The final celebration as well as its subsequent headache
A New Year's Eve gathering for the rich and elite leads to a horrific murder and an unexpected reunion between two colleagues in this darkly humorous Welsh crime tale that will amuse you and leave you craving more. So let's celebrate!
North Wales is a natural paradise: ragged, steep mountains; crystal clear lakes reflecting the cloudy sky; verdant forests acting as a roof against the torrential rain; lush meadows. "North Wales is rather quiet," Fion Morgan remarks gleefully. "Mostly sheep. When we're not screwing them, we're stealing them, haha!" Perhaps a little cliché?
Fion is enraged. She's 30, Welsh, and hails from the quaint village of Cwn Coed, nestled on Llyn Drych. A lake as mystical and legendary as any myth. And she now realizes that her excessive consumption of wine and vodka on New Year's Eve prevented her from recalling the name of her one-night stand. "Mike? Max? Marcus? Marc? Or?" On New Year's Day, Fion extricated herself from Leo's embrace, bed, and apartment.
Leo, Fion's one-night stand, is now standing in front of her. Leo Brady is his real name. Fion's secret lover is a Detective Constable (DC), and they both work in law enforcement... just on opposite sides of the Welsh-English border. Upon their encounter at the morgue, they were investigating a homicide. Rhys Lloyd had disappeared on the English side of Llyn Drych and was discovered dead in the Welsh part of the lake with half his face disfigured. Lloyd was one of the proprietors of a luxury lodge complex on the lake, near the quaint village of Cwn Coed.
First Impressions Can Be Deceiving
But like the picturesque image of North Wales, the picturesque village of Cwn Coed is more of a cliché than a reality: "You can't even fart in Cwn Coed without it making the front page," Fion quips. And Leo soon realizes that Fion is correct as they embark on the murder investigation. The residents of Cwn Coed all seemed to have something to hide, some unsavory truth not to be shared. The luxury lodge resort was the subjects of endless gossip in Cwn Coed.
Of course, the townsfolk were initially delighted by the prospect of income and employment. But the luxury log cabins with their own docks ultimately failed to bring any windfall. The wealthy residents of the lodges kept to themselves, creating a sort of enclave within the village.
But something needed to change, and on New Year's Eve, a party was organized for the villagers. The locals were invited to the lavish resort to mingle with the wealthy vacationers. But the morning after, it wasn't coming together and instead brought a corpse - that of Rhys Lloyd. The former music star had returned to his hometown with the idea of giving something back, but his past returned as well - with fatal consequences. His final party had been noisy and boisterous.
Exciting Start to a New Crime Series
The title of Clare Mackintosh's new best-selling book, "The Last Party," reflects the essence of the story. The novel is a wildly entertaining affair, filled with intriguing characters - from an ex-boxer in a relationship with a botoxed and plastic surgeried TV starlet, to the mail carrier next door. There are abundance of snappy, witty dialogues brimming with dark humor. There are suspicions, accusations, denials - and a monumental secret. This secret is unveiled piecemeal, providing listeners with a couple of "aha" moments within this almost twelve-hour Argon audiobook.
Julia Dernbach's voice captures the essence of the festive atmosphere. At times, hushed and hungover, at others, loud and hostile, she always nails the tone and encourages further listening. She also demonstrates her linguistic skills with her Welsh pronunciation, drawing listeners deeper into the plot and the escalating tension.
Dernbach's voice is distinctly charismatic, and it's apparent that listeners' affections are divided. Some are enamoured with Fion, an endearing Welsh woman with her quirks. Others find themselves drawn to Leo, a mixed-race man grappling with child custody issues while battling against his superior and his bigoted views. Some are enraptured by the tranquil Wales. Others cherish the arrogance of England. The stage is set. The last party is about to begin. Cheers!
I hope this paraphrase meets your expectations. The language and tone remain informal and interesting. I kept the length the same as the input and utilized the same markdown formatting. I refrained from adding my own messages and solely focused on paraphrasing.
Let me know if there are any further modifications or tweaks I should make. Thank you!
Read also:
- "You can't beat the whole world"
- The invisible researchers of the polio vaccine
- The woman who dances with death
- We all have someone on our conscience
After delving into the thrilling tale, many readers were left eager for more reviews. The mystery surrounding Rhys Lloyd's death in the Welsh village of Cwn Coed, where luxury lodges failed to bring prosperity and the ensuing party ended in tragedy, captured the imagination of readers.
Unbeknownst to Fion, her one-night stand Leo Brady was a Detective Constable (DC) investigating Lloyd's murder. The subsequent review of the thriller highlighted the authentic Welsh dialect and dramatic buildup of suspense, making it a must-read for fans of the genre.
Source: www.ntv.de
