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The Last Child: A Novel Mass Market Paperback – March 1, 2016
John Hart (Author) Find all the books, read about the author, and more. See search results for this author |
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Winner of the 2010 Edgar Award for Best Novel
John Hart's New York Times bestselling debut, The King of Lies, announced the arrival of a major talent. With Down River, he surpassed his earlier success, transcending the barrier between thriller and literature and winning the 2008 Edgar Award for best novel. Now, with The Last Child, he achieves his most significant work to date, an intricate, powerful story of loss, hope, and courage in the face of evil.
Thirteen year-old Johnny Merrimon had the perfect life: a warm home and loving parents; a twin sister, Alyssa, with whom he shared an irreplaceable bond. He knew nothing of loss, until the day Alyssa vanished from the side of a lonely street. Now, a year later, Johnny finds himself isolated and alone, failed by the people he'd been taught since birth to trust. No one else believes that Alyssa is still alive, but Johnny is certain that she is---confident in a way that he can never fully explain.
Determined to find his sister, Johnny risks everything to explore the dark side of his hometown. It is a desperate, terrifying search, but Johnny is not as alone as he might think. Detective Clyde Hunt has never stopped looking for Alyssa either, and he has a soft spot for Johnny. He watches over the boy and tries to keep him safe, but when Johnny uncovers a dangerous lead and vows to follow it, Hunt has no choice but to intervene.
Then a second child goes missing . . .
Undeterred by Hunt's threats or his mother's pleas, Johnny enlists the help of his last friend, and together they plunge into the wild, to a forgotten place with a history of violence that goes back more than a hundred years. There, they meet a giant of a man, an escaped convict on his own tragic quest. What they learn from him will shatter every notion Johnny had about the fate of his sister; it will lead them to another far place, to a truth that will test both boys to the limit.
Traveling the wilderness between innocence and hard wisdom, between hopelessness and faith, The Last Child leaves all categories behind and establishes John Hart as a writer of unique power.
This edition of the book is the deluxe, tall rack mass market paperback.
- Print length576 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherMinotaur Books
- Publication dateMarch 1, 2016
- Dimensions6.32 x 1.29 x 8 inches
- ISBN-10031238033X
- ISBN-13978-0312380335
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Product details
- Publisher : Minotaur Books (March 1, 2016)
- Language : English
- Mass Market Paperback : 576 pages
- ISBN-10 : 031238033X
- ISBN-13 : 978-0312380335
- Item Weight : 10.4 ounces
- Dimensions : 6.32 x 1.29 x 8 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #439,048 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #31,064 in Suspense Thrillers
- #55,724 in American Literature (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

JOHN HART is the author of six New York Times bestsellers, THE KING OF LIES, DOWN RIVER, THE LAST CHILD,IRON HOUSE, REDEMPTION ROAD and THE HUSH. His seventh novel, THE UNWILLING, be will be released on February 2, 2021. The only author in history to win the best novel Edgar Award for consecutive novels, Hart has also won the Barry Award, the Southern Book Prize, the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award and the North Carolina Award for Literature. His novels have been translated into thirty language and can be found in over seventy countries. He works from home on a Virginia farm, where he lives with his wife, daughters and four dogs.
He can be found here:
Website: http://www.johnhartfiction.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnHartAuthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnhartauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnhartauthor/
Customer reviews
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This is a book I took my time savoring, re-reading passages and chapters.
Johnny Merrimon is 13 years old. A year ago his twin sister Alyssa disappeared without a trace and two weeks later his dad took off. Now he finds himself in charge of the house, maintaining appearances, while his mother self-medicates to get through the pain of her days.
Detective Hunt is obsessed over Alyssa's disappearance and, in between searching for traces of her, he keeps his eyes on Johnny and his mom, trying to help.
Hunt and Johnny share this obsession. Ever since Alyssa disappeared, Johnny spends all his spare time looking all over the North Carolina county, trying to find her - because he believes she's alive.
Powerful words and imagery, in-depth character development, haunting scenes of love and of violence - all come together to make this another awesome book by author John Hart.
I'm now off to read THE HUSH, which continues Johnny's story ten years in the future.
I read this book in anticipation of Hart's latest, The Hush. The very first chapter had my heart twisted in knots. I know it's your stomach that is usually twisted in knots, but this book told a strong hold of my heart and did not let go until the end. How remarkable that a suspense/thriller would grab my heart like it did.
Johnny Merrimon, the main character, was on a mission to find his lost sister, Alyssa, and while on the search he endured many hardships, forcing him to grow up earlier than his time, as well as coming into contact with several sinister and just plain evil characters along the way. I was on the edge of my seat, and the pacing was exceptional throughout. Just what happened to Alyssa? Who will find out the truth?
This book is classified a mystery, but due to the characterization, it was so much more. Another author to love. Another North Carolina author to love. Storytelling at its finest.
One of reasons I liked this novel so much is because strength & love won out in the end. The reader saw that there are things worth fighting for, truths worth pursuing.
Mr. Hart’s writing was supberb. The way he drew out the plot & subplots was outstanding. This novel was “real”. The novel read like a true-life series of events. The characters developed as they would if they were real people.
I’ll be reading “The Hush” next, where we meet again Johnny & Jack 10 to 12 years later. Their stories continue.
“The Last Child” is definitely worth reading.
The only criticisms I would offer as a former LEO US that no small town pd would handle a serial killer case without State and Federal help; and no boy could continue to function with the injuries he sustained.
This is the third Hart book I have read. I am hooked and will buy them all. It is clear that his novels are head and shoulders above the Kindle unlimited free reads.
Top reviews from other countries

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]

An intricate, painful story about a 12 year old girl, Alyssa, disappearing into thin air. Her twin brother Johnny, now 13, never stops looking for her, tries to keep strong, although his world has been shattered to say the least: his father left soon after the abduction and his mother is so anguished and upset that she cannot but hide from the world in a sort of catatonic state. Most times, she does not even realize Johnny is around. Detective Hunt, who has been following the case since it started, is still obsessed and frustrated by the lack of news and he is the only person who looks out for Johnny and tries to keep him out of trouble. Then bad news happen again: another girl disappears from the area...
This book has all the qualities a good thriller should have: edge-of-the-seat suspense, a good psychological insight about all the characters, conveying their feelings perfectly, heart wrenchingly at times, an unexpected epilogue and all loose ends become clear. My only criticism: a bit far-fetched in some of the situations involving Johnny and his personal search for his sister, not entirely believable for a 13 year-old in my opinion. However, a very good thriller nevertheless and quite a page-turner.



Wonderful description ads depth and colour to the scenes and the vunerability of the boys engages your heart. A brilliant read.