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Tallman's Valley Detectives #2
The Lullaby Man
A decade ago, The Lullaby Man preyed upon young girls in Tallman's Valley. He stole into their lives, whispered in their ears, spoke of love...
But only the girls themselves ever knew about him.
Abby Wakeland was fourteen then. Now twenty-four, she's found the courage to tell her mother--Senior Detective Kate Wakeland--about what happened.
What she reveals will lead Kate down dark, twisting tunnels of discoveries that will blow this small town apart.
But only the girls themselves ever knew about him.
Abby Wakeland was fourteen then. Now twenty-four, she's found the courage to tell her mother--Senior Detective Kate Wakeland--about what happened.
What she reveals will lead Kate down dark, twisting tunnels of discoveries that will blow this small town apart.
422 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 20, 2020
2365 people are currently reading
1741 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 254 reviews
September 19, 2020
I really enjoyed this second book in the series featuring Senior Detective Kate Wakeland and her partner Franco. They make a good team. She works on hunches and has a very energetic approach to solving crimes. He is much cooler and likes hard facts. Plus they always have each other's back.
In The Lullaby Man we discover that Kate's daughter (also mother to Ivy who was taken in Book 1) has been living for more than a decade with a shocking secret. Having discovered some of the facts Kate is obliged to report them and an old case of apparent suicide in the community has to be reopened.
I liked everything about this book! The story was intriguing, the characters well written and the police work was thorough and realistic. It was a page turner and very difficult to put down at any point. There were twists and turns all the way through especially at the end and I got a couple of big surprises. No way I came close to guessing the culprit!
Best of all it opened the way for Book 3 which I am very much looking forward to. An excellent read and I recommend it highly.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
In The Lullaby Man we discover that Kate's daughter (also mother to Ivy who was taken in Book 1) has been living for more than a decade with a shocking secret. Having discovered some of the facts Kate is obliged to report them and an old case of apparent suicide in the community has to be reopened.
I liked everything about this book! The story was intriguing, the characters well written and the police work was thorough and realistic. It was a page turner and very difficult to put down at any point. There were twists and turns all the way through especially at the end and I got a couple of big surprises. No way I came close to guessing the culprit!
Best of all it opened the way for Book 3 which I am very much looking forward to. An excellent read and I recommend it highly.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
September 16, 2020
Senior Detective Kate Wakeland of Tallman Valley is back with another mystery to solve. Her twenty four year old daughter Abby has plucked up the courage to tell her that ten years ago she was the victim of an older man, one of her teachers who gradually groomed her. Calling himself 'the Lullaby Man' he would instruct her to carry out strange rituals while he watched. This all stopped when her teacher drowned in the lake at the front of his house, but the experience affected her deeply as well as her relationship with her mother. Now she's agreed to talk to a psychiatrist with her mother present and Kate has also re-opened the investigation into the drowning of Abby's teacher.
This is a well written mystery with a multi-layered plot that unfolds gradually. The setting of the Blue mountains, with a community living around a picturesque lake works well as a backdrop and there are also some quite creepy and atmospheric scenes in an old funfair. Kate and her colleague Franco conduct a good investigation with Kate dropping back when necessary to avoid a conflict as the mother of a victim. Kate's a great character, an older woman in her sixties who keeps fit and loves her job and is good at reading people. There are quite a few unexpected twists in the plot, all of which helped to make sense of what happened previously, as well as an ending that I didn't see coming. All in all, another engaging crime story in an excellent Aussie series.
With thanks to Bookish Coast and Netgalley for a digital arc to read.
This is a well written mystery with a multi-layered plot that unfolds gradually. The setting of the Blue mountains, with a community living around a picturesque lake works well as a backdrop and there are also some quite creepy and atmospheric scenes in an old funfair. Kate and her colleague Franco conduct a good investigation with Kate dropping back when necessary to avoid a conflict as the mother of a victim. Kate's a great character, an older woman in her sixties who keeps fit and loves her job and is good at reading people. There are quite a few unexpected twists in the plot, all of which helped to make sense of what happened previously, as well as an ending that I didn't see coming. All in all, another engaging crime story in an excellent Aussie series.
With thanks to Bookish Coast and Netgalley for a digital arc to read.
September 2, 2022
3★
“Her shrill scream shattered the air—a scream that made the brolgas near the shore pirouette. The brolgas flew away across the lake, flapping their enormous grey wings.”
A peaceful lake near a rural Australian town – how delightful. And it is, until it isn’t. The lake is a popular place for walkers and kids who like to play in the nearby bush.
Abby met Layla there when they were girls and Layla was building a safe house for a bluetongue lizard. Mr Eisen was their young science teacher whose parents lived near the lake, and Abby had a crush on him.
When Mr Eisen’s body was found partly submerged in the lake, Abby was distraught but hid her grief. She distanced herself even more from her mother, and was lost when her friend Layla left suddenly to live with her father in Sydney.
That was ten years ago. Now Abby has decided to tell her mother something about her past.
Mother is Detective Kate Wakeland, not someone you’d think a daughter would have an easy time keeping secrets from. Clever Abby had been spending weekends at her Nanna’s, as a loving granddaughter, knowing when Nanna fell asleep, she could sneak out at night and party, which is what fourteen-year-old Abby and Layla had been doing.
The chapters move between then and now and between Kate and Abby. Abby’s story gets darker and darker and it’s not clear how many people are possibly implicated in whatever she is going to share with her mother. We know it’s something to do with a so-called Lullaby Man, and Abby gets increasingly anxious as she reveals details in her therapy sessions.
“Riding away, I threaded in and out of the trees that lined the streets. ‘Goodbye, Mr Lullaby,’ I whispered.”
There are a lot of characters, and the story seemed longer and more twisty than I felt it needed to be, so I ended up skimming quite a bit - not a good sign. I enjoyed the first book of this series enough to try this one, and I can see the author has a lot of fans.
I’m pleased, because she’s an Aussie and this takes place in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. I’m always happy to find a story set there, but I won’t be reading the third book. I’ll leave it for the fans.
“Her shrill scream shattered the air—a scream that made the brolgas near the shore pirouette. The brolgas flew away across the lake, flapping their enormous grey wings.”
A peaceful lake near a rural Australian town – how delightful. And it is, until it isn’t. The lake is a popular place for walkers and kids who like to play in the nearby bush.
Abby met Layla there when they were girls and Layla was building a safe house for a bluetongue lizard. Mr Eisen was their young science teacher whose parents lived near the lake, and Abby had a crush on him.
When Mr Eisen’s body was found partly submerged in the lake, Abby was distraught but hid her grief. She distanced herself even more from her mother, and was lost when her friend Layla left suddenly to live with her father in Sydney.
That was ten years ago. Now Abby has decided to tell her mother something about her past.
Mother is Detective Kate Wakeland, not someone you’d think a daughter would have an easy time keeping secrets from. Clever Abby had been spending weekends at her Nanna’s, as a loving granddaughter, knowing when Nanna fell asleep, she could sneak out at night and party, which is what fourteen-year-old Abby and Layla had been doing.
The chapters move between then and now and between Kate and Abby. Abby’s story gets darker and darker and it’s not clear how many people are possibly implicated in whatever she is going to share with her mother. We know it’s something to do with a so-called Lullaby Man, and Abby gets increasingly anxious as she reveals details in her therapy sessions.
“Riding away, I threaded in and out of the trees that lined the streets. ‘Goodbye, Mr Lullaby,’ I whispered.”
There are a lot of characters, and the story seemed longer and more twisty than I felt it needed to be, so I ended up skimming quite a bit - not a good sign. I enjoyed the first book of this series enough to try this one, and I can see the author has a lot of fans.
I’m pleased, because she’s an Aussie and this takes place in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. I’m always happy to find a story set there, but I won’t be reading the third book. I’ll leave it for the fans.
October 6, 2020
Fourteen-year-old Abby was confused about her feelings for her teacher, but she was sure he felt the same about her. That period of time was a traumatic one for Abby and others – ten years later, twenty-four-year-old Abby, with her partner Logan and two beautiful children, knew it was time to talk about that period in her life – to let the dark secrets she’d been holding close to her chest, go.
Senior Detective Kate Wakeland knew when she heard what her daughter Abby had to say, that she needed to reopen the ten-year-old case which had been deemed an accidental death. She promised Abby to do her best to keep her name out of it, but it might not happen. As Kate and her partner Franco concentrated on finding more evidence on the cold case, new and startling facts came to light. The Lullaby Man had infiltrated many young lives, but would they be able to find him? Was he still around, casting his evil spells – or was he long dead? What Kate didn’t know when she started the journey, was how far down the twisted, evil path she would be taken…
The Lullaby Man is the 2nd in the Tallman’s Valley Detective series by Aussie author Anni Taylor and it was spectacular. Breathtaking, heartbreaking, astounding – the twists and turns kept me on my toes, the reveal at the end I hadn’t picked. I love the fact that Ms Taylor has left the end open for #3 – not that she didn’t conclude this one. She did, very satisfactorily. But I can see where our next will possibly go and am looking forward to it already! Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
Senior Detective Kate Wakeland knew when she heard what her daughter Abby had to say, that she needed to reopen the ten-year-old case which had been deemed an accidental death. She promised Abby to do her best to keep her name out of it, but it might not happen. As Kate and her partner Franco concentrated on finding more evidence on the cold case, new and startling facts came to light. The Lullaby Man had infiltrated many young lives, but would they be able to find him? Was he still around, casting his evil spells – or was he long dead? What Kate didn’t know when she started the journey, was how far down the twisted, evil path she would be taken…
The Lullaby Man is the 2nd in the Tallman’s Valley Detective series by Aussie author Anni Taylor and it was spectacular. Breathtaking, heartbreaking, astounding – the twists and turns kept me on my toes, the reveal at the end I hadn’t picked. I love the fact that Ms Taylor has left the end open for #3 – not that she didn’t conclude this one. She did, very satisfactorily. But I can see where our next will possibly go and am looking forward to it already! Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
August 2, 2024
So I read this one based off a review I found on GR. I cannot recall the reviewer but thank you very much!! Yet a new author and series to add to my collection.
The author Anni Taylor is Australian and states that the three books in the series are stand alone but that they should be read in order. I tend to agree with her. This is the middle or second book in the series which I am sure will continue for some time. As much as I loved it though a part of me knew I was missing something and something very big from the first book. At least that's what I fully expect when I get to the first book.
