One thing you need to know... If J.P. Pomare writes it, I'm going to read it!

I absolutely love his writing style, easy to read, the suspense keeps me drawn in, I could have read this book in one sitting, but you know ... life!

The characters were well written (even the bad ones), I was drawn in from chapter one!

I don't want to give too much away, but my recommendation would be if your going to read one book by J.P. this is the one! He'll have you guessing what's happening next, and surprising you at every turn!

I really enjoyed the premise of the story, true crime podcasts have been come such tool in having past crimes reinvestigated, just look at the recent case of The Menendez Brothers.

Following a murder of the Primrose Family, true-crime podcaster Sloane Abbott, seventeen years later, puts in motion, through her podcast, events that shed light case and ultimately solve the mystery of what happen on that fateful night.

Just like all J. P. Pomare’s novels there are twist and turns that you just don’t see coming along with a very satisfying ending. Once you pick this one up you will not want to put it down until the end.

Superb transcontinental mystery that left so many red herrings I feel like I’ve just feasted at a seafood buffet.

J.P. Pomare’s books are like a fine wine. They just keep getting better with age!

The tone of this book was set pretty early on. From just the blurb the reader knows they’re getting a gruesome murder, a true crime podcaster, and a doozy of a case with more holes in it than Swiss cheese.

I liked the narrative structure - 2 present and one written account of the past - and I liked how widespread the story was. Nothing, not even vicious crimes - happen in a vacuum. There are many moving parts and though some of those parts seemed a little eye-rolling, it worked as a whole.

Chalk up yet another fantastic book from a guy who’s become an auto-read for me.

Thank you to J.P. Pomare, Hachette Australia & New Zealand and NetGalley for an arc of this book.

Wow! I’ve had some hit or miss experiences with this author but I absolutely devoured this NZ based murder mystery.
So engaging and twisty, the setting, the colloquial tone - very good and would recommend!

Some of my favourite authors are Australian and New Zealanders. I guess, because I am a kiwi, I can relate to the pictures they paint and 17 Years Later by J.P. Pomare is no different. I've never been to Cambridge, but I think I could find my way around quite easily now!

True-crime podcasts are new to me. But Sloane Abbott seems to be very thorough in what she does. She uncovered all the short fallings in a criminal investigation that found Bill guilty of killing the Primrose family. I would certainly want her on my side.

At 96 percent through the book, things were still to be wrapped up. I was constantly changing my mind - did he, did he not??? People you paint as villains may not be and others may not be as pure as you think. Talk about action packed finale.

This is my first read of Pomare's catalogue and I would be keen to explore more. I highly recommend 17 Years Later as an immersive murder mystery. Thanks to NetGalley, J.P. Pomare and Hachette Australia and New Zealand for my copy.

Another thriller by J.P. Pomare that had me completely gripped and turning pages late into the night. In this book we learn about Bill, a chef to the rich Primrose family, who is charged with the murder of that family. Seventeen years later, we have a podcaster (Sloane) who is covering the case and digging into the crime and uncovering new evidence. Sloane also has some help from Bill’s psychologist TK. This book goes between the past and present timelines, so you get to read a bit about Bill and how it was working for the Primrose family. This book was SO twisty and addictive and just when you think you have the story figured out another twist would mix everything up again. If you like thrillers, I highly recommend this book. It was such a great read and also shows the impacts of true crime podcasts.

17 Years Later by @jppomare 🙌🏽
New Zealand’s version of James freaking Patterson.

Go on!
If you call yourself a murder/mystery/thriller/suspense fan you will already be on your way to your local independent bookshop to grab a copy of JP’s best book so far.

You know the drill. Run, don’t walk 🏃🏻‍♀️‍➡️🙅🏻‍♀️🚶🏻‍♀️‍➡️

17 Years Later was easily a five starer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me and a gripping literary rollercoaster🎢 I thoroughly enjoyed.

A huge thank you to @netagalley @tandemcollectiveglobal @hachetteaus and @jppomare for the #giftedebook

BOOK REVIEW: 17 Years Later by @jppomare

JP Pomare, you’ve done it again! I’m a huge fan of Pomare’s books, and this one has all the twisty goodness I’ve learnt to expect.

Seventeen years ago, the Primrose family - Simon and Gwen, and their teenage children Elle and Chet - were brutally murdered. Their live in chef, Bill, was convicted of their murders, but has always maintained his innocence.

Sloane has a true crime podcast that has opened up questions on previous cases. When challenged about the type of cases she features on the podcast, she decides to look into the murder of the Primrose family. As she delves deeper into the case, more and more questions arise - did Bill really kill the family?

