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Butler & West #1
Last Place You Look: Butler and West #1
The man you love has been murdered. You’d do anything to find out the truth. Wouldn’t you?
A man lies dead in a hotel room, and the police attend his home address to inform the widow. Nothing unusual, until DC Freya West realises – too late – that the victim is the man she has been having an affair with. The future she imagined has been snatched away.
Meanwhile, her new boss, DS Robin Butler, is preoccupied with his own problems. Mistakes he thought buried deep in his past now threaten to be exposed. Before long, both Butler and West are keeping secrets that could end their careers – and worse.
When the detectives have a chance to tell the truth, they choose to keep quiet. But once that line is crossed, is there any going back? After all, breaking the law is easy when you know how to uphold it.
Don’t miss this tense and compulsive police procedural thriller. Perfect for fans of Sunday Times bestselling authors Cara Hunter, Susie Steiner and Jane Casey.
Praise for Last Place You Look
‘The delicious joy of discovering a brilliant new crime series! What appears to be a simple case opens wounds for both suspects and investigators. Our detectives, Butler and West, are a duo for our days; bound by their troubles, loneliness and secrets into an unlikely alliance. You’ll fall for them, and this novel, in a big way!’ Jo Furniss, author of All the Little Children
‘Tightly plotted with superb characterisation, Last Place You Look shows the devastating consequences when a small wrong decision leads to a bigger one, and then a bigger one after that. A skilfully-built house of cards comes crashing down, leaving DC Freya West and DS Robin Butler in possession of shocking secrets... It's a book you won't be able to turn away from until you reach the very last page.’ Alison Belsham, author of The Tattoo Thief
‘Fantastic story with a pair of detectives who are battling their own demons amidst an apparent suburban suicide’ James Delargy, author of Vanished
A man lies dead in a hotel room, and the police attend his home address to inform the widow. Nothing unusual, until DC Freya West realises – too late – that the victim is the man she has been having an affair with. The future she imagined has been snatched away.
Meanwhile, her new boss, DS Robin Butler, is preoccupied with his own problems. Mistakes he thought buried deep in his past now threaten to be exposed. Before long, both Butler and West are keeping secrets that could end their careers – and worse.
When the detectives have a chance to tell the truth, they choose to keep quiet. But once that line is crossed, is there any going back? After all, breaking the law is easy when you know how to uphold it.
Don’t miss this tense and compulsive police procedural thriller. Perfect for fans of Sunday Times bestselling authors Cara Hunter, Susie Steiner and Jane Casey.
Praise for Last Place You Look
‘The delicious joy of discovering a brilliant new crime series! What appears to be a simple case opens wounds for both suspects and investigators. Our detectives, Butler and West, are a duo for our days; bound by their troubles, loneliness and secrets into an unlikely alliance. You’ll fall for them, and this novel, in a big way!’ Jo Furniss, author of All the Little Children
‘Tightly plotted with superb characterisation, Last Place You Look shows the devastating consequences when a small wrong decision leads to a bigger one, and then a bigger one after that. A skilfully-built house of cards comes crashing down, leaving DC Freya West and DS Robin Butler in possession of shocking secrets... It's a book you won't be able to turn away from until you reach the very last page.’ Alison Belsham, author of The Tattoo Thief
‘Fantastic story with a pair of detectives who are battling their own demons amidst an apparent suburban suicide’ James Delargy, author of Vanished
352 pages, Paperback
First published April 8, 2021
551 people are currently reading
2645 people want to read
About the author
Louisa Scarr
13 books209 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 222 reviews
October 11, 2023
One sentence review: Another great book - I can't believe I'm saying this but I wish I had read it first LOL
SYNOPSIS
Butler and West work their first case together and it's a doozy: the senseless murder of a married man, who also happens to be West's bf. Uh oh!!!
MY OPINION
Why yes I did read book #1 in the series last. And what about it? *Ariana Grande voice*. Here's my series breakdown from best to "worst" (none of them are bad BTW):
1. A Blink of An Eye (Book #3)
2. Seen to Be Believed (Book #4)
3. Tie between Under a Dark Cloud and Last Place You Look
Since books 2-4 do a lot of rehashing and spoilies about book #1, I already knew wagwan coming into it. Tbh knowing spoilies isn't the end of the world; I still loved how everything unfolded. BUT I wish I hadn't known so I could've been fully shooketh.
