The variegated criminal justice system that exists (for better or worse) in the modern Western world is an often unpredictable (or is it?) and fickle beast. There are a myriad of cautionary tales that reveal to us that some folks are getting their just deserts in jail and should be left to ‘rot’ there. Whilst some have seemingly got away with crimes and are free. Alarmingly, some are wrongfully found guilty of a crime they never committed. 

Ours is a justice system that certainly has flaws aplenty. For instance, does anyone ever receive a totally fair trial? We all know cases where the wealthy, through paying for top lawyers, have been found not guilty of crimes they have done. Conversely, those from the lower end of the social and economic spectrum, not having the money to pay for good lawyers, can find themselves unjustly in jail.

How do we know, therefore, if an inmate in jail is definitely guilty of a crime? How do we know if those walking around in our community have never broken the law?

Such ponderings are superbly and expertly examined in New Zealand crime/psychological thriller author (he now lives in Melbourne, Australia), J.P. Pomare.

Young Maori (the indigenous, Polynesian people of New Zealand) man, Bill Karaema, was living the dream. Working as a live-in chef for the very upperclass and refined English family, the Primroses, in Cambridge, a picture-perfect and charming (or is it?) small town on the North Island of New Zealand, his aim was to save up as much as possible of his generous salary and buy a house.

Patriarch of the Primrose family, Simon, once worked in politics in the United Kingdom and is now a high-flying businessman in New Zealand. Wife, Gwen, is the ever-entertaining corporate wife. Seventeen year old daughter, Elle, is in her last year of school at the upmarket private school, St Luke’s, in Cambridge. A school that she has not settled into at all, and why is she so sullen? She has developed a massive crush on Bill, and enjoys chatting to him at any opportunity. Primrose son, twelve year old, Chester, is full of beans and delighted to be learning how to ride a skateboard from Bill.

Then a catastrophic event occurs. An event that rocks all of New Zealand.

The deceased Primrose family have been found in their bedrooms, stabbed. It was the kind of case the police love in that there was only ever one suspect, Bill, as there was an avalanche of evidence (or was there?) pointing to him.

For starters, Bill was seen running from the Primrose house on the night of the murder and his “bloody boot prints” were found going from room to room.

Now seventeen years later, Bill is now a weary and middle-aged prisoner. He remembers, “I was arrested within hours (of the murders) and haven’t been free since”. Bill could be released on parole if he is willing to admit to the crime, however, he won’t. 

The book gets extremely interesting because we are told the story of Bill, the Primroses and the eventual storm of violence that took place that night and it’s gut-wrenching aftermath, in first person narratives by Bill, TK (Bill’s former prison psychologist) and Sloane, a journalist from Melbourne who runs an eye-wateringly successful podcast, Legacy. 

Sloane has decided to do numerous podcast episodes on the Primrose case (“there have been calls over the years for a retrial” for Bill) and sets about flying to Cambridge to interview people related to the case. People including Bill.

TK comes back on board, regarding Sloane’s agenda. TK gave up on Bill, but why? Was he convinced Bill ‘did it’? TK certainly feels now that “Consciously or not, I was under his (Bill’s)spell”. Does TK know something Sloane doesn’t know about Bill and the case?

J.P. Pomare cleverly weaves into the story an assortment of characters who we at first don’t know if they are villains or heroes (All is eventually revealed). These people include the Primrose’s live-in au pair, Fleur, who is fiesty and temperamental.

Gardener, Tate, who leaves under a cloud of suspicion. Sloane’s taxi driver in Cambridge, Dean, who Sloane heavily relies on as her hire care has been stolen. Was it just bad luck or targeted?

Bill’s girlfriend before his arrest, Maia, certainly wasn’t pleased when Bill stopped seeing her, as he was chained to the job (he was on call 24/7). And what of Bill’s Uncle Mooks who once gardened for the Primroses?

What does Sloane discover when she visits the new residents of the former Primrose Estate?

Why has Simon Primrose left England? Can Fleur be trusted? In fact, can anyone be worthy of trust?

Is Bill an innocent man who has spent almost two decades of his life wasting away in prison? Or is he a clever manipulator trying to be set free?

With Sloane and TK rushing from interviewee to interviewee, what will their relentless ‘digging’ into the case reveal? 

Are Sloane and TK safe? Does Sloane ever make it back to Australia and TK to his family?

J.P. Pomare has written a novel that has twist after twist and will have you turning the pages faster and faster late in to the night. 

It is evident that J.P. has a razor-sharp mind as this book overflows with intelligence, wisdom and highly accurate insight into the human psyche and condition.

Bravo J.P. Pomare! You have knocked it out of the ballpark with this one. I’ve loved other books of yours that I’ve read. In fact, I put my sister onto your books and she is now also a big fan.

Some writers just ‘get’ the crime/psychological thriller genre and what makes it work for it to be a great read.

I loved 17 Years Later and will be lining up to read J.P. Pomare’s next book when it comes out!