I'm always happy to see Clare Mackintosh in my NetGalley inbox - she's a go-to author for me and the DC Ffion Morgan series has been brilliant to date, Other People's Houses is the third in the series and a great addition.
An interesting plot, satisfying twists and great leading characters, I'm already looking forward to book 4.
4 stars.

DS Leo Brady is called on to investigate a series of burglaries on The Hill, a residential area of luxury homes where Cheshire’s wealthiest (and often unhappiest) live. Strangely, there seems to be a connection with the case across the border in Wales, where his lover DC Ffion Morgan is investigating the murder of an estate agent staying in a holiday let on a jolly with her workmates. As secrets from the past are uncovered, a web of corruption, lies and betrayals begins to unfold. Another cracking mystery from Mackintosh, the third in this series which combines intrigue and tension with humour and a strong Welsh flavour. Ffion is a wonderful character, chaotic and prickly but also vulnerable and deeply likeable. It is a delight to see her relationship with Leo deepening despite the misunderstandings that still arise regularly, and to see her forming a hesitant friendship with her colleague George, who is in many ways Ffion’s opposite but with whom she finds she has things in common. The darker aspects of the story are also lightened by the disastrous presence of Dave, the rescue dog who has overcome Ffion’s resistance and become part of her life. A very enjoyable read, as an excellent crime thriller that will keep you guessing and as an exploration of relationships that will have you invested in the lives of these messy but loveable characters.

Another gripping book by Clare Macintosh. It kept me guessing all the way through and I could not put this down. Really enjoying this series of D C Morgan and already looking forward to reading the next one. It would make a great TV series.

DC Ffion Morgan is trying to buy a new house via an unenthusiastic estate agent but when the body of a woman from a rival establishment is found any personal feelings have to be put aside. Meanwhile boyfriend DS Leo Brady is concentrating on burglaries in The Hills, an exclusive residential area which just happens to be round the corner from where his son Harris lives with ex-wife Allie. As the two cases overlap are Ffion and Leo about to discover that where you live has no bearing on what you'll do to keep your secrets safe?

Clare Mackintosh's third book in the Detective Ffion Morgan series is a compulsive page turner that continues on from the previous books brilliantly. The influence of social media and the impossibly perfect lifestyles portrayed there, the selfishness of the entitled, or those desperate to be accepted, all make this a brilliant read which I thoroughly enjoyed and didn't work out until I was supposed to.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Little, Brown Book Group UK/Sphere, but the opinions expressed are my own. A must read series this is the best installment yet. Highly recommended.

After thoroughly enjoying the first two books on this series, I was very keen to read the latest instalment.

The writing in this book was really lovely, I liked how the writing style was descriptive without being too literary. There was a large cast of suspects, but they were so well written that I never mixed them up or got confused. I appreciated the undertone of humour throughout the book, there was a lot of light relief interspersed with the murders.

My only complaint is that it would be really nice if, just once, a childfree by choice main character gets to remain that way, rather than always pushing the narrative that they might change their mind one day.

Thank you to NetGalley, Clare Mackintosh and Little Brown Book Group UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review. Clare Mackintosh is one of my favourite authors so this was highly anticipated and meant a lot.

If I had to make any criticisms, there are some slight inconsistencies - Haris becomes Harris, Alex becomes Alec and Emily becomes Emmy after the map page (why I should be a proof reader!) Also there are a LOT of characters, so much so that with every new introduction I was worried I’d forget who they were and what their link to the story was.

But what did I like: everything! I was glued to this story, the cliffhanger chapters were easy to read and I found myself covering up the last words of each with my hand to stop myself reading ahead! Clare has done it once again and her Ffion Morgan books are proving to be a great series. Characters that you care about, just the right amount of humour, and the twist…wow!

Another great addition to the DC Ffion Morgan series. A wonderful cast of credible characters and a multi-stranded plot make this a compelling read.
A very well-written story, easy to read with some great humour.
Highly recommended.

