My Thoughts: John Cook was everything you want in a main character of a book he was resourceful, went after what he wanted and refused to take no for an answer, your typical alpha male but yet had a softer caring side that we saw little glimpses of throughout.

I’m not normally a fan of historical fiction and was a little worried that this would be very war heavy, but it wasn’t, weirdly the war was more of a back story.. what we did get was everything else..

Full of action, violence, murder, conspiracy theories people trafficking and that’s just the tip of the iceberg..

A book that had me on the edge of my seat throughout, Stephen is definitely an author I will be looking out for in the future!

This is such a thrilling WWII set thriller that has heart-pounding action, but more importantly, a lot of heart. John Cook is a brilliant main character, who is multi-layered, complex and somebody you whole-heartedly route for. The mystery at the core of this story is really well executed and completely gripping. I really loved the tension of the impending Nazi invasion, but was also fraught with anxiety over the missing evacuees. Ronson perfectly blends both of these threats to create a narrative that is as taut as piano wire! I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which also explored themes like the abuse of power, manipulation, affluence and wealth, morality, and a sense of duty.

This book is not to be missed if you enjoy action-packed historical thrillers, or just simply enjoy a rip-roaring read! I’m very much looking forward to the next book.

There is perhaps a tendency for us to imagine that Britain's home front in the Second World War was a time of universal cohesion and courage but of course, criminals didn't take a break for the duration of the war and in The Last Line, Stephen Ronson takes a nuanced, exciting look at the darker side of society in what became known as the Darkest Hour.
We learn that the lead character, John Cook signed up for the First World War aged just fifteen but unlike many of his contemporaries who survived that war, he didn't return home immediately and instead re-enlisted. He was sent to the North-West Frontier where he received specialist training in unconventional training and close-quarters combat. After eight years and five months in the army, he eventually returned to his home in Uckfield where he poured all his savings into his family farm, turning its fortunes as it became one of the largest farms in the area. Even in these early introductory chapters, it's clear that Cook is a determined, highly skilled character but he is still painfully aware of the cost of war and, noting that the previous war resulted in the country losing a generation, he offers his services to his old regiment as the German Army continues its apparently inexorable westward march.
Stephen Ronson reflects upon the reverberations of war right from the start of The Last Line; the opening scene starkly illustrates the dehumanising consequences, while Cook's mentally shattered, mute Uncle Nob, and his heavy drinking friend, Doc Graham are poignant reminders that the men who did return home were nevertheless irrevocably changed by their experiences. The mood of the time is captured perfectly too as the Phony War comes to an end and the British prepare for the invasion they believe is inevitable. With Uckfield lying in the path of the Nazis expected march towards London, Cook is tasked with forming a small team who will lie in wait until the initial stage of the invasion is over before wreaking as much havoc as possible. These highly secret, insurgent Auxiliary Units had a life expectancy of just a few weeks and it's fascinating seeing him deciding the sort of people he needs to surround himself with.
However, he has more immediate problems to deal with too after a young woman's murdered body is discovered on his land. As the obvious lead suspect, he has an invested role in figuring out who the real killer is but it's also evident throughout that despite his ruthlessness, he is an innately principled man whose conscience drives him to doggedly and sometimes brutally investigate both this case and a related one involving missing evacuees. A number of characters are introduced during the course of the novel, which makes it a complex but highly rewarding read as the various strands of the compulsive, thrilling storyline are drawn together.
Despite not flinching from inflicting instant, often merciless violence at times, John Cook is an engaging, likeable protagonist. Meanwhile, the supporting cast of characters is excellent too, with Lady Margaret being particularly impressive. She proves to be a formidable ally to Cook and the chemistry they share adds a further layer of interest to proceedings. It can't be understated, however, that this is a dark, harrowing story which examines the worst of human behaviour. Perhaps what makes it especially chilling are the unavoidable parallels between the missing evacuees in this book and the scores of child asylum seekers who disappear in the present day.
With its breathtakingly tense action scenes and taut, intricately plotted storyline, The Last Line is a gripping, vividly atmospheric historical thriller and a terrific introduction to a new series. I look forward to reading more.

Set during WW2 you could be forgiven for thinking this thriller would be a war story. However although it does that backdrop the main concern for John Cook is to find a missing evacuee. When he realises she is not the only one he begins to unravel a conspiracy that threatens all society…

Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton for the Advanced Reader copy. All opinions are my own.

