‘Other People’s Houses’ by Clare Mackintosh is the third book in the DC Ffion Morgan series. The story follows Ffion and DS Leo Brady - who worked out their romantic issues in ‘Game Of Lies’ - as they each investigate a property-related crime… Ffion is trying to solve the murder of an Estate Agent (while not-quite-seriously contemplating killing her own!) and Leo is reviewing a spate of burglaries on The Hill - an exclusive (and expensive) community full of grand houses. Woven into the narrative is an intriguing cold case brought to top of mind by an explosive true crime podcast…

I really love how well-constructed the leads of this series are, and care deeply about Ffion and Leo (and of course, Dave the dog!) Seeing their relationship grow is rewarding, and the ups and downs of integrating two lives with children and exes involved were realistically described. These characters - as well as George, who opened her heart a little more in this instalment - are what make the series a must-read!

The police procedural aspects were informative, pacy and captivating, and it was supremely satisfying to see the puzzle pieces fit together. There were a few absolutely heart-stopping moments and tension permeated the final 20%.

The novel was also a gripping and sharp commentary on the property market, socioeconomic status and shady deals. The Hill gained an almost mythical status, with house prices a key focus of every discussion, and the metaphor of Leo’s ex Allie living at the bottom of the hill but trying to ingratiate into the peak’s community was mortifyingly accurate. The interactions between residents, their staff and police officers were interesting, and the estate agent characters were spot-on with their unlikeability.

This was a five star read for me and my fave of the series so far! Recommend reading the series in order, starting with ‘The Last Party’.

I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher Little Brown Book Group, UK via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Took me a while to get into this, but when I did wow!!!! Really gripping stuff, dome complex relationships, a touch of narcism in there and I was a happy gal 😊

I've read a few of Clare's books over the last year or so, and have thoroughly enjoyed each one. I love everything about them, the characters, the story, the suspense! I felt sorry for Allie who was desperately trying to fit into her new neighbourhood. You didn't know who to trust. Burglaries, murder...go read it!

I absolutely loved this book. I was torn between wanting to fly through it to see what happens and slowing down to savor the twists, the action, the laugh out loud humor. In the end I flew through it and am hoping madly there will be another Leo, Ffion and Dave book. If you have not started this three book series do yourself a favor and start at the beginning with The Last Party.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ac. I loved this! It’s my favourite of the Ffion Morgan series, the perfect balance between tension and humour,

Despite being part of a series, this book allows for a seamless entry even if you haven't read the previous installments. Mackintosh does a commendable job of establishing relatable characters and providing enough context to the story, making it easy to follow even as a standalone.

The plot revolves around a group of seemingly perfect neighbours, each with their own issues and hidden truths, whose lives are disrupted by a shocking event. The suspense builds gradually, and Mackintosh does a great job of keeping the reader intrigued as the characters’ secrets unravel. The pacing is steady, and the tension is maintained throughout, even though the twists don’t quite hit the level of intensity that might make it a gripping, unputdownable read.

Though I didn't find myself fully swept away by the narrative, I did find the dynamics between the characters engaging. The emotional depth, especially regarding the relationships, is carefully explored, giving the book a relatable, grounded feel.

However, while the novel is enjoyable and well-crafted, it didn’t quite "wow" me in the way I had hoped. The twists, while interesting, didn’t leave the kind of lasting impact that some thrillers do, and the overall suspense felt more like a slow simmer than a pulse-racing rollercoaster. Still, it is a solid read, one that I enjoyed, but it wasn’t quite the mind-blowing experience I had expected.

In conclusion, Other People’s House is a well-written, enjoyable psychological thriller, but it falls short of being a standout for me. It’s a book I’d recommend to fans of character-driven mysteries, but if you’re looking for something with more edge or unexpected shocks, this might not be the one. I’d give it 3 stars out of 5—pleasant but not extraordinary.

Clare Mackintosh does it again - another brilliant thriller! I thought I'd solved this 3 times whilst reading this book, only to be proved wrong every time. I was suspicious of everyone and trusted nobody! This book was full of mystery, tension and suspense, with all sorts of shocks and twists throughout to keep you gripped. A perfect thriller mystery!

A body is found in a lake and DC Ffion Morgan is sent to investigate.
DS Leo Brady is investigating burglaries in upmarket homes.
This is the third book in the series about these detectives.
I enjoyed parts of this story but I found the chapters about the neighbours WhatsApp messages distracting.
Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a brilliant book with three very different crimes well woven together to make for a brilliantly twisty read. It was also great to catch up with Ffion and Leo who are actually settled with each other but this time are investigating separate crimes - murder in Ffion’s case and a series of burglaries in an exclusive area for Leo. This was a real page turner with so much action and some fantastic characters both in terms of the murder victim’s colleagues and more so the residents of the area of the burglaries. Interwoven in this is a cold case podcast along with a new investigation into the crime and somehow all of this is artfully woven together. I also loved how Leo’s ex wife has a part to play in this as well as her attitude towards Ffion. All in all this is the best book yet in a series that just gets better and better, that said it could be read as a standalone but it’s worth reading them all.

WOW I really enjoyed reading Other People's Houses book 3 of DC Morgan an amazing whodunit thriller.

The Hill is the most sort after properties in Cheshire where the rich reside in affluence and security until a spate of burglaries occur and DS Leo Brady investigates in order to bring peace of mind to the residents of the Hill. Some of the residents have secrets which they do not want revealed anytime soon.

DC Ffion Morgan also has her hands full as she investigates the death of Natasha an estate agent whose dead body has ended up in a kayak on lake Awen in Wales she was part of a team building exercise along with her co-workers also estate agents for the same company. DC Fiffion Morgan's case coincides with DS Leo Brady's case. Someone is trying very hard to quell a whisteblower from revealing their shady dealings from getting out.

