“Unforgettable.”—The New York Times“Lyrical and atmospheric.” —Bustle“A satiating psychological horror tale.” —Cultured VulturesSOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTUREAPRIL 2019 LIBRARY READS PICK“Mother knows best” takes on a sinister new meaning in this unsettling thriller perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman, Grimms’ Fairy Tales, and Aimee Molloy’s The Perfect Mother.Everyone says Lauren Tranter is … Molloy’s The Perfect Mother.
Everyone says Lauren Tranter is exhausted, that she needs rest. And they’re right; with newborn twins, Morgan and Riley, she’s never been more tired in her life. But she knows what she saw: that night, in her hospital room, a woman tried to take her babies and replace them with her own…creatures. Yet when the police arrived, they saw no one. Everyone, from her doctor to her husband, thinks she’s imagining things.
A month passes. And one bright summer morning, the babies disappear from Lauren’s side in a park. But when they’re found, something is different about them. The infants look like Morgan and Riley—to everyone else. But to Lauren, something is off. As everyone around her celebrates their return, Lauren begins to scream, These are not my babies.
Determined to bring her true infant sons home, Lauren will risk the unthinkable. But if she’s wrong about what she saw…she’ll be making the biggest mistake of her life.
Compulsive, creepy, and inspired by some of our darkest fairy tales, Little Darlings will have you checking—and rechecking—your own little ones. Just to be sure. Just to be safe.
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Little Darlings by Melanie Golding is a story about pain, hope, psychosis, fairy tales, motherhood, lies, and drama. It is the type of book where you do not get all the answers and must interpret for yourself what actually happened in the final pages. For some, this will be a great opportunity to decide what is fantasy and what is real. For others, it’s a foray into an unknown world of uncertainty. Whether you lean in either direction, one thing’s for sure, it’s good writing.
Lauren Tranter just gave birth to twin boys. Her husband, Patrick, is committed and loving, but there’s something slightly off about him. There are no grandparents or siblings involved (okay, a minor scene with Patrick’s sibling later on, but it doesn’t impact the plot). Lauren doesn’t work outside the home. They seem to have little to no friends except a soon-to-be mother’s group who drops off peculiar gifts. When this happens, who do you turn to?
For Lauren, she’s happy in her cocoon until the birth is way more difficult than she expected. The doctors almost lose her to excessive blood loss at one point, but she bounces back and begins to care for the little tykes perfectly. Except during the first overnight in the hospital, a weird witch-like woman threatens to swap the babies because hers are bad and Lauren’s are good. Maybe they each keep one good and one bad, she suggests?
How would you handle the situation? Lock yourself in a bathroom to avoid anyone trying to steal them? Good plan, except on video tape, there’s no one attacking you. Was it real? Was it supernatural fantasy thing? The fairy tales tell a very different story… one about a woman who demands you drown your children in order to save them. Lauren is trapped. If she does nothing, the woman comes nightly to haunt her. If she does something, the cops and/or hospital threaten to commit her. What a paradox! To love, you must hurt. How would you handle the situation?
Golding tells a wicked story with heart. Readers will be uncertain where to lend their loyalties as a few twists and turns convince you Lauren is crazy, but then easily show you she’s not seeing things. For me, it drove me nuts! I like clarity, but I appreciate the variables at play here enough to indicate this book is a challenging read in a good a way. As a side story, one of the cops struggles to believe Lauren. Through research, she finds something that might confirm who kidnaps the kids, but in the end, all is not what it seems.
A psychological thriller, readers have a chance to determine how to interpret a story that can be told in many ways. Golding’s talent sits in the ability to walk a fine line of confusion and power. We will all feel differently, yet it’s the same words and story. Which part will you connect to? Definitely worth a read, you’ll find hidden gems in the life lessons and fairy tale history we learn along the path. I recommend it for those looking for something a little different than the normal family drama.
Many thanks to the author and Crooked Lane for the chance to read this book. I voluntarily participated on the blog tour and am excited to spread the word about this novel.
I can’t wait for this movie. The detail in the descriptions are amazing and I can’t wait to see them for myself.
You know what is the scariest part of this book? The fact that although to some of us, Lauren’s “hallucinations” are real. The detail in which the author describes Lauren’s fears and feelings are all real in post-partum depression. I never suffered from it but I could totally see where Lauren’s feelings lay. I felt that need to keep my children safe though not to the extent she went to. I think that is what is scarier than the changelings, the creepy woman and any creatures that could surround us. Our own mind.
I give this read a 5 / 5 for not letting me go to sleep at a decent hour.