It has been far, far too long since I last opened the laptop to share my thoughts on a book. Time to dust off the cobwebs and get back to doing what I love the most – sharing the booklove and helping readers to find those books I think they really should be reading. Despite the lack of reviews I have still been reading my way through some wonderful stories and I have some catching up to do – where better to start than with Stephen Ronson’s excellect The Last Line?

This book made its way into my list of Ten Favourite Reads of 2023 – it’s an extremely readable and highly enjoyable historical adventure thriller. The wartime setting gives it a constant foreboding tension as the characters live with the constant threat of German invasion as the enemy troops sweep through France, just across the English Channel from where the events in The Last Line unfold.

The hero of the piece is John Cook. He’s a war vetran who’d seen more than his fair share of action on the front lines in Europe and now he’s home in Sussex and watching the incoming threat of a German army on the march. Unfortunately for Cook there’s more than just the potential threat of a German invasion for him to worry about. The Last Line opens with a dramatic confrontation between two pilots, a Spitfire pilot and a Messerschmitt pilot – the whole event witnessed by Cook. The reason he has such a good view of the confrontation is due to the fact both planes are grounded and the pilots are out of their cockpits.

From the opening exchanges we get a measure of Cook – the confrontation he witnesses, his reaction to the conversation he overhears and how he deals with the subsequent reprecussions help readers define what type of character John Cook will be. It puts us in a good place as it won’t be long before Cook is going to become caught up in a particularly deadly sequence of events and as I reader I enjoyed knowing this was a character I could root for.

What I did enjoy was the clever way Stephen Ronson sets up the mystery at the heart of his story, there’s a big incident very early on – Cook is implicated and the police will come calling. Under a cloud of suspicion and mistrust John Cook will continue with the tasks he set out to do and will face down anyone that may try to stop that. However it is not just the police that will come calling on Cook, as a former soldier he’s not fully off the radar of the army either. With an enemy on their doorstep and a real demand for skilled and trustworthy operatives, the army will seek out anyone they feel could be considered an asset and do whatever is required to acquire that asset. Cook is going to be facing a number of challenges.

There’s one puzzle which will just not go away – a missing evacuee who’s left London but seemingly not arrived in the safety of Sussex. Enquiries into what may have happened to the schoolgirl yield no results and Cook doesn’t even seem able to find many who actually care enough to help him. But as he keeps digging he finds that it isn’t just one girl that’s missing – there are multiple children leaving the city but vanishing before they can be placed with new families. Cook will make his way to Brighton to continue his investigations into the missing children – what he uncovers is a disturbing and vast network of lies and abuse of power.

It’s not all about John Cook doing this solo – he does have a few allies he can rely upon, most notably is Lady Margaret – local landowner and woman of considerable influence. She has her own agenda and is more than happy to enlist Cook’s assistance…when their paths cross there’s more than just a spark of attraction and their friendship and possible relationship is another fun development in the story.

I’ve skirted around a lot of the elements of the story which really made The Last Line shine for me. I really want you to read this book and I really don’t want to drop too many spoilers or flag up key elements of the plot. Suffice to say this book was an absolute gem for me last year. I liked Cook and Lady Margaret and would love to read more of their story, the wartime setting and threat of German attack gave the story a strange claustrophobia which really should not have been a factor in the Sussex fields. There was one scene which actually had me shouting “NO” at a decision Cook took at one of the most tense moments in the story.

If I finally cut to the chase…

I loved this story, it cut through the busy chaos that was the end of 2023, it held my attention when many other books just didn’t even get a second glance and, when I had finished reading, I immediately wanted more with these characters. Did I mention it was one of my favourite reads last year? Make it one of your favourite reads this year.

The story kicks off with an action packed opening scene, comprising of two planes crashing into the fields belonging to war veteran, John Cook. One plane is British, and and the other is German. After a friendly exchange, the British soldier proceeds to shoot the German soldier while his back is turned. John witnessing the entire situation.

Not long after, Mary, the daughter of John’s friend and also the girlfriend of the British soldier in the opening scene, is found brutally murdered and her body dumped in John’s field. The level of violence and wounds inflicted upon Mary are unimaginable, and Stephen Ronson doesn’t shy away from the gory details within his writing. Mary’s murder opens up so many questions and possibilities, more than anyone would realise, and the multiple elements of the story that this opens up is one of my favourite aspects of the book. It’s like a spider web, everything is linked, but there’s so many strings to follow.

