First of all, thank you so much to Jo Furness, Lake Union Publishing, Kate Rock Book Tours, and Netgalley for this haunting ghost story that comes out August 11th. This wasn’t only a ghost story, but also a beautiful tale of love, loss, family, and redemption. It was so well-written and unlike any book I’ve read before. 

This book was about Rose and Dylan, journalists with a harrowing backstory of meeting as captives in Mongolia. They move back to Dylan’s hometown to care for his ailing mother with their son Aled. His childhood home is not only haunted, but also a unique historical site. More than that Dylan’s family has a terrible past and a complex history. Rose wants to get to the bottom of what happened in the past and what is currently happening with her family. 

Thoughts: I enjoyed the beautiful writing in this story. It was very unique and completely caught my attention. The premise was one of a kind and brought in a lot of elements that created an interesting story. This story was a mix of a gothic novel and a current mystery. I loved Rose and the other main character, Ellie. The language did bog me down a bit and there were too many metaphors and similes for my taste. There could have been a few parts removed because they didn’t add too much, but the story was interesting and I give it 4-stars!

THE LAST TO KNOW by Jo Furniss is a solid thriller! We follow the main character, Rose, as she uncovers some secrets kept by her husband and his family. The book picks up at around 50% and the last half was great as we finally get to the reveal. The point of view switches between Rose in first person and then to another character Ellie in third person which was a little bit confusing at times. I really liked the mystery aspects of the plot but the characters especially the main character, Rose, weren’t compelling to me.
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Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for my advance reader’s copy!

A murder mystery set in rural Shropshire, where all is not what it seems...

The book opens as Rose, her husband Dylan and their son Aled, return to England to set up home at his family's residence following life in South Africa.

The book is very atmospheric, I felt as if the whole thing was surrounded in thick fog and inclement weather most of the time, which adds to it's air of menace and foreboding.  With a cast of characters who are in parts frustrating and menacing, the book keeps you on the edge of your seat as it hurtles to it's conclusions about who was involved in the death of a boy 20 years before.

I really liked the character of Ellie Trevelyan, who is dealing with the end of her police career, and the dementia of her father.  Dementia is a recurring theme of the book as it becomes apparent that Dylan's mother is also living with the disease.

I also enjoyed the ghostly story and myth of Mistress Payne, it added to the overall creepiness of the surroundings.

There were some elements of the plot which were probably a bit unnecessary, for example the Mogadishu storyline which didn't seem to go anywhere, and the frequent mentions of Rose's ex boyfriend, which didn't add any relevance to the drama.

The final scenes were suitably dramatic, although 'in real life' I do question how long someone can survive in a fire.  That said, overall I enjoyed the book, which is why I'm giving it 4 stars.  

One tiny thing that did irritate me more than it probably should - most of the characters were English, and the book was set in an English town, only Rose was an American character.  However the book used American spellings throughout eg the word pedophile scrawled on a wall.  I found that inconsistent with the story.

I will be sharing this review on my Instagram blog, ginandphonicsbookclub, and on Amazon on publication day.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy, in return for an honest review of the book.

Thank You NetGalley/Publisher & Author for this eARC!

This review is entirely my own....

This book is a 2 POV story told by Rose & Ellie.
The family moves from Africa to Rose's husband hometown in England. 
Both of them being journalist start to uncover the dark secret of the Kynaston family. 

I wasn't a big fan of this book. There were a lot of missing pieces. 
The story was very well written but it just wasn't what I thought it would be.