Full of twists, this does not disappoint. Do yourself a favour and read this stat!

Thanks to @hachetteaus and @netgalley for the review copy.

As the title suggests this book is about murders that happened 17 years earlier. Sloane hosts a true crime podcast and is investigating the Primrose murders, where a posh English family that had moved to Cambridge, NZ were found stabbed to death in their beds and their Maori chef, Bill who protested his innocence was sent to jail for the crimes. The story shifts point of view between the characters in the present and Bills account of what happened. Like many books from this genre, I found the characters to be the least convincing part of the book and it’s not till the last third or so where all the threads of the plot come together and the red herrings fall away, and the book becomes difficult to put down.

I’ve read most of J P Pomare’s books over the past couple of years and each one I pick up is better than the last. This had all the elements of a fantastic thriller - true crime podcast, complicated cast of potential suspects, different POVs and mixed media to keep it fresh. I was sucked into this book immediately and although it did get a little too convoluted in the end, I still thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience and would highly recommend this book

Such a great writer, I absolutely adore J.P. Pomare's books and this is a good one. I had absolutely no idea where this was going but it all makes sense in the end. Love the epilogue, so heartbreaking.

Book Review: 17 Years Later by JP Pomare

Rating: ★★★★★

17 Years Later by JP Pomare is nothing short of a masterpiece, solidifying his position as a top-tier thriller author. As a fan of his previous works, I found this book to be his absolute best yet.

The characters in this novel are wonderfully put together, each contributing to a rich, layered narrative. Sloane, the fearless podcaster investigating historic murders, is particularly compelling. Her relentless pursuit of the truth and her courage in the face of danger make her a standout character.

Pomare excels in the slow unravel of suspects and crimes, weaving a complex web that keeps you guessing. The pacing is impeccable, with the second half of the book being especially fast-paced and twisty, making it impossible to put the book down. I love the New Zealand setting and the undertones of racism faced by a young Māori and how that is acknowledged and reflected on by Sloane in her own bias and behaviours.

Overall, 17 Years Later is a brilliant thriller that showcases JP Pomare at his finest. It’s a gripping read from start to finish, earning an easy five stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the ARC. This book is out now - go buy it!

17 Years Later is the seventh novel by award-winning, best-selling New Zealand-born Australian-resident author, J P Pomare. While, up to now, the podcast subjects of Gold Walkley award-winning Melbourne podcaster Sloane Abbott have been white females, a critical online comment has her considering, for their next podcast, a mass killing in Cambridge, New Zealand. Seventeen years earlier, all four members of the Primrose family were brutally stabbed, and their recently-dismissed private chef, Bill Kareama was sentenced to twenty-five years in prison for the murders.

But did he get a fair trial?

Bill was seen by neighbours, fleeing from the Primrose mansion with dark stains on his clothing, but he claimed to have discovered the bodies and panicked when he heard sirens. A discrepancy in the timing caught on CCTV, and the absence of an asthma inhaler should have put some doubt on his guilt but was dismissed during the trial. And while several of his actions immediately afterwards seem incriminating, his arrest and conviction following coercive interview techniques and without further investigation raise questions that Sloane would like to explore.

Sloane’s assistant manages to get the current owners to let her see the mansion, which leads to some new information, and she is able to speak to others with some personal knowledge of Bill or the Primrose family, but she faces setbacks: several of those she speaks to refuse to be recorded for the podcast, and her hire car is stolen.

Bill Kareama, an inmate of Waikeria Prison, will only talk to her if the former prison psychologist, Te Kuru Phillips accompanies her. TK gave up his job to spend years advocating for Bill, but his attitude has since changed. He reluctantly facilitates the meeting, and finds himself agreeing to one last favour for Bill.

The story is told over two timelines, with Bill’s (perhaps not entirely reliable) narrative relating what happened in the weeks leading up to the stabbings, while Sloane details events in the present day, and TK’s contribution is set in the present day but refers back to the aftermath of the murders. Pomare keeps the reader guessing about certain details, throws in a bunch of red herrings, twist and turns that will keep even the most astute reader guessing. Excellent Kiwi crime fiction.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Hachette Australia.

Award winning Australian true-crime podcaster Sloane Abbott is looking for a new case for next podcast when she comes across that of Bill Kareama. He was a young Maori chef jailed for the brutal murder of the Primrose family, who he worked for in the New Zealand town of Cambridge seventeen years before. Reviewing his case Sloane is convinced Bill didn’t get a fair trial and even with little evidence, the police didn’t consider other suspects. Bill is still in jail, refusing to admit his guilt, even though that would have made him eligible for release on bail years before.