There are an array of different characters in this story. John is a genuinely good guy, who has been seriously effected by his experience of war. He has a dangerous side, which we see on many occasions throughout the book. You certainly wouldn’t want to upset him. Lawrence seems like a really terrible person. Their time at war together adds a different layer to the relationship between John and Lawrence, and I would have liked to explore their connection and back story more. Despite being more of a background character, and the fact that he didn’t speak, Uncle Nob was one of the most interesting and thought provoking characters for me. The trauma from what he faced in WWI made him a completely different person. I felt that his character was very powerful, and a real symbol of the reality of war.

This book is edge of the seat reading from start to finish. It kept your heart racing. There was danger at every turn, and following John’s mission was lots of fun. The ending definitely leaves the story open for another book in the series, and I would like to see how it continues.

The Last Line brings together two of my favourite genres; thriller and historical fiction. A murder story running alongside the struggles of WWII. Overall, I would have liked for there to have been more in the way of war action (but if there is a 2nd book coming, it’s almost guaranteed to have that), and for me there were a couple of plot holes, however I did still really enjoy this book.

I give The Last Line a 3.5 star rating!

Stephen Ronson’s The Last Line is a clever, absorbing and atmospheric historical thriller readers will have a hard time putting down.

In 1940, the imminent threat of Nazi invasion is impossible to ignore and rural Sussex might seem like a world away from the battlefields of France, but there is no denying the fact that it’s only a matter of time until the Germans will make their presence felt and life for everyone in England will be changed forever. Having witnessed plenty of atrocities, violence and bloodshed in the previous war, farmer John Cook knows better than most just how devastating the forthcoming conflict will be. Cook might have been tasked with preparing the resistance effort should the worst happen, however, he quickly finds his thoughts occupied by another enemy other than Hitler who is much closer to home – and just as deadly…

Immediately on the alert when he hears rumours of a missing girl evacuated from London who was never seen again, Cook begins to look into this case and his findings quickly prove alarming as it seems that there are countless evacuees who are sent to the countryside for their own safety – and never make it to their host families. Cook’s investigation will take him from deepest Sussex to the highest echelons of society, but will he manage to get to the bottom of this mystery? Or is he about to rue the day he first heard the rumour of the girl who had vanished into thin air?

Stephen Ronson’s The Last Line is a fast-paced, action-packed and tension-filled historical thriller brimming with menace, danger and intrigue. Stephen Ronson skillfully brings wartime England to life and in John Cook has created an intelligent, capable and astute hero readers will warm to instantly.

Exciting, unpredictable and full of twists and turns which will keep readers engrossed from beginning to end, The Last Line heralds the arrival of a talented new voice in historical thrillers: Stephen Ronson.

The Last Line explores a side of WW2 that no one wants to think about, let alone write about. The imminent threat of a Nazi invasion. Yet the fact remains, there was a point in history when that threat was very real.

WW1 Veteran John Cook is deflated when he is turned down for voluntary military service. He feels that he has something to contribute, and is hardly unfit or old. In his early forties, and fit as a farmer tending his land on a daily basis.

When he meets with an old friend for a pint, he is further disappointed when they don't show. In their place however is a man and an offer that John hadn't even considered. An offer to join the resistance, to defend and protect the country should the worst happen and the Nazi's invade.

Whilst John in pondering just how real the Nazi threat is, and if he should take the offer seriously, his life is turned upside down when a body appears in one of his fields. Due to it's location, John is the immediate prime suspect.

He is determined to prove his innocence, so when he is released due to lack of evidence, he takes matters in to his own hands. He realises quickly that the murder was committed by some particularly unsavoury characters, who are also involved in criminal activity.

Once he's investigated further he realises how heinous these crimes are, and just how dangerous the people involved are. Perhaps even deadlier than the threat of a foreign invasion. Will he manage to ensure that justice is served or is his own life in danger?

The Last Line is a brilliant thriller, set in a period of time that makes everything seem heightened. This is the first novel that I've read from this author, and I look forward to reading another!

This is a good read, action and adventure with great historical detail. It powers along and our hero John Cook, finds himself solving a murder and searching for a missing child whilst the threat of Hilter's invasion looms over Britain. It is clearly well researched and the history is just naturally absorbed as you turn the pages. Well written and would recommend.