This book is pretty decent. Not a standout, but not bad either. Solidly middle of the road, but still a good read

Everyone knows but Rose!
It all begins with Rose and Dylan returning to his childhood home that wasn't so welcoming.
His mother seems to suffer from dementia while the villagers seem to be whispering like a curse around them using the name,"Kynaston."
An archaelogical dig turns up a devastating situation that leads to more hurt in Hurtwood for police sergeant Ellie Trevelyan.
That moment arrives when you would do anything to save not only your husband's name but your families reputation ...but what if that's not a possibility any longer?
A good read but not quite my cup of tea.
Hoping this will suit you better ...
Thank you to Jo, the pub, NetGalley, and Amazon Kindle for this ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Overall I enjoyed this book - it started out a little slow,  but once things got rolling, the story took off and became much more gripping.   I couldn’t put the book down until I had figured out, once and for all.  There was one shortfall for me personally I found there to be too many plot line going at once it made things confusing at some points.  I think the author did a great job at weaving them all together but I will admit I was lost a few times but was able to pull myself out and pick up where I left off.  I enjoyed the writing nonetheless and look forward to reading what's next!

It's all a bit Rebecca this - you marry a man, move into his family's old home only to find that there's a formidable woman there who views you with suspicion, there are secrets that no one seems to want to reveal, and the walls seem to have even more secrets within. That's before they dig up the garden and find a definite secret which has been there for some time!

A good novel this one. Gothic with that keen sense of foreboding throughout.. The novel read just as the cover and title suggest. Very apt and very atmospheric.

#TheLasttoKnow #NetGalley
I wasn't truly pulled into the story till almost its second half. Afterwards it hooked me and kept me guessing till the end. The writing style was good and engaging, except few expressions that was a little bit confusing to me. I loved the setting of the novel not just the old mansion, the cottage and the surroundings, the setting reminded me of classic Agatha Christie style books. 
In the very last chapter, Rose said " I close my eyes and smell home", for the whole book she was struggling with belonging and settling. And she didn't feel home when first living in her husband's home. I was glad to see that the Author's note declared that this book is really about home, not only murder,lies and secrets.
We have Dylan, who left his home 20 years ago to escape a reputation, guilt and enduring his mother's disappointment. Working as a reporter he traveled around the world till he settles back 20 years later to the home he previously escaped though the things he escaped remains still.
And there is Rose, an army kid who also traveled around with her father, then chose to travel to escape a reputation then traveled some more to escape her own shame, guilt and feeling fooled. 
Gwendoline, never left her mansion though clearly she wasn't home after what happened 20 years earlier.
Thanks NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing a free copy for review.

I liked this book - there were a lot of things that kept my attention including the haunted mansion ("make yourself at home"...sooo creepy!!), the mysterious deaths, and Rose's mother-in-law (is she going senile? is it an act?). I felt bad for Rose, moving to an unfamiliar town where her husband and his family are hated. I thought the author did a nice job alternating between Rose's perspective and that of Sergeant Ellie Trevelyan. It allowed the reader to get bits and pieces of past events until everything becomes clear at the end. 

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing a copy for review.

The last to know is a book that keeps you guessing "who dun it".it is narrated by two characters-Rose, the classic reporter, desperate to get to the bottom of the case that is still affecting her family, and the senior Sergeant Ellie who wants to put to rest the only case that still haunts her.The book starts out slow but slowly picks up the pace and finishes strong.The writing is impressive and engaging.

Thank You Netgalley,the author and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review #TheLastToKnow

Rose and Dylan Kynaston both work in television production and they meet on location in Africa. They return to Dylan’s childhood home, Hurtwood House in Shropshire with their young son Aled. It soon becomes clear that Dylan’s mother Gwendoline is suffering from dementia as her behaviour is strange from their arrival. The Kynaston family are very unpopular in the town of Hurtwood and when Dylan returns the rumour mill starts again. Following an archeological dig close to their property which uncovers human remains the past and present collide for the Kynaston family. The story is told by Rose and Sgt Ellie Trevelyan who assists the investigation. 

