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Blake & Byron Thrillers #1
The Last Time She Died
She came back on the day of her father’s funeral, ten years after she vanished. But she can’t be who she says she is…
When Blake disappeared as a teenager, on a cold dark night, her father never reported her missing. She is presumed dead.
Now, ten years later, a young woman with white-blonde hair sits comfortably in the family living room and smiles at the shocked faces around her.
“Don’t you recognise me?” she says. “I’m Blake.”
Detective John Byron isn’t sure whether she’s telling the truth. But as he investigates, he soon realises no one is happy to see her.
And the people who should be welcoming her back with open arms know she can’t be Blake. Because they killed her the night she vanished…
Didn’t they?
From the bestselling author of the Charlie Fox books, The Last Time She Died will have you gripped until the last mind-blowing page. Fans of Cara Hunter, Kendra Elliot and Rachel Abbott will love this action-packed crime thriller.
When Blake disappeared as a teenager, on a cold dark night, her father never reported her missing. She is presumed dead.
Now, ten years later, a young woman with white-blonde hair sits comfortably in the family living room and smiles at the shocked faces around her.
“Don’t you recognise me?” she says. “I’m Blake.”
Detective John Byron isn’t sure whether she’s telling the truth. But as he investigates, he soon realises no one is happy to see her.
And the people who should be welcoming her back with open arms know she can’t be Blake. Because they killed her the night she vanished…
Didn’t they?
From the bestselling author of the Charlie Fox books, The Last Time She Died will have you gripped until the last mind-blowing page. Fans of Cara Hunter, Kendra Elliot and Rachel Abbott will love this action-packed crime thriller.
382 pages, Paperback
First published October 20, 2021
255 people are currently reading
1067 people want to read
About the author
Zoë Sharp
71 books492 followersZoë Sharp spent most of her formative years living aboard a catamaran on the northwest coast of England. She opted out of mainstream education at the age of twelve and wrote her first novel at fifteen. She became a freelance photojournalist in 1988 and started writing her Charlie Fox crime thriller series after receiving death-threats in the course of her work.
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October 27, 2021
The Last Time She Died (Blake and Byron Thrillers, Book 1) Zoe Sharp (Author), Tamsin Kennard (Narrator)
Tongues are wagging in Derbyshire! On the day of the funeral of Gideon Fitzroy, a former Member of Parliament, his ten years missing daughter, Blake, shows up looking thinner, with dyed white blond hair. But it is her, isn't it? Is she here to lay claim to the inheritance windfall? Why did she leave and where has she been?
Also at the funeral is Detective John Byron, who is there in an unofficial capacity to make inquiries about Fitzroy, despite being on medical leave for physical and emotional reasons. Byron spots Blake immediately because she doesn't even try to fit in and he recognizes someone who is used to hiding more than she reveals. When she if found in Fitzroy's mansion she makes the case that she belongs there since that is her last known address and she is his daughter.
But Blake is supposed to be dead. The story starts ten years earlier, with men throwing a girl's body in a hole and the hole being covered. Blake had been a loose end taken care of but now she's back and there is a lot of scrambling to cover tracks and ties to that past event. Was Fitzroy's fatal car accident really an accident? Just how much is this little village hiding and what does Blake have to do with it?
The relationship between Blake and Byron is interesting. Both are excellent at deception, smart, and always on alert for things out of place. Can they trust each other enough to get to the bottom of what is going on here? And is Blake really who she says she is? There is a dark side to Byron, too, a hero who might have gone too far during a mass slaying the year before.
The audiobook narration is very good and I'm looking forward to the next book in this series. Now that Blake and Byron have met each other, we still have a lot of their backgrounds to unearth, but it's obvious they are both interested in the other. And they could do good work together, if Byron is willing to take on a new assignment down the line.
TW: child abuse
Publication: October 20, 2021
Thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.
Tongues are wagging in Derbyshire! On the day of the funeral of Gideon Fitzroy, a former Member of Parliament, his ten years missing daughter, Blake, shows up looking thinner, with dyed white blond hair. But it is her, isn't it? Is she here to lay claim to the inheritance windfall? Why did she leave and where has she been?
Also at the funeral is Detective John Byron, who is there in an unofficial capacity to make inquiries about Fitzroy, despite being on medical leave for physical and emotional reasons. Byron spots Blake immediately because she doesn't even try to fit in and he recognizes someone who is used to hiding more than she reveals. When she if found in Fitzroy's mansion she makes the case that she belongs there since that is her last known address and she is his daughter.
But Blake is supposed to be dead. The story starts ten years earlier, with men throwing a girl's body in a hole and the hole being covered. Blake had been a loose end taken care of but now she's back and there is a lot of scrambling to cover tracks and ties to that past event. Was Fitzroy's fatal car accident really an accident? Just how much is this little village hiding and what does Blake have to do with it?
The relationship between Blake and Byron is interesting. Both are excellent at deception, smart, and always on alert for things out of place. Can they trust each other enough to get to the bottom of what is going on here? And is Blake really who she says she is? There is a dark side to Byron, too, a hero who might have gone too far during a mass slaying the year before.
The audiobook narration is very good and I'm looking forward to the next book in this series. Now that Blake and Byron have met each other, we still have a lot of their backgrounds to unearth, but it's obvious they are both interested in the other. And they could do good work together, if Byron is willing to take on a new assignment down the line.
TW: child abuse
Publication: October 20, 2021
Thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.
October 20, 2021
A good start to a new suspenseful thriller series.
In the town of Derbyshire, Blake Claremont disappeared ten years ago. Many presumed she ran away, while others were certain she was dead because they most definitely buried her body. Fast forward to the present, Blake returns to her family home, shocking everyone with her sudden reappearance. A few people seem happy to see her, while others think she is an imposter and desperately want to prove it.
So just who is this young woman claiming to be Blake?
Enter Detective John Byron, who is sent in an unofficial capacity to investigate the suspicious manner of death of Blake’s father, Gideon Fitzroy, a former member of Parliament. Byron quickly discovers that the situation is more convoluted than he previously supposed.
This story has multiple POVs, many of which I thought were unnecessary. The three main perspectives are Blake, Byron and Blake’s stepsister, Lily; however, nearly every character gets a few chapters from their perspective.
The chapters themselves are short, but rather than feeling like this was a propulsive read, I thought it was distracting. Just when I became invested, the chapter would end on a cliffhanger, and the next would be told from a different character, making the wait longer to find out what happened, which became frustrating after a while.
The last 100 pages, or so, picked up, and there were plenty of twists. Most were obvious, some were surprising. It was readily apparent who the antagonists were from reading the opening scene, but it was likely purposefully done that way.
The final quarter is when I became fully invested and wanted to know how everything would turn out. Byron’s character was the most well-developed out of all of them. I don’t know if that’s enough to make me want to continue with the series, but we shall see.
CW: child abuse.
Thank you to Bookoutre for providing me with an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
In the town of Derbyshire, Blake Claremont disappeared ten years ago. Many presumed she ran away, while others were certain she was dead because they most definitely buried her body. Fast forward to the present, Blake returns to her family home, shocking everyone with her sudden reappearance. A few people seem happy to see her, while others think she is an imposter and desperately want to prove it.
So just who is this young woman claiming to be Blake?
Enter Detective John Byron, who is sent in an unofficial capacity to investigate the suspicious manner of death of Blake’s father, Gideon Fitzroy, a former member of Parliament. Byron quickly discovers that the situation is more convoluted than he previously supposed.
This story has multiple POVs, many of which I thought were unnecessary. The three main perspectives are Blake, Byron and Blake’s stepsister, Lily; however, nearly every character gets a few chapters from their perspective.
The chapters themselves are short, but rather than feeling like this was a propulsive read, I thought it was distracting. Just when I became invested, the chapter would end on a cliffhanger, and the next would be told from a different character, making the wait longer to find out what happened, which became frustrating after a while.
The last 100 pages, or so, picked up, and there were plenty of twists. Most were obvious, some were surprising. It was readily apparent who the antagonists were from reading the opening scene, but it was likely purposefully done that way.
The final quarter is when I became fully invested and wanted to know how everything would turn out. Byron’s character was the most well-developed out of all of them. I don’t know if that’s enough to make me want to continue with the series, but we shall see.
CW: child abuse.
Thank you to Bookoutre for providing me with an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 3, 2021
EXCERPT: Prologue - ten years ago
Three go into the forest.
Two squint against the lash of rain, grunt with the effort it takes to half carry, half drag the third through the claw of branches and brambles. Mud already slick beneath their boots. Feet already sodden.
One of them wishing to be anywhere but here.
The other just wishing it done.
Their burden is not yet sixteen. Easier to haul than a full-grown adult, but . . .
Dead weight.
Dead.
ABOUT 'THE LAST TIME SHE DIED': She came back on the day of her father’s funeral, ten years after she vanished. But she can’t be who she says she is…
When Blake disappeared as a teenager, on a cold dark night, her father never reported her missing. She is presumed dead.
Now, ten years later, a young woman with white-blonde hair sits comfortably in the family living room and smiles at the shocked faces around her.
“Don’t you recognise me?” she says. “I’m Blake.”
Detective John Byron isn’t sure whether she’s telling the truth. But as he investigates, he soon realises no one is happy to see her.
And the people who should be welcoming her back with open arms know she can’t be Blake. Because they killed her the night she vanished…
Didn’t they?
MY THOUGHTS: It is not often that I agree with the statement, bandied about so often on book covers, mostly undeserved, that the book contained within is “A totally unputdownable crime thriller with a mind-blowing twist.”, but in this case I do. Wholeheartedly.
Full of tension and suspense, The Last Time She Died had me jamming my buds into my ears or picking up my book at every opportunity. After the enticing prologue, the book begins at a funeral. What's not to love?
And it just keeps on getting better, and better - there's a family fortune to be inherited, and a second wife. But is everything quite as straightforward as it seems? Especially if the stranger at the funeral does indeed prove to be Blake, the dead man's daughter who disappeared ten years earlier and was presumed, if not actually declared dead; something the second wife Virginia was intent on taking care of the minute she had Gideon's funeral out of the way.
Other than an old neighbour, no one is convinced Blake is who she says she is, including John Byron, a detective on recuperative medical leave who, strictly speaking, shouldn't even be there.
There are many twists and turns in this book, but all work well and keep the reader guessing and off balance. And while there is plenty of action in The Last Time She Died, it is really the amazing cast of characters that Sharp has created that carry the plot.
Blake is a chameleon. She is Blake. She isn't Blake. She may be Blake. Whoever she is, her presence is a danger, and there's more than one person who wants her out of the picture, completely.
Byron is an astute and more than competent detective. But has he hooked his wagon to the wrong horse in believing in Blake?
Even Gideon's death in a motor accident may not be quite as straightforward as it seemed. That's what Byron is there to find out - unofficially. There is just a hint of scandal in his past and the possibility that someone may have killed him to prevent it coming to light. Or, the car accident could just be . . . a car accident.
Virginia and her children Lily and Tom (not Gideon's children); Underhill- a bent cop; Roger Flint - Virginia's brother, Gideon's right hand man, and a compulsive gambler; the Hardings, with whom Blake often took refuge after the death of her mother; and a delightfully nosy pub landlady are some of the other characters who people this novel.
Tamsin Kennard, narrator of the audiobook, had me completely entranced and believing in her characters. I will be looking for more books using this narrator.
I was totally riveted by The Last Time She Died; from the title - that is definitely an attention grabbing title! - to the very last word. Sharp hasn't put a word wrong.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#TheLastTimeSheDied #NetGalley
I: @authorzoesharp @bookouture
T: @authorzoesharp @Bookouture
#fivestarread #contemporaryfiction #crime #detectivefiction #familydrama #mystery #suspense #thriller
THE AUTHOR: Zoë Sharp spent most of her formative years living aboard a catamaran on the northwest coast of England. She opted out of mainstream education at the age of twelve and wrote her first novel at fifteen. She became a freelance photojournalist in 1988 and started writing her Charlie Fox crime thriller series after receiving death-threats in the course of her work.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture and Bookouture Audio via Netgalley for providing both a digital and an audio ARC of The Last Time She Died by Zoë Sharp for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
Three go into the forest.
Two squint against the lash of rain, grunt with the effort it takes to half carry, half drag the third through the claw of branches and brambles. Mud already slick beneath their boots. Feet already sodden.
One of them wishing to be anywhere but here.
The other just wishing it done.
Their burden is not yet sixteen. Easier to haul than a full-grown adult, but . . .
Dead weight.
Dead.
ABOUT 'THE LAST TIME SHE DIED': She came back on the day of her father’s funeral, ten years after she vanished. But she can’t be who she says she is…
When Blake disappeared as a teenager, on a cold dark night, her father never reported her missing. She is presumed dead.
Now, ten years later, a young woman with white-blonde hair sits comfortably in the family living room and smiles at the shocked faces around her.
“Don’t you recognise me?” she says. “I’m Blake.”
Detective John Byron isn’t sure whether she’s telling the truth. But as he investigates, he soon realises no one is happy to see her.
And the people who should be welcoming her back with open arms know she can’t be Blake. Because they killed her the night she vanished…
Didn’t they?
MY THOUGHTS: It is not often that I agree with the statement, bandied about so often on book covers, mostly undeserved, that the book contained within is “A totally unputdownable crime thriller with a mind-blowing twist.”, but in this case I do. Wholeheartedly.
Full of tension and suspense, The Last Time She Died had me jamming my buds into my ears or picking up my book at every opportunity. After the enticing prologue, the book begins at a funeral. What's not to love?
And it just keeps on getting better, and better - there's a family fortune to be inherited, and a second wife. But is everything quite as straightforward as it seems? Especially if the stranger at the funeral does indeed prove to be Blake, the dead man's daughter who disappeared ten years earlier and was presumed, if not actually declared dead; something the second wife Virginia was intent on taking care of the minute she had Gideon's funeral out of the way.
Other than an old neighbour, no one is convinced Blake is who she says she is, including John Byron, a detective on recuperative medical leave who, strictly speaking, shouldn't even be there.
There are many twists and turns in this book, but all work well and keep the reader guessing and off balance. And while there is plenty of action in The Last Time She Died, it is really the amazing cast of characters that Sharp has created that carry the plot.
Blake is a chameleon. She is Blake. She isn't Blake. She may be Blake. Whoever she is, her presence is a danger, and there's more than one person who wants her out of the picture, completely.
Byron is an astute and more than competent detective. But has he hooked his wagon to the wrong horse in believing in Blake?
Even Gideon's death in a motor accident may not be quite as straightforward as it seemed. That's what Byron is there to find out - unofficially. There is just a hint of scandal in his past and the possibility that someone may have killed him to prevent it coming to light. Or, the car accident could just be . . . a car accident.
Virginia and her children Lily and Tom (not Gideon's children); Underhill- a bent cop; Roger Flint - Virginia's brother, Gideon's right hand man, and a compulsive gambler; the Hardings, with whom Blake often took refuge after the death of her mother; and a delightfully nosy pub landlady are some of the other characters who people this novel.
Tamsin Kennard, narrator of the audiobook, had me completely entranced and believing in her characters. I will be looking for more books using this narrator.
I was totally riveted by The Last Time She Died; from the title - that is definitely an attention grabbing title! - to the very last word. Sharp hasn't put a word wrong.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#TheLastTimeSheDied #NetGalley
I: @authorzoesharp @bookouture
T: @authorzoesharp @Bookouture
#fivestarread #contemporaryfiction #crime #detectivefiction #familydrama #mystery #suspense #thriller
THE AUTHOR: Zoë Sharp spent most of her formative years living aboard a catamaran on the northwest coast of England. She opted out of mainstream education at the age of twelve and wrote her first novel at fifteen. She became a freelance photojournalist in 1988 and started writing her Charlie Fox crime thriller series after receiving death-threats in the course of her work.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture and Bookouture Audio via Netgalley for providing both a digital and an audio ARC of The Last Time She Died by Zoë Sharp for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
January 1, 2023
Zoe Sharp has created a fun, engaging mystery with this, the first in a new series. It's interesting that the series is named Blake and Byron. Because at least to start, these two seem more on opposite sides of the spectrum than partners.
Twenty five year old Blake returns home on the day of her father’s funeral, after having been missing for 10 years. Her father never reported her missing and she’s been presumed dead. She’s now an orphan, as her mother died when she was young. Her father’s second wife and her children are less than thrilled by her sudden appearance and question that she is who she says.
Byron, despite being on medical leave from the Met, attends the funeral and is drawn into the drama.
Watching Byron and Blake interact is like watching a tennis volley. Both are sharp and it’s a game of who can learn what without disclosing anything to the other. They obviously don’t trust each other, at least in the beginning.
The book employs multiple POV to keep things moving at a brisk pace. All the characters were interesting, as almost everyone is hiding something. I felt so sorry for little Lily, too young to understand what is happening around her. I saw some of the twists coming, but others threw me for a loop. It was one of those books I kept listening to one more chapter, and then one more, wanting to see how it ended.