The Last Line is a WWII thriller where we are introduced to war veteran, John Cook.
Cook hears about a young girl who has disappeared since being evacuated from London and he makes it his business to find out where she, and countless other missing children, have gone.
What he discovers is beyond horrific and he will make those responsible pay.
I can only imagine what it must have been like for people in this country who lived through the war. Especially those who had to surrender their children to evacuation in the hope of keeping them safe. It doesn’t even bare thinking about it.
To think your child didn’t even reach their destination and to have no idea what has happened/is happening to them, I would never be able to rest.
Thankfully Cook won’t rest. He is most definitely someone I would want on my side!
The Last Line is a compelling debut with an excellent storyline and brilliant characterisation. I hope there will be a book two!

Historical fiction is one of my favourite genres so I was really looking forward to reading this and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Set in the 1940s, the Germans haven’t invaded yet but you can feel the tension building in the story. There are some graphic descriptions of violence and themes of child abuse so a trigger warning may be necessary to anyone thinking of reading this. I hope there are further books from this author as I really enjoyed this one.

John Cook is a 40-year-old farmer living in Sussex with his mother and Uncle Nob, a selective mute after witnessing the horrors of WWI.

John served in WWI and in Afghanistan. He is a trained killer. One night in a pub, John stands up for a young woman called Mary. Unfortunately, her body is found later near John’s farm. The suspicion immediately falls onto him.

John is adamant he will clear his name and discover what really happened to Mary. He finds strange things occurring in his home village: young evacuees keep disappearing and what exactly is going on in one of the neighbouring farms?

This is book is not for the faint-hearted. There are some grisly descriptions of violence and murders.

Even though it’s set in 1940, the Germans haven’t invaded Britain yet. However, you can feel the threat and the tension, people sitting by their radios listening to the news with trepidation.

I think this book is a start of a series. I am definitely intrigued to discover what happens next.

Thank you to the author for reaching out to me and asking if I could read and review his book.

Historical fiction, crime fiction AND World War II? How could I possibly have told Stephen Ronson "no, thank you" when he reached out to me with his debut novel 'The Last Line'?

The Germans have never felt so close. It seems as if the English Channel is shrinking and it's time to prepare for the worst. In Uckfield, John Cook has been tasked with preparing the resistance effort. But even with a war going on and the threat hanging over English heads, other troubling things are going on. Children are being evacuated to the country side, but it seems not all of them are arriving at their destinations. War or no war, Cook can't just let this go and he sets off to investigate.

John Cook has a very distinctive voice. As a former military man, a war veteran, there is a bit of a Reacher vibe to him. Mostly in that whole "will not run away from a fight" kind of thing. His heart is in the right place, he's intelligent, and a master tactician. A man with regrets, but fair and willing to do whatever it takes to right a wrong. A man to root for. And also to hide behind when things get rough.

The first person narration drew me in from the very first page. It works incredibly well for this story. There's such a wonderful noir atmosphere to 'The Last Line' too. I could almost see things play out in front of my eyes, in black and white, and I found it extremely compelling. This is just one of those books where all the elements seem to come together effortlessly to create something a little bit different.

I can't even begin to understand the level of research the author must have done. At no point does 'The Last Line' feel like a history lesson though, even if I learnt a thing or two. It does not get bogged down by pages and pages of historical detail. In fact, some chapters you can almost forget there is a war going on at all. Much like some of the residents of Uckfield and the surrounding landscape at that point in time. The war was across the water. Some of their pilots just flew off in the morning and casually returned for tea in the evening. As you do.

All that, and Cook trying to figure out how to set up a resistance, is the perfect backdrop for the mystery surrounding the missing children. Where did they go? Why were they taken? And by whom? Various brutal attempts to stop Cook from investigating further have no effect on this man. He will not rest until he finds those responsible, no matter how high up the chain they go. Because even in the middle of a war, there are those who think they are untouchable.

'The Last Line' is an action-packed and tense tale of despicable people doing despicable things. It is part historical fiction, part action adventure, part spy thriller, ... there's even room for a dash of romance. It has just about everything you could possibly ask for. I found it utterly gripping from the beginning until the wholly satisfying conclusion. It even looks like there may be more from Cook in the future and I, for one, can't wait!

Review

The Last Line
By Stephen Ronson

Description:
Historical Fiction, Mystery Thriller

🔫 WW2
🔫 Missing girls
🔫 Murder
🔫 Mystery

This book isn’t your usual book about WW2. It has a unique and interesting plot.

In preparation of an invasion by Germany they’ve sent children away to the quiet rural area of Sussex. Some children haven’t made it and now missing, it’s up to the main character John Cook and his friends to discover the horrors that are happening closer to home.

