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Who really killed the Primrose family? It’s a compelling question at the heart of J.P. Pomare’s new crime thriller, 17 Years Later, but it’s a book that asks a lot of other questions too, with real-world implications. The wonderful team at Hachette Australia were kind enough to send me a copy for review.
17 Years Later is narrated by three characters: Sloane, a Walkley Award-winning true crime podcaster; T.K., a former prison psychologist who gave up his fight to free a potentially innocent man when it cost him too much; and Bill, a man who has been imprisoned for 17 years for a crime he swears he didn’t commit.
Bill was a live-in private chef for the Primroses, a wealthy family who moved from the U.K. to small-town New Zealand in the hopes of escaping the fall-out of the patriarch’s political scandal. They fired Bill, shortly before they were found stabbed in their beds in the middle of the night. Bill was convicted of the crimes and sentenced, but T.K. believed his claims of innocence – and now, Sloane wants to get to the truth, and uncover some flaws in the justice system while she’s at it.
17 Years Later isn’t a bad read, but a throwaway moment causes a big hole in the plot that really bugged me (and I can’t say any more without spoiling the whole thing, sorry!). I also hated that Pomare caved to Elon Musk’s pressure and called Twitter by its supposed new name, “X” (ew). The characterisation was pretty good, the timelines were clear, the pacing was a little uneven but mostly okay… 17 Years Later is fine, an adequate choice for a flight or a quiet afternoon on holiday, but it’s far from Pomare’s best.
Read 17 Years Later on audiobook via Libro.fm here. (affiliate link)
November 10, 2024 at 11:42 AM
I loved this too but I have a real problem with three plot holes in this book and I can’t find any answers! Can you tell me what plot hole you’re referring to here?
November 11, 2024 at 1:01 PM
Ah! I’d prefer not to post them publicly (the book’s only been out a few months, I don’t want to risk spoilers for anyone yet to read it) – do you mind if I email you directly??
February 11, 2025 at 8:33 PM
Hi
Please let me know what plot hole you are referring to as well.
I liked the book but the ending was disappointing. I could not understand the killer’s motivation? what was the reason for the killing? why why?
cheers
April 5, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Exactly. I have read the last part multiple times but am still at a loss. When I first finished the book I thought it was awesome but then I thought about it a bit more. A few threads need tying off for me.