The Last to Disappear - by Jo Spain (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

'Dark and terrifying, utterly compelling' SARAH PEARSE

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A luxury resort. Three missing women. One body.

When young London professional Alex Evans is informed that his sister's body has been pulled from an icy lake in Northern Lapland, he assumes his irresponsible sister accidentally drowned. He travels to the wealthy winter resort where Vicky worked as a tour-guide and meets Agatha Koskinen, the detective in charge. Agatha is a no-nonsense single mother of three who already thinks there's more to Vicky's case than meets the eye.

As the two form an unlikely alliance, Alex also begins to suspect the small town where his sister lived and died is harbouring secrets. It's not long before he learns that three other women have gone missing from the area in the past and that his sister may have left him a message.

On the surface, Koppe, Lapland is a winter wonderland. But in this remote, frozen place, death seems only ever a heartbeat away.

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'A breathless, tense thriller' B. P. Walter

'Utterly ingenious' Liz Nugent

'Tense and atmospheric' Catherine Cooper

'Unforgettable!' Allie Reynolds

'Jo Spain never disappoints' Chris Whitaker

Review Quotes

Fans of Wisting and other Scandi writing will love this--Irish Independent

Ingenious--Irish Times

Spain has always been one of the finest Irish crime writers and The Last to Disappear is her best book yet--Irish Times

A fast-paced thriller with captivating characters--Candis

A tense, breathless thriller with such an evocatively drawn setting, you feel like you're right there in the ice yourself, on the hunt for a killer. The Last to Disappear is absolutely stunning--B. P. Walter

A Scandi thriller to give you chills!--Peterborough Telegraph

An exceptionally good crime novel; fluently written with some nicely-judged surprises and insights--Shots

I was absolutely blown away by this utterly ingenious book. So deftly plotted with entirely credible characters. Even though it's early in the year, I doubt I'll read a better crime novel in 2022. I absolutely loved it--Liz Nugent

Spain's best mystery yet--Irish Independent

Tense and atmospheric, set against a frozen landscape with reindeer, snowmobiles and interesting, varied and realistic characters. Beautifully written - loved it--Catherine Cooper

The queen of the corkscrew plot has not lost her Midas touch--Sunday Times Crime Club

Thrilling and twisty, with a plot as chilling as the setting.The Last to Disappear is further proof that Jo Spain never disappoints--Chris Whitaker

Vividly described . . . Brilliant--Belfast Telegraph

What an amazing thriller! I loved everything about it. So vivid, atmospheric and chilling with a tight, unpredictable plot and a cast of characters that jumped off the page. A triumph!--Claire Douglas

A superb crime thriller, brilliantly written, with a unique winter wonderland setting and a fascinating bunch of characters. The story offers terrifying glimpses of the darkness inside us. Unforgettable!--Allie Reynolds

Building to an incendiary, skilfully contrived, genuinely unexpected series of revelations, The Last to Disappear is a compelling, immensely satisfying crime novel--Irish Times

Makes for ideal poolside reading--STELLAR Magazine

Small-town Finnish life is engagingly drawn and Spain's straightforward style makes for an easy, enjoyable read as she steadily builds the sense of threat--Financial Times

The plot is gripping, driven by snappy writing, expertly crafted with unexpected twists--Sunday Independent

This brilliant book captured me from the first page and didn't let go! Jo Spain's beautifully atmospheric prose transports you to the beautiful, frozen landscape of Finland, immersing you in a dark and terrifying mystery that kept me constantly guessing. Agatha Koskinen, the detective, is utterly compelling as a character and I relished following her throughout the twists and turns of the investigation. A fantastic, page-turning read. I absolutely loved it! --Sarah Pearse

Whether you're heading off on holiday or just chilling in the garden, this gripping new thriller from Jo Spain should be on your to-read list--YOU Magazine

About the Author

Jo Spain is a full-time writer and screenwriter. Her first novel, With Our Blessing, was one of seven books shortlisted in the Richard and Judy Search for a Bestseller competition and her first psychological thriller, The Confession, was a number one bestseller in Ireland. Jo co-writes the internationally acclaimed Harry Wild TV series and is currently working on several TV productions, including the adaptation of her own Detective Tom Reynolds series. Jo lives in Dublin with her husband and their four children.