kindle edition. One Last Child. Anni Taylor. (Tallman’s Valley Detectives) 2020. Set in Australia, this was an interesting police procedural. Five children 3 year old children disappear from a nursery school outing and suddenly re-appear 3 years later. Once of the children who was kidnapped was the granddaughter of Kate Wakeland, a homicide detective, who tells most of the story. It is suspenseful and interesting. She investigates even when she isn’t supposed to and the plot becomes somewhat involved. The setting in Australia is different and the fact that the children are returned also adds a different twist to the plot. I enjoyed this because of the twists and turns and the Australian setting. Nice for a change. ( )

One Last Child, the first book in the Tallman’s Valley Detectives series is certainly a chilling beginning. I really enjoyed the audio version with the beautiful Australian accent.

The nursery school is on an outing at The Ponds nature reserve. Nineteen three-year-olds are having a ball as they roll in the grass, kick pinecones, and run all around. A picnic is being laid when the senior carer notices some kids are missing. They must be playing hide and go seek. Meanwhile, Nola Hobson is off requesting the noisy ice-cream van up the hill to cut the music and move on. Justine and Kaylee search everywhere but to no avail: five children are missing! How do five children get abducted all at the same time?

Detective Kate Wakeland usually works homicide, but her granddaughter Ivy is one of the missing five. For this reason, her boss wouldn't allow her onto the team until over three years later, where there is still no trace of the kids. Suddenly things begin to happen. Miraculously four of the children are returned, unharmed and well, to their parents. Could this act be some sort of revenge against Kate by or on behalf of a criminal she put in prison?

Kate doesn’t think this is the case and, ignorers the strikeforce team leader’s direction, and employs her own methods to hunt for the abductors. But her pending murder cold case is a distraction, as is her ongoing troubled relationship with her daughter, Abby who is Ivy’s mother.

The book is a page-turner but for some reason I didn’t find it completely fulfilling. I will wait for the next book in the series to see if addresses the abduction or if it will be a completely new story. I want to know more about what happened to Ivy.

Thank you NetGalley for this opportunity. It was my first audio book offered by Netgally. The narrator for this book was perfect. ( )

3.5 Stars rounded up to 4.

Twenty 3 year old, 3 teachers out for a picnic...what could go wrong? As with kids, in a matter of seconds, 5 are missing. One of the missing children is the granddaughter of local Detective Kate Wakeland. Over 3 years later, the kids are returned to their parents one by one, all except Ivy, Kate’s granddaughter. The kids swear Ivy is dead, which takes this case to a whole different level.

A good mystery...not a thriller, psychological or otherwise. Well thought out, good characters. Loved how it focused on one person at the beginning and let us get to know others slowly. Then introduced other characters in more depth. Good pace on the book, loved having an older woman as protagonist. Mystery and family drama done well. I look forward to the next book and solving the mystery teases throughout the book. If you are looking for a mystery to curl up with, give this book a try.

Thanks to NetGalley and Books Go Social for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone. ( )