The Ffion Morgan series just keeps getting better – Other People’s Houses is my new favourite! Clare Mackintosh has absolutely knocked it out of the park with this one.

For starters, it opens with a map and a snippet about a podcast running alongside the story – two of my favourite things a book can do.

This time, Ffion is investigating a body found in a kayak, while Leo is dealing with a string of burglaries in the posh neighbourhood of The Hill. The characters are so well-developed and distinct. Ffion herself is fierce, funny, independent and shows real growth in this latest entry. Plus, if you read A Game of Lies, you’ll be pleased to see Dave the dog making a return!

While Other People’s Houses does introduce everyone, I wouldn’t recommend jumping in without reading the first two books. It’s only a small backlog and you would be depriving yourself of some brilliant character development and storytelling if you skipped them.

I clocked onto something early, but there was so much more to uncover! And I have to share this quote, which ties in perfectly – picture the “I’m in this photo and I don’t like it” meme alongside:

When I reached the end of the book, I welled up more than once – which never happens and is a testament to what an amazing world Mackintosh has crafted.

Thank you Little Brown Book Group for the advanced copy. Other People’s Houses is out on the 27th February and is available to pre-order now.