Sloane sets out to prove that Bill was wrongfully convicted by the justice system. Prison Psychologist T.K Phillips unsuccessfully fought for an appeal many years ago so she finds out what he knows and ropes him in to help gather evidence from others who worked or lived at the house at the time of the murder.

Told in the present through Sloane’s investigation and in the past through Bill’s view of the events that lead up to the murders seventeen years ago, this is a carefully constructed cold case investigation. There are many red herrings, new findings, unexpected surprises and twists that make this a terrific thriller.

Soon Sloane and TK have a list of suspects to examine more closely, including Bill who is still very much in their sights. However, they are both unaware of the danger they are walking into as they get closer to the truth. This gripping and compelling crime novel is one of Pomare’s best with well depicted characters, a great plot and an intense climax.

17 Years Later by JP Pomare is another book featuring a podcaster reinvestigating a historical crime. Here however, justice has been served and the man found guilty has been in jail for 17 years. Award-winning podcaster Sloane Abbott is intrigued nonetheless as there seems to be some obvious evidence overlooked at his trial. Also in his favour is the fact the convicted killer maintains his innocence when (had he pleaded guilty) he might have already been released on parole.

Pomare sets this in his birth country of New Zealand and though race relations aren't a focus there's obvious discrimination and judgement underpinning this novel and people's perception of Bill Kareama, private chef and proud Maori.

Although podcaster Sloane is our main narrator she's joined by a psychologist (TK) who'd worked with Bill not long after his incarceration and who - initially at least - believed in his innocence. He's reluctant to be involved now however and it's obvious he's privy to information that makes him certain of Bill's guilt.

And we hear from Bill directly. I'd assumed it was a dual timeline and Bill sharing events (in real-time) from 17 years earlier, but we learn he was (later) asked to share his account of the time he spent with the Primrose family prior to the murders.

All three narrators are likeable. Sloane felt real and vulnerable, as did TK. I liked Bill though we later hear other accounts of him and the perception that he'd changed while living with the Primrose family. Given our only other insight is from his account (written later) it's harder to know what his true character was like. But, I was certainly on his side and wanted everyone to be wrong in their assertions of his guilt.

We also meet the Primrose family - and learn some of their secrets (from torrid affairs to potential manslaughter) - as well as other staff members and Bill's friends from 17 years earlier. We also revisit some in the present so there's a lot of substance underpinning this narrative.

As Sloan and TK unpick the past, they hear varying accounts of that time and we learn not everyone was who they said they were. As always Pomare does a good job at offering a few surprises he's deftly hidden from readers. It meant that my own suspicions leapt about madly as I made my way through this book, making this an addictive read.

Sometimes you just have to sit back and acknowledge superior storytelling when you read it by an author who can orchestrate misdirection with consummate skill. J.P. Pomare has put together a crime thriller that stands head and shoulders above most that I have come across in recent times with 17 Years Later.

The Primrose family has been murdered and Bill Kareama, the family chef, has been convicted and imprisoned for the past 17 years for the crime. All the locals are convinced he’s a murderer but Australian podcaster Sloane Abbott isn’t so sure. She’s travelled to New Zealand in the hopes of putting together content for her wildly successful show, the podcast has successfully overturned decisions in the past. The question sits out there…is Bill a murderer?

The story is told from three different viewpoints and across two time periods. Firstly, the investigation into the old crime is told from Sloane Abbott’s point of view in the present day. Secondly, we get an opinionated narrative from Bill’s psychologist and advocate Te Kuru Phillips (TK), which also takes place in the present day and often in response to interaction with Sloane. Finally, we go back 17 years and jump into Bill’s mind as the events leading up to the murders unfold.

Through Bill’s recollection of events we encounter numerous instances of racism, typical of the prejudice that has long blighted New Zealand. Not all of the Primrose family are pleasant people and we’re given potential motives for Bill to have done what he’s been imprisoned for.

TK describes how torn he was when representing Bill: <i>“I had been seeing Bill for about a year when I realised I had become attached to him and emotionally invested in his case. It wasn’t transference, it was something else. I believed him and not just that, I believed in him.”</i>

Sloane manages to convince TK to help her sort through the evidence she has been able to pick up during her brief investigation. She becomes convinced that the slipshod police work has resulted in a wrongful arrest and imprisonment and can see a blockbuster podcast series in the offing as a result.

This cold case investigation conducted by two amateur investigators is wonderfully plotted and whizzes along at a rapid pace. The guilt of Bill Kareama is placed under question very early on and then the list of possible alternative murderers are carefully presented to create an intriguing web of suspects. And Bill’s never discounted among that list too!

As Sloane and TK carefully unpick the knots that the clues are tied up in, the tension builds and there’s an awareness of a growing danger that both are walking into. TK flies out to the UK and France to continue on his part while Sloane works away in New Zealand. Both seem to be walking straight into life-threatening situations.

There are numerous opportunities for misdirection and thrilling cliffhangers here, and J.P. Pomare doesn’t miss any of them. Now, I’m not normally the kind of guy to do this, but the further into the story I got, the more necessary it became to set aside what I was doing and read on to find out how this fantastic crime thriller was going to end.

<i>My thanks to Hachette Australia and NZ via NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC to allow me to read, enjoy and review this book.</i>

17 Years Later
JP Pomare

Kia Ora; this was fun.

“Let me give you a piece of advice from someone who makes a living out of true crime: no one looks innocent in a mugshot.”

I love a book with red herrings and this has plenty. It definitely took some twists towards the end, really ratcheting up in the stakes. It was straightforward and yet so much misdirection and was very very entertaining. Definitely recommend this thought - provoking crime thriller.

‘We are, as psychologists, familiar with many biases, including our own. To counter the effects of a bias, one must first be aware of it and we are just as susceptible as everyone else.’

In the aftermath of the violent slaughter of the wealthy Primrose family, the small idyllic town of Cambridge is scarred and forever changed. All the evidence points directly towards the Primrose family’s live-in chef Bill Ruatara, who is immediately charged with their murders and brought to justice.

I followed her gaze to my chef’s knife behind me, lying on its side near the sink.
“Be careful. It looks very sharp,”

The Primrose murders are now infamous and Bill has served 17 years inside Waikeria prison, never once admitting to the crimes, always stating he didn’t kill them. Bill’s case was heavily prejudiced against him, and undermined a foundation of democracy: that everyone is entitled to a fair defence.

‘It’s so simple. The perfect alibi. The perfect crime.’

When celebrity true-crime podcaster Sloane Abbott takes an interest in the case, it could be the break Bill needs? As Sloane, her team and prison psychologist TK uncover new evidence they become tangled in a complex web of danger and deceit.

‘You see someone who has lost something they love and it makes you take stock, clutch at the things that you care for, things you might have otherwise forgotten.’

With Bill’s innocence far from assured and their own lives at stake, they will risk everything to unearth the truth.

“Violence only comes easy for psychopaths; others live with it forever. They relive it, over and over.”

So good. You need this book, released 31st July 2024.


(REVIEW PUBLISHED 29th July 2024).

This one started off slow for me but soon became an interesting, twisty thriller! It kept me guessing and second guessing myself as to what happened. Definitely a good read!

Bill has been in prison for the murder of the Primrose family. But 17 years later, his psychologist asks for an appeal in the hope that Sloane, a crime podcaster and himself can dig up some new evidence pointing to the real killer.

It always feels like such a treat to read a JP Pomare book. This one was a bit slow to reel me in but once I got a grip on all the characters and the scene, I was riveted. The second half of the book had me solidly reading through without a break - I really couldn't put it down! The author has cleverly penned this novel in such a way that you feel like you need to go back after to see what you missed. I would recommend reading this book as much as possible in one go in order to keep track of what is happening as it is the little details that are important!

The thing I love most about crime fiction is guessing who the guilty party is as early on in the story as I can and then getting to the end to see if I was right. There's great satisfaction in getting to the end and being correct l but there's nothing I love more than being wrong and hoo boy did I get this one wrong, J. P. Pomare got me good!!

Sloane Abbott is a famous true crime podcaster looking for her next big case to report on when she stumbles upon the murders of the Primrose Family 17 years ago. The entire family were killed in their home and their live in chef arrested a short time later. 17 years later Bill Ruatara has always proclaimed his innocence. Guilty or not, the more Sloan dives into the case with Bill's psychologist TK Phillips, the more convinced she is that Bill never received a fair trial. Is Bill as guilty as everyone believes him to be or has the wrong person been sitting in jail?

Told from multiple POVs 17 Years Later follows Sloan and TK as they investigate the case and Bill 17 years ago as he starts his job with the Primrose Family right up until the night of the crime.

This book was a slow burn to start off with as there were a lot of characters to be introduced and back stories to be told but once it got going it was a wild ride to the end with so many awesome twists and turns that kept me up way past my bedtime. There was no way I was waiting until tomorrow to know how the story would end.

J. P. Pomares best one yet! Pop this on your wishlist/TBR and grab yourself a copy as soon as it's released on Thursdsy (1st August) I promise you won't be disappointed.

Thank you to Hachette Australia and NetGalley for sending me the ebook for this wonderful story.