This novel is set in Australia and the author gets into a lot of Australian things like the landscape's and the animals. I learned a lot about Australia through this book but its funny in that it kind of took me some time to understand where the setting was. I originally thought it was set in the states as the policing jargon is basically American. Being Canadian and in law enforcement I have to admit I don't understand the US policing terminology like the difference between a lieutenant and a captain. Having liased with so many US agencies over my career I think I should have inquired just so I could really know though US tv paints a pretty good picture. And the British system with their DI, DS' and the like are quite foreign to me and the Canadian titles are altogether different as well. So I welcomed that the Australian policing jargon was basically American and I could identify with things. To me it helps to have a grasp of all this when reading.
The story here centres on detective Kate Wakeland and her daughter Abby. Abby is 24 but reveals to her mom that when she was 14 she had an affair with her 21 year old teacher. Apparently if she was 16 this would not have been a big deal at all in Australia. In Canada any person in authority like a teacher could not legally be with anyone under 18. So there is a backdrop of how Abby was when she was 14 and with regard to her parents she was a nightmare and they did not understand why.
The story is told in pov style with jumps in time as well going back and forth between the present and ten years prior and it is basically told from the two women's perspective.
Now the mother should not be investigating this crime at all due to conflict of interest. We learn that the death of the teacher that year was deemed an accident and the case is closed naturally but with the new information from her daughter that is no longer the case.
Abby has difficulty telling her mom what happened so the mom has the idea to sit in on her counselling sessions with a psychiatrist. The author makes this appear as something that is done - an officer sitting in on psychiatry sessions. Honestly I never have heard of that or even seen it depicted on the gajillion policing shows I have seen, lol. Fair enough though I can fly with it. It actually makes sense at a certain level and consent would have to be granted and the psychiatrist has to be ok with it which is what happens here.
It is through these sessions that we learn about the past and it flows so natural because Abby has to get what happened in the past out and then using what she reveals her mother can pick up new leads and investigate with her partner Franco who is all to aware that mom should not really be involved in this.
The story has so many twists and turns and it is one hell of a ride. I had my suspects and it looked like I was going to be right but I had two strikes against me and by the time I was up for my third strike I finally got it though at that point I think anyone of us would have figured it out, lol.
Again a lot of twists and turns with a couple of murders revealed and the suspects you just would not suspect. Such a fun ride into a damn good police procedural with an excellent backdrop of a pedophile teacher who in the end was not what he seems to have been at all.
Highly recommend this one and have to get to the first in the series soon. An easy five stars. ENJOY!!
The author Anni Taylor is Australian and states that the three books in the series are stand alone but that they should be read in order. I tend to agree with her. This is the middle or second book in the series which I am sure will continue for some time. As much as I loved it though a part of me knew I was missing something and something very big from the first book. At least that's what I fully expect when I get to the first book.
This novel is set in Australia and the author gets into a lot of Australian things like the landscape's and the animals. I learned a lot about Australia through this book but its funny in that it kind of took me some time to understand where the setting was. I originally thought it was set in the states as the policing jargon is basically American. Being Canadian and in law enforcement I have to admit I don't understand the US policing terminology like the difference between a lieutenant and a captain. Having liased with so many US agencies over my career I think I should have inquired just so I could really know though US tv paints a pretty good picture. And the British system with their DI, DS' and the like are quite foreign to me and the Canadian titles are altogether different as well. So I welcomed that the Australian policing jargon was basically American and I could identify with things. To me it helps to have a grasp of all this when reading.
The story here centres on detective Kate Wakeland and her daughter Abby. Abby is 24 but reveals to her mom that when she was 14 she had an affair with her 21 year old teacher. Apparently if she was 16 this would not have been a big deal at all in Australia. In Canada any person in authority like a teacher could not legally be with anyone under 18. So there is a backdrop of how Abby was when she was 14 and with regard to her parents she was a nightmare and they did not understand why.
The story is told in pov style with jumps in time as well going back and forth between the present and ten years prior and it is basically told from the two women's perspective.
Now the mother should not be investigating this crime at all due to conflict of interest. We learn that the death of the teacher that year was deemed an accident and the case is closed naturally but with the new information from her daughter that is no longer the case.
Abby has difficulty telling her mom what happened so the mom has the idea to sit in on her counselling sessions with a psychiatrist. The author makes this appear as something that is done - an officer sitting in on psychiatry sessions. Honestly I never have heard of that or even seen it depicted on the gajillion policing shows I have seen, lol. Fair enough though I can fly with it. It actually makes sense at a certain level and consent would have to be granted and the psychiatrist has to be ok with it which is what happens here.
It is through these sessions that we learn about the past and it flows so natural because Abby has to get what happened in the past out and then using what she reveals her mother can pick up new leads and investigate with her partner Franco who is all to aware that mom should not really be involved in this.
The story has so many twists and turns and it is one hell of a ride. I had my suspects and it looked like I was going to be right but I had two strikes against me and by the time I was up for my third strike I finally got it though at that point I think anyone of us would have figured it out, lol.
Again a lot of twists and turns with a couple of murders revealed and the suspects you just would not suspect. Such a fun ride into a damn good police procedural with an excellent backdrop of a pedophile teacher who in the end was not what he seems to have been at all.
Highly recommend this one and have to get to the first in the series soon. An easy five stars. ENJOY!!
January 5, 2024
Tallman's Valley Detectives, Book Two
The first book in this series, One Last Child, leaves readers guessing what Abby Wakeland needs to tell her mother. Something horrible happened to Abby a decade ago that she has hidden all these years. This book picks up with that story.
The Lullaby Man preyed upon young girls in Tallman's Valley. He stole into their lives, whispered in their ears, spoke of love...
But only the girls themselves ever knew about him.
Abby Wakeland was fourteen then. Now twenty-four, she's found the courage to tell her mother--Senior Detective Kate Wakeland--about what happened.
What she reveals will lead Kate down dark, twisting tunnels of discoveries that will blow this small town apart.
___________________________________________________________
This is my 1st read of 2024! I adore this crime series as well as Taylor's writing style. Five stars for this second installment!
The first book in this series, One Last Child, leaves readers guessing what Abby Wakeland needs to tell her mother. Something horrible happened to Abby a decade ago that she has hidden all these years. This book picks up with that story.
The Lullaby Man preyed upon young girls in Tallman's Valley. He stole into their lives, whispered in their ears, spoke of love...
But only the girls themselves ever knew about him.
Abby Wakeland was fourteen then. Now twenty-four, she's found the courage to tell her mother--Senior Detective Kate Wakeland--about what happened.
What she reveals will lead Kate down dark, twisting tunnels of discoveries that will blow this small town apart.
___________________________________________________________
This is my 1st read of 2024! I adore this crime series as well as Taylor's writing style. Five stars for this second installment!
September 19, 2020
This is the second book in the Tallman's Valley Detective series by author Anni Taylor. I haven't read the first book and although it didn't stop my enjoyment I realised that there was certain information available from the first book that may have been useful. It was an interesting plot and the characters were very good and made the book an enjoyable read. Not quite a page turner for me but certainly a good solid read.
The Lullaby Man preyed upon young girls in Tallman's Valley, he spoke of love but only the girls themselves ever knew about him. Ten years later one of his victims Abby Wakeland who is now twenty four has discovered the courage to tell her mother. Her mother is Senior Detective Kate Wakeland who now plans to uncover the secrets that have remained untold for ten years.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and ARC for supplying this novel in exchange for an honest review.
The Lullaby Man preyed upon young girls in Tallman's Valley, he spoke of love but only the girls themselves ever knew about him. Ten years later one of his victims Abby Wakeland who is now twenty four has discovered the courage to tell her mother. Her mother is Senior Detective Kate Wakeland who now plans to uncover the secrets that have remained untold for ten years.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and ARC for supplying this novel in exchange for an honest review.
October 7, 2020
Detective Kate Wakeland did it again. This book is the second of Tallman's Valley Detectives and we meet again Abby and Kate in a twisted case called Lullaby Man (a sex predator with kinky ideas). I love the plot and the characters, and as the first book, even this one kept me interested. I did not expect the ending.
Thank you Netgalley for this adventure.
Thank you Netgalley for this adventure.
September 20, 2020
Abby Wakeland has had a secret for 14 years. She's finally brave enough to tell her mother... Detective Kate Wakeland ... about what happened to her.
All her mother knows is that something changed in Abby when she was a young teenager. She became moody, didn't talk to mom anymore, was angry or extremely happy.
But Abby finds that looking into her mother's eyes is not working. As Abby has been seeing a therapist, she recommends tht Abby talk to him while Kate listens.
What Abby reveals sets the wheels turning on a case of accidental drowning that might well have been murder. And when the body of one of Abby's friends is found ... they discover she has been dead for 10 years. So who had been texting her mother?
This is a well written story with an intricate plot that holds your attention from start to finish. It's a page-turner with suspense starting with the first page. The characters are carefully drawn and will not easily be forgotten. Told in part by Kate ... in the present, and by Abby, through her memories of the past, and finally through a long-forgotten journal, it's a riveting read.
Although second in the series, this is easily read as a stand alone. I read the first book and wasn't all that enthusiastic about it. I am so glad I decided to take a chance on book 2. I understand that Book 3 will be out in 2021 .... and I'm looking forward to see what happens next for the Wakeland family.
Many thanks to the author / Bookish Coast / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
All her mother knows is that something changed in Abby when she was a young teenager. She became moody, didn't talk to mom anymore, was angry or extremely happy.
But Abby finds that looking into her mother's eyes is not working. As Abby has been seeing a therapist, she recommends tht Abby talk to him while Kate listens.
What Abby reveals sets the wheels turning on a case of accidental drowning that might well have been murder. And when the body of one of Abby's friends is found ... they discover she has been dead for 10 years. So who had been texting her mother?
This is a well written story with an intricate plot that holds your attention from start to finish. It's a page-turner with suspense starting with the first page. The characters are carefully drawn and will not easily be forgotten. Told in part by Kate ... in the present, and by Abby, through her memories of the past, and finally through a long-forgotten journal, it's a riveting read.
Although second in the series, this is easily read as a stand alone. I read the first book and wasn't all that enthusiastic about it. I am so glad I decided to take a chance on book 2. I understand that Book 3 will be out in 2021 .... and I'm looking forward to see what happens next for the Wakeland family.
Many thanks to the author / Bookish Coast / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
September 21, 2020
Omg, what a book! I knew author Anni Taylor was fantastic. With Lullaby Man she blew my mind away, and I still have butterflies in my stomach at the twists in the story. The reveals oh my freak!! They twisted my insides, and no part of me was left unaffected. I couldn’t take a single deep breath while writing this review. The book kept me in throes of excitement.
Though this was book 2 in the Kate Wakeland series, this book could be read as a standalone. Kate’s daughter Abby came to her with the secrets of her childhood when she was fourteen years old about a Lullaby Man. Kate had to investigate and get to the truth. Believe me, a rotten apple in a bushel.
