Author: bookafterbook

Publication: 25^th August 2020 – BookBaby

After years spent away, Lady Evelyn is at long last back in her home city of London and she has returned with a rather controversial plan. The Carlisle Detective Agency is born, and it does not take long for the bodies… ahem, cases, to start piling up. With her friend and assistant Hugh, Evelyn embarks on the quest to solve the crimes. Yet the London she encounters is not the London of her coddled youth, and she is forced to learn that there is more to discover than the identity of a murderer. It isn’t only her city which reveals it is not what she always believed it to be, but the people she encounters as well. Secrets are revealed that have her thinking twice about everything she thought she knew about the society in which she grew up.

Evelyn’s love for her hard-won independence confronts her with yet another mystery, whether she is ready or willing to give up any of it for marriage. And then there is the arrival of rather a familiar face in London, one Daniel is none to pleased to see. Evelyn must find not one but two murderers, as well as make a decision that could determine her future. From the mansions of Mayfair to the dark alleys of Whitechapel, can Evelyn catch the killers before another life is taken.

Purchase Links:

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3iGhzli

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3iDHDh8

Barnes and Noble: https://bit.ly/2Fvi5ED

Book Depository: https://bit.ly/3iPf9RJ

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Delighted to kick off the blog tour for The Quality of Mercy and welcome you on my stop for this wonderful new novel by Malia Zaidi.

The Quality of Mercy is the fifth novel in the Lady Evelyn Carlisle Mystery series. Set in London in 1920s, this series follows young Evelyn as she finds herself involved in murder cases, usually by discovering the dead body and then by conducting her own investigation. It is her propensity to find dead bodies that leads her to open her own investigative agency in this fifth book.

In The Quality of Mercy, Evelyn has just opened her investigative agency together with her friend Hugh. Of course, her first case is a murder case, a murder that she has discovered herself. The victim is the father of a childhood friend and the list of suspects is very long. As she investigates, another murder catches her attention and she finds herself investigating two cases. On the personal side, she is soon going to be married to Daniel, but she is trying to avoid the double wedding that her aunt Agnes has proposed.

I really like the character of Lady Evelyn. She is ahead of her time, looking for independence and freedom to do whatever she wants. She has bought her own flat, but she spends most of her nights at her fiancé’s mansion, even though they are not married yet, she has a degree and she works, even though that is not something that a lady of her class would do. She is smart, funny, and brave and I am already looking forward to her next adventure.

The characters are engaging and mostly likable, the story is well-written and historically accurate, and the plot is twisty, entertaining, and engrossing. If you love cozy mysteries, this is a series to follow. In The Quality of Mercy the author uses two different murders to address the differences between the upper class and the servant class while the effects of World War I still loom. This is an highly enjoyable and thrilling story to not miss.

A huge thank you to Emma for inviting me to join the blog tour and providing me with a copy of the novel.

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Malia Zaidi is the author of the Lady Evelyn Mysteries. She studied at the University of Pittsburgh and at the University of Oxford.

Having grown up in Germany, she currently lives in Washington DC, though through her love of reading, she resides vicariously (if temporarily) in countries around the world.

Social Media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaliaZaidi

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maliazaidiauthor/

Website: https://www.maliazaidi.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maliazaidi/  

Publication: 20th August 2020 – Hodder & Stoughton

There’s more than one way to capture a life.

When Elspeth arrives at her ex-husband’s LA mansion for his 50th birthday party, she’s expecting a crowd for the British film director. Instead, there are just seven other guests and Richard’s pet octopus, Persephone, watching over them from her tank.

Come morning, Richard is dead.

In the weeks that follow, each of the guests come under suspicion: the school friend, the studio producer, the actress, the actor, the new boyfriend, the manager, the cinematographer and the ex-wife, Elspeth herself. As stories of Richard’s past surface, colliding with Elspeth’s memories of their marriage, she begins to question not just who killed Richard, but why these eight guests were invited, and what sort of man would want to trap this mysterious, intelligent creature.

From the LA hills to the Norfolk marshes, The Octopus is a stylish exploration of power: the power of memory, the power of perception, the power of one person over another.

AMAZON

WATERSTONES

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Welcome to my stop for the blog tour of The Octopus, the brand new novel by Tess Little.

