A really unusual read for me but one that was thoroughly enjoyable throughout.
Written beautifully, this was a family saga, wrapped in a thrilling whodunnit spanning three time periods and told mainly from the perspective of two characters.
I felt that, despite being a little long overall, the novel was engaging with gasp-worthy twists thrown in at random.

I really enjoyed this story set in 3 time periods. It’s the tale of a painting, believed lost, its artist and the art expert who discovers it and her group of friends. All leading to an explanation of all that had gone on many years before.
This sounds really dry - but it isn’t, it’s a well written delve into the art world with characters you get to know and care about.
I really enjoyed it.

I loved this book. A perfect addition to the dark academia genre, this novel follows 3 connected timelines; Juliette in the 1930s with the events that lead up to the fateful fire, Caroline and Patrick in 1991 as final year students at Cambridge, trying to uncover the secrets of Juliette’s famous painting, and Caroline and Patrick in the present day, as Patrick is publicly arrested for murder. The plot twists were incredible, and there were points where I audibly gasped or had to cover the page to stop myself from spoiling the suspense. It had very similar vibes to “the maidens” and “in my dreams i hold a knife”, two books which i really love, and i really loved this book too. I will be recommending it to all of my reader friends as the perfect autumnal dark academia mystery

This is the first book I've read by Ellery Lloyd but it won't be my last.
Thoroughly enjoyed this. It's very well written with a superb ending.

This is a fascinating tale of past and present, with plenty of mystery to engage the reader.
I found the treatment of women in the surrealist art movement particularly interesting, and the interweaving of a Paris artist's apartment and a crumbling stately home made for great settings.

If I had a couple of small niggles, they would be that the start was rather slow, the 'voices' of the two students were not sufficiently 'different' (so I had to keep checking who was narrating), and I did spot the key plot twists well before they were revealed.

Despite those points, I did enjoy this and would want to read the author(s) again.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read.

Every once in a while a book comes along that completely blows your mind. For me it's "The final Act of Juliette Willoughby. Told through the perspectives of Patrick and Caroline, two Cambridge undergrads studying History of Art. They decide on a dissertation focusing on Surrealism in particular a woman by the name of Juliette Willoughby. Steered by their supervisor Alice Long, the two commence their research knowing only two things for certain: The artist died with her artist lover Oskar Erlich in a Paris fire and that nothing remains of her work.- or does it. Slowly the two start to unravel mysteries and secrets stretching back to 1920's. The earlier decades are through the perspective of the artist herself aided at times by her diaries and we get a sense of the scene in Paris.
Lloyd is at her best as she re-creates the atmosphere of the 1938 International exhibition of surrealism in Paris. The reader literally walks through the layout observing the great artists as they prepare for their showing. We see the intense jealousy and misogyny surrounding the world of art as it paints out the contributions of women. This snobbery and jealousy is mirrored in Cambridge with their secret societies and sense of who belongs.
This is an impeccable story delivered with such care,skill you name it. Thank you NetGalley : perfection

By far one of the most thrilling mysteries I have read. It grips from start to finish, a very clever tale. 5 stars

What an absolute banger! I've read all of Ellery Lloyd's previous novels and this one, I think, is their very best yet. A perfect summer read

Thank you to the author, publishers Macmillan and NetGalley UK for access to this as an advance reader’s ebook. This is an honest and voluntary review.

There are only two things people know about the Surrealist painter Juliette Willoughby - that she died in a fire with her more famous artist lover, and that none of her artwork survives. But, when two art students begin to study Juliette they find there may be darker secrets beyond the story everyone knows. Secrets that are still having repercussions decades later.

A richly detailed absorbing mystery. I loved the depth of the characters, the overlapping timelines, the reveals, the secrets which remained hidden.

One of the things I always love about Ellery Lloyd stories is the roundedness and balance of the characters. No one’s perfect, everyone is nuanced, and it’s delivered so convincingly. And that’s more true than ever in this latest book. The three main characters that the story is told through, Juliette, Patrick and Caroline, are all fully breathing and formed characters.

The plotting is also exquisite. I felt fully immersed and felt every heart in mouth moment of potential discovery or worried that the innocent would suffer for the sins of others. Exquisite.