This book might be a lil controversial. A side piece who is also the investigating officer. And a side piece who KNEW she was a side piece. I know a lot of people hate "homewreckers", so if this is you - maybe give her a lil skipperoni. I'm firmly on team "he promised YOU loyalty" and that hoes can hoe on whoever they want, they didn't promise you poo poo. It's up to your mans (or womans) to say no to drugs! And hoes! ANyways.
However, I struggled with was understanding how Freya was okay with being a side piece. And it also made me wonder if participants in an affair can ever really be in love. How do you know when you only have snatches of time together? Of course everything is fun and light and breezy and passionate when you only have a couple hours here and there. But once you're in the trenches of every day life, will it be all that? It annoyed me that Freya didn't have the emotional intelligence to realize that their "relationship" was more restricted than conjugal visits in prison.
Anyways, other than this, I found the case juicy. Scarr did a great job with the wife's character. It was a great intro to Butler and West's bond as well. You can really see how their relationship evolved over the course of the books. I can't wait for book #5!!!!
PROS AND CONS
Pros: great writing, strong foundation for Butler and West's relationship, juicy case
Cons: Freya seems very naive... I have a hard time believing she's mid 30s. If she was 24-27, her behaviour/thought process would be more believable
SYNOPSIS
Butler and West work their first case together and it's a doozy: the senseless murder of a married man, who also happens to be West's bf. Uh oh!!!
MY OPINION
Why yes I did read book #1 in the series last. And what about it? *Ariana Grande voice*. Here's my series breakdown from best to "worst" (none of them are bad BTW):
1. A Blink of An Eye (Book #3)
2. Seen to Be Believed (Book #4)
3. Tie between Under a Dark Cloud and Last Place You Look
Since books 2-4 do a lot of rehashing and spoilies about book #1, I already knew wagwan coming into it. Tbh knowing spoilies isn't the end of the world; I still loved how everything unfolded. BUT I wish I hadn't known so I could've been fully shooketh.
This book might be a lil controversial. A side piece who is also the investigating officer. And a side piece who KNEW she was a side piece. I know a lot of people hate "homewreckers", so if this is you - maybe give her a lil skipperoni. I'm firmly on team "he promised YOU loyalty" and that hoes can hoe on whoever they want, they didn't promise you poo poo. It's up to your mans (or womans) to say no to drugs! And hoes! ANyways.
However, I struggled with was understanding how Freya was okay with being a side piece. And it also made me wonder if participants in an affair can ever really be in love. How do you know when you only have snatches of time together? Of course everything is fun and light and breezy and passionate when you only have a couple hours here and there. But once you're in the trenches of every day life, will it be all that? It annoyed me that Freya didn't have the emotional intelligence to realize that their "relationship" was more restricted than conjugal visits in prison.
Anyways, other than this, I found the case juicy. Scarr did a great job with the wife's character. It was a great intro to Butler and West's bond as well. You can really see how their relationship evolved over the course of the books. I can't wait for book #5!!!!
PROS AND CONS
Pros: great writing, strong foundation for Butler and West's relationship, juicy case
Cons: Freya seems very naive... I have a hard time believing she's mid 30s. If she was 24-27, her behaviour/thought process would be more believable
April 5, 2021
So last week a D.I. with no probz, this week a D.I. and his side kick with problems, hang up’s, demons and everything else....and then more
A grimly realistic murder story involving back stories of the investigating officers (as above)and how they try to solve the murder without causing any more mess than they already have (they do however continue to do so throughout)
All the characters were never gonna be a readers best friend😵, that’s not the intention of the book but honestly some of them tested my limits at anything approaching even mildly liking them!, some of their personalities are as dark as the story
As for the story, well it’s not bad, if it wasn’t Easter and so just reading half an hour here and there and reading like a normal week I would be picking a lot more holes in the story, as it is I wont!
There is a lot of sex talk in the story, not particularly raucous but the whole story is built around it
Mind saying all that I wanted to find out ‘whodunit’ and why and am glad did
6/10
3 Stars
A grimly realistic murder story involving back stories of the investigating officers (as above)and how they try to solve the murder without causing any more mess than they already have (they do however continue to do so throughout)
All the characters were never gonna be a readers best friend😵, that’s not the intention of the book but honestly some of them tested my limits at anything approaching even mildly liking them!, some of their personalities are as dark as the story
As for the story, well it’s not bad, if it wasn’t Easter and so just reading half an hour here and there and reading like a normal week I would be picking a lot more holes in the story, as it is I wont!
There is a lot of sex talk in the story, not particularly raucous but the whole story is built around it
Mind saying all that I wanted to find out ‘whodunit’ and why and am glad did
6/10
3 Stars
April 3, 2021
3.5 stars rounded up to 4
Johnathan Miller and his wife are invited to his best friend's lavish fortieth birthday celebrations. Four days later, Johnathan is dead, apparently asphysiated duriing a solitary sex act gone werong. DS Robin Butler accompanied by his new partner, DC Freya West have to give a death notice o the widow. He can't understand why West is acting like a rookie. He doesn't know that the victim was West's lover.
There was a hint of intrigue to this story, more than enough to keep you reading. Everyone has a secret to keep. It's an easy book to follow and i was figuring out the why and where's at the same time as the Dectives. There were a few surprises along the way. The pace is steady and we get some backstory of the two Detectives. This is quite a good debut police procedural. I will be looking out for the next book from this author.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #Canelo and the author #LouisaScarr for my ARC of #LastPlaceYouLook in exchange for an honest review.
Johnathan Miller and his wife are invited to his best friend's lavish fortieth birthday celebrations. Four days later, Johnathan is dead, apparently asphysiated duriing a solitary sex act gone werong. DS Robin Butler accompanied by his new partner, DC Freya West have to give a death notice o the widow. He can't understand why West is acting like a rookie. He doesn't know that the victim was West's lover.
There was a hint of intrigue to this story, more than enough to keep you reading. Everyone has a secret to keep. It's an easy book to follow and i was figuring out the why and where's at the same time as the Dectives. There were a few surprises along the way. The pace is steady and we get some backstory of the two Detectives. This is quite a good debut police procedural. I will be looking out for the next book from this author.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #Canelo and the author #LouisaScarr for my ARC of #LastPlaceYouLook in exchange for an honest review.
May 23, 2024
My Rating: 4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ why did I wait so long to start this series!!!
DC Freya West starts a new post with her new sergeant and her first case is to investigate the unusual and suspicious death of a man in a hotel room, she walks into the family home to speak to the wife and realises … the dead man is her lover. Freya is having an affair with this married man and now he’s dead…
DS Robin Butler has been going through it, his personal life is in tatters and he’s distracted and cranky. Harbouring secrets that could get him sacked if not arrested … he isn’t too concerned when his new DC runs crying out of the house of their latest victim…
Soon though they both realise that their secrets are about to come back to haunt them… who killed their victim and will they turn on each other to save their own skin!!
So, I loved this… not 5 stars because it was great but not excellent mostly because of the unrealistic nature of some to of the things… I am willing to suspend my disbelief but that comes at a price from time to time. When you are investigating the murder of your sordid lover and all the subsequent shenanigans… well its a bit iffy…
However, I loved the writing, shoutout to Lit with Leigh for continuously recommending this to me and shoutout to dumbass me for taking so long to get started… hahaha I regret it but… I have more to read so I am happy about that. Louisa Scarr who also has the pen name Sam Holland can definitely write, I like Leigh enjoyed this series far better (so far I am only onto book one) but The Echo Man and the Puppet Master (I skipped The Twenty) were wild John Wick mental serial killer outrage… whereas this is more police procedural with procedure - not without character flaws but they are on purpose… it is more considered and time is taken to build the story. I really would never have guessed those books were written by the same author.
I am not gonna lie I love the dynamic between these two Butler and West, I also can totally see where Butler is coming from (no spoilers) I mean… it sounds shocking and if I was in that situation who knows… but he did what he did and I totally get it… West, well she was banging the dead guy from the jump, just to clarify not while he was dead 😳 and i know the cheating trope isn’t a big fave, to be fair its not my fave either… but it was different and it was new to me the way the author inserted it into the investigation… and woweee that wife…. What a megab*tch!!!
Overall, I loved this I cannot wait to start book two and then speed read the series and be book-depressed when its over. I recommend to everyone who likes English police procedurals and well written characters with a bit of complicated depth.
DC Freya West starts a new post with her new sergeant and her first case is to investigate the unusual and suspicious death of a man in a hotel room, she walks into the family home to speak to the wife and realises … the dead man is her lover. Freya is having an affair with this married man and now he’s dead…
DS Robin Butler has been going through it, his personal life is in tatters and he’s distracted and cranky. Harbouring secrets that could get him sacked if not arrested … he isn’t too concerned when his new DC runs crying out of the house of their latest victim…
Soon though they both realise that their secrets are about to come back to haunt them… who killed their victim and will they turn on each other to save their own skin!!
