Book review: 17 Years Later by JP Pomare

17 Years Later by JP Pomare is another book featuring a podcaster reinvestigating a historical crime. Here however, justice has been served and the man found guilty has been in jail for 17 years. Award-winning podcaster Sloane Abbott is intrigued nonetheless as there seems to be some obvious evidence overlooked at his trial. Also in his favour is the fact the convicted killer maintains his innocence when (had he pleaded guilty) he might have already been released on parole.

The violent slaughter of the wealthy Primrose family while they slept shocked the nation of New Zealand and scarred the small idyllic rural town of Cambridge forever.

All of the evidence pointed to their young live-in chef, Bill Ruatara, who was swiftly charged with murder and brought to justice. The brutal crime is now infamous, and Bill a figure of contempt who deserves to rot in jail for life.

Seventeen years later, prison psychologist TK Phillips is fighting for an appeal. He is convinced Bill did not receive a fair trial. When celebrity true-crime podcaster Sloane Abbott takes a sudden interest, it's not long before she uncovers new evidence that could set fire to the prosecution's case.

As TK and Sloane dig deeper into the past, they become tangled in a complex web of danger and deceit. With Bill's innocence far from assured and their own lives at stake, will they risk everything to unearth the truth, or leave it buried for good?

Pomare sets this in his birth country of New Zealand and though race relations aren’t a focus there’s obvious discrimination and judgement underpinning this novel and people’s perception of Bill Kareama, private chef and proud Maori.

Although podcaster Sloane is our main narrator she’s joined by a psychologist (TK) who’d worked with Bill not long after his incarceration and who – initially at least – believed in his innocence. He’s reluctant to be involved now however and it’s obvious he’s privy to information that makes him certain of Bill’s guilt.

And we hear from Bill directly. I’d assumed it was a dual timeline and Bill sharing events (in real-time) from 17 years earlier, but we learn he was (later) asked to share his account of the time he spent with the Primrose family prior to the murders.

All three narrators are likeable. Sloane felt real and vulnerable, as did TK. I liked Bill though we later hear other accounts of him and the perception that he’d changed while living with the Primrose family. Given our only other insight is from his account (written later) it’s harder to know what his true character was like. But, I was certainly on his side and wanted everyone to be wrong in their assertions of his guilt.

We also meet the Primrose family – and learn some of their secrets (from torrid affairs to potential manslaughter) – as well as other staff members and Bill’s friends from 17 years earlier. We also revisit some in the present so there’s a lot of substance underpinning this narrative.

As Sloan and TK unpick the past, they hear varying accounts of that time and we learn not everyone was who they said they were. As always Pomare does a good job at offering a few surprises he’s deftly hidden from readers. It meant that my own suspicions leapt about madly as I made my way through this book, making this an addictive read.

17 Years Later by JP Pomare will be published in Australia by Hachette and in late July 2024.

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes.