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PC Lucy Halliday
Het laatste woord
Het laatste woord is het eerste deel in een bloedstollende serie van Louisa Scarr, ook bekend onder de naam Sam Holland.
Als er een hand wordt gevonden in Gallows Wood worden agent Lucy Halliday en haar speurhond Moss opgeroepen om de plaats delict te onderzoeken. Al snel stuiten ze op meer lichamen: het lijkt een dumpplek van een moordenaar. Het doet haar direct denken aan haar echtgenoot Nico, die al maandenlang vermist is. Ligt Nico hier ook begraven?
Lucy worstelt met haar rol nu rechercheur Jack Ellis de dienst uitmaakt bij Moordzaken. Door een schorsing mag ze zich niet bezighouden met rechercheurstaken, maar ze kan deze zaak niet loslaten. Brengt deze moordenaar haar dichter bij de waarheid?
Praise for Gallows Wood ‘Dark, funny and addictive, this new crime series is a joy’ Jo Furniss, author of The Last to Know
‘Deft plotting, super-fast pace and an enthralling dive into the lives of police dog handlers make this a book to sniff out and devour’ Heather Critchlow, author of Unburied
‘Gritty and twisty... I fell head over heels for Lucy and Moss. With echoes of Line Of Duty, this is a detective series to watch out for’ Rachael Blok, author of The Fall
‘Gripping from the first page, this book was as pacy as a spaniel on the scent’ Fliss Chester, author of Death on the Scotland Express
Als er een hand wordt gevonden in Gallows Wood worden agent Lucy Halliday en haar speurhond Moss opgeroepen om de plaats delict te onderzoeken. Al snel stuiten ze op meer lichamen: het lijkt een dumpplek van een moordenaar. Het doet haar direct denken aan haar echtgenoot Nico, die al maandenlang vermist is. Ligt Nico hier ook begraven?
Lucy worstelt met haar rol nu rechercheur Jack Ellis de dienst uitmaakt bij Moordzaken. Door een schorsing mag ze zich niet bezighouden met rechercheurstaken, maar ze kan deze zaak niet loslaten. Brengt deze moordenaar haar dichter bij de waarheid?
Praise for Gallows Wood ‘Dark, funny and addictive, this new crime series is a joy’ Jo Furniss, author of The Last to Know
‘Deft plotting, super-fast pace and an enthralling dive into the lives of police dog handlers make this a book to sniff out and devour’ Heather Critchlow, author of Unburied
‘Gritty and twisty... I fell head over heels for Lucy and Moss. With echoes of Line Of Duty, this is a detective series to watch out for’ Rachael Blok, author of The Fall
‘Gripping from the first page, this book was as pacy as a spaniel on the scent’ Fliss Chester, author of Death on the Scotland Express
384 pages, Paperback
Published February 4, 2025
58 people are currently reading
899 people want to read
About the author
Louisa Scarr
13 books208 followersLouisa Scarr studied psychology at the University of Southampton and has lived in and around the city ever since. She is a full time writer, and when she's not at her desk, she can be found pounding the streets in running shoes or swimming in muddy lakes.
She is the author of the Butler and West crime series, published by Canelo Crime, beginning with Last Place You Look and ending with Out of the Ashes. A new series, about a police dog handler, launched in July 2024 with Gallows Wood. The second and third books, Memorial Park and Broken House, are out now.
She also writes as Sam Holland and is the author of the award-winning Major Crimes series, following detectives as they investigate murders committed by brutal serial killers in the south of England. The latest, The Countdown Killer, is out now.
Her DS Kate Munro series, Ask Me No Questions and Nowhere to be Found, have been republished by Canelo Crime and are out now. (They were originally published as Louisa de Lange, under the same name.)
You can follow her on Twitter @paperclipgirl and on Instagram @louisascarrwriter.
She is the author of the Butler and West crime series, published by Canelo Crime, beginning with Last Place You Look and ending with Out of the Ashes. A new series, about a police dog handler, launched in July 2024 with Gallows Wood. The second and third books, Memorial Park and Broken House, are out now.
She also writes as Sam Holland and is the author of the award-winning Major Crimes series, following detectives as they investigate murders committed by brutal serial killers in the south of England. The latest, The Countdown Killer, is out now.
Her DS Kate Munro series, Ask Me No Questions and Nowhere to be Found, have been republished by Canelo Crime and are out now. (They were originally published as Louisa de Lange, under the same name.)
You can follow her on Twitter @paperclipgirl and on Instagram @louisascarrwriter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 199 reviews
July 11, 2024
HAPPY PUB DAY TO ONE OF MY FAVE AUTHORS!
writing: love it | plot: solid | ending: WHEN IS THE NEXT BOOK DROPPING?????
my opinion
Louisa Scarr? More like Louisa Star!!! *crickets* Anyways, Louisa is back with another banger. I was sad to say goodbye to Butler & West, but this new series hit the mark. Manifesting another 5 books in 5 years please. No pressure or anything.
Scarr also writes as Sam Holland, but her books as Scarr are much softer. Maybe softer isn't the right word, but whereas Sam Holland is all about maximum levels of freak nasty, Scarr is more about character development and delicate writing.
Lucy is a complex character and I look forward to peeling back to layers over the next 5 books (again, no pressure). That little bombshell dropped at the end... Colour this hoe hella intrigued. I appreciated her character arc, but did she really have to link up with a homeless man? No shade but like ?????? Anyways. Ellis was also interesting, I thought I had him figured out but bloop, nope. Fingers crossed that he solves THAT cold case (no spoilies). Also, if Lucy and Ellis aren't endgame, I will riot.
Usually I don't like the—for lack of better word—aspects involved in this case, but Scarr made it work. It could be because of my extreme bias for her books, but it didn't make me roll my eyes. I'm a little nervous to see how this... issue... will be dealt with in future books because ... well, I can't really get into it because of spoilies but if you've read the book, you'll understand.
I've never read a police procedural with a dog in it, but I'll never say no to a dog. Moss provided some much-needed levity to the book and it was interesting to learn about the different types of police dogs and their training. It wasn't TOO info-dumpy, so don't be scared.
Anyways, Holland's books may test my will to live but Scarr never disappoints. The duality LOL.
pros & cons
pros: well-plotted, complex and distinct characters, was there a vibe between Lucy and Ellis or did I imagine it???, Moss was a unique addition, beautifully written DUH, set the scene nicely for the rest of the series with some interesting nuggets
cons: just missing a lil SOMETHING to make it a banger... maybe a bit more butt cheek clenching suspense needed (but not The Echo Man level chill, respectfully)
tysm Canelo for the arc
__
Check out my YouTube
writing: love it | plot: solid | ending: WHEN IS THE NEXT BOOK DROPPING?????
my opinion
Louisa Scarr? More like Louisa Star!!! *crickets* Anyways, Louisa is back with another banger. I was sad to say goodbye to Butler & West, but this new series hit the mark. Manifesting another 5 books in 5 years please. No pressure or anything.
Scarr also writes as Sam Holland, but her books as Scarr are much softer. Maybe softer isn't the right word, but whereas Sam Holland is all about maximum levels of freak nasty, Scarr is more about character development and delicate writing.
Lucy is a complex character and I look forward to peeling back to layers over the next 5 books (again, no pressure). That little bombshell dropped at the end... Colour this hoe hella intrigued. I appreciated her character arc, but did she really have to link up with a homeless man? No shade but like ?????? Anyways. Ellis was also interesting, I thought I had him figured out but bloop, nope. Fingers crossed that he solves THAT cold case (no spoilies). Also, if Lucy and Ellis aren't endgame, I will riot.