My second book by this talented author, I already gushed about her in book 1, One Last Child. And I was right, I read this book with bated breath. I was addicted to the story and couldn’t move from my couch until I got to the last page.
The investigation was thorough and detailed, and I could see the strength in Kate reflecting in every chapter. Her brilliant partnership with Detective Franco made me glad she had support in her corner. The writing made smooth inroads into darker alleys of society, with some jaw-dropping twists, and the last few chapters had me gripping my kindle so hard, that I was sure there would be permanent fingerprints on it.
Anni Taylor is one fantastic author whose first book made me excited, the second twisted, eagerly awaiting the third. It is simply one heck of a thriller!! A must-read!! Just a warning – once you start, you can’t stop!!
Though this was book 2 in the Kate Wakeland series, this book could be read as a standalone. Kate’s daughter Abby came to her with the secrets of her childhood when she was fourteen years old about a Lullaby Man. Kate had to investigate and get to the truth. Believe me, a rotten apple in a bushel.
My second book by this talented author, I already gushed about her in book 1, One Last Child. And I was right, I read this book with bated breath. I was addicted to the story and couldn’t move from my couch until I got to the last page.
The investigation was thorough and detailed, and I could see the strength in Kate reflecting in every chapter. Her brilliant partnership with Detective Franco made me glad she had support in her corner. The writing made smooth inroads into darker alleys of society, with some jaw-dropping twists, and the last few chapters had me gripping my kindle so hard, that I was sure there would be permanent fingerprints on it.
Anni Taylor is one fantastic author whose first book made me excited, the second twisted, eagerly awaiting the third. It is simply one heck of a thriller!! A must-read!! Just a warning – once you start, you can’t stop!!
January 26, 2021
A continuation of book one in the series where so many questions are answered regarding Kate's daughter. Fabulous crime fiction but read book one first!
September 16, 2020
I absolutely loved this new book by Anni Taylor! A continuation of her Tallman's Valley series, this one is about Detective Kate Wakeland's daughter, Abby, and some secrets from the past that she's now ready to confront. She was groomed and abused by The Lullaby Man, a teacher who had a secret dark side that he drew her into at fourteen years old. His body was found in the lake one morning and the secret of The Lullaby Man died with him. Until now.
Kate reopens his case with new evidence that Abby supplies, and has to balance digging into those crimes with helping her daughter heal. Re-investigating the man's death means Kate must pry uncomfortably into the lives of his family and neighbors. Their pain is brought back to the surface and more than one person is very unhappy about this. They wanted the past to stay buried. Because maybe The Lullaby Man wasn't alone in his twisted beliefs. And maybe Kate and Abby will discover more depravity than they ever imagined.
Reading this book made me remember how much I wanted to move to the setting of these stories! The way the author describes the scenery just draws me in, picturing the idyllic town and the beauty of the encompassing nature. The crimes almost pale in comparison! And like the previous story in this series, this one ends with a little teaser as to the next installment. You can read them as standalone books, but I definitely recommend reading each one because they are just too good not to!
Kate reopens his case with new evidence that Abby supplies, and has to balance digging into those crimes with helping her daughter heal. Re-investigating the man's death means Kate must pry uncomfortably into the lives of his family and neighbors. Their pain is brought back to the surface and more than one person is very unhappy about this. They wanted the past to stay buried. Because maybe The Lullaby Man wasn't alone in his twisted beliefs. And maybe Kate and Abby will discover more depravity than they ever imagined.
Reading this book made me remember how much I wanted to move to the setting of these stories! The way the author describes the scenery just draws me in, picturing the idyllic town and the beauty of the encompassing nature. The crimes almost pale in comparison! And like the previous story in this series, this one ends with a little teaser as to the next installment. You can read them as standalone books, but I definitely recommend reading each one because they are just too good not to!
December 18, 2020
This is the third book I've read by Anni Taylor and she is now officially one of my favourite authors
August 31, 2021
Ok so when I got to the part of 14 year old Abby being lured into the deserted, dilapidated and creepy fun fair/carnival I was totally in for the creep factor - this was a really good read. So many red herrings and I didn’t know which was going to float to the top at the end.
Abby, Kate’s daughter, I’m sorry to say, gets herself into quite a bit of predicaments, much to the disappointment of her mother and family. Kates husband is always in the background, available for whatever comes along and I think both he and Abby suffer in ways from Kate’s job as it pulls her away physically and mentally from her family.
However, Kate is a good, smart detective. She pushes the work boundaries many times with her boss and other high level officers. She has a good relationship with her work partner. Franco has her back as well and knows her emotions and how she thinks. She is doggedly hunting down hunches and clues while personally battling her own demons, which in this specific case, is her own daughter’s aloofness and bad behavior and Abby innocently getting caught up into a dark web of a sexual predator. Kate’s guilt is palpable as she continues to think she has failed her daughter because of her job.
Abby, Kate’s daughter, I’m sorry to say, gets herself into quite a bit of predicaments, much to the disappointment of her mother and family. Kates husband is always in the background, available for whatever comes along and I think both he and Abby suffer in ways from Kate’s job as it pulls her away physically and mentally from her family.
However, Kate is a good, smart detective. She pushes the work boundaries many times with her boss and other high level officers. She has a good relationship with her work partner. Franco has her back as well and knows her emotions and how she thinks. She is doggedly hunting down hunches and clues while personally battling her own demons, which in this specific case, is her own daughter’s aloofness and bad behavior and Abby innocently getting caught up into a dark web of a sexual predator. Kate’s guilt is palpable as she continues to think she has failed her daughter because of her job.
