Quite a surprising read. I was actually quite hooked, really invested in the story. Which is unusual for me when reading a netgalley book. I will hope for more like this from this author.

Another fast paced thriller from Petronella McGovern.

Can we trust our memories? Do we really know our family. Told from different perspectives and timelines added extra depth and details to the story. I enjoyed the book but at times some parts where hard to follow along with.

“Memory. It worked in such mysterious ways. Lodging certain things in the brain, discarding others. Sometimes protecting us from our worst experiences, sometimes replaying them over and over, sometimes lying to us.”

The Last Trace is the fourth novel by best-selling Australian author, Petronella McGovern. The audio version is narrated by Madeleine Jones. After fourteen years as a water engineer working on overseas aid projects, Lachlan Wilson is back in Australia on extended leave. He’s living in the family’s remote holiday cabin near Dalgety, Mimosa Hideout, with his fifteen-year-old son, Kai.

In the week before Easter, Kai contacts his Aunt Sheridan, Lachy’s older sister, because he’s worried about his dad’s memory. Privately, Lachy is worried too: he can’t remember the incident that put him on the front page of the local paper as a hero because he was blacked out at the time. “That was the trouble with memory: if you didn’t know what you were supposed to remember, it was impossible to fake.” The fact that he drove to the pub with Kai whilst in that state is concerning. And it’s not the first time.

Kai has been sent to live with his dad because of an incident with drugs in which his best mate was hospitalised, and Lachy is meant to be checking on him. But he is distracted: back in Washington DC, months earlier, he was with Juliet during such a blackout, and she now claims to be pregnant. She has convinced him by email to do a DNA test. It has him wondering what happened with camp counsellor Tiffany during his first blackout, eighteen years earlier…

And he’s avoiding even looking at work emails because of what he found out about his immediate supervisor, Henrik, and the organisation’s reaction to that. He doesn’t even want to think about what happened in Kenya but the things he wants to forget wouldn’t leave him alone while other stuff vanishes into the ether.

Meanwhile, Sheridan arrives early for the Easter weekend, subtly checking on Lachy before her husband and daughters arrive. Parties are strictly forbidden by his nagging mother and step-father, but Kai has convinced his dad to let him go to a bonfire with his new schoolmates. He’s hoping to make friends by handing out pingers, but it doesn’t quite work out that way.

Already burdened with being the default person for their mother, Gloria, in a care facility due to early onset dementia, Sheridan has always looked out for her younger brother, and her nephew. But then an incident with potentially tragic consequences prompts a change in attitude towards them.

The story is told through four narrative strands: from the perspectives of Lachy, Kai and Sheridan in the present day, and Elizabeth, living in a strict religious family, some fifty-five years earlier. McGovern gives the reader a tale that explores memory, family relationships, cult religion, peer group pressure, and secrets and lies to which even good people resort when pushed. There are red herrings and a twist or two before a very neat resolution. A riveting and thought-provoking read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Allen & Unwin.

This novel had a few twists and turns that I did not predict and it really kept me engaged throughout. As I got closer to the end, I did not want to put it down so I could find out exactly what was going to happen. Lachy has been experiencing blackouts, leaving him with huge gaps that he cannot recall. With his teenage son now living with him, it is more crucial than ever for Lachy to try and piece together the missing times, especially when he wakes up battered and bruised. Then the Police contact him about some murders and Lachy is in trouble, But what does this have to do with a long lost family member? A great read.

I felt this was a family drama, rather than a mystery or thriller as such.
There are two timelines, the present day where Lachy has returned home to the family property, after years of living abroad doing humanitarian work. His teenage son Kai is now living with him after getting caught up with drugs in the city. But Lachy has a secret and he’s not really sure what to believe.
They’re both looking forward to Easter when his sister Sheridan and family come to see them but things don’t go to plan when his niece is placed in danger.
Then there is the alternative time line set in 1968, which follows Lachy’s and Sheridan’s mothers life with her ultra strict father.
I must admit that I enjoyed the present day much more, I found I was skimming the earlier years as it didn’t hold my attention as much and I had no idea why it was included.
I am happy to say that it all came together at the end to a satisfying conclusion which I found quite interesting.
This is only my second book by this author, her others are on my radar just haven’t got to them yet.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read.

