The Last Hour Between Worlds by Melissa Caruso
Rating: 4.5/5
Release Date: 21 November 2024

Kembral Thorne relishes her rare break from motherhood at the year-turning ball. However, festivities take a deadly turn as guests begin to drop like flies. Duty calls for Kembral, a member of the Guild of Hounds, as she senses trouble brewing. Complicating matters is her longstanding adversary, the notorious cat burglar Rika Nonesuch, also lurking amidst the chaos.

Central to the chaos is a mysterious clock, triggering the ballroom's descent into surreal and perilous realms with each chime. As the party navigates through increasingly hazardous versions of their city, Kembral must rely on her cunning—and begrudgingly, on Rika—to untangle the enigma before catastrophe befalls their world.

Caruso's latest fantasy mystery was a delight, I couldn't have been more pleased. It kept me guessing right up until the final page, and the world-building—where reality takes on wilder and more perilous echoes—was refreshingly original.

This story is a brilliant blend of cleverness, wit, and plenty of twists and turns. It also features a cast of characters who leap off the page with authenticity and empathy.

I highly recommend this read.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Little Brown Book Group UK | Orbit, and the author,Melissa Caruso, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.