Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Having read "The Best Friend" and "The Secret Mother" I was keen to get started on this book. Wow! - what an exhilarating corkscrew of a ride this book was - from start to finish! There are unforseeable twists and turns aplenty, making this a totally unputdownable book here. Even when you think you've read to the end, there's a jaw dropping unexpected final twist too.
I loved this book and am giving it five shiny stars!

*Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.* The book begins with new mother, Kirstie Rawlings being jolted awake in the middle of the night by mysterious sounds coming from her daughter's baby monitor. A baby's cry. A man's cough. The chilling words... "Quick, let's just take the baby now and go." So begins Kirstie's descent into a nightmare situation which will have her questioning her friends, her family, her neighbours and her very sanity. The novel is set in a middle class cul-de-sac in an idyllic British town, which makes the events that unfold all the more jarring. An enjoyable and thrilling read that we have come to expect from the author of 'The Secret Mother.'

Yet another cracker from Shalini. When voices are heard over the baby monitor, clearly wanting to take a baby, Kirstie is worried that her daughter is about to be snatched, but as she realises this isn't the case, she is increasingly worried that another baby on their close is about to be snatched. We see Kirstie gradually losing her ability to function with this fear hanging over her, and starting to suspect everyone of having an ulterior motive. I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.

This book was okay. I liked the characters for the most part but Kirstie annoyed me. I just didn't see how she could go from being a normal wife and mother to being so paranoid in just a couple of days. She jumped to a lot of illogical conclusions and suspicions so quickly. I guess without her paranoia there wouldn't have been much of a story though.
I did like the story and was quite surprised at how it ended, it was not what I was expecting at all. So despite a few character flaws, this was a decent read.

Certainly a book many readers would devour in one sitting but not particularly to my taste. The opening was electric and the ending exciting and the epilogue unexpected but it lost it for me with fairly uninteresting characters and a big dip in interest after the start till about two thirds way in.

This is a roller coaster of a read and I could not put it down. I read it in a day! There are superb twists and turns throughout the book culminating in a fantastic unexpected ending. A great read. I really enjoyed it.

Looking for a five-star novel that’s described as a “rollercoaster” and “thrilling” and “brilliant”? Then look no further than The Child Next Door by Shalini Boland. This is at the tippy top of my To Read list! Just the kind of scary, nail-biting, twisty story that makes me want to stay home reading all weekend.



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: ‘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 babies 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?

I am so eager to begin this one!

Kirstie Rawlings wakes up to hear her infant daughter crying through the baby monitor. Waiting to see if she'd go back to sleep, she then hears something that absolutely terrifies her. She hears an unknown voice .. a man ... saying "Let's take the child and go."

Once she can breathe again, she rushes upstairs .. but there is no one in her child's room. Her infant is sleeping peacefully .. then she hears the crying again through the monitor.

No one else on her street has a baby ...so where is the crying coming from? Is someone trying to steal another baby?

The police don't believe her. Her husband doesn't believe her. Her closest friends don't believe her.

Kirstie knows something in not quite right in her neighborhood. A friend, who is always asking to borrow money. The young girl who is a sometime babysitter for Kirstie. The man next door, a widow, with a picture of his wife holding a doll. The new neighbors that seem secretive. She's even wondering about her own husband.

Someone is lying... or worse. And they do not want their secrets exposed to the light of day. They will do anything to keep their secrets ... and if Kirstie has to be silenced forever, then so be it.

Ms. Boland has written another psychological thriller that will captivate and intrigue even her most critical readers. The suspense starts on the first page and increases throughout until the last surprising end. Twists and turns abound at the most unexpected times. The author is definitely one that I will keep following.

Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the digital copy of this Psychological nail-biter. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

See link to goodreads review

This novel was so engaging, I stayed up way too late reading it. I literally couldn’t put it down! Kirstie is a new mom to 6 month old Daisy. She has all the new mom jitters, and when she hears a mysterious voice on her baby monitor, encouraging someone to snatch a baby, she vows to keep her daughter safe at all costs. Luckily Daisy is safe and unharmed, but someone somewhere is plotting to steal a baby.

