From reading other reviews,I have noticed that when it comes down to twists in thrillers,reader's opinions are divided. Some enjoy a really good twist of two whilst others don't,I suppose it's all down to personal preference. Me....I love a good twist or two,as long as I don't see them coming. I love a twist that blows my mind and leaves me sat in my comfy chair,totally stunned and doing a very bad impersonation of omg cat. Well.. in The Other Daughter, Shalini Boland cleverly manipulates the reader into believing that you think you know what's going on and then she throws in a massive,jaw dropping twist that takes everything that you thought you knew,rolls into into a ball and chucks it out the window.
The story that is told in chapters that alternate between now and then is predominately narrated by Rachel who lives in Wareham in Dorset with her husband Matt and their two children Charlie and Jess. On the surface it would appear that Rachel has it all,a happy marriage,two loving children,a lovely home and a job that she loves in a local cafe. But Rachel is hiding a devastating secret,one that she hasn't even divulged to Matt. Seven years ago,her two year old daughter Holly was abducted from a play area outside a cafe in London whilst Rachel was chatting to one of her friends. For years Rachel has managed to bury the pain and get on with her life. But then one day she befriends a new mother who has just moved into the area with her family and when Rachel meets the woman's eldest daughter Bella,she is stunned at how closely Bella resembles her missing daughter. After that meeting Rachel finds herself spending every waking moment trying to find the evidence that proves that Bella is her missing daughter. She is totally convinced that Bella's mother and father were behind Molly's abduction. Although I could empathise with Rachel because of the shock of losing her young daughter,I can't say that I thought she was a very likeable character for various reasons. I did feel a lot of sympathy for poor Matt and their two children as Rachel's behaviour became more erratic and her obsession with Bella gradually took over her life. But is Bella really Rachel's missing daughter and precisely how far is Rachel prepared to go to prove what she believes to be true?
The chapters that were set in the past were narrated by a woman called Catriona, a complex character who was very pivotal to the plot and her chapters especially at the beginning of the book were chilling and intense. But who was she and how does she fit into this emotionally charged thriller? Well you are just going to read this absolutely brilliant story and find out for yourself.
I really love Shalini Boland books,they are always extremely well written,tightly plotted,page turners and The Other Daughter is no exception. Her characters are all well rounded,vivid and realistic. Her story telling is hypnotic and captivating,drawing you into her character's fictional world. The only disappointing aspect about her books is that once you start reading one,you don't want to put it down so it is over far too quickly. I loved this book and would have giving it far more than five stars if I could. Very very highly recommended.
AUTHOR BIO
Shalini Boland is the million-copy, USA-Today bestselling author of eight psychological thrillers: 'THE GIRL FROM THE SEA', 'THE BEST FRIEND', 'THE MILLIONAIRE'S WIFE' (optioned for TV by Legendary Studios), 'THE SECRET MOTHER', 'THE CHILD NEXT DOOR', 'THE SILENT SISTER', 'THE PERFECT FAMILY' and 'THE MARRIAGE BETRAYAL'.
THE OTHER DAUGHTER comes out Nov 5th and is now available to preorder!
Her titles are published by Bookouture, Grand Central (USA) and Tantor.
Shalini lives by the sea in Dorset, England with her husband, two children and their cheeky terrier cross. Before kids, she was signed to Universal Music Publishing as a singer/songwriter, but now she spends her days writing psychological thrillers (in between school runs and sorting endless baskets of laundry).
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS...
Blog: http://someonewotwrites.blogspot.com/ Twitter: @ShaliniBoland
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShaliniBolandAuthor/
PUBLICATION DATE: 5th November 2019
PRINT LENGTH: 250 Pages
PUBLISHER: Bookouture
GENRE: Psychological Thriller
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