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Robin Lyons #3
Last Witness
One murder, three families destroyed
And a detective guilty of a crime of her own
When 18-year-old Ben Renshaw is found dead in city woodland, DCI Robin Lyons is plunged into one of Birmingham's most controversial cases.
Months earlier, Ben and his best friend gave testimony that sent a former classmate, Alistair Heywood, to prison for a vicious sexual assault. Before the trial, the boys and their families endured months of brutal witness intimidation, for which the Heywoods, a privileged and influential local family, faced no legal repercussions. Instead, they vowed revenge.
Is Ben's murder the fulfilment of that vow, the beginning of a bloody new chapter that will go on claim lives on all sides? Or is the truth - as the Heywoods claim - something entirely different?
To solve the case, Robin has to negotiate the city's networks of power while walking a dangerous line: her own daughter, Lennie, has a secret that could threaten her liberty - and, if it comes out, Robin's, too. Before long, Robin comes to question whether she knows what justice is at all.
And a detective guilty of a crime of her own
When 18-year-old Ben Renshaw is found dead in city woodland, DCI Robin Lyons is plunged into one of Birmingham's most controversial cases.
Months earlier, Ben and his best friend gave testimony that sent a former classmate, Alistair Heywood, to prison for a vicious sexual assault. Before the trial, the boys and their families endured months of brutal witness intimidation, for which the Heywoods, a privileged and influential local family, faced no legal repercussions. Instead, they vowed revenge.
Is Ben's murder the fulfilment of that vow, the beginning of a bloody new chapter that will go on claim lives on all sides? Or is the truth - as the Heywoods claim - something entirely different?
To solve the case, Robin has to negotiate the city's networks of power while walking a dangerous line: her own daughter, Lennie, has a secret that could threaten her liberty - and, if it comes out, Robin's, too. Before long, Robin comes to question whether she knows what justice is at all.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 25, 2024
24 people are currently reading
157 people want to read
About the author
Lucie Whitehouse
17 books395 followersLucie Whitehouse was born in the Cotswolds in 1975 and grew up in Warwickshire. She studied Classics at Oxford University and then began a career in publishing while spending evenings, weekends and holidays working on the book that would eventually become THE HOUSE AT MIDNIGHT.
Having married in 2011, she now divides her time between the UK and Brooklyn, where she lives with her husband. She writes full time and has contributed features to the Times, the Sunday Times, the Independent, Elle and Red Magazine.
Having married in 2011, she now divides her time between the UK and Brooklyn, where she lives with her husband. She writes full time and has contributed features to the Times, the Sunday Times, the Independent, Elle and Red Magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
April 25, 2024
Last Witness is the 3rd (and final?) book in the Robin Lyons series by Lucie Whitehouse and is published today, 25 April 2024. I am delighted by part of a mini “blogathon” with 24 other bloggers who have all read and reviewed this series hoping to spread some book love and get some new readers for this wonderful crime series.
As this is book 3, I would recommend starting at book 1 Critical Incidents, followed by book 2 Risk of Harm because whilst Last Witness can be read as a standalone, you really need to read more about who Robin Lyons is and why she finds herself back in Birmingham working for the man who broke her heart and trying to juggle motherhood plus a series of violent crimes at the same time.
Last Witness follows on from Risk of Harm and Robin is now investigating the murder of a 16 year old boy called Ben Renshaw found in the city woodland. This case is highly controversial because Ben was one of the key witnesses to a sexual assault case the previous year which led to the conviction of one of the sons of a ruthless and powerful family. What followed after the verdict was intense witness intimidation, assault and arson attacks but the culprits were never found.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the police procedural parts were fascinating, with several crimes overlapping, it was refreshing to see how the police coped with the media scrutiny, the public backlash and the reluctant or hostile witnesses.
Watching Robin navigate her personal life as a mother, daughter, sister and lover and growing through each book was really interesting and I felt like I understood her and why she often behaved the way she did.
I would definitely recommend this series.
As this is book 3, I would recommend starting at book 1 Critical Incidents, followed by book 2 Risk of Harm because whilst Last Witness can be read as a standalone, you really need to read more about who Robin Lyons is and why she finds herself back in Birmingham working for the man who broke her heart and trying to juggle motherhood plus a series of violent crimes at the same time.
Last Witness follows on from Risk of Harm and Robin is now investigating the murder of a 16 year old boy called Ben Renshaw found in the city woodland. This case is highly controversial because Ben was one of the key witnesses to a sexual assault case the previous year which led to the conviction of one of the sons of a ruthless and powerful family. What followed after the verdict was intense witness intimidation, assault and arson attacks but the culprits were never found.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the police procedural parts were fascinating, with several crimes overlapping, it was refreshing to see how the police coped with the media scrutiny, the public backlash and the reluctant or hostile witnesses.
Watching Robin navigate her personal life as a mother, daughter, sister and lover and growing through each book was really interesting and I felt like I understood her and why she often behaved the way she did.
I would definitely recommend this series.
April 26, 2024
I received a free copy of, Last Witness, by Lucie Whitehouse, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is book 3 of The Robin Lyons book series. DCI Robin Lyons has a murder to solve, a teenager has been murdered. People have a lot of secrets in this book. This is such a sad story, brutal at times to read.
September 15, 2024
Murky motives…
When an 18-year-old boy is found dead in a wood, it’s immediately obvious the case will be high profile. A couple of years ago, Ben Renshaw and his friend Theo Gillespie had been witnesses in a rape trial that led to the conviction of one of their schoolmates, Alistair Heywood. In the run-up to the trial and afterwards, both Ben and Theo had been the victims of a series of incidents which looked like witness intimidation, but the police hadn’t been able to prove the involvement of the Heywood family. Since then, Ben, Theo and the victim of the original rape, Molly, have been running a website, StrengthInNumbers, to support victims of sexual assault, and have become well-known campaigners. So the question is, was Ben killed by the Heywoods in revenge, or was his murder the result of something he’d found out in the course of his campaigning work? The press are going to be all over it, so DCS Samir Jafferi puts his best officer on the job, Detective Chief Inspector Robin Lyons…
This is the third book in the Robin Lyons series, and it’s settling down to be one of the best and most credible police procedurals around at the moment. In book 2, Risk of Harm, I was concerned that Whitehouse was allowing Robin’s family and personal relationships to gain too much prominence at the expense of the plot, but in this one she pulls back from that and the balance is much better. There is a story arc relating to her family going on in the background, and I feel I can’t say much about it without giving away spoilers for the earlier books. But although it plays an important role here it is very much secondary to the main story, and completely separate (last time I was also rather annoyed by the fact that Robin’s family issues and the plot were getting tangled up together).
