One mild summer evening in rural New Zealand the lives of Carla Reid, a middle-aged farmer's wife, and Ben Toroa, an illiterate teen, brutally collide. Neither will be the same again, their futures forever linked. In the bleak aftermath of this home invasion, The Last Time We Spoke traces both Carla and Ben's journey as they each try to make sense of their new reality. Carla's long road from rage and resentment interleaves with Ben's time in prison as he hardens into manhood. Set again these parallel stories is also the voice of a Maori ancestor who looks down from Beyond, transporting the story to a wider historical stage. Many years after their first encounter, Carla and Ben's lives once more intersect, again with astonishing consequences. This is an astonishing story about two people trying to make sense of their broken lives. It is a provocative and dark tale, but ultimately one of hope and human possibility.

Winner of the Kobo/NZ Author Publishing prize.
Winner 2017 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel.