"When Last Seen" by Brenda Chapman delivers a gripping narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats with a blend of suspense, mystery, and a touch of true crime intrigue.

Set against the backdrop of an Ottawa heatwave, the story kicks off with the Homicide and Major Crimes Unit tackling the disappearance of three-year-old Charlie McGowan. The urgency intensifies as this becomes the second missing person case within a short span, the previous one involving a university exchange student. Chapman skillfully paints the tension and urgency of the investigations, creating an atmosphere that simmers with anticipation.

The narrative takes an interesting turn as true crime podcaster Ella Tate and Detective Liam Hunter join forces to delve into the perplexing cases. The seemingly unrelated disappearances start to unravel unsettling relationships, adding layers of complexity to the mystery. Chapman adeptly builds suspense, making it challenging for the reader to put the book down.

One of the strengths of "When Last Seen" lies in its ability to keep the audience guessing. The author weaves a web of clues and red herrings, ensuring that the elusive evidence remains just out of reach. This creates a sense of frustration that mirrors the characters' own struggles, amplifying the overall tension in the story.

The turning point, marked by the discovery of a body on the Ottawa River Parkway, adds a chilling dimension to the plot. Chapman masterfully navigates the emotional impact on the characters, creating a palpable sense of unease that lingers throughout the narrative.

The characters, especially the dynamic duo of Ella Tate and Detective Liam Hunter, are well-crafted and contribute significantly to the novel's appeal. Their partnership adds depth to the storytelling, providing a compelling human element to the unfolding mystery.

Chapman's writing style is crisp and effective, maintaining a brisk pace that suits the thriller genre. The dialogue is sharp, and the descriptions are vivid, allowing readers to immerse themselves in the atmospheric setting of Ottawa during a heatwave.

"When Last Seen" is a four-star thriller that excels in building suspense, crafting intricate plotlines, and delivering a satisfying resolution. Brenda Chapman skillfully captures the essence of a true crime investigation while keeping the narrative accessible and engaging. For fans of mystery and suspense, this book is a compelling choice that will leave you eagerly anticipating the next twist.

Review: When Last Seen
 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Author: Brenda Chapman
Publication Date: 01 April 2023
Publisher: Ivy Bay Press

General Fiction (adult) | Mystery & Thrillers
Read: January 16, 2023
Original Review: January 17, 2023
Posted Reviewed: January 12, 2024

I received this book from Brenda Chapman and Ivy Bay Press as an advanced eArc for my honest review any opinions that come from this review are my own. Thank you to both the Author and the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book.

Nothing good can come from a 3-year-old child who goes missing from his backyard. With amber alerts issued and adrenaline rushing Detective Liam Hunter and his team are starting to investigate the child's disappearance while most of his team is still nose-deep into missing Chinese exchange student Meilin Hanon who happened to disappear 9 months earlier. On the surface, there seems to be no direct connection between the two but as Detective Hunter and Tate dig deeper connections start to form.

Wow, what can I say I enjoyed this book so much. It kept me glued to my Kindle from start to finish I didn’t want to put it down. The characters were well-written and likable and the story was told from multiple points of view which kept it very interesting giving the story a wider perspective.

There are several twists and turns in this book and when you think you know where the story is going it takes you in another direction. It’s the definition of taking you down a rabbit hole but in a good way. It will lead you to a host of unsavory characters, secrets, and things you can’t believe. If you get a chance to read this book you won’t regret it.

Interesting police procedural set in Ottawa. When A 3 year boy disappears from his home, Hunter and his partner are assigned the case. A previous disappearance of a university student nine months earlier remains unsolved. Could the cases be linked? Nice to read a mystery in the place where you live. One of the characters even lives on our former street.

I really struggled to make it through this one. It felt unoriginal in plot, but I liked the character development and found it to be exciting in some spots. Generally, not my fav read this year.

First off this is book number 2 in the Hunter and Tate Mysteries and I admit that I had not read the first book .There were references from the previous books but When Last Seen can be read and enjoyed without read the first book.

The story was well plotted with twists.I just couldn’t put this one down and I did end up staying up very late.

If you are from Ottawa you will recognize lots of areas mentioned in the book.