The plot in this one is excellent, and she deploys misdirection well – I trotted off down more than one rabbit-hole, only to discover the rabbit was elsewhere. It all revolves around Ben and Theo. Ben we only know from what other people say about him, and their accounts vary. Some see him as a dedicated campaigner, selflessly devoting his time to helping victims for no reward. Others see him as having been seduced by the celebrity that comes with high profile campaigning, and of using the campaign to feed his own ego. He reminded me very much of a specific campaigner who became a celebrity after a school shooting in the US a few years ago, who started out as a rightfully angry voice speaking for young people, but who gradually came to be seen by some people (though not everyone) as having morphed into someone carving out a career for himself on the back of the victims. Whitehouse doesn’t ‘make points’, thank goodness, but she raises ambiguities that allow the reader to make her own judgements about the characters.
Theo and Molly aren’t quite so driven. They think the campaign is important, but they’d like to get their normal lives back too, to some extent. This has caused some friction between the three friends, as Theo has stepped back a bit to concentrate on getting the grades he needs for university. The Heywoods start out as the suspected baddies – a rich and well connected family who refuse to accept Alistair’s guilt, and who might have killed Ben as revenge. But gradually they become more nuanced as we get to know them better. Are they really a kind of crime family, ready to use violence against anyone who gets in their way? Or are they just angry – angry that Alistair is in jail for a crime they’ve convinced themselves he didn’t commit, angry that his crime has affected their reputation and therefore their business, angry that the police clearly hold them responsible for every bad thing that has happened to Ben and Theo?
The story underlying the plot is dark, although Whitehouse avoids any gratuitousness. Despite all the talk of rape there are no graphic descriptions – she concentrates more on the emotional impact. And there’s no gore or gruesomeness in the violence, no stomach-churning autopsy scenes. Instead the investigation is carried out mostly in the traditional way – detectives questioning the people involved, and looking for gaps and inaccuracies. Of course, there’s modern stuff too, like checking CCTV footage and tracing people’s social media accounts. But mostly it’s a people-centred investigation, where motive is the primary factor in solving the case – my favourite kind!
If Whitehouse can maintain this delicate balance, of having enough of Robin’s personal life to make her interesting and likeable while keeping the plot front and centre, then she’ll be hard to beat. Her characterisation and writing are great, and I love the way she shows Birmingham as a vibrant, multi-cultural city without feeling the need to bang on constantly about race and gender issues. An excellent entry in what is turning into a very strong series. I do recommend that you read them in order though, starting with Critical Incidents.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Orion via NetGalley.
When an 18-year-old boy is found dead in a wood, it’s immediately obvious the case will be high profile. A couple of years ago, Ben Renshaw and his friend Theo Gillespie had been witnesses in a rape trial that led to the conviction of one of their schoolmates, Alistair Heywood. In the run-up to the trial and afterwards, both Ben and Theo had been the victims of a series of incidents which looked like witness intimidation, but the police hadn’t been able to prove the involvement of the Heywood family. Since then, Ben, Theo and the victim of the original rape, Molly, have been running a website, StrengthInNumbers, to support victims of sexual assault, and have become well-known campaigners. So the question is, was Ben killed by the Heywoods in revenge, or was his murder the result of something he’d found out in the course of his campaigning work? The press are going to be all over it, so DCS Samir Jafferi puts his best officer on the job, Detective Chief Inspector Robin Lyons…
This is the third book in the Robin Lyons series, and it’s settling down to be one of the best and most credible police procedurals around at the moment. In book 2, Risk of Harm, I was concerned that Whitehouse was allowing Robin’s family and personal relationships to gain too much prominence at the expense of the plot, but in this one she pulls back from that and the balance is much better. There is a story arc relating to her family going on in the background, and I feel I can’t say much about it without giving away spoilers for the earlier books. But although it plays an important role here it is very much secondary to the main story, and completely separate (last time I was also rather annoyed by the fact that Robin’s family issues and the plot were getting tangled up together).
The plot in this one is excellent, and she deploys misdirection well – I trotted off down more than one rabbit-hole, only to discover the rabbit was elsewhere. It all revolves around Ben and Theo. Ben we only know from what other people say about him, and their accounts vary. Some see him as a dedicated campaigner, selflessly devoting his time to helping victims for no reward. Others see him as having been seduced by the celebrity that comes with high profile campaigning, and of using the campaign to feed his own ego. He reminded me very much of a specific campaigner who became a celebrity after a school shooting in the US a few years ago, who started out as a rightfully angry voice speaking for young people, but who gradually came to be seen by some people (though not everyone) as having morphed into someone carving out a career for himself on the back of the victims. Whitehouse doesn’t ‘make points’, thank goodness, but she raises ambiguities that allow the reader to make her own judgements about the characters.
Theo and Molly aren’t quite so driven. They think the campaign is important, but they’d like to get their normal lives back too, to some extent. This has caused some friction between the three friends, as Theo has stepped back a bit to concentrate on getting the grades he needs for university. The Heywoods start out as the suspected baddies – a rich and well connected family who refuse to accept Alistair’s guilt, and who might have killed Ben as revenge. But gradually they become more nuanced as we get to know them better. Are they really a kind of crime family, ready to use violence against anyone who gets in their way? Or are they just angry – angry that Alistair is in jail for a crime they’ve convinced themselves he didn’t commit, angry that his crime has affected their reputation and therefore their business, angry that the police clearly hold them responsible for every bad thing that has happened to Ben and Theo?
The story underlying the plot is dark, although Whitehouse avoids any gratuitousness. Despite all the talk of rape there are no graphic descriptions – she concentrates more on the emotional impact. And there’s no gore or gruesomeness in the violence, no stomach-churning autopsy scenes. Instead the investigation is carried out mostly in the traditional way – detectives questioning the people involved, and looking for gaps and inaccuracies. Of course, there’s modern stuff too, like checking CCTV footage and tracing people’s social media accounts. But mostly it’s a people-centred investigation, where motive is the primary factor in solving the case – my favourite kind!
If Whitehouse can maintain this delicate balance, of having enough of Robin’s personal life to make her interesting and likeable while keeping the plot front and centre, then she’ll be hard to beat. Her characterisation and writing are great, and I love the way she shows Birmingham as a vibrant, multi-cultural city without feeling the need to bang on constantly about race and gender issues. An excellent entry in what is turning into a very strong series. I do recommend that you read them in order though, starting with Critical Incidents.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Orion via NetGalley.
April 17, 2024
I loved Whitehouse's thriller, Keep You Close, and was excited to see she had a new book coming out. In this book, a teenage boy is found dead and the prime suspects are members of a powerful family. The victim helps run a website supporting victims of assault and had called out one of the sons in this ruthless family. The death seems like a clear case of revenge, but the investigation uncovers several other possible suspects and motives making this far from an open and shut case.
