The Other Daughter by Shalini Boland
Today I am so happy to join the blog tour for The Other Daughter by Shalini Boland.
Many thanks to the author and Sarah from Bookouture for providing a copy of the book, which I have reviewed honestly.
Nine years ago her daughter was taken. And now she’s back.
Two-and-a-half-year-old Holly is playing happily in a pink plastic playhouse, while her mother Rachel sips coffee and chats with a friend nearby. It should be an ordinary day for all of them. But, in the blink of an eye, it turns into every family’s worst nightmare.
Holly is taken by a stranger and never found.
Nine years later, Rachel is living a quiet life in Dorset. She’s tried to keep things together since the traumatic day when she lost her eldest daughter. She has a new family, a loving partner and her secrets are locked away in her painful past.
Until one afternoon when Rachel meets a new school parent Kate and her teenage daughter Bella. Rachel’s world is instantly turned upside down – she’s seen Bella before. She’d recognise that face anywhere – it’s her missing child.
And she will stop at nothing to get her back…
From the million-copy-bestselling author of The Secret Mother and The Perfect Family, this utterly gripping psychological thriller will have you up all night reading. If you loved Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train and The Sister this book is for you.
My Review
It’s been nine years since Rachel’s daughter Holly was snatched from a playground aged two and never found. Rachel has a new partner, Matt, however, she has never told him about the abduction, in fact, he is unaware that she even had a daughter previous to meeting him.
Her world spirals upside down when she meets Kate at the school gates. When Rachel sees Bella, Kate’s oldest daughter she is convinced that the child is actually Holly.
The suspense builds as Rachel goes on a quest to find out if the child is hers. She puts herself in danger and becomes obsessed with finding out the truth. When Matt finds out about Holly he is shocked but hugely supportive, however, as Rachel’s actions become more compulsive he fears for her mental health.
This is such a page-turner and kept me awake until the early hours. The story is told from two timelines with well-developed characters and a plot that draws you in from the first page. I love this author and she rarely disappoints, this was everything I would expect and more. The ending took me completely by surprise, one of those ‘hang on a second!’ moments that are so rare these days.
The Other Daughter is expertly written with a compelling storyline and vivid characterisation. A must-read for lovers of crime fiction.
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).