I had no clue Zoe Sharpe was such a prolific author. I will definitely check her other series along with waiting for the next book in this series.
Kudos to Tamsin Kannard as the narrator. She did a great job with both the voices and the tension underlying the story.
My thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture Audio for an advance copy of this book.
Twenty five year old Blake returns home on the day of her father’s funeral, after having been missing for 10 years. Her father never reported her missing and she’s been presumed dead. She’s now an orphan, as her mother died when she was young. Her father’s second wife and her children are less than thrilled by her sudden appearance and question that she is who she says.
Byron, despite being on medical leave from the Met, attends the funeral and is drawn into the drama.
Watching Byron and Blake interact is like watching a tennis volley. Both are sharp and it’s a game of who can learn what without disclosing anything to the other. They obviously don’t trust each other, at least in the beginning.
The book employs multiple POV to keep things moving at a brisk pace. All the characters were interesting, as almost everyone is hiding something. I felt so sorry for little Lily, too young to understand what is happening around her. I saw some of the twists coming, but others threw me for a loop. It was one of those books I kept listening to one more chapter, and then one more, wanting to see how it ended.
I had no clue Zoe Sharpe was such a prolific author. I will definitely check her other series along with waiting for the next book in this series.
Kudos to Tamsin Kannard as the narrator. She did a great job with both the voices and the tension underlying the story.
My thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture Audio for an advance copy of this book.
December 27, 2021
This is a review of the audiobook from NetGalley.
My lasting impression of this book is that it just took way too long to get to the GOOD STUFF!!!
This novel has lots of 5* reviews and perhaps reading the novel would be a different experience.
I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SKIM IT, WHICH I SO MUCH WANTED TO DO!!
On the day of Gideon Fitzroy’s funeral, the widow gets a message that their house has been broken into.The neighbors reported seeing someone in the home and the lights on. Their family mansion, for the record, is called Claremont.
Detective John Byron meets the family, which is extensive, at Claremont and finds a young woman who claims to be Gideon’s daughter, Blake, from his first marriage – where has she been for so long??
From the blurb because it is so extensive and tells so much,
“Don’t you recognise me?” she says. “I’m Blake.”
Detective John Byron isn’t sure whether she’s telling the truth. But as he investigates, he soon realizes no one is happy to see her.
And the people who should be welcoming her back with open arms know she can’t be Blake. Because they killed her the night she vanished…
Didn’t they?”
I thought that the blurb gave away too much and spoiled a lot of the surprises for me!!!
I should also mention that there is a very large cast of characters that takes a while to come together, again I lost patience with it.
I am an outlier on this one but I didn’t find it to be a “mind blowing suspense thriller” also claimed by the blurb.
The writing and plotting in this book is good, I just found it to be overly wordy, somewhat repetitive and definitely a slow mover.
I can’t really recommend the audiobook. If you love this author instead I’d try the physical novel.
I received an audiobook from the publisher through NetGalley.
My lasting impression of this book is that it just took way too long to get to the GOOD STUFF!!!
This novel has lots of 5* reviews and perhaps reading the novel would be a different experience.
I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SKIM IT, WHICH I SO MUCH WANTED TO DO!!
On the day of Gideon Fitzroy’s funeral, the widow gets a message that their house has been broken into.The neighbors reported seeing someone in the home and the lights on. Their family mansion, for the record, is called Claremont.
Detective John Byron meets the family, which is extensive, at Claremont and finds a young woman who claims to be Gideon’s daughter, Blake, from his first marriage – where has she been for so long??
From the blurb because it is so extensive and tells so much,
“Don’t you recognise me?” she says. “I’m Blake.”
Detective John Byron isn’t sure whether she’s telling the truth. But as he investigates, he soon realizes no one is happy to see her.
And the people who should be welcoming her back with open arms know she can’t be Blake. Because they killed her the night she vanished…
Didn’t they?”
I thought that the blurb gave away too much and spoiled a lot of the surprises for me!!!
I should also mention that there is a very large cast of characters that takes a while to come together, again I lost patience with it.
I am an outlier on this one but I didn’t find it to be a “mind blowing suspense thriller” also claimed by the blurb.
The writing and plotting in this book is good, I just found it to be overly wordy, somewhat repetitive and definitely a slow mover.
I can’t really recommend the audiobook. If you love this author instead I’d try the physical novel.
I received an audiobook from the publisher through NetGalley.
October 21, 2021
4 ☆
Gideon Fitzroy, a former Member of Parliament and local bigwig in the Derbyshire Dales, died in a car accident. It's an opportune time to dig up secrets rather than let him take them to his grave. Detective Superintendent John Byron unobtrusively observes the mourners in attendance at the funeral and notes the more furtive among them. Byron is technically on leave from the Met but Commander Daud has asked him to look into Fitzroy's unexpected death.
Fitzroy's second wife Virginia and her two children from her previous marriage occupy Claremont, the estate that belonged to Fitzroy's first wife. Shortly after the interment, the alarm company used by Claremont sends an intruder alert to the police. Accompanied by Byron and the newly retired Sargeant Ed Underhill, PC Jane Hudson checks the house and they find a young woman whom Byron had noticed earlier at the graveyard.
Questioning at the police station leads to a claim by the stranger of being Blake, the 25-year old daughter from Fitzroy's first marriage. Blake has been absent from the Dales for the past ten years and had never been reported as missing. Who ever this woman is, she's quite self-assured and unnervingly unflappable.
Is this young woman truly Blake or someone taking advantage of a locally prominent man's death? Fitzroy's closest neighbor seems convinced as Anne Harding had acted like a second mom after Blake's mother had died from cancer. But Virginia's brother, Roger Flint, wants to get rid of "Blake." Roger has been closely involved with Fitzroy's affairs as both a longterm employee and the brother-in-law who had introduced the MP to his second wife. He also lives in Claremont with his sister Virginia's family. The curious thing about "Blake" though is that three men are certain they had buried her 10 years ago...
Meanwhile amidst the family drama, Byron quietly proceeds with his investigation. Both Byron and "Blake" sense each other's strengths, as well as their physical attractiveness, but warily circle around one another.
I'm a tremendous fan of Zoë Sharp's Charlie Fox series, as Charlie is my top favorite female protagonist in crime fiction. I can count upon Sharp for intriguing female leads, clever mysteries, and unpredictable plot twists.
Like many other longterm fans of crime fiction, solving the mystery as I read is part of the fun. To my surprise, I accurately anticipated several things before the book's midpoint. But from the 60 percent mark on, my faith in Sharp's imaginative plot flips was fully restored and the novel became a page-turner. The resolution was chilling because of the nature and extent of the societal and moral corruption.
From the GR information, this is positioned as the debut of a new series; knowing that in advance is a bit spoiler-y in itself. By the end of the novel, "Blake" remains a woman of mystique and she protectively retains her secrets. I'm quite curious how this could be turned into a series given the protagonists' respective occupations. Considering all the hints dropped about her recent history, "Blake" has a lot of promise as a lead character. Sharp is under contract to write a trilogy so I look forward to seeing whether "Blake" will realize her potential to match Charlie Fox in garnering my loyal admiration.
ARC via Netgalley gifted by the author. Thank you, Zoë Sharp! Quotations are from an uncorrected proof and may differ from the final version. Publication date is October 20, 2021.
"murder was always my specialty rather than vice"
Gideon Fitzroy, a former Member of Parliament and local bigwig in the Derbyshire Dales, died in a car accident. It's an opportune time to dig up secrets rather than let him take them to his grave. Detective Superintendent John Byron unobtrusively observes the mourners in attendance at the funeral and notes the more furtive among them. Byron is technically on leave from the Met but Commander Daud has asked him to look into Fitzroy's unexpected death.
"If I don't keep pushing myself, I'll never know if I'm ready to come back." He kept his voice light enough to belie the truth in his words. "Besides, you've probably saved my sanity."
"Hm. Either that or become the focus for your madness."
"Yes, ma'am," he agreed. "There is that possibility also."
Fitzroy's second wife Virginia and her two children from her previous marriage occupy Claremont, the estate that belonged to Fitzroy's first wife. Shortly after the interment, the alarm company used by Claremont sends an intruder alert to the police. Accompanied by Byron and the newly retired Sargeant Ed Underhill, PC Jane Hudson checks the house and they find a young woman whom Byron had noticed earlier at the graveyard.
Questioning at the police station leads to a claim by the stranger of being Blake, the 25-year old daughter from Fitzroy's first marriage. Blake has been absent from the Dales for the past ten years and had never been reported as missing. Who ever this woman is, she's quite self-assured and unnervingly unflappable.
She'd learn to tailor her speech patterns to the company she was in and the effect she wanted to have - either to fit in or stand out.
And any weapon that knocked her off her game was fair play.
Clearly, the assumption was that she'd been selling her body, without consideration that her brain might be a far more valuable asset.
Is this young woman truly Blake or someone taking advantage of a locally prominent man's death? Fitzroy's closest neighbor seems convinced as Anne Harding had acted like a second mom after Blake's mother had died from cancer. But Virginia's brother, Roger Flint, wants to get rid of "Blake." Roger has been closely involved with Fitzroy's affairs as both a longterm employee and the brother-in-law who had introduced the MP to his second wife. He also lives in Claremont with his sister Virginia's family. The curious thing about "Blake" though is that three men are certain they had buried her 10 years ago...
Meanwhile amidst the family drama, Byron quietly proceeds with his investigation. Both Byron and "Blake" sense each other's strengths, as well as their physical attractiveness, but warily circle around one another.
"Trust has to be earned!"
"And therein lies the problem. Clearly, you've learned that lesson the hard way. You've been let down, betrayed even. So now, you trust no one and are proud of your own self-reliance, yes?" His voice became clipped as he detached himself from his own words.
I'm a tremendous fan of Zoë Sharp's Charlie Fox series, as Charlie is my top favorite female protagonist in crime fiction. I can count upon Sharp for intriguing female leads, clever mysteries, and unpredictable plot twists.
Like many other longterm fans of crime fiction, solving the mystery as I read is part of the fun. To my surprise, I accurately anticipated several things before the book's midpoint. But from the 60 percent mark on, my faith in Sharp's imaginative plot flips was fully restored and the novel became a page-turner. The resolution was chilling because of the nature and extent of the societal and moral corruption.
From the GR information, this is positioned as the debut of a new series; knowing that in advance is a bit spoiler-y in itself. By the end of the novel, "Blake" remains a woman of mystique and she protectively retains her secrets. I'm quite curious how this could be turned into a series given the protagonists' respective occupations. Considering all the hints dropped about her recent history, "Blake" has a lot of promise as a lead character. Sharp is under contract to write a trilogy so I look forward to seeing whether "Blake" will realize her potential to match Charlie Fox in garnering my loyal admiration.
ARC via Netgalley gifted by the author. Thank you, Zoë Sharp! Quotations are from an uncorrected proof and may differ from the final version. Publication date is October 20, 2021.
January 29, 2022
It’s always time to celebrate when Zoë Sharp publishes a new book; it’s really time to pop the corks when she publishes the first book of a new series. So here is The Last Time She Died first book in the Blake and Byron Thrillers. Remember not to shake the bottles.
Right off the bat we know someone is presumably dead and buried; most likely one of two young teenaged girls. One of those possibilities, Blake Fitzroy shows up the day of her father’s funeral after being missing for ten years. Is it actually Blake, or is it the other young teen? It has been ten years since Blake disappeared and there could be a large fortune involved. We all know how money brings out the best in people.
Gideon Fitzroy was a sitting MP until he suddenly resigned, citing his second wife and her children as the reason. A few years later he dies in a single car accident with his two stepchildren in the car.
Met Detective Superintendent John Byron has been on medical leave for the last year. His boss has asked him to go Derbyshire and unofficially give Fitzroy’s car accident a quiet look to make sure there was nothing but a wrong place, wrong time accident.
Byron is very well known in the Met, his mid-thirties age young to be a DS. He was also involved in a terrorist incident that that few people, including co-workers, know much about.
There is really no one who can say for sure that Blake is who she says she is, ten years is a long time gone, going from 15 to 25 a tremendous change. A neighbor says she is sure Blake is Blake and not some woman running a con on a grieving family. No one else is convinced including Byron.
Byron finds himself drawn to Blake, an odd situation for a senior Met officer, even odder that his boss senses his ambivalence and encourages him to pursue Blake. He settles instead for mostly believing Blake and joining forces with her, because it seems as soon as Blake has returned, events have started heating up.
Sharp is a brilliant writer. She was masterful in her ability to invoke the terror, and then hope of two young girls making a last desperate bid for survival, knowing that no one in their small hamlet can be trusted. No escape, no reprieve for either of them, then the lovely magic moment when they realize that perhaps there might be a chance for both of them.
The twists and turns provide an exciting ride, some of the twists are predictable, others are jaw dropping; all make sense.
Sharp gained fame as an action writer with her Charlie Fox series, plenty of action here, but the concentration is on the vivid characters, whether it was the lonely Lily, deeply missing her step father, or the purported Blake who wasn’t even reported missing when she disappeared. Two young girls, separated in age by by thirteen years, same father figure, with differing experiences and perceptions of Gordon Fitzroy.
It is easy to see how this will be a continuing series, so many bits of information dropped leading to many threads to follow up in the next books.
Thank you to NetGalley and Zoë Sharp for an ARC for review purposes. For what its worth, I've been copies all day as gifts for my friends. Not something I usually do.
Right off the bat we know someone is presumably dead and buried; most likely one of two young teenaged girls. One of those possibilities, Blake Fitzroy shows up the day of her father’s funeral after being missing for ten years. Is it actually Blake, or is it the other young teen? It has been ten years since Blake disappeared and there could be a large fortune involved. We all know how money brings out the best in people.
Gideon Fitzroy was a sitting MP until he suddenly resigned, citing his second wife and her children as the reason. A few years later he dies in a single car accident with his two stepchildren in the car.
Met Detective Superintendent John Byron has been on medical leave for the last year. His boss has asked him to go Derbyshire and unofficially give Fitzroy’s car accident a quiet look to make sure there was nothing but a wrong place, wrong time accident.
Byron is very well known in the Met, his mid-thirties age young to be a DS. He was also involved in a terrorist incident that that few people, including co-workers, know much about.
There is really no one who can say for sure that Blake is who she says she is, ten years is a long time gone, going from 15 to 25 a tremendous change. A neighbor says she is sure Blake is Blake and not some woman running a con on a grieving family. No one else is convinced including Byron.
Byron finds himself drawn to Blake, an odd situation for a senior Met officer, even odder that his boss senses his ambivalence and encourages him to pursue Blake. He settles instead for mostly believing Blake and joining forces with her, because it seems as soon as Blake has returned, events have started heating up.
Sharp is a brilliant writer. She was masterful in her ability to invoke the terror, and then hope of two young girls making a last desperate bid for survival, knowing that no one in their small hamlet can be trusted. No escape, no reprieve for either of them, then the lovely magic moment when they realize that perhaps there might be a chance for both of them.
The twists and turns provide an exciting ride, some of the twists are predictable, others are jaw dropping; all make sense.
Sharp gained fame as an action writer with her Charlie Fox series, plenty of action here, but the concentration is on the vivid characters, whether it was the lonely Lily, deeply missing her step father, or the purported Blake who wasn’t even reported missing when she disappeared. Two young girls, separated in age by by thirteen years, same father figure, with differing experiences and perceptions of Gordon Fitzroy.
It is easy to see how this will be a continuing series, so many bits of information dropped leading to many threads to follow up in the next books.
Thank you to NetGalley and Zoë Sharp for an ARC for review purposes. For what its worth, I've been copies all day as gifts for my friends. Not something I usually do.
November 2, 2021
When ex-MP Gideon Fitzroy is buried, the last person anyone expected to see at his funeral is his estranged daughter Blake. Last seen ten years ago when she was fifteen, no one has been able to find any trace of her. Is she really who she says she is and if so, why has she come back now?
These are questions that Fizroy’s widow, and technically Blake’s stepmother, wants to know the answers to, in case her inheritance of the family fortune is at risk. Detective John Byron, currently on special leave, also wants to know. He attended the funeral at the request of the Met, as there were some unanswered questions about why Fitzroy voluntarily stood down from parliament and some concern his death by car crash might not have been accidental. Some others are also not happy to hear Blake is back since they believed her to be dead.
This is a terrific start to what promises to be a new series featuring Byron and Blake. Both clever, both flawed, they have traumatic backstories and together make an interesting pair. There is a great cast of characters to love or hate and some stunning twists as Blake (or is she Blake?) gradually shows her true intentions on returning to her family home.
With thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for a copy to read
These are questions that Fizroy’s widow, and technically Blake’s stepmother, wants to know the answers to, in case her inheritance of the family fortune is at risk. Detective John Byron, currently on special leave, also wants to know. He attended the funeral at the request of the Met, as there were some unanswered questions about why Fitzroy voluntarily stood down from parliament and some concern his death by car crash might not have been accidental. Some others are also not happy to hear Blake is back since they believed her to be dead.
This is a terrific start to what promises to be a new series featuring Byron and Blake. Both clever, both flawed, they have traumatic backstories and together make an interesting pair. There is a great cast of characters to love or hate and some stunning twists as Blake (or is she Blake?) gradually shows her true intentions on returning to her family home.
With thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for a copy to read
September 14, 2021
Quirky, intriguing characters with more baggage than a small airport and a plot with more curves than the Le Mans Grand Prix. Together, that makes for a dandy start to a new series.
This is billed as a "Blake & Byron Thriller," for the record; the male half of that combo is John Byron, who's been on leave from his detective job because of, well, some things I can't reveal here. Now, he's been asked to investigate the auto "accident" that ended the life of former London political bigwig Gideon Fitzroy. With his first wife, Gideon had a daughter Blake; with his second, Virginia, he has a daughter and son, Lily and Tom, all of whom live at the family mansion called Claremont. Blake disappeared a decade ago and mysteriously, was never reported missing and is presumed dead. But surprise - shortly before Fitzroy's will is to be read, a young woman shows up claiming to be his long-gone daughter.
Ah, but is she for real? Needless to say, the remaining family, including Virginia's brother and Gideon's close buddy Roger Flint, are flummoxed, although they're not too worried about an inheritance. Even Blake herself expresses certainty that Gideon's Last Will and Testament - which she's seen - doesn't include her. So if it's really her, why did she come back at all?
The answer is beyond complex and involves a childhood friend of Blake's as well as a suspected gangster who continues to befriend the woman who now claims to be Blake. Byron, who is dealing with his own demons from the past, is intrigued by the young woman (read into that what you will), who remains mysterious but clearly doesn't trust anyone. He wants to believe what she says, but his detective instincts are screaming that there's far more to her story than she's willing to reveal.
Slowly, working with local police, Byron begins to follow threads he hopes will lead to the truth; but more than once, they unravel right before his eyes (and those of readers). The ending clears most things up but also drops hints of what's to come in the next installment. I'm already up for it - and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy of this one.
This is billed as a "Blake & Byron Thriller," for the record; the male half of that combo is John Byron, who's been on leave from his detective job because of, well, some things I can't reveal here. Now, he's been asked to investigate the auto "accident" that ended the life of former London political bigwig Gideon Fitzroy. With his first wife, Gideon had a daughter Blake; with his second, Virginia, he has a daughter and son, Lily and Tom, all of whom live at the family mansion called Claremont. Blake disappeared a decade ago and mysteriously, was never reported missing and is presumed dead. But surprise - shortly before Fitzroy's will is to be read, a young woman shows up claiming to be his long-gone daughter.
Ah, but is she for real? Needless to say, the remaining family, including Virginia's brother and Gideon's close buddy Roger Flint, are flummoxed, although they're not too worried about an inheritance. Even Blake herself expresses certainty that Gideon's Last Will and Testament - which she's seen - doesn't include her. So if it's really her, why did she come back at all?
The answer is beyond complex and involves a childhood friend of Blake's as well as a suspected gangster who continues to befriend the woman who now claims to be Blake. Byron, who is dealing with his own demons from the past, is intrigued by the young woman (read into that what you will), who remains mysterious but clearly doesn't trust anyone. He wants to believe what she says, but his detective instincts are screaming that there's far more to her story than she's willing to reveal.
Slowly, working with local police, Byron begins to follow threads he hopes will lead to the truth; but more than once, they unravel right before his eyes (and those of readers). The ending clears most things up but also drops hints of what's to come in the next installment. I'm already up for it - and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy of this one.
February 15, 2024
4.5 stars!! I am so glad I found this author and this first book in a new series!! I love it, from its twisty twists within twists, to its solid character development. Can’t wait to read the next book in the series. Full review coming soon!!
September 25, 2021
The Last Time She Died is a contemporary mystery set in Derbyshire, England, and the start of a new series about Detective Superintendent John Byron. Zoë Sharp is one of my favourite authors, so after getting over my disappointment that this was not a new Charlie Fox or Grace McColl book, I didn’t hesitate to request an ARC. It’s a well-told crime thriller with a twisty plot and intriguing protagonists.
John Byron, a detective on leave for personal reasons, but working unofficially on a secret investigation, attends the funeral of Gideon Fitzroy, former MP and patron of various local worthy causes, who died in a suspicious car accident. When a young woman breaks into the family’s estate, claiming to be Blake, Fitzroy’s daughter, who disappeared ten years earlier, Byron is as sceptical as everyone else, but how could she know so much about the house and it’s secrets - and what is she really after?
This was a cleverly wrought mixture of cold case and current mystery, with the central question, Is she, or Isn’t she Blake, perpetuated well into the book. Each time you think you know what’s going on, you discover that Sharp has led you there deliberately to wrong-foot you once more.
I recommend being careful to avoid spoilers going in, although the fact that this is billed as a Blake & Byron series, not to mention the tiresome tagline about a “mindblowing twist” and the blurb, do make the outcome less surprising than I would’ve liked.
Byron is your standard Damaged Detective with a tragic past, but not unlikeable, while Blake is a more mysterious figure. There are some great support characters, like formidable Commander Daud and precocious but sensitive brat Lily, and I do hope we get to see more of Blake’s shady but helpful friend Lev in the next book - which I look forward to reading!
I would like to add a trigger warning, but can’t do so without revealing part of the book’s secret - let’s just say that things are referred to but not described, so unless you’re particularly sensitive, it shouldn’t worry most readers.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC. I am posting this honest review voluntarily. The Last Time She Died is published on October 20th.
John Byron, a detective on leave for personal reasons, but working unofficially on a secret investigation, attends the funeral of Gideon Fitzroy, former MP and patron of various local worthy causes, who died in a suspicious car accident. When a young woman breaks into the family’s estate, claiming to be Blake, Fitzroy’s daughter, who disappeared ten years earlier, Byron is as sceptical as everyone else, but how could she know so much about the house and it’s secrets - and what is she really after?
This was a cleverly wrought mixture of cold case and current mystery, with the central question, Is she, or Isn’t she Blake, perpetuated well into the book. Each time you think you know what’s going on, you discover that Sharp has led you there deliberately to wrong-foot you once more.
I recommend being careful to avoid spoilers going in, although the fact that this is billed as a Blake & Byron series, not to mention the tiresome tagline about a “mindblowing twist” and the blurb, do make the outcome less surprising than I would’ve liked.
Byron is your standard Damaged Detective with a tragic past, but not unlikeable, while Blake is a more mysterious figure. There are some great support characters, like formidable Commander Daud and precocious but sensitive brat Lily, and I do hope we get to see more of Blake’s shady but helpful friend Lev in the next book - which I look forward to reading!
I would like to add a trigger warning, but can’t do so without revealing part of the book’s secret - let’s just say that things are referred to but not described, so unless you’re particularly sensitive, it shouldn’t worry most readers.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC. I am posting this honest review voluntarily. The Last Time She Died is published on October 20th.
October 15, 2021
The first of a new series, The Last Time She Died by Zoë Sharp is Book One of the Blake and Byron Thrillers. It begins with a body buried on a rainy night ten years earlier before a present-day funeral of the local manor lord. His house is broken into, only for the burglar to be waiting for the police. The two main protagonists are Bryon, a police detective on medical leave and Blake, a savvy young woman and would be con artist. As the story unfolds, there are lots of twists with climatic finale which makes for a three-and-a-half-star rating. A most enjoyable new crime team with the promise of more to come. With thanks to Bookouture and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and are made without fear or favour.
May 22, 2022
The Last Time She Died is the first book in a series and I would term this more of a suspense than a thriller. I listened to the audiobook which had a running time of 10 hours and 7 minutes but I sped through it because the book maintained its pace with its short chapters culminating into a fast paced ending/climax. Tamsin Kennard narration was smooth and clear and I quite like her voice. I hoped for a different twist to the ending of the book which didn't happen but overall I liked the story and I liked the characters of Blake and Byron and it will be interesting to see how these two are brought together in the next book.
My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture/Bookouture Audio and the author Zoe Sharp for the audio Arc of the book.
My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture/Bookouture Audio and the author Zoe Sharp for the audio Arc of the book.
October 6, 2021
The Last Time She Died is the first book in the Blake & Byron Thrillers series by British author, Zoë Sharp. The slim young woman who makes an appearance at the funeral of former British MP, Gideon Fitzroy, and is later discovered having entered his boxy Georgian pile, is a shock to the system for his heirs and this Derbyshire village: she claims to be his daughter, Blake Claremont.
Then a chubby, troubled fifteen-year-old, Blake ran away ten years earlier; no-one has seen her since; quite a few people were sure she was dead; so, is it really her? The local constable, a recent import from the London Met, PC Jane Hudson isn’t convinced. Her one-time mentor, Detective Superintendent John Byron, who is currently taking an unofficial look at Gideon’s death in relation to a sensitive but stalled enquiry into MPs, is unsure.
It’s the talk of the village, and many are puzzled when Gideon’s widow, Virginia Fitzroy seems to accept her claim, rescues her from Jane’s interrogation, and welcomes her to Claremont manor. But even before Gideon’s will is read, even before the young woman’s identity is proven or otherwise, there are some apparent attempts on her life. The widow’s brother, Roger Flint is assaulted, and cottage of the village’s former sergeant is burned down. It seems that her arrival is a catalyst for drama.
Sharp’s protagonists are appealing: smart, talented, but also flawed, and it will be interesting to watch them develop over the series. Their dialogue is snappy and often entertaining. The villagers and other support cast are believably portrayed, including the young constable who is a little too deferential to those with community standing.
Sharp gives the reader such a clever plot that even those astute readers who see past the red herrings, predict some of the twists and deduce the ‘who’ from the list of potential perpetrators, even those clever clogs, will still be sufficiently captivated to read on to the nail-biting climax for the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of it. The second instalment will be eagerly anticipated. Brilliant British crime fiction.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Bookouture.
Then a chubby, troubled fifteen-year-old, Blake ran away ten years earlier; no-one has seen her since; quite a few people were sure she was dead; so, is it really her? The local constable, a recent import from the London Met, PC Jane Hudson isn’t convinced. Her one-time mentor, Detective Superintendent John Byron, who is currently taking an unofficial look at Gideon’s death in relation to a sensitive but stalled enquiry into MPs, is unsure.
It’s the talk of the village, and many are puzzled when Gideon’s widow, Virginia Fitzroy seems to accept her claim, rescues her from Jane’s interrogation, and welcomes her to Claremont manor. But even before Gideon’s will is read, even before the young woman’s identity is proven or otherwise, there are some apparent attempts on her life. The widow’s brother, Roger Flint is assaulted, and cottage of the village’s former sergeant is burned down. It seems that her arrival is a catalyst for drama.
Sharp’s protagonists are appealing: smart, talented, but also flawed, and it will be interesting to watch them develop over the series. Their dialogue is snappy and often entertaining. The villagers and other support cast are believably portrayed, including the young constable who is a little too deferential to those with community standing.
Sharp gives the reader such a clever plot that even those astute readers who see past the red herrings, predict some of the twists and deduce the ‘who’ from the list of potential perpetrators, even those clever clogs, will still be sufficiently captivated to read on to the nail-biting climax for the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of it. The second instalment will be eagerly anticipated. Brilliant British crime fiction.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Bookouture.
January 23, 2022
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“A totally unputdownable crime thriller with a mind-blowing twist.” <-- 100% truth to that quote. Wowza, I was not expecting this book to be as good as I was. I almost never give these types of books 5 stars because inevitably there is always something that annoys me. 🤷🏻♀️ However, this book was perfection. The writing. The pace. The plot. The characters. The twists and turns. I legit can't find a single fault. I hope this author is writing quickly, because I need book two ASAP! 😂
**ARC Via NetGalley**
October 30, 2021
This is the first of what is to be a “Blake and Byron” series. The plot was decent, though I thought it progressed slowly at times. There are certainly red herrings and twists. While the readers do eventually learn a little bit about Byron’s background, I hope that in the next book (which I will read) more is revealed as he remained a bit of a mystery.
October 29, 2021
3.5 ⭐
If it weren't for something that I considered to be a mayor spoiler , I’m sure I would enjoy this book even more than I did. It was well written and the premise was just so intriguing, I knew I had to know what’s going on from the moment I read that blurb.
The book wasn't perfect, but it had a lot going for it. I am a huge fan of short chapters, and these were super short. There were also plenty of twists and turns, both obvious and unexpected. Maybe even a few too many, but at least they kept me on the edge of my seat.
I also liked the characters. There was something about them that kept me engaged the whole time. I’m not much into detective stories, but this one I actually liked quite a bit. I enjoyed it and I can definitely see myself continuing with the series.
Thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for providing me with an audio ARC of The Last Time She Died by Zoë Sharp in exchange for an honest review.
If it weren't for something that I considered to be a mayor spoiler , I’m sure I would enjoy this book even more than I did. It was well written and the premise was just so intriguing, I knew I had to know what’s going on from the moment I read that blurb.
The book wasn't perfect, but it had a lot going for it. I am a huge fan of short chapters, and these were super short. There were also plenty of twists and turns, both obvious and unexpected. Maybe even a few too many, but at least they kept me on the edge of my seat.
I also liked the characters. There was something about them that kept me engaged the whole time. I’m not much into detective stories, but this one I actually liked quite a bit. I enjoyed it and I can definitely see myself continuing with the series.
Thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for providing me with an audio ARC of The Last Time She Died by Zoë Sharp in exchange for an honest review.
August 27, 2021
This was an OK read- I had trouble getting into it in the beginning, but I enjoyed the end. It centers on Detective Byron, who is investigating a young lady who shows up a funeral claiming to be the deceased's long lost daughter. I liked Byron's character best and felt that it was well developed, though I could have done without the whisper of romance present in his internal monologue. I found the story somewhat predictable but there were some surprises at the end that made me like the book a lot more than I did initially. I am not sure if I'll read the next book in the series, but I might!
October 15, 2021
The Last Time She Died is the first book in the Blake & Byron Thrillers series by British author, Zoë Sharp. The audio version is narrated by Tamsin Kennard. The slim young woman who makes an appearance at the funeral of former British MP, Gideon Fitzroy, and is later discovered having entered his boxy Georgian pile, is a shock to the system for his heirs and this Derbyshire village: she claims to be his daughter, Blake Claremont.
Then a chubby, troubled fifteen-year-old, Blake ran away ten years earlier; no-one has seen her since; quite a few people were sure she was dead; so, is it really her? The local constable, a recent import from the London Met, PC Jane Hudson isn’t convinced. Her one-time mentor, Detective Superintendent John Byron, who is currently taking an unofficial look at Gideon’s death in relation to a sensitive but stalled enquiry into MPs, is unsure.
It’s the talk of the village, and many are puzzled when Gideon’s widow, Virginia Fitzroy seems to accept her claim, rescues her from Jane’s interrogation, and welcomes her to Claremont manor. But even before Gideon’s will is read, even before the young woman’s identity is proven or otherwise, there are some apparent attempts on her life. The widow’s brother, Roger Flint is assaulted, and cottage of the village’s former sergeant is burned down. It seems that her arrival is a catalyst for drama.
Sharp’s protagonists are appealing: smart, talented, but also flawed, and it will be interesting to watch them develop over the series. Their dialogue is snappy and often entertaining. The villagers and other support cast are believably portrayed, including the young constable who is a little too deferential to those with community standing.
Sharp gives the reader such a clever plot that even those astute readers who see past the red herrings, predict some of the twists and deduce the ‘who’ from the list of potential perpetrators, even those clever clogs, will still be sufficiently captivated to read on to the nail-biting climax for the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of it. The second instalment will be eagerly anticipated. Brilliant British crime fiction.
This unbiased review is from an audio copy provided by NetGalley and Bookouture.
Then a chubby, troubled fifteen-year-old, Blake ran away ten years earlier; no-one has seen her since; quite a few people were sure she was dead; so, is it really her? The local constable, a recent import from the London Met, PC Jane Hudson isn’t convinced. Her one-time mentor, Detective Superintendent John Byron, who is currently taking an unofficial look at Gideon’s death in relation to a sensitive but stalled enquiry into MPs, is unsure.
It’s the talk of the village, and many are puzzled when Gideon’s widow, Virginia Fitzroy seems to accept her claim, rescues her from Jane’s interrogation, and welcomes her to Claremont manor. But even before Gideon’s will is read, even before the young woman’s identity is proven or otherwise, there are some apparent attempts on her life. The widow’s brother, Roger Flint is assaulted, and cottage of the village’s former sergeant is burned down. It seems that her arrival is a catalyst for drama.
Sharp’s protagonists are appealing: smart, talented, but also flawed, and it will be interesting to watch them develop over the series. Their dialogue is snappy and often entertaining. The villagers and other support cast are believably portrayed, including the young constable who is a little too deferential to those with community standing.
Sharp gives the reader such a clever plot that even those astute readers who see past the red herrings, predict some of the twists and deduce the ‘who’ from the list of potential perpetrators, even those clever clogs, will still be sufficiently captivated to read on to the nail-biting climax for the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of it. The second instalment will be eagerly anticipated. Brilliant British crime fiction.