I knew this book was a procedural and not a thriller, but didn't realize it was the third book in a series. I enjoy procedurals and have started reading several series in the middle and had no problems catching up. However, I had a hard time getting my footing when reading this book. I like the main character, DCI Robin Lyons, but there is a large cast of characters in the book, the case is complex, and Robin has a very complicated personal life. It took me a while to catch up on all of this but when I did, I really enjoyed the book.
There is a sense of foreboding throughout the story that something is going to go wrong, as Robin struggles to balance her life at work and at home. There is a lot of pressure to solve the case quickly and at the same time, Robin's teenage daughter is having a crisis of her own. I was very surprised by the ending and now that I've gotten to know Robin and the other main characters, I would definitely keep reading this series if it continues.
I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley and Orion Book, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.
I knew this book was a procedural and not a thriller, but didn't realize it was the third book in a series. I enjoy procedurals and have started reading several series in the middle and had no problems catching up. However, I had a hard time getting my footing when reading this book. I like the main character, DCI Robin Lyons, but there is a large cast of characters in the book, the case is complex, and Robin has a very complicated personal life. It took me a while to catch up on all of this but when I did, I really enjoyed the book.
There is a sense of foreboding throughout the story that something is going to go wrong, as Robin struggles to balance her life at work and at home. There is a lot of pressure to solve the case quickly and at the same time, Robin's teenage daughter is having a crisis of her own. I was very surprised by the ending and now that I've gotten to know Robin and the other main characters, I would definitely keep reading this series if it continues.
I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley and Orion Book, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.
May 20, 2024
Last Witness by Lucie Whitehouse is an extremely clever, complex police thriller, every time you think you know the answer as to who did it and why, another variation is given.
Ben and Theo are friends who testify against a former classmate, Alistair Heywood, who was found guilty of a serious sexual assault. Prior to the trial both boys and their families had to endure brutal witness intimidation, that was instigated by the Heywood family, a privileged and influential local family.
Then 18 year old Ben is found murdered in local woodland and the police have to find the person responsible. However that death then leads to another and more events are caught up in the aftermath. It is a heartbreaking story with no visible victors and little cause for celebration when everything is known.
Highly recommended
Ben and Theo are friends who testify against a former classmate, Alistair Heywood, who was found guilty of a serious sexual assault. Prior to the trial both boys and their families had to endure brutal witness intimidation, that was instigated by the Heywood family, a privileged and influential local family.
Then 18 year old Ben is found murdered in local woodland and the police have to find the person responsible. However that death then leads to another and more events are caught up in the aftermath. It is a heartbreaking story with no visible victors and little cause for celebration when everything is known.
Highly recommended
April 27, 2024
What a ride we've been on with Robin Lyons throughout this three book series!
It's not over yet though, as there's another killer at large, wanted for the murder of teen Ben Renshaw.
If you've read the series you'll recall that Renshaw became an integral part of the previous book and was a witness involved in an assault case that saw his schoolfriend imprisoned.
There are several threads throughout the book, one of them being Lyons is still struggling with issues in her personal life and subsequently her daughter is going through her own teen angst.
Last Witness is my favourite of the trilogy by far. It's a fast paced, highly enjoyable police procedural and I wouldn't hesitate in recommending both the book, the series and the author.
It's not over yet though, as there's another killer at large, wanted for the murder of teen Ben Renshaw.
If you've read the series you'll recall that Renshaw became an integral part of the previous book and was a witness involved in an assault case that saw his schoolfriend imprisoned.
There are several threads throughout the book, one of them being Lyons is still struggling with issues in her personal life and subsequently her daughter is going through her own teen angst.
Last Witness is my favourite of the trilogy by far. It's a fast paced, highly enjoyable police procedural and I wouldn't hesitate in recommending both the book, the series and the author.
June 30, 2025
wow . wasn't expecting the ending to be so dramatic. definitely read this again
March 5, 2024
It’s been nearly 3 years since I last encountered DCI Robin Lyon’s, and I was worried that I’d have forgotten a lot of what happened in the first two books. Whitehouse’s writing is such, however, that it took me right back to the second book and I was able to pick up on things pretty seamlessly. The last third of this book felt a little rushed, but on the whole, it was a good’un!
November 12, 2023
This is my 200th book of the year and the one which has allowed me to hit my Goodreads Reading Challenge target and boy what a way to hit that goal!
This is genuinely one of the best crime novels I have ever read and, as you can see, I read a lot of them!
This is my first book by the author and I requested this not realising it was part of an on-going series. Whilst, like most such series, you can read this as a standalone, there has clearly been some backstory and character development that I have missed out on so whilst I would recommend going back and reading the previous two (I think) novels, you definitely don't need to.
In this novel, Ben Renshaw is found dead and a murder investigation is quickly started. The list of suspects doesn't take long to fill given that Ben recently gave testimony in the rape trial of Alistair Heywood which led to his conviction. The Heywood's are a well known, successful family in the local community and are still adamant that Alistair was wrongly convicted.
However, more than giving testimony, Ben, along with his best friends Theo and Molly (who was the victim of the above rape) have set up Strength in Numbers, an online site which gives the victims of rape and sexual assault a voice. Was Ben's murder linked to the Heywood's? Or was it part of his wider Strength in Numbers work? Or was it altogether something unrelated.......?
What I love most about this book is that the story is complex however the author doesn't take anything to extremes. I often find with books nowadays that there is a feeling that a crime/thriller needs a massive twist that no-one could possibly have seen coming and often defies belief.
Here, there are twists and red herrings aplenty and the reader will be kept guessing page after page. You will suspect everyone at some point and the ending just comes together perfectly.
The characters are also so well drawn out that you care about each and every one of them and the personal storylines, along with the crime plot, work so well together. Whitehouse doesn't over sentimentalise anything but really gives a strong account of the personal/professional boundaries and conflicts that occur.
An excellent read and thanks to Netgalley and Orion publishing group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review
This is genuinely one of the best crime novels I have ever read and, as you can see, I read a lot of them!
This is my first book by the author and I requested this not realising it was part of an on-going series. Whilst, like most such series, you can read this as a standalone, there has clearly been some backstory and character development that I have missed out on so whilst I would recommend going back and reading the previous two (I think) novels, you definitely don't need to.
In this novel, Ben Renshaw is found dead and a murder investigation is quickly started. The list of suspects doesn't take long to fill given that Ben recently gave testimony in the rape trial of Alistair Heywood which led to his conviction. The Heywood's are a well known, successful family in the local community and are still adamant that Alistair was wrongly convicted.
However, more than giving testimony, Ben, along with his best friends Theo and Molly (who was the victim of the above rape) have set up Strength in Numbers, an online site which gives the victims of rape and sexual assault a voice. Was Ben's murder linked to the Heywood's? Or was it part of his wider Strength in Numbers work? Or was it altogether something unrelated.......?
