I last read Jo Furniss back in 2017, when I picked up a copy of All the Little Children without really knowing what I was getting myself into. It turned out it was a post-apocalyptic novel about a virus that wiped out a huge part of the population of the UK. And, while it wasn’t the type of book I normally read, I really enjoyed it.

Fast forward three years and a copy of Furniss’ latest book popped up on Netgalley. Excited, I jumped at the chance to read it without looking at what it was actually about. I assumed it would be another novel in the same vein. But, you know what they say about assuming – I was completely wrong.

Instead, I got what could probably be described as a more standard psychological thriller. A young woman, Rose, moves to England with her husband and their toddler. For her, it’s another adventure in a life that has been more than a little exciting. For him, it’s a return to his childhood home, a stately pile in a small country town.

It sounds idyll. Unfortunately, for Rose, it’s far from that. Instead, she finds a mother-in-law who may have Dementia and a town that doesn’t seem to keen to have their ‘prodigal son’ back. In fact, they seem to positively hate her husband. The question is why? What did he do that was so bad? And what secrets has he been keeping from her?

For fans of the genre, the description will probably explain why I described it as standard. However, despite this, it doesn’t mean that the book itself is. It’s well written with characters that – as a reader – I was drawn to. And there were plenty of twists and turns to that meant the ending, when it came, wasn’t what I expected. There’s also a slight supernatural element that keeps it interesting (and did make me think a few times if the story would go in a different direction).

All in all, then, while not what I first expected, this was a book I definitely enjoyed and would definitely recommend to others.

This book reminds me of the gothic mysteries my mom used to read. I really enjoyed the creepy, gothic vibes and I absolutely loved how descriptive the author was. The characters were well fleshed out but the first half of the book seemed to drag. I started really getting into the story in the second half. I believe Ellie, the policewoman, was my favorite character. I didn't find Rose, the protagonist, and her husband Dylan particularly enjoyable. Secrets, lies, murder and dementia are what this book is made of.

There was much to enjoy here, but I found I couldn't connect with it. I'd read more from this author in the future though.

So well written so tense avgithic thriller.The book kept me guessing late into the night trying to guess at every page.Will be recommending #netgalley#lakeunionpublishing.

I descriptively written mystery/ thriller that will have you reading every moment you can to figure out what is going to happen next. I was confused at some points but over all a great read and well written.

Picture an imposing English manor house, nestles high above a picturesque small village, looked after by a matron who is slowly losing her faculties. Add in an unsolved death, small town secrets, and you have this beautifully atmospheric story.

Rose and her husband Dylan recently moved back to his family’s estate in his family’s English hometown to start over and help his mother, who is showing signs of dementia. However, it isn’t exactly a warm welcome, as bad feelings still linger over the mysterious death of a young man 20 years before on the property. Dylan’s father was blamed and died shortly after in shame. With no one talking about the past, and the town keeping its secrets close to its vest, Rose begins her own investigation into the heart of evil in a small village.

I really loved the setting and the whole atmosphere the author creates. It’s really the perfect gothic set-up for a creepy tale which weaves together mysteries in the past and the present. There’s several strands of the plot to keep track of, but the author does a good job of helping to keep everything organized and tied together.

I didn’t guess the ending - it was a great ending to the story and things were tied up nicely. Perhaps we may see these characters again in the future - there’s some open-ended ness there and I wouldn’t mind it. I liked Rose and Ellie, the cop. They were a good team and really complemented each other’s personalities.

If you like gothic or atmospheric stories, make sure to pick up a copy of this book. Also fans of intrastate mysteries will enjoy it as well.

Highly recommended!

This was a creepy, suspenseful gothic tale. Jo Furniss did a fantastic job with the setting and created an atmosphere of unease throughout the story. My one gripe is that there was not enough interaction between the characters. I never got a full picture of the relationships between Rose and Dylan, Dylan and his mother, etc.

The true definition of a gothic tale. A crumbling mansion, secrets and mystery surrounds Rose as she moves into her husbands estate. As she tries to make sense of what's happening around her, everyone seems to know but her. What really happened 20 years ago?

I liked this tale...it was dark and twisty. It had an ending I didn't quite see.

This suspenseful tale set in England had Gothic vibes throughout, I couldn't put it down! Psychological suspense with a creepy house, gossiping neighbors, dark and stormy weather, secrets galore!

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you Kate Rock Book Tours for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Last To Know
By: Jo Furniss


REVIEW ☆☆☆☆

Dylan and Rose Kynaston make a big life change, moving from Nigeria to Shropshire and Hurtwood House. Dylan grew up in this place, and it's immediately clear to Rose that he and his family have a jaded and controversial past and history with Hurtwood and its townspeople. The name Kynaston is spoken with fear and reverie. Whatever it is, Rose is "The Last To Know."

