The Last Child: A Novel

I found this book at my "Dumpbrary" - my little town's transfer station which keeps an indoor book corner (and yes, it is named the "Dumpbrary" :D). I work at a jail and weekly I browse the Dumpbrary for books to bring to the inmates. I picked up a well-read copy of The Last Child, quickly scanned the back cover, and was intrigued. It's always those first few pages that tells you if you will continue with the story or not. I was hooked on page one! Okay, maybe page 2 or 3. I downloaded the Kindle version because it's just easier to see and handle an e-reader in bed, and of course I could pass along the paperback to the jail library. The character development was amazing. The author made it easy to visualize them, their expressions, voices and mannerisms - to love them or hate them or feel sorry for them. I LOVE that about an author! I struggled with the setting. I'm from very rural New Hampshire and have never been to the Carolinas. But I've been to northwest Georgia so I used a little town there as my Last Child town. I assumed the story was set in a small town, until later in the book the multi-level mall, hospital, large police station, etc revealed it as a small or midsize city. I had to readjust my town setting a few times. Hush Arbor and Johnny's journey to it was perfect though. I could see every track, swamp, river and trail (I suppose easier because the landscape was familiar to my own region - I'm surrounded by bear trails, swamps, dirt roads, and meadows in the middle of deep woods). At first I was a bit let down by the ending but the writer skillfully and nicely lifted me up. The ending was beautiful. It leaves the reader with a sense of hope and rightness and that is exactly how I love stories to end. I also loved how the writer stayed neutral about politics. He didn't have an agenda. So many authors nowadays use their stories to attack certain religions or political parties. (I stopped reading Stephen King novels entirely several years ago because of this. It is just childish, shortsighted, and boring!). Hart's writing sees the good and bad in all people, of all backgrounds and beliefs. It goes to a deeper level. I really enjoyed and appreciated that. This story HAUNTED me when I wasn't reading it. I read mostly at night because it makes me sleepy. The Last Child did make me sleepy but then I would wake up in the middle of the night thinking about it, debating whether to stay up and read more, then cursing that it was keeping me awake! :D That has never happened to me with any other story. THAT is GOOD writing! I have already purchased The Hush and can't wait to begin!

The Last Child is a crime novel and a thriller, but at its heart it is a book about the emotional wreckage wrought by the abduction of a child. One year before the events of the book, 12-year-old Alyssa disappeared. Alyssa's mother rarely leaves her house and has developed a bad alcohol and prescription drug problem. Alyssa's father took off after a few months of torment without leaving so much as a note. The detective in charge of the case lost his wife, his relationship with his son, and his reputation within the department. But it is Johnny, Alyssa's twin brother, who has it worst of all. He lost his closest companion and the adults in his life are all too caught up in their own problems to give him much thought. There is no lonelier place in the world than to be such a child. Understandably, Johnny remains obsessed with finding his sister. Unlike the adults, he can still operate under the illusion that everything would go back to the way it was if only he could find her. It's refreshing though, to see his determination in the face of the adults wallowing in self pity and self destructive behavior. Things begin to get very interesting, very quickly when another girl disappears and the plot doesn't slow down for the rest of the book. The Last Child is rare in that it both creates very real characters in rich detail and is heavy with plot twists. It is even more rare in that it does both throughout the book. Hart wonderfully captures the semi-rural county in the NC sand hills the books takes place in. The use of multiple POVs better exposes the motivations and emotional damage of the characters. Hart does particular well with the difficult task of putting the reader inside the head of a very emotionally damaged boy. He does all of this while constantly yanking the plot in a different direction as new events take place and new clues are uncovered. Unfortunately, it is this very strength that ultimately detracts from the book. Hart goes so far to hint at so much that the final reveal is forced to be less salacious than hinted at in order to be surprising. It also happens more as a matter of coincidence than due to the actions of the characters. It works on one level in that it encourages us to think more deeply about the characters and provides some deeper meaning but is a bit weak as a plot twist.

The Last Child is one of those rare thrillers that grabs you from the first page and doesn’t let go. It’s a true page-turner, full of suspense, secrets, and emotional depth. Hart weaves a story that’s both heartbreaking and gripping, with characters who feel real and a plot that twists in all the right ways. Every time I thought I had things figured out, another surprise hit—yet none of the twists felt forced. Instead, they pulled me deeper into the mystery and kept me reading late into the night. The pacing is tight, the atmosphere haunting, and the writing sharp. Overall, it’s an excellent book—tense, layered, and unforgettable. If you like thrillers that balance action with strong character work and plenty of unexpected turns, The Last Child is a must-read.

Having recently discovered this author I’m set to read more of his books. You are immediately drawn into this story. The characters are so strongly painted that you feel all the emotions that they are going through, the storyline is well paced & the ending is.,……. Read this book.

ストーリーが複雑すぎることもなく、最初から本に引き込まれました。 他の人にもお勧めできますね。

This story was compelling. Great characters that feature in a fast paced plot with twists and unexpected outcomes Loved it

I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish. John hart manages to make you feel the pain and desperation of the characters as your own and grips you with the enthralling mystery.

It's six months since I discovered John Hart, reading IRON HOUSE, his most recent novel (there's a new one out next month). IRON HOUSE blew me away. THE LAST CHILD is his previous book, similarly set in North Carolina. 13-year-old Johnny Merrimon's twin sister was abducted a year ago and never found. His father has disappeared; his grief-wrecked mother has taken up with a bullying property magnate. Johnny spends many hours scouring the area looking for clues to his sister's disappearance. Another abduction and an encounter with a black vagrant who seems to know something spur the boy on. One local detective also refuses to let the case go cold and tries to watch over Johnny and his mom. This is not a new theme but John Hart gives the story a Southern Gothic twist that makes it feel fresh and exciting. His prose style is as rich as Stephen King's: one suspicious local man "was sixty-eight, with bristled hair, two loose teeth and eyes like raw oysters." There's a riverside cemetery scene with an atmosphere that calls Charles Dickens to mind. The suspense builds to a vivid, visceral climax that tears at your heart strings. Hart is a real find. Thrillers don't come any better than this. I can't wait to read the next one. [Reviewer is the auithor of THE BEXHILLMISSILE CRISIS]