Anni TaylorCritiques

Not 100% terrible, but the two main plot lines come together too tangentially and is silly to have them both given that. Each one is wrapped up, but feels unsatisfying. Also, Isla makes too many dumb decisions and is fairly helpless a lot of the time. I guess some women are like that, but it's a little infuriating. The whole memory loss thing got to be a bit much - maybe that's why she was so dumb, she forgot how to be smart. And of course it's hiding a lot more than I really think a woman could forget. I found the romance with Alban at the end a bit gross.½

Isla was hired by Alban’s assistant and put up in a cabin on the McGregor’s property. Alban, his wife Jessica and their young daughter live there. What Isla didn’t know is that years prior Alban and Jessica had another daughter named Elodie who was kidnapped and murdered right there on the property in an old playhouse. Her killer was never found. Isla takes it up on herself to try to figure out what happened to Elodie and finds that this small town in Scotland is even smaller than she thought. Everyone is connected to everyone else and as she untangles the web; she learns that she is a part of it all too, but just can’t remember how. This is a "keep you on the edge of your seat" kind of book. You can’t wait to find out what mystery will be waiting on the next page. I think that Anni Taylor does a fantastic job telling the story and keeping you engaged and questioning all the characters only to be surprised in the end by how it all unfolds. An absolutely brilliant ending that I didn’t see coming. I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good mystery to solve.

It's a blindingly hot summer. International visitors surge into Sydney's Darling Harbour. Two-year-old Tommy is sailing his toy boat in the park there with his mother Phoebe. Tommy vanishes into thin air. The following winter, taunting notes written as nursery rhymes begin arriving at his parents' home.

Little Boy Blue, where did you go? Who led you away? Only I know...

The police believe the messages are just a cruel prank. But Phoebe becomes obsessed with tracking down the writer of the rhymes. Her marriage ends up shattering.

When the shocking identity of the writer is discovered, Phoebe's desperate race for the truth has only just begun.

Outstanding book and narration. Left me wanting more.

Photographer Isla Wilson is thrilled she's landed her dream job, but the clients who hired her are getting stranger by the day.

It sounded so perfect—a month's assignment at the lush Scottish Highlands property of architect Alban McGregor, and his wife, Jessica.

But in the woods, there's a playhouse with a chilling history.

Two years ago, the McGregors' daughter Elodie was abducted and then died in that playhouse. The townspeople insist her abductor had to be a stranger in their town. Alban refuses to knock the playhouse down, even keeping a picture of it on his wall.

Sensing the McGregors and townspeople are keeping terrible secrets, Isla plans to discover the truth.

But the closer Isla comes to uncovering answers, the more the danger mounts. And with a dense cover of snow now blanketing the town, all chance of escape might already be gone.

The best way to describe this book is like cutting an onion. As you peel away each layer, the burn escalates into a frantic mess of running nose, burning eyes, and blindness, so much so you have to step away and wait for the effects to dissolve before you can continue but you cannot stop.
You become a blubbering mess, the reason I almost never peel an onion. I simply hate it.

The six is like that. You peel away all the layers, it burns, your throat contacts in nauseating horror, and you become scared. All your senses on high alert as you continue to read. Where the author got the idea from, I have no idea. Did she do the story justice - a resounding yes.

Each layer adds to the depth of the plot. Each point of view - and there are four of them - gives you a clear picture of the story. Each layer a part of the bigger picture. If you remove one, the story will fail.

It takes a while to get into the plotline, at least 20 chapters in before it all makes sense. But once you passed it, you cannot stop: obsessed with the conclusion. Who is this sect, what is the real reason behind the prism of six? Who are the culprits?

Each character adds to the story, giving you more relatable information. At times you like them, at times you don't. The character that touched me the most was Constance's character. Her life a mirror of so many other women. In the beginning, she was this neurotic addict with too much money and too much jelly in her veins; she discusses you. Once confronted with reality and all are stripped she changes into a superwoman who won't stop... no spoiler alert here... really get the book...smile.
Gray's character was also impressive. This young man became a man in such a short time that you cannot help but admire him.
Kara is the other young lady who really touches the heartstrings. Her ability to change a profound turn around as you get to know her.

Overall, a disturbing story of a secret society that brings out the very heart of every person involved in a terrifying way. The island a place of self-discovery and turmoil as horrors unfold and deaths accumulate. In a nutshell - While secrets unravel, love conquers.
If you are looking for a challenging read - this is it.

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.

Anni Taylor is absolutely brilliant in her debut book The Game You Played; an intense psychological thriller. I stepped out of my comfort zone of Fantasy and Sci-Fi for this and I am so glad that I did. The Game You Played opened up a whole new world for me.
In The Game You Played, we are painted a picture of a happy family in Australia. Phoebe, Luke and their son Tommy are at the park, enjoying themselves, like any other normal family would. When Tommy suddenly disappears, Phoebe’s world is shattered into a million pieces. 6 months later and Phoebe discovers that someone is leaving notes for her, alluding to the kidnapping of little Tommy. As Phoebe races to find the source of the cryptic notes, as well as her son, the world suddenly doesn’t seem so black and white. The shocking discovery of the correspondent will leave Phoebe questioning everything she’s ever believed in. You too, will question everything as you follow Phoebe on her journey to discover the truth.
The Game You Played kept me guessing until the very end. I had my theories and my queries but every time I got close to the answer, Taylor threw in another curve ball that shattered my ideas. If you are looking for an intense psychosomatic page-turner book, I guarantee that this one is for you.