Reviews tagging 'Lesbophobia'

The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh

4 reviews

yvo_about_books's review against another edition

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2.5

 Finished reading: July 30th 2023


"One missing man. One body in the lake. We hardly need Miss Marple, do we?"

It's true that I've had mixed reactions to Clare Mackintosh's writing so far, but I absolutely loved my time with Hostage and I was hoping for a repeat experience with The Last Party. I was intrigued by the premise with the party, the lake setting and a murder mystery... And I fully expected to have a great time reading this first book of a new series. Unfortunately I ended up struggling considerably instead. I still like the premise and the setting is without doubt very well described. This story had so much potential, but in the end it just all fell flat for me. What didn't work then? First of all, The Last Party was both way too slow for me and also way overlong. This story could have been easily at least 100 pages shorter, and the plot would have been a lot tigher this way. As it is, there are way too many different characters/POVs and way too many descriptions along the way, and this made the story drag considerably. Add the fact that every single character is unlikeable and only becomes worse once you get to know them better, and I honestly couldn't care less what happened to any of them. The whole mystery around who killed Rhys didn't seem present at all; instead the focus was on just how many characters were hiding something. It was just overkill; so many characters cheating on each other, so many horrible secrets, so many 'revelations' stacked up that you just become immune to them all. This is without doubt my least favorite Clare Mackintosh book so far, and I will definitely not be continuing this series. 
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cpachet's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Not my favourite Clare Mackintosh, but if it’s becomes a series, I’ll still read it! I found the pace a little slow and the red herrings were abundant. 
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armstrongangela83's review

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dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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morethanmylupus's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This one was more of a slow burn type of thriller than the fast-paced kind that are everywhere right now. This gave it a bit more of a whodunit vibe, which was a nice change. The slower pacing allowed time to get to know a cast of characters, who of course all have a reason to commit murder, and also to learn more of the Welsh-UK history and dynamics. The Welsh lake and mountains were a very atmospheric background. In the last 1/3 the pacing was a lot faster and full of more reveals. I anticipated some of them, but not all of them. I read a lot of mysteries and thrillers, so I'm always pleased when this happens. I'm looking forward to more books starring Ffion and Leo, our detective pair in this novel. 


Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC!
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