So, I loved this… not 5 stars because it was great but not excellent mostly because of the unrealistic nature of some to of the things… I am willing to suspend my disbelief but that comes at a price from time to time. When you are investigating the murder of your sordid lover and all the subsequent shenanigans… well its a bit iffy…
However, I loved the writing, shoutout to Lit with Leigh for continuously recommending this to me and shoutout to dumbass me for taking so long to get started… hahaha I regret it but… I have more to read so I am happy about that. Louisa Scarr who also has the pen name Sam Holland can definitely write, I like Leigh enjoyed this series far better (so far I am only onto book one) but The Echo Man and the Puppet Master (I skipped The Twenty) were wild John Wick mental serial killer outrage… whereas this is more police procedural with procedure - not without character flaws but they are on purpose… it is more considered and time is taken to build the story. I really would never have guessed those books were written by the same author.
I am not gonna lie I love the dynamic between these two Butler and West, I also can totally see where Butler is coming from (no spoilers) I mean… it sounds shocking and if I was in that situation who knows… but he did what he did and I totally get it… West, well she was banging the dead guy from the jump, just to clarify not while he was dead 😳 and i know the cheating trope isn’t a big fave, to be fair its not my fave either… but it was different and it was new to me the way the author inserted it into the investigation… and woweee that wife…. What a megab*tch!!!
Overall, I loved this I cannot wait to start book two and then speed read the series and be book-depressed when its over. I recommend to everyone who likes English police procedurals and well written characters with a bit of complicated depth.
October 5, 2023
3.5 rounded up. RTC!
August 5, 2024
This twisty debut police procedural sizzled and soared.
I especially enjoyed the ultra-compelling characterizations of DC Freya West and DS Robin Butler, the book's two protagonists.
WHY NOT 5 STARS?
This 10-hour audiobook easily could have been an 8-hour audiobook with the removal of repetitious text.
Narrator David Wayman did a superb job with the narration.
This is the first of a series and "Under A Dark Cloud"(Book #2) is now on the tippy-top of my TBR list.
July 20, 2025
On paper this book is everything that I like and yet it didn't quite hit the mark. I think for me it just pushed too far the complexities of characters of the police officers investigating the murder. It got too dark unneccessarily.
Overall it's not a bad read, it's just not quite for me.
Overall it's not a bad read, it's just not quite for me.
January 7, 2023
Oh,boy.This book's a mess.Police officers killing people,because they "deserve"it,and getting away with it?!?!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 9, 2024
I love this author's style of writing which makes such effortless reading. They mystery was good too - at least at the beginning before too many coincidences made it a bit far-fetched. I like the two detectives as well. Tortured souls with a past. As usual. But hey, no one wants happy-go-lucky MCs anyway. And what a past these two have and what antics they get into in this book to cover these! I think this is good as a one-off book but I see it is actually a series and I can't imagine how it progresses. I'll probably try another book or two in the series to find out. Purely because this is written so well - which is why it is ending up with 4 stars instead of 3.
January 22, 2024
Actual rating ⭐⭐⭐.5 / 5
Suspense rating 😱😱.5 / 5
Audio rating 🎧🎧🎧🎧 / 5
A brick through the window of a swingers club in the suburbs, a man in a seedy hotel room, dead by choking in an act of erotic auto asphyxiation, a detective who is the mistress of said man, and a wife who is potentially a psycho?
Not me, gobbling this setting up like a champ.
Freya West was annoyingly chaotic. Yes, she was grieving, but my god woman, pull yourself together or remove yourself from the circumstances (i.e. the investigation).
Robin Butler was the grumpiest grump of a detective, a man with a past and an attitude. He was okay, I liked him. I don't think a man like Butler would survive in the real world - the not eating nor sleeping properly, the drinking and smoking - at the tender age of 42, but at the same time his persona felt raw and tangible because of all these bad tendencies.
The murder investigation was SLOW. yet somehow, I wanted to just keep going. It was suspenseful at times but mainly just so well written, the words were flowing, not too much internal dialogue. The case resolution tied all ends into a nice little bow.
Special mention to the narrator - David Wayman - made the book for me 🎧🔥💜
Suspense rating 😱😱.5 / 5
Audio rating 🎧🎧🎧🎧 / 5
A brick through the window of a swingers club in the suburbs, a man in a seedy hotel room, dead by choking in an act of erotic auto asphyxiation, a detective who is the mistress of said man, and a wife who is potentially a psycho?
