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An Absence So Cruel: An Australian Crime Thriller
SOME PAIN CANNOT BE ENDURED
Six-year-old Abby Hanford is abducted from King's Park in Perth while playing with her father. All that is left behind is a shoe.
Police search the park but find no trace of Abby.
Then they discover that a known child sex offender was in the park when Abby was taken. He is now on the run from police and a search of his home turns up horrifying secrets.
It seems clear that he was taken Abby.
But Detective Tony Packer is not so sure. Something feels wrong. Abby's parents are not telling the truth and neither are their friends. There are darker secrets behind Abby's disappearance.
A girl is missing.
Time is running out.
If Packer cannot find the truth in time, Abby will never be seen again.
An Absence So Cruel is the second in a new series of knife-edge thrillers set in the underbelly of Perth, Western Australia.
Perfect for fans of JD Kirk, Ian Rankin, Jack Gatland, JM Dalgleish, Patricia Cornwell and other police procedural thrillers.
Six-year-old Abby Hanford is abducted from King's Park in Perth while playing with her father. All that is left behind is a shoe.
Police search the park but find no trace of Abby.
Then they discover that a known child sex offender was in the park when Abby was taken. He is now on the run from police and a search of his home turns up horrifying secrets.
It seems clear that he was taken Abby.
But Detective Tony Packer is not so sure. Something feels wrong. Abby's parents are not telling the truth and neither are their friends. There are darker secrets behind Abby's disappearance.
A girl is missing.
Time is running out.
If Packer cannot find the truth in time, Abby will never be seen again.
An Absence So Cruel is the second in a new series of knife-edge thrillers set in the underbelly of Perth, Western Australia.
Perfect for fans of JD Kirk, Ian Rankin, Jack Gatland, JM Dalgleish, Patricia Cornwell and other police procedural thrillers.
266 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 7, 2024
148 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 30, 2024
The second in the Tony Packer series is just as gripping as the first.
Packer and his team of detectives are back, and this time they’re on the trail of a kidnapper. There is an obvious suspect but Packer knows things are never as simple as they seem, and he’s right.
I was surprised by the conclusion, but like all great mysteries, it seemed obvious once it all fitted together at the end.
I couldn’t put this down and read it almost in one go.
Five stars.
Packer and his team of detectives are back, and this time they’re on the trail of a kidnapper. There is an obvious suspect but Packer knows things are never as simple as they seem, and he’s right.
I was surprised by the conclusion, but like all great mysteries, it seemed obvious once it all fitted together at the end.
I couldn’t put this down and read it almost in one go.
Five stars.
May 30, 2024
This is the second Tony Packer story and it’s even better than the first.
The story this time is about a young girl who has been abducted, so there is much more tension than the first book. Will the team find her before it’s too late?
Like the first book, it seemed obvious who the villain was until a few twists in the middle completely changed the direction of the story. The last ten chapters were incredibly exciting as Packer and the others drew closer.
We got to see the rest of the team involved in the investigation and using their own skills and strengths. This really added an extra dimension to the story.
This was an excellent read. I can’t wait for the next book.
The story this time is about a young girl who has been abducted, so there is much more tension than the first book. Will the team find her before it’s too late?
Like the first book, it seemed obvious who the villain was until a few twists in the middle completely changed the direction of the story. The last ten chapters were incredibly exciting as Packer and the others drew closer.
We got to see the rest of the team involved in the investigation and using their own skills and strengths. This really added an extra dimension to the story.
This was an excellent read. I can’t wait for the next book.
June 3, 2024
This is another excellent thriller by J.T. Viner, which I couldn’t put down.
Packer again takes the forefront of the story and his dysfunctional personality and unorthodox methods steer the investigation once more. He is shaping up as another of the eccentric detectives of modern mystery thrillers but with a much darker side.
Like the first book, things that seem obvious at the start get turned around in the middle with a good twist and the story races on to a totally gripping finale.
I will definitely be getting the next in the series.
Packer again takes the forefront of the story and his dysfunctional personality and unorthodox methods steer the investigation once more. He is shaping up as another of the eccentric detectives of modern mystery thrillers but with a much darker side.
Like the first book, things that seem obvious at the start get turned around in the middle with a good twist and the story races on to a totally gripping finale.
I will definitely be getting the next in the series.
June 4, 2024
I read this book straight after finishing the first in the series and it was even better than the first.
Detective Packer is a flawed hero and in this story we see him growing more troubled and taking more risks to solve the mystery. The other team members also feature more in this story than the first one and some of their actions really move the story along.
Instead of a murder this time the mystery is a young girl being kidnapped which is an interesting change from the first story.
I have ordered the next book and can’t wait to get it!
Detective Packer is a flawed hero and in this story we see him growing more troubled and taking more risks to solve the mystery. The other team members also feature more in this story than the first one and some of their actions really move the story along.
Instead of a murder this time the mystery is a young girl being kidnapped which is an interesting change from the first story.
I have ordered the next book and can’t wait to get it!
June 5, 2024
This was another really good book. I liked it as much, if not more than the first.
The story was really exciting and the tension got even higher as the ending got closer. The characters were really well written again and the dialogue sounded really realistic.
I will definitely be reading the next book too.
The story was really exciting and the tension got even higher as the ending got closer. The characters were really well written again and the dialogue sounded really realistic.
I will definitely be reading the next book too.
June 5, 2025
Another brilliant read - even better than the first book.
Another great mystery and more unexpected twists that lead to an action packed final few chapters.
Great to see some of the other characters get a bigger part in this story as well.
Ready to start book 3 straight away.
Another great mystery and more unexpected twists that lead to an action packed final few chapters.
Great to see some of the other characters get a bigger part in this story as well.
Ready to start book 3 straight away.
June 28, 2024
brilliant second book
Marvellous follow up book even better than first all great characters I cannot wait for the third book hope it’s not long to wait
Marvellous follow up book even better than first all great characters I cannot wait for the third book hope it’s not long to wait
June 3, 2025
Not worth reading
I will not be buying another in this series. Too many editing errors. Too much useless dialogue, not enough real action. Unlikeable and shallow characters.
I will not be buying another in this series. Too many editing errors. Too much useless dialogue, not enough real action. Unlikeable and shallow characters.
November 14, 2024
This was another really good read from JT Viner.
The crime in this story was a child abduction which was different from the first book. The way the story unfolded was really tense with each new clue adding to the puzzle and a few good twists that I did not see coming.
Packer is a great main character who uses his unusual skills to solve the crime. I love strong female characters too so it was great to see Claire Perry taking a big piece of the action in this story too.
A really great read.
The crime in this story was a child abduction which was different from the first book. The way the story unfolded was really tense with each new clue adding to the puzzle and a few good twists that I did not see coming.
Packer is a great main character who uses his unusual skills to solve the crime. I love strong female characters too so it was great to see Claire Perry taking a big piece of the action in this story too.
A really great read.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews