REVIEW: My Darling Daughter by JP Delaney

Genre: Psychological Thriller | Mystery

Release Date: Expected 15th September 2022

Publisher: Quercus Books

It started with a message. Susie gets a lot of messages, especially when her band played a big show or had a new song come out. But this one changes everything. It's from Anna, who 15 years ago was Sky, the baby Susie gave up for adoption and is desperately unhappy at home with the man she calls the Monster.

Susie and her husband Gabe can't deny the fact they need to reach out to her - it's clear something strange is happening, that Anna and her adoptive family are hiding secrets but they're not the only ones. And once those secrets come out, they could burn down the lives of everyone who hears them.

"A therapist once told me that the pain of loss doesn't shrink, but sometimes we're able to let our lives expand around it, the way a tree can grow around a nail. I think that's what happened with me."

My Darling Daughter is a dark, gritty tale about the harsh hidden underbelly of the most seemingly normal lives and the secrets we keep. Immediately, Delaney starts crafting out complex characters that easily recognisable - all of them deeply emotive and moving, in their struggles and desperation for love and family no matter the cost.

From the first few pages, we're instilled with a feeling that something isn't right - an unease, a worry, a fear that something is waiting in the shadows. Each little thing, each small detail in the scenes of domesticity and normal life set of quiet alarm bells as well as deafening ones.

This story moves slowly, each seemingly meaningless interaction or task building the story and creating a bigger picture you didn't see coming. Each story stands out on it's own merit, but they gradually weave together and morph into something totally different.

This story is the very definition of a rollercoaster book - twisted and thrilling, with turns that leave a sinking feeling deep in your stomach.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I was gifted an advanced reviewers copy of this title in return for an honest review.

CW: miscarriage, death, fertility issues, child neglect and abuse, underage sexual activity, drinking, drug use and dealing.

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