout the story. They added an extra layer to the plot, revealing tidbits of information about the cold case that were undiscovered by the police. I also enjoyed Allie's POV, Leo's ex-wife. We learn a lot more about her character in this book. Even though I detested her and felt sorry for her in equal measure, I think that having her present in the story was necessary for Leo and Ffion's relationship to progress. And to say that I am ecstatic with the bomb drop at the end would be an understatement! I cannot wait to get my hands on book four! This was a nail biter of a read that was cleverly written and fast paced. I HIGHLY recommend this book and series to all the thriller fans out there!

Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for granting me a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!

RATING 3.5 as an ARC from Netgalley. Rounding up to a 4-star on Goodreads.

My first book by this author about this particular group of detectives in Wales. I understand this is the third in the series. At no time did I feel that I was missing out on information, so she did a good job of making the current story relatable without too much back story.

I think where I had the issue was that I felt it took far too long before the two cases converged. And when it did, it was a bit anticlimactic, until the very end. I kept wishing as I read through, “come on, get on with it” more than once. Having said that, I did find it entertaining enough that I’d consider reading another from the author, and if you have read her previous books about this couple, you likely wouldn’t want to miss this one, especially considering how the ending comes together. I’d imagine that for fans of the two, it culminates in a fairly important place.

As far as the cases were concerned, I can say that it kept me guessing until the ending. I wasn’t completely wrong in where I felt it was going, but there was a pretty good twist at the end. A bit sad, but completely surprising.

DS Leo Brady is investigating a series of burglaries on The Hill, an affluent section of homes on a literal hill. Alarms aren’t going off, and for some reason, none of the homeowners have any type of cameras to capture the culprit. Strangely, with each burglary, there are plenty of valuable items left in plain sight. There’s the usual neighborhood drama – affairs, divorces, etc., but no matter how many residents Leo speaks to, he can’t figure out who the thieves might be or what they are after.

In an unrelated (at first) case, DC Ffion Morgan is investigating a woman‘s body pulled from a lake. She’s identified as one of the most obnoxious groups of real estate agents you can imagine, and Ffion secretly hopes she can pin the death on one of the others. That's partly because of her own struggles trying to sell her house and move into another while being ghosted by her own agent.

Leo’s ex features in this book quite a bit, and you really wonder how the two of them ever worked as a couple. She desperately tries to include herself as one of ‘The Hill’ even though she lives on a cross street at the bottom. And she’s terrible at reading a room. I suppose at some point, you’re supposed to feel sorry for her, but I just didn’t reach that point. Especially when she involved Dave, who I think is my favorite one of them all!

I enjoyed the story immensely, as Ffion and Leo try to connect all the dots between the insufferable characters they have to deal with. And that ending! I cannot wait to see how that plays out in the next book!

The Hill is a luxurious housing community crawling with deceptive liars. After a string of burglaries Detective Leo begins investigating the residents and the staff. Meanwhile, Detective Ffion Morgan is investigating the murder of an estate agent.
…
Allie, Leo’s ex-wife is obsessed with the people who live on The Hill. Except the people who live on The Hill don’t seem to be as fond of her as she is of them. They see her as the social-climber since her house is at the bottom of the hill.
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Season 4 podcast is being aired regarding the murder of Peter and Stephanie Carmichael who were stabbed with a steak knife during a Valentine’s dinner at their house. The podcast has the entire nation talking about the Carmichael murders.
…
Plenty of activity in this book: ex-wife making friends with people on The Hill, break-ins on The Hill, dead estate agent, and the podcast. The suspect list grows the more Ffion and George begin investigating. The story is set in Cwm Coed Wales. There’s a Welsh pronunciation guide in the beginning of the book to assist with the reading of the language. I used the translation feature in the kindle app.
…
Clare Mackintosh is a British author and former police officer. She lives in Wales where inspiration for her detective series is credited. It features a Welsh speaking detective. Having multiple storylines allowed for a steady read. The three cases added a deeper dimension of mystery to the story. It was a busy read full of twists.

There were things i liked about this book but at times I got a bit frustrated there were parts that were too drawn out, Allie's obsession with social climbing and so much detail about her interactions with the rich neighbors. It was told in three viewpoints, her as Leo's ex wife, Ffions and Leo's the top police officers working two separate cases, a murder and a series of robberies as well as a podcast of a cold case that impacts their investigations. That part I found interesting and their relationship issues were as well. I enjoyed it but also felt like it could have been tightened u a lot and it would have been more interesting.

Ffion and Leo might be law enforcement officers in other countries, but that hasn’t kept them apart in the past and it’s not going to keep them apart now, as their two separate cases collide. Mackintosh is the real deal, she writes some of the best crime fiction out there

Ffion and Leo again, what could be better? And a merging of the three different cases that involves them working together. Happy to be back with these two, along with rich people, and Leo's ex-wife, behaving badly, albeit in different ways. Kept me turning the pages. Good fun!