Well this one is going to be difficult to write. I would have to classify this as a psychological thriller with the addition of folklore or the supernatural. At any rate it was a truly creepy, turn the pages quickly read. While at first I thought it would be something that wouldn’t be believable, by the first third of the book I was truly scared at what the outcome of this story would be.
As a mom of four I remember the sleep deprived feelings, forgetting what day it even is, never having time for a shower or to read even a magazine or newspaper and the constant needs of a newborn. I can’t even imagine the exhaustion of this new mother of twins.
The story begins shortly after a very traumatic delivery of twin boys to Lauren Tranter. During her hospitalization Lauren is sure that she sees and hears a dirty, rag covered woman showing her a basket of what looked like baby rats and singing an unusual song. After a bit of talk the woman says, “Let’s deal, Let’s change one for another”. “Give me one of yours and I’ll take care of it, You have one of mine and treat it like your own” The woman grasps Lauren’s arm and she struggles to get away, Choose one, said the woman, “choose one of I’ll take them both. You’ll never know the difference, I can make sure they look just the same”. What could be more horrific, she grabs the twins trolley and locks herself in the bathroom and calls the police. The hospital security and police arrive only to find just a very scared woman locked in the bathroom with her babies.
Well that is the set up for the rest of the story which I found to be engrossing. No one believes Lauren, they just chalk it up to exhaustion and sleep deprivation, plus the difficult delivery and medications. After she returns home, she refuses to leave the babies alone for even a few minutes. Finally her husband urges her to go outside. She is finally out in the park with the babies and falls asleep on a bench only to have someone or something take the twins. When they are found and returned to her she is certain that they are not her babies but something other, more sinister, a changeling perhaps?
There is only one person, DS Jo Harper, who believes her and even goes so far as to look up the history of the small town and folklore attached to another incident which sounds a lot like what is happening to Lauren.
To quote the publisher of Crooked Lane Books “I bet you’ll delight in this sinister supernatural thriller that challenges our understanding of modern motherhood and the myths that shape our lives. Folktales do not spring from whimsy, they serve as a warning.”
I had so many ideas of what was truly happening, who was behind the kidnapping, etc. but in the end I was wrong. At least I think I was wrong, because the ending leaves one guessing!
It’s amazing that this is a debut novel. While thinking about this book again and realizing how much of the story has stuck with me over the last few days I’ve decided to change my rating to 4 ½ rounded up to a 5. This was a Traveling Sister read with Mary Beth and Heidi.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss.
Little Darlings by Melanie Golding tells a tale of child abduction, changelings, and psychosis through two distinct POV’s. The agony of new motherhood, sleep deprivation, and post partum are captured in the opening chapters. New Mum Lauren birthed twin boys, and despite exhaustion and pleas for help, she receives little support. Couple that with attempted abductions, and Lauren and her boys are in real danger that nobody else seems to believe – except an investigating officer, Harper. For reasons not entirely clear, Harper’s interest in the case causes the officer to investigate despite warnings from her supervisor.
There are some genuinely chilling parts to this book. It is a fast read, too.
A twisty, chilling exploration of the dark side of motherhood, brilliantly told by a debut author whose skill is evident from the first page. Any parent―any human, for that matter―will have a hard time putting this book down once they start.
Deep. Dark. Utterly addictive. I read this extraordinary book in one breathless gulp… Be warned―you can’t unread this story. It will haunt you.
Riveting, terrifying and at times heartbreaking… Melanie Golding’s disturbing portrait of a new mother’s paranoia is superbly written, cleverly plotted and gruesomely beautiful in an unforgettable way. A stunning debut.
Chilling story, beautiful prose. Little Darlings is stunning.
*I received a free copy from the publisher via Bookish First and chose to leave a voluntary review. Thank you!*
I really enjoyed this book, it so fun to read in a creepy kind of way, It had a fantasy, thriller and mystery vibe.
I always think that anything creepy with kids makes it so much creepier, and I think that is one reason I loved this book so much. But also because you never really sure what it really is and left to your imagination.
In the beginning I was not a fan of Lauren and thought of her a bit annoying but as the book went I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.
I thought the writing was great and had a hard time putting the book down and it kept me creeped out and scarred on the edge of my seat.
There were only a few parts I really didn’t care for but for the most part I really enjoyed this book, even more than I thought.
If you are a fan of Grimm retelling, mystery, and a bit of horror, definitely give this book a try, I’m sure you will like it.
I rate it 4
A VERY unsettling tale with echoes of Grimms Fairy Tales, Little Darlings is utterly captivating, gorgeously atmospheric and deliciously creepy. The story follows Lauren, who’s just given birth to twins. Exhausted and overwhelmed, Lauren isn’t coping well, and things go from bad to worse when the babies are stolen from her one day in the park. After a police manhunt, the babies are found, but Lauren is convinced they’ve been switched. These are not her babies.
