I know I have said this before in several reviews - I’m not a big fan of mysteries set in the UK. Still, I’m back at the table again and will say I enjoyed the meal of The Last Time She Died. This was an expertly blended recipe for a keep you guessing mystery.

The combination of a hurt, physically and emotionally, detective with an emotionally damaged suspect, victim, witness - not quite sure through most of the book was a potent brew. What I am sure of is that Book #1 was a hit for me and the jumping off point for more of these two working together.

The narrative was a well-crafted recipe with strong vital characters. Even those you might think of as less than consequential, added depth and dimension to the book. Thinking of Anne and Vera. Though they weren’t moving the mystery forward they flavored it just in the right way to keep me turning pages.

Loved Byron and Blake! I’m anxious to see how they develop.

Thank you NetGalley.

Three went into the forest. Only two came back.

Ten years after she vanished, Blake came back to town for her father’s funeral.

“But she can’t be who she says she is. Because we killed her. Didn’t we?”

You’ll have to read this phenomenal thriller to discover how a girl that was murdered and whose burial was witnessed could possibly turn up a decade later. Is it an imposter looking for the Fitzroy inheritance? Is it really Blake?

Hunky thirty-five-year-old Detective Superintendent John Byron is a career man at a personal and professional crossroads. Blake Fitzroy is the daughter of a former Member of Parliament and Lord of the Claremont Manor. Cancer took her mother when Blake was just nine, and then one day when she was 15 years old, Blake just disappeared and never came back! This book, the first in a brand-new series, follows what happens when Byron and Blake’s lives collide.

I was in the mood for a little suspense and there was no better way to scratch that itch than with this killer book – literally!

In case you need the reminder, “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer!”

I can’t wait for the next installment in this five-star series!

Publishes October 20, 2021.

I was gifted this advance copy by Zoe Sharp, Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

This is a good story with some twists and turns that made me want to finish the book as soon as possible, simply to find out the truth. The setting is intriguing, and I got this nice old time vibe from the book due to both the people and the family mansion.

However, I did feel like it was a bit uneven, and my focus was lost at times, and then it picked up again, and I was on top of the story again. I like both Blake and Byron, and hope to get to know them better in the near future.

I loved this book. I've read Zoe's earlier books and I am so happy she started a new series.

Blake has been presumed dead for years. When her father dies, she shows up at the funeral. But, is it really her? Byron is a police detective out of London. Something terrible happened to him. He is sent to the funeral to look into Lord Fitzroy's death and sees a young woman across the cemetary.

but, it couldn't be Blake because wasn't she killed and buried the night she disappeared? The mystery has many facets. How did Lord fitzroy die? Is this Blake and if not, who really died?

There is a strong connection throughout the book between Byron and Blake and am looking forward to how this evolves into a series.

I really enjoyed this fast paced mystery. It is the first book in the series and ended on a partial cliffhanger. I would definitely read the next book in the series as this one kept me guessing and reading on in great anticipation as the story kept me on edge throughout trying to guess the culprits. The story and characters were really well written and I would definitely recommend. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me read a preview copy.

At first I wasn’t sure I was going to finish this book, but the more I got into it the more twists and turns there were. I had to keep going to see how it would end. There were a lot of characters that I couldn’t decide, were they a good guy or did they have an agenda. It started out as maybe a 3*, but ended up a 4* for me. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Quirky, intriguing characters with more baggage than a small airport and a plot with more curves than the Le Mans Grand Prix. Together, that makes for a dandy start to a new series.

This is billed as a "Blake & Byron Thriller," for the record; the male half of that combo is John Byron, who's been on leave from his detective job because of, well, some things I can't reveal here. Now, he's been asked to investigate the auto "accident" that ended the life of former London political bigwig Gideon Fitzroy. With his first wife, Gideon had a daughter Blake; with his second, Virginia, he has a daughter and son, Lily and Tom, all of whom live at the family mansion called Claremont. Blake disappeared a decade ago and mysteriously, was never reported missing and is presumed dead. But surprise - shortly before Fitzroy's will is to be read, a young woman shows up claiming to be his long-gone daughter.

Ah, but is she for real? Needless to say, the remaining family, including Virginia's brother and Gideon's close buddy Roger Flint, are flummoxed, although they're not too worried about an inheritance. Even Blake herself expresses certainty that Gideon's Last Will and Testament - which she's seen - doesn't include her. So if it's really her, why did she come back at all?

The answer is beyond complex and involves a childhood friend of Blake's as well as a suspected gangster who continues to befriend the woman who now claims to be Blake. Byron, who is dealing with his own demons from the past, is intrigued by the young woman (read into that what you will), who remains mysterious but clearly doesn't trust anyone. He wants to believe what she says, but his detective instincts are screaming that there's far more to her story than she's willing to reveal.

Slowly, working with local police, Byron begins to follow threads he hopes will lead to the truth; but more than once, they unravel right before his eyes (and those of readers). The ending clears most things up but also drops hints of what's to come in the next installment. I'm already up for it - and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy of this one.

Oh My GOD

What is this book??

I could not put it down! I had to finish reading and this kept me up until the wee hours!


Read this! It is such a good book

After missing for ten years, a woman claiming to be Gideon Fitzroy's daughter, Blake, turns up at his funeral. This intriguing read is somewhat spoiled by the promotional blurb that announces this novel is Blake and Byron Thrillers Book 1.