Not me, gobbling this setting up like a champ.
Freya West was annoyingly chaotic. Yes, she was grieving, but my god woman, pull yourself together or remove yourself from the circumstances (i.e. the investigation).
Robin Butler was the grumpiest grump of a detective, a man with a past and an attitude. He was okay, I liked him. I don't think a man like Butler would survive in the real world - the not eating nor sleeping properly, the drinking and smoking - at the tender age of 42, but at the same time his persona felt raw and tangible because of all these bad tendencies.
The murder investigation was SLOW. yet somehow, I wanted to just keep going. It was suspenseful at times but mainly just so well written, the words were flowing, not too much internal dialogue. The case resolution tied all ends into a nice little bow.
Special mention to the narrator - David Wayman - made the book for me 🎧🔥💜
October 2, 2021
Butler and West are newly paired detectives and they aren't the closet of colleagues but they are both great at what they do. So Butler is very confused by how West is handling the case and the delivery of the death notice. What Butler doesn't know is that West was having an affair with the Deceased and only realises when they are delivering the death notice to his now widow.
I love crime thrillers and a page turned and now I have another crime author to add to my pile of crime series to be hooked on!!
It was an absolute pleasure to read and even though I was a tad confused at point with who was who eventually I got it and was loving every second of it!
Great thing about this book is the fact we have a pair rather than just the one detecrive, reading how a pair reading how they bounce off each other. I did find aspects of their back stories a bit predictable but It was still great to read.
I also found that the police procedure elements of rho book are fantastic and as someone whose taught law I appreciated how accurate it is. Although I must say there was a bit too much repeating of certain things but not enough to cause me to put it down.
So if you are like me always on the haunt for a new crime series then give this one a try it's different to a lot out there so worth the read. We have two great leads and I found the murder investigation super addictive I didn't have a clue who did it and why. Although I didn't like the victim!
Recommend and rate 3.5 stars.
Apologies to the Author, publisher and Netgalldy for the digital advance copy j completely forgot to write the review when I read. The book is now out for release
I love crime thrillers and a page turned and now I have another crime author to add to my pile of crime series to be hooked on!!
It was an absolute pleasure to read and even though I was a tad confused at point with who was who eventually I got it and was loving every second of it!
Great thing about this book is the fact we have a pair rather than just the one detecrive, reading how a pair reading how they bounce off each other. I did find aspects of their back stories a bit predictable but It was still great to read.
I also found that the police procedure elements of rho book are fantastic and as someone whose taught law I appreciated how accurate it is. Although I must say there was a bit too much repeating of certain things but not enough to cause me to put it down.
So if you are like me always on the haunt for a new crime series then give this one a try it's different to a lot out there so worth the read. We have two great leads and I found the murder investigation super addictive I didn't have a clue who did it and why. Although I didn't like the victim!
Recommend and rate 3.5 stars.
Apologies to the Author, publisher and Netgalldy for the digital advance copy j completely forgot to write the review when I read. The book is now out for release
May 8, 2023
I saw a glowing review of book 3 in this series by Girl With the Pink Ski Mask and knew I needed to start reading it immediately.
I love a procedural and this one hit all of the twisty plot bits and had well-developed characters that I can't wait to read more about -- and this quote about Butler was hilarious and sums up every depressed/tormented/haunted book detective/assassin/hot man I can't help falling moderately to severely in love with (*cough*) Harry Bosch Orphan X Will Trent (*cough):
[women are attracted to] "that beaten, melancholy persona, mistaking him for a strong, silent type when in fact he's just miserable." 100%
This series isn't nearly as popular as it should be -- READ IT.
I love a procedural and this one hit all of the twisty plot bits and had well-developed characters that I can't wait to read more about -- and this quote about Butler was hilarious and sums up every depressed/tormented/haunted book detective/assassin/hot man I can't help falling moderately to severely in love with (*cough*) Harry Bosch Orphan X Will Trent (*cough):
[women are attracted to] "that beaten, melancholy persona, mistaking him for a strong, silent type when in fact he's just miserable." 100%
This series isn't nearly as popular as it should be -- READ IT.
July 23, 2025
My first book by Louisa Scarr and I really enjoyed it. I loved the relationship between Robin and Freya and I’ve just reserved Butlers and West#2 at the library. Looking forward to reading it.