I have very mixed feelings about this book, on one hand the plot was quite intriguing, on the other there was something quite disjointed about the story line that proved frustrating.
Lachy has spent most of his adult life working in trouble spots around the world setting up reliable water supplies. He has returned to Australia to live on a rural family property with his teenage son Kai who needs to get away from Sydney and the party life he has with his friends. Lachy however, seems to be having blackouts with his memory and worries about what he has done during these blackouts.
There is a parallel story told in the sixties which involves, Gloria, Lacey's mother who now has dementia. It takes until nearly half way through the book to see where the story line is going and up until that point I nearly gave up a few times as I felt like the author had forgotten to tell me something.
While some may love the book, I think others will also find it frustrating and also like me feeling like not everything was quite resolved.
Thank you Netgalley and Allen & Unwin for the opportunity to read this digital ARC.

am a huge Petronella McGovern fan so I couldn’t wait to read this book. And it did not disappoint! The Last Trace is a gripping, suspenseful, fast paced story told from various points of view and from two different timelines about the unreliability of memory and how the past never really stays buried. I was hooked from start to finish and I thought I had worked out the ending but I was way off base! The characters were not particularly likeable at the start but I think this only serves to make the reader want to find out truth!

A solid 4 star read that I highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and Allen and Unwin for my early copy of this book to read

3.5 stars
What happens when you have a memory blank, could you have committed a crime, this is what happens to Lachy Wilson it has happened a few times now and it is starting to worry him, he is now got the care of his fifteen year old son Kia and there is also the fact that he has been asked for a DNA test by a young woman he doesn’t really remember, life is getting hard for Lachy how will this all turn out?

Sheridan loves her brother, Lachy and her nephew Kia they are a very close family and with the loss of their father and their mother now in care suffering from dementia and Lachy back in Australia they are planning Easter at the family property something that has been done for many years but it soon turns into a near tragedy and everything changes.

Lachy and Kia take a trip to the States so as Lachy can first chase up the woman who requested his DNA, also to look up a young woman from his past and to talk to his boss about a workmate but pretty much as soon as he arrives the police are requesting an interview about the DNA test.
Soon the past is being unraveled and secrets unearthed will Lachy finally be able to put the past to rest and think about the future for him and his son and family, his American family finally know what happened to their sister and Lachy and Sheridan have a better understanding about their mother’s early years.

This story takes in family and secrets set in 1968 in America and now two different eras in two different countries how times change, Lachy woks around the world helping with water resources and cares about the environment, this one was slow to start for me but the ending worked out really well and I would recommend this one to anyone who enjoys a good mystery.

My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.

Lachy, now home in Australia and living in the Snowy Mountains with his son Kai, knew he had problems. His mental blackouts were a real worry as he couldn't remember anything about what happened during them. When he became 'aware' he was at the pub with Kai, eating dinner, but not remembering how he got there, he was frightened. And when the local paper told the story of him rescuing a local - Fred - from a ditch, they called him a hero. But his memories brought up zilch, absolutely nothing. What was happening to him?

Lachy's sister Sheridan, husband Neil and two small daughters were due to arrive for the Easter weekend, and fifteen year old Kai was excited to see his aunt again. But he was worried about his dad too. He would talk to Sheridan when she arrived. Lachy wasn't coping with his job overseas; he was sure he was burnt out. But there was much more to it than that. And Sheridan was sure to bring the subject up. But on the Friday night when Sheridan and her family arrived, it wasn't long before a frightening event occurred and they rushed to the Cooma hospital. What had happened? Why couldn't the doctors find the answers? And why was it Lachy's fault?

The Last Trace is my fourth read by Aussie author Petronella McGovern and I enjoyed the first three very much. With two time frames - one set in 1968 surrounding a religious family with a strict and cruel father; the other set in current times, with family issues, secrets, drugs, alcohol and more, I enjoyed the current time the most as I found it difficult to read the earlier story, but found the ending came together well. Recommended for fans of family thrillers.

With thanks to NetGalley & Allen & Unwin AU for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Trace is an edgy family drama laced with secrets from the past, fear of the unknown and the burden of doing the right thing regardless of the personal cost. Petronella McGovern has woven together the main story set in Australia in the present day with heartbreaking events in the USA in 1968.

<i>“Lachy had barely slept, tossing and turning, berating himself. Scumbag, loser, irresponsible dickhead. In between those thoughts, he tried to piece together the missing hours. How had he behaved in front of his son? Of course, none of the memories returned. Whoosh, gone after three minutes, gone forever. The fear that he’d done something terrible made him jittery, craving a whisky to calm his nerves. But no, he was never touching the stuff again. Shit, how could he have had a blackout with Kai around? How could he have driven in that state? He knew he was in a bad way but moving here was supposed to make him better. Not worse.”</i>

Lachy suffers from blackout episodes. He has done so for years but they appear to be getting more frequent. His latest one ended when he found himself at the pub with his son, Kai, and he couldn’t remember if he’d driven there while out.

Kai notices that something’s up with his dad. He’s been visiting, living with his dad on the remote property in the Snowy Mountains. Concerned, he calls his aunt. Sheridan is Lachy’s sister and has long been the responsible voice of reason for the family. When Kai calls, she makes the trip to visit them.

But a near tragedy threatens to rip the family unit apart and then, there’s news from the US where Lachy had been working until recently. Allegations have been made, careers are in jeopardy and lives have been put on hold. The agreed response is for Lachy to return to the States and get back to work.

The second timeline takes us back to 1968 where we follow the life of a young woman, the daughter of a strict religious man, as she navigates her way through a forbidden affair. It’s clear that the family she belongs to is connected to Lachy and Sheridan and we’re headed for a significant revelation somewhere down the track.

It’s when Lachy and Kai take a trip to the US that events really move forward and the significance of a DNA test that Lachy had taken is going to become important. The history of blackouts and some questions about events that took place years ago are going to come back and make Lachy’s life extremely uncomfortable.

There was only one part of the storyline that I thought could be expanded upon and used a little better, and that was to do with Lachy’s job and the ructions that had taken place between him and one of his colleagues. It was used as one of a number of problems that Lachy was facing and could have provided a fascinating showdown if it were explored a little more fully. I was a bit disappointed when it ended up being explained away in a mere couple of sentences.

The Last Trace is a strong family drama that uses DNA matching in an interesting way. Plot twists are nicely engineered with a cast of strong characters given well developed backgrounds helping to create a thoroughly riveting story. The past is used to bring the actions of the present day characters into relevance, occasionally raising some slight rumblings of disquiet, particularly for Lachy - those darn pesky blackouts.

<i>My thanks to Allen & Unwin and NetGalley for a digital copy of the ARC that has allowed me to read, enjoy and review this book.</i>

This is a book that will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. It is a thriller that involves families, secrets, trust and more. I love brother and sister Sheridan and Lachy and the story that weaves around the two of them. It is truly a family drama and one the you won't be able to put down. It is dark, intriguing and even exciting at times.

But I must say that although the book and storyline is great it does have a lot of characters and multiple stories/themes to keep track of which sometimes took me away from the real story. It did get a bit confusing which made the book not as easy to read as if it flowed through and you could keep up with what was happening.

All in all a good book.

Thank you NetGalley and Allen & Unwin for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Sheridan and her family together with Sheridan’s brother, Lachy, and Lachy’s son, Kai, spend Easter together in the Blue Mountains. Something happens which threatens Sheridan and Lachy’s sibling bond. Added to this, Lachy experiences blackouts. He can’t remember what he does when he blacks out. During a blackout, Lachy meets a woman. She later demands a DNA test because she’s pregnant. Lachy’s DNA is linked to an old cold case in America.

This story is told through three generations from the one family. The present day is narrated by Sheridan, Lachy and Kai. The past (1968) is narrated by Elizabeth, Sheridan and Lachy’s aunt.

It is a big cast of characters involving multiple perspectives. Most of the characters were important to the overall story. Family secrets are unraveled as you turn the pages, and the family tree evolves. I thought I knew where this story was going, but I gasped as the final twists were revealed. There is also a serial killer subplot that adds an interesting dimension to the family tree.

I binged the book in a few days. This is a decent, family-centric crime story. I recommend this book.

A big “thank you” to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This is a hard book to review as I found it hard to put down but also it was kind of frustrating. Lots of characters with issues and multiple themes, not that there’s anything wrong with that and mostly the construction of the novel makes sense as it moves from character to character. There’s a historical mystery about a young woman in a strict religious family in the US. Then there’s the current timeline with her sisters children, Lachy and Sheridan. Sheridan has stuff going on with her husband and looking after mother and daughters but Lachy’s life is more complicated with work and his teenage son and drugs. Themes of women and pregnancy, and parenting and drugs and man in powerful positions taking advantage of young women in their care, alcohol, taking responsibility and facing up to your mistakes and much more. Not a bad read but I found the historical mystery the most interesting part so it could’ve lost a lot of the modern issues for me.

What if you're scared you committed a crime but can't remember?

The Last Trace is a story about family and is told from multiple points of view being Lachy, Kai and Sheridan. Lachy is hiding a secret, he gets blackouts when he has been drinking too fast and suffers amnesia. He can never remember what has happened and worries he has done something bad. He gets an email from a woman who suspects Lachy to be the father of her unborn child and requests a DNA sample. Lachy not thinking agrees and sends the swab away. Will this come back to bite him? Sheridan is trying desperately to keep the family together but can she do that after what happened at Easter? Kai just wants to be back in Sydney with his mates partying but after being caught with drugs that isn't going to happen anytime soon.

I can safely say I enjoyed the DNA part of this book and how it can connect you to crimes and also to relatives. I flew quickly through the pages of this one. It is told in dual timelines with a cast of characters. Don't worry it is easy to follow along with. I also enjoyed the different perspective of 1968. It was researched and written perfectly. I felt for Elizabeth and had a cry for her. This was my first read from the author and now I want to pick up her other books.

Thank you Allen and Unwin and Netgalley for a gifted copy of this book for my honest book review.

The Last Trace hooked me from the start and I didn't want to put it down.

The story is told from multiple viewpoints, timelines and countries. In the current timeline there is Lachy, his son Kai, and his sister Sheridan, mostly in Australia. And in 1968 we get Elizabeth's (Lachy and Sheridan's aunty) story, in America. I couldn't work out how Elizabeth was connected for some time and was less interested in this timeline, but it all came together in the end.

There are a few different parts to the story which I thought linked together well. Lachy has blackouts when he drinks too fast so has some missing memories and is concerned he has committed a crime. He gives his DNA to a woman he met in America for a paternity test, but could it lead to his demise? He also has some stuff going on with work so is avoiding his company for the time being. Sheridan is trying to keep her family together, including her mother with failing memories, her young girls and husband Nick, who happens to be Lachy's best friend, and her brother and nephew. But can she forgive Lachy and Kai for what happened over Easter?
Kai just wants to be back in Sydney with his mates but has been sent to the country with his Dad after getting into trouble with drugs.

I really enjoyed each storyline/viewpiont and wanted to stay with it, hence I finished quickly as I kept reading to get to the next storyline. I really liked the family relationships and how it all linked togethr in the end.

The worry of committing a crime without remembering it.

Last Trace is Petronella McGovern's 4th suburban noir novel and it doesn't disappoint. Themes of family dynamics, secrets, relationships and regional living mixed with contemporary issues including DNA and the use of DNA to solve crimes that are decades old.

Told from the point of view of different characters in different time periods- Sheridan, Lachy, Kai in present time, and Elizabeth in the late 1960s. Secrets kept for generations are revealed in an ending that you think you have solved keep you guessing until the end.

I enjoyed this book.

This will probably end up being one of my top reads for 2024. Yes, I know we're not even half way through the
year, but this book is one I will be recommending.

Family means everything to Sheridan, and she has taken a leading role in caring for her brother Lachy and
nephew Kai. But an incident over Easter threatens to tear the family apart. Lachy experiences blackouts after
drinking too fast. Stuff happens during those blackouts that he can't remember. During one of those episodes
he meets a girl who later claims she's pregnant and wants him to do a DNA test. That DNA test is then
connected to a cold case. Has Lacky committed a crime? The problem is that he can't remember.