This unbiased review is from an audio copy provided by NetGalley and Bookouture.
March 23, 2023
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This was just okay. Nothing about it really grabbed me by the bits, even the “big twisty ending” I’d heard so very much about. I feel like I read a different book than everyone else, honestly. It’s like if you’ve read one mediocre UK crime novel, you’ve read this one. Might as well have a woman in a red coat on the cover.
Basically, a woman who has been missing for ten years shows up after her father dies under tragic circumstances. Is she who she says she is, or is she pulling a tricky little con to collect the missing and presumed dead daughter’s portion of a very generous inheritance? Does that sentence make sense? I’m too zooted to figure it out. Anyway, you get it.
Detective Byron is given the case in an unofficial capacity to figure out if the woman is who she says she is.
And I swear 80% of this book is just people talking about DNA tests and DNA results and hair and wigs and DNA from hair. And I don’t even know why. If I disappeared at 16 and came back at 26, I would literally look like the exact same person, even if I dyed my hair and lost 10 pounds.
The pacing of this is wonky and the first 60% is a lot of filler scenes and descriptive text that mostly bored me. It wasn’t until the last 25% that the pace and investigation started to pick up. Now, I’m not one of those people that believes “but it gets better” is a good thing. It should just be good? Like beginning to end? I shouldn’t have to slog through 170 pages to get to the good parts?
When it comes to crime thrillers, I need something more than just a rich shitty family and their messy problems. I mean, at least lock them all in a room with some weapons and maybe a guy in a knit sweater to see what happens. Meh, overall.
The vibe for this one:
⭐⭐½ | 2.5 stars rounded up
This was just okay. Nothing about it really grabbed me by the bits, even the “big twisty ending” I’d heard so very much about. I feel like I read a different book than everyone else, honestly. It’s like if you’ve read one mediocre UK crime novel, you’ve read this one. Might as well have a woman in a red coat on the cover.
Basically, a woman who has been missing for ten years shows up after her father dies under tragic circumstances. Is she who she says she is, or is she pulling a tricky little con to collect the missing and presumed dead daughter’s portion of a very generous inheritance? Does that sentence make sense? I’m too zooted to figure it out. Anyway, you get it.
Detective Byron is given the case in an unofficial capacity to figure out if the woman is who she says she is.
And I swear 80% of this book is just people talking about DNA tests and DNA results and hair and wigs and DNA from hair. And I don’t even know why. If I disappeared at 16 and came back at 26, I would literally look like the exact same person, even if I dyed my hair and lost 10 pounds.
The pacing of this is wonky and the first 60% is a lot of filler scenes and descriptive text that mostly bored me. It wasn’t until the last 25% that the pace and investigation started to pick up. Now, I’m not one of those people that believes “but it gets better” is a good thing. It should just be good? Like beginning to end? I shouldn’t have to slog through 170 pages to get to the good parts?
When it comes to crime thrillers, I need something more than just a rich shitty family and their messy problems. I mean, at least lock them all in a room with some weapons and maybe a guy in a knit sweater to see what happens. Meh, overall.
The vibe for this one:
⭐⭐½ | 2.5 stars rounded up
August 11, 2021
Well, I was all in on this one.
I loved our main characters, loved some of our side characters, and was totally involved in our mystery.
This is one of those books where you find yourself really interested in a little righteous vengeance against certain people. It’s also fast paced and nicely complex.
I definitely enjoyed this one. Happy that it seems to be the start of a series and I’m completely on board!
*ARC via Net Galley
I loved our main characters, loved some of our side characters, and was totally involved in our mystery.
This is one of those books where you find yourself really interested in a little righteous vengeance against certain people. It’s also fast paced and nicely complex.
I definitely enjoyed this one. Happy that it seems to be the start of a series and I’m completely on board!
*ARC via Net Galley
October 16, 2021
This was a fucked up family drama with a bit of murder sprinkled in.
Every time I thought I had the whole thing figured out, the author threw a wrench in my theory.
Love when that happens!
Check the triggers warnings. There be a bunch of shitty things that happen in these pages.
Much love to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for my DRC.
Every time I thought I had the whole thing figured out, the author threw a wrench in my theory.
Love when that happens!
Check the triggers warnings. There be a bunch of shitty things that happen in these pages.
Much love to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for my DRC.
September 12, 2021
Wow Bookouture really delivered again. This was my first my this author and it was just amazing, gripping really cannot express how the twists and turns kept throwing me off track and the ending, oh my goodness.
This is definitely a must read, pure escapism a real one session read as it is such a page turner.
I was given an advance copy by the publishers and Netgalley but the review is entirely my own.
This is definitely a must read, pure escapism a real one session read as it is such a page turner.
I was given an advance copy by the publishers and Netgalley but the review is entirely my own.
October 16, 2021
The Last Time She Died by Zoë Sharp is the 1st in the Byron and Blake series, and as I read it, the "Blake" part of that series continually came into question. Interesting!
First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Series Information:
DS John Byron, in his mid-30's is on medical leave from the police services. Blake Claremont is a con artist who grew up on the streets. Two very different people, working together.
My Synopsis: (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
The day of Gideon Fitzroy's funeral takes a turn when the daughter that has been missing for 10 years makes an appearance. But is the woman claiming to be Blake the real deal?
DS John Byron, although on medical leave, has been asked to investigate. He was at the funeral to see if he could determine if Fitzroy died from a car accident, or had been murdered. Now, he is looking into the mysterious Blake.
Fitzroy's second wife Virginia, and her children 12 year old Lily and 15 year old Tom have been living on the estate for six years, along with Virginia's brother Roger. If Blake is the long-lost daughter, repercussions are a given.
So many questions. Why did Fitzroy step down from his parliamentary seat? Was he murdered? Why did he never report his daughter missing? Who really inherits? Most importantly, who is this bright young woman claiming to be Blake?
My Opinions:
First....I liked the cover.
Second, the writing is excellent, as I found myself fully engaged within minutes.
The characters were well developed, even the supporting cast. I thought the premise of a cop and a con artist working together was quite unique. They are both intelligent, wily individuals capable of deception and lies, both a little flawed, but both of their hearts seem to be in the right place.
The plot contained enough twists to keep things interesting.
I'm looking forward to the next in the series!
For a more complete review of this book and others (including the reason I chose to read/review this book, as well as author information), please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
October 18, 2021
**audiobook version**
Narrator 5 stars
Great voice and did a fantastic job playing all the characters
Story 3 stars
Very interesting story with lots of twists and turns. While I enjoyed it, it didn't leave me needing or wanting to know more at the end of each chapter.
Narrator 5 stars
Great voice and did a fantastic job playing all the characters
Story 3 stars
Very interesting story with lots of twists and turns. While I enjoyed it, it didn't leave me needing or wanting to know more at the end of each chapter.
June 8, 2022
I was given an ARC of this book for an honest review.
Not a bad thriller, a bit different from what I expect from Zoe Sharp. I'm hoping she continues this series - the con artist and the cop!
4 solid stars and a thumbs up!
Not a bad thriller, a bit different from what I expect from Zoe Sharp. I'm hoping she continues this series - the con artist and the cop!
4 solid stars and a thumbs up!
October 6, 2021
I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of The Last Time She Died, the first novel in a projected series to feature Detective Superintendent John Byron of the Met and the enigmatic Blake.
Byron is on leave and in Derbyshire unofficially looking into the death of former MP Gideon Fitzroy, who died in a car crash. When an intruder is found in Fitzroy’s home she astonishes everyone by claiming to be Blake, the daughter who vanished ten years earlier.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Last Time She Died, which is a whirlwind of a novel with never a dull moment and twist upon twist. I was glued to the pages, never knowing what was coming next. It is told from various points of view, not just Byron and Blake, so the reader gets a wider perspective on events. Sometimes I find this approach distracting but it wasn’t the case here. I didn’t, however, like the flashbacks to ten years ago as they did interrupt the flow and could easily have been told in conversation. The upside is they give the reader an idea of what was involved although the who remains hidden.
Is she Blake or isn’t she? Fitzroy’s second wife and her family hope not and most people think she’s running a con. She may well be, because she obviously has an agenda and what that is only becomes clear as the novel progresses. Of course you can’t take her word on anything because she lies to further her agenda. I think the novel is really well done as it arouses the reader’s curiosity and need to know and blows away what they thought they’d learned with another twist. I was mightily impressed, but as I haven’t read any of the author’s previous work, I don’t know if this is standard.
