Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
This superb blend of psychological thriller and police procedural from bestseller Mackintosh (Hostage) begins with the discovery of Rhys Lloyd's body on New Year's Day in freezing Mirror Lake, which straddles North Wales and England. Rhys grew up in the village of Cwm Coed on the Welsh side, where he became disliked for building a luxury vacation development on the British side that the villagers believed would spoil the area and price them out. The case falls to Det. Constable Ffion Morgan of the North Wales Police and Det. Constable Leo Brady of the Cheshire Constabulary. Their working relationship doesn't start well because on New Year's Eve they had a one-night stand using fake names. Awkward doesn't begin to describe the situation, but the two professionals find their investigative skills complement each other. Ffion was raised in Cwm Coed, an advantage and drawback, as she knows everyone, including their secrets, while Leo's outsider status allows him to be more objective. A gripping portrait of two fractured people merges with believable plot twists, and the author perfectly captures the ennui of a small town where gossip can destroy lives. Mackintosh consistently entertains. Agent: Sheila Crowley, Curtis Brown (U.K.). (Nov.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Mackintosh's (Hostage) new "DC Morgan" series blasts off with this whodunit set in the North Wales village of Cwm Coed, Detective Constable Ffion Morgan's hometown. Morgan's relationship with Leo Brody, the Cheshire Constabulary detective sent to help with the investigation, gets off to a hilariously awkward start when, examining the body of murder victim Rhys Lloyd, the two realize they just had a one-night stand, with both using fake names. Lloyd, local bad boy who made it big as an opera singer, was unpopular with the Welsh villagers after financing luxury vacation lodges on the English side of Mirror Lake. When his body washes up during the annual New Year's Day polar plunge on the Welsh side of the lake, suspects abound--many with connections to Morgan. Narrator Chloe Angharad Davies has few audiobook credits to her name, but her virtuoso performance suggests that she is a narrator to watch. Davies masterfully alters her vocal range and pacing to depict the diverse cast of characters, and her Welsh accents are positively musical. VERDICT Mystery fans will adore Mackintosh's wonderfully quirky characters in this white-knuckle thriller; expect many holds on the next series installment, with hopes it will be narrated by Davies.--Beth Farrell
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Layers of historical and social context deepen the allure of this icy murder mystery set in North Wales. When Rhys Lloyd's dead body is discovered during the traditional New Year's polar swim in the village of Cwm Coed, it quickly becomes apparent that there is no lack of suspects; many people wished to see him dead. As the owner of The Shore, a new resort community, Rhys was a polarizing figure despite having grown up in the village. As the lake and the new mansions lie right on the border between England and Wales--and represent the fraught history of these countries--police officers from both sides are assigned to the case: Ffion Morgan, a local girl trying to live down her own history as "Ffion Wyllt" (Wild Ffion) and get back on her feet after a divorce, and Leo Brady, haunted by a decision he made that may cost him joint custody of his young son. Neither are they exactly strangers to one another, having spent one night together that was never supposed to mean more than that. Ffion and Leo must navigate their own tension--sexual and otherwise--as well as the historic tension between their countries and the extreme hierarchy of social class as it pertains to both their wealthy victim and their suspects. Mackintosh offers multiple perspectives as the chapters both move forward from New Year's Day and back into the past. As with most successful mysteries, the identity of the murderer, once revealed after a few red herrings, is both stunning and tragically logical. While the movement through time and perspective can sometimes be a little jarring, and makes the novel read slowly at first, the resolution--of not only the mystery, but also the relationships and side plots--offers a deep acceptance of human fragility and complexity. Come to meet the interestingly dysfunctional characters; stay to cheer them on with a full heart. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