May 21, 2021
Setting: Tallman's Valley, NSW, Australia. This is the second book featuring Senior Detective Kate Wakeland, now 65 years of age and considering retirement. But then her 24-year-old daughter Amy tells her of things that happened to her and her best friend at the time, Layla, 10 years before when she was just 14. These events featured someone called The Lullaby Man, who preyed on young girls - turning their heads and tempting them into strange encounters - and led to the death of one of Amy's favourite teachers, Mr Eisen, who she had a crush on. As Amy tells her story to a psychologist, with her mother present at her request, the reader learns of events from a decade before and the police investigation in the present day that has now re-opened following Amy's revelations....
Another excellent crime story - great characters (particularly Kate's colleague Franco) and a storyline with lots of twists and turns (although I had worked out who the Lullaby Man was before the big reveal!). Looking forward to more in this series and from this author - 9/10.
Another excellent crime story - great characters (particularly Kate's colleague Franco) and a storyline with lots of twists and turns (although I had worked out who the Lullaby Man was before the big reveal!). Looking forward to more in this series and from this author - 9/10.
November 1, 2023
This is the 2nd book of the series. It starts off soon after the first book ends. This story is centered around Detective Kate Wakeland’s daughter, Abby. Now a grown woman with a child of her own, Abby has a past that she has kept secret from everyone, including her mom. The story surrounds The Lullaby Man. A man who preyed upon young girls. At 14, Abby thought she was in love with an older man but she couldn’t understand his weird obsessions. When he ends up dead, she buried that love and confusion only to find it bubbling up to the surface now that she is older.
Really great tale with the same great characters from the previous book and some others added in. The story takes us back to see why Abby ended up having so many issues as a teen. It was a really good (and creepy) backstory. The twists and turns just keep coming at the end. It had my head spinning. Very enjoyable but not quite as good as the first book. I do look forward to reading the next in the series.
Really great tale with the same great characters from the previous book and some others added in. The story takes us back to see why Abby ended up having so many issues as a teen. It was a really good (and creepy) backstory. The twists and turns just keep coming at the end. It had my head spinning. Very enjoyable but not quite as good as the first book. I do look forward to reading the next in the series.
March 23, 2021
A great story with twists and turns and things you never saw coming! Now I have to wait for book 3 til September!
September 14, 2022
SPOILERS!
It's hard to put into words without spoiling the book why I didn't like it.
First of let me be clear I LOVE Annie Taylor. I've read all her book and loved all of them. Just not this one
Right from the first page this book felt unneeded. Like she knew she had written great characters with the first book in the series and decided to rush write a seqaul. It was well written. It did flow. I just felt throughout the whole book like.... why? Why write it? Why THIS story?
The book mainly focuses on Detective Wakefeilds adult daughter Abby and an acurance she had had a decade ago with a dead teacher. In her mind Abby had a relationship with the teacher. Abby was 14 and the teacher was 23 at the time of "relationship " wrong but not so wrong that they needed to reopen a case about it. Then another friend is found dead. Suddlyy they are after Layla's killer. The whole story seemed trite. She never would have been allowed to investigate a case that A) had to proof other then her daughters recollections from a decade ago and B) involved her own daughter. She hid that the recollection came from her daughter and still the cheif agreed to open a case based of testimony they had no proof of and no identity of the complaint.
The book seemed more like a mother's quest for justice. She was blindsided by the fact it was her daughter. Turned out the teacher WASNT the culprit but someone else pretending to be him. It probably would have been solved sooner if it had been taken from her hands.
The book just get weirder. I get not wanting a reader to be able to figure it out but this was all a little to far fetched. It has never taken me so long to finish a book. I would have DNF in the first few chapters if it had been written by anyone else but my OCD in reading all her book wouldn't allow me to.
It's hard to put into words without spoiling the book why I didn't like it.
First of let me be clear I LOVE Annie Taylor. I've read all her book and loved all of them. Just not this one
Right from the first page this book felt unneeded. Like she knew she had written great characters with the first book in the series and decided to rush write a seqaul. It was well written. It did flow. I just felt throughout the whole book like.... why? Why write it? Why THIS story?
The book mainly focuses on Detective Wakefeilds adult daughter Abby and an acurance she had had a decade ago with a dead teacher. In her mind Abby had a relationship with the teacher. Abby was 14 and the teacher was 23 at the time of "relationship " wrong but not so wrong that they needed to reopen a case about it. Then another friend is found dead. Suddlyy they are after Layla's killer. The whole story seemed trite. She never would have been allowed to investigate a case that A) had to proof other then her daughters recollections from a decade ago and B) involved her own daughter. She hid that the recollection came from her daughter and still the cheif agreed to open a case based of testimony they had no proof of and no identity of the complaint.
The book seemed more like a mother's quest for justice. She was blindsided by the fact it was her daughter. Turned out the teacher WASNT the culprit but someone else pretending to be him. It probably would have been solved sooner if it had been taken from her hands.
The book just get weirder. I get not wanting a reader to be able to figure it out but this was all a little to far fetched. It has never taken me so long to finish a book. I would have DNF in the first few chapters if it had been written by anyone else but my OCD in reading all her book wouldn't allow me to.
September 19, 2020
This is the second book in the Tallman's Valley Detective series by author Anni Taylor. I haven't read the first book and although it didn't stop my enjoyment I realised that there was certain information available from the first book that may have been useful. It was an interesting plot and the characters were very good and made the book an enjoyable read. Not quite a page turner for me but certainly a good solid read.
The Lullaby Man preyed upon young girls in Tallman's Valley, he spoke of love but only the girls themselves ever knew about him. Ten years later one of his victims Abby Wakeland who is now twenty four has discovered the courage to tell her mother. Her mother is Senior Detective Kate Wakeland who now plans to uncover the secrets that have remained untold for ten years.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and ARC for supplying this novel in exchange for an honest review.
The Lullaby Man preyed upon young girls in Tallman's Valley, he spoke of love but only the girls themselves ever knew about him. Ten years later one of his victims Abby Wakeland who is now twenty four has discovered the courage to tell her mother. Her mother is Senior Detective Kate Wakeland who now plans to uncover the secrets that have remained untold for ten years.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and ARC for supplying this novel in exchange for an honest review.
June 23, 2024
Both books were pretty good but not good enough to finish up with the rest. I get bored with long series after a while so I won't let my rating reflect that. It really is a good series if you are into detective type mysteries and keeping up with a number of characters.
September 17, 2020
After having read and loved the first book One Last Child, I was excited to dive into this one. Whilst I wasn't as gripped as the previous offering, I enjoyed this nonetheless. Kate is a strong likeable character and it was great to see the development in her and Abby since the first book.
The time frames were useful to understand the characters' history how they were affected by past events.
Will continue to look out for Taylor's next novels.
The time frames were useful to understand the characters' history how they were affected by past events.
Will continue to look out for Taylor's next novels.
July 7, 2023
I liked the storyline of the first one, and the ending of this one. This one was just a little too slow paced.
January 19, 2025
Kept me on my toes right until the very end. The author had a great way of twisting things together.
September 20, 2020
I saw this book on Netgalley. I wanted to read it based on the cover alone! It’s perfect and so creepy. The premise was interesting. Imagine my surprise when I received an email from Anni Taylor herself telling me that this book would be best read after the first in the series, One Last Child. So of course I read that and boom! I’m hooked. Tell me another story Ms Taylor, please.
The Lullaby Man is hinted at during the last chapter of One Last Child where Abby tells Kate that she wants to explain what happened to her when she was just fourteen. Kate knew that those were difficult years where Abby had shut herself off from her family, but she put it down to normal teen angst.
Kate is apprehensive but she definitely wants to go on this journey with her daughter and decides to join her in her therapy sessions with the approval of the therapist. The sessions are tense for both of them and Kate has a difficult time staying in check when her daughter begins to tell her about the Lullaby Man.
No spoilers her, you just have to read it. The book flips back and forth between present day and ten years previous when the events of one fateful summer will change everything.
Once again, the author is hinting at what might be in store for the next installment during the last chapter. I’ll be waiting!! Thanks to Netflix, the publisher, and Ms Taylor for letting me read the ARC. So happy to discover a great new series.
The Lullaby Man is hinted at during the last chapter of One Last Child where Abby tells Kate that she wants to explain what happened to her when she was just fourteen. Kate knew that those were difficult years where Abby had shut herself off from her family, but she put it down to normal teen angst.
Kate is apprehensive but she definitely wants to go on this journey with her daughter and decides to join her in her therapy sessions with the approval of the therapist. The sessions are tense for both of them and Kate has a difficult time staying in check when her daughter begins to tell her about the Lullaby Man.
No spoilers her, you just have to read it. The book flips back and forth between present day and ten years previous when the events of one fateful summer will change everything.
Once again, the author is hinting at what might be in store for the next installment during the last chapter. I’ll be waiting!! Thanks to Netflix, the publisher, and Ms Taylor for letting me read the ARC. So happy to discover a great new series.
September 24, 2020
I went into this book with high expectations because the first book I loved. This didn’t let me down although there were some aspects of this book that irritated me.
What did I like?
- The writing is consistently good. I enjoyed the plot and the concept was imaginative.
- The characters! Again, Kate is such a passionate detective and is searching for the answers constantly. I liked her a lot in this book!
- The ending was shocking. I had an idea throughout what was happening and I was surprised.
I think one major issue I have is this book centres a lot on Abby and she is such a problematic and irritating character. I didn’t like her in the first book and she seems so bogged down with issues that I don’t understand how’s she functioning.
I also find the first 30% of both books d r a g. The chapters are so blocky and boring I do sometimes question if I should carry on reading. But equally, I’m glad I did.
Overall, a good thriller that keeps you on your toes.
I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
What did I like?
- The writing is consistently good. I enjoyed the plot and the concept was imaginative.
- The characters! Again, Kate is such a passionate detective and is searching for the answers constantly. I liked her a lot in this book!
- The ending was shocking. I had an idea throughout what was happening and I was surprised.
I think one major issue I have is this book centres a lot on Abby and she is such a problematic and irritating character. I didn’t like her in the first book and she seems so bogged down with issues that I don’t understand how’s she functioning.
I also find the first 30% of both books d r a g. The chapters are so blocky and boring I do sometimes question if I should carry on reading. But equally, I’m glad I did.
Overall, a good thriller that keeps you on your toes.
I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 9, 2021
Illogical story detais
“Innocent until proven guilty”. The lead detectives didn’t put forward affirmative evidence prior detaining people. The detectives used “guilty until proven innocent” approach. The story didn’t have a good picture on law enforcement. For example, where the arsenal fire was, there was a locked closet. The fire marshal and cops didn’t bother to fully investigate, leaving a body there for a decade. Silly.
“Innocent until proven guilty”. The lead detectives didn’t put forward affirmative evidence prior detaining people. The detectives used “guilty until proven innocent” approach. The story didn’t have a good picture on law enforcement. For example, where the arsenal fire was, there was a locked closet. The fire marshal and cops didn’t bother to fully investigate, leaving a body there for a decade. Silly.
February 11, 2021
I did not enjoy this book. I didn't like the character of Abby, I did not like Kate not following police procedure to protect her daughter. I didn't like how she had no evidence but all the suspects just confess. It was all a bit ridiculous. The story had potential but it was just bad. And how they repeated the story over and over, first in therapy, then she summarizes it, then when you think its over they repeat everything again. It was just bad.
August 25, 2021
This is my fourth book by Anni Taylor solely but the first I'm giving 5*. The others have usually just missed out due to niggling errors but there are definitely improvements made in every story I've read by her so this cannot be faulted.
This is the second in a series which I'm enjoying. The protagonist is an older lady detective, which makes a refreshing change AND she's happily married, so doesn't bring all her mental issues along with her. Again, a departure from many stories out there at present.
I need to google the differing critters and birds she has described on the pages since we're in Australia with these stories but she doesn't bog us down with Oz slang. Again, very different to books set in other countries as a rule......I've picked up books set in Ireland or Scotland, for example, that are packed full of the local vernacular which nobody else understands and it spoils it.
I really liked Layla and the ending did have me shedding a tear in this instalment as well. It was nice to see how things with Abby were progressing after book one's story. I also have a soft spot for Nola and I'm sure we're going to be encountering her again in the next episode. I did have to wonder at the 14 year-old girls in this, however, and I sat here thinking back, positive I was NEVER that gullible or that much of a nitwit, surely, but who knows ?
I did spot the odd mistake, writing 'Bull in a China shop' where China shouldn't be capitalised and she wrote of a vegie patch not veggie, but this may be correct in Australia. I marked this passage down as being strange English, "The two of them had a much better relationship than did Abby and me." We lost the odd hyphen, as in sulphur crested or keep sake and this time I only spotted one apostrophe error, in lion's manes and THIS is a massive improvement on her prior books. Oh, and at one point Nina said Scott hadn't kept a camera, then on the ensuing page she offered to go and get it !!!
Another lovely cover on this book and I'm looking forward to more of this series. So heartening to notice all the presentation improvements for sure as well.
This is the second in a series which I'm enjoying. The protagonist is an older lady detective, which makes a refreshing change AND she's happily married, so doesn't bring all her mental issues along with her. Again, a departure from many stories out there at present.
I need to google the differing critters and birds she has described on the pages since we're in Australia with these stories but she doesn't bog us down with Oz slang. Again, very different to books set in other countries as a rule......I've picked up books set in Ireland or Scotland, for example, that are packed full of the local vernacular which nobody else understands and it spoils it.
I really liked Layla and the ending did have me shedding a tear in this instalment as well. It was nice to see how things with Abby were progressing after book one's story. I also have a soft spot for Nola and I'm sure we're going to be encountering her again in the next episode. I did have to wonder at the 14 year-old girls in this, however, and I sat here thinking back, positive I was NEVER that gullible or that much of a nitwit, surely, but who knows ?
I did spot the odd mistake, writing 'Bull in a China shop' where China shouldn't be capitalised and she wrote of a vegie patch not veggie, but this may be correct in Australia. I marked this passage down as being strange English, "The two of them had a much better relationship than did Abby and me." We lost the odd hyphen, as in sulphur crested or keep sake and this time I only spotted one apostrophe error, in lion's manes and THIS is a massive improvement on her prior books. Oh, and at one point Nina said Scott hadn't kept a camera, then on the ensuing page she offered to go and get it !!!
Another lovely cover on this book and I'm looking forward to more of this series. So heartening to notice all the presentation improvements for sure as well.
September 14, 2020
Wow! WHAT a book! A decade ago, young girls were taken advantage of by The Lullaby Man and his strange desires. Abby Wakeland was just 14 then and one of the victims, and she is finally ready to tell the story to her therapist with her mum, Detective Kate Wakeland, listening in. This opens up an old investigation of the death of Abby's teacher, who she explains was The Lullaby Man. Kate and her colleague begin to unlock secrets from long ago and race against time to find the truth. I don't want to say any more as you really have to read the story and get enthralled in its fantastic and exciting plot. The twists and turns were just fantastic, you will never see what's coming! I absolutely loved this book and thought it was a brilliant follow on from the first book in the series, One Last Child. I can't recommend the series enough. Amazing characters and thrilling stories. Thanks so much to the fantastic author, publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of the book in return for my honest feedback.
July 8, 2024
This is the second in this series, and I highly recommend you read the first one before reading this book. It is chilling and disturbing at times, and Anni is very good at weaving complex stories. I love having an older protagonist, the detective. She is very likeable and great at her job of catching the bad guys. Her partner, Franco, as well as her entire family is prominently featured on both this and the first book. I’m not a fan of her daughter Abby, but this book delves into why she can be difficult and frustrating at times. This book starts with the drowning of a beloved teacher whom all the girls have a crush on. Then, we see that his death is just the beginning. It felt like a slow burn at times, but her plot is so complex that you want to delve deeper. I enjoyed this book, and I’ll be reading the next one on the list!
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