December 5, 2022
Came to my radar from goodread friends. Tightly plotted with flawed but not irritating characters. Pretty satisfying police procedure mystery. If it stays with me then I'll up a star.
December 9, 2021
Time taken to read - 1.5 days
Pages - 352
Publisher - Canelo Crime
Source - Amazon
Blurb from Goodreads
The man you love has been murdered. You’d do anything to find out the truth. Wouldn’t you?
A man lies dead in a hotel room, and the police attend his home address to inform the widow. Nothing unusual, until DC Freya West realises – too late – that the victim is the man she has been having an affair with. The future she imagined has been snatched away.
Meanwhile, her new boss, DS Robin Butler, is preoccupied with his own problems. Mistakes he thought buried deep in his past now threaten to be exposed. Before long, both Butler and West are keeping secrets that could end their careers – and worse.
When the detectives have a chance to tell the truth, they choose to keep quiet. But once that line is crossed, is there any going back? After all, breaking the law is easy when you know how to uphold it.
My Review
I hadn't heard of this author before and the book was on offer on Amazon and I am a sucker for crime and bargains! DC West is put to work with DS Butler her new boss. West is about to have her world turned upside down, she thought it was because the married man she has been having an affair with is leaving his wife. Actually he turns up dead and she is on the case with the new boss.
Ooooh there is a lot going on in this book and some mentions of sex (even a brief visit to a swingers pad) and West's love is found naked, dead in a hotel room! Accidental death on the surface but everything West knows about him she knows no way this can be true. How does she focus the investigation when she isn't meant to know him, she is grieving and her future is gone!
It is intense as we know one of the officers is hiding a secret but Butler also has things in his past he would rather be left there. As the investigation picks up we learn more about the central characters and things get dark and dodgy quickly.
I can't believe this is a debut, you would believe this author has been writing for years. Suspense, shock, characters with depth and unravelling their layers as you go. I got this because it was on offer, I ordered book two because I am very much looking forward to where the next stage of the story is going, 4.5/5 for me this time!
Pages - 352
Publisher - Canelo Crime
Source - Amazon
Blurb from Goodreads
The man you love has been murdered. You’d do anything to find out the truth. Wouldn’t you?
A man lies dead in a hotel room, and the police attend his home address to inform the widow. Nothing unusual, until DC Freya West realises – too late – that the victim is the man she has been having an affair with. The future she imagined has been snatched away.
Meanwhile, her new boss, DS Robin Butler, is preoccupied with his own problems. Mistakes he thought buried deep in his past now threaten to be exposed. Before long, both Butler and West are keeping secrets that could end their careers – and worse.
When the detectives have a chance to tell the truth, they choose to keep quiet. But once that line is crossed, is there any going back? After all, breaking the law is easy when you know how to uphold it.
My Review
I hadn't heard of this author before and the book was on offer on Amazon and I am a sucker for crime and bargains! DC West is put to work with DS Butler her new boss. West is about to have her world turned upside down, she thought it was because the married man she has been having an affair with is leaving his wife. Actually he turns up dead and she is on the case with the new boss.
Ooooh there is a lot going on in this book and some mentions of sex (even a brief visit to a swingers pad) and West's love is found naked, dead in a hotel room! Accidental death on the surface but everything West knows about him she knows no way this can be true. How does she focus the investigation when she isn't meant to know him, she is grieving and her future is gone!
It is intense as we know one of the officers is hiding a secret but Butler also has things in his past he would rather be left there. As the investigation picks up we learn more about the central characters and things get dark and dodgy quickly.
I can't believe this is a debut, you would believe this author has been writing for years. Suspense, shock, characters with depth and unravelling their layers as you go. I got this because it was on offer, I ordered book two because I am very much looking forward to where the next stage of the story is going, 4.5/5 for me this time!
March 21, 2021
I would like to thank Netgalley and Canelo for an advance copy of Last Place You Look, the first novel to feature DS Robin Butler and DC Freya West.
Jonathan Miller is found dead in a hotel room in the town where he lives. The newly formed team of Butler and West go to notify Amy Miller, Jonathan’s wife of his death and West annoys Butler with her unprofessionalism. What he doesn’t know is that she had been having an affair with the dead man and is sure his death wasn’t an accident, so, to investigate, she has to keep her secret. He, meanwhile, has secrets of his own.
Last Place You Look didn’t hold my attention and I struggled to get through it. To be fair, I thought it would be a police procedural but it’s more of a psychological thriller and that’s not really my thing as I find much of the behaviour in them unbelievable and difficult to swallow. This novel doesn’t do much to change my mind on that score and that’s a shame as buried beneath the dodgy behaviour there’s a good mystery.
The novel is told mainly from three points of view, Butler, West and the widow Amy Miller. None of them appear to be thinking straight so it’s difficult to feel any affinity towards them or identification with them.
About half way through West diverts from the Miller enquiry into an unrelated cold case file. The why of that is open to question but it’s probably the best part of the novel, solid police work and a bit of a mystery, but not for long as she soon reverts back to the main investigation and that doesn’t pass the reality test, too many implausibilities and unlikelihoods.
I’m sure that plenty of readers will enjoy the twists and turns and the personal drama in this novel as it is well done, but I prefer a good investigation and that rather gets left along the wayside in preference to secrets and lies. Last Place You Look is not for me.
Jonathan Miller is found dead in a hotel room in the town where he lives. The newly formed team of Butler and West go to notify Amy Miller, Jonathan’s wife of his death and West annoys Butler with her unprofessionalism. What he doesn’t know is that she had been having an affair with the dead man and is sure his death wasn’t an accident, so, to investigate, she has to keep her secret. He, meanwhile, has secrets of his own.
Last Place You Look didn’t hold my attention and I struggled to get through it. To be fair, I thought it would be a police procedural but it’s more of a psychological thriller and that’s not really my thing as I find much of the behaviour in them unbelievable and difficult to swallow. This novel doesn’t do much to change my mind on that score and that’s a shame as buried beneath the dodgy behaviour there’s a good mystery.
The novel is told mainly from three points of view, Butler, West and the widow Amy Miller. None of them appear to be thinking straight so it’s difficult to feel any affinity towards them or identification with them.
About half way through West diverts from the Miller enquiry into an unrelated cold case file. The why of that is open to question but it’s probably the best part of the novel, solid police work and a bit of a mystery, but not for long as she soon reverts back to the main investigation and that doesn’t pass the reality test, too many implausibilities and unlikelihoods.
I’m sure that plenty of readers will enjoy the twists and turns and the personal drama in this novel as it is well done, but I prefer a good investigation and that rather gets left along the wayside in preference to secrets and lies. Last Place You Look is not for me.
September 1, 2022
I enjoyed the book, except for Olivia (Liv) and the epilogue
February 11, 2024
This it an unusual plot, i loved it.
March 29, 2021
Oh my word, does no one keep it in their pants any more?
I guess not or there would be no more crime thrillers for me to devour!
DS Robin Butler and DC Freya West make for an interesting crime duo, both so utterly imperfect and deeply flawed. Should they be on this case? Questionable for one and doubtful for the other but this is, of course, what makes the story so interesting.
DC Freya West does her best to hold her emotions in check (and I am pretty sure she succeeds better than I would in her shoes) and DS Robin Butler fails to notice for far too long what is going on under his nose - largely because he is battling demons every second of every day - and also largely because that is just the sort of man he is.
The 'victim's wife is a cold and calculating piece of work and she most definitely has the upper hand throughout most of the book, and it is evident that she has the measure of DS Butler!
Overall a gripping and ultimately satisfying tale that is packed full of intrigue and unexpected turns, I really enjoyed reading this exciting debut and will definitely look out for other DS Robin Butler books.
I guess not or there would be no more crime thrillers for me to devour!
DS Robin Butler and DC Freya West make for an interesting crime duo, both so utterly imperfect and deeply flawed. Should they be on this case? Questionable for one and doubtful for the other but this is, of course, what makes the story so interesting.
DC Freya West does her best to hold her emotions in check (and I am pretty sure she succeeds better than I would in her shoes) and DS Robin Butler fails to notice for far too long what is going on under his nose - largely because he is battling demons every second of every day - and also largely because that is just the sort of man he is.
The 'victim's wife is a cold and calculating piece of work and she most definitely has the upper hand throughout most of the book, and it is evident that she has the measure of DS Butler!
Overall a gripping and ultimately satisfying tale that is packed full of intrigue and unexpected turns, I really enjoyed reading this exciting debut and will definitely look out for other DS Robin Butler books.
July 30, 2025
5 stars.