Hi there, it’s Nilufer—and I have a confession to make:
I’m completely and unapologetically addicted. Addicted to thrillers, yes—but more specifically, to the heart-pounding brilliance of Clare Mackintosh, and especially her utterly gripping DC Ffion Morgan series. I swear, this series has me in a chokehold in the best possible way.

With each book, Mackintosh raises the bar, but with this latest installment, she soared over it. From the very first page, I was hooked—and when I say hooked, I mean dancing-around-my-living-room, neglecting-every-responsibility kind of hooked. As soon as I got the ARC in my hands, everything else could wait. Because when you read one of the Holy Trinity of Thriller Queens—Clare Mackintosh, Lisa Jewell, and Gillian McAllister—you drop everything.

And yes, this is easily my favorite book of the series so far. Not only does Mackintosh deliver one chilling mystery… she gives us three, and masterfully interweaves them into a nail-biting, brilliantly structured plot that kept me guessing till the very last page.

🎯 Case One:
Ffion leads the investigation into the death of Natasha Brett, an estate agent whose body is found floating on a kayak in a lake after a boozy party with her coworkers. Her colleagues—Mike, Russell, and her no-nonsense boss Carole Simmons—are all under scrutiny, as well as her intensely possessive boyfriend Luke, who raised red flags long before the murder.

🎯 Case Two:
Meanwhile, Leo is pulled into a string of strange break-ins in the posh, ultra-private neighborhood known as The Hill. Nothing of value is taken—but the thief clearly knows what they’re doing, disabling alarms and leaving no trace. Leo suspects the intruder is looking for something, and he’s not going to stop until he finds it. As if that isn’t enough, Leo keeps crossing paths with his ex, Allie—who’s so desperate to be accepted by the neighborhood’s elite, she’ll do anything. Trust me: you’ll love to hate her. She’s sharp, strategic, and downright ruthless in her attempts to wedge herself between Leo and Ffion. Still, her loneliness and obsession with status make her a character you pity as much as you loathe.

🎯 Case Three:
Ffion, overwhelmed with the looming threat of losing her home and unsure how to handle her deepening relationship with Leo (who keeps asking her to move in), finds an outlet in her obsession with a true crime podcast called Without Conviction. The podcast investigates the cold case of the Carmichael couple—who were murdered in their own home, and whose case was allegedly closed by convicting the wrong man. Now, new evidence suggests that Stephanie Carmichael may have had a secret lover, and that person could be the real killer. The tension this podcast creates bleeds into Ffion’s real life in the most unexpected—and chilling—ways.

And just when you think these three threads are running parallel, Mackintosh slams them together in a climax that left me shaking. Every breadcrumb, every character, every line of dialogue was leading to this. And when it hit—I was stunned.

But beyond the mystery, what makes this book shine is the evolution of Ffion and Leo. Their chemistry is raw, real, and hilariously flawed. They bicker, they hide things from each other, they stumble—but at the heart of it, they care deeply. Watching them grow (and struggle) both as partners and as people adds so much depth to the story.

And that ending?
Let’s just say—I screamed. I jumped off the couch. I raised my fist in triumph and shouted, “HELL YEAH!” (Sorry, neighbors.) It was everything I wanted and more.

This series has me in its clutches, and I don’t want to be set free. I am as obsessed with these books as Ffion is with her true crime podcast. I’m already counting down the days until Book Four drops. Honestly, if Goodreads allowed it, I’d give this ten stars.

THANK YOU to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the incredible opportunity to read this unforgettable ARC. Clare Mackintosh, you’ve done it again—and I’m already bracing myself for the next wild ride you have in store.

Two detectives, in a relationship, working on separate cases that somehow are related. This is a somewhat slow moving police procedural, I think my students will enjoy how the cases progress and the parts about their relationship issues.

This book was unputdownable! This series just keeps getting better with each book. I appreciated the bits of humor throughout the book.

I think this is the best one yet. Leo and Ffi are both investigating different cases, but soon the realize they might be connected. Plus, a ten year old murder case is making headlines again. This was well crafted and kept me guessing, which the end result came as a surprise. Things are going to be interesting in the next book. Can’t wait!

This was a great, fast paced mystery/thriller that I could not put down. Leo and Ffion’s cases colide, leading to secrets that are uncovered. The writing is easy to follow and the plot definitely hooks you in with several twists.
Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks for this e-arc.

This is book 3 in a fantastic series. I feel this could also be read as a standalone.

I ripped my way through this one rather quickly. It was fast paced and thrilling. Clare mackintosh always delivers on her mystery thrillers and they make the most perfect holiday read.

Would recommend this to everyone