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.

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