I LOVED THIS. I read a lot of crime and have experienced my fair share of flawed detectives, but two on the same team? Starting off as neither knowing what the other has done, but finding out during the course of the investigation? The premise grabbed me right away - what on earth was West doing investigating the death of the man she's been having an affair with - and I loved how Scarr let things slowly played out. I had so many questions while listening, but she did a brilliant job with keeping me engaged, I have a tendency to get impatient with audiobooks (because I listen slower than I can read) but that was not at all the case with this one. Even though I had questions, I wasn't impatient for them to be answered because new ones kept popping up left right and centre!
This was an absolutely brilliant first book in a series, I loved how the flaws of each of the detectives were effectively used to reveal their backstories (more prominent with Robin than Freya), setting the scene for what is hopefully more books where they collaborate in investigations, hopefully less close to home for them both. I thought this one was wonderful with all the twists and turns, and while there were aspects of the investigation that were a bit... concerning let's say, they integrated well with the storyline and I was happy enough to let those pass.
I LOVED THIS. I read a lot of crime and have experienced my fair share of flawed detectives, but two on the same team? Starting off as neither knowing what the other has done, but finding out during the course of the investigation? The premise grabbed me right away - what on earth was West doing investigating the death of the man she's been having an affair with - and I loved how Scarr let things slowly played out. I had so many questions while listening, but she did a brilliant job with keeping me engaged, I have a tendency to get impatient with audiobooks (because I listen slower than I can read) but that was not at all the case with this one. Even though I had questions, I wasn't impatient for them to be answered because new ones kept popping up left right and centre!
This was an absolutely brilliant first book in a series, I loved how the flaws of each of the detectives were effectively used to reveal their backstories (more prominent with Robin than Freya), setting the scene for what is hopefully more books where they collaborate in investigations, hopefully less close to home for them both. I thought this one was wonderful with all the twists and turns, and while there were aspects of the investigation that were a bit... concerning let's say, they integrated well with the storyline and I was happy enough to let those pass.
November 2, 2022
DC Freya West has just started working with a new partner/boss, DS Robin Butler, and their first investigation together turns out to be very close to home. Last Place You Look is a mixture of crime/thriller and police procedural, featuring two cops who have the usual personal issues and skeletons in the cupboard. There is a lot going on in this novel, many different strands involving the main characters, which include people related to their investigations as well as the two detectives themselves. Louisa Scarr handles the complex plot very well, ensuring that despite everything happening it never gets confusing. West and Butler are great characters with an interesting relationship, and I can imagine readers wanting to spend more time with them. There are one or two dodgy moments, and it threatens to unravel as it moves towards a conclusion, but I enjoyed it enough to see past any doubts. Louisa Scarr has a no-nonsense writing style that keeps things moving and is ideal for this kind of novel. A strong 7/10 that I've rounded up to 4 stars.
December 7, 2022
I read this book in one day and thoroughly enjoyed it. It had a good pace and a nice amount of twists and revelations to uncover, some I guessed but some I didn’t.
I found the characters extremely likeable (despite their serious red flags) and found it easy to follow and connect with the story.
I understand that it’s the first in a series but I still didn’t enjoy the loose end that wasn’t tied up. I will however read the read of the series!
I found the characters extremely likeable (despite their serious red flags) and found it easy to follow and connect with the story.
I understand that it’s the first in a series but I still didn’t enjoy the loose end that wasn’t tied up. I will however read the read of the series!
March 7, 2024
Really twisty and involved police procedural (ish) thriller. I enjoyed this one. The main characters are really unique and I loved the dynamic between Freya and Robin. Also the way that their relationship develops from the start to the end of the book. I think there was an opportunity for further twist at the end which wasn't utilized, but other than that, no complaints :)
August 11, 2025
Book 1 in the DS Butler and DC West series . WOW what a great read ! First book I’ve read from this author and won’t be the last. A great original storyline with likeable characters. Can’t wait to read book 2 !
Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review
Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review
September 27, 2023
This book kept me wondering how many more twists and turns there could possibly be! You never know what secret you will find out and where that will lead these characters. 10/10 for this murder mystery
January 5, 2022
It took me a while to get into this book but I ended up loving it and really enjoying the storyline! Definitely recommend
March 16, 2022
I picked this book up for a song and it was worth every penny. Brilliant read, I couldn’t put it down. I’ll be looking for more from this author.
October 16, 2022
Didn’t expect these twists! However all the more gripping it was. Well written
May 9, 2023
I really enjoyed this A bit mad in parts but it held my interest would recommend
August 2, 2023
Ending is nice!!
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