The Last Time I Saw Her Alive: An atmospheric summer suspense novel set in the heart of the Cotswolds

by Kate Riordan

Brought to you by Penguin.

THE ATMOSPHERIC, SUSPENSEFUL THRILLER FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE LIARS, PERFECT FOR FANS OF LUCY FOLEY'S THE MIDNIGHT FEAST

It’s been years since Rain last went home.

To many, growing up onthe Tanglewood estate, nestled in a beautiful corner of the Cotswolds countryside, seemed like a dream.

But for Rain, memories of her childhood there are forever tainted by what she saw that summer. The wild party. The body…

Now estranged from her mother, and all ties to Tanglewood, Rain thought she’d moved on.

Yet when another dead body is found in the Tanglewood grounds, she knows she must face up to her past.

Rain has long held suspicions that what happened that summer wasn’t an accident. It was murder.

And now's her chance to prove it.
‘Sinister and sun-soaked. This is a perfectly crafted mystery that I flew through in days’ Caz Frear

Kate Riordan 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026

Genres: Thriller

Audible Audio

Published July 30, 2026

About the author

Kate Riordan is a writer and journalist from England. Her first job was as an editorial assistant at the Guardian newspaper, followed by a stint as deputy editor for the lifestyle section of London bible, Time Out magazine.

After becoming a freelancer, she left London behind and moved to the beautiful Cotswolds in order to write her first novel, 'Birdcage Walk'. Her second novel, a haunting dual narrative story set in the 1930s and 1890s will be published by Penguin in January 2015 as 'The Girl in the Photograph'. In February, HarperCollins will publish the same book as 'Fiercombe Manor' in the US and Canada. She is now at work on her third novel, another dual narrative story full of intrigue and secrets, but this time set in the 1870s and 1920s, and about the lives of two very different governesses.

Reviews

[Rasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

As much as I enjoy reading across various genres, I must confess that crimes and thrillers generally stay at the bottom of my TBR, if they even make it on to it at all. Keeping this in mind, for those of you reading this review, my preference for other types of books is a major factor in how I rated this one.

All in all, I thought the writing was evocative and atmospheric and The Cotswolds was as much of a character as the people. The author also did a great job of keeping a sense of suspense throughout, especially by using an alternate POV from the past. I also liked how the story was as much about Rain’s past (touching on memory, trauma, family ties) as the mystery of the dead women. This helped to offset the fact that I correctly predicted who had committed the crime. However, there were enough twists and layers in the plot, some of which I saw coming and others that I didn’t, that kept me interested enough to keep reading.

Bearing in mind that this kind of book isn’t really my cup of tea, I did appreciate it as something different and thought it was quite well done for what it was. My rating is based purely on personal preference of reading material so for all of you out there looking for a well penned mystery with atmosphere and reminiscent of “God of the Woods”, this one might be just the thing.

3.75 stars 🤓📚

#TheLastTimeISawHerAlive #kateriordan

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[Zoe Kindle Queen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the kind of book that you feel pulled into, the setting, the atmosphere, the characters and the story. I had a hard time putting this down once it got going.

Tanglewood is a Manor House estate in the Cotswolds that held an infamous festival gathering in the summer of 1970, now in 2000 another festival is being organised ‘Y2K gathering”.
Rain grew up in Tanglewood and is returning back for work to gather information on the planned festival, but already there are two striking similarities, the body found in 1970 and now another body found in 2000, with both corpses adorning a crown of flowers. As Rain battles with people from her past and as her memories of her childhood return she finds herself not knowing where to turn.

This was an unsettling mystery, written with the reader in mind, transporting us to the hippie lifestyle and the summer of love that was England 1970. This book will be a big hit for 2026 and I look forward to more from this author.

Many thanks to NetGalley, publisher and author for my arc.

[VickydpBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Tanglewood mystery was an atmospheric and gripping thriller that kept me hooked from the very first chapter. The combination of a beautiful Cotswolds setting and a dark, decades-old mystery created the perfect backdrop for a story full of tension and secrets.

Rain was a compelling protagonist whose return to her childhood home forced her to confront painful memories and long-buried truths. I enjoyed following her as she unravelled the mystery surrounding the events of that fateful summer, and the story kept me questioning what had really happened until the very end.

The author did a fantastic job of building suspense, with plenty of twists, family drama, and hidden secrets woven throughout. The eerie atmosphere and slow reveal of the past made it difficult to put down, and every chapter left me wanting to know more.

If you enjoy twisty mysteries, small-town secrets, cold cases, and suspenseful thrillers with an emotional edge, this is definitely one to add to your reading list.

[Kirstie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book was such an experience and I absolutely loved every page.

The rural, woodsy setting felt much like its own character, with every description evoking feelings of the hazy, golden hours of a midsummer afternoon. Tanglewood truly felt alive to me, as desperate to tell its dark secrets as the protagonist was to unravel them.

The plot unfolded in a tantalizingly measured way, eking out juicy reveals and twists throughout, as the writer drip-fed enough clues to help keen-eyed readers solve the mysteries right along with the protagonist, Rainbird, whose memories of her childhood in this peculiar place are (to her) frustratingly absent. It was clear that those memories would need to be unearthed to reveal who was responsible for the two chilling murders that had taken place on the property - one 'now' in the year 2000 and one in 1970, at the height of the counterculture movement that had made its home in this secluded community.

Alongside documentary maker, Rainbird, the cast of characters was close-knit and interconnected, with very few (if any) characters that you really felt the protagonist could rely on; even her own mother raised suspicions. The Tanglewood estate is owned and overseen by the ethereal lady of the manor, Ottoline, and her repeat-long-term-affair-having husband and musical icon of the 70s: Karl Lund. Both of these characters have also taken on pseudo parental roles in Rain's life, leading to her complicated mixed-emotions when she worries that either of them could have anything to do with the murders. Throw into the mix their son, Caleb, and Lennie, the now orphaned daughter of the latest murder victim, and you have a cast with a range of complex feelings towards one another, and barely an ounce of trust between them.

I thoroughly enjoyed piecing together the clues to solve this mystery, alongside Rain, and was pleased to find that I'd worked most of it out by the end of the book, thanks only to the carefully laid evidence throughout the book. The flashback sections, I thought, were really cleverly done with some deliberate ambiguity around the narrative perspective in the earlier chapters and the deliciously slow revelation of long buried secrets.

This is a slow burn mystery, so don't go into expecting chases and action. The beauty of this one is how it all comes together in tiny fragments, along with Rain's returning childhood memories and the final revelation of the long-lost truths of the Tanglewood estate and its inhabitants.

Thank you so much to Michael Joseph and Kate Riordan for having me as an ARC reader via NetGalley! 5⭐

[Ceecee · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up
Tanglewood is a beautiful manor house estate in the Cotswolds and is home to Ottoline and Karl Mortimer-Lund.

Tanglewood, 1970. An infamous music festival takes place, when Karl Lund’s best selling album ‘Lady of the Valley’ is launched, and where legendary Gatherings take place which have gone down into folklore.
Tanglewood, 2000. A. Gathering Y2K celebration is in the works.

This is where Rain grows up but it’s years since she’s been back, her memories of the place tainted by the events of 1970 – the wildness of those days and the body. Now there’s another body, startlingly similar to the 1970 death, deemed an accident. It’s now imperative that Rain faces up to her past and lays her deepening suspicions to rest, once and for all.

This is one of those really good slow burners that creeps up on you, which fully absorbs, becoming hard to put down. It’s beautifully written, with high-quality writing with some fabulous descriptions which creates a very atmospheric read. The surroundings of Tanglewood are so easy to picture, it’s mystical, magical, mysterious with some creepiness and injections of chills and fear. I really enjoy how the storytelling goes from 1970 to 2000, allowing the truth to emerge organically. It’s full of suspenseful moments and so tense that on occasion I can scarcely breathe.

Rain as a central character is fascinating, she’s very damaged by Tanglewood which is at the very core of her. Her memories, initially intangible and hard to grasp, begin to emerge and form a pattern she needs to interpret. At times she’s very unsettled and off-balance and it risks the equilibrium she’s fought so hard to achieve. There are too many coincidences both in the past and the present day.

All the characters are interesting, Angie, Rain’s mother really grows on me although she’s always interesting and colourful. Ten year old Lennie is old before her years, indeed, she describes herself as an old soul and I find her adorable. As for the rest of the characters you’ll have to read it to find out! The dynamics between all concerned are very good, they seem to constantly fluctuate and so it’s a good puzzle.

Overall, this is a really good elusive, atmospheric mystery and although I guess part of the end as signs point the way, the overall end is fabulous. This is a terrific novel in my opinion.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Michael Joseph/Penguin Random House for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.

[UKDana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rain thought she'd escaped the bohemian lifestyle of Tanglewood, the estate she grew up on. When her job forces her to return, she is swept up in a murder that forces her to confront her past.