The first part of the book I find to be disjointed and confusing as several competing storylines makes it much more complicated than it needs to be. Rose hints at events that happen in Africa which I feel do not need inclusion as it doesn’t really lead anywhere especially as the interesting part of the novel is the events in and around Hurtwood.. Once the book gets into its stride and and the focus is on Hurtwood House and the town past and present it’s really good. The premise and plot surrounds the past catching up with you and the secrets, lies and cover ups surfacing. There’s a creepy, ghostly element at the house and the legend of Mistress Payne which gives the story a Gothic feel which is well depicted. There are enjoyable sections that are gripping and mysterious. The characters of Ellie and Jim Trevelyan and Gwendoline and Rose Trevelyan are particularly good. Both Jim and Gwendoline have dementia and I like how the author conveys this and makes them an integral part of the storytelling as they both try to convey their observations which adds another dimension of intrigue. Once the secrets unravel everything they say makes sense it’s just a matter of correctly interpreting. There are some very good descriptions which enables scenes and the area to come alive. 

Although I can see the ending is exciting it never ceases to amaze me that fictional characters have time to talk as events such as fire rage around them - exciting maybe, plausible no. There are other aspects of the ending that I’m less keen on too as certain things are not well hidden and could have revealed the truth much earlier. 

Overall, despite reservations it’s mostly  enjoyable. I really like how the past weaves with the present and  a lot of the book is gripping but not all sections entirely work for me. 

3-4 rounded down. 

With thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC.

I actually really enjoyed the book overall but I did have a couple of gripes with it. Dylan and Rose Kynaston and their 5 year old son, Aled, travel from Nigeria, where they have been working for some years as journalists, to Hurtwood in Shropshire, England. They arrive at the family pile, Hurtwood House on Grim’s Holm on a dark and stormy night only to be brusquely turned away by Gwendoline Kynaston (Dylan’s mother) and sent to stay in the cottage on the extensive grounds. If the author was going for a gothic vibe, the opening and much of the rest of the book certainly gave a somewhat gothic air.

Rose finds out quickly that the Kynaston name is hated in the area, ever since young Kenny Bale died falling off a cliff there. Stanley Kynaston was a soccer coach and talent scout and was training Kenny for big things. The death was ruled accidental but information uncovered during the investigation indicated that Kenny was being sexually abused and everyone thought that Stanley was the culprit although Kenny never named the guilty party. Stanley died shortly after the boy so pretty much case closed. But the townspeople have long memories.

As the story progresses Rose, being a journalist and all, tries to find out what really happened to the boy. By then too, it becomes apparent that everyone in this story has secrets they are still trying to hide, including Rose. Things heat up when, during an archaeological dig on the property, the skeleton of another young boy is unearthed. Gwendoline, too, has secrets but is suffering from early stage dementia so it hard to know what to believe.

I did enjoy this but there was a whole side plot about what happened in Mogadishu, where Rose and Dylan first met, that added nothing to the story. In fact I think it diminished the whole story somewhat. There is also a former boyfriend of Rose’s who pops up but contributes nothing to the plot. I didn’t think it was very creepy but I never do and others may find it more so. I did, however, think there was a sense of unease throughout which worked well. The ending was quite tense. There were still a couple of things I would have preferred to be clarified but overall a very good story which would have rated higher without the distracting plot elements. Thanks to Netgalley, Lake Union Publishing and Jo Furniss for providing this copy for review.

I picked the perfect weekend to read The Last to Know, it was dark and gloomy outside, rain pouring down, truly miserable, the ideal weather for reading a good spooky mystery.

It’s never easy to be a stranger in a new town, especially one where everyone knows who you are and they know all about who you are with and where you are staying.  Rose Kynaston is experiencing first hand the looks and cold welcomes of the residents of Hurtwood.

Recently moved to the area with her husband Dylan and young son Aled, Rose settles in to her life in a cottage beside Hurtwood House, Dylan’s childhood home.  Hurtwood House is the residence of Gwendoline Kynaston, Dylan’s cold and distant mother who is viewed by the town residents as being ever so eccentric.  

The young family try to make their gloomy cottage more homely and Rose takes tentative steps to integrate herself with the town residents.  However the Kynaston name is not well thought of in the area and Rose is tarred with the same brush.  

Ever the journalist, she begins digging in to why her husbands family are viewed as pariahs and uncovers the death of a young boy near to Hurtwood House twenty years previously, a death blamed on Dylan’s late father Stanley.  When a TV crew filming an archaeological dig uncover another body near to the house and again the fingers start pointing towards the Kynastons, Rose starts to fear that the family she has married in to are hiding more secrets than she can deal with.

This story is also told from the POV of Ellie Trevelyan, a veteran of the local police who finds herself revisiting the tragic death of twenty years ago, is there a link to the recently uncovered body? 

Rose and Ellie discover a spiders web of truth and lies going back many years, can they uncover the truth before somebody else gets hurt?

I really enjoyed this book, the setting was perfect for the plot, it was suitably dark and gloomy with the eerie Hurtwood House and its general spookiness taking centre stage.  It’s really important to me that I can build a detailed picture of the setting and that was definitely here in spades.

The back story of how Dylan and Rose met is touched upon, they met as kidnapped journalists in Africa, I would have liked to have heard a little bit more about that.

All in all a great read full of twists and turns and it’ll keep you guessing until the end.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Definitely a good old fashioned mystery. I loved this more laid back writhing as well as the alternating view points. I loved watching clues appear. I loved this from page one to three end

I was excited about this read because the cover and title seemed intriguing. I also find myself gravitating toward the mystery/thrillers as of late. I was pleased to read a novel set in a different country from the United States (in this case, the UK). While I was satisfied with the ending, there was a lot left to be desired from this novel. I felt it was trying to do too much. The references to the characters' experience in Mogadishu seemed far-fetched and contributed little to the plot. There was a plethora of characters who I feel were described in a surface-level fashion making it difficult for me to become invested and attached. What descriptions did exist included the overuse of similes and metaphors, which I found disjointed. There was so much bleakness to this story that I found it a relief to finish it. The plot did not ramp up enough for me to achieve that edge-of-my-seat feeling that I expected from a suspenseful novel. 

With several skillful authors of mystery/thriller out there today, I would reach for many more books before choosing this one again. While my disappoint is apparent, I would consider reading Furniss's debut novel in hope of a better reader experience.

A gripping read that actually kept me guessing until the end- a real rarity! Fast paced, I loved the opposing stances of Ellie a detective sergeant and Rose, the daughter in law, of the man at the centre of the story- villain or misunderstood?  Well written, I galloped through this book.

If you want a book to keep you guessing throughout 'who done it'....this is the book for you.  The Last to Know kept the suspense going through every twist and turn, never knowing the true identity of each of the characters and the two female's who solve a twenty year old case.  Rose, the classic reporter, desperate to get to the bottom of the case that is still affecting her family, and the senior Sergeant Ellie who wants to put to rest the only case that still haunts her.

I love books that leave me speechless. Proper speechless. It takes a lot for this chatterbox to be lost for words. It’s even less common for an author to manage to fix new words into my mind, beautiful quotes that reach my core and stay there. I’ll also admit Jo Furniss expanded both my vocabulary (a dream for any language lover) with perfectly formed descriptive paragraphs that never carried the weight of unnecessary details, and my reader’s mind with an intricate and tightly knotted plot that my eyes and fingers followed with relish. 

In case it is not crystal clear to you yet, I loved The Last To Know. 

The first lines drew me in and the narrative didn’t let go until the very last word. If you believe a prologue is never a good idea, check out how this novel opens! 

This story is told through two very different perspective, equally fascinating. 
One voice belongs to Rose Kynaston; American, journalist, woman, wife, mother. Rose has followed her husband to his childhood village. Everything looks and sounds strange, different, and Rose is wrapped into a fog. Can she make this place her new home? 
The second point of view is from local police sergeant Ellie Trevelyan. The area is her home. Her sick dad was a police officer here before her. All she knows is here. The dark beauty of this part of England has no secrets for her. 
Two sides of a coin. Two women. Their connection: a land and its history. 

Rose first encounter with England knocked the breath out of me. Her sense of standing at the end of the world, in a foreign country, an outsider looking in, resonated with me. It felt as if the gloomy landscape reflected her feelings, making it even harder for her to feel welcome. Dylan’s childhood home doesn’t help either and I couldn’t blame Rose for her lack of enthusiasm! Jo Furniss’ flair to hook the reader and transport them to a place and time in a few words is impressive, but it was the way she got me invested in her characters that really made me fall entirely in love with this book. 

Don’t tell me you’ve never fall so hard for a crime fiction novel that you carry the story and its protagonists with you long after you’ve finished reading. If it never happened to you, that’s another reason you NEED to read The Last To Know. Let me explain a little more… 

At first sight, Rose and Ellie are polar opposite. 
Rose is married, has agreed to relocate to her husband’s old house, and is the proud mother of a clever boy. She sounds like so many ordinary women around the world. Her being American brings a little exotic side to her. Okay, I admit I really liked this detail, only because one, I related to Rose as a foreigner in the UK, and two, because no matter who their president is, I’m always happy to get an American POV. It’s a personal preference. 
Ellie has seen the worst a career in the police force can offer. She is haunted by the cases she worked on. Her life is bare albeit for what makes her heart both hurt and pump furiously: her job. Devoted daughter, she cares for her father whose mental state is declining every day. Yet, they have more in common that meets the eye. They both have survived dangerous situations, and are living with the ghosts that come with them. They are courageous and driven, something that links them without their knowledge. Most importantly, they are both looking for home. 

Because The Last To Know, despite being a crime fiction, with a superb plot and enough tension to make me eat all the candy in the house, is first and foremost an hymn to our roots and what they make of us. Rose and Ellie are trapped in the past, for different reasons. How can you settle if you keep looking back? 

If Rose thought Hurtwood house felt threatening and Dylan’s mother scary on the edge, it is nothing compared to the effect her married name has on the inhabitants of the village. The Kynaston dynasty leaves a metallic taste in everyone’s mouth, but no one is willing to let Rose in on the reasons why. Just like Rose, I was first curious, then felt it in my stomach… The key to understand Hurtwood Mansion lay in the past. I was in for some digging!

“No truth in the rumors, but also no smoke without fire. Rumors are like that; hot air requires a source of heat.”

With every hint dropped by the author, ten more questions arose. If I wondered how Rose and Ellie’s paths would cross, I soon got a picture. Blurry, but firmly anchored in the place. Dylan’s father had been involved in a scandal, and a new case forcing Ellie to reopen old wounds ignited a spark that got my pulse racing. I am torn. I wish I could go into details, dissect every word, every chapter, and point exactly what made me tick, what made me cringe, what makes The Last To Know a true crime fiction, and more. But I will not. It kills me but I hate spoilers! The mystery is thick enough to keep you awake at night. The stunningly wrought plot is rendered twice as efficient thanks to a masterfully crafted characterization of every character present in the novel. You won’t find gritty murders and bloody crime scenes, but Jo Furniss doesn’t need gory scenes to keep you hooked. Rose’s determination to understand what is hidden behind her husband’s history, and Ellie’s tenacity to close her case are the main engine leading the story to an epic finale. Their desire to do what is right based on the information they have is the fuel that lights up the darkness of the village. They must find it in themselves to swim in muddy waters to find what it means to finally, finally be home. 

In a nutshell, The Last To Know is excellent. The writing is impressive; the prose seeps into your heart. Jo Furniss found the way to turn crime into something personal, intimate; a tectonic plate moving in slow motion to reveal the bare truth, wrapped in tension with the tightest knot!

This book started a bit slow for me. It gradually picks up speed and finishes with a bang! It has a good mystery and it kept me guessing who was the guilty one. 
I enjoyed the story! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy