The Last Friend

The Last #1

by Harvey Church

"An unexpected and exciting series of events that will grab readers." - The BookLife Prize

Fifteen years after Donovan’s daughter is abducted, Monica Russell knocks on his door. She claims she knew his daughter while in captivity. She claims she knows where his daughter’s remains are buried. She claims she knows the man who abducted, assaulted, and murdered his princess. She claims she can show him all of these things, but what price is Donovan willing to pay the young lady who claims to be the last friend to know his daughter?

Genres: Mystery

Unknown Binding

First published January 9, 2018

About the author

Harvey Church has a background in finance, which is how he found himself writing about the people and ridiculousness (sometimes the same thing) of that field in his Edwin Burrows light mystery series. Although he considers himself retired from that field (aka not working), he's planning another three Edwin Burrows novels for 2018.

His first "serious" novel, The Last Friend, is a Kindle Scout writing competition winner and was published by Kindle Press on January 9, 2018. The BookLife Prize called it "an entertaining read for mystery and thriller fans alike," and said it is "an unexpected and exciting series of events that will grab readers." Harv plans two sister novels to The Last Friend in 2018, one titled The Last Night (Spring 2018) and the other tentatively titled The Last Survivor.

For fun, Harv likes to practice street magic and spends hours engineering tricks to wow his audiences. He is also an avid hockey fan (Go Leafs Go). As for the boring details: He has a wife (incredible) and two kids (depends on the day, but they’re normally incredible too). His favorite color is blue, but he drives a black car because he read somewhere, back in the 90’s, that radar detectors have a tough time seeing them. Interestingly, he never speeds because he's too busy singing like nobody's watching, or maybe it's that everybody is deaf.

He's a supporter of double-chins, double-dates, and double-dipping (though never on double-dates), and obviously enjoys writing about himself in the third person, in the voice of the narrator from The Royal Tenenbaums.

Connect with Harv by searching Harvey Church Mysteries on Facebook, at @hashtag_harv on Instagram, and @harveychurch1 on Twitter. You can also find him wandering the streets of Chicago, Toronto, Montreal or the Lido deck of a Princess Cruise ship. If you ever meet Harv, ask to see a magic trick!

Don't forget to sign up for his email list at AListHarvey.com

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oohh I love the premise for this one, imagine thinking you may finally have answers about your missing child fifteen years later, crazy, right?! Donovan doesn’t know what to think when Monica shows up on his doorstep with all sorts of claims about his daughter, but she knows things that no one should know. He really wants to believe her, he would love to know the truth about what happened to her but can he trust Monica?

I love some unreliability and this was full of questions, Monica seemed legit but there was something niggling in the back of my mind the entire time, a feeling that she wasn’t being entirely honest. Donovan is a good guy, I really felt for him, I can’t imagine losing a child and not knowing what happened makes it all the more painful. I was wary of Monica and didn’t want her to take advantage of Donovan, he’s a desperate man who has nothing to lose and that’s always dangerous. The short chapters and fast pacing coupled with an intriguing storyline made this a page turner that I could not put down.

This was dark, twisty and well written with great characterization and a strong storyline. It wasn’t your typical missing child story since the child in question disappeared such a long time ago, it was about a fathers quest for answers at any cost. I think any parent could relate to Donovan’s need for the truth and wouldn’t find fault with his sometimes questionable decision making, I know I would do anything to find my own kids.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Harvey Church for providing me with a copy of The Last Friend for an honest review.

So, what’s it about? Donovan is a lonely man. He has sadly lost both his wife and daughter. His daughter went missing years ago at a carnival. After years and years of searching they had not been able to find her.
They never got answers about where Elizabeth went, even with the FBI’s help. Sadly, His wife commits suicide because she couldn’t handle the emptiness of losing her child.

One day, he receives a knock on his door only to open it up to a young woman named Monica. She claims she was Elizabeth’s last friend. She has stories that ONLY Elizabeth would know. She’s telling the truth, right? Should Donavan trust this woman? What does she want from him? Donovan just wants answers. He is willing to hear what Monica has to say and do whatever it takes.

I really liked having no idea about Monica. I didn’t know what to believe. If she was just using Donovan or what. How did she have the information she had? I also liked how Donavan was suspicious of Monica too and not just easily falling for it. I enjoyed this. Solid 4 Stars.

[Cathy Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s fifteen years since Donovan Glass’ daughter Elizabeth was abducted and six years since his wife took her own life. Since then Donovan has become a recluse, unable to move forward. Life has lost its meaning and hope is no longer an option. FBI Agent Mike Klein has failed to find any trace of Elizabeth during all the years since she was taken. Donovan’s own desperate and sometimes dangerous attempts to find the man responsible also came to nothing. So when Monica Russell turns up at his door claiming to have been his daughter’s last friend while they were being held captive, Donovan is stunned. Despite Monica knowing things that could only have come from Elizabeth, and her promises to take him to Elizabeth’s grave, Donovan doesn’t know whether he can trust her.

Donovan is still unsure about Monica’s motives but the desperation to know everything he can find out about his daughter, and what happened to her after she was abducted, drives him. His need for answers and vengeance, regardless of the cost, fuels his decision, for better or worse, to trust that Monica is telling the truth.

The story covers serious and devastating topics, including sexual slavery and murder, as well as child abduction. I could sympathise with Donovan, being in that position is unimaginable. Making my mind up about Monica, believing her claims, was another matter. Did she really know Elizabeth? Was she a swindler, a victim like Elizabeth or any number of other things. Her behaviour was so erratic, it was difficult to tell. The FBI agent was another enigma, the relationship between him and Donovan was odd and I wasn’t ever sure what he believed, so the unreliability of the characters and their motivations kept me guessing. Short chapters, which always helps to keep up the pace, and an intriguing story line with suspenseful twists added to the tension.

There was some unnecessary repetitions and the characters came across as unrealistic at times, although the inconsistencies may well be deliberate on the part of the author, but overall I enjoyed the story.

I chose to read and review The Last Friend based on a copy of the book supplied by the author/publisher.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Donovan’s daughter Elizabeth was abducted 15 years ago and his wife has recently committed suicide. One night Monica Russell lands on his doorstep and tells him that she was held captive with Elizabeth. Monica had promised Elizabeth that she would tell her Dad the truth of her life and death.

This book is the story of how far a father will go to discover the truth behind the kidnapping of his daughter. It tells a dark tale that had me guessing Monica’s motives. Was she stringing him along if so what were her reasons for doing so. Was she genuine and if she was why was she taking time to give Donovan all the facts. The characters of Donovan and Monica I really liked as I got to know them a little better. They both have a lot of problems as well as emotional scars that they have to live with.

This is quite a quick read and I found myself eagerly turning the pages to discover the truth and discovered a twisted and dark world. The plot takes you into a world of kidnapping girls and also what is done to them, but I will emphasise that the author does not go into graphic details here. He has chosen his words to convey enough to give an understanding of the situation.

This is a book that I would recommend to readers who read psychological, crime, mystery story from the perspective of the father of a victim and also a survivor.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the author for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

I received this copy to my door one day and I was instantly intrigued by the minimal synopsis. I think that more books need to take this approach because it gives the reader just enough to pique their interest. THE LAST FRIEND by Harvey Church was a page-turner and I had to know what would happen!

Fifteen years ago, Donovan's daughter was abducted. Today, Monica Russell shows up on his doorstep and claims to have known his daughter while in captivity. This revelation rocks his world. Monica says to have a mountain of information about his daughter - where her remains are and most importantly, who the man is that took her away from him, assaulted her and ultimately killed her. But Monica isn't willing to give up this information for free. To what length and price is Donovan willing to go to in order get the closure he's wanted?

