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.

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!

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.

A suspenseful story involving a town full of secrets and a mysterious past. It is an overall atmospheric read with intriguing characters, but the story fell somewhat flat to me. I wish we could have gotten to explore more of Hurtwood House, because I really enjoyed its lingering and haunting presence throughout the book.

This story is characterized by: old family secrets, hauntings, small town drama, and murder.

I really enjoyed this book. At first I was unsure... It started off slow and just did not catch my attention, however, it picked up and soon I was hooked. This story follows a few key characters: Rose and her husband Dylan, Dylan's mother, and the local police officer Ellie. The story mainly flips back and forth between Rose and Ellie.

Rose and Dylan move to Dylan's hometown in England to live with his mother. Right away when they arrive something seems off. Dylan's mother is a little weird and just something wasn't right. Shortly after some mysterious events start to occur and BAM you think this is a paranormal story. But, as soon as you settle in for that.... You find out about a deep dark secret in the family and realize the people in the town might know something about it. Rose goes off to find some information about Dylan's family and starts to realize some really dark stuff.

The rest of the story takes on more of a police procedural/ journalism feel. I didn't think I would like that part as much as I did but it was great! Everything was in depth enough that I was able to follow along with the mystery but also left out enough that I had no idea what was going to happen next!

This is one of those stories where everyone seems to be interconnected and secrets go back deep into the history of the family/ town. One things is discovered but leaves even more unanswered. Everyone seems to be hiding something so you are just on the edge of your seat the whole time!

After relocating the the childhood home of her husband, American journalist Rose Kynaston finds there's a lot to get used to in Hurtwood. There are unwelcoming villagers who struggle to forgive what happened at Hurtwood House twenty years ago. Everyone is familiar with the story - everyone except Rose. When an archaeological dig unearths human remains on the hill, local police sergeant Ellie Trevelyan vows to solve the case whatever it takes, needing to find answers to the secrets that have cast a chill over Hurtwood for decades. As Ellie works to separate rumour from fact, Rose must fight to clear the name of the man she loves. But how can Rose keep her family safe if she's the last to know the truth?

We see the story unfold through the perspective of Rose and Ellie, switching between their point of view with each chapter. Rose's relationship with her husband Dylan is instantly shown to be on the brink, with the sudden move and questionable actions of Dylan's mother making things worse. Ellie's job at the local police station is coming to an end so she puts everything she has into solving the cold case while ensuring her father, who suffers with dementia, doesn't become a risk to himself. The women are strong, relatable characters. However, there was something unlikeable about Rose. Perhaps I just wanted to know more about her past. We're given the stressful story of how she and Dylan met and snippets of that event explain her reactions in the present, but I wanted that little bit more.

With multiple plot lines entwined throughout the story, it would have been easy to lose track of each tiny detail but Furniss does a good job of fitting everything together. There is a theme of child abuse and child pornography which, understandably, not everyone will be able to read but Furniss handles it well; nothing explicit is written, however enough detail is given for the reader to understand the situation. The focus stays on the case, as it should.

Despite being written well enough to keep me interested, the use of metaphors and similes is excessive. At first, I didn't pay that much attention but then the language got repetitive and distracting. Most of it added nothing to the book and felt as though it was being used to increase the word count. Perhaps the time spent thinking of the similes would have been better used to add more depth to the character of Rose as well as other, smaller characters.

This was quite different to what I expected- Was expecting it to be a bit more, I guess, ghosty than it was but I still enjoyed it. It definitely kept my interested and reading and knowing the Wrekin myself made it a bit more interesting too! I would have liked more about the house and the ghosts but would still recommend as a good easy read and would definitely pick up more of jos books

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

After a harrowing life abroad in Africa, American journalist Rose returns to the British home of her husband Dylan, with their five-year-old son, Aled. But life in Hurtwood isn't exactly idyllic either. The old house is crumbling and Dylan's reclusive mother is suffering from dementia. Plus, rumors are swirling over the death of a young boy in the care of his father, a death that caused the man's heart attack.

When another body turns up on the property, local police sergeant Ellie Trevelyan opens the cold case that threatens to destroys Dylan's family. And Rose wants to find the truth as well--so she can clear her husband's name and protect Aled from whatever danger still lurks in Hurtwood.

I really enjoyed Jo Furniss's All the Little Children, so I jumped at the chance to read this new book. The Last to Know is a tightly paced thriller that keeps you guessing. The subject matter is grim--it revolves around child abuse/pornography, but I appreciate that there's nothing gratuitous in here. It's just mainly the investigation into getting justice for the victim.

We get two perspectives in this book, Rose's and Ellie's, and I love their voices. Rose is tenacious in fighting for her husband, though I'm not sure I would have been as convinced of his innocence as she always seems to be. And Ellie's devotion to her ailing father, at the cost of continuing her career, is touching.

The only thing that held me up is that there seems to be so much going on at once in this novel. Furniss handles it well and ties it all together, but it's a lot to keep track of. And it's also easy to lose track of. But overall I'd recommend it as a good mystery, though it looks like it's billed as women's fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Press and author Jo Furniss for providing this ARC in exchange for a review.

The Last to Know
by Jo Furniss
Lake Union Publishing
General Fiction (Adult) | Women's Fiction
Pub Date 11 Aug 2020 | Archive Date 25 Aug 2020

Thanks to Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC of this book.
It was just not the book for me. I found the language used over the top and I really didn't enjoy reading this book.
I know it will find a home with the right reader... it just wasn't me.

This book was a fun mixture of thriller, mystery, and some paranormal. I am giving it 3 stars because sometimes there was just too much going on at once and could have had fewer more developed plot lines. The book read dense and although it was short it took me a while to wade through the language, metaphors and, overdone descriptions.

After Rose moves to England with her husband Dylan to his childhood home she starts to see a dynamic shift in how people look at her. She hears whispers about her husband's family and the crimes that tarnish his last name. I found it interesting how little Rose knew about the family that she married into. She also never really asks her husband and lets him dismiss her questions when she does.

This story has a lot of potentials inside it but I think where it fell flat for me was how I never felt connected to Rose. She is trying to clear her husband's name and get to the bottom of the mystery's at Grim Holm but she continues to tell the local police officer damming evidence against the same family she is "protecting".

Overall most of the plot lines get straightened out near the end and they do come together. I was pleasantly surprised by the ending because it seemed realistic but still a good shock.

I would recommend this book to a friend if they are looking for a short thriller/mystery read.

Title: The Last to Know
Author: Jo Furniss
Review Date: May 15, 2020

The title is apropos. This is a suspense/mystery that will quickly get you to realize something isn't right. Rose and Dylan Kynaston move from across the globe with their 4-year-old son Aled, to Dylan's small hometown of Hurtwood, in Shropshire, England. They want to establish roots for their family.

It's written from two points of view. Rose, an American and well-traveled video journalist, and Sergeant Ellie Trevelyan, a policewoman and local of Hurtwood.

Why do the town's people dislike the Kynaston family so much? And why is the family estate, called Hurtwood House in such disrepair? And why does Dylan's mother, Gwendoline, still want to live there?

Hurtwood House is more than just a good backdrop for the story. Through town gossip, Rose's curiosity, and Sergeant's Trevelyan's nightmares over an unsolved case, we learn of a 20-year-old trauma that cast a shadow on the small town and tainted the Kynaston family name.

Rose and Sergeant Trevelyan come to meet when Rose is hired by the local paper to do a video piece on the benefits of keeping the police station local rather than moving it to a nearby city. At the same time, Dylan, also in journalism, is offered a job on a new documentary called The Quest, being shot in Hurtwood. There's an excavation during the show, and they find more than an iron-age coin! Bones, old human remains? But why is there a floppy disc from the 1990s in a zip lock bag beside it? Some serious stuff unfolds.

Thrown in the mix are a secret room from back in the ages, the legacy of Mistress Payne, and a side story about a local nail salon – trust me, it will all come together.

The author did well in planting seeds and taking the reader in different directions. Adding layers - like why do Dylan's conversations with his ex-girlfriend Meredith raise suspicion all of a sudden?

I liked Sergeant Ellie Trevelyan right away. Sardonic from years on the job, relayed through her tenured thoughts. Rose had all the right credentials for a heroine and came to grow on me, which might have more to do with the next paragraph I've written.

The writing was poetic (similes, metaphors), more noticeably around Rose's character, where the story starts. At times, it was too much for me in a modern-day suspense novel with cell phones and the internet. For a while, it was a distraction from the storytelling. For example: "Each morning, I tugged on a smile for Aled in the same way a depressed person might wear colorful clothes. I could do no more blow off the funk than I could blow away a fog." And, one more. "Rosetta!" Her voice was as reassuring as a Pyrex warming in the oven.

Having said that, the author planned her twists and turns in a way that pushed me to keep reading and not give up on the book. The layering of characters and clues will get your wheels spinning. I was able to get past the poetic writing about halfway through.

You will find the pieces of a good mystery – proper setting, a detective, a journalist in the role of sleuth, and a coming together of the past and present with the trappings of old wounds and hurt feelings. Lots of build-up and tension!

The twisted branches of this story all eventually came together. I read the last few chapters with a lot of anticipation – it was exciting.

I really liked how the Author carved out the ending. It tied in well with her main character. And, yes, all your questions will be answered!

Nice suspense/mystery that did what it was supposed to do – kept me reading, and trying to figure it out before reaching the end.

Authors note (back of the book) – I enjoyed reading it.

Thank you to the Author, Jo Furniss, for writing this Book.
Thank you, Net Galley and the Publisher, for making it available.