Before long, an archeological dig near the house unearths human remains. Sgt. Ellie Trevelyan gets involved working it as a cold case. Something tragic happened here twenty years ago, and Rose is determined to find out what happened. There are secrets and lies at every turn with some great unexpected twists. Rose is a sympathetic character because she uprooted her life just to end up in this weird frustrating situation.

The Last To Know is an intriguing mystery. Jo Furniss creates an eerie tableaux of creepiness and strangeness. All of this adds up to an atmospheric vibe that totally works. The story, narrated alternately by Rose and Ellie, is slow going at first, but it does pick up later. The second half outshone the first, and the ending was satisfying. Overall, I enjoyed this story and would recommend it for a good mystery read.

After years of working in Nigeria, Dylan decides to move back home to Shropshire with his wife, Rose, and their young son, Aled. They return to his old family home, a massive estate, where his mother Gwendoline still lives, and they take up residence in a cottage on the land.

Rose tries to settle in to countryside life, but soon realizes that for a variety of reasons, and a million secrets, Dylan’s family are despised by the locals. This seems like a fantastic opportunity for her to use her journalistic skills to uncover the truth about the young boy who died on the estate 20 years ago. Was it suicide? Was it an accident? Was he killed?

Had the story mainly focused around that, I think it would have bene fine in and of itself; however, we then had some backfill story about Mogadishu that never went anywhere, an ex-love of Rose’s that never went anywhere, two individuals battling dementia that only seemed to really be relevant to one storyline, another body discovered, police involvement, multiple characters, marital problems, a random accident and a reclusive rich man who seems to occasionally pop up and doesn’t do much …

Personally, it all became a bit of a mess for me, and I lost interest just before halfway through. I ploughed on, and whilst many of the story elements were resolved, some just felt dropped, and others had little relevance.

The Stars
I was tempted to give this a two, because it just felt untidy throughout; however, the writing of scenery etcetera created a lovely dark, gloomy and atmospheric setting, and on some levels, this really did save it. Overall though, I found this to be quite a disappointing and disjointed read.

From a very tense opening scene to the breath-taking ending, The Last to Know is a brilliant portrayal of a family wrestling with secrets old and new. Intriguing story that kept me gripped. A cold police case intertwined with fascinating local myths, and beautifully written descriptions of the English countryside.

Rose and Dylan Kynaston, both journalists, move to the English countryside back to Dylan's childhood home. When they arrive on the English countryside, they land in the middle of a twenty year mystery. Jo Furniss describes the countryside in such a manner that you feel as if you are right there on the hillside with the manor and the main characters. The back and forth nature of the different characters and their points of view assist in rounding out the story and the mystery that haunts the town and the Kynaston family from 20 years prior. I found the suspense of the mystery to keep me wanting to turn the pages and help solve the mystery with Rose.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jo Furniss and KateRock Book Tours for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

EXCERPT: It is a well known fact that a squire built a great house on land as had been cursed.

A prosperous well sat upon this land, which gave water to the village - until the squire put a stop to it. Some say he let the peasants come but charged them a ha'penny for what the Lord gives freely. Either way, his avarice pleased the devil, who rewarded the squire with more water, enough to sate all his appetites.

And the prosperous well overflowed.

And the river burst her banks.

And the squire was washed down to serve his grim master.

It is said that e'er the Grim's Holm floods, the devil thirsts for a new servant.

Torn out page, pasted into Gwendoline Kynaston's journal.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: American journalist Rose Kynaston has just relocated to the childhood home of her husband, Dylan, in the English village of his youth. There’s a lot for Rose to get used to in Hurtwood. Like the family’s crumbling mansion, inhabited by Dylan’s reclusive mother, and the treacherous hill it sits upon, a place of both sinister folklore and present dangers.

Then there are unwelcoming villagers, who only whisper the name Kynaston—like some dreadful secret, a curse. Everyone knows what happened at Hurtwood House twenty years ago. Everyone except Rose. And now that Dylan is back, so are rumors about his past.

When an archaeological dig unearths human remains on the hill, local police sergeant Ellie Trevelyan vows to solve a cold case that has cast a chill over Hurtwood for decades.

As Ellie works to separate rumor from facts, Rose must fight to clear the name of the man she loves. But how can Rose keep her family safe if she is the last to know the truth?

MY THOUGHTS: Loved this atmospheric and slightly creepy story. Loved this so much that I read it overnight. And now I want to read everything else that this author has written.

What is not to like? There is a crumbling old house, an elderly woman who may or may not have dementia, unsolved mysteries, deaths and disappearances from the past, rumours, secrets and lies.