Usually I don't like the—for lack of better word—aspects involved in this case, but Scarr made it work. It could be because of my extreme bias for her books, but it didn't make me roll my eyes. I'm a little nervous to see how this... issue... will be dealt with in future books because ... well, I can't really get into it because of spoilies but if you've read the book, you'll understand.
I've never read a police procedural with a dog in it, but I'll never say no to a dog. Moss provided some much-needed levity to the book and it was interesting to learn about the different types of police dogs and their training. It wasn't TOO info-dumpy, so don't be scared.
Anyways, Holland's books may test my will to live but Scarr never disappoints. The duality LOL.
pros & cons
pros: well-plotted, complex and distinct characters, was there a vibe between Lucy and Ellis or did I imagine it???, Moss was a unique addition, beautifully written DUH, set the scene nicely for the rest of the series with some interesting nuggets
cons: just missing a lil SOMETHING to make it a banger... maybe a bit more butt cheek clenching suspense needed (but not The Echo Man level chill, respectfully)
tysm Canelo for the arc
__
Check out my YouTube
July 14, 2024
3.7 stars
One Liner: Slow but worth it
PC Lucy Halliday gets a call to bring her search dog, Moss when a hand is found in Gallows Wood. Lucy wonders if the case is linked to her husband’s disappearance, as she did with every other case for the past two years. Her husband, Nico, was a journalist with a penchant for digging up truths. Lucy is sure something happened to him.
New DI Jack Ellis is on the case. He has secrets of his own which he intends to keep buried. He also has a reputation for being successful and a great career graph to prove it. Jack wants things to be done fast and as per the rules. Lucy is desperate to find the truth even if it means bypassing certain channels.
As things get messy and people continue to keep secrets, it’s a race against time for the police to solve the crime. Can Lucy find answers to her questions? What will it cost her?
The story comes in the third-person POV of Lucy and Jack (with a few snippets from other POVs).
My Thoughts:
The first in the series is a slow-paced book that takes some time to get into the flow. Be patient as it gets better and leads to a solid ending.
It was around 15% that I could start to connect with the characters. Until then, somehow even Lucy didn’t appeal to me (despite her tragic backstory). But once I found the rhythm, the story moved ahead seamlessly.
Dogs naturally have a good space in the book. Since these are trained for different jobs, we get to see them in action. Moss has a greater role since he is with FMC most of the time. Moss is cute but doesn’t make the book lighthearted or a cozy mystery. This remains a police procedural.
The case is about something I don’t particularly like. However, it is handled well and is likely to form the basis for the overarching theme of the series. I have a few doubts about a few things and am hoping those will be cleared later on.
Both main characters have tons of baggage and trauma to deal with. I’m not sure if they will become each other’s love interests. It should take time or we’d have a train wreck on our hands. Slow burn is mandatory here!
I do like that they both have good brains despite the various flaws. This ensures competency as well as retains the human/ emotional touch. The side characters have been introduced. Have to see how they’ll be developed.
I could guess the culprit simply coz I disliked that character right from the introduction. Nothing makes me happier than seeing such ones get their due.
There’s some new information toward the end. The next case could be anything, though. I will read it (obv). This is my first book by the author and won’t be the last!
To summarize, Gallows Wood is a dark police procedural that starts slowly but picks up momentum as it progresses. It is compact and has much to offer, though I recommend checking the triggers first.
Thank you, NetGalley, and Canelo Crime, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley #GallowsWood
***
TW:
***
My thanks to Liz and Leigh for their fab reviews which made me request this book.
One Liner: Slow but worth it
PC Lucy Halliday gets a call to bring her search dog, Moss when a hand is found in Gallows Wood. Lucy wonders if the case is linked to her husband’s disappearance, as she did with every other case for the past two years. Her husband, Nico, was a journalist with a penchant for digging up truths. Lucy is sure something happened to him.
New DI Jack Ellis is on the case. He has secrets of his own which he intends to keep buried. He also has a reputation for being successful and a great career graph to prove it. Jack wants things to be done fast and as per the rules. Lucy is desperate to find the truth even if it means bypassing certain channels.
As things get messy and people continue to keep secrets, it’s a race against time for the police to solve the crime. Can Lucy find answers to her questions? What will it cost her?
The story comes in the third-person POV of Lucy and Jack (with a few snippets from other POVs).
My Thoughts:
The first in the series is a slow-paced book that takes some time to get into the flow. Be patient as it gets better and leads to a solid ending.
It was around 15% that I could start to connect with the characters. Until then, somehow even Lucy didn’t appeal to me (despite her tragic backstory). But once I found the rhythm, the story moved ahead seamlessly.
Dogs naturally have a good space in the book. Since these are trained for different jobs, we get to see them in action. Moss has a greater role since he is with FMC most of the time. Moss is cute but doesn’t make the book lighthearted or a cozy mystery. This remains a police procedural.
The case is about something I don’t particularly like. However, it is handled well and is likely to form the basis for the overarching theme of the series. I have a few doubts about a few things and am hoping those will be cleared later on.
Both main characters have tons of baggage and trauma to deal with. I’m not sure if they will become each other’s love interests. It should take time or we’d have a train wreck on our hands. Slow burn is mandatory here!
I do like that they both have good brains despite the various flaws. This ensures competency as well as retains the human/ emotional touch. The side characters have been introduced. Have to see how they’ll be developed.
I could guess the culprit simply coz I disliked that character right from the introduction. Nothing makes me happier than seeing such ones get their due.
There’s some new information toward the end. The next case could be anything, though. I will read it (obv). This is my first book by the author and won’t be the last!
To summarize, Gallows Wood is a dark police procedural that starts slowly but picks up momentum as it progresses. It is compact and has much to offer, though I recommend checking the triggers first.
Thank you, NetGalley, and Canelo Crime, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley #GallowsWood
***
TW:
***
My thanks to Liz and Leigh for their fab reviews which made me request this book.
October 11, 2024
A new, trusty police procedural that I'm already loving and dying for book 2 to drop. Plot was gripping, writing was fantastic but most of all what I enjoyed was the working police doggos - provided nothing happens to the dogs in the stories, this could quickly become a top 3 series of mine.
June 13, 2024
Lucy used to be a DI but was demoted due to suspicion that she had revealed details of ongoing investigations to her journalist husband Nico. (She now works for the police with a dog named Moss.) Nico has been missing for several years, and Lucy will not accept the possibility that he left her. The department is now investigating several murders which they believe are tied to organized crime and drugs. There's also suspicion that a dirty cop is involved and is thwarting the investigation. Could Nico's disappearance be related to the current murders, since each victim was related to a cop? This exciting British police procedural provides an excellent mystery and intriguing, well-developed characters. The dogs are an added bonus. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
February 28, 2025
Het laatste woord van Louisa Scarr is het eerste deel in een serie met agente Lucy Halliday in de hoofdrol. Louisa Scarr is beter bekend onder de naam Sam Holland. Van haar verschenen eerder al drie boeken in het Nederlands die allemaal hoge toppen scheren.
In Het laatste woord wordt Lucy Halliday opgeroepen om een plaats delict te onderzoeken samen met haar speurhond Moss. Wanneer ze daarbij op meerdere lichamen stuit, hoopt ze dat een van hen haar verdwenen echtgenoot Nico is. Hij verdween twee jaar eerder spoorloos en Lucy heeft de hoop inmiddels opgegeven om hem nog levend terug te zien. Het onderzoek wordt geleid door inspecteur Jack Ellis, een nieuw geworven kracht binnen het korps. Hij draagt duidelijk een verleden met zich mee. Wat dat verleden exact inhoudt, blijft lang een mysterie. Dat zorgt al meteen voor een eerste spannend element.
De relatie tussen de beide hoofdpersonages is aanvankelijk stroef en vijandelijk. Naarmate het verhaal verder op gang komt, wordt hun band echter versterkt door de zaak die ze onderzoeken. Het verhaal zelf is goed opgebouwd en is chronologisch. De hoofdstukken zijn niet al te lang en worden verteld vanuit de twee hoofdpersonen Lucy en Jack. Doordat beide personages evenveel aan bod komen, kan de lezer zich een goed beeld vormen van wie ze zijn en wat ze meegemaakt hebben. Het onderzoek dat ze voeren is gedegen en de lezer kan de genomen stappen goed volgen. Het boek leest zeer vlot en is begrijpelijk en beeldend opgesteld. De spanning is continu aanwezig doorheen de hoofdstukken, wat de lezer ertoe aanzet om telkens verder te lezen. Aan het eind van het verhaal duikt er nog een element op dat in een volgend deel zeker nog verder uitgediept kan worden. Ook het verleden van Jack Ellis lijkt nog voldoende voer te geven voor een vervolgdeel.
Het laatste woord is het begin van een zeer spannende serie. Liefhebbers van Robert Bryndza, Chris Carter en Helen Fields zullen dit boek ongetwijfeld kunnen appreciëren.
4.5⭐️
Deze recensie verscheen eerder op Vrouwenthrillers.nl. Ik wil de uitgeverij hartelijk bedanken voor het recensie exemplaar.
In Het laatste woord wordt Lucy Halliday opgeroepen om een plaats delict te onderzoeken samen met haar speurhond Moss. Wanneer ze daarbij op meerdere lichamen stuit, hoopt ze dat een van hen haar verdwenen echtgenoot Nico is. Hij verdween twee jaar eerder spoorloos en Lucy heeft de hoop inmiddels opgegeven om hem nog levend terug te zien. Het onderzoek wordt geleid door inspecteur Jack Ellis, een nieuw geworven kracht binnen het korps. Hij draagt duidelijk een verleden met zich mee. Wat dat verleden exact inhoudt, blijft lang een mysterie. Dat zorgt al meteen voor een eerste spannend element.
De relatie tussen de beide hoofdpersonages is aanvankelijk stroef en vijandelijk. Naarmate het verhaal verder op gang komt, wordt hun band echter versterkt door de zaak die ze onderzoeken. Het verhaal zelf is goed opgebouwd en is chronologisch. De hoofdstukken zijn niet al te lang en worden verteld vanuit de twee hoofdpersonen Lucy en Jack. Doordat beide personages evenveel aan bod komen, kan de lezer zich een goed beeld vormen van wie ze zijn en wat ze meegemaakt hebben. Het onderzoek dat ze voeren is gedegen en de lezer kan de genomen stappen goed volgen. Het boek leest zeer vlot en is begrijpelijk en beeldend opgesteld. De spanning is continu aanwezig doorheen de hoofdstukken, wat de lezer ertoe aanzet om telkens verder te lezen. Aan het eind van het verhaal duikt er nog een element op dat in een volgend deel zeker nog verder uitgediept kan worden. Ook het verleden van Jack Ellis lijkt nog voldoende voer te geven voor een vervolgdeel.
Het laatste woord is het begin van een zeer spannende serie. Liefhebbers van Robert Bryndza, Chris Carter en Helen Fields zullen dit boek ongetwijfeld kunnen appreciëren.
4.5⭐️
Deze recensie verscheen eerder op Vrouwenthrillers.nl. Ik wil de uitgeverij hartelijk bedanken voor het recensie exemplaar.
July 6, 2024
Oh my goodness this book was good!! A police procedural with the main character being a canine handler.. what is not to like about that. If you know me at all you know that I cannot pass up a good police series or anything involving a dog.. so it was perfect for me. This is the start of a new series and I can’t wait to read more about these characters. I did see that the author has another series so I will absolutely checking that out.
PC Lucy Halliday is a former DI. She is now working with Moss, a loveable victim recovery dog.🐶 She is called out to a crime scene at Gallows Wood, part of the New Forest in Hampshire. A body has been discovered, but there are parts missing. Moss soon tracks them down though. It leads Lucy to believe that her missing husband, Nico, a journalist who disappeared 2 years earlier, may also be buried here. Her new DI, Jack Ellis is not so sure., and Lucy’s interfering is not helping matters.
This one very dark and mysterious case that kept me on my toes the entire time. It was a struggle to put down as I just wanted to find out how it would all wrap up. Lucy and Jack were such interesting characters with so many layers. I can see lots of revelations to come in this series.
Thanks so much to Canelo for the early copy to read. Love discovering a new author. Publishes on July 11th.
PC Lucy Halliday is a former DI. She is now working with Moss, a loveable victim recovery dog.🐶 She is called out to a crime scene at Gallows Wood, part of the New Forest in Hampshire. A body has been discovered, but there are parts missing. Moss soon tracks them down though. It leads Lucy to believe that her missing husband, Nico, a journalist who disappeared 2 years earlier, may also be buried here. Her new DI, Jack Ellis is not so sure., and Lucy’s interfering is not helping matters.
This one very dark and mysterious case that kept me on my toes the entire time. It was a struggle to put down as I just wanted to find out how it would all wrap up. Lucy and Jack were such interesting characters with so many layers. I can see lots of revelations to come in this series.
Thanks so much to Canelo for the early copy to read. Love discovering a new author. Publishes on July 11th.
June 16, 2024
My Rating: 4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ great start to a new series from an awesome author!!!
The signs are unmistakable. The dog halts, his nose up - nostrils quivering. Every inch of him poised. Moss has a scent. When a hand is found in Gallows Wood, PC Lucy Halliday and her specialist search dog Moss must find the rest of the body.
Like every case since her husbands disappearance Lucy wonders if this will bring her closer to the truth. With a new DI, Jack Ellis on the job, Lucy struggles to stay out of the case and out of the way. But she is hiding things too… she has more to the story than she is letting on.
Everyone in this story has a secret and no one wants to be found out!!
First of all thank you to my good friend Lit with Leigh for the fun Buddy Read, Leigh I did think that you were going to blast past me (you did for a bit there) and I was going to be left in the dust - but in the end we finished almost at the same time. Buddy reads on StoryGraph are super fun and I loved this one!!
I recently (thanks to Leigh again), read all of Louisa Scarr’s Butler and West series and I wish it was still going - I adored those books and will live in hope that LS is going to bring them back to us. But in the meantime as soon as I saw this book was up on NetGalley I hit request immediately!!
I wont lie it took me a bit to get into this one, I was worried the cute dog was going to bother me - now before you all throw rotten apples at me, I don’t have anything against dogs but I wanted a thriller not a cute mystery with a cute dog - I needn’t have worried this got pretty dark in places. AND the dog was adorable which I loved btw!!
But it still took me a bit to get into it because it wasn’t Butler and West - perhaps if I hadn’t binge read all 5 of those in May it wouldn’t have been an issue 🤣 however the writing was on point and I got stuck right into it. Once I got to about 25% I started blasting through this hoping for some sexual tension between Ellis and Halliday. Sitting on the edge of my seat when things started to pop off.
For me I am not usually a big fan of Organised Crime or drug related crime books but this has a bit of that and it was done really well. Louisa Scarr does her research which I really appreciate because even though this is a fiction thriller I felt like I learnt a thing or two.
I wont lie - the scenes (and believe me you will know when you get to them) between Nico and Lucy… oh my god… watch your TWs I was feeling it. LS was able to tell those tales and get a visceral response she can tell a story!
I am really keen to learn more about Ellis in the next book I hope we get more of his backstory and I really hope he keeps teaming up with Lucy - I mean its kind of guaranteed since its her series but still I liked them together and I do wonder if there will be some will they wont they… who knows!! If the Butler and West series is anything to go by they will drive by each other at least 708 times before they figure it out though.
Overall, I really enjoyed it and once I got into it I finished most of it in one day - which had a lot to do with the cold weather and a lazy Sunday 🤣
Thank you to Canelo Crime, NetGalley and Louisa Scarr for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
The signs are unmistakable. The dog halts, his nose up - nostrils quivering. Every inch of him poised. Moss has a scent. When a hand is found in Gallows Wood, PC Lucy Halliday and her specialist search dog Moss must find the rest of the body.
Like every case since her husbands disappearance Lucy wonders if this will bring her closer to the truth. With a new DI, Jack Ellis on the job, Lucy struggles to stay out of the case and out of the way. But she is hiding things too… she has more to the story than she is letting on.
Everyone in this story has a secret and no one wants to be found out!!
First of all thank you to my good friend Lit with Leigh for the fun Buddy Read, Leigh I did think that you were going to blast past me (you did for a bit there) and I was going to be left in the dust - but in the end we finished almost at the same time. Buddy reads on StoryGraph are super fun and I loved this one!!
I recently (thanks to Leigh again), read all of Louisa Scarr’s Butler and West series and I wish it was still going - I adored those books and will live in hope that LS is going to bring them back to us. But in the meantime as soon as I saw this book was up on NetGalley I hit request immediately!!
I wont lie it took me a bit to get into this one, I was worried the cute dog was going to bother me - now before you all throw rotten apples at me, I don’t have anything against dogs but I wanted a thriller not a cute mystery with a cute dog - I needn’t have worried this got pretty dark in places. AND the dog was adorable which I loved btw!!
But it still took me a bit to get into it because it wasn’t Butler and West - perhaps if I hadn’t binge read all 5 of those in May it wouldn’t have been an issue 🤣 however the writing was on point and I got stuck right into it. Once I got to about 25% I started blasting through this hoping for some sexual tension between Ellis and Halliday. Sitting on the edge of my seat when things started to pop off.
For me I am not usually a big fan of Organised Crime or drug related crime books but this has a bit of that and it was done really well. Louisa Scarr does her research which I really appreciate because even though this is a fiction thriller I felt like I learnt a thing or two.
I wont lie - the scenes (and believe me you will know when you get to them) between Nico and Lucy… oh my god… watch your TWs I was feeling it. LS was able to tell those tales and get a visceral response she can tell a story!
I am really keen to learn more about Ellis in the next book I hope we get more of his backstory and I really hope he keeps teaming up with Lucy - I mean its kind of guaranteed since its her series but still I liked them together and I do wonder if there will be some will they wont they… who knows!! If the Butler and West series is anything to go by they will drive by each other at least 708 times before they figure it out though.
Overall, I really enjoyed it and once I got into it I finished most of it in one day - which had a lot to do with the cold weather and a lazy Sunday 🤣
Thank you to Canelo Crime, NetGalley and Louisa Scarr for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
March 5, 2025
Als er een hand wordt gevonden in Gallows Wood worden agent Lucy Halliday en haar speurhond Moss opgeroepen om de plaats delict te onderzoeken. Al snel stuiten ze op meer lichamen: het lijkt een dumpplek van een moordenaar. Het doet haar direct denken aan haar echtgenoot Nico, die al maandenlang vermist is. Ligt Nico hier ook begraven?
Lucy worstelt met haar rol nu rechercheur Jack Ellis de dienst uitmaakt bij Moordzaken. Door een schorsing mag ze zich niet bezighouden met rechercheurstaken, maar ze kan deze zaak niet loslaten. Brengt deze moordenaar haar dichter bij de waarheid?
Dit verhaal begint met een proloog over Lucy, en dit roept meteen vragen op. Er is namelijk iets gebeurd, maar wat precies is onduidelijk. Vervolgens maak je een sprong naar zes dagen eerder en kort daarna wordt er een lichaamdeel gevonden...
Het begin vond ik echt heel erg goed: de vondst van de lichaamsdelen. Wie is diegene en wat is er met deze persoon gebeurd?
Ook Lucy is een erg interessant personage. Je leest veel over haar echtgenoot Nico en hij blijkt ook al een aantal maanden vermist te zijn. Niemand weet waar hij momenteel uithangt en Lucy vreest steeds dat zijn lichaam ook op een dag gevonden wordt.
Vervolgens worden er meerdere slachtoffers gevonden en de vraag is of er een verband tussen deze mensen is.
'Het laatste woord' vond ik dus prima beginnen. Helaas had ik soms toch moeite om verder te lezen. Ondanks de vele lovende recensies ben ik ietsje minder enthousiast. Ik vond het verhaal soms namelijk een beetje traag en niet elk personage was even interessant.
De stukken over de moorden waren erg interessant, dus die fragmenten vond ik meer dan prima, alleen had ik van het totale verhaal misschien toch iets meer verwacht.
Ik wil @harpercollins_holland heel erg bedanken voor het recensie-exemplaar!
Beoordeling: 3,5 ⭐️
P.S.: Louisa Scarr is het pseudoniem van Sam Holland, voor degene die dit nog niet wisten. 😉
Lucy worstelt met haar rol nu rechercheur Jack Ellis de dienst uitmaakt bij Moordzaken. Door een schorsing mag ze zich niet bezighouden met rechercheurstaken, maar ze kan deze zaak niet loslaten. Brengt deze moordenaar haar dichter bij de waarheid?
Dit verhaal begint met een proloog over Lucy, en dit roept meteen vragen op. Er is namelijk iets gebeurd, maar wat precies is onduidelijk. Vervolgens maak je een sprong naar zes dagen eerder en kort daarna wordt er een lichaamdeel gevonden...
Het begin vond ik echt heel erg goed: de vondst van de lichaamsdelen. Wie is diegene en wat is er met deze persoon gebeurd?
Ook Lucy is een erg interessant personage. Je leest veel over haar echtgenoot Nico en hij blijkt ook al een aantal maanden vermist te zijn. Niemand weet waar hij momenteel uithangt en Lucy vreest steeds dat zijn lichaam ook op een dag gevonden wordt.
Vervolgens worden er meerdere slachtoffers gevonden en de vraag is of er een verband tussen deze mensen is.
'Het laatste woord' vond ik dus prima beginnen. Helaas had ik soms toch moeite om verder te lezen. Ondanks de vele lovende recensies ben ik ietsje minder enthousiast. Ik vond het verhaal soms namelijk een beetje traag en niet elk personage was even interessant.
De stukken over de moorden waren erg interessant, dus die fragmenten vond ik meer dan prima, alleen had ik van het totale verhaal misschien toch iets meer verwacht.
Ik wil @harpercollins_holland heel erg bedanken voor het recensie-exemplaar!
Beoordeling: 3,5 ⭐️
P.S.: Louisa Scarr is het pseudoniem van Sam Holland, voor degene die dit nog niet wisten. 😉
July 26, 2024
An enjoyable, well crafted police procedural with dogs, cold cases, engaging characters and good pacing.
August 24, 2025
Het laatste woord is het eerste boek over Lucy Halliday. Lucy was inspecteur, maar door gebeurtenissen in het verleden is ze gedegradeerd..
Haar man is 2 jaar geleden verdwenen en ze is ervan overtuigd dat hij is vermoord, maar niemand wil er onderzoek naar doen.. Maar dan is daar Jack Ellis, de nieuwe inspecteur. Hij luistert wel naar haar.
