Definitely the best one of the series so far, great to reconnect with Ffion, Leo (and Dave the dog of course!). Loved the way the cold case/podcast and current crimes were cleverly linked together keeping you guessing all the way.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

This is the third in the DC Morgan series, and it continues strong! What I love about this series is that Mackintosh has her finger on the pulse: no. 2 in the series featured a reality TV show, this one features a true crime podcast and the machinations of estate agents against a backdrop of high-end housing. I welcome this topicality - and, as Mackintosh herself has policing experience, we get authenticity too. What I also love is the inclusion of Welsh (and Welsh-speaking) characters, still a relative rarity in fiction published outside of Wales's own publishing houses; Ffion is a messy, relatable character, and I always root for her - but George is quickly becoming a co-favourite of mine. And Dave the dog, of course! Finally, the POV of Allie in this one - a social climber, who can sort of see herself and what she's become, but who is also wilfully (gut-wrenchingly) blind to this at times - formed some of the most interesting parts of the book for me, as she tries (and fails) to inveigle herself into a friendship group that remains resolutely closed against her. This was a page-turner, just when I needed the distraction of a good book the most. Thank you Clare!

This is a gripping thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish
The plot is filled with unexpected twists and turns, making it impossible to predict what will happen next.
The writing is both engaging and suspenseful, with well-developed characters that add depth to the narrative.
The pacing of the novel is perfect, with just the right amount of tension to keep readers hooked without feeling overwhelmed.

Other People’s Houses was a compulsive and twisty read - I demolished it easily in one sitting!

Claire Mackintosh’s writing is so engaging, full of heart and humour that I was immediately transported to the wealthy neighbourhood of the Hill, with its privileged and suspect inhabitants. Watching the threads this mystery weave together was such a delight. Mackintosh planted so many clues I had such fun trying to figure out the mystery, and even more so going back and seeing the bits I missed.

This is the first book I read in the series and was easily enjoyable as a standalone. Despite the large cast of characters, all are exceptionally well written and plotted, so I had an excellent sense of their history, particularly Leo and Ffion. However I now can’t wait to go back and pick up the others in the series - this is easily one of my favourite mysteries of the year so far!

Thank you Little, Brown Book Group UK for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

I chose to read a free eARC of Other People's Houses but that has in no way influenced my review.

Clare Mackintosh's police procedural series featuring DC Ffion Morgan is quite possibly the greatest new crime series to have been published in the last few years. It's rapidly become a firm favourite of mine, with the release of a new book being a highlight of my reading year. Other People's Houses is the third instalment of the series and is, unsurprisingly, a brilliant addition. Other People's Houses sees Ffion investigate the murder of a woman who turns up in a kayak on the banks of the Awen River (a 'canoe-dunnit' - full credit to the author for the terrible pun!). Whilst over the border in Cheshire, Ffion's boyfriend - DS Leo Brady - is attempting to find a link between a string of break-ins in a well-to-do, exclusive, residential area. There seems very little to connect the two investigations at first. But the more Ffion and Leo scratch the surface, the more they reveal. Someone killed the estate agent, strapped her body into a kayak and left her on the river. And someone will do just about anything to ensure their secrets stay hidden...

