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Winner of the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger 2009.
Judges’ comments: 'Accomplished and ambitious piece of southern gothic. It is beautifully rendered, with a cast of memorable characters - full of pathos, atmosphere and mystery. A cracking and original story.'
With the success of Down River expectation for John Hart's new novel is high so take the opportunity to read the first chapter of The Last Child and you will not be disappointed. We are pleased to say he has hit the jackpot yet again with a suspenseful, gripping thriller and deserves all the recognition he gets.
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Synopsis
The Last Child by John Hart
Thirteen-year-old Johnny Merrimon has to face things no boy his age should face. In the year since his twin sister’s abduction his world has fallen apart: his father has disappeared and his fragile mother is spiralling into ever deeper despair.
Johnny keeps strong. Armed with a map, a bike and a flashlight, he stalks the bad men of Raven County. The police might have given up on Alyssa; he never will. Someone, somewhere, knows something they’re not telling.
Only one person looks out for Johnny. Detective Clyde Hunt shares his obsession with the case. But when Johnny witnesses a hit-and-run and insists the victim was killed because he’d found Alyssa, even Hunt thinks he’s lost it.
And then another young girl goes missing...
Reviews
'The Last Child is as satisfying as his previous books'
Guardian
'Just once in a while a thriller comes along that makes you want to run out in the street and proclaim how good it is ? John Hart's third novel is one of those. Written with power, precision and an iron grip on character it makes him out as one of the outstanding talents of his generation ... it grips you by the throat and never lets go'
Daily Mail
'A gripping thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat'
The Sun
'Hart is emerging as one of the biggest new American talents in the psychological thriller field, and should be joining Harlan Coben and Linwood Barclay on the bestseller lists'
Bookseller
'Third novel from this rising US author'
Bookseller
'I absolutely love this man's writing, and by that I mean all aspects of it: plotting, characterization and its lyrical quality ... John Hart has joined the highest ranks of crime fiction writing. Thank heavens he's a young man so we'll have his novels to enjoy for many years to come'
Deadly Pleasures
'EDGAR Allan Poe Award winner John Hart does something in his latest book that few manage successfully: write a compelling thriller with a child as the main character... Hart, a former lawyer from the US deep south, writes finely detailed prose with a literary edge, a fine sense of atmosphere and just the right touches of creepy southern gothic'
The Weekend Australian
'The main character in award winning author John Hart's thriller The Last Child, is a teenage boy turned vigilante, driven by the abduction of his older sister a year ago...a superb page- turner'
Illawarra Mercury (Australia)
'A roiling, boiling, seething stew of passion and conflict'
Courier Mail, (Australia)
'Brilliantly written with plenty of twists and clues'
Crimesquad website Praise for Down River
-- - [Hart] explores betrayal and forgiveness in indelible prose
Peter Guttridge, Observer Praise for John Hart and King of Lies
-- - 'Presumed Innocent meets Fatal Attraction. Hart's prose is like Raymond Chandler's, angular and hard...
Entertainment Weekly
'Smart and swift-moving... Hart knows his way around the courtrooms and jailhouses...the way that Grisham and Turow do'
Pat Conroy
'Akin to the close-range gut-roiling atmosphere summoned by the legal thrillers of Scott Turow'
New York Times
'Presumed Innocent meets Fatal Attraction. Hart's prose is like Raymond Chandler's, angular and hard...'
Entertainment Weekly
'Nobody does hate like Southerners, and you'll find plenty of it in the characters slithering through this well-spun murder mystery... a gripping performance'
People Magazine
'A fast-paced mystery debut'
Wall Street Journal
'John Hart has hit a home run with his first novel, The King Of Lies, which has garnered universal and well-deserved rave reviews'
Deadly Pleasures
'A lovely writing style that's full-bodied and lyrical'
Deadly Pleasures
'A masterly and suspenseful thriller'
Good Book Guide
About the Author
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John Hart was born in North Carolina, where he lives with his wife and two young children. He has degrees in French, accounting and law, and worked as a banker, stockbrocker and attorney before beginning his writing career. His first novel, The King of Lies, was an international bestseller.
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Categories
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Categories
Mystery / Thriller
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