A family’s past
pursues them like a shadow in this riveting and emotional novel of
psychological suspense by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of All
the Little Children.
American journalist
Rose Kynaston has just relocated to the childhood home of her husband, Dylan,
in the English village of his youth. There’s a lot for Rose to get used to in
Hurtwood. Like the family’s crumbling mansion, inhabited by Dylan’s reclusive
mother, and the treacherous hill it sits upon, a place of both sinister
folklore and present dangers.
Then there are the
unwelcoming villagers, who only whisper the name Kynaston—like some dreadful
secret, a curse. Everyone knows what happened at Hurtwood House twenty years
ago. Everyone except Rose. And now that Dylan is back, so are rumors about his
past.
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.
As Ellie works to separate rumor from fact,
Rose must fight to clear the name of the man she loves. But how can Rose keep
her family safe if she is the last to know the truth?
My Thoughts:
The Last to Know sets off with an immediate sense of foreboding and was the perfect read for all of the dull, rainy and dark weather we have been having over the last week. There was mystery, suspense and intrigue aplenty and a somewhat gothic feel that pervaded the pages.
Rose Kynaston and her husband Dylan are returning to live at his childhood home Hurtwood House in the village of Hurtwood. Hurtwood house is a big house that seems to carry big secrets but also seems to be stuck in the past. The mansion seems to be falling apart with dust and decay everywhere.
The house does not seem very welcoming and as Rose finds out neither are the villagers. There is something going on or something that went all those years ago. There is a question mark over why Dylan left the village in the first place and the peculiar behaviour of his mother who seems to be living as a recluse.
The story is told from the perspectives of Rose and local police officer Ellie Trevelyan. Told in alternate chapters from each this was a good tool to see the story unfolding from different perspectives. Hurtwood House seems eerie and edgy, perhaps dangerous and Ellie and Rose are determined to find out what is going on.
The Last to Know is really intriguing. The tension builds superbly over each chapter and culminates in a highly unexpected but satisfying ending. There are some tricky topics covered here but the author manages it with skill and intricately weaves them in to the narrative. A story that contains family drama, mental illness and abuse.
Really recommend this one, I raced through it.
About the Author:
After spending a decade as a broadcast journalist for the
BBC, Jo Furniss gave up the glamour of night shifts to become a freelance
writer and serial expatriate. Originally from the United Kingdom, she spent
seven years in Singapore and also lived in Switzerland and Cameroon.
As a journalist, Jo worked for numerous online outlets and magazines, including Monocle and the Economist. She has edited books for a Nobel laureate and the palace of the Sultan of Brunei. She has a Distinction in MA Professional Writing from Falmouth University.
Jo's debut novel, All the Little Children, was an Amazon Charts bestseller.
As a journalist, Jo worked for numerous online outlets and magazines, including Monocle and the Economist. She has edited books for a Nobel laureate and the palace of the Sultan of Brunei. She has a Distinction in MA Professional Writing from Falmouth University.
Jo's debut novel, All the Little Children, was an Amazon Charts bestseller.
Connect with her via Facebook (/JoFurnissAuthor) and Twitter (@Jo_Furniss) or through her
website: http://www.jofurniss.com/
Please do have a look at the other stops on the blog tour.
Thanks so much for the blog tour support xx
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