One Last Child (Tallman's Valley #1) by Anni Taylor
Genre: Crime fiction, psychological thriller, noir
Read: 14th March 2020
Purchase: Amazon
(publication date: 15th January 2020)
★★★★★ 4.5 stars rounded up
I was first introduced to Anni Taylor with her debut "The Game You Played" which was scintillatingly brilliant and even more so that it was set around areas I am familiar with in Sydney and have frequented often. But more and more there are some wonderful Australian thriller writers coming out of the woodwork...and Anni Taylor is one of them.
I wasn't sure what to expect with ONE LAST CHILD but I shouldn't have been at all surprised if her debut was anything to go by. And I certainly wasn't disappointed. Despite being twice the length of many other authors in this genre, the pace of the story and the easy writing style had me devouring every last page in just over 24 hours - with a few hours for sleep in between...lol
The premise for this book was an extraordinary concept. Five 3 year old children disappear from a nursery school picnic within a few short seconds on inattention...and all without a trace. It was a day the lives of the parents and family of these children changed forever. Added to that is the fact that the grandmother of one of the missing children, Ivy, is the town's local homicide detective, DS Kate Wakefield.
Kate and her husband Pete have a cottage in the Tallman's Valley, a once-small now growing community situated just a short drive from the main hub of Katoomba in the vastly expanse and dense bushland of the Blue Mountains. Kate had worked homicide in Sydney until the birth of her daughter Abby before moving to Tallman's Valley where she has worked in the local area command for the past 20 years.
Abby was 18 when she returned from an overseas holiday pregnant and then giving birth to Ivy, who was clearly the light of their world. Abby was at a university lecture where she was studying law at the time Ivy went missing and her life took a rapid downward spiral in the wake of her little girl's disappearance. She never forgave herself for not being there for her. Abby and her mother have had a rocky relationship since Abby's teens and the disappearance only served to alienate the two women more. They fell out and Abby escaped to Sydney where they heard nothing more from her until years later she returned with 4 month baby Jasper.
It's now three and a half years later and the Strike-force team original set up to investigate the disappearance of the five children are no closer now than they were when they went missing. Kate is brought in and seconded to the team - something which she wanted from the beginning but was advised against due to her personal interest. She revisited the park from which the children disappeared and set about re-interviewing witnesses to get her own feel for the case. Almost at once, Kate got a sense that something wasn't right. The team leader, however, despite being the same rank as her, refused to entertain Kate's notions and instead focused on the paedophile ring angle...despite there being no evidence alluding to one.
Then within a day or so, the children start returning to their homes one by one...all except Ivy. Why the other children and not Ivy? What did the kidnappers want with her? And then, the team discuss the possibility that Ivy was the target all along in retaliation to someone Kate had put away. Was this true? Was Kate the reason Ivy and the other children were taken? Or was there something more sinister at play here?
Whilst not divided into "parts" as such, the first half of ONE LAST CHILD focuses on the search and investigation into the missing children which then turns into a three and a half year nightmare for their families. Despite this build up, the pace is not at all slow which alludes to the author's expert hand at penning such a compelling read with meticulous attention to detail. Anni Taylor not only tells the story, she draws the reader in and uses the surrounding environment to create an atmosphere of impending doom maintaining the element of suspense throughout. She manipulates the characters with ingenuity keeping readers guessing throughout as we try to figure out who is guilty and who isn't. But what we discover is that just about every character has a secret to hide...and it is up to Kate to sift through the secrets and the lies to uncover the truth.
The second half of ONE LAST CHILD with the return of four of the children and the investigation begins to shift focus. And as it continues, it seems that there are more and more questions than there are answers. New suspects come to light and new avenues pursued. But do any of them lead them to the truth? And more importantly, to Ivy? Even the parents of the children returned begin to question why Ivy didn't return with the others and if it had something to do with Kate. Tempers flare and accusations abound...but Kate is relentless. She will not rest until Ivy is found and those responsible are captured.
Alongside the investigation into the disappearance and return of the children is another case that has plagued Kate for as long as this one. The senseless murder of a young 20 year old woman who was beaten then strangled, the jewellery she was wearing stolen and never seen again. It lead us down an interesting side path when one of the pieces of jewellery turns up...in the house Abby now lives with her boyfriend. This leads Kate to question his involvement in the murder, putting Kate and her daughter at loggerheads once again. The way both cases entwined but separately was a clever addition which made for some compelling reading.
I really liked Kate. Sixty-plus, happily married and in no way at all like the stereotypical detectives of many other crime thrillers that end up grating on my nerves. Sure she has her problems, mainly her relationship with her daughter Abby, but those are things author Anni Taylor uses to create an even more captivating story...to which she has alluded will be included in the second novel in this exciting new series. I can't wait to see where that will be taking us! I love Kate's relationship with her husband which seems to go from strength to strength and is so refreshing to see, rather than the constant broken marriages of detectives drowning their sorrows whenever off duty. Pete is her tower of strength and it is refreshing to see his understanding of how demanding Kate's job is and doesn't at all accuse her of putting him second to it. Instead he supports her and comforts her when she needs his strength. It is so refreshing and I love it. I really look forward to getting to know Kate, Pete and Abby in in the future.
I was a tad disappointed in the ending as it did seem a little random and appeared to be unrelated to the rest of the story. The reasoning behind the abductions was a little obscure as well. I felt it should have had more to do with one or two of the other characters and their pasts (and woven together a little neater), one of which was mentioned and alluded to early on but nothing came of it disappointingly. But the tension and the build up in the climax was both atmospheric and foreboding. I could really see myself alongside Kate on that dark narrow road to Jenolan Caves.
I thoroughly enjoyed ONE LAST CHILD and it kept me guessing all the way through. I didn't foresee the guilty behind it though I do admit to picking up on a clue along the way...a witness to the abduction they couldn't interview but then a picture speaks a thousand words.
Although this is just the second thriller by Anni Taylor I have read, I simply LOVE her style and I eagerly await more from her (OK, so I do have a couple of her other books on my shelf to read yet...lol). She has the ability to create a sense of foreboding with just the environmental setting and her ability to set that tone and build up suspense with tension and trepidation whilst keeping readers guessing throughout is outstanding.
And what makes it even better...is the Blue Mountains setting. It is on my doorstep and I know it well.
Highly recommended to anyone who loves a good mystery thriller.
I would like to thank #AnniTaylor, #NetGalley and #BooksGoSocial for an ARC of #OneLastChild in exchange for an honest review.
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