The Last Party

"Clare Mackintosh’s newest book came in from my library holds & having been sick for a month & unable to read or watch tv because I’ve felt so bad, I was thrilled because she’s always been a sure bet for a quick really thrilling read that I can’t put down & typically finish in a day. Instead I gave it about 140 pages & gave up. I never quit books. Thought it could be my illness but just listened to the podcast, “Literally Reading” & they are fans of her previous books but gave this 2/5. I think a big issue for them & for me was it takes place on border of Wales & England & altho I’m part Welsh I don’t know the Welsh language & this book is packed w/it. Have read all the Evans books by Rhys Bowen which have plenty of Welsh in them & that doesn’t bother me in those but it was a big issue for me & the reader on the podcast re: this book. "

"This book kept me guessing to the very end "

"Boring, drawn out, dull characters "

"Claire Mackintosh never disappoints "

"Quick whodunnit and so good. Love the characters and the writing style "

"Great writing and great plot twists! Hard to find a book I can’t predict from one chapter to the next. "

"It wasnt terrible it just was such a drag to get into. I dont know it just really struggled to keep my attention."

"I’m not much on detective process of a mystery. I like journalist or people who don’t have to follow a chain of command. But this one was good! It follows the detective and her partner Leo without a bunch of procedural stuff. Just seeing stuff and hearing stuff from the other guests. Rys is a washed up singer still trying to make it big. From the outside he has it all and seems like a genuine person. But when he winds up dead you find out everyone has motive. He actually raped the detective when she was 14 and she gave birth to Saran who thought until now that the detective was her sister. Sarah before knowing rys was her father flirted and texted him. His wife found out he drugged their daughter at night when she was a baby due to lack of sleep. Another neighbor knew he raped another girl. And his own mother hated him. She knew he was a rapist and also knew he took advantage of his father’s dementia to have everything deeded over to him. Everyone had motive but who did it? Towards the end you find out the mother was so enraged when she found the papers showing Rhys had swindled the dad that she hit him in the head with a trophy. Cessi walks in and claims he’s dead and she’ll help his mom dispose of the body because she owes Rhys money and no one knows so this way she won’t lose her home. A toxicology comes back and shows ricin in his system though so someone also poisoned him. They arrest a lady in the neighborhood who’s boat was spotted on the water near the time of his death. Turns out though the detectives mother poisoned him. She found out after 14 years who raped her daughter and got her revenge. The detective finds out but gives her mom some time before she’s caught. She puts all the evidence in a water proof bag and ties it to the dock. Years from now when the ropes frays someone will<br/>Find it and her mom will face the consequences"

"I had a hard time knowing how to pronounce a lot of the words. It took place in wales. I just had a hard time getting into it "

"Atmospheric, lots of characters so a little hard to keep track of who is who but a great read if you like a twisty mystery! Loved this book "