This masterful novel keeps us in Kirstie’s head as she tries to solve the mystery, save the unseen baby, and protect her own baby. The plot is taut, and appropriately twisty. Everyone is a suspect, from friends to neighbors, to even Kirstie’s husband. And the ending? It’s a giant kapow! I had no idea it was coming.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, but I look forward to reading more. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a satisfying mystery.

Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for an ARC.

WOWSERS.... this is my first read of Shalini Boland but it certainly wont' be my last! I was hooked from the first chapter and read it within the day, I literally could not put it down, I was in fear for Kirstie, was she losing her mind or was someone playing a game with her, you are kept guessing all the way through, the characters were fantastic, moaning myrtle, just couldn't figure him out and thought yep he's definitely just a weird one!!! With every twist and turn, the story took you along with it and with it questioning, DO YOU KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOURS!! Brilliant ending and one I was certainly not suspecting, everything I want in a book. Would highly recommend, it will have you gripped and left wanting more. Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion/review.

‘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: ‘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.

The-Child-Next-Door-Kindle

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We can’t say enough about Shalini Boland’s book The Child Next Door. I’m lucky I was on vacation when I started this book, because it kept me up until 2 in the morning. Once I started I didn’t want to stop. Shalini has a way of grabbing you from page one and never letting go. She takes you on a ride so twisted you don’t know which way you’re going or what will happen next.
We have read so many thrillers and love so many but when a book can surprise you to this extent it quickly shoots to the top of the list. The Child Next Door is a must read. Without mercy Shalini plays on every mother’s worst fear. I no longer have infants but this book had me checking on my kids and checking the doors again at 2am (when I finally put the book down). It’s been a while since a book affected me to that extent and I loved every minute of it.
5 star read no doubt.

OH MY F****** GOODNESS!!!!! That opening!!! How can anyone not read on after digesting that?!?! Honestly, a cold shiver went down my spine whilst I was reading the opening to 'The Child Next Door' - I had to stop myself from shouting 'LEAVE HER BABY ALONE!!'. Wow, just wow. One of the best beginnings to a book I have ever read!!

Kirstie feels like she is going cuckoo after hearing a males voice come through her baby monitor, along with a baby's cry. As far as she is aware, there are no other babies nearby so where on Earth did it come from? Could she have dreamt it? Kirstie's husband seems to think so! From that moment, Kirstie is on high alert, envisaging the worst case scenario regarding her little baby and is determined to keep her safe, yet someone out there is leaving hints that Kirstie isn't actually losing her mind. But why won't anyone believe her? What is going on?

I can see why Kirstie thought she was losing her mind, bloody hell!! I was so annoyed that Kirstie's husband wasn't standing by her, in fact, he seemed to be adding fuel to the fire by using her current state of mind against her. Even if he didn't quite believe what she had heard, the least he could have done was support her and not make her feel like an incompetent mother or person. Rather unfair if you ask me!

Now, I had absolutely no idea whether Kirstie was hearing things or not, yet I chose to believe her even with a teeny bit of doubt in my mind at the time. I don't want to say too much about the storyline, but good golly miss Molly this is a corker!!! I had one characters card marked from the beginning, and no, it wasn't Kirstie's husband haha! Although I don't think I actually trusted any of the characters to be honest - they all had such a questionable vibe about them.

'The Child Next Door' is such a nerve-racking read! I don't drink alcohol but I needed something strong to drink after reading this - my nerves were shot to shizzle! From the very beginning of this book, I was absolutely hooked. So much so, I am not ashamed to admit that I read the entire book in one sitting. There was no way I was going to stop reading for anyone as I had to find out what was going on!

Shalini Boland has written such a suspenseful, gritty, unnerving read and I have to say this - IT'S ABSOLUTELY BLOOMIN' BRILLIANT! What a fantastic, fast paced read which genuinely kept me guessing until the very last moment. The author managed to keep me in the dark until the very end, I really had no idea where the book was heading so when it finally concluded, I think my jaw dropped to my toes in shock.