The Last Time I Saw Her Alive by Kate Riordan is a slow burner. Much of this is down to the setting. Imagine a counter-culture music festival set in the grounds of a manor house during the height of summer. Added to this, the time period means that the ubiquitous smartphone plays no part in the story. You immediately begin to feel languid.

Rain grew up on the grounds of Tanglewood, raised by her single mother, Angie. Allowed to run wild, it wasn't the idyllic childhood you would expect. Rain craved normality, conformity, and the knowledge of who her father is. As soon as she had the chance to escape, she left for university, hoping never to return.

The production company Rain now works for is making a documentary about the alternative music scene of the late 60s. When a murder happens during the build-up to the 30th anniversary of The Gathering, a famous music festival that took place at Tanglewood, Rain is tasked with gathering some footage. Rain has always kept her upbringing a secret, so her boss doesn't know how close she is to the people involved.

Rain's reluctance to return to her childhood home explains much of her behaviour in the first half of the novel. She doesn't want to interact with anyone; she simply wants to get the information she needs and leave. This is understandable when we are introduced to her mother. Angie isn't a likeable character; for her, Rain always took second place to her lover, Karl, another thoroughly unpleasant character. Rain has always suspected Karl to be her father, but is too meek to demand answers.

As Rain gathers information about the murder, she uncovers a long-buried secret; there was the possibility a similar murder took place thirty-years ago. Those who were at Tanglewood thirty-years ago deny anything happened, but this spurs Rain on, and memories begin to resurface.

After the somnolent start, the action in the second half of the book picks up, with Rain wondering who she can trust as virtually everyone who was around thirty-years ago becomes a suspect. I couldn't figure out who the villain was until the big reveal, which then brought about other surprising revelations.

If you enjoyed my review please check out my book blog, Reading For Leisure
https://readingforleisure.blogspot.com/

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[bookedupnurse · Rating 3 out of 5]

She looked scared that day, like she wanted to nothing more than run as she stood up there in the stage, him to the side of her, watching her like a hawk. That was the last time I saw her alive …

It’s been years since Rain went back home to Tanglewood. To many, growing up on the estate described as the British ‘Woodstock’, nestled in the beautiful Cotswolds, seems like a dream. Owned by famous musician Karl Lund, she lived alongside her mum in a grace and favour cottage on the land. But for Rain, memories of her childhood are forever tainted by what happened in the summer of 1970 at ‘The Gathering’. The guests. The wild album party. The body …

Now estranged from her mother, Angie, and attempting to avoid all ties to Tanglewood, Rain thought she had moved on. It is now 2000 and Karl is planning another festival - ‘The Gathering Y2K’ - when another body is found on the estate. The victim is a young woman named Willow whose death is suspicious and harbours a lot of the same hallmarks of the death in 1970. Rain knows she needs to return and face her past. She has long been unable to remember before she was 9 years old and as she investigates further, she begins to recollect details of her life before.

She has long held suspicions that what happened in the 70’s wasn’t misadventure as it was originally reported. It was murder. And now is her chance to prove it …

A book of growing up around a drugs, sex and rock’n’roll culture, this story discusses childhood trauma, secret love children, complex obsession and infidelity.

Unfortunately, I found this rather predictable and guessed early on the way the story would go. Quite a few areas in the story could be trimmed to make it flow a little better and think Rain could have been developed a little more! I did enjoy the aspect of the 1970 vs 2000 investigative documentary’s and how this begins the chains of events.

A mixture of music, countryside and mystery, this would be an easy summer read.

Thank you to NetGallery, Michael Joseph’s for Random Penguin House and Kate Riordan for the ARC of this book.

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Last Time I Saw Her Alive is a beautifully atmospheric thriller that blends nostalgia, unease, and long‑buried secrets into a story that feels both intimate and quietly gripping. Rain’s return to Tanglewood has a lovely emotional weight to it—she’s someone who has spent years trying to outrun her past, only to be pulled back the moment another body is found on the estate she once called home.

The contrast between the idyllic Cotswolds setting and the darkness of what happened that summer gives the novel a gentle but persistent tension. The estate is described with such warmth and familiarity, yet every memory Rain revisits carries a shadow. Her estrangement from her mother adds another layer, making her homecoming feel tender, raw, and full of unfinished conversations.

The mystery unfolds in a way that feels natural and absorbing. As Rain begins to question the “accident” she witnessed as a teenager, the story moves between past and present with an elegant ease. Each chapter reveals just enough to keep you leaning forward, and the slow resurfacing of the truth is handled with a quiet confidence that suits the tone perfectly.

What makes the book especially engaging is Rain herself—thoughtful, wary, and determined to finally understand what really happened. Her voice brings warmth to even the most unsettling moments, and her journey toward clarity feels as important as the mystery she’s trying to solve.

A gentle, atmospheric thriller with emotional depth and a beautifully drawn sense of place. It’s the kind of story that lingers, not because of shock twists, but because it understands how the past can shape us long after we’ve tried to leave it behind.

With thanks to Kate Riordan, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC

[Georgia Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a sucker for a "back to the manor" thriller, and The Last Time I Saw Her Alive hits those Gothic, atmospheric notes perfectly. I’m giving this a solid 4 stars because while it leans into some familiar tropes, the execution is genuinely haunting.
What Worked for Me
• The Atmosphere: Tanglewood is basically its own character. Riordan does a killer job making the Cotswolds feel claustrophobic rather than cozy. You can practically feel the damp grass and the weight of the secrets buried in the estate.
• The Dual Timeline: I loved how the "wild party" from the past was handled. Sometimes these flashbacks feel like filler, but here, the contrast between the childhood "dream" and the grim reality of the bodies being found kept the tension high.
• The Pacing: It’s a slow-burn mystery that actually pays off. It’s less about high-speed car chases and more about that nagging, unsettling feeling that everyone is lying to you.
My Gripes
• The Mother-Daughter Drama: While the estrangement adds layers to Rain’s character, there were moments where the family bickering felt a bit repetitive. I wanted to get back to the "murder" part of the murder mystery a little faster in the middle chapters.
• Predictability: If you read a lot of thrillers, you might spot a few of the "twists" coming before Rain does. It didn't ruin the experience, but it took away a bit of the shock factor toward the end.
Final Verdict
If you like your thrillers moody, messy, and steeped in "old money" secrets, this is a great weekend read. It’s a classic cold case setup with a fresh, modern edge. It’s not a reinvent-the-genre masterpiece, but it’s a deeply satisfying mystery that I couldn't put down.

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate Riordan’s - The Last Time I Saw Her Alive is an engrossing mystery that transports readers to the shadowy world of a 1970’s hippy enclave, a place where secrets are currency and paranoia lurks beneath the surface. This is tightly plotted and intelligently written story which lured me in with a slow burn type of pace until it hots up and we get hit with some unexpected twists and compelling secrets.

Rain grew up in the Tanglewood Estate, nestled in the Cotswold countryside, and back in the seventies it was a similar place to Woodstock. Estranged from her mother, it’s been years since she last visited. When a dead body is found on the estate Rain returns to confront her suspicions that this death could be connected to what happened that summer all those years before, when she was a child. Two identical deaths thirty years apart can’t be a coincidence can it ?

This was a compelling story, I loved the dual timelines, and the parts of the story set in the 1970’s were so atmospheric, with beautiful, evocative descriptions of the Cotswold setting, making this book a real page turner for me. I thought that the character dynamics felt believable and I particularly enjoyed Angie’s hippie, anti establishment banter. She is a character to be reckoned with for sure.

If you are already a Kate Riordan fan I think you will be pleased with this book, it definitely exceeded my expectations. All in all a deeply satisfying read. THE LAST TIME I SAW HER ALIVE will be published on 30th July 2026.

Thank you to @netgalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

[Melanie Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved every page of this. It is a long time since I felt so immersed in a story or a setting. Within a page or two you realize you are being invited into an enthralling love letter to to Cotswolds. The choice of location just could not have been more perfect. Beautiful, rustic, overgrown and blousy, yet also rather dangerous.

Having said that this, I felt what really made this whole thing grab me by the lapels was the characters. They are so perfectly drawn, with heads full of astute and knowing detail that the whole thing ends up reading like Maggie O'Farrell wrote a psychological suspense.. I love the title and was happily reading along to find out who would say it. Then I was reading to find out what this big clue meant. Finally, I reached an Aha! moment and realized I'd finally worked it out. Three sentence later the author spelled it out in terms, I felt very satisfied not to have 'got it' until it was spoon fed to me.

I feel one of the highest compliments one can give a novel is to unwittingly memorized phrases wholesale. I'd like to tell you what these were in my case, but then I can't because....no spoilers! I want you to come across them in context. Secondly, there is the joy of feeling the characters are so real they are still with you, like you're waiting for them to ring up or text. I miss Rain and...I don't want to say any other names and spoil things. But they are on my mind.