Elspeth flew all the way from New York to attend her ex-husband’s fiftieth birthday party at his LA mansion, Sedwick. Elspeth hasn’t seen Richard in ten years and she doesn’t want to go to the party, but she is reassured by the knowledge her daughter Lillie will be there and the many other guests that will probably attend the party. When she arrives to the party, she finds out that it isn’t going to be the big party she expected, but, besides her and the birthday boy, there are only seven more guests and the octopus Persephone who watches them from the aquarium. This will be a night they will never forget because the next morning, Richard is found dead and the police suspects that one of the guest at his party murdered him.

“We believed he had died from an overdose. There was no reason to suspect otherwise.”

Why did Richard invite only these eight people to his party? And who, amongst them, wanted him dead? Narrated through Elspeth’s voice, the story alternates between the night of the party and the aftermath of Richard’s death as the police questions the guests. Each guest had a reason to want Richard dead, including Elspeth.

The Octopus is not simply a mystery crime story about a suspicious death. It’s also a story of abuse, a story of power and control, a story of secrets. Elspeth is anxious and insecure. She lies about her marriage, she lies about Richard’s true character. You don’t know which of her memories are real and which memories she has created to protect herself and her daughter. Like Persephone in the aquarium, Elspeth tried to escape from her marriage, she tried to escape from Richard’s party, but she couldn’t:

“I imagined the house as an enormous aquarium. A brilliant display in the dull twilight. The bright clothes, sparkling jewellery; a tank shelved on the hillside. It was enchanting, if I let it be so.”

The Octopus is a brilliant, current, very well-written novel and I’d like to thank Steve Cooper and Hodder & Stoughton for inviting me to join the blog tour and providing me with a copy of this fantastic novel.

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Publication: 20th August 2020 – Quercus

Kitt Hartley wakes to the news that a murder has been committed in Irendale, a village high on the wild Yorkshire moors where her boyfriend, DI Malcolm Halloran lived with his ex-wife until she, too, was murdered. The MO of the two crimes is identical, right down to the runic symbols carved into the victims’ hands.

Unable to leave it to the local police to solve, Kitt and Halloran travel to Irendale, where a literary mystery awaits. A line of Anglo-Saxon poetry found on the victim leads to a hiding place, and another cryptic clue. What is the connection to the murder of Halloran’s wife all those years ago?

It will take the combined ingenuity of Kitt and Halloran, as well as Evie Bowes, Grace Edwards and, despite their best efforts, Ruby the (possible) psychic to solve this case. The moors may be beautiful, but they’re not peaceful!

AMAZON

WATERSTONES

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Today, I am delighted to take part in the media blast to celebrate the publication in paperback of Murder on the Moorland by Helen Cox.

Murder on the Moorland is the third book in the series featuring Kitt Hartley, a librarian turned detective. I have been reading and loving this series since the publication of the first novel, Murder by the Minster, in which Kitt Hartley finds herself involved in the investigation of the murder of her best friend’s boyfriend. It is in this first novel that Kitt meets and falls in love with DI Malcolm Halloran whose personal story is at the center of Murder on the Moorland.

The couple travels to Irendale, the village where Malcolm lived with his wife Kamala until she was killed by a serial killer. His return to Irendale is caused by the murder of a young woman. The crime is identical to Kamala’s, but her killer is in prison. Is it a copycat or did the killer somehow manage to kill from inside a prison cell? Even though this isn’t his case, Malcolm can’t stay away from it and Kitt, with her deep knowledge of literature and symbols, and with the aid of her friends Evie, Grace, and Ruby helps him find out the truth.

Full of twists, puzzles, and dangerous villains, Murder on the Moorland is a fantastic addition to this series. I love the character of Kitt. She is smart, funny, and bookish and we get to know more about Malcolm and his past. This investigation is deeply personal for both her and Malcolm and I enjoy how their relationship develops.

The entire Kitt Hartley Yorkshire Mysteries series is well-written, intriguing, and engrossing, the perfect read for all cozy mysteries fans. Murder on the Moorland can be easily read as a stand-alone, but I highly recommend the first two novels, too, while I am already looking forward to the next novel.

A huge thank you to Ella and Quercus for providing me with a copy of the novel.

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Publication: 20th August 2020 – Hodder & Stoughton

The third beautifully written and brilliant thriller in the Di Birch series by one of the most highly acclaimed and award winning new voices in crime fiction- Claire Askew.

‘What if I told you,’ he said, ‘that I believe my mother’s life to be in danger?’

Robertson Bennet returns to Edinburgh after a 25-year absence in search of his parents and his inheritance. But both have disappeared. A quick, routine police check should be enough – and Detective Inspector Helen Birch has enough on her plate trying to help her brother, Charlie, after an assault in prison. But all her instincts tell her not to let this case go. And so she digs.

George and Phamie Bennet were together for a long time. No one can ever really know the
secrets kept between husband and wife. But as Birch slowly begins to unravel the truth, terrible crimes start to rise to the surface.

AMAZON

WATERSTONES

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Good morning and welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Cover Your Tracks, the new novel by Claire Askew.

I have been reading a lot of police procedural this summer and Cover Your Tracks is definitely at the top of my list of favourite. This is the third novel in this series that features DI Helen Birch of Police Scotland. I really like the character of Helen. She is smart, funny, stubborn and really good at her job. She always follows her gut, even though it often clashes with the police politics and it goes against her boss’ orders, but it usually right. In Cover Your Tracks, we also see her dealing with a lot of personal family drama with the return of someone she hasn’t seen since she was young and her brother’s troubles in prison.

Helen’s narrative alternates with the point of view of DC Amy Kato who I find very likable, loyal, authentic, and clever. I really like this investigative duo and I enjoy their close relationship that it’s not simply the relationship of a boss and her subordinate, but of friends and confidants.

In Cover Your Tracks, the two women investigate the case of an elderly couple presumed missing by their estranged son. At the beginning, it looks like a complicated family matter, but, as they keep investigating, it turns into something darker and more sinister than they could have ever expected.

Set in Edinburgh, Cover Your Tracks is very well-written, gripping, claustrophobic and disturbing. I found myself turning page after page eager to see what the next shocking revelation would be. This is an addictive police procedural and I am already looking forward to read the next one in the series.

A huge thank you to Jenny and Hodder & Stoughton for inviting me to join the blog tour and providing me with a copy of the novel.

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Claire Askew is a poet, novelist and the Writer in Residence at the University of Edinburgh. Her debut novel in progress was the winner of the 2016 Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize, and longlisted for the 2014 Peggy Chapman-Andrews (Bridport) Novel Award. Claire holds a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Edinburgh and has won a variety of accolades for her work, including the Jessie Kesson Fellowship and a Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award. All The Hidden Truths was longlisted for two CWA Daggers: Gold (best novel) and John Creasey (best debut).

Her debut poetry collection, This changes things, was published by Bloodaxe in 2016 and shortlisted for the Edwin Morgan Poetry Award and a Saltire First Book Award. In 2016 Claire was selected as a Scottish Book Trust Reading Champion, and she works as the Scotland tutor for women’s writing initiativesWrite Like A Grrrl! and #GrrrlCon. Cover Your Tracks is her third novel.

Publication: 20th August 2020 – Trapeze

An infamous seance. A house burdened by grief. A secret that can no longer stay buried.

England, 1925. Louisa Drew lost her husband in the First World War and her six-year-old twin sons in the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918. Newly re-married and seven months pregnant, Louisa is asked by her employer to travel to Clewer Hall in Sussex to photograph the contents of the house for auction. Desperate for money after falling on hard times, she accepts the commission.

On arrival, she learns Clewer Hall was host to an infamous séance in 1896, the consequences of which still haunt the family. Before the Clewer’s leave England for good, the lady of the house has asked those who attended the original séance to recreate the evening. Louisa soon becomes embroiled in the strange happenings of the house, unravelling the longheld secrets of what happened that night thirty years before… and discovers her own fate is entwined with Clewer Hall’s.

An exquisitely crafted mystery that invites the reader into the crumbling Clewer Hall to help unlock its secrets alongside the unforgettable Louisa Drew.

AMAZON

WATERSTONES

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Good morning and welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Quickening, the new novel by Rhiannon Ward.

What drew me to this novel was the blurb: a haunted house full of mystery and secrets? It sounded really good and really good it is indeed. I found the story fascinating and thrilling and the characters very interesting.

In 1920s, everyone had lost somebody they loved, either during World War I or the Spanish influence and, in some cases, to both, and many people turned to mediums to contact the loved ones they lost. Louisa Drew knows loss and grief having lost her husband to the war and her two sons to the influence. Newly married and with a baby soon on the way, Louisa feels trapped in her second marriage and she misses the family she lost, so when she is offered the commission to photograph Clewer Hall, in Sussex, before it goes on sale, she accepts right away, despite a few warnings that the house has a certain reputation. Clewer Hall is remembered as the setting of an infamous séance in 1896 which will now be recreated with its original attendees, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

The Quickening is a bit historical fiction, a bit ghost story, a bit mystery thriller, all mixed up perfectly together under the brilliant pen of Rhiannon Ward. I loved the beautiful and bewitching descriptions that made Clewer Hall come so alive in my mind that I could picture its rooms, its hallways, its walls.

