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The Final Hours - a Detective Jason Farrell Australian Crime Thriller #1
One man has protested his innocence for over forty years.
One body has never been found.
One town has been hiding deadly secrets for decades.
Wayne Portman is released after spending forty years in prison for a double murder in the town of Kingsbrook, New South Wales, back in 1977 and for which he has always maintained his innocence. One of the bodies, that of his girlfriend at the time, Fiona, has never been found. Wayne had been a bright scholar who had been set to do well at university. He was known as a kind and gentle soul, not one given to losing his temper sufficiently to commit murder. .
Shortly after his release, Detective Jason Farrell is appointed as the senior at the Kingsbrook police station. But when murder strikes Kingsbrook again, Farrell spots a glaring parallel with the crimes of 1977 that make him re-open that original case and begin to believe that Portman may have been right to have always claimed to have been innocent.
His investigations begin to reveal some very dark secrets and before he knows it Kingsbrook is rocked by a past it has never faced up to.
But will he be able to stop further murders before he can finally get to the heart of the truth?
One body has never been found.
One town has been hiding deadly secrets for decades.
Wayne Portman is released after spending forty years in prison for a double murder in the town of Kingsbrook, New South Wales, back in 1977 and for which he has always maintained his innocence. One of the bodies, that of his girlfriend at the time, Fiona, has never been found. Wayne had been a bright scholar who had been set to do well at university. He was known as a kind and gentle soul, not one given to losing his temper sufficiently to commit murder. .
Shortly after his release, Detective Jason Farrell is appointed as the senior at the Kingsbrook police station. But when murder strikes Kingsbrook again, Farrell spots a glaring parallel with the crimes of 1977 that make him re-open that original case and begin to believe that Portman may have been right to have always claimed to have been innocent.
His investigations begin to reveal some very dark secrets and before he knows it Kingsbrook is rocked by a past it has never faced up to.
But will he be able to stop further murders before he can finally get to the heart of the truth?
326 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 28, 2021
About the author
David Menon
61 books27 followersDavid was born of an English mother and an Indian father, neither of whom brought him up. He spent his childhood in Derby but has since lived all over the UK, and also for several very happy years he lived in Paris. He loves to travel, loves Indian food closely followed by French, he’s into politics and current affairs and all the arts – books, films, TV, theatre, and music. He’s a seriously devoted fan of Stevie Nicks who he calls ‘the voice of my interior world’. When he’s not writing he teaches English to Russian students for a school in St. Petersburg.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 4, 2022
Great plot, pity about the lack of emotion.
This plot is a five star cracker but it is written in such a flat pedestrian style it becomes a three star. Interesting but dull. Reportedlty set in Australia. Yeah, but a couple of place names don't cut the mustard. This could be small town anywhere in t the world. Great beginning, young couple at Abba concert, hunt of difficulties. Jump 40 odd years. Convict released and murdered along with reporter within hours. New cop comes to take over local station. Hints of racial prejudice escalate into bent cops, historical abuse of children in care home. Great plot but rendered without feeling. Disappointing. This could have been so much better. However try it. Hopefully next in series will be better. Cannot fault plot.
This plot is a five star cracker but it is written in such a flat pedestrian style it becomes a three star. Interesting but dull. Reportedlty set in Australia. Yeah, but a couple of place names don't cut the mustard. This could be small town anywhere in t the world. Great beginning, young couple at Abba concert, hunt of difficulties. Jump 40 odd years. Convict released and murdered along with reporter within hours. New cop comes to take over local station. Hints of racial prejudice escalate into bent cops, historical abuse of children in care home. Great plot but rendered without feeling. Disappointing. This could have been so much better. However try it. Hopefully next in series will be better. Cannot fault plot.
August 28, 2023
The first of this author's books that I've read, and unfortunately won't be rushing to read another.
The style of writing was distinctly uninspiring, and I do wonder whether Mr Menon's day job involves writing reports, as this is how it reads - a report of what happened, when and by who. As someone else commented, there is a lack of emotion in his writing; a lack of passion, which quite frankly made the whole thing rather dull to read.
I sit on the fence with the plot - another review suggested it was interesting - I argue that the whole corrupt police officers/peadophile ring/boy's home scenario has been done to death.
Credit where it's due however - the book was written, published and read - and that in itself is an achievement!