I think this is going to be a BIG book. With the flipping between now and a Woodstock vibe, it would be a great Netflix.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I went into The Last Time I Saw Her Alive with high hopes after really enjoying Summer Fever, but unfortunately this one didn’t quite live up to my expectations.

The concept of Tanglewood initially intrigued me, and it felt like it had so much potential for atmosphere and tension. However, in reality, it ended up feeling quite flat and, at times, even a bit boring.

I also struggled to connect with the main character, Rain. She came across as quite dull, and I found myself wishing for more depth - especially when it came to her career as a documentary filmmaker. Aside from a few brief phone conversations with her boss, this aspect of her life felt largely unexplored. Overall, she just wasn’t fleshed out enough to carry the story.

The supporting cast didn’t add much either. None of the other characters were particularly memorable, and I was left questioning the purpose of Caleb altogether.

Pacing was another issue for me. The book felt very slow, but not in a satisfying “slow burn” way. Instead, it seemed like a cycle of Rain moving between the manor and the cottage, having the occasional conversation, driving somewhere, and then returning to Tanglewood. Not a lot really happened, which made it hard to stay engaged.

The ending was also underwhelming, with twists that felt quite obvious and lacking in impact.

Overall, this one just didn’t work for me, which is disappointing given how much I enjoyed the author’s previous book.

[laura_does_books · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s June 2001 and Rain has been assigned to do research for a crime story at the Tanglewood Estate in the English countryside.
Famed for being owned by an ageing rock star, Rain knows this place better than she admits or really wants to remember.
She was brought up by her mother in a cottage on the estate but not only are they estranged but there are memories of that hedonistic place when a body was found, that she has kept buried deep.
Now that a second body has been discovered at Tanglewood, Rain knows she must return and will have to confront her difficult past.

This was a delicious slow burn, psychological drama where the fine balance between reveal and restraint was expertly delivered.
Rain has huge holes in her childhood memories but when she returns to Tanglewood she begins to have vivid flashbacks and I thought this was such a clever way of unpicking what was real and what she imagined.

Told as a first person narrative, I was enthralled by Rain. She was such a likeable character who had made something of her life and managed to escape the clutches of Tanglewood and its inhabitants.
The pace of the story really ramped up towards the end and the last few chapters had me completely riveted and the huge revelation was as surprising as it was shocking.

I’m not going to say too much more as I’m being very mindful of spoilers but if you enjoy an unsettling, twisty but intricately plotted story with a cast of interesting, unreliable and eccentric characters, then read this book.

A really enjoyable read.

Thank you so much to Ellie at @michaeljbooks for sending me this advanced copy for my honest review.

[Alyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The estate of Tanglewood is ethereal, earthy, hippy and still living in the past and a place where secrets are hidden. Story however is a dark, atmospheric and twisty thriller. Rain left the place many years ago but when she is sent back by her producer and sometime boyfriend to try and find a story as aging hippy Karl Lund recreates the 'Gathering', the festival where he first released his one and only album into the world, she is dragged back into the atmosphere of the place and memories she's pushed into the darkest recesses of her mind begin to resurface.
I very much enjoyed the characters in the story. Rain is determined and gritty, alternating between wanting to find out what happened and wanting to run away from the memories. Her mother, Angie, is an aged hippy, a very unconventional mother and a rather disconnected adult. Lennie is an 'old soul' child, and Karl, although now elderly, behaves like a child.
The place, Tanglewood is well described, especially the way the light falls in the valley, reflecting the mood of the place and the people. The place embraces Rain, even after she tried to leave, and as she tries to solve the mysteries, she is drawn in by it again.
And enjoyable read.
With thanks to the author, Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and Netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review.

[Ridgerunner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very atmospheric thriller set in the Tanglewood Estate in the Cotswolds where a famous music festival in 1970 is being celebrated by another in the year 2000. Rain was very young when she lived in the grounds of the estate in 1970 and returns in 2000 to cover the event for her employers. She has blanks in her memory for much of the original time and when a young women is murdered with similarities to something that seems to have happened in 1970 she is determined to find out the truth of what happened. She had a complicated upbringing and permanently fought with her mother Angie who is one of the rock star Karl’s many mistresses and has never been sure who her father was. So her fight to discover the truth about the murders coincides with finding out the truth about her past also.
The truth about her past was not much of a shock but the question of the identity of the killer is left unanswered till close to the end of the book. So the book is more about slowly unravelling all the layers of lies that surround the main characters in the book and the way in which Rain is shown slowly standing up for herself in the company of many very strong characters is very realistically portrayed.
I felt totally immersed in the estate dominated by the charismatic Karl and all the characters felt very real. An enjoyable nostalgic read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

[Lauren Scott-Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded down

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eBook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rain hasn't been back to her childhood home for some time, however recent events and her job have her going back to Tanglewood.

