The Four Last Things

By Andrew Taylor

Book Overview

'Andrew Taylor digs deep to explore the tangled roots of sex, violence and religion. This is a fine thriller, with clues complex enough to tax a Morse' Reginald Hill Little Lucy Appleyard is snatched from her child minder's on a cold winter afternoon, and the nightmare begins. When Eddie takes her home to beautiful, child-loving Angel, he knows he's done the right thing. But Lucy's not like their other visitors, and unwittingly she strikes through Angel's defences to something both vulnerable and volatile at the core. To the outside world Lucy has disappeared into a black hole with no clues to her whereabouts!until the first grisly discovery in a London graveyard. More such finds are to follow, all at religious sites, and, in a city haunted by religion, what do these offerings signify? All that stands now between Lucy and the final sacrifice are a CID sergeant on the verge of disgrace and a woman cleric -- Lucy's parents -- but how can they hope to halt the evil forces that are gathering around their innocent daughter?

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1401322611
• ISBN13: 9781401322618
• Release Date: January 2009
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.3" x 8.0"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Death, judgement, heaven, and hell

"Contemporary crime fiction is rather like Africa in the last century - a dark continent, full of unexplored mysteries. " This quote, by the author himself, encapsulates the essence of his own writing. Over the past year, Andrew Taylor has become a favorite author of mine, for the tautness of his plots, the pithy nature of his prose, and most importantly, for his ability to first develop his central characters and then to...

Taut suspense story: very well written

Almost a horror story, this novel is highlighted by interesting characters and a plot that gradually tightens the pressure on the characters and the reader. Along with Breakheart Hill and Void Moon this is the finest mystery/suspense novel of the last decade. A must read.

A Disturbing Story

I enjoyed reading this novel. It is not really a police procedural as the police play a small role. Nor is it really a mystery as we know quite early on who has commited the crine . Some people might find the story disturbing as it deals with crimes against children. The author is a very good writer and there is an atmosphere of menace through the book. The story jumps back and forth between the phsycopaths who have kidnapped...

A mesmerizing trip into the weird and macabre

This book is not for the faint of heart, especially if you read the text closely. The villain in this work could easily be the Marques de Sade's sister. The characterizations in this work are unusually rich and complex for a suspense novel. Also, the writing easily surpasses almost everything I've read in the mystery/suspense genre. This book takes risks and succeeds magnificently. Highly recommended.

Enthralling

The marriage between Sally and Michael Appleyard is going through difficult times. Sally, a reverend, in the Church of England and Michael, a police officer, seem to be drifting apart with their only connection being their beloved four year old daughter Lucy. However, their world spins further out of control when a pair of kidnappers (Eddie Grace and Angel Wharton -- ironic names for kidnappers of a child of a deacon) abduct...