You might be misled by the "endorsements from well know people" provided to think this book is being talked up. Well, it most certainly is not, it is so much better than those "endorsements".

Rose, a child almost without complications is surrounded by adults who are complex, troubled and schemers: all of whom should know better.

Rose disappears and the thorns start to appear! What a fascinating series of thorns they are and they presage so many underlying secrets exuding from the three-dimensional people that make this the tale that it is.

Come join this young lady and discover for yourself what innocence can provoke in normally rational people.

EXCERPT: The first time I ever laid eyes on a dead person, I was six years old. And then it was never meant to happen.....

ABOUT 'THE LAST HOUSE ON THE CLIFF': On the death of her aunt Gwyn, Lowri returns once more to Gwyn’s home on the remote island of Anglesey, Wales, with young daughter Ruby in tow. Lowri hadn’t seen her aunt in years, but this beautiful island offers a fresh start.

Yet right away, strange things begin to happen. Ruby insists an old woman is visiting her when no one else is watching, and a tattered old doll keeps being left for Ruby to find.

Then Ruby goes missing. Desperately seeking answers no one seems to have, Lowri looks to her dark family past for clues. But the secrets she uncovers suggest that Ruby is not the only one in danger, and time is running out – for both of them…

MY THOUGHTS: I simply raced through the first half of The Last House on the Cliff, soaking up the atmosphere, the location, the quirky characters. Unfortunately in the second half, while the wheels may not completely fall off, they definitely come loose and the whole storyline teeters precariously.

While Wynn Clark takes her time creating all the wonderful atmosphere in the beginning, once we get to the second half of the story where Ruby is missing, it all becomes rather disjointed and frustrating.

I loved how she describes the house . . . (view spoiler) run down and decaying, damp, dark . . . it sent shivers down my spine!

Nina - just what was the point of sending Nina back home? She was a great forthright character. Yes, her dog is necessary to the plot, but surely Nina could have stayed too.

I don't believe that the chapters titled 'The Girl's Story' really added anything, in fact they gave away vital clues, and I became rather frustrated with them. In hindsight, I should have just skipped them.

I don't think the Carys storyline was developed to it's full potential. This could have been a far more powerful part of the story than it was.

The ending was what really killed this for me. It was totally ridiculous and implausible. Was the author trying to include too many elements (most of them towards the end) and in doing so over-complicated things? I believe so.

What started out as a solid +4⭐ read, deteriorated into a jumbled and unfulfilling denouement.

⭐⭐.5

I: #annewynclark @avonbooksuk

T: @EAClarkAuthor @AvonBooksUK

#contemporaryfiction #crime #familydrama #mentalhealth #murdermystery #mystery #smalltownfiction

THE AUTHOR: Anne Wyn Clark lives in the Midlands with her husband and son, plus a rather temperamental cat, a rabbit and a chinchilla. She has three (now grown-up) children and five grandchildren. She is particularly partial to Italian food, decent red wine (or any coloured wine come to that…) and cake – and has been known to over-indulge in each on occasions. She has a penchant for visiting old graveyards and speculating on the demise of those entombed beneath. (Amazon)

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Avon Books UK via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Last House on the Cliff by Anne Wyn Clark for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

Couldn’t get into this one. Started off slow for me and I tried to push through but decided to stop reading it.

Lowri’s life has been hard since her husband died, leaving her with two year old Ruby and little money. After a disastrous second marriage, she’s more alone and suspicious. Then a lawyer contacts her about a bequest from her late Aunt Gwyn, owner of the ramshackle Ty Coed Pinwydd on a remote Welsh island where Lowri spent many happy childhood summers.

Lowri inherits the house and the business run from the cellars. There is a downside. The business is a funeral parlor, two employes (and distant relatives) are to live in the house for the rest of their lives, a reclusive caped figure is hiding in the woods, there is ghostly music and, oh yes, a well worn, decrepit doll keeps appearing in Ruby’s room. Ruby, smart child, does not want to go upstairs alone.

Talented author Ann Wyn Clark does not let these circumstances devolve into melodrama. Instead, she has created a suspenseful, tightly plotted mystery with strong characters and a wild, atmospheric setting. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books UK and Ann Wyn Clark for this ARC.

There were many factors that attracted me to this novel. The striking cover, the remote Anglesey, Wales setting, and the hints of family secrets to name but a few.

It delivered on these and I was immersed for about the first half of the novel. Then I found my attention begin to lag mostly due to the repetitive descriptions of Lowri’s anguish when her young daughter disappears. The first few times were understandable and necessary, but the tenth time maybe not so much…

I adored the setting. A gloomy old funeral home on the Anglesey coast and I always appreciate the revelation of family secrets. There were several secrets exposed here, but I found them to be quite convoluted and ‘over the top’. The pace was fairly steady throughout and the book retained my interest. The ending felt quite rushed and tied up the myriad plot lines, but in a way I found to be rather implausible.

With gothic overtones and a suspenseful storyline, this novel will appeal to many readers. I’m aware that my opinions are not that of the majority, so take them with a grain of salt. In summation, I would read this author again, but found this novel was not a personal favourite.

I received this ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Lowri returns back to the place she spent happy summers, her Aunt Gwyns old mansion/ funeral parlour in Wales.

She’s been left the house after she was notified that her Aunt had died, she’s not been back or spoke to her Aunt in years.

So Lowri decides to pack up and move to Anglesey, Wales with her daughter Ruby.

Is the right decision or not ?.

This was a thrilling story from beginning to end, I especially liked the paranormal element which I don’t usually.

It’s a book that gives you so many twists and turns and makes you think what could possibly happen next. I recommended it to any thriller lovers.

Dark, twisted and packed full of family secrets. This was a tough, emotional read at times and I loved the way that the plot built and unravelled to expose the lengths that a person will go to in order to protect family. Brilliant.

This book has a lot going on, Family secrets, family disconnection, death, lies, a missing child, a creepy house, a possible stalker, plus more.

I quite enjoyed reading this book and the twists and turns really had me thinking. It starts out very strong with a lot happening right from the start.

Once all the twists and turns are revealed the big question is Will Lowri accept all that has been revealed and go along with it all? Or will she rebel against all she has learned and walk away from it all?

A brilliant dark, twisty tale of family secrets.

On the death of her aunt Gwyn, Lowri returns once more to Gywn's home on the remote island of Anglesey, wales, with young daughter Ruby in tow. Lowri hadn't seen her aunt in years, but this beautiful island gives her fresh start. Yet right away, strange things start to happen. Ruby insists an old woman is visiting her when no one else is watching, and a tattered old doll keeps being left for Ruby to find. Then ruby goes missing.

children going missing, family secrets, unexplained deaths, a creepy mansion, hooded figures, music coming from behind closed doors, this book has it all. It's not east figuring out just what is happening in this book, but it's interesting enough to keep you reading. It's hard to know who you can trust in this dark, atmospheric read. The first quarter of the book the pace is slow. The characters are relatable. I liked the authors writing style. The story is told mainly from Lowri's point of view. There's a few twists to keep us guessing.

I would like to thank #Netgalley #AvonBooksUk and the author #AnnWynClark for my ARC of #TheLastHouseOnTheCliff in exchange for an honest review.

As someone who enjoys horror/mystery and a good spooky book, especially ones where creepy dolls are involved, this book sounded right up my street when I read the blurb.
It started off strongly and really had my interest, with me eager to see how everything would pan out. However, that soon changed.
Things were too complicated just for the sake of it, it seemed and I started to lose interest pretty quickly thereafter.
I know that it was set in Wales but some of the names began to get rather confusing too.
There was a big build up for what turned out to be nothing that interesting and the ending was poor as well.
After starting off so well, it just ended up being very disappointing in the end.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

So much of the end of this novel didn’t sit right, particularly the protagonists delay in contacting the police about finding her missing daughter. The plot twist of blaming her ex didn’t hold up as the police would not have just taken her word for it and would have investigated him (probably contacting him earlier as a person of interest too). This spoilt the ending in my opinion and I was a bit disappointed that I’d invested the time in reading the novel. However, the writing was of reasonable quality and it was an easy read. Thanks to #netgalley and Avon books for the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

After an end to a toxic relationship, Lowry and her daughter Ruby retreat back to the house in Wales where Lowry spent many a school holiday with her Aunt Gwyn. Lowri has just learnt that Gwyn has passed away and she has an inheritance. Could this be the new start they are looking for? But Ruby keeps seeing a strange woman around and finding a dirty doll in odd places, then she disappears….

I found this book started very strongly, it had great atmosphere and I liked the way the characters developed. Early in the book there was a bit of past and present story lines which I found easy to follow but these eased off as the story progressed.
For me the story started to drag a bit when Ruby disappeared. I felt things didn’t moved quick enough and then towards the end everything seemed to happen at once and I occasionally had to re read to understand what was happening and how it was connected. I have discovered that I like layers to a story, so this felt it was like a big bandaid being ripped off at the end to explain everything.
I did enjoy this and can recommend it but for me it’s one that wont stay with me.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read

The Last House on the Cliff is a novel by Ann Wyn Clark. I am grateful to NetGalley and Avon Books for allowing me to read this book in exchange for writing an honest review.

A gray stone building constructed in the eighteenth century, Ty Coed Pinwydd is situated as the last house on the narrow road to the cliffs. The property belongs to Auntie Gwyn. A portion of the house is a funeral home. Near the local church and cemetery, the business had been in the family for decades. Auntie Gwen and Lowri's father Aron were part of a family of five. Sionyn died in a swimming accident at a young age, and Carys died of meningitis two years later were twins. Dafydd, the youngest brother, emigrated to Canada.