Back in the 70s Tanglewood was the place to be to attend infamous Gathering festival, Tanglewood is a manor house estate that had many people travel too to live out the hippe lifestyle, it was peace and love.. until a body was found, was it murder? Most people didn't think it was, just an accident, however fast forward to 2000 and a Y2K gathering and another body has been found and it can't be a coincidence that its identical to the one found back in 1970. Can it?

Rain's boss has been making a documentary about the music and scene from the 70s and has tasked her with getting some footage of the new Gathering festival, little does he know she grew up there and has connections. Whilst back in her childhood cottage Rain is struggle to remember her childhood and is trying to make connections to why both bodies where found with similar circumstances, but who can she trust?

This book pulls you in and sets the atmosphere and scene perfectly 👌 however I struggled with how everything wrapped up, wish there were a little bit more.

[Cathryn Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

After leaving her commune for a ‘normal’ life, Rain is forced to return home to document the 20th anniversary of The Gathering, a music festival, which is spoiled by the discovery of a dead woman at the Tanglewood Estate. Rumours circulate about similarities with another woman who died mysteriously at the last Gathering 20 years ago, and the more Rain learns, the more she realises her missing past is intertwined with the events unfolding.

I really enjoyed this. The first half of the book was a nice read, but somewhere around the 50% mark it got really gripping and I ploughed through the rest in one sitting. There are plenty of false leads and red herrings, along with hints to the truth hidden amongst them. The writing is great; some of the sequences at Tanglewood and with Ottoline especially feel quite dreamlike, and Rain’s flashbacks as her memory starts to return increases the tension well.

Rain is a complex character with a lot of past trauma that shows in some interesting ways, and I loved her finding her courage towards the end of the book. Angie is a great character too, I think she was my favourite.

I won’t say more because of spoilers, but this is a great twisty who-dunnit set in a fantastic location.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

[Angela Mellor · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Last Time I Saw Her was a book I wanted to love but it missed the mark for me.
Rain works for a production company they are making a documentary of the 70’s music scene. Tanglewood is a Manor House estate that holds the Gathering Festival every year and Rain has been sent to get some footage from her boss but he doesn’t know she was brought up there and her mum, Angie still lives there. Rain escaped to university as soon as she could as it wasn’t quite the idyllic childhood you’d thought she’d have there. There has been a body firing though and it is very similar to one found when Rain lived there, will Rain get to the bottom of this or will it be something else not talked about?
This book is very atmospheric and does draw you in but for me personally it was just too slow in the first half. The characters were mostly unlikeable and Rain I felt was under developed and the book could have gone deeper with her. The storyline was the thing that kept me reading and it was saved in the second half by the twists but there are no big moments. I did like how Rain began to have flashbacks and that did keep me reading.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

[Lisa (Two Bookish Brits) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn…my mind is BLOWN!! What a fantastic read this was! Once I started I just couldn’t stop until I had all the answers I needed.

From the very first page I felt the pull of this book, the questioning, the wondering and the need to know what was going on was so strong.

After another body is found 30 years after the first in an identical way there’s suspicions flying everywhere. It feels like every single person is hiding something, they all have their secrets and every single one is suspicious. You don’t know who’s telling the truth and who’s lying and it’s all very exciting.

The author wrote this book brilliantly. The characters, the storyline they were all so perfect for the setting of this book.

When I say I was shocked I mean I was SHOCKED…that plot twist completely threw me and had my jaw on the floor because WTF???

It has been an absolute joy immersing myself in everything Tanglewood. I was hooked and completely enthralled. What an introduction to this authors books.

The Last Time I Saw Her Alive is a captivating thriller with an emotional depth to it. It’ll take over your thoughts and plans until you’ve powered through until the end, utterly addictive.

