He gains partial custody and seems to have a possible relationship with Ffion blossoming at the end. The cast of characters is very large, which includes the inhabitants of the lodges and their families, the townspeople, the Detective from Wales and the Detective from England and their teams with even more ancillary characters! Bobby is having an affair with Mia Williams, a friend of Ffion’s and the maid for The Shore Resort. Their relationship lasts and they are together at the end of the book I do appreciate Ms. Macintosh’s passion for this area where she now lives, It shines through this narrative and was my favorite part of this novel – the setting was enchanting!! The plot centers on solving the murder of local celebrity Rhys Lloyd at his vacation home in a small town in Wales. His family, neighbors, and locals are all suspects, and the team investigating his death, DCI Ffion Morgan and Leo Brady, have their own secrets to hide.

It seems that Ffion and Leo may well know each other more than they realized. And so begins our story as it really perks up from here on out. The Last Party grabbed me from the beginning (especially as I wasn't expecting that humorous beginning). I loved that the two investigators are not an immediate hit working together. It represents the rich and famous, as well as the locals trying to figure them out. The landscape is luxurious and inviting like the New Year’s Eve party that will end it all!DC Ffion Morgan may well be the Rebus of rural Wales. As warm as it is atmospheric and ingenious - this is the new crime series you need in your life -- WILL DEAN The Broadchurch vibes of haunting mystery surrounding around the tight knitted community makes you drawn into the story a little bit more! If she isn’t working on the case, she’ll have no way of knowing what’s been uncovered. How close they are to the truth. She walks away from Leo. Thank you to #Sourcebooks Landmark and #NetGalley for providing this Advance Reading Copy. Expected publication date is November 8, 2022. There’s been snow on the peaks since before Christmas, and even with the protection from the mountains, the temperature in the town hasn’t climbed above freezing. The lake itself is bitter. Colder than last year! People gasp, at once gleeful and incredulous. We must be mad!

I love Claire Macintosh and The Hostage was a 4* read for me. For me The Last Party had what I felt a 4* plot with a 3* rating for several reasons!!! The mystery isn’t hard to solve, and the twists are intriguing but slightly obvious. Ffion and Leo’s characters and the setting add a layer of depth to this novel. This was a solid start to the series, and I look forward to seeing Ffion, and hopefully Leo, again in the next book. Ffion yawns. “Exactly. He targets you for no apparent reason, and the only difference between you and the rest of the office is…” She looks around the room, where every officer has one thing in common. They’re white. Lots of characters. Lots of reasons to suspect them. But, why should we be suspicious of one of the cops?

A natural inclination is to assume that everyone knows each other, and the contents of their closets, in a small-town. Villagers included in this presumption. But when one of their own has obviously been murdered, secrets do spill.

But not everyone is there to celebrate. By midnight, Rhys will be floating dead in the freezing waters of the lake.

Comments

I loved everything about The Last Party. Taut, pacey and so atmospheric with brilliantly executed twists and wonderfully written characters. DC Ffion Morgan is my new favorite detective. An absolute triumph." ― Claire Douglas, author of The Couple at No. 9 Of course, I am keeping my fingers crossed that the rumors are true and this actually is this first book in a series. I would definitely be down for going on more investigations with Ffion and Leo.