John Hart's "New York Times" bestselling debut, "The King of Lies," announced the arrival of a major talent. With "Down"" River," he surpassed his earlier success, transcending the barrier between thriller and literature and winning the 2008 Edgar Award for best novel. Now, with "The Last Child," he achieves his most significant work to date, an intricate, powerful story of loss, hope, and courage in the face of evil. Thirteen year-old Johnny Merrimon had the perfect life: a warm home and loving parents; a twin sister, Alyssa, with whom he shared an irreplaceable bond. He knew nothing of loss, until the day Alyssa vanished from the side of a lonely street. Now, a year later, Johnny finds himself isolated and alone, failed by the people he'd been taught since birth to trust. No one else believes that Alyssa is still alive, but Johnny is certain that she is---confident in a way that he can never fully explain. Determined to find his sister, Johnny risks everything to explore the dark side of his hometown. It is a desperate, terrifying search, but Johnny is not as alone as he might think. Detective Clyde Hunt has never stopped looking for Alyssa either, and he has a soft spot for Johnny. He watches over the boy and tries to keep him safe, but when Johnny uncovers a dangerous lead and vows to follow it, Hunt has no choice but to intervene. Then a second child goes missing . . . Undeterred by Hunt's threats or his mother's pleas, Johnny enlists the help of his last friend, and together they plunge into the wild, to a forgotten place with a history of violence that goes back more than a hundred years. There, they meet a giant of a man, an escaped convict on his own tragic quest. What they learn from him will shatter every notion Johnny had about the fate of his sister; it will lead them to another far place, to a truth that will test both boys to the limit. Traveling the wilderness between innocence and hard wisdom, between hopelessness and faith, "The Last Child" leaves all categories behind and establishes John Hart as a writer of unique power.

約翰·哈特 John Hart：

1965年齣生於美國北卡羅萊納州。在《順流而下》的背景羅恩縣度過童年。於戴維森學院取得法國文學學士、會計學和法學雙碩士學位。曾經活躍於會計、股票中介、刑事辯護等業界，後來辭去職務，立誌成為作傢。處女作《謊言之王》同時入圍“愛倫·坡奬”“安東尼奬”“巴瑞奬”“麥卡維提奬”四項大奬，風光齣道。《順流而下》奪下2008年愛倫坡奬年度最佳小說奬，技驚四座，被視為當代最銳不可當的文學奇纔。2009年，第三部作品《最後的孩子》擊敗前輩大師麥可·康納利，獲英國“鋼匕首奬”。2010年《最後的孩子》再次奪下美國“愛倫·坡奬”，一舉囊括大西洋兩岸最高榮譽。《華盛頓郵報》盛贊約翰•哈特雖僅齣版三部作品，但感情刻畫之深沉，寫作技巧之爐火純青，已經達到馬剋•吐溫、福剋納等前輩大師的文學高度，並預言年輕的他終將成為大師級的作傢。