There is a chemistry between Byron and Blake, but they are damaged individuals so there is also a lack of trust and a large amount of wariness. I was glad to be in at the start of this series and will be looking out for the next instalment to see where the author takes the characters.
The Last Time She Died is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
Byron is on leave and in Derbyshire unofficially looking into the death of former MP Gideon Fitzroy, who died in a car crash. When an intruder is found in Fitzroy’s home she astonishes everyone by claiming to be Blake, the daughter who vanished ten years earlier.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Last Time She Died, which is a whirlwind of a novel with never a dull moment and twist upon twist. I was glued to the pages, never knowing what was coming next. It is told from various points of view, not just Byron and Blake, so the reader gets a wider perspective on events. Sometimes I find this approach distracting but it wasn’t the case here. I didn’t, however, like the flashbacks to ten years ago as they did interrupt the flow and could easily have been told in conversation. The upside is they give the reader an idea of what was involved although the who remains hidden.
Is she Blake or isn’t she? Fitzroy’s second wife and her family hope not and most people think she’s running a con. She may well be, because she obviously has an agenda and what that is only becomes clear as the novel progresses. Of course you can’t take her word on anything because she lies to further her agenda. I think the novel is really well done as it arouses the reader’s curiosity and need to know and blows away what they thought they’d learned with another twist. I was mightily impressed, but as I haven’t read any of the author’s previous work, I don’t know if this is standard.
There is a chemistry between Byron and Blake, but they are damaged individuals so there is also a lack of trust and a large amount of wariness. I was glad to be in at the start of this series and will be looking out for the next instalment to see where the author takes the characters.
The Last Time She Died is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
October 19, 2021
If a gripping thriller you can't put down is your need
This could be the book that you next need to read!
I was given a complementary copy of this book,
Here's my honest review, please take a look!
It is a decade since fifteen year old Blake disappeared
But as her father was buried her family she neared.
No one had heard of her in all those years
Her reappearance has some facing old fears!
They don't believe she can be Blake at all
As they murdered her and watched her fall
Dead and buried for all this time
How can she be back? To make them pay for their crime?
This is an enthralling, intriguing crime thriller
One in which you're unsure just who is the killer.
There's family drama and secrets galore
With a healing detective trying to investigate some more.
Detective John Byron is on a secret investigation
And never expected to be drawn to this returning relation.
Why does he feel drawn to this impertinent stranger?
Can he trust Blake, is she a threat or a danger?
Set in Derbyshire, in many places I go,
Made it even more pertinent to me, I know.
It is a real page turner with great characters, too,
The first in a new series, I highly recommend to you!
This could be the book that you next need to read!
I was given a complementary copy of this book,
Here's my honest review, please take a look!
It is a decade since fifteen year old Blake disappeared
But as her father was buried her family she neared.
No one had heard of her in all those years
Her reappearance has some facing old fears!
They don't believe she can be Blake at all
As they murdered her and watched her fall
Dead and buried for all this time
How can she be back? To make them pay for their crime?
This is an enthralling, intriguing crime thriller
One in which you're unsure just who is the killer.
There's family drama and secrets galore
With a healing detective trying to investigate some more.
Detective John Byron is on a secret investigation
And never expected to be drawn to this returning relation.
Why does he feel drawn to this impertinent stranger?
Can he trust Blake, is she a threat or a danger?
Set in Derbyshire, in many places I go,
Made it even more pertinent to me, I know.
It is a real page turner with great characters, too,
The first in a new series, I highly recommend to you!
August 16, 2021
Gideon Fitzroy never reported his daughter Blake as missing, instead, he encouraged the rumor that Blake was a runaway. Ten years later, shortly after Fitzroy's death in an auto accident, Blake Fitzroy shows up at his funeral.
Unsurprisingly, his second wife as well as several others are shocked and dismayed at the arrival of a calm, cool twenty-five-year-old on the scene claiming to be Blake.
The Blake who shows up is not the shy fifteen-year-old who went missing a decade ago, but a composed, self-possessed young woman. A con artist, hoping to gain control of the estate through the will?
Detective John Byron, on medical leave from the Met, has also shown up for the funeral. He has no official authority, but it appears that he does have a purpose.
Byron is a shrewd and competent detective, but he is on medical leave, not at all certain he should be back at work, and a little curious about this assignment. His boss, however, wants Byron back in the game unofficially in order to motivate his interest in returning to work full time.
Unsure what to think about the young woman claiming to be Blake Fitzroy, Byron is intrigued. His initial assignment changes with Blake's unexpected arrival throwing everything up in the air.
Blake has an agenda, but her goal seems less to do with gaining an inheritance and more to do with the events that caused her to runaway ten years ago...and to stay away until Gideon Fitzroy was dead. If she is, indeed, Blake Fitzroy. And whether or not she is, Blake certainly has some skills in housebreaking.
Both characters and plot kept me involved and eager to know what happened next! Enough information to make you eager to keep track of details, but not enough to feel confident who is responsible. Exactly the way I like it. :)
An absorbing and entertaining mystery with characters I'm eager to read more about!
NetGalley/Bookoutre
Mystery/thriller. Oct. 20, 2021.
Unsurprisingly, his second wife as well as several others are shocked and dismayed at the arrival of a calm, cool twenty-five-year-old on the scene claiming to be Blake.
The Blake who shows up is not the shy fifteen-year-old who went missing a decade ago, but a composed, self-possessed young woman. A con artist, hoping to gain control of the estate through the will?
Detective John Byron, on medical leave from the Met, has also shown up for the funeral. He has no official authority, but it appears that he does have a purpose.
Byron is a shrewd and competent detective, but he is on medical leave, not at all certain he should be back at work, and a little curious about this assignment. His boss, however, wants Byron back in the game unofficially in order to motivate his interest in returning to work full time.
Unsure what to think about the young woman claiming to be Blake Fitzroy, Byron is intrigued. His initial assignment changes with Blake's unexpected arrival throwing everything up in the air.
Blake has an agenda, but her goal seems less to do with gaining an inheritance and more to do with the events that caused her to runaway ten years ago...and to stay away until Gideon Fitzroy was dead. If she is, indeed, Blake Fitzroy. And whether or not she is, Blake certainly has some skills in housebreaking.
Both characters and plot kept me involved and eager to know what happened next! Enough information to make you eager to keep track of details, but not enough to feel confident who is responsible. Exactly the way I like it. :)
An absorbing and entertaining mystery with characters I'm eager to read more about!
NetGalley/Bookoutre
Mystery/thriller. Oct. 20, 2021.
October 19, 2021
The Missing Daughter
A mystery filled with danger and suspense. The story draws you in from the beginning to the end. The narrator is very good and the characters are well developed and suited to the story.
Fifteen year old Blake disappears without a trace, her father never reports her missing. Now years later her father dies and here she is in the living room of her father's house. Her stepmother and stepbrother do not want to believe she is really Blake and claim she in an imposter, that the real Blake that disappeared ten years ago is dead.
Inspector John Byron is on medical leave from service but he takes and interest in the case and tries to help Blake.
Someone wants Blake to remain dead. Old secrets resurface about Gideon, Blake's father and they very much pertain to the case. A necklace, a crooked policeman by the name of Underwood and her step brother Tom feature prominently into the story.
After an attempt on Blake's life, the kidnapping of her stepsister, and the betrayal of an old friend the mystery is solved, but not without a few twists and turns and secrets.
I really enjoyed this audio book, just recently discovering audio books. It was easy to listen to , and the story was absorbing and engaging. I would recommend this story.
Thanks to Zoe Sharp, Bookouture and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a complimentary copy of the audio book for my honest review.
A mystery filled with danger and suspense. The story draws you in from the beginning to the end. The narrator is very good and the characters are well developed and suited to the story.
Fifteen year old Blake disappears without a trace, her father never reports her missing. Now years later her father dies and here she is in the living room of her father's house. Her stepmother and stepbrother do not want to believe she is really Blake and claim she in an imposter, that the real Blake that disappeared ten years ago is dead.
Inspector John Byron is on medical leave from service but he takes and interest in the case and tries to help Blake.
Someone wants Blake to remain dead. Old secrets resurface about Gideon, Blake's father and they very much pertain to the case. A necklace, a crooked policeman by the name of Underwood and her step brother Tom feature prominently into the story.
After an attempt on Blake's life, the kidnapping of her stepsister, and the betrayal of an old friend the mystery is solved, but not without a few twists and turns and secrets.
I really enjoyed this audio book, just recently discovering audio books. It was easy to listen to , and the story was absorbing and engaging. I would recommend this story.
Thanks to Zoe Sharp, Bookouture and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a complimentary copy of the audio book for my honest review.
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