The Last Child Book

The Last Child by John Hart is a 2009 Minotaur publication.

John Hart has taken the crime and mystery genre to an entirely new level with this stunning novel.

The perfect family is torn asunder when their daughter disappears, just vanishes into the thin air. The marriage falls apart, the father walks out, the mother falls into drug and alcohol abuse and into a toxic relationship, while the last child- Johnny, a thirteen -year old boy, grieving the loss of his missing twin, is left to fend for himself in a horrifying and cruel world.

Johnny works has hard has he can to find his missing sister, a task he feels alone in, but Detective Clyde Hunt is nearly as obsessed about the missing girl as Johnny. The case grows colder by the day-

But, then another child vanishes….

This novel shows why John Hart is a multiple Edgar Award winner. This story is written with a lush literary prose that drew me right into Johnny's lonely and treacherous life. His journey is so painful and heartbreaking, while his courage, fortitude, and a moral code is exemplary.

Every character is drawn with such rich and vivid detail, while the atmosphere is thick with tension and desperation. The suspense hangs heavy in the air as more revelations come to light and Johnny finds himself in an unimaginable situation.

This is a crime novel, but it is also a family drama, a testing of faith, an examination of humanity, the best and the worst, a coming of age tale that reaches into your very soul, stirring a melting pot of emotions.

I've read literary thrillers, but none quite like this one. Johnny is a like a modern- day Huck Finn, a child abandoned, who must survive by pure grit, but one who possesses a tenderness that nearly brought me to tears.

For those who are more into the criminal elements of the story, have no fear. This is a dark crime drama with plenty of jaw dropping twists.

Novels like this one are rare. I can only wonder at how far this author's talent can take him!!

I highly recommend this book!! It will definitely leave a lasting impression.

5 stars