[Pauline Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

This atmospheric, mystical and compelling murder mystery that spans thirty years will reel you in to its beautifully crafted pages. Rain is a documentary maker and her boss instructs her to visit Tanglewood in the Cotswolds, the site of a famous festival in 1970 featuring the renowned Karl Lund who has lived off his one album ever since. The thirtieth anniversary is to be a celebration of that time. However, a woman is found dead on the estate prior to the event and Rain’s boss thinks this could be an added interest for the documentary. He is aware Rain grew up in the area but has no idea that she grew up on the estate and knows Karl Lund only too well. Rumour is that another woman died at the festival in 1970. Rain heads home to her bohemian mother, Angie who she sees rarely and disapproves of her lifestyle. The mystery deepens and as Rain investigates the strange events of the past and present day, she is unsure who to trust and whether the deaths are linked. A very descriptive story that pulls you into the remote and mysterious Tanglewood estate with its long held secrets and culminates in some shocking truths.

[Di · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fabulous book! I loved it and was engrossed right from the beginning. This unsettling novel starts in the present day, after a death, but then transports us back to 1970, when some of the main characters were living the hippy dream. The setting of Tanglewood is so atmospheric - you can picture it, smell it and taste it, almost. The ageing rock star could have been a caricature, but Karl is drawn to perfection, as is Ottoline, his neglected muse. The other characters are fleshed out and believable - both those in the present day and the others from 1970. Rain's complicated relationships with Angie, Karl And Ottoline are teased out, leaving you guessing where things are going. The addition of Lennie gives the novel an extra dimension, and we see Tanglewood and its personalities through the eyes of a child.
The use of two timelines was handled well, with both having equal weight and interest. The author writes beautifully, conjuring up a quintessentially English country idyll where bad things may or may not have happened. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more by the author.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Leanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read The Last Time I Saw Her Alive by Kate Riordan in exchange for an honest review.
I went into this with high hopes, especially as it’s set in Stroud and the Cotswolds — an area I know well — and the setting really is beautifully described. It had all the ingredients for an atmospheric, slow-burn mystery.
However, for me, it didn’t quite deliver. The pacing was very slow and the book felt quite long, without enough happening to fully hold my attention. While I did like the overall premise, I found myself guessing the main twist fairly early on, which took away some of the suspense.
I also struggled to fully connect with the characters, particularly Rain, who I felt could have been developed more. The story had a lot of potential, but overall it felt like it was missing something to really make it stand out.
That said, it’s still a solid read, especially if you enjoy a slower-paced, atmospheric story.
A solid 3⭐ from me.

[Reyes · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read this book

This is totally the kind of book I love. The dual timelines, the compelling characters, the unsolved mystery in the past that reaches out and upends lives in the present... The Last Time I Saw Her Alive delivered all this and for the most part I enjoyed it a lot. Rain is not always likeable, but she grew on me, and the dynamics of her relationships, particularly with Angie and Ottoline, were complicated and even twisted in the most wonderful way. Unfortunately, the story was very predictable from start to finish, and that affected me more than I would have liked to, because I really wanted to be heartbroken or at least moved by the big reveal, and instead I was like "ok, that's done". The other thing that kind of put me off the story was the romance. There was a lot of pontetial there, but in the end I think it was not developed enough to have any real impact on me. Still a very recommendable book anyway.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book that draws the reader in, and it is an ideal one to sit and read in the summer sunshine.

Rain grew up on the Tanglewood Estate, think hippies, free love, flower power, drugs and all the 70s stereotypes. She is a documentary maker and has left her past at the estate behind her. That is, until her boss asks her to go to the estate after a body is found. Going back to a past she would rather not do, but at the same time, some things make her curious. What you see or do as a child has different meanings as an adult, but unlocking the memories can be hard or nearly impossible.

I really enjoyed this book; it is only now, as I write this, that I realise how complex the book is. It is, however, easy reading. Laid out as a time-slip, or a now and then novel, you gradually build up the stories from then and how they had an impact on the present.

This is one for fans of murder mystery and thriller novels. Lots of things going on, but not too many characters. I would happily recommend this one.

[Cass loves books · Rating 3 out of 5]

A secluded music commune.

A death that echoes the past.

And a community with secrets buried deep.


Set in Tanglewood which is a once free-spirited 1970s music community, this story follows Rain, a documentary filmmaker who returns to the place she grew up to investigate a suspicious death.


What unfolds is a slow-burn mystery where past and present intertwine and long-held secrets begin to surface.


The author paints such vivid scenes that both the setting and characters feel incredibly real, and Tanglewood itself becomes an atmospheric backdrop for the story.


For me, this read leaned more towards mystery than thriller, with a slower pace and fewer twists than I expected. However, the rich descriptions and character exploration made it an engaging story overall.


⭐️⭐️⭐️


If you enjoy atmospheric mysteries about hidden pasts and complicated communities, this one may be for you.


Thank you to NetGalley Michael Joseph and Penguin Random House for the ARC

[Gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. As a few reviewers have said, I suppose it is a slow burn of a thriller but I never found the build up to be anything other than compelling. Rain has come back to the home where she grew up and to her mother who she doesn’t have the best relationship with. She was reluctant to return but her boss back in the US wanted her to be there to try to persuade Karl, a rock star from the 70’s to be part of a documentary they were making, not realising just how close Rain’s ties with Tanglewood and the now ageing rock star were.

Rain relents, if only to come back and see her mother, it’s a while since she’s seen her. She knows she’ll only be able to stick a couple of days there but she’ll see her mum, persuade Karl to the idea of being a part of her boss’s documentary and then make a quick exit. However, not long after she arrives the body of a woman turns up on the Tanglewood estate prompting far more questions than answers and bringing old, fuzzy memories back to the surface. Rain ends up staying longer than she anticipated.

It’s a very atmospheric story with fascinating characters. I’ve read one other of Kate Riordan’s novels The Heatwave and this one, though very different in most aspects, has the same brooding undercurrent that something isn’t quite right, with the setting giving off its own eerie vibes. Tanglewood is a bit like a commune, with people drifting in and out over the years. Most of the characters are a little eccentric to say the least, which only adds to the mystery and sense of disquiet in the plot.

There’s a lot going on to keep the reader interested, with various threads running through. The relationship Rain has with her mother develops well throughout the narrative with some quite poignant reveals later on in the book, so a quiet thriller that builds the tension slowly.

[Big Bertha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rains childhood was different, she grew up at Tanglewood, an estate in the Cotswolds, home to folk rock musician Karl Lund who lives in the manor house with his wife Ottoline. There were others, they came and they went, an easy existence with no boundaries but Rains mother Angie stayed, she lived in a cottage on the estate and his wife Ottoline pretended she wasn't there.

Its a long time since Rain's been back and when her boss, documentary maker Daniel suggests she cover the upcoming festival in the grounds to celebrate 30 years since Lund's hit album was released she has reservations

I loved this novel, picture perfect scene setting and a narrative that drew me in, slowly revealing the secrets of the past. A mystery rather than a thriller, its dual timeline seamlessly blending past with present and holding me captive until I'd read the final pages.

My thanks to Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for the early read, all opinions expressed are my own.

[Liz T · Rating 5 out of 5]

The very first chapter drew me in immediately.
Tanglewood as a setting was so atmospheric and so well described I could almost feel that I was there. I loved the dual timeline and the possibility of two murders, of Astrid in 1970 and Willow in 2000 both mistresses of folk/rock celebrity Karl Lund. The Tanglewood gathering is about to be revived after 30 years to celebrate the anniversary of Karl’s first solo album.
When Rainbird, a documentary maker is asked by her boss to go to Tanglewood because she has a connection to the area she is not really happy to go, particularly as she has played down her connection as it’s a place that she needed to escape from.
As Rainbird finds herself dragged into the present day mystery she also starts to remember more of her earlier life. The characters in this book have such depth and as the story unfolds I found it hard to put this book down.
Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced reading copy of this book in return for an honest review.

[Julie Creffield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest opinion.

This was an absolutely fabulous book, full of mystery and intrigue. A story of joy and immense sadness. But overwhelmingly a story of complex relationships, of the sense of history repeating itself, of two deaths 30 years apart and of two young children left behind and struggling for answers.

The rambling estate, the aging rock star and the hippy / cultish vibe drew me in as I watched Rain search for answers. Why did she have no memories before the age of 9; what happened during that summer of 1970? What had happened most recently that sent her dashing to support the mum that she was pretty much estranged from?

A great story from an amazing author. One that has once again previously passed me by.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two murders, 30 years apart, both dressed in white with a crown made of flowers. What happened to these women on the Tanglewood Estate?

Rain hasn't been back to Tanglewood in a very long time, but when a woman ends up dead, her boss sends her home to see if she can investigate more of the secrets surrounding the estate for a new documentary. What she uncovers changes everything she's been told about her childhood.

I found this a little slow paced, but everything came together very quickly in the last part of the book. A good story. I really enjoyed reading this one, even though it was quite predictable in places. I liked that it was more of a mystery and had a touch of a romantic quality to it as well.

Thank you NetGalley and Micheal Joseph, Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read this early copy in exchange for an honest review.