A gripping mystery that begins in the 1920s in an English stately home then escapes to 1930s, Paris, rubbing shoulders with the Surrealists, with immersive details of life for Juliette Willoughby as a talented artist. (I loved the way art was written about so knowledgeably). Then to 1990s academic Cambridge where we meet a young Patrick and Caroline, navigating a potentially sensational art history find. Snobbery, machinations, boys from boarding school who form a backdrop to this timeline sharpen the readers sense not quite fitting in or belonging. Then we are flown to modern-day Dubai, a complex, money-obsessed and competitive country where nothing is as it seems. Intricately plotted, fast paced and vivid, this intelligent book kept me reading late into the night. A must read.

They say that the best English novels are the stories of families, and so it is with The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby. A twisty, dark and disturbing gothic thriller, time-arcing between the garrets of bohemian Paris in the 1930’s, to the dreamy academic colleges of Cambridge and decadent ‘Saltburn’ type stately homes in the 1990’s, then climaxing in present day Dubai, this is the epic story of a grand but damaged aristocratic family in turmoil and the innocent lives they carelessly change for ever.

Fast moving, with narrators alternating between the different time spans, The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby is a totally gripping and entertaining read from start to finish. I was devastated when I reached the end and I honestly believe that it’s not often that such a skilful and satisfying book is published. It is hopefully destined to become a classic, in the vein of ‘Rebecca’ and ‘Brideshead Revisited’.

Many thanks to all concerned for allowing me to read and review this terrific novel.

4.5 stars rounded up. Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC.
Thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed this book. Told via 3 timelines (1930s, 1990s and current day) with multiple points of view this is an involved tale of murder, dysfunctional families, art and dark academia - with a little bit of bonkers Egyptology thrown in for good measure. There are a number of twists which I did more or less guess before they were revealed but this was still a very satisfying read. If you enjoyed books such asThe Secret History, If We Were Villains and Possession, and films such as Saltburn, then you will probably devour this novel.

Very enjoyable tale.
I liked the mystery of the painting, and what it represented, and how it came to be lost.
There were plenty of surprises along the way.
A well crafted book that had me racing through the final parts.
I NEEDED to know everything.
I've enjoyed Lloyd before, but I'd say this is their best yet.

I'm new to Ellery Lloyd and I am happy to say that "The Final Act of Juliet Willoughby" was a triumph and I shall be reading their other books. Described as Saltburn meets Secret History, I was very curious to see how this stood up to those icons. It didn't disappoint although I wouldn't draw direct comparisons with either. I must admit that most of the action takes place around 80% onwards so for those who may think this is a slow burn, do stick with it as all the plot strands come together and the pace picks up big time. I'm a convert to Ellery Lloyd.

When I started this book, I was very close to DNF. 3 different POVs within 100 years with no distinctive voice was driving me a bit crazy. I kept going and it was getting more interesting. I didn't care about the art aspect as I have no interest in it in general. Towards the last 20%, there were lots of twists and turns and everything made sense and then I was well invested in the story as I didn't expect any of it. It is marketed as a physicological thriller but I feel that it is more like a mystery family drama.

The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby is described as a psychological thriller. This and the use of my family name in the title drew me to this book.

I was not disappointed.

The tension in this book is recurring, not constant but not far off.
The settings are all far from where the ordinary reader would find themselves.

The characters are good, interesting and sometimes crazy.

There are so many twists and turns reading the book is like trying to find the way out of a maze.

So did it work.

Definitely. A brilliant book from start to finish. I hope to see more books of this genre from this partnership.

Many thanks to the authors for many hours of tension and pleasure.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I'm a huge fan of the books by Ellery Lloyd and this book once again proves why. An absolute auto buy author for me due to her style of writing and themes that she picks up. This book being no different and in fact being my top pick from her work so far.

This is both a thriller and a historical fiction while also being slotted in the romance genre. This is what makes the book different and extremely enjoyable. It's told in multiple perspectives and threads to the main plot. Absolutely enjoyed reading this as it makes it realistic while bringing the pack of twists and edge of the seat thrills. Definitely on my top reads for this year. Recommend for sure!

Thank you Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange of my unbiased review.

Wow, what a tangled web of deciet over generations. Far reaching consequences that only untangle at the very end.
Caroline and Patrick meet as art history students at Cambridge. A love affair with far reaching consequences not just for themselves but for their social circles.
Writing dissertations on 1930s surrealism artists. Leads to unthinkable truths becoming knowledge.
A brilliant book

I loved this book. I loved the multiple time lines and how it all ties together. It’s quite a unique storyline and so very different to what I’ve read before.

I really enjoyed this book! I look forward to reading other books by this author. There were so many twists in this book I didn’t see coming. But then again I rarely can figure books out. I would definitely recommend this book!