The Last Victim

 The Last Victim

Reviewed By  Janet Mawdesley       May 1, 2024

 

Author  Tracy Hall

Distributor:      Hachette Australia
ISBN:                 9780733651151
Publisher:         Hatchette Imprint Hachette Australia
Release Date:   May 2024  

Website:    https://www.hachette.com.au/ 

FaceBook:   

YouTube:   

Instagram:   

X formally Twitter:   

It will never happen to me’, will be the reader’s first thought when hearing the stories of unsuspecting victims of financial or romantic scams.  That was the response of the 40-year-old author of ‘The Last Victim’ too. However, she was to discover that it doesn’t matter where you were born, how you were raised or who you become as an adult – anyone can become the target of a con and end up as the prey. 

Tracy Hall’s philosophy of life was that most people can be trusted; she prided herself on her intuition.  She’d grown up in a loving family, and although she had experienced the normal ups and downs of life, she was a successful single mum, who wanted a significant other in her life. Clear on who she was and what she wanted in her life, she plunged into online dating. After carefully vetting promising profiles, she was drawn to 41-year-old ‘Max Tavita’.

In this memoir, the author not only explores her life before and during her relationship with ‘Max’ but also how she was tricked out of her entire life savings of $317,000 by someone she loved and trusted, not only with her heart but also with her hard earned savings. While he had proclaimed that he loved her in return, he was at the same time manipulating and grooming her to his own end.   

An absorbing read, which is not only a story of survival, but also one of hope and self-discovery after a traumatic experience.  For readers who have had a similar experience, the author has provided an insight into her own rehabilitation and the titles of books, which aided her recovery.

For those who are still a little skeptical and believe ‘it won’t happen to me’, carefully read the statistics provided in the book’s ‘Epilogue’ and listen to the daily ‘News’ broadcasts!

Biographies, Non Fiction