This book was a fast read! What would you do if someone came to your house almost two decades after your child disappeared and claimed they had information? It brings up the question of, is not knowing better? Then again, curiosity always seems to get the best of people in these types of situations. I don't want to give away too much more of the story - these kinds of thrillers deserve to be gone into with less information. Harvey Church did a great job weaving this story and bringing everything together. Donovan is just a desperate and heartbroken man - he feels very real to the reader.

Overall, if you like psychological thrillers, then this will be right up your alley! What would you do if the person who claimed to be your child's last friend came to your door?

I give this a solid 4/5 stars!

[Nicola Parkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this happens to be Harvey’s first “serious” book and can I just say you’d never know!

The story revolves around Donovan and the unsolved case of his missing daughter, which sets for a twisty turn read…. especially when purpled hair and full of attitude Monica Russell turns up on his door step claiming to have been in captivity with his daughter. My first thoughts.. Yeah right! Total con artist wanting money from a guy that was clinging onto the sliver of hope and I think anyone in his position would. At times I wanted to tell at Donovan to “get a grip!” I felt like he was taking every word this girl, who he’d know for a whole five seconds, for the truth and at times I felt like she was making most of it up! Playing up to his emotions which he wore on his sleeve.

This book is certainly action packed, with many twists and turns along the way. My mind was always ticking over with the plot and where Harvey was leading us, it definitely kept you thinking and I was always on my toes!

I’m looking forward to seeing where this story goes with books 2 & 3.

[Karen greer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another powerful read by this author. This is a stand alone novel. Although I read The Last Night first it did not take away from this story at all. The commonality is FBI detective Klein. He mentions this case in book two but it takes nothing away from this story. I enjoyed this book as much as the first read even though I read out of order.
This is a very powerful, fast paced mystery thriller. I was grabbed from the start and did not want to stop reading. It’s a very powerful, emotional story.
All of the characters are multifaceted. You get inside their heads and they get inside of yours too.
I enjoyed this book and look forward to the third in this series.

[OrchardBookClub · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Review by Nicola*

So this happens to be Harvey’s first “serious” book and can I just say you’d never know!

The story revolves around Donovan and the unsolved case of his missing daughter, which sets for a twisty turn read…. especially when purpled hair and full of attitude Monica Russell turns up on his door step claiming to have been in captivity with his daughter. My first thoughts….. Yeah right! Total con artist wanting money from a guy that was clinging onto the sliver of hope and I think anyone in his position would. At times I wanted to tell at Donovan to “get a grip!” I felt like he was taking every word this girl, who he’d know for a whole five seconds, for the truth and at times I felt like she was making most of it up! Playing up to his emotions which he wore on his sleeve.

This book is certainly action packed, with many twists and turns along the way. My mind was always ticking over with the plot and where Harvey was leading us, it definitely kept you thinking and I was always on my toes!

I’m looking forward to seeing where this story goes with books 2 & 3.

A very solid 4 golden apples from me!

[Symone · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a perfect example of needing 1/2 stars on goodreads. It doesn't sit well with me only giving this 3 stars but I also don't think it is deserving of 4 stars. 3.5 would be a perfect score.

I left the paranormal world behind to read this crime mystery after scouting it on Kindle Scout.

The pace of the book fluctuated and I did read two other books whilst also reading this one because it was not completely engrossing. It did leave me wondering at times who the real villain was, and so I give Church plenty of applause because so often there is not a whole lot of mystery in mystery books or it is thinly cloaked.

I did not enjoy the first chapter AT ALL. I think the book would have done just fine starting in the present day. The first flash back portion added nothing to the characters or the plot, everything we see in flash back is revealed in the present day storytelling and left the flash back portion feeling cheap, as if Church wasn't confident diving straight into his story. But that is the only thing I didn't agree with. Donovan and Monica were interesting and diverse. The back and forth between them left me puzzled at times and I found myself analysing things from many angles to try and catch out who the real kidnapper was.

All up it is a good read with a bittersweet outcome.

[Verna Loves Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Last Friend by Harvey Church is a whirlwind of emotions and one of those books that becomes so real that you find yourself completely lost within the pages, praying that Donovan can find some true peace by the end of this heartbreaking story.

Donovan is a broken man by the time the story begins. He has lost so much and wants nothing more than to give up, that is until Monica knocks on his door and tells him that she knows his daughter. Let me be honest, I had my doubts about Monica. But after everything I discovered about her while reading, my heart went out to her. She dealt with something that most people aren't strong enough to live through and I grew to admire her character. I hope to see more of this character later on.

The one thing that I loved the most about this book is that when Monica comes into Donovan's life, it's when he needs her the most. She helps to open his heart back up and helps him find the answers he needs to finally try and move on with his life. I loved how fierce these characters were, especially when it came to the important things.

So if you love a good mystery filled with truth, heartbreak, healing, and takes you for a loop when you least expect it, then you need to read this one. I truly enjoyed it and Harvey's writing never ceases to amaze me. He takes a scary situation that happens all around the world and puts it into a story that truly opens your eyes and heart. Such a great book.
I give The Last Friend by Harvey Church 4 out of 5 Honest Stars!!

[Suzie Q · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was kind of disappointing. The stories premise was fine, a guy's daughter gets kidnapped 15 years ago and this girl shows up out of the blue saying she was held/tortured with his daughter. But the problem was with all the details. None of it was plausible. The writing itself was not fantastic. Lots of unnecessary repetition. Stop with the enact number of hours the guys sleeps. We get it, he has insomnia. Move on. None of the characters behave in believable ways. It's clear the author is not real familiar with any of the topics written about and instead of doing research, just sort of went with it. It fell flat. Too many holes and inaccuracies and it was done in a way that i sort of just found irritating.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first half of this book was a bit slow, but interesting nonetheless. It picked up nicely afterwards and led the reader on a search for a pedophile--or a search for justice and answers to what had happened to Donovan's abducted daughter, Elizabeth. It felt like so many people were playing him; I wasn't sure what their motives were, especially Monica's. Had she truly been with Elizabeth. Was she actually Elizabeth? If so, what was the purpose of her lies? And the FBI agent seemed to have something else going on. You'll have to read it yourself to see what the real story is.

I received a copy of this book through the Kindle Scout program.

[Simon Leonard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Harvey's first attempt at a serious novel, which is really well written and kept me hooked to the end. It is also the first book of his I have read so I am now intrigued as to what his other books are like as they also look intriguing.

The book follows a man called Donovan 15 years after his daughter is kidnapped, when a young lady knocks on his door and explains she knows everything about her and the kidnapper.  What follows next is an engaging read where the reader is left trying to figure out who this girl is, whether she is telling the truth and what her ultimate goal is with regards to Donovan and his daughter.

The book is a very well written thriller where the reader doesn't know who to trust or believe.  The main characters all seem to be hiding something, whether it is Monica, the girl who knocks on Donovan's door, the Agent, Mike Klein, or Donovan himself.

The book kept me hooked all the way through as I was trying to guess and second guess what each of the characters were after and who, if anyone, was actually telling the truth.

It was a well thought out and written book which I loved and can't wait to read the follow up ones.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a Kindle Scout winner. You know it’s a 5-Star book when you can’t put it down and stay up way too late reading. The Last Friend is a gripping mystery from start to finish, with plenty of intriguing plot twists in between. The main character, Donovan, draws you into his painful world and you become immersed in his hunt for justice and closure into the investigation of his daughter’s abduction.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Last Friend is a different kind of book from the ones I’ve previously read from Harvey Church. It had more depth and was realistic. The subject matter is dark and something that is unfortunately common in today’s world. It was suspenseful and mysterious. I was intrigued to see how the story would go. There were twists and turns that kept me on my toes and by the end I was pleasantly surprised by it all. I do not read these types of stories often but I’m glad that I read this one. I was completely absorbed in this story. Harvey is an author that I will always be interested in what he writes. They are a little different and there are times that I want that. I can’t wait to see what he has coming next!

[Janice perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an amazing story of survival and revenge. I enjoyed it so much.

[Jenae (Jeni) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book. So glad I chose it. Beginning was a little slow, but stick with it! It gets better lol however, for people who have been molested or abused this book might be a trigger.

[Donna Maguire · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/...

I really enjoyed this one and was intrigued as soon as I read the book's blurb!

The pace is great and I loved the characters and how they develop as the book progresses. It was well written and held my attention from the start to the end and I read it in a few hours.

This is the first in a new series so cannot wait to read more - very much looking forward to book two now!!

A very enjoyable read and four stars from me - highly recommended!!

[Sandie Bishop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Follow the blog tour in April to see the reviews

[Kelsey's Korner Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I was really intrigued from the off and the unusual storyline kept me turning the pages at fast speed. I couldn’t put it down and read it whenever I had a spare moment. Finished it in two days.
The author’s writing has always been a good standard but this was top notch. I loved the underlying humour even though it’s dark territory and I’m looking forward to The Last Night.

[Ashok · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have received an ARC of ' The Last Friend' by Harvey Church from Kindle Press via Kindle Scout.
Terrible tale which gave sleepless nights.
A girl aged nine is kidnapped before her father Donovan Glass, leaving her parents devastated, hanging onto hope and seeking closure, but getting little help from the federal agents. A young woman Monica Russell suddenly turns up, claiming to have all the answers. Is she genuine, a con artist, a criminal or a vigilante, and what is her interest in this matter?
BUT, there is too much violence, and language needs much improvement in terms of grammar.

[Diane Hogg · Rating 4 out of 5]

review to follow on blog tour

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story, but the characters could have been better. I found them to be fairly unrealistic and difficult to relate to, but the story itself is intriguing. It covers the serious topic of kidnapping and sexual slavery from the perspective of a father, whose desperation drives him to make some less-than-intelligent choices several years later in order to try to find out what happened to his daughter.

The story would have been better with a lot more character development, but it keeps the reader guessing. For that reason I call it a pretty good mystery. I really enjoyed it despite its shortcomings.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fantastic gem by Harvey Church. A harrowing take that constantly keeps you guessing. Who can be trusted? Who is an imposter? The plot rushes through at a breakneck pace until the conclusion. There were a few elements I wish would have been developed further but not to the overall detriment of the book. I highly recommend this book, especially to fans of Harlan Coben.

[Brenda Corya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just the best!!

This book was very well written and kept my interest all the way to the end. Loved it!! Would highly recommend

[Ben · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author had a good premise for a mystery novel, but simply flubbed it.
The plot was that more than ten years after his daughter was abducted while on a family outing , the bereaved father is visited by a young woman who knew his daughter while they were being held as prisoners . The father, who had suffered the bereavement of his wife who committed suicide from grief and worry, both believes and fears the goth- attired woman’s tale. Can he trust her, or is she just playing a con.
So, does he go to the police or call the FBI agent who handled the case and whom he trusted? Of course not. He consults his creepy , fat- cat lawyer brother in law. Why?
The rest of the book continues in this illogically plotted manner, with characters that are as flat as the pages they were written on. I gave up on it to read better written books.
Avoid this one.

[Kath · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Great Read

Donovan has a missing daughter and then there is a knock on his door. What happens next is a page turning ride that kept me reading and reading. A well written and interesting book. Be advised that this book deals with pedophiles and is a bit sad actually. But that being said, I look forward to more stories from Harvey Church.

[Opal Sibley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nail biting to the end

The subject of the book was difficult but the author made it clear that the goal was to find The main character’s daughter. There were so many twists that kept me wondering if he would find her and what would happen.
This was such a good mystery!

[Calista Andrechek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found some of the writing chaotic, like the prologue. I just couldn’t really get into the book after the beginning. It’s a really good idea for a story but it just didn’t keep my interest.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Different to most crime novels. It was an okay read, but not gripping and although there were a lot of unanswered questions, they were eventually answered in a predictable way.