I will be purchasing a copy of this book and the first book as soon as I can.

I do very much recommend When Last Seen by Brenda Chapman.

I give this 5 out of 5.

I enjoyed reading this thriller. It has relatable characters & an unpredictable storyline. I highly recommend reading this one!

Ottawa is baking under a July heatwave when the Homicide and Major Crimes Unit is called to help track down missing three-year-old Charlie McGowan. This is the second missing person case in nine months — a university exchange student never made it back to her Carleton University residence from a downtown party in November.
At first, the two disappearances appear unrelated, but as true crime podcaster Ella Tate and Detective Liam Hunter dig deeper into both files, unsettling relationships begin to emerge. Evidence, however, remains frustratingly out of reach as the clock keeps ticking and concern for both missing victims takes on a heightened urgency.
And then Liam Hunter gets a call that a body’s been found on the Ottawa River Parkway …

Complex, compassionate, and smart.
Many thanks to Ivy Bay Press and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I highly recommend this novel. The plot was enticing and a great mystery. I appreciated the characters and the exquisite writing. I must say, the author kept me intrigued with this storyline.

To all the mystery lovers, this is a great choice. You will not be disappointed.

This was a good story which kept me turning the pages throughout the night. Great mystery, writing and plotting will recommend to all my friends who love this genre.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A recommended read, full of twists turns and suspense.

Rdy to post

When Last seen - Brenda Chapman

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this novel.

This story begins when a couple's young boy goes missing, when the boy's mother turns her back for a few minutes as he is playing in the family's front yard.

The layers to the story are revealed one-by-one, like the layers of an onion.. You first learn that the marriage was a second marriage for the husband, who was with his first wife for decades. Eventually, he left her for his current wife (a much younger version, he met her at work where she was an admin assistant).

Along with different issues added to this story to make the perfect storm, add a rookie cop, a newspaper reporter who has a well-meaning neighbor (my favorite character Tony).

Put on your seatbelt and prepare for an interesting ride toward the book's conclusion!

Until next time, keep in mind that a monkey only lets go of one branch - when he has reached out and grabbed another... ;)😘

It's July and it's hot and humid in Ottawa when three-year-old Charlie McGowan goes missing. Months earlier a university exchange student never made it back to her Carleton University residence from a downtown party. As true crime podcaster Ella Tate and Detective Liam Hunter dig deeper into both cases, unsettling connections begin to emerge.

This is the second book in this new series by Canadian author Brenda Chapman and I enjoyed it much more than the first book. I'm not sure why, whether it was the subject matter or what, but I was really engrossed in this story and my mind was working overtime trying to put all the pieces together. I liked Ella's neighbour Tony's toned-down involvement and felt some appreciation this time for Liam and his partner Julie Quade. The writing is clear and incisive and the characters are portrayed well. There are some secondary plots running in the background which added to my interest. I just really hope this doesn't turn into a hot and heavy romance between Ella and Liam. The resolution took me by surprise and I thought the ending was appropriate. This book reads well as a standalone and I don't think it's necessary to read "Blind Date" first. I look forward to reading the next book in this series. 4.5 Stars rounded down!

My husband told me it wasn't important but I wish the missing exchange student hadn't been referred to as the "Chinese student" multiple times. I found it extremely jarring even though it was only about 10 times.

My thanks to Ivy Bay Press via Netgalley for providing an electronic copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Published: April 1, 2023

The hardest part is not knowing…

Ottawa is baking under a July heatwave when the Homicide and Major Crimes Unit is called to help track down missing three-year-old Charlie McGowan. This is the second missing person case in nine months — a university exchange student never made it back to her Carleton University residence from a downtown party in November.

At first, the two disappearances appear unrelated, but as true crime podcaster Ella Tate and Detective Liam Hunter dig deeper into both files, unsettling relationships begin to emerge. Evidence, however, remains frustratingly out of reach as the clock keeps ticking and concern for both missing victims takes on a heightened urgency.

And then Liam Hunter gets a call that a body’s been found on the Ottawa River Parkway …

Sheer perfection. I couldn't put this story down. Will recommend to others.