The style of writing was distinctly uninspiring, and I do wonder whether Mr Menon's day job involves writing reports, as this is how it reads - a report of what happened, when and by who. As someone else commented, there is a lack of emotion in his writing; a lack of passion, which quite frankly made the whole thing rather dull to read.
I sit on the fence with the plot - another review suggested it was interesting - I argue that the whole corrupt police officers/peadophile ring/boy's home scenario has been done to death.
Credit where it's due however - the book was written, published and read - and that in itself is an achievement!
November 2, 2022
Great first book
I enjoyed the story and it kept my attention, good characters and plot line.
The editing left a few mistakes and missing punctuation.
What I really felt throughout, though, was a slight clichéd feel. Clichéd characters and almost ‘overacting’ in the opinions of some characters…very slightly OTT.
Not off putting enough to stop me heading for the next in the series though 🤓
I enjoyed the story and it kept my attention, good characters and plot line.
The editing left a few mistakes and missing punctuation.
What I really felt throughout, though, was a slight clichéd feel. Clichéd characters and almost ‘overacting’ in the opinions of some characters…very slightly OTT.
Not off putting enough to stop me heading for the next in the series though 🤓
January 21, 2025
A very disappointing read. The story showed a lot of promise and perhaps could have been told a lot better by another author.
He needs to do a lot more research into the workings of the NSW Police force and the NSW judicial system as a lot of what he writes is rubbish.
This author appears to have an agenda he wants put forward.
I find his use of cliche after cliche a very lazy way of writing. I will not be reading another of his books.
Don’t waste your time.
He needs to do a lot more research into the workings of the NSW Police force and the NSW judicial system as a lot of what he writes is rubbish.
This author appears to have an agenda he wants put forward.
I find his use of cliche after cliche a very lazy way of writing. I will not be reading another of his books.
Don’t waste your time.
December 24, 2023
Not for me. Really stilted writing style. Didn’t grab me. DNF
December 7, 2023
Loved The Novel
I loved the characters and the duplicity of the major players and senior police force who believed they could control the people and the town. It's not until a new DI comes to the town that things get solved and the town has to answer for murder and sex crimes.
I'm disappointed that it wasn't proof read correctly as there are so many wrong words or complete words missing. Also the grammar was hit and miss. It took away from the great story.
I loved the characters and the duplicity of the major players and senior police force who believed they could control the people and the town. It's not until a new DI comes to the town that things get solved and the town has to answer for murder and sex crimes.
I'm disappointed that it wasn't proof read correctly as there are so many wrong words or complete words missing. Also the grammar was hit and miss. It took away from the great story.
April 17, 2024
the final hours
A very gripping tale involving corrupt police, a man wrongly imprisoned for forty years, only to be murdered. Murders, liars and racist beliefs, one detective who finally unravels, cover ups, murder, child sexual abuse, and the perpetrators forty years later. Great story
A very gripping tale involving corrupt police, a man wrongly imprisoned for forty years, only to be murdered. Murders, liars and racist beliefs, one detective who finally unravels, cover ups, murder, child sexual abuse, and the perpetrators forty years later. Great story
December 27, 2025
WOW! I don’t know what to write. I am amazed by how this read has turned out. All I can say is
“ READ THIS BOOK” It’s a must. Loved it. The suspense, the twists, everything about this book is amazing.
“ READ THIS BOOK” It’s a must. Loved it. The suspense, the twists, everything about this book is amazing.
August 7, 2026
well done
In no way did I guess the ending or the whodunit. This was well written, good characters, a few rough patches and denouement felt a bit rushed. But overall good story that hooked me right into. Definitely going to try another but his author.
In no way did I guess the ending or the whodunit. This was well written, good characters, a few rough patches and denouement felt a bit rushed. But overall good story that hooked me right into. Definitely going to try another but his author.
January 5, 2026
5 star story
Really enjoyed the story - Some proof reading and editing would make it give stars. Likeable characters, interesting plot, good twist.
Really enjoyed the story - Some proof reading and editing would make it give stars. Likeable characters, interesting plot, good twist.
July 26, 2026
Fits about every cop cliche and trope you can in the first 100 pages.
July 26, 2026
This rather intense book was okay. However, the ebook was full of typo errors unfortunately
August 28, 2026
A really excellent read, marred only by a few typos and such that should have been picked up with editing.
August 2, 2026
Fun read
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews