Bestselling crime author Clare Mackintosh has released her latest novel, Other People’s Houses, continuing her popular DC Ffion Morgan crime series and once again turning a sharp eye on the secrets hidden behind respectable façades.
Set across Cheshire and North Wales, the novel – now out in paperback – intertwines two investigations that at first appear unconnected.
In a wealthy neighbourhood known as The Hill – set in the fictional village of Tattenbrook in Cheshire – a series of break-ins puzzles police when homeowners report that nothing of value has been taken.
Meanwhile, in Wales, detective DC Ffion Morgan is called to the discovery of a body in a lake, in a case that quickly becomes more complicated than it first appears.
As the inquiries progress, it becomes clear that the crimes are linked by more than coincidence. Mackintosh uses the parallel storylines to explore themes of property, privilege, and social aspiration, asking what people are willing to hide, or risk, to protect their place in the world.
Clare, a Number One Sunday Times bestselling author, was a police officer with Thames Valley Police for 12 years, finishing at the rank of Inspector.
In 2016 she relocated from the Cotswolds to Bala in North Wales with her family, three spaniels and a goat called Pete.
Known for combining tightly plotted mysteries with vivid character work, Mackintosh brings back fan-favourite characters including DS Leo Brady, Ffion’s partner both professionally and personally. Their relationship adds emotional depth to the investigation, while also highlighting the pressures faced by police officers whose personal and professional lives overlap.
Early reader reactions have praised Other People’s Houses for its sharp dialogue, dark humour, and timely social commentary, particularly around housing inequality and the obsession with status. The novel balances classic police-procedural elements with a broader examination of modern Britain’s fixation on property and image.
Clare, who has sold over three million copies of her books worldwide, told Inspire Cheshire: “I wrote Other People’s Houses so I could call my obsessive Rightmove habit research!”
Other People’s Houses follows The Last Party and A Game of Lies in the DC Ffion Morgan series, but can also be read as a standalone novel. With its mix of suspense, wit, and social insight, it reinforces Mackintosh’s position as one of the UK’s most reliable voices in contemporary crime fiction.
Clare’s guide to her 50 favourite novels
Get Booked with Clare Mackintosh
Clare will be appearing at the Theatr Clwyd on February 5th and April 2nd for a new literary event. Clare will be talking to some of the UK’s most exciting authors for a lively, unfiltered look at their writing lives – with plenty of twists along the way.
Guests confirmed for the chat show style event include Elly Griffiths, Harriet Evans, Vaseem Khan, Steph McGovern, Ann Cleeves and Mark Edwards.
With audience Q&As, exclusive behind-the-scenes stories and the opportunity to buy signed and dedicated books, Get Booked is a literary chat show like no other.