Lucy werkt nu bij de afdeling waar agenten met (speur)honden werken. Haar hond heeft dus ook een grote rol in het verhaal.
Meer een detective dan een actiethriller. Aan het begin even wennen want Louisa Scarr/ Sam Holland gebruikt voor- en achternamen door elkaar. Dat was me in haar andere boeken ook opgevallen.
Niet mega spannend, maar wel moeilijk weg te leggen aan het einde!
Hopelijk wordt deel 2 snel vertaald, want ik wil meer lezen over Lucy, de honden en Jack!
Louisa Scarr = Sam Holland
Haar man is 2 jaar geleden verdwenen en ze is ervan overtuigd dat hij is vermoord, maar niemand wil er onderzoek naar doen.. Maar dan is daar Jack Ellis, de nieuwe inspecteur. Hij luistert wel naar haar.
Lucy werkt nu bij de afdeling waar agenten met (speur)honden werken. Haar hond heeft dus ook een grote rol in het verhaal.
Meer een detective dan een actiethriller. Aan het begin even wennen want Louisa Scarr/ Sam Holland gebruikt voor- en achternamen door elkaar. Dat was me in haar andere boeken ook opgevallen.
Niet mega spannend, maar wel moeilijk weg te leggen aan het einde!
Hopelijk wordt deel 2 snel vertaald, want ik wil meer lezen over Lucy, de honden en Jack!
Louisa Scarr = Sam Holland
July 6, 2024
I wanted to like this one more than I did but I just couldn’t get away from the incredibly annoying central character Lucy.
Gallows Wood is a police procedural featuring PC Lucy Halliday and her police dog Moss as they are called to Gallows Wood where a dead body is discovered.
Lucy, who until recently held a much higher position in the police until her husband journalist went missing a couple of years ago, had a major breakdown and hasn’t fully recovered.
While others think that her husband left her and moved abroad, Lucy is convinced that he has been murdered. So convinced in fact that we hear about it from her 100 times in the first third of the book. It’s hammered down our throats, just in case we were in any doubt.
A new DI is brought in to investigate the found body and when Lucy is convinced it could be her husband(did I mention she’s convinced?) or her husbands remains could also be out there she returns to the woods with her dog to search for more clues.
The DI doesn’t want her interfering with an ongoing case, as her work on the case is finished and especially as she has a personal angle to it, so calls to her house to tell her to stay well away, that she is not to interfere with a case that has nothing to do with her. Her response? She asks him how the investigation is going and he proceeds to tell her every last detail! I mean come on. That’s either some dreadful writing or the author thinks her readers are stupid.
That’s just an example of how excruciatingly bad the first third of this book is. Lucy is such an utterly annoying person that by the time the book does actually pick up you couldn’t care less about her or her plight.
It does get better as the pace picks up and Lucy stops telling everyone that she is convinced her husband has been murdered and to be fair, there is some tension built and the story moves along.
The problem is there are zero well written characters here. Mind numbingly bland and silly with no depth or ounce of realism about them. The DI even has a half baked “ trauma “ story from his childhood that is another weak and pointless idea that goes nowhere.
I’m giving this two stars purely because the pace picked up after the appealing opening third. I don’t think I’ve read a worse written female lead in a long time and I fail to see how this character will feature in a series of books.
I don’t enjoy being mean about books. It doesn’t give me any pleasure at all but you just have to be as honest as you can when reviewing a book and how it made you feel and this one was a bad bad miss for me.
Many thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley.
Gallows Wood is a police procedural featuring PC Lucy Halliday and her police dog Moss as they are called to Gallows Wood where a dead body is discovered.
Lucy, who until recently held a much higher position in the police until her husband journalist went missing a couple of years ago, had a major breakdown and hasn’t fully recovered.
While others think that her husband left her and moved abroad, Lucy is convinced that he has been murdered. So convinced in fact that we hear about it from her 100 times in the first third of the book. It’s hammered down our throats, just in case we were in any doubt.
A new DI is brought in to investigate the found body and when Lucy is convinced it could be her husband(did I mention she’s convinced?) or her husbands remains could also be out there she returns to the woods with her dog to search for more clues.
The DI doesn’t want her interfering with an ongoing case, as her work on the case is finished and especially as she has a personal angle to it, so calls to her house to tell her to stay well away, that she is not to interfere with a case that has nothing to do with her. Her response? She asks him how the investigation is going and he proceeds to tell her every last detail! I mean come on. That’s either some dreadful writing or the author thinks her readers are stupid.
That’s just an example of how excruciatingly bad the first third of this book is. Lucy is such an utterly annoying person that by the time the book does actually pick up you couldn’t care less about her or her plight.
It does get better as the pace picks up and Lucy stops telling everyone that she is convinced her husband has been murdered and to be fair, there is some tension built and the story moves along.
The problem is there are zero well written characters here. Mind numbingly bland and silly with no depth or ounce of realism about them. The DI even has a half baked “ trauma “ story from his childhood that is another weak and pointless idea that goes nowhere.
I’m giving this two stars purely because the pace picked up after the appealing opening third. I don’t think I’ve read a worse written female lead in a long time and I fail to see how this character will feature in a series of books.
I don’t enjoy being mean about books. It doesn’t give me any pleasure at all but you just have to be as honest as you can when reviewing a book and how it made you feel and this one was a bad bad miss for me.
Many thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley.
September 28, 2025
Louisa Scarr has become one of my favourite authors. I love her Detectives Butler and West series. Gallows Wood is the first in the P.C. Lucy Halliday books. Lucy is a dog handler and being a dog lover myself I loved this book. Moss has to be my favourite character. Gallows Wood is a really great story, lots of twists and plenty of surprises. I’m looking forward to reading book 2 now.
September 11, 2024
4.0 / 5.0
Didn’t know what to expect, after her Butler and West series had ended I couldn’t get enough of Scarra’s book. Although I was gutted with her previous series ending, I was excited to see what the new series would bring and how different it would be. Maybe it’s the writing style, how PC Lucy Halliday is portrayed - her complex history or just the plot but this book captured my interest straight from the start. A simple plot, mixed in with the troubles of a human soul and her complex past had me in a chokehold to read more. It might just be the way Scarr portrays the human emotion, the pain and hurt which makes the plot more impacting and lasting. This is definitely a series I will invest more in, I am intrigued in the direction of Lucy and her specialist search dog moss which is honestly the cutest dog ever.
Warning for readers, it does have elements of heavy drug use, sexual abuse, domestic violence and suicide so read at your own discretion.
The plot is rather simple, we met Lucy Halliday who is part of the dog handlers for the police force. she’s paired with her specialist dog Moss, she’s called out to Gallows wood when a hand is found by a dog walker Lucy is called with Moss to locate the body. This then opens a can of worms as her and Moss find more bodies, mixed with a new DI Jack Ellis who is hiding from past. To add more fuel to the personal turmoil, Lucy’s husband Nico had disappeared for over 2 years where Lucy is on a mission to find her missing hubby. As the plot unfolds, we see more of the personal struggles between Jack and Lucy. At points, it feels extremely human life and close to real life. Just when things seem to add up, more information is revealed, and the plot becomes more intriguing and gripping.
Overall, I enjoyed my read on this one, I felt as though Scarr can capture the human emotions so well and translate it so well. After reading this book, I am invested and intrigued to see where the series will go!
Didn’t know what to expect, after her Butler and West series had ended I couldn’t get enough of Scarra’s book. Although I was gutted with her previous series ending, I was excited to see what the new series would bring and how different it would be. Maybe it’s the writing style, how PC Lucy Halliday is portrayed - her complex history or just the plot but this book captured my interest straight from the start. A simple plot, mixed in with the troubles of a human soul and her complex past had me in a chokehold to read more. It might just be the way Scarr portrays the human emotion, the pain and hurt which makes the plot more impacting and lasting. This is definitely a series I will invest more in, I am intrigued in the direction of Lucy and her specialist search dog moss which is honestly the cutest dog ever.
Warning for readers, it does have elements of heavy drug use, sexual abuse, domestic violence and suicide so read at your own discretion.
The plot is rather simple, we met Lucy Halliday who is part of the dog handlers for the police force. she’s paired with her specialist dog Moss, she’s called out to Gallows wood when a hand is found by a dog walker Lucy is called with Moss to locate the body. This then opens a can of worms as her and Moss find more bodies, mixed with a new DI Jack Ellis who is hiding from past. To add more fuel to the personal turmoil, Lucy’s husband Nico had disappeared for over 2 years where Lucy is on a mission to find her missing hubby. As the plot unfolds, we see more of the personal struggles between Jack and Lucy. At points, it feels extremely human life and close to real life. Just when things seem to add up, more information is revealed, and the plot becomes more intriguing and gripping.
Overall, I enjoyed my read on this one, I felt as though Scarr can capture the human emotions so well and translate it so well. After reading this book, I am invested and intrigued to see where the series will go!
May 3, 2025
This was really good.
*Complex, loveable characters
*A good plot
*DOGSSSSS
The narrator is one of my favourites ever. So many accents, wow.
*Complex, loveable characters
*A good plot
*DOGSSSSS
The narrator is one of my favourites ever. So many accents, wow.
August 4, 2024
This was one of my most-anticipated books being released this year -- Scarr's Butler and West series is one of my faves ever, so I went in knowing it would be great because she wrote it AND THERE ARE DOGS (!!!???!!!) - SOLD!
The setup is so good - Lucy Halliday is a semi-disgraced former DI demoted to a PC after a scandal, but she's finally finding some peace working in the canine unit, with her cadaver dog, Moss. Lucy's husband has been missing for a while (can't remember exactly how long), and when a hand is found in Gallows Wood, Lucy thinks it might belong to her missing husband. Enter (HOT) new DI Jack Ellis to lead the investigation, and let the excitement begin.
I am officially dying to read book two the second it's available because I neeeeed to know what happens next.
* thanks so much to Canelo for the NetGalley review copy. Gallows Wood publishes July 11.
The setup is so good - Lucy Halliday is a semi-disgraced former DI demoted to a PC after a scandal, but she's finally finding some peace working in the canine unit, with her cadaver dog, Moss. Lucy's husband has been missing for a while (can't remember exactly how long), and when a hand is found in Gallows Wood, Lucy thinks it might belong to her missing husband. Enter (HOT) new DI Jack Ellis to lead the investigation, and let the excitement begin.
I am officially dying to read book two the second it's available because I neeeeed to know what happens next.
* thanks so much to Canelo for the NetGalley review copy. Gallows Wood publishes July 11.
October 24, 2024
I throughly enjoyed this book, i think it's my favourite of the books we've read in my small local bookclub :)
The writing is easy to read and follow along, i think the author also handled some potentially triggering situations very well towards the end of the book.
The story was interesting right from the start, and I had fun playing guessing games trying to solve the murders before the book gave me the answers, and while I suspected it to be who it was I was suitable thrown around in the run up to the reveal.
The ending whilst great is also a very clear run up to more books with these charecters which I will certainly be reading.
The writing is easy to read and follow along, i think the author also handled some potentially triggering situations very well towards the end of the book.
The story was interesting right from the start, and I had fun playing guessing games trying to solve the murders before the book gave me the answers, and while I suspected it to be who it was I was suitable thrown around in the run up to the reveal.
The ending whilst great is also a very clear run up to more books with these charecters which I will certainly be reading.
July 16, 2024
This was a clever and interesting read. It starts off with a bang and doesn't let up all the way through. I found myself guessing as to who was doing the crimes and getting it wrong. Enjoyed this one. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review .
April 1, 2025
Ik heb meerdere boeken van Sam Holland in de kast staan, maar kwam er maar niet aan toe. Toen de Hebban-Leesclub dan ook 'Het laatste woord' van Louisa Scarr, ook wel bekend als Sam Holland, aankondigde en je je aan kon melden voor de leesclub, deed ik dat dan ook meteen. Net als bij de vorige leesclub besloot mijn lichaam om me enorm dwars te gaan zitten, maar gelukkig kwam dat allemaal tot een goed einde en heb ik alle vragen van de leesclub alsnog kunnen beantwoorden en zit ik nu een recensie voor jullie te typen. Omdat ik dus de boeken van Sam Holland nog niet heb gelezen, had ik geen idee wat ik van 'Het laatste woord' kon verwachten en ik ging er dus ook volledig openminded in.
Wat me meteen opviel was de fijne en soepele schrijfstijl. Dit boek las heerlijk weg en ik had totaal geen moeite om er doorheen te komen. Ik heb natuurlijk het Nederlandse boek gelezen en kan weinig vertellen over de Engelse schrijfstijl, maar het boek werd in dit geval vertaald door Ingrid Zweedijk en ik hoop dat zij meer boeken van Louisa Scarr gaat vertalen want het was ontzettend goed geschreven. het enige waar ik mijn vraag nog steeds over heb, is de titel. In het Engels past de titel bij het boek, maar ik kan de connectie tussen deze titel en het boek niet helemaal vinden. Ergens kan ik connecties vinden, maar het is niet overduidelijk en ik vraag me dus nog steeds af met welke reden er voor deze titel is gekozen.
De Perspectieven van Lucy en Jack vond ik erg leuk om te lezen. Je leest beide in de derde persoonsvorm en bij beide karakters heb je het idee dat je ze vanaf het begin moet leren kennen, evenals het idee dat ze allebei een hele hoop proberen te verbergen over zichzelf. Jack heeft officieel de plek van Lucy ingenomen, na nogal wat problemen in het verleden, en je verwacht een enorme botsing tussen de twee. Wat ik zo mooi vond is dat je ondanks alles toch een band ziet ontstaan en dat ze zo bijzonder goed samen kunnen werken, misschien wel het beste in elkaar naar boven halen. Daarnaast bieden de perspectieven een andere kijk op de zaak die speelt. Lucy zit er middenin, omdat ze denkt dat haar vermiste man iets met de zaak te maken heeft + dat ze een speurhond heeft, Moss, waardoor ze ook een ander soort rol heeft in het verhaal, terwijl je vanuit Jack leest hoe het onderzoek gaat zoals je gewend bent om een detective of thriller te lezen. Erg interessant en goed gedaan.
Er waren karakters die ik beter had willen leren kennen, er waren karakters die ik wat minder leuk vond, maar dat hou je altijd. In het eerste deel merk je wel al een aantal karaktertrekken en ik hoop ook zeker dat we nog veel meer over Lucy, Jack en ook Pete Nash te weten komen!
Het verhaal is ontzettend goed in elkaar gezet. Ik ga wel meteen zeggen dat als je enorme spanning zoekt, je bij dit boek niet aan het juiste adres zoekt. Ben je opzoek naar karakterontwikkeling, honden, geheimen, en een goed opgebouwde detective met heel veel potentieel voor meer, dan ben je wel aan het juiste adres. De toevoeging van de speurhonden aan het verhaal maakt dit verhaal net een tikkeltje anders dan een 'normale' thriller. Persoonlijk is dit voor mij één van de grotere redenen om door te willen lezen in de serie, omdat ik benieuwd ben naar Moss en naar het verhaal dat hij samen met Lucy mag beleven.
Louisa weet een super verhaal op te zetten. De sfeer begint eigenlijk heel donker en negatief, net als de zaak, met een periode van onrust, zoeken, onmacht en boosheid, zowel in de zaak als bij Jack en Lucy, om vervolgens kleine ingangen te creëren voor wat hoop, humor en uiteindelijk ook een oplossing. Dat hierbij de omgeving, de zaak en de karakters zo goed op elkaar ingespeeld zijn, maakt dat het verhaal voelt als compleet, zonder losse eindjes. Uiteraard blijven er vragen achter aan het einde van het verhaal, maar deze kunnen in de komende delen altijd nog beantwoord worden en zijn daarom niet hinderlijk. Het verhaal is soms ietwat voorspelbaar, maar laat toch ook genoeg ruimte voor verrassingen en nieuwe wendingen.
Voor mij is het een typische, maar toch ook unieke thriller door de elementen die Louisa heeft toegevoegd aan haar verhaal en ik kan dan ook niet wachten op het nieuwe deel!
Thema's van dit boek zijn: Honden, zelf(vertrouwen), Corruptie en geheimen
Ik geef 'Het laatste woord' 4,5 ster!
~ Live Your Life Reading
Wat me meteen opviel was de fijne en soepele schrijfstijl. Dit boek las heerlijk weg en ik had totaal geen moeite om er doorheen te komen. Ik heb natuurlijk het Nederlandse boek gelezen en kan weinig vertellen over de Engelse schrijfstijl, maar het boek werd in dit geval vertaald door Ingrid Zweedijk en ik hoop dat zij meer boeken van Louisa Scarr gaat vertalen want het was ontzettend goed geschreven. het enige waar ik mijn vraag nog steeds over heb, is de titel. In het Engels past de titel bij het boek, maar ik kan de connectie tussen deze titel en het boek niet helemaal vinden. Ergens kan ik connecties vinden, maar het is niet overduidelijk en ik vraag me dus nog steeds af met welke reden er voor deze titel is gekozen.
De Perspectieven van Lucy en Jack vond ik erg leuk om te lezen. Je leest beide in de derde persoonsvorm en bij beide karakters heb je het idee dat je ze vanaf het begin moet leren kennen, evenals het idee dat ze allebei een hele hoop proberen te verbergen over zichzelf. Jack heeft officieel de plek van Lucy ingenomen, na nogal wat problemen in het verleden, en je verwacht een enorme botsing tussen de twee. Wat ik zo mooi vond is dat je ondanks alles toch een band ziet ontstaan en dat ze zo bijzonder goed samen kunnen werken, misschien wel het beste in elkaar naar boven halen. Daarnaast bieden de perspectieven een andere kijk op de zaak die speelt. Lucy zit er middenin, omdat ze denkt dat haar vermiste man iets met de zaak te maken heeft + dat ze een speurhond heeft, Moss, waardoor ze ook een ander soort rol heeft in het verhaal, terwijl je vanuit Jack leest hoe het onderzoek gaat zoals je gewend bent om een detective of thriller te lezen. Erg interessant en goed gedaan.
Er waren karakters die ik beter had willen leren kennen, er waren karakters die ik wat minder leuk vond, maar dat hou je altijd. In het eerste deel merk je wel al een aantal karaktertrekken en ik hoop ook zeker dat we nog veel meer over Lucy, Jack en ook Pete Nash te weten komen!
Het verhaal is ontzettend goed in elkaar gezet. Ik ga wel meteen zeggen dat als je enorme spanning zoekt, je bij dit boek niet aan het juiste adres zoekt. Ben je opzoek naar karakterontwikkeling, honden, geheimen, en een goed opgebouwde detective met heel veel potentieel voor meer, dan ben je wel aan het juiste adres. De toevoeging van de speurhonden aan het verhaal maakt dit verhaal net een tikkeltje anders dan een 'normale' thriller. Persoonlijk is dit voor mij één van de grotere redenen om door te willen lezen in de serie, omdat ik benieuwd ben naar Moss en naar het verhaal dat hij samen met Lucy mag beleven.
Louisa weet een super verhaal op te zetten. De sfeer begint eigenlijk heel donker en negatief, net als de zaak, met een periode van onrust, zoeken, onmacht en boosheid, zowel in de zaak als bij Jack en Lucy, om vervolgens kleine ingangen te creëren voor wat hoop, humor en uiteindelijk ook een oplossing. Dat hierbij de omgeving, de zaak en de karakters zo goed op elkaar ingespeeld zijn, maakt dat het verhaal voelt als compleet, zonder losse eindjes. Uiteraard blijven er vragen achter aan het einde van het verhaal, maar deze kunnen in de komende delen altijd nog beantwoord worden en zijn daarom niet hinderlijk. Het verhaal is soms ietwat voorspelbaar, maar laat toch ook genoeg ruimte voor verrassingen en nieuwe wendingen.
Voor mij is het een typische, maar toch ook unieke thriller door de elementen die Louisa heeft toegevoegd aan haar verhaal en ik kan dan ook niet wachten op het nieuwe deel!
Thema's van dit boek zijn: Honden, zelf(vertrouwen), Corruptie en geheimen
Ik geef 'Het laatste woord' 4,5 ster!
~ Live Your Life Reading
June 30, 2024
Well-written police procedural with a wonderful dog!
PC Lucy Halliday’s life was traumatically upset two years ago when her journalist husband disappeared , but she has settled into her reassignment as a canine officer with her new partner, cocker spaniel search dog Moss. Her latest case kicks off when a severed hand is found that leads Lucy and Moss to a body, and they soon discover that there is more than one body to be found.
I am a sucker for books about our furry friends. Moss is a winner in two ways. First of all, he is a wonderful companion to Lucy through thick and thin. In addition, the author provides an excellent picture of a police dog at work, giving me a better sense of how the dogs contribute to criminal investigations.
The dog element attracted me to Gallows Wood, but the quality of the writing is what kept me to the end. The descriptions of police work in general were probably the most impressive feature of the book. I read a LOT of books about police investigations, but I have never seen the actual techniques and practices described so well. I felt I learned a lot and fully enjoyed the ride. I was surprised after I read the book to realize that Louisa Scarr does not have a background in law enforcement. Scarr does wonderful vivid descriptions of all sorts, and my Kindle has a number of highlights of passages that I especially admired.
There are also a number annotations on my Kindle annotated exclaiming “Smile” or “Ha ha”, light touches that were nice breaks from the sad and unpleasant events within the story. Many involved Moss, Lucy’s “stress-release”.
The advance praise included in the book description praised it as “gritty and twisty”, but for me these were the only aspects where I was a bit disappointed . My tolerance for nasty violence is limited, and the details of the violence are so graphic that I might have quit reading if the book were not so good overall. The “twistiness’ was also rather heavy; since I do not want to include spoilers, I will just say that I felt it was not likely that the activities would go on as long as they did without being uncovered, for a number of reasons.
Gallows Wood was my introduction to Louisa Scarr; I was very pleased to discover that she has written another series, so new fans will not have to wait for the second book in this new series to enjoy more of her writing.
I received an advance review copy of the book from NetGalley and Canelo Crime.
PC Lucy Halliday’s life was traumatically upset two years ago when her journalist husband disappeared , but she has settled into her reassignment as a canine officer with her new partner, cocker spaniel search dog Moss. Her latest case kicks off when a severed hand is found that leads Lucy and Moss to a body, and they soon discover that there is more than one body to be found.
I am a sucker for books about our furry friends. Moss is a winner in two ways. First of all, he is a wonderful companion to Lucy through thick and thin. In addition, the author provides an excellent picture of a police dog at work, giving me a better sense of how the dogs contribute to criminal investigations.
