A very dark mystery, set in  the gloomy remote English countryside, when an American journalist Rose, settles there with her native husband and their small son. She learns quickly, that the town’s folk aren’t fans of Dylan’s family, after a young boy’s suspicious death 20 years ago, which placed his father, a well known soccer manager, into suspicion. And after they arrive, several other remains are discovered, resulting in a full blown investigation of their family and fears for her family.
Jo Furniss is a very talented mystery writer, as I found with her previous novel, The Trailing Spouse. Interesting characters and twisted plots make for a chilling read! This story had that and much more intrigue.
My thanks to #LakeUnionPublishing, #NetGalley and #JoFurness for the ARC.
All opinions are my own. Read it, you won’t be disappointed!

The best kind of mysteries are ones that are centered around a large, spooky house, possibly haunted by ghosts, but definitely haunted by the past. Enter the newest thriller, The Last to Know by Jo Furniss. Not only is there a house set on medieval property, there are local legends and lore, family secrets, old-fashioned detective work, investigative journalism, and so much more. 

Jo weaves a marvelous drama, from the histories of an infamous family in a small town to the perilous beginnings of a romantic relationship set in a war-torn country, you’ll travel the world within these 318 pages. Throughout all of this, you’re witness to the formidable and intricate bond between mother and son, father and daughter, parent and child. 

Numerous surprises and revelations at every turn make this novel a page-turner that you will not want to put down. 

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for my copy. The opinions are my own.

This is the type of book that you can't put down. I kept saying to myself 'five more minutes" and I will go to bed. Time flew  by because I was so engrossed in this book.

The gothic setting of this book had me right away - a supposed haunted house set upon an historical site, in rural England, in gloomy weather - perfect for a suspense based on family tragedy and lies. 
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After moving to her husband’s ancestral home in England, Rose instantly knows that something isn’t right. She quickly uncovers that Dylan’s family is surrounded in suspicion after the death of a young boy over twenty years ago. Shortly after arriving, an archeological dig on the family property finds human remains and Dylan’s family is once again thrust into the spotlight and the local police begin to dig into the past. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that many lies were told, lives lost and families ruined - and the local police sergeant, Ellie, is determined to solve the crimes that have haunted this small town for decades. 
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The perspective switches from Rose to Ellie in each chapter which is the perfect way to understand both the present and the past and the view of the family and the police investigation. The gothic setting is excellent at giving you all the mysterious and creepy vibes. Closing in to the end of the book, I was still left guessing at the ‘whodunnit’. That said, the book was a little slow through the first half and many of the side stories seemed pointless and confusing while simply not adding any value to the main plot line. Sometimes less is just better. Overall, it was a good read that will keep you guessing - or at least it did for me. Thank you to the author and publisher, along with @katerockbooktours for the copy for my honest review. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.
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Great character development and plenty of action, mystery, past secrets and suspense is a great formula for a book that I didn't want to put down.  The writing flowed beautifully and made me feel less conscious of the fact that many of the terms used in the story I wasn't familiar with since I am not from the UK and haven't done any studying or research about the UK.  I did look up the unfamiliar terms as I read the book so learned a few new things.  I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

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. Then there's the unwelcoming villagers who only whisper the name Kynaston - like some kind of dreadful secret, a curse.

The story is narrated by Rose and the senior Sergeant Ellie Trevelyan who wants to get to the bottom of the case that still haunts her. Years ago a young football player fell off a cliff and died. Now, bones have been unearthed belonging to someone else.  There's lots of twists and I did not expect the ending. The first half of the book the pace is slow but it picks up in the second half. We learn everything we needed to know about the characters as the book is descriptivley written. It could be a bit confusing at times. This is an enjoyable read. 

I would like to thank NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and the author Jo Furniss for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Last to Know is a thriller with lots of secrets to uncover as the story unfolds!  Rose, Dylan, and their son, Aled, move away from Nigeria to live in Hurtwood House, Dylan's family home in Shropshire, England.  It's quickly apparent to Rose that Dylan's family is not well-liked, and there are tons of rumors floating around about his family.  Rose, a journalist, finds out that there was a mysterious death, ruled an accident, but that the town hasn't forgotten about, or believed the final ruling of accidental death.  THEN, the body of another young boy is discovered on the grounds!  This discovery really pushes the story into a fast-paced timeline where Rose is racing to find answers before the blame falls on her husband.

I did enjoy the main story of this book.  I thought it had some great twists that kept me turning the pages, and I liked the unreliable characters.  I liked the way Rose researched what happened and what was happening.  I did struggle with some of the side plots that didn't seem to truly have any impact on the main story.  I would have liked to see those removed, or reduced in length.  The main story was enough without these additions.

Overall, I thought this book had an excellent main plot that was exciting and easy to read!  I would recommend this for readers that enjoy a psychological thriller where you don't know who or what to believe!

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free.  I am leaving my review voluntarily.

I’m so sorry but I just could not get into this book. I tried. I read almost half before finally giving up. I would read, put it down, pick back up and try again, to no avail. I just could not enjoy it. 

Thank you to #NetGalley, #LakeUnion for this ARC. I’m so very sorry that I just didn’t enjoy this book.

I’ll give it 3/5 stars only because I didn’t finish and that is only fair. I can’t recommend it though.

