Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Last One To See Her by Mark Tilbury! My thanks to Mark for the invitation to join the tour and for the review copy. Make sure you also check out my dear friend Zoé’s review.
Author : Mark Tilbury
Title : The Last One To See Her
Pages : 400
Publisher : Tilbury Publishing
Publication date : June 4, 2020
| ABOUT THE BOOK |
He says he is innocent. So why did he lie?
Mathew Hillock was the last person to see eleven-year-old Jodie Willis alive. When her dead body turns up four days later in his garden shed, the police think he’s guilty of her murder. So do most people in the town. But there’s no DNA evidence to link him to the crime.
Battling the weight of public opinion and mental illness due to a childhood head trauma, he sinks into a deep depression.
Can Mathew do what the police failed to do and find evidence linking the real killer to the crime?
| MY THOUGHTS |
Twisted Tilbury is back with a vengeance! From the utterly brutal prologue to the shocking conclusion, and everything in between, The Last One To See Her is an incredibly gripping and addictive page-turner.
When eleven year old Jodie Willis goes missing, suspicious minds quickly turn to Mathew Hillock. After all, he was the last person to see Jodie alive and he lied about his whereabouts. Mathew’s situation becomes even more precarious when Jodie’s body is found. Mathew isn’t like other people. He often loses hours from his day, not quite knowing where he’s been or what he’s done. If he can’t even trust himself, how will he convince anyone else he didn’t do anything wrong?
Mathew is one of those characters you root for from the start. Sure, he seems extremely set in his ways and displays quite a lot of quirks but he comes across as kind and gentle in that whole wouldn’t-hurt-a-fly kind of way. Mathew lives with his mother. His best friend is a tortoise, Tortilla. His brother, Gareth, is his rock. And that’s how small Mathew’s world is. But it soon becomes apparent there is a reason for the way Mathew behaves. Unfortunately for him, being different from the norm also makes him a natural suspect.
On the other side of the spectrum, we are introduced to Jim Bentley. A local drugs dealer, Jim is one of those characters that Mark Tilbury does so incredibly well. Loathsome, vile, despicable and getting under your skin in the worst way possible. He’s the kind of character you hope will get his comeuppance at some point, no matter if he’s actually guilty of something or not. Jim, too, often doesn’t remember where he’s been or what he’s done, courtesy of alcohol and drugs. And he was also in the area when Jodie was last seen. So, is he responsible for her kidnapping and murder?
Dark and twisty doesn’t even begin to cover it, although maybe not as dark as some of Tilbury’s previous books. Add to that the delightful somewhat supernatural vibe I expect from this author’s stories and I was one happy bunny. Which is saying a lot because I’m normally not a fan of the supernatural whatsits in my stories but Mark Tilbury does it so well, it almost feels real. And as if all that isn’t enough, there is a range of emotions to go through as well. From Mathew’s issues, to prejudice, to abuse, to Jodie’s mum who has to try and find a way to navigate a whole other world without her daughter … I mean, I went from sheer sadness to anger and all the way back again.
So, who killed Jodie? I didn’t have a clue and I kept switching back and forth, all the while hoping Mathew wasn’t responsible because he’s just that kind of character. Twisty? Yes! Twisted? Most definitely! The Last One To See Her is yet another compelling and engrossing book by Mark Tilbury and I have no doubt fans of his work will be thrilled with this one. I know I was!
The Last One To See Her is available to buy!
| ABOUT THE AUTHOR |
Mark lives in a small village in the lovely county of Cumbria, although his books are set in Oxfordshire where he was born and raised.
After being widowed and raising his two daughters, Mark finally took the plunge and self-published two books on Amazon, The Revelation Room and The Eyes of the Accused.
He’s always had a keen interest in writing, and is extremely proud to have had seven novels published by Bloodhound Books. His latest novel, The Last One To See Her will be published 4th June 2020.
When he’s not writing, Mark can be found playing guitar, reading and walking.
Novel Deelights 
This was just…so just…well it was that good!
Love your review. it was so twisty!
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Fantastic review! xx
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Excellent review, Eva💜
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