Thank you Netgalley and Ivy Bay Press for the chance to read When last seen by Brenda Chapman. This is the 2nd book in the Hunter & Tate series. After reading and enjoying the first book in the series, Blind date I was eager to start reading When last seen. The premise of the book, a child that disappears from his yard is current and a nightmare for any parent. Detective Liam Hunter and crime reporter/podcaster Ella Tate join forces once again to solve what appears to be two separate missing persons cases. I found the story meandered a bit in the middle but became riveted as the story progressed and the setting in Ottawa was a highlight as its where I live. While 2nd in the series, it can be read as a standalone.

“When Last Seen” moved veeery slowly. The first time there was a lead pieced together in the case was 50% through the book. I had to finish to find out what happened to Charlie but felt like the pacing was off. I didn’t guess what happened but I wasn’t surprised by the ending.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book. I am so sad I read it without reading part one. I will be purchasing books one and two soon to fully comprehend what is happening.

Although I did not read part one, I still enjoyed it because I enjoy the true podcast trope in thrillers. There were some big twists that I did not expect. It kept me on my toes and left me wanting more.

Thank you oh Brenda Chapman, Ivy Bay Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC e-book. First off this is book 2 in the series but I read it as a standalone and although I had no issues reading it there were a few mentions of characters that it would have been nice to have backstory on but I was able to make it through just fine. This book kept me guessing nonstop I did not see any of these twists and turns. It was a wild ride. I love a mystery (especially detective ones) that keep me guessing and this book was just that. I binged this book and it was worth it.

Three-year-old Charlie was playing in his yard with the neighbour's cat. His mother, Ginger, took her eyes off him for a few minutes and he disappeared. A search is done of the neighbourhood and the water not far from their house but there is no sign of him. Liam is the police officer in charge of the investigation and quietly works with true crime writer/podcaster Ella to get the word out and find Charlie. Hours turn into days and there's still no word about him. Ginger is frantic and David, his father, keeps himself busy with work.

Suddenly clues start coming out that David has had business meetings with suspicious men and then it's discovered that they may have connections to a Chinese-exchange student who went missing months before.

This was an interesting story and there were many possibilities on what could have happened to Charlie. It's written in third person perspective depending on where the action was. Though it is the second in the Hunter and Tate series, there seemed to be enough information from the first one so you can read this one as a stand alone (I haven't read the first one but will). I like the fact that it is set in Ottawa, ON, and they didn't hide it. As a head's up, there is swearing.

When Last Seen is the second book in the Hunter and Tate series. A woman goes missing in Ottawa during an unbearably hot summer. There has been no word or clues as to her disappearance.

Ginger is eight months pregnant and checks on her three-year-old son Charlie while he is in the back yard. Knowing he is playing with the neighbor's cat she pours him something cool to drink. When she returns Charlie is nowhere to be found. She calls for him and begins to panic when he doesn't answer. A nearby neighbor offers to help look for him until Ginger realizes she needs to call the police to report him missing.

Homicide and Major Crimes Unit is called to help track down missing Charlie McGowan. Questioning the family, they sense something is not quite right but with nothing to go on they keep looking for Charlie. Several weeks pass until Hunter receives a call another body has been found.

True crime podcaster Ella Tate and Detective Liam Hunter dig deeper into both cases trying to unravel the mysteries surrounding the people involved. Ella becomes close to Sara, Charlie's half-sister. Sara has been keeping a log on her father's activities. She disappears suddenly and now two children in the same family are missing.

This is the first book of the series I have read. There are many characters to keep track of, but all are connected to the story. Running down leads and investigating the focus surrounding the characters. In spite of taking place over several weeks, it is a fast-moving story and building relationships. I really enjoyed this twisted story and am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Yes! This book was a great quick read for me. I loved the team work and chemistry between detective Hunter and podcast/crime reporter Ella. Although this is the 2nd in a series, I didn’t feel lost in the least reading it without the prior book.
I enjoyed the multiple point of views and found the character development gave me just enough to want to keep reading this series. There are many characters who I felt connected with and want to continue to learn about. This particular story had multiple cases that weaved together at the end to create a really satisfying ending for me. I did not see it coming, but I highly appreciate the way everything resolved at the conclusion. Thank you netgalley for the arc!