It was clear to Lowri at an early age that her parents didn't love her. Every school holiday, her mother and father Aron would drive over a hundred and fifty miles to drop Lowri off at Auntie Gwyn. A few years later, Lowri's first husband, Jonah, died in an automobile accident. They had twin girls called Amber and Ruby. Amber died one week after being born, and Ruby, now seven years old, returned with Lowri to Ty Coed Pinwydd for the funeral of Auntie Gwyn. Lowri quickly discovered that her family was hiding a multitude of secrets.

This novel was well written and edited. It kept me on the edge of my seat. I found nothing negative to say about this book and would recommend it without a doubt in my mind to an audience who enjoys the mysterious. My rating of this novel is a definite five out of five stars. Congratulations.

OK so reading the blurb. I was super excited to start reading this book. But sadly didn't live up to it,s expectations..I found it depressing and rather complicated . Sadly skipped bits to get to end. Sorry only 1 star🌟 read from me.

This is the second novel by this author and it is based in a small village on the island of Anglesey, North Wales. Told mainly from the POV of Lowri with a little from Lewis in the present and ‘the girl’ in the past, this is a slow burning story and at one point I was convinced I was reading a supernatural gothic novel - I had to check. The writing is good and the descriptions of the area in Anglesey were stunning.

Briefly, in the past Lowri spent her holidays in the care of her Auntie Gwyn who ran a funeral home. Adopted at an early age she didn’t know who her real father was and was told her mother had had her adopted.
Now, the present day, she has a young child Ruby from a disastrous marriage. When she receives a letter from solicitors in Anglesey telling her that her Aunt has died, requesting her presence at the reading of the will, she reluctantly sets off. Straight away strange things start to happen and at the wake Ruby vanishes. As Lowri starts to look into her past she discovers some dark and disturbing secrets. Can she find Ruby before it’s too late?

This was a compelling story and one I enjoyed for the most part. Quite complex with some good twists and turns and a shocking ending. A good read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

A creepy Gothic story of family secrets, lies, and bodies set on an atmospheric Welsh island. Lowri loved her aint Gwyn and she has fond memories of time spent with her so when Gwyn dies, she takes her little daughter Ruby with her for the reading of the will and to deal with the estate. All is fine at first but then, weird things start to happen. And Ruby disappears, There's some internal narration here that adds to the creepiness. Lowri finds herself at risk even as she desperately searches for Ruby. It's a page turner right up to the end, which, well, will let others decide. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Set on a remote island in Wales, England. Lowri’s life is falling about… she’s a widow, had twins (only 1 survived), her second husband who spent most of her money and treated her badly finally left her after basically openly cheated on her. Her life is turned upside down with a letter that her estranged Auntie Gwyn has died. She would spend summers with her Auntie who ran a funeral home out of their old family home located…. on a cliff (hence the name of the book). Her parents not only sent Lowri there for summer breaks but would dump and leave her there every chance they could, She loved her eccentric Auntie, and since being a child spending so much time with her didn’t think it was odd her parents would leave her so often. Now she’s and adult and returned with her daughter, Ruby, for the funeral. Lowri learns her Auntie Gwyn left her the family funeral home. While at the wake her daughter disappears, she just gone, lost…. Much like a little girl was the last summer she spent there as a child, Auntie Gwyn and her parent kept so many secrets from her.
- I was at odds with my emotions, angry in one way that she had kept so much from me. But knowing her as I did, I realised that she would have only done what she thought was in my best interests. She was of a different, less open generation; one that thought it preferable to sweep secrets under the carpet. To let sleeping dogs lie.

The really is a lot happening in the book so much so it would be hard to do a summary just know it was so good I already have downloaded Whisper Cottage by this author. Her writing style is fluid and easy to read the story is original and even though there is paranormal aspects it is in no way cheesy, but quite the opposite. I love the total field of the book it’s dark but family oriented and I totally understood Loris overprotectiveness a ruby. This is such an original story with thrills and chills to spare. I absolutely loved it. I want it thank NetGalley and the publisher for the free orc copy I am leaving this review totally voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review but all opinions are definitely my own.

Very good atmospheric thriller set in the lovely area of Anglesey , what more could you want . This was a clever thriller with plenty of chills . I loved the characters and the way the story unravelled . I would definitely recommend this book and I can’t wait for the next book from this writer

Another new author for me and when I started reading I found it it a little difficult to get into the story, 3 chapters in and I’m off and running and just loved this book! It had me turning pages through a big part of the night and then up early to finish. Such a great storyline and had me on the edge of seat so to speak 🙂. I can't wait to read more books from this author.
As always thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Avon books UK for the early read and thanks to the author Anne Wyn Clark for writing it