An extremely well-crafted novel Flesh and blood characters. Leo's ex-wife Allie in particular is very amusing in her attempts to social climb and be in with her far richer neighbours on The Hill. Leo is very patiently hoping that Ffion will move in with him. There is a double murder cold case to be solved and also a series of break-ins. Then an estate agent is killed. Now Ffion doesn't like estate agents as they have been giving her the run around lately over a house she is trying to purchase but even she thinks murder is a step too far! A lot of twists and red herrings and a nail-biting conclusion

Another cracking addition to the DC Ffion Morgan series. The story opens with a body found floating in a kayak on Mirror Lake. A rowdy group of estate agents have been partying and one of the party has turned up dead. While Ffion is investigating this crime, her boyfriend, DS Leo Brady of Cheshire CID is assigned to a series of burglaries in the nearby exclusive neighborhood of the Hills. Overlapping storylines and characters quickly come to the fore., with past and present happenings and connections. The author has great strength in attention to detail and excellent character studies. She brings real intensity into the characters in the novel successfully bringing them to life.
Although this is the third in the series, it would work well as a standalone. I appreciate the opportunity for this advance copy from NetGalley and I highly recommend this book, as well as the two previous books in the series.

A great new Ffion book, bringing back familiar characters.
The book combines a murdered estate agent, robberies from expensive houses on a very smart road with some very unlikeable residents, and a cold case of murder that has been re-opened partly due to a podcast, where may citizen journalists/cops supply their own theories.
It also focuses the spotlight on Leo’s ex-wife (not very flatteringly), and son, who both play a key role in the story.
With a lot of dry humour, the book races along, and comes to a satisfying conclusion when all the loose ends are tied up.
I look forward to the next adventure.

Thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for the opportunity to read this book.

Another banger of a murder mystery with Ffion and Leo. This series is rapidly becoming my 'can't wait til the next book comes out' read, so much so I do have to slow myself down when reading it as the pleasure would be gone too soon.

Lots of twists and turns, characters new and old, and of course, a brain puzzling murder at the centre of it.

Top read!

Ffion, Leo & Dave are back in the third book of the series. Ffion & Leo are a couple, but with reservations on Ffion’s side. What they need is a cold murder case & a body in a kayak & a load of local burglaries! Things are complicated, & sometimes helped, by a viral podcast series centred on the cold case.

I enjoyed this book, but found the podcast bits jarring. I felt they interrupted the flow of the novel, but that may be because I read an e copy, it might sit better on an actual page. I’d love to see these characters on the small screen, I think it would work beautifully.

Another brilliant instalment in this the 3rd book in the Ffion Morgan series.
It was really great catching up with Ffion,Leo, and their growing relationship and, of course, Dave the dog.
Leo's ex-wifeI Allie was at times cringeworthy by her attempts to fit in with her neighbours on the hill, but I did find myself feeling sorry for her, I hope she's learnt her lesson now!!
Told from multiple POV that all come together perfectly.
The outcome was surprising and unexpected, which is always the sign of a story well told.
This was my absolute favourite of the 3 books.
I didn't want this one to end and look forward to Ffion and Leo's next adventure.
Well done, Claire Mackintosh, for yet another gripping read.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.Thanks to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for the ARC.

Took me a little while to get into this, but once I did, it had me gripped. Really enjoying this series and getting to know the characters and their traits a little better, looking forward to the next in the series!

I have recently been lucky enough to meet the author of Other People's Houses @claremacwrites when she asked for some readers to attend a Q&A session with her to mark the anniversary of her book 'I Let you Go'. We also discussed her upcoming book coming out in February 2025 Other People's Houses. This book features her characters Ffion Morgan and Leo again. And of course, Dave.

Well what can I say, after receiving an early copy through Netgalley this is Clare's best yet! I read it in two days and was late for an event because I just needed to get to the end. Clare has expertly woven together three different police investigations featuring Ffion and Leo in their two police districts of North Wales and Cheshire. I am amazed at how Clare keeps all the different strands together so we never know how it's all connected. Clare told me that she has lots of post it notes and timelines on a white board and you can really see how she would need this. The result is a cracking story with suspense, twists and turns and a lot of humour!