What really happened all those years ago?  Rose and Dylan Kynaston return to the UK from Africa. It's an adjustment to be sure but little did Rose know what she would find.  Years ago a young soccer star fell off a cliff and died.  Now, bones of another have been unearthed.  The people in town turn their heads and point their fingers at Dylan but Rose doesn't want to believe he had anything to do with it.  Problem is, his mother Gwendoline, who knows something, is suffering from dementia and Dylan isn't talking.  It's a well done mystery which is somewhat diminished by some plot threads than go nowhere (the Africa portion- geez I kept waiting for this to tie in somehow).  Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

My thanks to Lake Union Publishing, Netgalley and the author, Jo Furniss.
I loved this story. The Shropshires, the history and the downright oddness of some people was exactly what I wanted!
I was hesitant to request this book from Netgalley. I have read one other book from this author and..? I'm happy to say that Ms. Furniss has hit her groove!
Rock on, woman! 
This book was like butter! Smooth, and kinda slick. I was surprised by how quickly the end came. For me?There wasn't one.single bit of wasted time.
Now I'm definitely interested in the next story from this woman.

I really enjoyed this book and will give it a huge thumbs up.  With a great story line and excellent main characters - I would highly recommend this book.

This was a great read! Very fast paced and I loved the British location. I found myself flipping the pages because i had to know what happened. Looking forward to more from this author!

The Last to Know is better than your average thriller, with suspense so thick you could cut it with a knife. The plot is one that has been done a thousand times--a couple returns to a childhood home that is hiding many secrets from the past--but Jo Furniss gives it her own spin that is interesting and enjoyable to read, even if it is predictable. I was so intrigued that I flew through the book in a few short hours. If you like books where a family's past comes back to haunt them, this is a must-read for you.

I was intrigued by the description of this one, and took a chance on a new author and requested this one on Netgalley. I had no idea I would be so blown away by it. 

First of all, let me say I am a sucker for a decaying manor house and a rural British setting. I adore atmospheric, suspenseful reads with those elements. 

I loved this one. It was well-written, with an intricately plotted premise and vividly written characters. I was engrossed in the story and couldn’t put it down. I particularly liked how the Somalia backstory was incorporated. 

Fabulous debut. I can’t wait to see what this author writes next! Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my complimentary copy.

Secrets Have Consequences. When you're the last person to know a secret, the community around the secret has a way of feeling a bit dense. When you think you know the secret, but there are even deeper secrets behind the secret, you can find yourself wondering "what if". This was a strong look at these ideas, and felt a bit similar at times to Douglas Preston and Lincoln Childs' Still Life With Crows, or at least that was the connection my Autistic mind made somehow. Truly a great book, and very much recommended.

I'd like to thank the author, publisher and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Overall, I enjoyed this book.  It was just enough different from other books out in print that I was curious to see where the author was taking us.  The opening with the family returning to the family mansion on a rainy night was a different twist.  I was instantly curious to see why Dylan's mother would turn the family away and send them off to a cottage on the property, rather than welcoming them into the family home.  I had to wonder what was hiding in the house, what could be wrong in the house, to make this mother who hadn't seen her son in so many years, had never met her daughter in law or grand son, send them back out into the cold wind and rain.  Overall, it wasn't the homecoming Dylan had hoped for. 

So, I was drawn in from the beginning.  As the story continued on I still wanted those questions answered.  It was a quick read, becasue I was curious to see what was next.  

There were a few bits that felt a little unnecessary - like filler.  The backstory of how Dylan and Rose first met - the story line didn't really feel like it fit in with the story and it distracted me from the main plot.  

This was my first book by Jo Furniss and I enjoyed it.  I'll be looking for more books by this author.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.

This was a great story about secrets and lies. I enjoyed the book but found some elements a little frustrating - for example there was a lot more background on how Rose and Dylan met than there was on other, more relevant parts of the story. And some very American spellings which stood out in a book set in England, written by a UK author.

The timetable/alarm clock details from the notebook were so incredibly sad and I thought that was the best written part of the book.

Definitely worth a read.

With a combination of unsolved murders, a creepy haunted house in the English countryside, and multiple characters who could be guilty, The Last to Know has all of the pieces of a dynamic thriller. 

Dylan, Rose and Aled Kynaston relocate from Africa to Dylan's childhood home in the English countryside. Shortly after settling in, Rose discovers that the home, and her mother-in-law, are the source of many rumors and myths in town. Their last name is associated with tragedy and murder. Determined to clear her family name from decades-old unsolved mysteries, Rose begins to unearth secrets that the town has been keeping. But has human rains are discovered on their property, the Kynaston family secrets must be unearthed in order to prove their innocence.

This novel is so beautifully written. The way Jo Furniss is able to weave timeless advice within the story is truly a gift. I found myself rushing through the pages to find out what happened. I suspected every character in the book at least once. And the ending was a thrilling twist that satisfied my theories.

Rose moves with her son and her husband to his childhood home in England. What Rose doesn’t know is that her husband’s family is associated with one of the biggest scandals the village has ever had. Then bodies are discovered on the property and Rose has to find out what happened all those years ago. I thought this was a very interesting and suspenseful mystery.

I did enjoy this book. I had a difficult time getting into the story however. I enjoyed the characters and plot. I appreciate the opportunity from NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and Jo Furniss for the opportunity to read this book.