Coming home is meant to feel good, safe, comforting. But for Dylan Kynaston (Nasty Boy), it means returning to an ancient home with a dubious past, inhabited by his mother who may be senile and who has been living like a hermit since her husband, now deceased (it is said he died of shame), was implicated in the death of a boy in his care who had been abused. His arrival, with wife Rose and son Aled, coincides with the return of an old love interest Meredith ('strange how they both gravitated back to Hurtwood. Like nails drawn to a magnet.'), and the flooding of the Grim Holm for the first time in twenty years. The forces of evil are gathering. Or is it just that it is time for the truth to be exposed? Along with a few more bodies.

Furniss's characters are extraordinarily well defined. None of them are over the top, all are relatable and realistic. Her narrative flows easily, and the descriptions of the Shropshire countryside is superb. I have never been there, living on the other side of the world, but I could see it all.

There's an inherent creepiness that seeps through her writing, more implied than overt, which is just the way I like it. Furniss makes great use of local legend Mistress Payne, whose ghost must be welcomed into your house if you wish to avoid ill fortune. Even the names of places: the Long Drop, site of a presumed suicide, Grim Holm, and Hurtwood certainly don't inspire visions of blue skies and carefree days.

There was nothing I disliked about The Last to Know. It captivated me and held me in thrall from beginning to end.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#TheLasttoKnow #NetGalley

'People in small towns carry a grudge like a genetic condition. You kick one person in the shins, and half the town limps.'

THE AUTHOR: After spending a decade as a broadcast journalist for the BBC, Jo Furniss gave up the glamour of night shifts to become a freelance writer and serial expatriate. Originally from the United Kingdom, she spent seven years in Singapore and also lived in Switzerland and Cameroon.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Lake Union Publishing via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Last to Know by Jo Furniss for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

While the book isn't one I would have chosen to purchase it was still very well written and I look forward to exploring other books by Furniss. However, I will say that the Jane Eyre references were a it heavy handed but did not detract from the overall plot.

This was my first read of this author, and I really enjoyed the book. It was told in first person point of view by Rose Kynaston, a MC and American journalist, as well as in third person. It took me a minute to get used to that but once I did, it was all good.

Rose and her husband Dylan go back to his home in England, to the Hurtwood House. Immediately the reader begins to question what is going on. The house presents some questionable occurrences, and Dylan's mother Gwendoline is shadowed by a lot of mystery and eerie behavior. Add to this a little six year old boy, Aled, and the reader is likely to become concerned for his well-being.

I was invested in all of the characters, including Aled who really added a lot to my hunger to discover the truth about all the secrets, because this book has secrets, cold cases, old flames, and a return to a home that may or may not have been a good idea. There is even an archaeological dig that digs us "Indian Bones" adding more mystery to the secrets of the past.

I want to thank NetGalley, Jo Furniss, and Lake Union Publishing for a free copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions in this review are mine.

Rating: 4
Genre: Suspense
Would I recommend it? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes
First off I want to thank the publisher Lake Union Publising as well as Netgalley for letting me read and review this, because with out them I wouldn't have picked it up might not have gave it a try otherwise. What first got my attention was the the title and as well as the cove, and that get me every time , there's something about the title or the cover that makes me want to pick it and read and with this one i'm glade I took the change to request it. Because right from the story it had me wanting to know what happened and what was going to happen next , its was everything I was hoping it would it would, and that was that the setting would give it that creepy feeling as well as been well written and that the pace would keep me turning pages. As for the story itself the more your read it becomes apparent that everyone in this town has secrets they are still trying to hide and that they will do anything to kept in the dark, and while the story is slow in some places I actually liked it that way and it made it even more creepy , it give it the vibe of been some what gothic .

This was an interesting story about family, love and home - about leaving as a young man and coming back home a man with a wife and family. It's about long held secrets and mistakes made in your youth. It's a good mystery, one that I didn't guess the elements or moving parts until I was almost at the end. The author did a good job of flushing out characters and a town and its gossip, assumptions and long held secrets. I enjoyed it.

Rose and her husband Dylan move back to his childhood town, which isn't quite what Rose was expecting. Her mother-in-law seems to be suffering from dementia, her husband's surname causes unfriendly reactions in the town, and there are very few career options for her. In making the best of things, she gets drawn into a mystery from her husband's childhood - and then human remains are found near their home.

This is an enjoyable, small-town mystery/psychological thriller, and the combined investigative efforts of Rose and police officer Ellie (we get POV chapters from both) serve to move the narrative forward at a good pace. There are some plot points that are dwelt on and then never progress - an event in Rose's past comes up repeatedly, and then never goes anywhere, for example. A satisfying read nonetheless.