The story is told from Louisa Drew’s point of view. I really liked this character. I found her smart and strong. What I really like about this character is her independence, especially at a time when women barely had the right to vote. She accepts the job and travels to Sussex without talking about it with her husband. As soon as she arrives at Clewer Hall, she knows that something strange is going on. When she sees a child in the garden that no one else sees and when she hears the piano playing on its own, she knows she is not imagining it. And the strange incidents that hit some of the inhabitants of the house lead her to investigate on her own, because they are not simply incidents, right?

Would I recommend The Quickening? Yes, I definitely would. It is well-written, very descriptive, compelling, suspenseful, and claustrophobic. There are buried secrets to unveil, ghost stories, supernatural elements, and an ending that I found perfect.

A huge thank you Alex and Trapeze for inviting me to join the blog tour and providing me with a copy of the novel.

Publication: 20th August 2020 – Michael Joseph

All murder mysteries follow a simple set of rules.

Grant McAllister, an author of crime fiction and professor of mathematics, once sat down and worked them all out.

But that was thirty years ago. Now he’s living a life of seclusion on a quiet Mediterranean island – until Julia Hart, a sharp, ambitious editor, knocks on his door. His early work is being republished and together the two of them must revisit those old stories.

An author, hiding from his past, and an editor, probing inside it.

But as she reads the stories, Julia is unsettled to realise that there are parts that don’t make sense. Intricate clues that seem to reference a real murder.

One that’s remained unsolved for thirty years . . .

If Julia wants answers, she must triumph in a battle of wits with a dangerously clever adversary.

But she must tread carefully: she knows there’s a mystery, but she doesn’t yet realise there’s already been a murder . . .

AMAZON

WATERSTONES

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What does a good murder story need? One or more victims, a murderer, suspects, and one (or more) detective(s). Those are the rules to follow for the perfect murder story according to mathematician and author Grant McAllister. Julia Hart has travelled to a remote village in the Mediterranean because she wants to publish a collection of stories Grant has written years before.

Julia reads each story analysing it in every single detail. In each story, Julia finds discrepancies for which Grant doesn’t seems to have a valid explanation. Grant’s elusiveness is no match for Julia’s inquisitive mind and, soon, she finds herself in the role of detective. Is he hiding something? Why doesn’t he remember writing the stories?

I was completely addicted to these stories. Each story is smartly constructed. It has an Agatha Christie resonance, a gripping whodunit plot, a claustrophobic atmosphere, and unexpected twists. The entire novel is unique, smart, challenging and I was quite surprised to find out that it is a debut. It has an original concept, the structure of book-within-a-book, and two protagonists that remain a mystery for most of the novel. If you are looking for something different from the usual crime novel, then Eight Detectives is the right read for you. Highly recommended!

A huge thank you to Michael Joseph and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the novel.

Publication: 6th August 2020 – Corvus

I was the girl who survived the Nothing Man.
Now I am the woman who is going to catch him…

You’ve just read the opening pages of The Nothing Man, the true crime memoir Eve Black has written about her obsessive search for the man who killed her family nearly two decades ago.

Supermarket security guard Jim Doyle is reading it too, and with each turn of the page his rage grows. Because Jim was – is – the Nothing Man.

The more Jim reads, the more he realises how dangerously close Eve is getting to the truth. He knows she won’t give up until she finds him. He has no choice but to stop her first…

AMAZON

WATERSTONES

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WHAT A READ!!! I was completely captivated by The Nothing Man and I read it one sitting, barely raising my head from the book until I reached the satisfying ending.

Who is The Nothing Man? It’s the name given to a serial killer who, two decades ago, in Cork, entered homes, assaulted and killed its occupants. His latest victims where the Black family and, after killing the mother, the father, and the youngest daughter, he disappeared and he was never found. Eve Black is the only survivor of the attack and she’s written a book that investigates the crimes of the Nothing Man in the hope to find the killer once and for all.

We, the readers, know from the beginning who the Nothing Man is because, as we read extracts from Eve’s book, we also read Jim Doyle’s perspective as he reads the book himself. Who is Jim Doyle? Jim is a man in his sixties who works as a security guard in a supermarket. There is nothing exceptional about him, except that he is the Nothing Man and he’s escaped capture for the last twenty years. But what if the book that Eve’s written could reveal his identity? And why did he leave Eve alive twenty years ago? The Nothing Man is not simply a story of a serial killer, but it’s also the story of his victims. Through Eve’s narrative, we read the other victims’ stories and Eve’s story as well. Eve describes her pain, her fears, and being labelled as a survivor.

I was completely addicted to this story. It is very well-written, well-developed, and detailed. The plot is original, twisty, and chilling and I had goose-bumps, even though I was right into the middle of a heat wave. If there is a thriller to read this year, this is it. Don’t miss this remarkable unputdownable novel!

A huge thank you to Corvus and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the novel.

Publication: 4th August 2020 – St. Martin’s Press

In The Night Swim, a new thriller from Megan Goldin, author of the “gripping and unforgettable” (Harlen Coben) The Escape Room, a true crime podcast host covering a controversial trial finds herself drawn deep into a small town’s dark past and a brutal crime that took place there years before.

Ever since her true-crime podcast became an overnight sensation and set an innocent man free, Rachel Krall has become a household name―and the last hope for people seeking justice. But she’s used to being recognized for her voice, not her face. Which makes it all the more unsettling when she finds a note on her car windshield, addressed to her, begging for help.

The new season of Rachel’s podcast has brought her to a small town being torn apart by a devastating rape trial. A local golden boy, a swimmer destined for Olympic greatness, has been accused of raping the beloved granddaughter of the police chief. Under pressure to make Season 3 a success, Rachel throws herself into her investigation―but the mysterious letters keep coming. Someone is following her, and she won’t stop until Rachel finds out what happened to her sister twenty-five years ago. Officially, Jenny Stills tragically drowned, but the letters insist she was murdered―and when Rachel starts asking questions, nobody in town wants to answer. The past and present start to collide as Rachel uncovers startling connections between the two cases―and a revelation that will change the course of the trial and the lives of everyone involved.

Electrifying and propulsive, The Night Swim asks: What is the price of a reputation? Can a small town ever right the wrongs of its past? And what really happened to Jenny?

Macmillan

Books-A-Million

Barnes & Noble

Amazon

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I am delighted to welcome you on my stop for the blog tour of The Night Swim, the incredible new novel by Megan Goldin.

I have to admit that I had high expectations for this novel. Last years, I loved the author’s debut novel, The Escape Room, and since then I have been looking forward to her next novel. Were my expectations met? They were exceeded!!!

The protagonist of The Night Swim is Rachel Krall. Everyone knows her voice. Her true crime podcast is the most popular in the country and she’s helped to prove the innocence of a few people. For the third season of her podcast Rachel has decided to cover the trial of Scott, a popular young man accused of raping, Kelly, a high-school student. On her way to Neaples, North Carolina, Rachel stops for a coffee and when she returns to her car she finds an envelope addressed to her. Inside the envelope there is note from Hannah who asks Rachel for help to find justice for her sister Jenny who died in Neaples twenty-five years earlier. Everyone thought it was an accident, but Hannah is convinced she was killed. Rachel is worried because, even though everyone knows her voice, few people know what she looks like. She tries to focus her attention on the trial, but letters from Hannah keep coming and the more she reads them, the more she is drawn to the case and as she starts asking a few questions she wonders if maybe Hannah is right.

I have to warn you, The Night Swim is not an easy read. Some of the violence and the pain described were hard to read and made me furious and bitter: both Jenny and Kelly’s stories were emotional and intense and so well-written that they left me a bit shaken. The story is told from three different perspectives and I don’t know which one I was drawn more: Rachel’s investigation which I found suspenseful and gripping, Hannah’s letters that were heart-breaking and disturbing, or the scripts of the podcast whose narrative kept me glued to the pages.

I really liked the character of Rachel Krall. She is brave, funny, smart, and strong. She does her best to remain objective and I could see why people could be drawn to her podcast (I don’t listen to podcasts and yet I think that I would enjoy hers).

Would I recommend The Night Swim? Without any doubt!!! It has a fantastic protagonist, a thrilling plot, two cases, one that slowly unravels and one that is begin investigated (and with a twist that I didn’t see coming!), and a satisfying ending.

A huge thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the novel.

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MEGAN GOLDIN worked as a correspondent for Reuters and other media outlets where she covered war, peace, international terrorism and financial meltdowns in the Middle East and Asia. She is now based in Melbourne, Australia where she raises three sons and is a foster mum to Labrador puppies learning to be guide dogs. THE ESCAPE ROOM is her debut novel.