Zoe Sharp writes a clever thriller with lots of moving parts. The complex story incorporates red herrings and distractions to keep a rapid plot flow. There is also a fascinating range of suspects for the question: is the daughter alive or dead. And is the father a victim of murder? Another motive emerges when Fitzroy's second family does not inherit the expected financial wealth. Fitzroy's first wife left her wealth, in trust, for her daughter Blake. A captivating read with well-developed characters and clever dialogue. And remember, this is just Blake and Byron's first adventure.

Wow Bookouture really delivered again. This was my first my this author and it was just amazing, gripping really cannot express how the twists and turns kept throwing me off track and the ending, oh my goodness.

This is definitely a must read, pure escapism a real one session read as it is such a page turner.

I was given an advance copy by the publishers and Netgalley but the review is entirely my own.

The Last Time She Died had such an intriguing synopsis but I just didn’t like the book. Didn’t finish.

This book wasn’t my cup of tea but that doesn’t mean it won’t be yours! :)

A Suspicious Death….?
The first in a new series - Blake and Byron - finds Detective John Byron investigating a suspicious death, not to mention a new arrival, making a mystery to solve. Byron will have to delve into the past to even try to make head and tail of the situation. With a credible cast and a compelling premise this is an engaging read and a promising start to a new series.

Very intriguing plot, and it's so good I'm giving 5 stars, even though there are some minor things in the story-telling I don't like. Excellent characters as well, and I'm looking forward to the next one in the series.

This started out strong but I found that I lost interest in the characters. It was okay but I think I needed more growth in the characters for it to truly be amazingm

This was a good book that kept me engaged and I enjoyed the twists and thrills it took me on. A few pieces were a bit obvious but I enjoyed the characters and storyline.

Gideon Fitzroy was a big man on campus in town and he died. On the day of his funeral there is a break-in on his estate and a girl named Blake claims she his missing daughter. A daughter he never reported missing. A daughter who some presumed dead. But who presumes that and why? Who is the guilty and who is actually a friend? There’s also detective Byron who was a delight. He was smart and an intrigue to follow.

You can’t give much away on this one but it was fun to follow along on who is telling the truth and who is the guilty party. I would be interested in following along and reading the next book in this series.

Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

This is the first in a new series (Blake and Byron Thrillers) so it was good to be in at the start!

Gideon Fitzroy didn’t report his 15-year-old daughter, Blake, as missing when she vanished ten years ago, but encouraged the rumour that she’d simply run away. In those intervening years, he remarries and has two stepchildren from his new wife’s previous marriage.

Gideon is then killed in a car accident, although his stepchildren survived with only minor injuries. While his family are at his funeral, a young woman turns up and lets herself into the family home and claims to be the missing Blake. Enter Detective Byron, who is on sick leave from the Met, but is there in an official capacity.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

A mysterious woman shows up at the funeral of Gideon Fitzroy, later she is found in his family home. She claims to be his daughter Blake, who disappeared 10 years ago… but is she really?
Overall this was a decent mystery, I enjoyed the characters of Blake and Byron. I did find the first half of the book a bit of a slow read but it picked up about halfway through.
This is the first is a series and given the end of this I will look forward to giving the second in the series a read.
Thanks Netgalley and publisher for the ARC.
Rating 3.5 rounded up to a 4.

After reading this book I can't wait to read the next one. I am hoping that Blake and Byron will now get together to solve crimes, I so want to find out what happens to them.
When a girl turns up on the day of her fathers funeral claiming to be Blake and stands to benefit a lot from the will certain people aren't happy, especially when they thought she was dead. They welcome her into the family but all is not what it seems. is she really the long lost daughter who just disappeared. That is what Byron tends to find out. Others aren't happy she is back and she will soon have to watch her back.
I really enjoyed reading this book.

I need to continue Blake’s story. So much mystery and family trauma. I hope Byron keeps fighting the fight and solving age old travesties. All in all, a good start to a series I hope. So many questions unanswered. I need to know

Thank you NetGalley for this arc

Gideon Fitzroy never reported his daughter Blake as missing, instead, he encouraged the rumor that Blake was a runaway. Ten years later, shortly after Fitzroy's death in an auto accident, Blake Fitzroy shows up at his funeral.

Unsurprisingly, his second wife as well as several others are shocked and dismayed at the arrival of a calm, cool twenty-five-year-old on the scene claiming to be Blake.

The Blake who shows up is not the shy fifteen-year-old who went missing a decade ago, but a composed, self-possessed young woman. A con artist, hoping to gain control of the estate through the will?

Detective John Byron, on medical leave from the Met, has also shown up for the funeral. He has no official authority, but it appears that he does have a purpose.

Byron is a shrewd and competent detective, but he is on medical leave, not at all certain he should be back at work, and a little curious about this assignment. His boss, however, wants Byron back in the game unofficially in order to motivate his interest in returning to work full time.

Unsure what to think about the young woman claiming to be Blake Fitzroy, Byron is intrigued. His initial assignment changes with Blake's unexpected arrival throwing everything up in the air.

Blake has an agenda, but her goal seems less to do with gaining an inheritance and more to do with the events that caused her to runaway ten years ago...and to stay away until Gideon Fitzroy was dead. If she is, indeed, Blake Fitzroy. And whether or not she is, Blake certainly has some skills in housebreaking.

Both characters and plot kept me involved and eager to know what happened next! Enough information to make you eager to keep track of details, but not enough to feel confident who is responsible. Exactly the way I like it. :)

An absorbing and entertaining mystery with characters I'm eager to read more about!

NetGalley/Bookoutre

Mystery/thriller. Oct. 20, 2021.