This book has got to be my most favourite Shalini Boland novel so far. Jawdroppingly brilliant from start to finish, 'The Child Next Door' may have frayed my nerves to the point of no return, but Shalini Boland has now got a fan for life after this. Phenomenal!!

It's safe to say that I was as mistrustful as Kirstie when it came to the people in this book, there were plenty of characters who ranged from annoying to selfish and so on. However I do like characters to have flaws it certainly makes them more interesting and I loved how Shalini Boland made me feel a connection to the characters whether I liked them or not. I could feel Kirstie's fears leaping from the page with pretty realistic thoughts and feelings coming from a mother of a baby. I have to admit I was feeling a little paranoid myself at times that's how involved I became in the story.

I had no idea where the story was going or how it would all end which I really enjoyed, this all added to a very tense and atmospheric build up where I didn't trust anyone or anything. It was just perfect to sit back and enjoy the unknown but also to have so many thoughts and questions running through my mind as to what was happening. There are some wonderful twisty moments that continue right to the very last page. Now don't worry I would never reveal any spoilers but what I will say is that wow, one moment in particular sent a chill right through me!

This is the first book that I have read by Shalini Boland and it definitely won't be the last. A creeping tension filled story that was written perfectly to pull the reader into Kirstie's world.

Five stars from me!

With thanks to Kim at Bookouture for my copy. This is my honest and unbiased opinion.

I absolutely loved this book! This is my first read by this author and I have already downloaded 3 of her other books. So many interesting relationship developments throughout, wonderful characters and delicious twists! I will definitely recommend this book.

I read Shalini Boland’s The Secret Mother last year and rated it 2 stars. However I could see the potential there and I don’t just give up on an author if I don’t enjoy the only book I have ever read by them (unless I really hated it then I probably wouldn’t choose to read another). Well, I loved The Child Next Door. It had everything that I want from a psychological thriller and I have spent my Sunday reading it at every available opportunity. It was brilliant.

Our main character is Kirstie who lives in a cul-de-sac with her husband Dom and baby Daisy. One night she overhears someone on her baby monitor talking about taking away a baby. She rushes upstairs to see her baby fast asleep and nobody else in the house. Ringing the police sets in motion a chain of events that see Kirstie’s mentality start to be questioned, and her life soon starts to fall apart. Did she hear voices on the baby monitor? Who were they? Who can she trust? They were the questions I had running through my mind throughout this story and I just loved all of the developments that occurred as I read. Kirstie is a likeable character and her fear was palpable throughout the story. At the same time even I questioned just what was real and just what was in her head. Shalini writes incredibly well, tension, intrigue and mystery is infused throughout each and every page and as Kirstie’s life begins to implode its hard not to feel sympathy for her, and frustration also as even her husband starts to question her sanity.

I loved the setting for this book of this quiet cul-de-sac that was anything but. It was almost like a posh Brookside in my mind, each house containing characters full of mystery and each having hidden secrets they don’t want to come out. Some small. Some major. And I loved finding out about them all. Sometimes living in a street is so much better than somewhere like this where everybody knows your business. There were characters I didn’t particularly like, such as Kirstie’s neighbour and supposed best friend Mel who takes advantage of her numerous times, usually involving money. But, Kirstie was a believable character and was one of those who does want to see the best in people, and she was a very likeable character even with all that was going on. I liked her husband Dom, despite some of the mistakes he makes in the story but I felt that it added to the realism of the story and showed a couple who, despite clearly being in love, still made mistakes just like everybody else. Characterisation here is brilliant, especially in the case of the weird neighbour Martin who, strangely, I liked.

I always like my psychological thrillers to be believable rather than those over the top stories with absurd endings and the ending that Shalini delivers here was brilliant and totally believable. There’s a real emotion filled story here towards the end and it makes you look at certain characters in a different way, and understand them more. I wanted closure for Kirstie and for her life to return to some semblance of normality. It was a satisfying ending and made everything that I had read up until that point make perfect sense. The Child Next Door was a thrilling read that kept me gripped and I have no hesitation in recommending it. I can’t wait to read what Shalini writes next and hope I enjoy it as much as I did this book.