What I love most about this book is that the story is complex however the author doesn't take anything to extremes. I often find with books nowadays that there is a feeling that a crime/thriller needs a massive twist that no-one could possibly have seen coming and often defies belief.
Here, there are twists and red herrings aplenty and the reader will be kept guessing page after page. You will suspect everyone at some point and the ending just comes together perfectly.
The characters are also so well drawn out that you care about each and every one of them and the personal storylines, along with the crime plot, work so well together. Whitehouse doesn't over sentimentalise anything but really gives a strong account of the personal/professional boundaries and conflicts that occur.
An excellent read and thanks to Netgalley and Orion publishing group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review
December 8, 2023
I did enjoy this book, though there were a lot of different things going on in the story at once. On the whole, it was an easy read that did have more than one person who you could have picked to be the murderer though in the end it was left to a choice of either or.
I thought the ending was a bit rushed with a feeling of "tie up all the loose ends". It was the first Lucie Whitehouse book that I had read and I think it might be a good idea to have met DCI Robin Lyons beforehand so that I would have known some of the previous history of the characters.
The storyline was quite appropriate to the times we live in.
I thought the ending was a bit rushed with a feeling of "tie up all the loose ends". It was the first Lucie Whitehouse book that I had read and I think it might be a good idea to have met DCI Robin Lyons beforehand so that I would have known some of the previous history of the characters.
The storyline was quite appropriate to the times we live in.
April 16, 2024
This is the first Lucie Whitehouse book I have read and on the strength of this I will most certainly be reading the others.
DCI Robin Lyons is a single parent and her teenage daughter Lennie is intelligent and the light of her mother’s life. Robin worries about Lennie constantly and would do anything to save her from harm, like most mothers.
Robin’s boss, ACC Kilmartin, gives Robin the most high profile case in the West Midlands. Teenager Ben Renshaw has been found murdered in an isolated stretch of woodland in Birmingham. Ben is known to the police because he and his two friends, Molly and Theo recently testified in the trial of a former schoolmate, Alistair Heywood. Heywood was convicted of sexually assaulting Molly, a claim he vigorously denied.
Alistair comes from a prominent local family with a lot of influential connections and they had refused to accept the verdict, claiming their son had been ‘stitched up’.
Ben and Theo, though were unshakable, despite being subject to a lot of intimidation. Molly’s experience and the resulting court trial opened their eyes to the experience of women at the centre of such trials and the three of them collectively set up a website, StrengthinNumbers.com which encourages women to share their experiences. They have campaigned on behalf of the site and fundraised for it and the Heywoods are extremely unhappy that their son’s conviction is raised every time they do an interview.
The pressure is coming down on Robin to solve this case quickly, but the timing could not be worse. Her daughter has been caught up in a riot and her brother is about to stand trial for racist offences of which he is, in the main, guilty.
The family are under pressure and Lennie isn’t handling it well, which means that Robin, too, is on edge all the time. Her immediate boss, DCS Samir Jafferi knows all about this and is being both helpful and supportive, but when Robin is tracked down by a journalist, she fears all her secrets will come out.
The supposition is that Ben's death is just another element of the Heywood’s revenge but another death puts all that into a new perspective and Robin realises that she will have to look much wider and deeper to solve this case.
Working with her small team comprising DS Malia Thomas, DC Varan Patel, and Tark, they are working night and day to find leads that make contextual sense of these murders.
Lucie Whitehouse has written a complex and tangled police procedural which encompasses a number of themes, not least the nature of justice. Last Witness is written with skill and sensitivity and the scenes with grieving families feel all too harrowing and real.
As with real life crime, there is little or no satisfaction in finding the perpetrator and that is clearly shown in a novel that brims with compassion and sensitivity.
Verdict: A thoughtful, immersive and complex police procedural that hits all the right notes.
DCI Robin Lyons is a single parent and her teenage daughter Lennie is intelligent and the light of her mother’s life. Robin worries about Lennie constantly and would do anything to save her from harm, like most mothers.
Robin’s boss, ACC Kilmartin, gives Robin the most high profile case in the West Midlands. Teenager Ben Renshaw has been found murdered in an isolated stretch of woodland in Birmingham. Ben is known to the police because he and his two friends, Molly and Theo recently testified in the trial of a former schoolmate, Alistair Heywood. Heywood was convicted of sexually assaulting Molly, a claim he vigorously denied.
Alistair comes from a prominent local family with a lot of influential connections and they had refused to accept the verdict, claiming their son had been ‘stitched up’.
Ben and Theo, though were unshakable, despite being subject to a lot of intimidation. Molly’s experience and the resulting court trial opened their eyes to the experience of women at the centre of such trials and the three of them collectively set up a website, StrengthinNumbers.com which encourages women to share their experiences. They have campaigned on behalf of the site and fundraised for it and the Heywoods are extremely unhappy that their son’s conviction is raised every time they do an interview.
The pressure is coming down on Robin to solve this case quickly, but the timing could not be worse. Her daughter has been caught up in a riot and her brother is about to stand trial for racist offences of which he is, in the main, guilty.
The family are under pressure and Lennie isn’t handling it well, which means that Robin, too, is on edge all the time. Her immediate boss, DCS Samir Jafferi knows all about this and is being both helpful and supportive, but when Robin is tracked down by a journalist, she fears all her secrets will come out.
The supposition is that Ben's death is just another element of the Heywood’s revenge but another death puts all that into a new perspective and Robin realises that she will have to look much wider and deeper to solve this case.
Working with her small team comprising DS Malia Thomas, DC Varan Patel, and Tark, they are working night and day to find leads that make contextual sense of these murders.
Lucie Whitehouse has written a complex and tangled police procedural which encompasses a number of themes, not least the nature of justice. Last Witness is written with skill and sensitivity and the scenes with grieving families feel all too harrowing and real.
As with real life crime, there is little or no satisfaction in finding the perpetrator and that is clearly shown in a novel that brims with compassion and sensitivity.
Verdict: A thoughtful, immersive and complex police procedural that hits all the right notes.
August 27, 2025
3.5 stars? Kind of torn on what to rate this honestly. Where it really shined was in all the relationship stuff, especially with Samir and his family -- the core mystery was actually the weakest part for me, although I liked how it was related to a pre-existing case.
Okay I have to talk about the editing. I gather from the Acknowledgements that Whitehouse moved to a new publisher for this one and wow they did her dirty. There were some absolute clangers in the first half, with the most egregious being this:
What on earth is going on with those parentheses? How does that even happen? Did the work experience kid go over this?
Also it felt like every chapter tried to end with a kind of mic drop, like someone would say something cutting or drop a bombshell or whatever; it was kind of weird pacing for me and I don't remember that from the previous books (although it's been a while).
