Publication: 16th November 2023 – Hodder & Stoughton
May 1940.
With Nazi forces sweeping across France, invasion seems imminent. The English Channel has never felt so narrow.
In rural Sussex, war veteran John Cook has been tasked with preparing the resistance effort, should the worst happen.
But even as the foreign threat looms, it’s rumours of a missing child that are troubling Cook. A twelve-year-old girl was evacuated from London and never seen again, and she’s just the tip of the iceberg – countless evacuees haven’t made it to their host families.
As Cook investigates, he uncovers a dark conspiracy that reaches to the highest ranks of society. He will do whatever it takes to make the culprits pay. There are some lines you just don’t cross.
THE LAST LINE is a blistering action thriller combined with a smart noir mystery, played out expertly against the taut backdrop of the British home front.
It’s 1940 and, while the war is raging in Europe and England is preparing for a possible Nazi invasion, something darker and unexpected is going on in a village in Sussex. John Cook is a war veteran who has already gone through the first war and he wants to fight again, but his country has other plans for him: he must lay low in his farm and, should the Nazi invade, lead the resistance and kill as many of them as he can.
While he waits, John becomes involved in a murder investigation. A young girl is found brutally murdered in his land and when it becomes clear that the police is not doing enough, John decides to investigate on his own. What he initially thinks is an argument between lovers which ended badly turns out to be a more disturbing case linked to missing children. A few months earlier, when the threat of bombing on London seemed certain, thousands of children had been evacuated to the countryside, but it seems that one of them, twelve-year-old girl Elizabeth, never made it to destination. And she may not be the only one…
This is a fantastic read. In the background, a war is almost on England’s doorstep as tales of the invasion of France arrive and war veterans are still suffering the consequences from the first war while the young ones are eager to fight. At the centre of the story, a violent murder and the only one who seems to care about it is John. Trained to kill, he is determined to find out the truth, even if it means using the force. Helped by a fantastic supporting cast of friends, he sets out to uncover a truth of conspiracies, smuggling, spies, and violence.
Very well-written and well-researched, The Last Line is a fast-paced, gripping, and compelling thriller and I am grateful to the author for reaching out. I was completely immersed in the story and I am already looking forward to his next one.
Stephen Ronson grew up in Sussex, and spent a large part of his childhood exploring the woods and fields around Uckfield, many of which were still dotted with reminders of WW2 – pill boxes, tank traps, nissen huts, and graffiti left by soldiers awaiting D-Day. He is a passionate student of local history, and when he learnt about Auxiliary Units – groups of men who were instructed to lay low during the predicted nazi invasion and lead the fight back, he knew he had to write about a Sussex farmer, one with a love of the land, and a natural desire and ability to get the job done. Many of the locations and characters in the John Cook series are inspired by real places and real people. In particular, Stephen was inspired by his grandparents, Eric, Bessie, Peter and Vera, each of whom did their bit on the home front.
Nowadays, Stephen divides his time between Vermont, USA, and Uckfield, East Sussex. When he’s not writing, he can be found renovating his house, or walking the woods and the fields.
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