Other People's Houses is a brilliantly plotted, engrossing mystery featuring some of the best characters in crime fiction at the moment. DC Ffion Morgan is a joy! She's head-strong, determined and very relatable. An intelligent, kick-ass female protagonist who gets the job done. Whilst also being wonderfully 'normal' and doing 'normal' things. For example, DC Morgan is looking to buy a new house so when she is asked to investigate the murder of an estate agent, her first thought is to wonder how she will cut such an extensive list of suspects down to an acceptable level. After all, 'some' estate agents have a habit of causing a lot of undue upset and distress to their clients, which *could* result in a lot of tension and hurt. Not in my experience, of course, but I've heard tales (🤭). I love Ffion Morgan. She speaks her mind, she's just trying to do the best job she can do, and she's driven and forthright. An absolute gem! Then we have DS Leo Brady. Ffion and Leo's budding romance was on again/off again in the first two novels. It's still not fully formed but they really are starting to get somewhere in this book. Which seems the perfect opportunity to bring in Allie, Leo's ex-wife and the mother of his seven-year-old son, Harris. Allie lives around the corner of The Hill, the elite residential area that is suffering multiple break-ins which Leo has been tasked to solve. However, Allie very much sees herself as part of the excusive set. She has wormed her way in. Made herself, she believes, invaluable to the residents without realising that they're just using her, and can't see how uncomfortably desperate and needy she is being. It makes for cringeworthy reading at times but I couldn't look away. Brilliantly done! I did feel quite sorry for Allie in the long run, much as it pains me to say it! These interactions between Allie and Leo help the reader get to know Leo a little better.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. Other People's Houses is a great addition to a series that is proving to be a 'must read' for crime fiction fans. The entire series, starting with The Last Party, followed by A Game of Lies, and with this latest addition, is superb. I've spoken a lot about Ffion and Leo in this review but all of the characters are wonderfully written. Some you instantly like. Some (most of the residents of The Hill!) you don't so much. I can't let a review of this series go by without mentioning the true star of the show, Dave the Dog. He steals every scene he is in, and rightly so. A great, slobbering hulk of an animal who you can't help but fall in love with (and am I the only one who, whenever his name his mentioned, has Nessa's voice (Gavin & Stacey) in my head shouting 'Dave! DAVE!!'? Dave Coaches 🤣). I thought the way the two seemingly different plotlines came together was clever, I loved the dual settings of Cwm Coed and The Hill and I thought the mystery aspect of the storyline worked well, keeping me on the edge of my seat. I do have a teeny, tiny niggle and I know this will be an unpopular opinion but I stand by it. I wasn't keen on one of the final reveals. It felt a  little out of the blue and didn't quite fit with everything else. I'm curious to see where the author will take that particular storyline next. For me, it took a little of the shine off of a very dramatic, intense ending. Still a cracking read though that I highly recommend. Beautifully written characters, a cleverly woven mystery and with plenty of red herrings along the way, this entire series is a masterclass in crime fiction. Highly recommended.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of Other People's Houses. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

[Review will be published on 27th February]

One of my favourite authors - she never lets you down with book a free book that is just excellent. I was so excited to be given the chance to review this book I read it within a couple of days and didn’t interact with the family at all while I read it - sign of a good book!

DC Ffion Morgan is back investigating the murder if a young estate agent found in a kayak whilst her boyfriend DS Leo Brady is working on a series of high profile burglaries at The Hill.

Both investigations intertwine and are found to link to a cold case Ffion is obsessed with.

I Love the character of Ffion Morgan and find her to be relatable, particularly her sarcasm and prickly nature. The dynamics of her relationship with Leo are fascinating and I love how it has developed throughout the series.

I’m enjoyed reading the new instalment and cannot wait to catch up with them again in the next one.

I was unable to read this book in its entirety due to time commitments. It was well written and kept me hooked. I hope to pick it up again in the future to find out what happened next. Apologies that I was unable to finish it at this point.

This book is more than just a novel; it's an invitation to look beyond the facades and into the hearts of those around us. Mackintosh's work is a testament to the power of storytelling, reminding us that inspiration can be found in the most unexpected places. So, take a walk down that street, knock on those doors, and let the stories within inspire you.

The Ffion Morgan series just keeps getting better – Other People’s Houses is my new favourite! Clare Mackintosh has absolutely knocked it out of the park with this one.

For starters, it opens with a map and a snippet about a podcast running alongside the story – two of my favourite things a book can do.

This time, Ffion is investigating a body found in a kayak, while Leo is dealing with a string of burglaries in the posh neighbourhood of The Hill. The characters are so well-developed and distinct. Ffion herself is fierce, funny, independent and shows real growth in this latest entry. Plus, if you read A Game of Lies, you’ll be pleased to see Dave the dog making a return!

While Other People’s Houses does introduce everyone, I wouldn’t recommend jumping in without reading the first two books. It’s only a small backlog and you would be depriving yourself of some brilliant character development and storytelling if you skipped them.

I clocked onto something early, but there was so much more to uncover! And I have to share this quote, which ties in perfectly – picture the “I’m in this photo and I don’t like it” meme alongside:

“So many people fancy themselves as armchair detectives, just because they once got out of an escape room.”

When I reached the end of the book, I welled up more than once – which never happens and is a testament to what an amazing world Mackintosh has crafted.

Thank you Little Brown Book Group for the advanced copy. Other People’s Houses is out on the 27th February and is available to pre-order now.

