‘Oh my. A captivating unputdownable evocative emotional twisted thriller. Oh that ending… OMG that ending did NOT expect that. It blew me away…’ Read Along With Sue, 5 stars‘Don’t take my baby.’Kirstie Rawlings is jolted awake by a child crying. Racing upstairs to check on her new-born, she is plunged into every parents’ worst nightmare. She hears an unknown voice in the baby monitor, saying: … nightmare. She hears an unknown voice in the baby monitor, saying: ‘Let’s take the child – and go.’
Is someone trying to steal her little girl?
In the bedroom, her daughter is safe asleep in her cot. Is the voice coming from a nearby house? But there aren’t any other children living on her quiet country road…
The police don’t believe her. And neither does her husband.
Kirstie knows something isn’t right. She thought she could trust her neighbours, now she isn’t sure. As she unravels the secrets of the people living on her street, Kirstie’s perfect life begins to fall apart.
Because someone is hiding a terrible lie. And they will do anything to stop Kirstie uncovering the truth. But is the danger closer to home than she thinks?
From the top ten bestselling author of The Secret Mother, this completely gripping psychological thriller will make you wonder what really goes on behind closed doors. And will keep you guessing from the first page until the final shocking twist.
Why readers are gripped by The Child Next Door:
‘Hooked from the very first page… I finished The Child Next Door in less than a day!… I was left staring open-mouthed at the last page because I just couldn’t believe what I just read… left me both speechless and wanting for more.’ It’s All About Books, 5 stars
‘OMG. What a phenomenal book! I read this book in 24 hours because I could not put it down.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars
‘WOW… captivating… I could not put it down… worth more than 5 stars and has to be one of the best psychological thrillers I have read so far.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars
‘5 Brilliant Stars. Wow what an ending! This book pulled me in from the very first paragraph… I just finished this and I am still shock… fabulous from first paragraph to last!’ Audio Killed the Bookmark, 5 stars
‘OMG!!! The story grabbed me from the first chapter, and instantly set my teeth on edge! Don’t forget to read to the very last word though because that ending… WOW, completely unexpected!!’ Stardust Book Reviews, 5 stars
‘Gripping, exciting… it had me hooked immediately and didn’t let up until the epilogue, which I guarantee will make you gasp and shiver. LOVED this book. 5 stars.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars
‘Wow! The ending blew me away… shocking, mind blowing, creepy and intense… the sort of book that you can’t put down… I loved this book… it definitely deserves 5 stars. It’s a cracking read!’ Bonnie’s Book Talk, 5 stars
‘BOOM, my whole evening just disappeared! There is literally so many twists and turns towards the end. It was brilliant! I loved every minute of it…The Child Next Door is without a doubt a page turner of a read that will have you gripped.’ By the Letter Book Reviews, 5 stars
‘A gripping psychological thriller that leaves you never knowing who to trust from one minute to the next… You won’t rest until you get to the end!’ Thoughts From Irene, 5 stars
‘What a book! I predict this will be one of the top reads for 2018… a page-turner with a surprise ending I did not see coming.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars
‘Thrilling, intense. Readers of The Girl on the Train and Gone Girl will love Shalini Boland.’ Red Adept
more
A fast paced thrill ride all the way through! Just when you think you’ve got the plot, it dissolves away. Keeps you guessing until the very end – and oh by the way, The End is not what you expected! Shalini Boland never disappoints.
4.5 stars.
Kirsty Rawlings is beside herself with fear. She overheard something on her child’s baby monitor that horrified her. She summons the police and informs her husband of her suspicions. But her fears seem unfounded.
Kirsty is feeling a bit insecure. After their baby, Daisy, came along, her relationship with her husband, Dominic, has become mostly platonic and less romantic. Money is tight, and her nerves are on edge after a mess of strange, unexplained occurrences have happened. Paranoia grips her. She’s always harried and suspicious of everyone around her. Neighbors regard her cautiously. Do they think she’s crazy? Is somebody trying to take her baby? Is her husband involved with someone else? Has her best friend betrayed her? Is she delusional?
This book!! I have to admit that when I first started it I thought it was going to be just another predictable psychological thriller. I was wrong. I did not anticipate the twists and turns that left my mouth agape and my mind whirling. And that epilogue!! This was my first Shalini Boland book and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I purchased this audiobook from Audible. The narrator, Katie Villa, was excellent and contributed to my enjoyment of the book. Recommended.
This author does not disappoint! The book will draw you in right from the beginning. The plot was totally believable and filled with enough twist and turns that you just have to keep reading to find out what happens next. And the ending, the ending was just awesome! This book is a definite must read.
very interesting book. kept me guessing
Loved it.Surprise ending.Kept me interested throughout.
This story is based in England and so it has the English phrases and culture. Kirstie and her husband Dominic and six month old Daisy live in a quiet subdivision. One night Kirstie hears on her baby monitor two people whispering and they are talking about taking the baby. Thus begins the nightmare. You will be surprised how the plot twists and turns. You won’t want to put the book down.
Makes you think no one can be trusted.
Some police officers never give up.
There were a few things I figured out ahead of time but this was still a page turner for me.
Loved this book, love this author. Great read.
Great book and totally unexpected ending!
An absolutely unpredictable haunting page-turner from start to finish. It kept me wondering what could possibly happen next…..and how much more could that poor mother endure in her search for the truth.
5 of 5 stars
Oh, poor Kirstie Rawlings!
After overhearing a man’s voice through her baby monitor, Kirstie is convinced that someone has tried – and will continue to try – to kidnap her infant daughter, Daisy. Every imaginable precaution to protect the baby is taken, but Kirstie still doesn’t feel safe. She won’t let Daisy out of her sight, sleeps on an uncomfortable futon in the nursery beside the crib, and triple checks the door and window locks multiple times each night. It’s an obsession, really, one that seems completely reasonable and warranted.
To Kirstie.
The deeper she delves into obsession, the more everyone, including her husband, Dom, questions her sanity, leaving Kirstie to her own devices as she tries to figure out who wants to kidnap Daisy.
I absolutely loved this book! It grabbed me from the first page and didn’t let go. I was sure early on that I figured out the identity of the potential kidnapper, but was I off base! It’s well written, beautifully plotted, and maintains a must-keep-reading pace.
This is the second of Ms. Boland’s works that I’ve read and I will definitely be reading more.
Oh! My! Stars!! I wish I could give this book a higher than 5 star rating! It is amazing!!! I spent half my time ready to throttle the main character and the other half not knowing what was going to happen next!!! There are more unexpected twists and turns in this story than the proverbial roller coaster. All of the characters are fully developed and believable; no cardboard characters here. The dialogue is sharp and natural and nothing feels forced. But the ending……Wow!!! Didn’t see that one coming at all. I most highly recommend this book. However, don’t start reading it if you have anything important to do for the next 48 hours. If you do, you will either be highly frustrated because you can’t get back to the book or you will find yourself neglecting things you really should be doing in order to read. A DEFINITE WINNER!!!!!
I loved this book so much that I gave it five stars! I started on it and I didn’t want to stop. I went to bed an hour later than normal but I couldn’t sleep for thinking about the great characters waiting for me. I gave up at 1:30 a.m. I poured a glass of wine and sipped on it as I read for another hour and couldn’t wait to get back to it that evening. And I did finish it the second night.
I read this awhile back and enjoyed it. It’s a rare 5 stars from me and recommended.
Oh my word. The absolute hell that Kirstie went through! I was guessing and trying to figure out what was going to happen next, but every turn I was wrong! I suspected her husband, I suspected Martin… I was wrong.. But I loved reading this book trying to figure out how it ended. I would probably be just as paranoid as Kristie though! That’s the part, that for me, made this relatable and such a page-turner.
I always look forward to reading Shalini Boland’s books because I know I am in for twists, turns and a real surprise ending. This book certainly did not disappoint. Catriona abducts a little girl from the shopping mall play area. Rachel, the mother of the abducted girl Holly, never gives up hoping she finds her alive. Rachel meets a new mum at school, Kate, who has two children the same age as Rachel’s children, Amy and Kieran. Kate also has an older daughter Bella. When Rachel meets Bella, she is sure it is the daughter who was abducted years ago. The story is told in a new and now format with then being narrated by Catriona and now by Rachel. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of another great Shalini Boland book in exchange for an honest review.
I did not like this book. Too much crazyness. Too drawn out
Surprise ending
Lost interest in it half way through.