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Why it matters
Hart sustains a dark missing-child mystery while focusing on grief, determination, and the costs of failed protection.
A celebrated work
The Last Child
John Hart2010 selection · Mystery & crime
The Last Child
A year after his twin sister disappears, thirteen-year-old Johnny Merrimon continues searching while his family collapses under grief. Detective Clyde Hunt remains obsessed with the case, and another disappearance brings the boy's dangerous private investigation into the open.
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Read this if…
You like emotionally intense Southern thrillers centered on family and persistence.
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Ideas inside
Missing childrenGriefFamilyObsession
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Edgar Award for Best Novel — official winner recordOfficial record↗ (opens in a new tab)