The dog element attracted me to Gallows Wood, but the quality of the writing is what kept me to the end. The descriptions of police work in general were probably the most impressive feature of the book. I read a LOT of books about police investigations, but I have never seen the actual techniques and practices described so well. I felt I learned a lot and fully enjoyed the ride. I was surprised after I read the book to realize that Louisa Scarr does not have a background in law enforcement. Scarr does wonderful vivid descriptions of all sorts, and my Kindle has a number of highlights of passages that I especially admired.
There are also a number annotations on my Kindle annotated exclaiming “Smile” or “Ha ha”, light touches that were nice breaks from the sad and unpleasant events within the story. Many involved Moss, Lucy’s “stress-release”.
The advance praise included in the book description praised it as “gritty and twisty”, but for me these were the only aspects where I was a bit disappointed . My tolerance for nasty violence is limited, and the details of the violence are so graphic that I might have quit reading if the book were not so good overall. The “twistiness’ was also rather heavy; since I do not want to include spoilers, I will just say that I felt it was not likely that the activities would go on as long as they did without being uncovered, for a number of reasons.
Gallows Wood was my introduction to Louisa Scarr; I was very pleased to discover that she has written another series, so new fans will not have to wait for the second book in this new series to enjoy more of her writing.
I received an advance review copy of the book from NetGalley and Canelo Crime.
February 23, 2025
Grote aanrader voor iedereen die van een goed detectiveverhaal houdt met een originele twist!
Wat hou ik ervan om nieuwe detective-series te ontdekken 😍! Vooral het eerste boek, het leren kennen van de karakters, de plek waar ze leven, de relaties... ik hou ervan 🥰! En deze serie is dan weer anders dan andere series die ik tot nu toe heb gelezen, want je volgt een hondenbegeleider! Wat wil je nou nog meer 😍.
‘Het laatste woord’ van Louisa Scarr is zo’n boek dat je meteen pakt. Het is spannend, goed geschreven, en ik ben er echt doorheen gevlogen! De hoofdpersoon, Lucy, is een rechercheur die samen met haar speurhond Moss een moordzaak probeert op te lossen. En geloof me, een speurhond in een thriller is een echte toevoeging! Het zorgt voor een beetje extra spanning en maakt de zaak net even anders dan de standaard detective.
Wat ik zo leuk vond aan dit boek, is dat het je meteen meeneemt in het leven van Lucy en haar hond. Je leert de karakters goed kennen, en het verhaal speelt zich af in een sfeer die je echt kunt voelen. Het is een combinatie van een boeiende zaak en het persoonlijke verhaal van Lucy, en dat maakt het alleen maar sterker.
Ik kan niet wachten tot de rest van de serie uitkomt! Dit is zeker een serie die ik ga blijven volgen.
Wat hou ik ervan om nieuwe detective-series te ontdekken 😍! Vooral het eerste boek, het leren kennen van de karakters, de plek waar ze leven, de relaties... ik hou ervan 🥰! En deze serie is dan weer anders dan andere series die ik tot nu toe heb gelezen, want je volgt een hondenbegeleider! Wat wil je nou nog meer 😍.
‘Het laatste woord’ van Louisa Scarr is zo’n boek dat je meteen pakt. Het is spannend, goed geschreven, en ik ben er echt doorheen gevlogen! De hoofdpersoon, Lucy, is een rechercheur die samen met haar speurhond Moss een moordzaak probeert op te lossen. En geloof me, een speurhond in een thriller is een echte toevoeging! Het zorgt voor een beetje extra spanning en maakt de zaak net even anders dan de standaard detective.
Wat ik zo leuk vond aan dit boek, is dat het je meteen meeneemt in het leven van Lucy en haar hond. Je leert de karakters goed kennen, en het verhaal speelt zich af in een sfeer die je echt kunt voelen. Het is een combinatie van een boeiende zaak en het persoonlijke verhaal van Lucy, en dat maakt het alleen maar sterker.
Ik kan niet wachten tot de rest van de serie uitkomt! Dit is zeker een serie die ik ga blijven volgen.
October 3, 2024
This book definitely played into what I love, it's a police procedural that involves the canine unit and features a cold case. So that's it, I'm sold!
But seriously, I really got into this book. It took me a while to warm up to the main two characters, I'll admit. But it felt purposeful, especially seeing as this is the first book in a series (Moss was a hit from the start though! 😏). The pacing felt right, I loved how the pieces of evidence slowly fell into place and the bigger picture gradually built up. A couple of the pieces I guessed beforehand, but the end twist was still shocking and intense.
I really wish there were more police procedurals that utilised the canine units perspective, it really makes everything more interesting! So, I'm looking forward to seeing where this series goes and it'll definitely be one for me to anticipate!
But seriously, I really got into this book. It took me a while to warm up to the main two characters, I'll admit. But it felt purposeful, especially seeing as this is the first book in a series (Moss was a hit from the start though! 😏). The pacing felt right, I loved how the pieces of evidence slowly fell into place and the bigger picture gradually built up. A couple of the pieces I guessed beforehand, but the end twist was still shocking and intense.
I really wish there were more police procedurals that utilised the canine units perspective, it really makes everything more interesting! So, I'm looking forward to seeing where this series goes and it'll definitely be one for me to anticipate!
July 15, 2024
Having simply adored the Butler and West series and the Major Crimes books I was intrigued to see what Louisa Scarr was going to do with a brand new series. And boy I think this is going to be some series! Right from the off Louisa pulls you into this complex and highly captivating police procedural. Wonderfully written, perfectly plotted with just the right amount of tension bubbling in the background which explodes into a melee of twists and turns. Lucy and Ellis are as complex as the storyline but immediately likeable with oodles of personality. And of course I must mention the lovely Moss ( Max in real life!)who adds a different element to the book. This author never fails to amaze me and she just goes from strength to strength - another faultless awesome read.
October 14, 2025
This was a good crime drama with a bit of difference: the protagonist is a police dog handler. She was a complex character, and not the only one - there was a good mix of friends and foes, lots of hidden layers and reveals to keep me interested. I’ve seen there’s two more books in the series so will be seeking them out (though this can definitely be read as a standalone).
July 19, 2024
The first in a new series featuring dog handler PC Lucy Halliday set in the New Forest. Lucy’s husband disappeared two years previously so when a body is found in Gallows Wood, Lucy wonders if she will now find out at last what happened to Nico. With the bodies mounting up and a new DC investigating, Lucy is desperate to uncover the truth.
I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller. It’s an exhilarating rollercoaster of a ride, fast paced with plenty of twists and turns. I loved the characters, especially Moss the dog! The setting is great, too. It’s a definite page turner. I read this book via the Pigeonhole app, one stave a day over ten days, and I was always eager to continue reading. I couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen next! Just a rollicking good read. Highly recommended. I’m looking forward to book two in the series.
I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller. It’s an exhilarating rollercoaster of a ride, fast paced with plenty of twists and turns. I loved the characters, especially Moss the dog! The setting is great, too. It’s a definite page turner. I read this book via the Pigeonhole app, one stave a day over ten days, and I was always eager to continue reading. I couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen next! Just a rollicking good read. Highly recommended. I’m looking forward to book two in the series.
August 23, 2024
4.5
Really enjoyed this and played out in my head like an in the line of duty episode.
Really enjoyed this and played out in my head like an in the line of duty episode.
March 30, 2025
Weer een fantastisch verhaal door een van mijn favoriete auteurs; Sam Holland. Kan niet wachten op deel 2 in deze nieuwe serie!
August 7, 2025
3,5 ⭐️
September 23, 2025
Aardig verhaal.
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