What a delightful journey this was!
The third installment of Ffion Morgan’s adventures is a wonderfully crafted puzzle that at first seems to confuse, since all the pieces are scattered throughout the pages, but little by little Claire Mackintosh manages to put every single piece in its right place originating a magnificent work of art.
Slow paced at the beginning, Other People’s Houses finishes off with a bang! with everything you need in a book: social criticism, magnificent storytelling, twists, forks on the road, surprises, thrill, and a beautiful and hopeful cliffhanger for future books to come.
Props for the great character development, for the magnificent descriptions and comic moments throughout the book. This was, by far, my favorite Ffion.
These opinions are my own and I gratefully thank the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

Thoroughly enjoyed this third book in the Detective Ffion Morgan and Detective Leo Brady series. Ffion serves with Welsh Police force while Leo is with Cheshire Police.and often their paths cross during investigations. Ffion is such a likeable feisty character .An intriguing plot with surprising results. An unexpected ending.

This is the third outing for DC Ffion Morgan of the North Wales Police and DS Leo Brady of the Cheshire Police, whose cases overlap on the Welsh/English border. This time Leo is on the trail of a burglar who is targeting an exclusive housing complex, and Ffion has a murder victim recovered from a lake. There are also excerpts throughout from a true-crime cold case that led to a miscarriage of justice.
Although this police procedural series is always light in tone, this one book felt cosier than the previous two, with lots of bantering humour, straightforward storytelling and greater emphasis on Ffion and Leo’s growing romance and their relationships with their families. Fans of the author and the series will not be disappointed.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.
Upon publication I will post this review on my blog and on GoodReads.

I love Clare Mackintosh, and have been a fan of her thriller and mystery books from the very beginning.
However, the last few books I have read from Mackintosh, I've really not got on well with. I've found very slow, and I just don't like the characters. Basically, I just struggle to get into them, and then to keep picking the book up.
I think I am going to steer clear of the DC Morgan books now - but will definitely still continue to read Clare Mackintosh's stand alone novels.

I really wanted to love this book. I was so excited to return to Ffion and Leo, as I’ve enjoyed following their dynamic in previous books, but unfortunately, I really struggled to get into this one. From the start, it felt slow, and I found it difficult to connect with the investigation. Normally, I’m gripped by Clare Mackintosh’s storytelling, but this time, I kept waiting for that moment when I’d feel fully immersed, and it just didn’t come.

The premise had a lot of potential, and I liked the idea of a crime that seeped into the hidden corners of people’s lives. However, the pacing was off for me, and I wasn’t drawn into the mystery in the way I’d hoped. While I appreciated being back in this world and spending more time with these characters, the case itself lacked urgency, and I found myself putting the book down far too easily.

That said, I did start to feel a bit more engaged around the 75% mark. At that point, I was keen to see how everything would tie together and who the burglar really was. There was finally a sense of momentum, and I was curious to see where it would all lead. But when the conclusion came, I found it overly complicated. Instead of feeling like all the puzzle pieces were snapping into place, I felt more like I was being led through a tangled web without quite knowing who was doing the untangling. It wasn’t as satisfying as I’d hoped, and I finished the book feeling a little underwhelmed.

I do still love Clare Mackintosh’s writing, and she’s brilliant at crafting complex, layered characters, but this one just didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I’ll absolutely read more from her in the future, but this wasn’t my favourite. A shame, as I’d been really looking forward to it!

This has been my favourite DC Ffion Morgan novel in the series so far. It was cleverly plotted with some great characters that made me laugh as well as making my blood boil as we meet the inhabitants of the exclusive 'The Hill'. Ffion is such a great authentic character, I love her acerbic wit and disregard for the rules as she navigates her love life and her case. Really well written and a compulsive read that is near impossible to put down once you start. From the first page I was completely hooked on this fast paced mystery.

This is the first of Ms Macintosh's books I have read featuring Ffion and Leo, and I was pleased to find it could be enjoyed as a standalone story. I particularly liked the author's skill at writing dialogue and felt comfortable with the characters, and her ability to explain police procedure without sounding like a textbook was appreciated. I did struggle slightly with the plot though as there seemed so many people and relationships to remember and then the final reveal did seem a bit far fetched. However I will be looking out for the next one!
Thank you to netgalley and Little Brown books for an advance copy of this book

This book is a great continuation of the Ffion Morgan series which had me hooked from start to finish. Great characterisation and storyline to keep you turning the pages right to the end. I cannot wait for the next one.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Thanks first much go to Netgalley, the publisher and Clare Mackintosh for the ARC of ‘Other People’s Houses’.

Another installment in the Ffion Morgan series, and another brilliantly written book by Clare. I enjoyed the reveals and the familiarity of the characters. I did in this book feel the pace was slightly slower than others, but none the less enjoyed it.

Would recommend.

Another great book featuring Detective Ffion Morgan. I love her sassy and don't give a d**n character. Great thriller and great characters and writing. I'm already looking forward to the next book.