Highly recommend getting this book on it's release date in February. Thanks to Netgalley for the pre publication copy.

I am a huge fan of Ffion Morgan and Leo and was absolutely delighted to hear that Clare MacIntosh was reuniting the two detectives for a futher adventure.

Ffion and Leo are now an ‘item’, although this is subject to negotiation! Ffion needs to leave her rental, but she’s not sure whether she’s ready to move in. Leo is still navigating his tricky relationship with his ex-wife Allie and very keen not to jeopardise any access to his son, Harris. Leo is called in on a case which involves a series of burglaries in posh houses on “The Hill”. Ffion is investigating the murder of a young woman - an estate agent. Natasha was on a work trip with fellow estatate agents though her possessive boyfriend was suspicious. Added to this a podcast has gone viral and reawakened interest in a cold case involving the murder of previous residents of The Hill. Leo and Ffion’s cases seemingly sit either side of the Welsh/English border, but it becomes increasingly likely that the cases might be linked. And another complication is the involvement of Allie who aspires to the lifestyles of the residents on The Hill and will do anything to be part of their group..

Ffion and Leo have become two of my favourite detectives and I love the chemistry between the two of them. I’m not a romance reader but oh how I want these two characters to end up together! I love the way the author sets up these stories cross border with two different police forces vying for control, with some interesting personality dynamics shaping the investigations.

The case(s) themselves are gorgeously domestic and that’s my favourite kind of detective fiction. We get to go in all the houses and meet all the neighbours - this would make an excellent tv series! Allie really got under my skin as did several of the other residents! This is a story which twists and turns as much as those country roads and I had absolutely no idea who had done it! The tension is really ramped towards the ending with a finale to push you firmly onto the edge of your seat!

Huge thanks to Netgalley and Little Brown Group for my digital copy.

‘Other People’s Houses’ by Clare Mackintosh is the third book in the DC Ffion Morgan series. The story follows Ffion and DS Leo Brady - who worked out their romantic issues in ‘Game Of Lies’ - as they each investigate a property-related crime… Ffion is trying to solve the murder of an Estate Agent (while not-quite-seriously contemplating killing her own!) and Leo is reviewing a spate of burglaries on The Hill - an exclusive (and expensive) community full of grand houses. Woven into the narrative is an intriguing cold case brought to top of mind by an explosive true crime podcast…

I really love how well-constructed the leads of this series are, and care deeply about Ffion and Leo (and of course, Dave the dog!) Seeing their relationship grow is rewarding, and the ups and downs of integrating two lives with children and exes involved were realistically described. These characters - as well as George, who opened her heart a little more in this instalment - are what make the series a must-read!

The police procedural aspects were informative, pacy and captivating, and it was supremely satisfying to see the puzzle pieces fit together. There were a few absolutely heart-stopping moments and tension permeated the final 20%.

The novel was also a gripping and sharp commentary on the property market, socioeconomic status and shady deals. The Hill gained an almost mythical status, with house prices a key focus of every discussion, and the metaphor of Leo’s ex Allie living at the bottom of the hill but trying to ingratiate into the peak’s community was mortifyingly accurate. The interactions between residents, their staff and police officers were interesting, and the estate agent characters were spot-on with their unlikeability.

This was a five star read for me and my fave of the series so far! Recommend reading the series in order, starting with ‘The Last Party’.

I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher Little Brown Book Group, UK via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Took me a while to get into this, but when I did wow!!!! Really gripping stuff, dome complex relationships, a touch of narcism in there and I was a happy gal 😊

I've read a few of Clare's books over the last year or so, and have thoroughly enjoyed each one. I love everything about them, the characters, the story, the suspense! I felt sorry for Allie who was desperately trying to fit into her new neighbourhood. You didn't know who to trust. Burglaries, murder...go read it!

I absolutely loved this book. I was torn between wanting to fly through it to see what happens and slowing down to savor the twists, the action, the laugh out loud humor. In the end I flew through it and am hoping madly there will be another Leo, Ffion and Dave book. If you have not started this three book series do yourself a favor and start at the beginning with The Last Party.