I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend to readers who enjoy crime fiction and thrillers.

My rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Thanks Stephen Ronson and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

#thelastline #stephenronson #historicalfictionbooks #worldwar2books #crimefictionnovel #mysterythriller

Historical fiction is not my usual genre but this noir thriller grabbed my attention and didnt let go.

The Last Line follows war veteran John Cook as he uncovers a dark secret in his home town, whilst war looms on the horizon. Swipe for the full synopsis.

Ronson has written what can only be described as an absolute badass in John Cook, a man who never hesitates to do what he believes needs to be done. Strong and determined, violent and ruthless. He is an engaging protagonist, one that entices the reader to continue on with his story.

It is great to read a wartime story with a strong female character in Margaret, who is independent and fearless and set to play a key role in the resistance.

The narrative is sharp, with fairly short chapters allowing the reader to move quickly through the novel.

The story itself goes to some rather dark places, so I will give a content warning for sexual assault and child abuse/exploitation. Also, though I read a lot of crime and thriller novels with lots of murder, this had slightly more graphic depictions of violence than I’m used to, so be aware of that also.

Overall a smart action thriller set whilst Hitler’s army is encroaching ever closer to British shores. I hope to read more about John Cook in future.

The Last Line is published today. Thanks to Hodder & Stourton for the access to an earlt copy via NegGalley.

If you are looking for a crime novel with a back drop of WWII, this is your book. I’m loving reading it and would not want to get on John’s ,a war veteran and crime solver, bad side!!!!

I do really love a wartime thriller but I don’t read them as often as other crime/thriller books because I sometimes find them hard going - the subject matter is obviously dark and they can be quite intense. The Last Line was such a surprise, I picked it up to read the first few pages just to see what it was like, and all of a sudden I realised that I’d read half the book!

After fighting in WW1, John Cook took over the family farm in Sussex. Several years later in 1940, as the threat of a full invasion from the German army looks imminent, he is contacted by an old army acquaintance who suggests he prepares for a resistance attack. As he is getting a group together to put his plans into action, a body is discovered on the outskirts of his farm. The police are determined that he is guilty so John is forced to investigate and put all of his old combat training into use. Somebody is trying to frame him and this one murder might only be the start of a much more sinister arrangement.

This book was so addictive! It was fast-paced, flowed beautifully through the story and had a really intriguing protagonist. This was not a ‘reality reimagined’ type of story - I’m not an expert but the factual elements and events in the book seemed pretty accurate. But, what was really interesting about The Last Line was that it was more like a detective murder mystery set against the backdrop of the war, rather than a historical war thriller with all of its focus on the political side of the conflict. I think this will give the book a much more universal appeal. Towards the end, the plot goes to some dark places but it was a gripping WW2 based thriller and a fantastic debut!

The story is as narrated by John Cook a survivor from WW1 enjoying life farming the land. What happens when WW11 starts turns his life upside down when a spitfire is shot down to crash on to his land. As the Germans sweep through Belgium and Holland it seems that they would soon be invading and sweeping into London and the authorities plan on what to do. This results in him being recruited by Lady Margret to form an undergrounds resistance unit as the last line of defence when England is occupied He is side tracked when a body of a murdered girl is found on his land with him as the prime suspect, but was her death related her looking for a disappeared friend a girl evacuee? Life in England under threat of bombing of cities caused mass transfer of children out of cities so a few missing evacuees no one wants to acknowledge. His investigations leads to serious danger from vested interests, a most complex and intriguing story.

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.

This has been one of the most unputdownable books I have read this year!
I don't normally read historical fiction as we all pretty much know how that ended, we're living it now but this author very skilfully merged historical fact and fiction to a degree where it was difficult to tell which was which at times!
This is a fairly fast paced mystery/thriller which caught me up in the narrative fairly early on to a degree that I just didn't want to put this down! There are some parts of the story which I found to be highly emotive but the whole thing felt like a really high stakes game of cat and mouse where most of the time I wasn't sure which John was!
The story is told to us through John Cook's narration of the events. He was clear, easy to understand and seemed to be a good man mostly but there were times I suspected him of being unreliable but maybe that's just because we all have good and bad parts to ourselves depending on the situation we find ourselves in. I guess during times of war both the good and bad in us come out and it is down to each of us to be a good person in the end.
Finally, I really hope there are going to be more stories coming from this one, it does feel that there could be and I would love to read what comes next for all those left standing at the end of this amazing story.