Winner, AudioFile Earphones Award for audio narration. Top 100 in Amazon eBooks, US, UK, Canada & Australia, 2021Five long-missing children are about to be RETURNED.It was summer in the mountains when five small children vanished from their nursery school picnic. The heat was stifling that day, the tinkle of an ice-cream van in the air….Three-and-a-half years later, in the dead of winter, … air….
Three-and-a-half years later, in the dead of winter, the children are returned to their families… one by one.
All except for Ivy – the granddaughter of homicide detective Kate Wakeland. The other four children say Ivy is dead.
Speculation grows that the mysterious abductor is enacting a cruel revenge plot due to a murderer that Kate put in jail years before.
Kate isn’t sure what to believe. But one thing is certain – she’s about to begin the battle of her life. When the children were first stolen, she was prevented from investigating the case.
But now, Kate will be relentless in uncovering the identity of the abductor and discovering what happened to Ivy.
Book 1: ONE LAST CHILD
Book 2: THE LULLABY MAN
Book 3: THE SILENT TOWN
Questions and answers on the TALLMAN’S VALLEY DETECTIVES series:
Is each book a standalone?: Each book has a complete ending and can be read as a standalone. But if you intend reading the series, it’s best to read them in sequence. There will be spoilers if the books are read out of order. Each book has a small cliffhanger at the end that is not a part of the main story. There is an overarching background storyline running through all the books.
Will the detective be the same each time?: The current series will all feature Senior Detective Kate Wakeland as the main character, right to the end of Books 1, 2 & 3.
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A gritty, intense, fast-paced, riveting, artful melding of stunning psychological thrills and nail-biting suspense. An edgy mystery full of dark secrets, shocking plot twists and pulse-pounding, palpable tension. This book brings it ALL!
#OneLastChild #NetGalley
ONE LAST CHILD is the first book in the Tallman’s Valley Detectives series. These will need to be read in the order of release.
The storyline reminded me of another Australian novel that I read when I was a teen, PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK by Joan Lindsay. In it, several teen girls and a teacher go missing while picnicking on Valentine’s Day. They are never found.
Nineteen three-year-old tots and three teachers from the local preschool have gone to the neighborhood park for a Teddy Bear Picnic. Five children vanish with only a single button left behind.
The psychological strain is so well written for so many of those involved – the parents, the detectives, and those being questioned – but not to the point of being bogged down. There are great clues, the ones we need and the ones that lead to dead ends! I loved chasing them down alongside Kate… and feeling her hope and dismays.
I enjoyed this who-dun-it and I’ll be watching for the next book in this series.
Note: While I received this book as a gifted ARC via NetGalley, my opinions are my own and are given freely.
Title: ONE LAST CHILD
Series: Tallman’s Valley Detectives #1
Category /Genre: Mystery & Thrillers, Women’s Fiction
Recommended for: 16+ due to psychological terror
Grammar/editing: received as an unedited ARC / errors excused
Received from: BooksGoSocial
Very good book. Kept me reading to find the answers and they were not where you’d think! Love one I can’t figure out completely!
This book kept my attention from start to finish.
Loved it. I will definitely read more of her books!
Easy to read, but predictable ( probably because I read a lot of mysteries). I liked it.
This was my first Anni Taylor book and I was riveted. Anni builds a slow growing tension and sense of dread. Why return four abducted children and not the fifth? Did a tragic accident, or something worse, prevent the return of Ivy to her grieving family? Detective Kate Wakeland is nuanced and interesting, her relationship with her daughter very real, and the one with her boss, a by-the-book sourpuss character, a struggle for acceptance. The boss slowly grows on the reader. This story, set in Australia’s Blue Mountain country, was stamped with the authenticity of someone who not only does her research, but also knows the ins and outs of her own home country – and, being an Aussie – I too could visualise all the places in the story. I loved the twists and unexpected turns and didn’t anticipate the denouement. Lots of seeming loose ends were tied up, only one of them seemed unlikely. I will read more of Anni Taylor’s books – this is definitely a five star read!
WOW! So many story lines, such interesting characters, such a well, well intertwined telling of such a wild, unnerving event and the steps taken by such different forces to solve it … and then the bizarre ending and the after it all details. You will NOT put this book down. You’ll keep thinking you’re near the end and it will only be half way … check again … 200 pages … again … 300 pages and then when it is really over … you want more. You want the characters to live on.
You really feel for the characters in this book. Worth reading.
Five small children vanished from their Australia nursery school picnic one summer in the mountains. Three and a half years later, in the dead of winter, four of the children are returned to their families, one by one. The four say that the fifth, Ivy (granddaughter of homicide detective Kate Wakeland), is dead. Speculation grows that the mysterious abductor is enacting a cruel revenge plot due to a murderer that Kate put in jail years before. When the children were first stolen, Kate was prevented from investigating the case. Kate will now be relentless in uncovering the identity of the abductor and discovering what happened to Ivy. – In addition to the kidnapping, Kate is investigating a murder. Both are interesting. The book is long and drags in places. Overall, the writer did an excellent job. I highly recommend this book.
The abduction of five children changed the lives of all five families. As a detective and grandmother to one of the children taken Kate feels just as helpless as the other parents awaiting results.
Detective Kate Wakeland doesn’t normally deal in missing person cases, but one of the five children missing is her granddaughter. Since she is personally invested her boss will only let her join the meetings.
Overall:
The premise already disclosed that four out of the five kids were returned three and half years later so Anni Taylor limited the police procedures to a few pivotal dates. Essentially the dates given helped illustrate the devastation Ivy’s disappearance has caused on Kate’s family.
Anni Taylor lives in Sydney, Australia. The story takes place in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. It’s a protected national park on the region borders of Sydney. Anni stayed in this location conducting her research for the book.
It was a speculative driven story with many good theories. The unveiling of secrets was both shocking and unexpected.
I liked the unique approach Anni created by delivering the aftermath of living without the children and its affect on individuals. That rarely gets addressed in books. Once the children returned new information became available making for an exciting investigation. Her process for gathering intel was intelligent.
The story came around when the four children returned home. Up until that point it was a bit slow. For the most part this was a wordy story. If Anni cleaned it up it would make for an exceptional story. It was good but it could’ve been spectacular.
Nothing is as it seems. Expect the unexpected. Beware of twists and turns along the way. It’s fun trying to play investigator. Anni designed the outcome so the reader couldn’t figure it out.
Interesting twist to the story. Nice ending.
Excellent Read!
Great reading !
Wow! Probably one of the best crime thrillers I’ve read. Excellent character depth with an original story-line that keeps you intrigued throughout. I’m already looking to get hold of the next book in the series.
Detective Kate Wakeland’s granddaughter is one of the 3-year-olds kidnapped from a nursery school. Years elapse, and the parents crumble. Careers evaporate. The mystery persists, even the logistics still seem impossible. And then children begin to return. Clues pop in surprising places. A gripping crime novel on Australian geography, centered on a 60+ detective who counts on her loving husband as her anchor. Great book.
One of the best books I have read in a long time & I look forward to reading the next in the series.
Really liked this book
If you haven’t as yet, you need to follow this author! All I can say is “WOW.”
Very well written. An emotional roller coaster. Did not see the ending coming at all.