Okay I have to talk about the editing. I gather from the Acknowledgements that Whitehouse moved to a new publisher for this one and wow they did her dirty. There were some absolute clangers in the first half, with the most egregious being this:
...Alcester Rd/St Mary's Row (the roads around Ben's house and Moseley Bog. Turning his chair, he pointed to the empty desk that had belonged to Niall before he'd left Homicide for a sergeant's job in Organised Crime) without being replaced, needless to say.
What on earth is going on with those parentheses? How does that even happen? Did the work experience kid go over this?
Also it felt like every chapter tried to end with a kind of mic drop, like someone would say something cutting or drop a bombshell or whatever; it was kind of weird pacing for me and I don't remember that from the previous books (although it's been a while).
March 25, 2024
This is the latest in Lucie Whitehouse's superb Birmingham based crime series featuring the tenacious and flawed single mother DCI Robin Lyons, with her bright teen daughter, Lennie. An anxious Robin is handed the most controversial, incendiary, and high profile of cases by ACC Kilmartin, 18 year old Ben Renshaw's body has been discovered in woodland. Ben, and his best friend Theo Gillespie, were witnesses to the sexual assault of their friend, Molly Zajac, by someone they were at school with, Alistair Heywood. They gave testimony at the court trial, that ended with a rare conviction and prison sentence, a crime and sentence Alastair's powerful and influential local family deny and refuse to accept, promising reprisals.
Ben and Theo, along with their families, have faced a brutal and intimidation campaign, but this does not prevent them and Molly setting up StrengthInNumbers.com, a prominent site where victims of sexual assault can share their experiences. Is Ben's death, as assumed to be, part of the Heywoods exercising their malign power, or are other factors at play? As Robin stresses about her brother, Luke's sentencing, and the potential repercussions for her, Lennie, and her supportive boss, DCS Samir Jafferi, matters are exacerbated by the calls she is getting from a local journalist looking into her life, family and career. Robin and her team, that includes DS Malia Thomas, DC Varan Patel, and Tark, struggle to get viable leads on a complex case that has more death and surprising twists and turns, with its buried tentacles reaching into a painfully haunted past.
Whitehouse touches on many contemporary themes in our society, such as violence against women and the #MeToo movement, and other complicated issues, like a victim's right to be silent on crimes committed against them, and the question of justice, given Robin's secrets. There is humanity and compassion in this utterly gripping and immersive read, sensitively exploring the harrowing crimes where nothing is as it appears, the nature of friendship, with its widely disparate cast of well constructed characters, the good and the ugly, and providing a fascinating picture of Robin's personal life and family. A brilliant addition to a marvellous series that I recommend highly! Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
Ben and Theo, along with their families, have faced a brutal and intimidation campaign, but this does not prevent them and Molly setting up StrengthInNumbers.com, a prominent site where victims of sexual assault can share their experiences. Is Ben's death, as assumed to be, part of the Heywoods exercising their malign power, or are other factors at play? As Robin stresses about her brother, Luke's sentencing, and the potential repercussions for her, Lennie, and her supportive boss, DCS Samir Jafferi, matters are exacerbated by the calls she is getting from a local journalist looking into her life, family and career. Robin and her team, that includes DS Malia Thomas, DC Varan Patel, and Tark, struggle to get viable leads on a complex case that has more death and surprising twists and turns, with its buried tentacles reaching into a painfully haunted past.
Whitehouse touches on many contemporary themes in our society, such as violence against women and the #MeToo movement, and other complicated issues, like a victim's right to be silent on crimes committed against them, and the question of justice, given Robin's secrets. There is humanity and compassion in this utterly gripping and immersive read, sensitively exploring the harrowing crimes where nothing is as it appears, the nature of friendship, with its widely disparate cast of well constructed characters, the good and the ugly, and providing a fascinating picture of Robin's personal life and family. A brilliant addition to a marvellous series that I recommend highly! Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
April 25, 2024
I was delighted to catch up with DCI Robin Lyons , her teenage daughter Lennie, and the hectic world of Birmingham policing. She's as wonderful as ever, stretched in every direction and keeping multiple plates spinning at all times, work, motherhood, relationships, with the additional complication of having a brother who is about to go to court and faces significant jail time.
Robin's latest case involves the discovery of 18 year old Ben's body in some woodland. Ben had recently been a witness in a SA trial that had ended in the suspect Alistair Heywood, a former classmate, being found guilty and going to jail. Alistair's family, the Heywoods, are very well connected and put pressure on the police not to take it further, but despite their influence and connections, Alistair was found guilty and sentenced to several years in jail. The Heywoods have not taken it well, and Ben and Theo, the other key witness, have experienced some significant intimidation and 'accidents' since then, which the Heywoods have denied.
No-one expected it to end with a dead body though. Ben's family are distraught at what has happened to Ben and point the finger at the Heywoods. They are not happy about being interviewed about Ben's case. Again, they use all their connections to try and keep Robin in her place, and she has to stay strong against them to try and find out what has happened to Ben.
I have thoroughly enjoyed the whole series of books - Robin Lyons is such interesting human character, with mum guilt, work guilt, family guilt and any other sort of guilt driving her on at all times. Her relationship with Lennie is so fragile and so important to them both, the slightest wrong word can send things spiralling.
The three books together are a must read for crime fiction fans,
Robin's latest case involves the discovery of 18 year old Ben's body in some woodland. Ben had recently been a witness in a SA trial that had ended in the suspect Alistair Heywood, a former classmate, being found guilty and going to jail. Alistair's family, the Heywoods, are very well connected and put pressure on the police not to take it further, but despite their influence and connections, Alistair was found guilty and sentenced to several years in jail. The Heywoods have not taken it well, and Ben and Theo, the other key witness, have experienced some significant intimidation and 'accidents' since then, which the Heywoods have denied.
No-one expected it to end with a dead body though. Ben's family are distraught at what has happened to Ben and point the finger at the Heywoods. They are not happy about being interviewed about Ben's case. Again, they use all their connections to try and keep Robin in her place, and she has to stay strong against them to try and find out what has happened to Ben.
I have thoroughly enjoyed the whole series of books - Robin Lyons is such interesting human character, with mum guilt, work guilt, family guilt and any other sort of guilt driving her on at all times. Her relationship with Lennie is so fragile and so important to them both, the slightest wrong word can send things spiralling.
The three books together are a must read for crime fiction fans,
March 27, 2024
Last Witness is another great release from Lucie Whitehouse – this time, we’re following DCI Robin Lyons as she tries to crack a case of a murdered teenage boy, Ben, who – along with his best friend Theo, helped put a rapist in prison with their witness testimony. Unfortunately, the person now jailed is part of a powerful, shady family with links to organized crime, and they have allegedly made Ben and Theo’s lives since the trial hell – and now Ben is dead. There’s a lot at stake here, and the pressure is on for Robin and the team.
Alongside that, we follow on from the last book as Robin continues to worry about her daughter Lennie and the fallout from that fateful day at a protest – will Robin’s brother keep their secret? His trial is approaching, and this heightened tension builds as the book continues. The fact that the previous book was released years before this one didn’t seem to be an issue for me – it all came flooding back as soon as I started this novel, which is great as I often have a terrible memory when it comes to books I’ve read!
The two main plots featured here are absorbing and, along with Robin’s lingering feelings about one of her colleagues, means we get a good mix of police procedural and mystery with some further character development of Robin and her family which I really enjoyed. I thought the case with Ben was intriguing and developed well, and the themes – which were often quite shocking – were handled sensitively.
Definitely recommended – Last Witness could be read as a standalone, but if you can, start from book one to really get a feel for Robin and her character!
Many thanks to the publisher, Orion, for providing a copy of this book on which I chose to write an honest review. More book reviews on www.snazzybooks.com
Alongside that, we follow on from the last book as Robin continues to worry about her daughter Lennie and the fallout from that fateful day at a protest – will Robin’s brother keep their secret? His trial is approaching, and this heightened tension builds as the book continues. The fact that the previous book was released years before this one didn’t seem to be an issue for me – it all came flooding back as soon as I started this novel, which is great as I often have a terrible memory when it comes to books I’ve read!
The two main plots featured here are absorbing and, along with Robin’s lingering feelings about one of her colleagues, means we get a good mix of police procedural and mystery with some further character development of Robin and her family which I really enjoyed. I thought the case with Ben was intriguing and developed well, and the themes – which were often quite shocking – were handled sensitively.
Definitely recommended – Last Witness could be read as a standalone, but if you can, start from book one to really get a feel for Robin and her character!
Many thanks to the publisher, Orion, for providing a copy of this book on which I chose to write an honest review. More book reviews on www.snazzybooks.com
April 2, 2024
Last Witness by Lucie Whitehouse is an upcoming crime thriller following DCI Robin Lyons. Robin is assigned to the investigation into the death of Ben Renshaw, an 18 year who was previously a key witness in a sexual assault case. Robin immediately has her suspicions about who’s involved, but must wade through the privileged and well-connected quagmire of Birmingham’s influential families in order to uncover evidence.
I didn’t realise that this was part of a series, but that didn’t end up mattering as the author covered the backstories of the characters so well. The story revolves around a central incident, but there are so many other dramatic points woven in that it is action packed. I was guessing right up to the end on this one! Really enjoyed the intricate connections between the characters in this book. The last few chapters I had to demolish in one go, as I just couldn’t wait any longer to find out what happened!
Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. This will be published 25.04.2024
#luciewhitehouse #lastwitness #crimebook #thrillerbook #bookworm #bookstagram #bookish #booklover #books #booknerd #bibliophile #reading #book #bookaddict #read #booksofinstagram #booklove #bookshelf #bookblogger #readersofinstagram #instabooks #goodreads #literature #currentlyreading #ukbookstagram
I didn’t realise that this was part of a series, but that didn’t end up mattering as the author covered the backstories of the characters so well. The story revolves around a central incident, but there are so many other dramatic points woven in that it is action packed. I was guessing right up to the end on this one! Really enjoyed the intricate connections between the characters in this book. The last few chapters I had to demolish in one go, as I just couldn’t wait any longer to find out what happened!
Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. This will be published 25.04.2024
#luciewhitehouse #lastwitness #crimebook #thrillerbook #bookworm #bookstagram #bookish #booklover #books #booknerd #bibliophile #reading #book #bookaddict #read #booksofinstagram #booklove #bookshelf #bookblogger #readersofinstagram #instabooks #goodreads #literature #currentlyreading #ukbookstagram
April 24, 2024
This the last stop in the #TeamLyons blog tour that review all the books in this series.
This is a book you can read as a stand-alone but reading them in order will make you appreciate the evolution of Robin, a single mother and homicide investigator who moved from London to Birmingham, and of the main characters in this series.
The author deals with some very sensitive issues like sexual abuse, entitlement, misogyny. It brings you to dark places and into the centre of human darkness.
I started it while I was travelling and I was so engrossed that only the name of the stations made me understand time was passing.
Robin’s life is as complex as usual: she’s a woman part of a complex family, she’s attracted to her boss who’s married and a former lover. Her daughter is a teenager who is involved in the trial of her uncle and not very happy.
This the behind-the-scene of a complex and highly political investigation. There are twists, red herrings, a possible culprit related to the victim social activity.
The author is an excellent storytelling and I was kept turning pages and guessing.
Loved it, highly recommended
Many thanks to Orion and Compulsive Readers for this arc, all opinions are mine.
This is a book you can read as a stand-alone but reading them in order will make you appreciate the evolution of Robin, a single mother and homicide investigator who moved from London to Birmingham, and of the main characters in this series.
The author deals with some very sensitive issues like sexual abuse, entitlement, misogyny. It brings you to dark places and into the centre of human darkness.
I started it while I was travelling and I was so engrossed that only the name of the stations made me understand time was passing.
Robin’s life is as complex as usual: she’s a woman part of a complex family, she’s attracted to her boss who’s married and a former lover. Her daughter is a teenager who is involved in the trial of her uncle and not very happy.
This the behind-the-scene of a complex and highly political investigation. There are twists, red herrings, a possible culprit related to the victim social activity.
The author is an excellent storytelling and I was kept turning pages and guessing.
Loved it, highly recommended
Many thanks to Orion and Compulsive Readers for this arc, all opinions are mine.
April 24, 2024
Best book I’ve read this year! Amazing police procedural!! I’ve been lucky enough to be sent and read the first three in the DI/DCI Robin Lyon stories by the author and I think this one was my favourite out of the lot.
So, this story publishes today but when is the next one coming out !?! I need to know! 🤣
This book is set in Birmingham. The main character is single mam DCI Robin Lyons. Her boss is her ex-boyfriend from 20 years ago, the man who broke her heart. The story does well as a stand alone but I think you’d enjoy it more if you’d read the books in order to find out all about Robin and her family.
A local young lad Ben has been murdered near by. He has been caught up in a recent rape case. Him and his best friend Theo witnessed a girl in their year being raped. The rapist has a famous family in the city that have plenty of money and have a lot of influence. Ben and his best friend have been getting loads of harassment during the trial, with someone even running Theo over. So surely it’s one of the notorious family members who have murdered Ben?
Although they deny any harassment and murder and then someone else is murdered.
Such a cleverly written plot. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can’t wait for the next one!
So, this story publishes today but when is the next one coming out !?! I need to know! 🤣
This book is set in Birmingham. The main character is single mam DCI Robin Lyons. Her boss is her ex-boyfriend from 20 years ago, the man who broke her heart. The story does well as a stand alone but I think you’d enjoy it more if you’d read the books in order to find out all about Robin and her family.
A local young lad Ben has been murdered near by. He has been caught up in a recent rape case. Him and his best friend Theo witnessed a girl in their year being raped. The rapist has a famous family in the city that have plenty of money and have a lot of influence. Ben and his best friend have been getting loads of harassment during the trial, with someone even running Theo over. So surely it’s one of the notorious family members who have murdered Ben?
Although they deny any harassment and murder and then someone else is murdered.
Such a cleverly written plot. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can’t wait for the next one!
April 1, 2024
Having now read all three books in the DCI Robin Lyons series, I would personally recommend reading these in order, since the development of Robin’s career and the relationship with her daughter Lennie is quite paramount to the dynamics of the storyline. I really like Robin, she’s a superbly developed character and the amount of time she spends at work, realistically affects her home life which torments her for being a neglectful single parent. Her turbulent relationship with her racist and selfish brother Luke, is another ongoing storyline that benefits from continuity and a situation that arose in the previous book, comes to a conclusion here.
I was utterly gripped with the plot line in “Last Witness” - for some reason I was fastidiously invested into the who and why the events happened and it was only down to old fashioned, diligent and dedicated police work that the case was solved. A very interesting case too, which broke my heart in places but with a timely #MeToo theme, showing how the younger generation are supporting victims. This felt progressive, appropriate and certainly inclusive of modern day criminal investigations. I loved this book, my favourite of the three and hope that there’ll be a fourth very soon!
#LastWitness - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I was utterly gripped with the plot line in “Last Witness” - for some reason I was fastidiously invested into the who and why the events happened and it was only down to old fashioned, diligent and dedicated police work that the case was solved. A very interesting case too, which broke my heart in places but with a timely #MeToo theme, showing how the younger generation are supporting victims. This felt progressive, appropriate and certainly inclusive of modern day criminal investigations. I loved this book, my favourite of the three and hope that there’ll be a fourth very soon!
#LastWitness - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
April 25, 2024
✨My Thoughts✨
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Welcome back to the final review of the #TeamLyons project, this is going live on publication day, I’ve really enjoyed this series and it’s one of the best I’ve read.
This story starts with a call out to some woodland and when Robyn arrives she realises the body is a boy from a previous/active case and it’s all going to go wrong pretty fast, in more ways than one.
I just love Robyn and her daughter Lennie, they’ve had it worse than most and they’re still dealing with so much trauma that may or may not come to a conclusion soon.
One of the reasons why I enjoy this series so much is that it’s about Robyn’s home life too not just the case and we get to know how she feels and what she’s dealing with behind closed doors.
The case was so interesting and very twisty, the whole story was just so realistic and I could really see it being made into a tv series because it’s that addictive.
I hope we get to see so much more of Robyn Lyons, her family and her fantastic team.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Welcome back to the final review of the #TeamLyons project, this is going live on publication day, I’ve really enjoyed this series and it’s one of the best I’ve read.
This story starts with a call out to some woodland and when Robyn arrives she realises the body is a boy from a previous/active case and it’s all going to go wrong pretty fast, in more ways than one.
I just love Robyn and her daughter Lennie, they’ve had it worse than most and they’re still dealing with so much trauma that may or may not come to a conclusion soon.
One of the reasons why I enjoy this series so much is that it’s about Robyn’s home life too not just the case and we get to know how she feels and what she’s dealing with behind closed doors.
The case was so interesting and very twisty, the whole story was just so realistic and I could really see it being made into a tv series because it’s that addictive.
I hope we get to see so much more of Robyn Lyons, her family and her fantastic team.
January 30, 2025
Last Witness by Lucie Whitehouse is an enjoyable crime novel. The story kicks off with the shocking death of 18-year-old Ben Renshaw, found in the woods in Birmingham. DCI Robin Lyons is thrust into a controversial case that brings up painful memories and personal dilemmas. I received a copy from Orion Publishing Group via Netgalley.
The backdrop of the murder is tied to a traumatic trial that Ben and his best friend were involved in, where their testimony sent a privileged classmate, Alistair Heywood, to prison for a brutal sexual assault. The aftermath was a series of violent threats and intimidation from the influential Heywood family, who, rather than facing consequences, vowed revenge. The story poses a chilling question: Was Ben's murder a result of this threat, or is there a darker truth lurking beneath the surface?
Whitehouse skillfully weaves together themes of loyalty and the corrupting influence of power. The novel's pacing is decent, and the suspense builds steadily toward an ending that keeps you questioning until the final page.
4/5 ⭐️
The backdrop of the murder is tied to a traumatic trial that Ben and his best friend were involved in, where their testimony sent a privileged classmate, Alistair Heywood, to prison for a brutal sexual assault. The aftermath was a series of violent threats and intimidation from the influential Heywood family, who, rather than facing consequences, vowed revenge. The story poses a chilling question: Was Ben's murder a result of this threat, or is there a darker truth lurking beneath the surface?
Whitehouse skillfully weaves together themes of loyalty and the corrupting influence of power. The novel's pacing is decent, and the suspense builds steadily toward an ending that keeps you questioning until the final page.
4/5 ⭐️
April 12, 2024
I've really enjoyed this series from Lucie, I love Robin, her personality shines through in all the books, also love Lennie, her daughter. Following on from the previous books, definitely ones to read in order as the stories follow on. It is another fast paced read, keeps you guessing until the end and another enjoyable read.
Samir is also a gem of a character, Kev isn't in this one as much but he's a side character so that's to be expected. The way Lucie describes the murders, the kidnaps, the police procedures is very well done, they are done with enough easy to understand information. I wasn't sure which way some of the events would go, if they would find the culprits or not but I felt like I was along for the ride.
The social media aspect of StrengthInNumbers means that the public is involved in this book, brings a new perspective to the story.
I cannot praise this series enough! Gritty, gripping and thrilling all in one! Would recommend!
Samir is also a gem of a character, Kev isn't in this one as much but he's a side character so that's to be expected. The way Lucie describes the murders, the kidnaps, the police procedures is very well done, they are done with enough easy to understand information. I wasn't sure which way some of the events would go, if they would find the culprits or not but I felt like I was along for the ride.
The social media aspect of StrengthInNumbers means that the public is involved in this book, brings a new perspective to the story.
I cannot praise this series enough! Gritty, gripping and thrilling all in one! Would recommend!
April 25, 2024
Loved this newest instalment.
Ive had such a fun past few months reading the first two books in this series but I must say this newest addition may be my favourite in the series so far. Robin brought her a game with this crime novel. From the first page I was a sucked into the mystery of Bens death and all the suspicious circumstances around it. I enjoyed the many twists and turns this case took even if at the start you think it's going to be more clear cut.