Throughout the book I vacillated numerous times between thinking she was suffering from postpartum depression and thinking the babies had really been switched. Is Lauren losing her mind? Will anybody believe her? I loved that this was an unreliable narrator born from nature rather than alcohol, as so many seem to be lately. The tale is so cleverly told I had no idea what to believe from one page to the next.
I highly recommend this creepy psychological thriller for your top 2019 reads!
Creepy, engaging, unfinished.
Lauren is afraid. But is she unhinged?
Patrick is a cad. But is he calculating?
Did Harper believe?
Are the answers coming or is the reader to draw their own conclusions?
I’m all for a good mystery but I want a defined ending.
This book is incredibly creepy, without the gore, which is something else I love and is not always easy to find.
It was a compelling read that was difficult to put down … except …
I just don’t know if I loved the ending.
I feel a little … unsatisfied, by how it ended. Which truly is a shame, because up until the ending, I couldn’t put it down.
You can read my full review on my blog MPWNovels.com — https://mpwnovels.com/2019/09/20/book-review-little-darlings-by-melanie-golding/
3.5
Little Darlings is my first read from Melanie Golding and I was captivated by her story telling. The writing was smooth even though the subject matter was dark, disturbing, and heavy. An attempted kidnapping of a mother’s new born babies, and yet there’s no proof of it ever happening! No one believes this poor dear woman that someone was trying to steal her babies! The plot is interesting and honestly different than any thriller that I have ever personally picked up. I love how the story is kind of a play on how dark the brain really can be. While it take me a bit to get into this one, once the story really gets going it is easy to get lost. The ending isn’t perfect in my opinion, but it does add to what makes this story unforgettable.
This story has just about everything you can ask for in it. Part thriller, mystery and horror.
Lauren and Patrick have twin sons and she has postpartum depression. So one night while still in the hospital she meets a strange lady who wants to switch babies. But she is the only one who has seen this strange lady. No one believes her story. Once she goes home the lady returns. Then while out one day Lauren falls asleep and life is never the same. Does this strange lady really exist? What happens to the babies? You have to read this page turning book for those answers. It will keep you guessing and wondering.
This book was ultimately less horror than I expected and more psychological thriller—of the best kind, where we genuinely can’t tell if our main character is unhinged or if she’s the only one who really understands what’s going on. I was riveted by everything Lauren experienced, and I wanted to wring a certain other character’s neck! Ahem. Yes, this book elicited strong reactions. And it kept me guessing all the way to the end, which seldom happens. Perhaps too intense for a beach book, but absolutely worth a read, especially if you like books where creepy folklore and modern reality collide.
I’m definitely loosing sleep over this one. What an extremely creepy and riveting tale. Little Darlings by Melanie Golding made my skin crawl with its captivating and creative storyline that reminded me of Grimms Fairy Tales.
This is inspired by the Welsh fairy tale A Brewery of Eggshells, about a woman with newborn twins who are swapped with changelings. Lauren Tranter has given birth to two twin boys who promptly become her entire world. A disarrayed woman shows up to the maternity ward and threatens to swap her two twins with Lauren’s twins, she then turns into a protective mother — willing to do anything to save her babies.
Although the doctors, police and even her husband keep telling her she is seeing things, she knows the truth — the woman was real. When her twins go missing one day, a frantic search begins but they’re both found, ostensibly unharmed. Lauren, however, knows the true — these are not her twin babies.
Those around her dismiss her, saying she is mentally ill. All except one — Detective Sergeant Joanna Harper. For her own reasons, the detective believes Lauren. Harper opens her own investigation against her superior’s wishes and looks into what really happened to Lauren and her two babies.
What a bloody haunting tale! I truly enjoyed Melanie Golding’s style of writing and how certain parts left me shocked. While the story mirrored fairy tales and folklore — it had a darker and more sinister back story. For those following along on my blog, you’ll know I’m EXTREMELY single, so I don’s have children. I couldn’t relate to the postpartum depression or the after affects of having a child/children. But I can say, reading other reviews, many women who read this book seriously relate to this story and the struggles faced after having a baby/babies.
What really kept me on the edge of my seat was this tug of war I had over whether Lauren was suffering from postpartum depression or thinking that her babies were really taken and switched. You really have to question if Lauren is losing her mind and will anyone believer her? Brava to Melanie Golding’s writing! She certainly has a new avid follower of her work over here!