Social Links:

Author website

Twitter @megangoldin

Facebook

Author Blog

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Publication: 6th August 2020 – Michael Joseph

It’s been a decade since the town’s sweetheart Trumanell Branson disappeared, leaving only a bloody handprint behind.

Since her disappearance, Tru’s brother, Wyatt, has lived as an outcast, desperate to know what happened to his sister.

So when Wyatt finds a lost girl, he believes she is a sign.

But for new cop, Odette Tucker, this girl’s appearance reopens old wounds.

Determined to solve both cases, Odette fights to save a lost girl in the present and in doing so digs up a shocking truth about that fateful night in the past . . .

AMAZON

WATERSTONES

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What can I say about this book? It’s a chilling, intense, beautifully written story of a mysterious case that was never solved, of the young woman who would do anything to find out the truth, and the young girl with no identity and with a secret past.

Told from three different points of views, We Are All The Same in the Dark revolves around the disappearance of town-beloved Trumanelle Branson ten years earlier. The entire town thought that her brother Wyatt murdered her, but it was never proved. Odette Tucker came back for her father’s funeral five years earlier and she decided to join the police department and solve the case. Odette is obsessed by Trumanelle’s case because the night Trumanelle disappeared her life changed irrevocably. She is sure of Wyatt’s innocence, she just doesn’t know how to prove it. When Wyatt finds a young girl dumped in a field of dandelions, he thinks that it is a sign from his sister. Odette will do anything to protect the girl and prove Wyatt’s innocence.

We Are All The Same in the Dark is a slow-burning, unforgettable story. Having read the author’s previous novels, I really adore her writing style which captures me from the very beginning together with the dark and claustrophobic atmosphere and its vivid and multi-layered characters. The pace is slow, but the tension is high, so, for me, there was never a dull moment while I was reading. I loved the ending. I found it disturbing, but perfect for the story. A fantastic highly recommended read!

A huge thank you to Michael Joseph and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the novel.

Publication: 6th August 2020 – Quercus

Pete Riley answers the door one morning to a parent’s worst nightmare. On his doorstep is Miles Lambert, who breaks the devastating news that Pete’s two-year-old, Theo, isn’t Pete’s real son – their babies got mixed up at birth.

The two families – Pete, his partner Maddie, and Miles and his wife Lucy – agree that, rather than swap the boys back, they’ll try to find a more flexible way to share their children’s lives. But a plan to sue the hospital triggers an investigation that unearths disturbing questions about just what happened the day the babies were switched.

And when Theo is thrown out of nursery for hitting other children, Maddie and Pete have to ask themselves: how far do they want this arrangement to go? What secrets lie hidden behind the Lamberts’ smart front door? How much can they trust the real parents of their child – or even each other?

An addictive psychological thriller, perfect for fans of The Silent Patient and Shari Lapena’s The Couple Next Door.

AMAZON

WATERSTONES

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What would you do if you found out that the child you have been raising and loving for the past two years is not yours? That your biological son was swapped at birth and he’s being raised by two strangers? After the initial shock, Pete and Maddie decide to make the most of the situation and welcome Lily and Miles, the biological parents of their son Theo, into their lives. From the beginning the two families seem to get along fine, after all, they have the same goal: do what’s best for the children. However, as times passes, Miles seems to get himself more and more involved in Theo’s life, turning up unannounced at Pete and Maddie’s door, organizing holidays together, and deciding which school Theo should go to. Soon, they find out that when things don’t go his way, Miles’s charming and friendly attitude can turn dark and he would do anything to get what he wants.

I am not a parent, so I wouldn’t know how I would react if something like that happened to me, but JP Delaney’s insightful descriptions of Pete and Maddie’s feelings throughout the ordeal are heartbreaking and sincere. Although there were times where I didn’t really like these two characters, I really felt for them as they risked to lose their son twice: first at childbirth, as he was born premature and they didn’t know if he would survive, and then in their fight with Miles.

Pete seems the too-good-to-be-true guy. Gentle, caring, nice, trying to see the good in people and always accommodating. Maddie, on the other hand, is a more complex character. She struggled with motherhood, the difficult birth and post-partum depression, and her love for Theo. At times, she seems distant and cold and she is hiding something.

Playing Nice is a compelling, thrilling, and psychological story about parenthood and family drama. It is full of twists that keep you on the edge of the seat until the very end and ask the question: what would you do to protect your child? And, in a battle between nature vs nurture, who would win? Genetics or the child’s upbringing?

A huge thank you to Ella and Quercus for providing me with a copy of the novel.

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