Fast paced and full of suspense you will be biting your nails and taking guesses at who the perp actually is with the wide range of suspects that are hinted at in this novel. At around three hundred and seventy odd pages, I flew through this novel within a weekend, this can be read as standalone but I would recommend reading the previous books in the series to get the bigger picture and seeing more into Robin our MC's background.
Ive had such a fun past few months reading the first two books in this series but I must say this newest addition may be my favourite in the series so far. Robin brought her a game with this crime novel. From the first page I was a sucked into the mystery of Bens death and all the suspicious circumstances around it. I enjoyed the many twists and turns this case took even if at the start you think it's going to be more clear cut.
Fast paced and full of suspense you will be biting your nails and taking guesses at who the perp actually is with the wide range of suspects that are hinted at in this novel. At around three hundred and seventy odd pages, I flew through this novel within a weekend, this can be read as standalone but I would recommend reading the previous books in the series to get the bigger picture and seeing more into Robin our MC's background.
January 23, 2024
A welcome return for DCI Robin Lyons in the third book of the series- it can be read as a stand-alone but the first two are great and fill in a lot of context. Here she investigates the murder of teenager Ben Renshaw, who is already known to Robin as he and his best friend had given testimony leading to the conviction of a fellow student for raping a female classmate. The accused came from a rich and influential local family, the Heywards, who have been brutally intimidating the boys and their families leading up to the trial, and who have vowed to get revenge, so they are the obvious suspects when Ben is killed- but are things as straightforward as they seem? This is an intriguing and well-paced story that touches on some very topical themes- the difficulties of getting justice for rape victims, toxic sexuality and the culture in some private schools of entitlement and abuse of power amongst the wealthy. Robin is a likeable and believable character, finding this case particularly close to home as her own teenage daughter, Lenny, prepares to be a witness in the trial of Robin’s brother, who injured a police officer at a white supremacy march at which Lenny was protesting. She is also still trying to come to terms with her feelings for her boss and former lover, Samir, with whom she shares a secret that could destroy both their careers. Thoughtful and sympathetic, this is essential reading for anyone who enjoys a complex and well-written crime procedural with strong, convincing characters and absorbing back stories.
March 19, 2024
This is my first novel by author Lucie Whitehouse and it was a good and interesting read.
We follow DCI Robin Lyons whilst she starts to investigate the death of an 18 year old young man. We learn that Ben was a witness to one of his classmates crime and he actually went to prison. Ben had been subject to harassment from the boys family and it is now Robin's job to sort this situation out and figure out who killed Ben.
Robin is thrust into the workings of the city's power players and it make for an interesting read.
Apparently this book is a series of novels but you can definetly read it as a one-off/standalone novel.
Fast paced and rather gripping with really good well rounded and likeable characters.
Thanks to Lucie Whitehouse, netgalley and the publishers.
We follow DCI Robin Lyons whilst she starts to investigate the death of an 18 year old young man. We learn that Ben was a witness to one of his classmates crime and he actually went to prison. Ben had been subject to harassment from the boys family and it is now Robin's job to sort this situation out and figure out who killed Ben.
Robin is thrust into the workings of the city's power players and it make for an interesting read.
Apparently this book is a series of novels but you can definetly read it as a one-off/standalone novel.
Fast paced and rather gripping with really good well rounded and likeable characters.
Thanks to Lucie Whitehouse, netgalley and the publishers.
April 25, 2024
'Last Witness' is an excellent, enthralling, dark and twisting read from Whitehouse. Something about this gripped me from the start and I devoured this book incredibly quickly. The plot is very dark but also thrilling and gripping and I was desperately reading to see what was going to happen next. There was the perfect balance between dramatic scenes and quieter, police scenes.
I really liked Whitehouse's characters, Robin in particular was a great addition and I enjoyed seeing the real side of her as well as the police side. All of the characters are strong and they all felt realistic which helped make the plot feel realistic.
This was an excellent read that I highly recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and Orion for an advance copy.
I really liked Whitehouse's characters, Robin in particular was a great addition and I enjoyed seeing the real side of her as well as the police side. All of the characters are strong and they all felt realistic which helped make the plot feel realistic.
This was an excellent read that I highly recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and Orion for an advance copy.
April 25, 2024
This is book 3 of the Robin Lyons series.
I love that these books are set in Birmingham, especially as I'm a Midlands girl, so I can easily imagine the location. It's actually refreshing to read a book based in an area I'm familiar with.
I would recommend reading the books in order purely so you can get an insight into some of the character’s past, personality, etc. Otherwise its OK to read as a stand alone.
I've really enjoyed reading this book and crime series. I have found it just like the others gripping from start to end. An absolute must read for all those that love crime procedure thrillers.
I love that these books are set in Birmingham, especially as I'm a Midlands girl, so I can easily imagine the location. It's actually refreshing to read a book based in an area I'm familiar with.
I would recommend reading the books in order purely so you can get an insight into some of the character’s past, personality, etc. Otherwise its OK to read as a stand alone.
I've really enjoyed reading this book and crime series. I have found it just like the others gripping from start to end. An absolute must read for all those that love crime procedure thrillers.
August 2, 2024
When a young man is found dead in the woods, DCI Robin Lyons discovers that he & his friend Theo had been involved in reporting a serious sexual assault on a lad from a very influential local family Alistair Heywood was eventually given a prison sentence but before the trial the boys had suffered a lot of threats & intimidation by the Heywood family. Theo is already handicapped after a hit & run- suspected to be by the Heywoods. Have they got to Ben as well.
I didn't realise that this was the third in the series but it didn't stop me enjoying the tale. The characters were interesting. The plot kept me guessing. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read this book.
I didn't realise that this was the third in the series but it didn't stop me enjoying the tale. The characters were interesting. The plot kept me guessing. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read this book.
July 11, 2025
Last Witness is a powerful and emotionally charged thriller that explores trauma, memory, and the pursuit of justice. When a woman’s testimony resurfaces years after a tragic event, the consequences ripple through lives in unexpected and gripping ways.
Whitehouse’s evocative prose and complex characters create a haunting atmosphere, blending psychological depth with suspenseful storytelling. A compelling read for fans of thoughtful, character-driven thrillers. A real page-turner.
Whitehouse’s evocative prose and complex characters create a haunting atmosphere, blending psychological depth with suspenseful storytelling. A compelling read for fans of thoughtful, character-driven thrillers. A real page-turner.
March 12, 2024
This is a very good crime thriller, filled with so many twists to occupy the reader. I like the character of DCI Robin Lyons, although there was quite a bit of background information on her which just slowed the read down for me. The plotting is good, but I felt the ending was a bit rushed and this spoiled it for me. It's a good read with convincing characters. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.
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