I love the sense of humour that Clare brings out in all of her DC Morgan thrillers and Ffion's flatulent dog Dave is hilarious. I have also learned some sentences of the Welsh language IE "Diolch cariad" is Welsh for "Thank you love." or "Thank you darling." And paned translates to "A cup of tea."

I do hope that is not the final thriller in the DC Morgan series.

Many thanks to netgalley, the author and the publisher for approving my request to read this book.

I have read other books by this author and have enjoyed them immensely and this one was no exception!

I love a who done it so I was quickly absorbed in this book and couldn't turn the pages quick enough-I desperately wanted to know how it was going to end.

Well written with great characters and plenty to keep you on your toes this book will keep you guessing throughout until the big reveal-now to await the next book from this author.

I love love love this series of books - they are an auto-read, read-in-one-sitting book for me and the series has got so much potential to expand for many more books.

Ffion Morgan is a wonderful lead character and her character development over the three books has been superb.
Ffion and her team are investigating the discovery of a dead body that has been found floating in au upside down kayak. They quickly find out that the dead woman is a weekend visitor to the small Welsh village, there with her estate agent colleagues for a team building weekend. Its safe to say that they haven't won any friends in town with their brash antics and willingness to ignore local customs and bylaws, but is the death an innocent accident or something more sinister?

On the other side of the lake, rich incomers have been buying up desirable properties on the Hill and forming an exclusive community up there. Then not one but two of the houses suffer a suspicious burglary, suspicious because not much is taken but the burglar is clearly looking for something.

Through clever police work and joining of many many dots, Ffion and her Cheshire counterparts have to find out what is going on.

Clare is my absolute favourite author so being approved for this ARC meant a lot. This is the third Ffion Morgan novel and my favourite so far. Perfectly paced and kept me guessing the whole way through, I loved it! Allie’s attempts to fit in at the Hill had me cringing, laughing and also feeling a tad sorry for her. Seeing Ffion and Leo’s relationship grow was so sweet and the ending warmed my heart. I cannot wait for the next one!

Thank you Netgalley, Clare Mackintosh and Little, Brown Book Group for this ARC.

I always enjoy books by this author and she never disappoints.

I love Ffion and Leo , they are investigators who have a relationship that is up and down so they have a sort of reality to them, so as a reader i feel immersed in the characters and not just read about thier lives.

The neighbours are just like any estate and all contribute to the story. I loved the cold case podcast, it brings a modern up to date vibe.

This book is really really godd. I enjoyed my reading time and did not guess the putcome. I loved it

Loved it, loved it, loved it!
Clare is one of my favourite authors and I was overjoyed to have the opportunity to read the third story in this series.
I think this was actually my favourite one of the three as I began to really warm (or dislike) some of the main characters.
I would 100% recommend it to others but definitely believe the books need to be read in order to understand the relationships between the characters
I hope there will be more to come!

I was beyond excited to receive 'Other People's Houses' by Clare Mackintosh, having devoured the previous books in this series. Once again, I found myself immersed in the cross-border setting, loved spending time with Ffion, Leo and Dave, and hugely enjoyed the coming together of multiple plot streams into one cohesive story. In fact, I read this is one sitting, which I didn't intend, staying up until silly o'clock in the morning because I was enjoying it so much.

So why four rather than five stars? While I do love having different perspectives a book, I found it a little jarring to have perspectives intermingled with chapters that were written like WhatsApp messages. Yes, they worked to deliver clues to the reader in an interesting way, but for me they disrupted the narrative flow.

That said, this is still a must read for fans of Clare's work, and highly recommended for readers of crime fiction, who prefer cosier-style stories with humour and heart.

I couldn’t wait to start this book and catch up with Ffion, Leo and my favourite dog Dave.
This book definitely didn’t disappoint and may have been my favourite book of the series so far.
I was hooked from the first page and even though I thought I was figuring out what was going on I was on the completely wrong path which is a sign of a brilliant book.
I thought the podcast was a great addition to the story and I enjoyed the comment sections on this.
The characters were written brilliantly, I could picture everyone so clearly and even though Allie was annoying I did really feel for her.
The ending was excellent and had me in tears.
Thanks to NetGalley, Clare Mackintosh and Little Brown Book Group UK for an advance copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

I'm really enjoying the Ffion Morgan series, the characters are well written and you can't help but feel invested in their story line. It's good to see Ffion and Leo's relationship progressing, as well as learning more about his ex, and of course returning to the rich people on the Hill where a spate of burglaries are happening.

The cold case podcast is a popular trend at the moment, that too is also covered in this book. The story kept me intrigued and I did not see that ending coming. Can't wait for the next one in the series.

I've read and enjoyed the previous two books in this series and I have to say that I think Other People's Houses is the best yet! This one is back following Ffion and Leo as they work on the separate investigations whilst also dealing with their personal romantic relationship. We also follow Leo's ex-wife Allie as she tries to ingratiate herself with the wealthy people who live on The Hill. I loved all the dynamics between the neighbours, it's fascinating seeing how all these people operate their social hierarchies! We also get snippets from a podcast about an unsolved local murder that happened on The Hill ten years previously. Now an estate agent has been murdered and old secrets start to come to the fore. I found this book so compulsively readable, I did not want to put it down! I loved the mystery element and how it kept me guessing right up until the reveal. This was such a good read I already can't wait for the next one! I highly recommend this book (and the series as a whole!).

The third in the series and boy it did not disappoint!!
Thrilling, laugh out loud funny in places and perfectly put together! A really great story with the return of some much loved characters!
I read this in two sittings as I just couldn’t put it down!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my ARC