Little Darlings by Melanie Golding is a dark, creepy psychological thriller that left me terrified at the prospect of motherhood and marriage. A complete whiplash from my romance novels that I’ve been reading lately! Let’s just say this book certainly should be on your top 2019 reads for mystery and thrillers! This book will be published April 30.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review here: https://bit.ly/2UPcjDD
-Description-
New mother, Lauren, has just given birth to twin boys when another mother tries to take them…well, switch them. Between being exhausted by all the mothering responsibilities, having twins, and a partner that doesn’t do a whole lot to help…we don’t know if it’s psychosis, someone trying to hurt her, or if she’s doing all this to herself. Here comes Detective Harper to help us figure it all out…
-Thoughts-
1. Page-turner right off the bat. I could feel her anxiety, exhaustion, frustration. In fact, I had a hard time reading it and staying awake. It was like this tug on my eyelids as soon as I would start to read.
2. It was an easy read & I was interested. We had a lot of explaining throughout but then the end felt rushed and not explained.
3. I kept waiting for the reveal. For the explanation that never really came.
-Similar Recommended Reads-
The Silent Patient
The Perfect Couple
An Anonymous Girl
I really enjoyed this book! I knew that I wanted to read this book after seeing a couple of really favorable early reviews. Since I didn’t get to it prior to the book’s release, I decided to take a look at the audiobook and I was sold on it after listening to the sample. I was somewhat mesmerized by this story and found myself frequently wanting to read just a little bit more. I am really glad that I made the decision to read this book.
I didn’t really know what to expect from this book when I started reading it since I try to go into books as blindly as I can. I was drawn into the story right away. I think that one of the main strengths of this story is its descriptions. I felt like I was right there with Lauren when she had the twins and felt her frustration and exhaustion as she worked to care for them largely on her own. Her fear, her panic, and her desperation were all beautifully illustrated through the details of this tale.
This was really more of a mystery than anything but there is a bit of otherness to the story. There is definitely a fairy tale aspect to the story with changlings at its core. I really liked the fact that in addition to Lauren’s point of view we also get to see things from Detective Harper’s perspective. I couldn’t help but wonder what was really going on and I wanted both of these women to succeed in their quest to figure things out and protect the babies.
I thought that Stephanie Racine did an amazing job with this book. This was an emotional story at times and I think that the narration was able to add a certain element to a number of passages. She had a very pleasant voice with a nice accent that was easy to listen to for hours at a time. There were quotes at the beginning of some chapters that were done by a different narrator, the author I believe. I would have preferred to see a single narrator for this story. I don’t think that there was really a point to having someone else read the quotes at the beginning of the chapters and I wasn’t a fan of the delivery. Even the audio quality seemed off during those sections. Thankfully, the quotes are very infrequent and had no real impact on the story or my enjoyment of it.
I would recommend this book to others. I thought this was a really well-done story with just enough of a creepy factor to keep me hooked from beginning to end. I cannot wait to read more of Melanie Golding’s work!
I received a digital review copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley and purchased a copy of the audiobook.
What a creepy book! Creepy in an interesting, kept my interest sort of way. Males me think of the old folk tales that were told to us as children. After I read this, I wasn’t sure if I really knew what the ending actually meant. An enjoyable read tho, it will keep me wondering for a while!
Little Darlings is a hair-raising, heart-thumping creepy tale that sucked me into reading it in one sitting. This is the second book I’ve read in 24 hours with fairy tales worked in delightfully. (The other was the last in a series of interconnected short stories in Treading the UnevenRoad by L.M. Brown (Fomite Press, March 13, 2019).A mother’s worst nightmare is losing her children, and author Golding maximizes that fear by combining dark fairy folklore regarding twins and changlings with postpartum depression in a sinister plot.
The protagonist, Lauren Tranter is lying in the hospital fearing that she’ll never bond with her twin sons when a bizarre dirty woman with bad teeth tries to steal her babies, Riley and Morgan, and replace them with her own. Author Melanie Golding does a great job describing the chaotic life of a new mother.
The rest of the book shows how the men in Lauren’s life don’t believe her story and, in fact, attribute her behavior to psychosis. Her husband is essentially absent in Lauren and her sons’ lives. Her spouse, Patrick, is always be at work and he has scant sympathy for Lauren’s sleepless nights and sore breasts. The chief of police thinks she’s crazy as well.
The only person who believes Lauren is a female detective, Harper, who unravels the strings that tie the twins to the changing story to the flooding of a village 100 years earlier.
This is a spine-chilling tale with a creepy other-worldly, old-world feel. The reader never really knows if Lauren is an exhausted new mother, hallucinating from postpartum psychosis or if the twins really are in danger.