My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️½⭐️ (3.5 stars)

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

It has been a while since I read a good mystery/thriller, and I’m very pleased to say that Furniss’s newest novel fits that description perfectly.

The Last to Know is told from two perspectives: Rose Kynaston, the wife of Dylan Kynaston, a man known infamously in his hometown of Hurtwood as the son of an alleged child-abuser who pushed his victim to commit suicide; and Ellie Trevelyan, a local police sergeant of the soon-to-be-closed Hurtwood police department. Both are trying to solve the cold case of Kenny Bale, the boy who died while under the care of Rose’s father-in-law. But while Rose is trying to clear the name of the family she married into, Ellie believes the Kynaston’s are hiding more than they let on…

This was an overall enjoyable read. While it did start out a little slow, once the ball got rolling a few chapters in, the story itself became much more gripping and I couldn’t put the book down until I had figured out, once and for all, whodunnit.

The storyline itself is slightly complicated – which is not necessarily a bad thing at all when likely the worst insult a mystery/thriller can receive is to be called simple and/or predictable. Furniss manages to weave all these different plot lines together expertly. However, because there are so many different reveals happening all at once regarding multiple different storylines, the culmination of them all together can make the final twists feel slightly underwhelming. Nevertheless, the majority of said plot twists remain unpredictable until the very end of the novel, which makes it a thoroughly enjoyable book.

I read a lot of mystery/thrillers, and when doing so I find it’s always a race to see who can solve the mystery first: the reader or the protagonist. In this novel, with two protagonists working on the case from opposite ends, the reader is subject to more information than one protagonist is on their own, but nevertheless still a step behind the unravelling of the plot itself. This leads to an overall fulfilling tale where the reader is given just enough information to feel rewarded along the way; but without divulging all its secrets until the very end, The Last to Know creates a mostly satisfying, unexpected mystery.

Thank you to the publisher, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me an e-ARC of this book. All thoughts are my own.

Rose Kynaston is a journalist. Originally from America, she and her husband Dylan have worked in Africa for many years but they decide to relocate to Dylan's childhood home in England, the his crumbling house in which his recluse of a mother still lives. While the move alone is quite daunting for Rose, life in his sleepy village becomes even more so when she realises that her husband has secrets which he has not disclosed to her, and about which the villagers often speak. They whisper about past events but Rose learns more than she ever dreamed of knowing when remains of a body are discovered at their home place. This novel is full of suspense and kept me gripped throughout. I liked Rose's character and I also liked Ellie the police officer a lot. The tale was intriguing and I found myself to be invested in the outcome. It was a very enjoyable read.

The story begins with Rose Kynaston, her husband Dylan and their son Aled who have moved back to England to Dylan's old home from Africa, to live with his mother. They met and fell in love in Africa as journalists, and now American Rose needs to adapt to living in chilly, rainy England. The story is also told from the point of view of Police Sergeant Ellie Trevelyan, an excellent officer set to retire, due to her current office being shut down, and her her inability to move to main headquarters, as she cares for her father, a former police detective, who has dementia.

As Rose is doing her best to acclimate to her new home, she finds it to be difficult as her husband's deceased father had an alleged scandal attached to him shortly before his death. 

When events occur that cause a cold case to reopen, Rose decides to use her journalist skills to help clear her husband's name, but can she really do that if she doesn't know the whole story?

The story is written from dual points of view, that of Rose and Sergeant Ellie. The author did an excellent job with developing her characters and the book had a good solid plot. The mystery was wonderful and there were plenty of twists and turns. There was a little surprised at the ending, which I wasn't expecting. I definitely enjoyed this book and totally recommend it to readers that enjoy thrillers.

I would like to thank Jo Furniss, Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Told in alternating chapters by Rose and local police officer Ellie Trevelyan.
A real mystery set in and around the Shropshire town of Hurtwood.
Journalists Dylan and Rose Kynaston relocate from Africa with their young son Aled. Dylan grew up in Hurtwood, but Rose is American and getting used to the ins and outs of small town life in England will take some getting used to. They live in a cottage, in the grounds of Dylan’s family home of Hurtwood House, a huge country house needing lots of renovations sitting on top of a strange man-made hill. Locals think there is a curse on the land.
Ellie Trevelyan has been a police officer all her life, following in the footsteps of her father who is suffering from dementia. 
Dylan’s mother, Gwendoline, is acting strangely. She’s mixed up and secretive and suspected of suffering with dementia too.
There are many rumours about the Kynaston’s in Hurtwood. Dylan’s father, Stanley…a football coach, had allegations of paedophilia made against him after a boy he was coaching died 20 years ago.
As the past is delved into, little snippets come out that I wasn’t expecting. It’s a real mystery.
I found the story very interesting. The descriptions of the area made me feel like I was there. The big house creeped me out a little, with the creaks and doors opening by themselves. 
Cleverly told and eloquently written. 
I think the cover is gorgeous too.
Well-paced and kept me hooked, I thoroughly recommend this book
Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the review copy in which I give my honest opinion.
Will post to my blog on publication day.

The Last to Know follows American journalist Rose after she relocates to England with her husband Dylan. His childhood home is in a small town where people are not keen on his family. Something happened at Hurtwood House many years ago, and everyone knows -except for Rose.

Sometimes when you read novels you think "is this how Americans imagine small villages in England?" but The Last To Know is realistic and relatable. The description of the small village mentality is so accurate. Fine, maybe not all small towns in England have a murder mystery of their own but if they did, it would happen exactly as it is told in this novel, including the treatment towards Rose and her husband's family.

Rose annoyed me sometimes, although I don't know how I would react if I were in her shoes, so ultimately she was speaking her truth and trying to do the right thing based on what she knew. I guess the title of the novel is self-explanatory!

Disclosure: I'd like to thank the publisher for my advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

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Thank you to NetGalley and the Author and publisher for a copy of this ARC.The opinions expressed are my own.

Due to a extended illness I've gotten way behind on my reviews,  so these are going to be short and sweet!

Not a huge fan of this story.., Ok plot, problem holding my inter but the ending was good. The characters were well liked and complex. 
3 stars  recommend if you like mystery.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.
This book took me a bit of time to gain momentum; however, I did enjoy it. I appreciated the gothic elements (one of the things that hooked me from the get-go) and the various POVs (Rose and Ellie). The characters were well developed and the last couple of chapters left me 'flipping pages' with anticipation.

I received a digital arc of the this book for free through Netgalley. All opinions expressed here are that of my own. 

Rose moves to Dylans hometown of Shropshire. The moment she arrives, she doesn’t feel at home. The people in the town seem to all have an aversion to Dylan’s family, and Rose, a reporter by day, is determined to find out why. Even more than that, there are other hands at play. Is Dylan’s family really the “bad guys” or have they just gotten dealt a bad hand. 

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. There are many small stories happening within the larger picture. Something I appreciate very much. There were a lot of characters, which I usually hate because I have an awful memory and have a hard time remembering who’s who.   Jo gives a little clue every time she goes back to another character to jog your memory. Thank you Jo!! 
I really enjoyed Roses character. A woman determined to find out more about her husbands background and if he’s really the man she thinks she married. Then there’s her husband Dylan, is he good or is he bad. Honestly, I didn’t know until the very end. And there’s Dylan’s reclusive mother, is she crazy, does she have Alzheimer’s or is it all just and act to cover up the secrets she keep? You’re gonna have to read it to find out. 😉

Thank You to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC!!

American journalist Rose Kynaston has just relocated to the childhood home of her husband, Dylan, in the English village of his youth. Rose does her best to get accustomed to this new home and lifestyle in Hurtwood. 

To make life more difficult, she witnesses the hostility of the villagers toward her husband's family, even their name, Kynaston, draws whispers and glares. like some dreadful secret, a curse. Everyone knows what happened at Hurtwood House twenty years ago except Rose.

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. 

Rose decides to fight to clear the name of the man she loves, but she cant do that if she is the last to know the truth?

This book is written from the viewpoints of. Rose and Sergeant Ellie Trevelyan, which are two well developed characters. Initially it took me a while to get into the book.but as the book progressed it got more interesting.

It had all the settings of a mystery, the twists were good and the ending was something which I didn't guess. So overall a good book which was enjoyable but not an edge of the seat thriller! But I do think that the title of the book was spot on!!

Dark and delicious. Really enjoyed this book and it kept me hooked well into the night. Great characters and a addictive plot

Kynaston House, a new beginning or a place to meet an untimely end? 

When Rose moves with her son and husband, Dylan Kynaston to his childhood home the journalist in her recognises that life in this English village is one that harbours secrets and resentment but what has that got to do with Kynaston House?
 
Perched on a hill, and surrounded by legend intrigue is further piqued when a team from an archaeology television show unearth unexpected items in the grounds but how did they get there and why? Are the rumours about Dylan’s father true, is the dementia his mother suffers from all an act? With local police Sergeant Ellie Trevelyan following all leads can she uncover truths buried for decades those more recently dug up?

I was new to this author and enjoyed this read that swept along at a fair pace, it just missed something though but I am not sure what. I will definitely look out for more books by this author though.

An excellent read by Jo Furniss.  I was entranced with this novel from the very beginning - from the moody landscape, to the lurking mystery and the sharp-as-whip descriptive prose.  If you appreciate a smart thriller, eloquent composition, or especially if you're a fan of Daphne DuMaurier, then this book is for you.

After many years of living abroad in Africa, Rose is looking forward to settling down to a safe new life in her husband Dylan's family home in the quiet, English countryside, along with their young son, Aled.  However, Rose quickly discerns that the town of Hurtwood, along with the historical Hurtwood House manor, may not be as peaceful as they first seem.  

As Rose works hard to settle in to her new life in her new hometown, she encounters weird occurrences at the manor, and whispers behind her back in town.  She begins to question everything she thought she new about her husband and her child.  But finding the answers she seeks, leads her into dangerous situations.  Can she survive the search for truth?

Well done, Ms. Furniss.  I raise my glass to you!

This was a great story with many dimensions. Many scenarios and characters but it all comes together and surprises the reader. Rose is married to Dylan ( both are journalists) and they go home to his families estate. His father was a soccer coach and accused of sexually abusing a boy on his team. The boy is suspected of committing suicide and the whole town blames Stanley ( Dylan’s father) . Stanley’s wife has become a recluse and has dementia.  Rose is in for more than she bargained for with all that goes on.  I really liked the characters and the hint of a ghost. 
I will be looking for other books by this author..

I think on the surface this one does seem to be just about "Secrets! Lies! and Murder!" (Authors Note), and it is, but it's about so much more.  

It's about small towns and that gossip can destroy us for generations.  It's about willing to believe whatever we are told, sometimes without considering the consequences.  It's about how far we will go to protect those we love.

 I enjoyed the light paranormal aspect and the main secret/mystery.  I also appreciated the Dementia / Alzheimer aspects.  I was however confused by the Mogadishu storyline, I got the part where it shows the character of Dylan, but I didn't really understand the inclusion of Vic.

Overall I thought this was a good mystery and an enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Jo Furniss for being able to read this advanced digital copy of The Last to Know. I’ll start by saying that overall, the book had an interesting storyline. If you are an avid mystery reader, like myself, then you know the mystery that is handed to us has more to the story. I did like that about this book. 

With that being said, I found that this book ultimately had too many storylines to follow. I would have enjoyed the book more if she had stuck to one as opposed adding in more as a red herring. I also would have liked to have seen which character was speaking in the chapter title. Before picking up the story, I only thought that this book was told through Rose’s point of view. It is actually told through Rose and Ellie’s point of view. The characters seemed too similar at times for me to differentiate between the two and I found myself going back to remind myself whose thoughts I was reading. 

This book’s pub date is 8/11/2020

What a mysterious, gripping tale! 
The plot is somewhat slow to unfold but once it does, you won’t be able to put it down! 
This is a duel point of view book following Rose and Ellie. Rose relocated from Africa with her husband Dylan to his hometown and the estate of his mother, which while vast, appears to be on its last legs. Mystery surrounds the family and strange happenings occur within the old house. All the while, Rose’s mother in law is seemingly distant and cold. 
Ellie is a police sergeant determined to finally solve the mystery of what happened on this property. 
This was a fun read I think many will enjoy.

A bit mystery, a bit spooky haunted mansion, a bit family drama. I did enjoy the story quite a bit, and once the action hit I couldn’t put it down, but  I found the plot was slow to develop through the first half of the book. That being said, it was worth it in the end!

I appreciated that this book touched on Alzheimer’s disease, it’s something I haven’t come across much in the genres I read.

Overall I’m going with 3 stars because of how slow it was to unfold, And because I found there were a few too many meandering paths in the book which took me away from the moment, and turned out not to contribute that much to the plot. But it was an entertaining story with a satisfying end and enough tension and curiosity to keep me hooked.

At first this book did not grip me, I felt that I couldn’t connect with the characters straight away, but in the end I loved hearing from both Rose and Ellie. I loved hearing all about Rose’s struggles as she moved back to her husband’s small childhood town and then the mystery begins.... As the book went on, I loved that the plot lines twisted and intertwined with each other in a very clever way. It kept me guessed right until the end, and it really is a full plot. 

Great mystery that leads to a quick and easy read. Most of all, this book was enjoyable!

Once again Jo Furniss has written a great book. #TheLastToKnow is very readable & kept me completely invested from beginning to end. The story is intriguing and keeps you guessing right up to the final pages. Furniss has a very “comfortable” way of telling a story that doesn’t come naturally to most authors and is very enjoyable. Highly Recommend!

I initially liked the gothic feel of this book, but it failed to grip me somehow - probably because I couldn’t quite engage with any of the characters, and I have to admit that I skip-read the action packed climax of the story because I had simply lost interest by that point.

I am sorry to give this negative (but honest) review, but I am grateful to the publishers, the author and to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and comment on it.