This book has it all - family dynamics, drama, mysteries and secrets; a cast of complex characters relevant in
today's world, dealing with current issues and dilemmas. The character development is fantastic, and although
some are quite flawed and make poor choices, they are relatable. The twists keep coming. I binged this
book over a few days and found myself at times holding my breath. I thought I had it figured it out, but no,
Petronella keeps switching things up, giving us one morsel at a time, until the end!

The story is told in multiple POVs, Sheridan, Lachy, Kai in the present time, and Elizabeth, Sheridan's and
Lachy's aunt, in 1968. Petronella does a great job at giving different perspectives in the present time and we
see each character's inner thoughts, flaws, and insecurities. I loved the way the story alternates between the
present and the past and how the story comes together at the end revealing the secrets that had been kept
for generations.

This was a gripping thriller from start to finish.

A really interesting story, I always really enjoy Petronella McGovern’s writing and this one was up there too. For me, there were a couple too many story lines that weren’t quite linked enough for me. While I loved getting to know each character, it felt like they were all on different trajectories that didn’t link enough for me. I kept waiting for them all to come together and I didn’t quite get it.

In saying that, I really did enjoy reading this book (hence why I still have it three stars)

I have read and loved all of Petronella’s books and couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one. It didn’t disappoint. Another compelling domestic thriller that explored a number of different issues in depth- religion, third world issues, drug use, bullying and the role of DNA in solving cold cases. I also enjoyed the quite different take on memory loss which is a trope that has been a bit overdone in the past.

Set mostly in a small town in NSW called Warabina, on a property called Mimosa. I enjoyed hearing all about the local towns which are close to where I live. Some parts were also set in the US which was a big contrast. It did take me a little while to get my head around all the different characters and their connections but once I did I really enjoyed it. I do like seeing messy family relationships play out and this one had many. Of all the characters I did enjoy main protagonist Lachy and his struggles with his son, his memory issues and being back in the first world after working in the this world.

The story is old from multiple point of views and a dual timeline. I enjoyed both the stories in the two different timelines and how Petronella slowly revealed the connections between them and seeing all the secrets come out. The historical elements were really well researched and you really got a feel for the time and what it was like for women in particular with a cultish religion. As usual Petronella kept me guessing the whole way though, I loved how she kept planting clues and seeds of doubts about different characters the whole away along. I definitely didn’t pick the ending but enjoyed the ride along the way. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

McGovern has written another novel in which a relatively slight plot becomes unputdownable. It’s easy to keep reading this novel, and hard to put it down before you find out how it all works out.

Lachy has a secret, one he’s kept from almost everyone in his life. When he drinks too much alcohol too fast, he suffers from amnesia. To others he seems to be completely normal, even sober. But the next day he has absolutely no memory of anything he’s done.

As the novel opens, Lachy’s trying to piece together another blacked out night. He’s afraid that in the past he might have done some dreadful things, and now he has to work out if something bad happened last night.

I really enjoyed this novel. It’s very easy to read, and surprisingly compelling. The plot is quite slight, and at least one of the major “twists” was incredibly obvious well before the reveal. Despite that, this had me reading just one more chapter… and another… and another… Until Bang! I was finished.

The plot is interesting, and populated by realistic and believable characters. Readers will really feel for Lachy, even as they wonder whether he’s the good guy he wants to consider himself. Many of his failings are very understandable. His unusual problem adds some tension to the pile of problems he has to deal with.

I found all of the characters well rounded, vivid, and generally easy to get involved with. I’m not saying I liked or empathised with all of them, but I could visualise them as real people.

Despite lots and lots of complications, this is a fairly straightforward plot. It’s easy to follow, and even the slightly more far fetched aspects come across as credible. Characters’ emotions are very believable responses to what they’re experiencing.

This was an enjoyable novel to read. It’s not quite a thriller, nor a family drama, but readers of both will find elements to enjoy here. It’s very absorbing. I found myself entertained and interested throughout. I’ve enjoyed all of McGovern’s previous novels, and on the strength of this one, will be looking out for her next.

I will return to add review links closer to publication date.