Shalini Boland is another new author to me so when I was approached to review her latest book I didn't hesitate to say yes to reading, and having literally read The Child Next Door in a single sitting it was a decision I don't regret. As soon as I turned on my Kindle I was sucked right in as the creepy undertone and tension built up as I swiped through pages, sometimes a bit too keen!

From the moment Kirstie heard a voice over the baby monitor she struggled to get others to believe what she had heard, including her husband Dom, and that she's not going crazy and hearing things that aren't there so she just needs to prove it. But who will believe her if her closest friends and family don't?

I'm not normally a fan of multiple characters in a storyline but in this instance it worked as you needed to explore the relationships between them all to see their dynamics through Kirstie's eyes. Every friend and neighbour becomes a suspect and it's true what they say, you don't really know what's going on behind closed doors and there's certainly many a secret to be found in this cul de sac...

The Child Next Door really was an intense, page turner of a read with so many twists and red herrings to throw the reader completely off course. Every time I thought I had figured things out, something else would come along and put a spanner in that theory. This was certainly one book that did live up to it's promise of a twist, even if I'm not a fan of these type of taglines as I as a reader like to be surprised and uncover them naturally without constantly being on the look out for the promised twist

And all I can say about that epilogue is... wow I'm glad I'm not living next door!

I am now obsessed with Shalini Boland and cannot wait to read more of her incredible books.


The Child Next Door was not what I was expecting at all, and that is what I think I adored the most about it. Every time I thought I knew where it was going, every time I thought I guessed the twist, it surprised me and completely blew me away and the ending was just incredible.
On a normal night, Kirstie hears a mans voice through her baby monitor saying he is going to take the baby, but when Kirstie rushes up the stairs to her daughter, she sees that she is completely fine and no one is there. Kirstie becomes very over-protective, but everyone around her thinks she's being paranoid, is she? Or is someone really trying to take her baby.

From the very beginning, right up until the end it had me hooked, it's jam-packed full of tension, suspense and multiple mind blowing twists that you really do not see coming. It played with my mind, stressed me out and confused me no end, I became involved and needed to find answers just as much as Kirstie did and that's why I loved this book so much and that's exactly why I think you should read it too.

** Thank you to the publisher and author for my copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I've been a fan of Shalini Boland for awhile after reading a few of her self-published books, so I was thrilled when I saw last year that she had signed with one of my favorite publishers, Bookouture! I knew it would lead to more engrossing reads from this author, and I was right! I flew through this one in only a few sittings. It's certainly an engrossing, quick read in which you can feel the tension throughout. I suspected absolutely everyone while I devoured this book - but I had no idea how it would end. If you haven't checked out any of Shalini's work yet, get on it! I've yet to be disappointed by any of her books.

"Quick, let's just take the baby now and go."

That's a scary sentence for a mother to hear, coming from a stranger... and it just came from the baby monitor. Having fallen asleep in front of the television, Kirstie Rawlings bolts up the stairs back to her baby, prepared to do anything. She will do whatever it takes to keep her baby safe, a mama bear out for blood. No one is taking her baby. She can't be too late. Except six month old Daisy is still asleep in her bed... and there's no one else in the room. Did they change their minds, hear her coming? Could someone escape that quickly? Understandably panicking, Kirstie phones the police.

They come and take her info, and her husband tries to comfort her when he returns home. Everyone but Kirstie is convinced she heard something from the television, or maybe her imagination has gotten away from her. Maybe she had a nightmare and got confused. But Kirstie knows she isn't mistaken, and that someone is after her child.

With her husband around less and less and after getting in a bit of a rough patch with her best friend, Kirstie doesn't have many people to talk to. Alone with Daisy day after day, she becomes more and more paranoid as other strange things begin to happen around the neighborhood. Now suspicious of nearly anyone, she won't stop until she finds out who the man on the monitor was, and ensures the safety of her child.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Net Galley and Bookouture, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.

Kristie is a new mom who hears a baby crying and someone say “Let’s just take the baby and go “ on her baby monitor . Suspecting somebody is trying to kidnap her baby Daisy , she rushes upstairs but finds her fast asleep and all alone. Convinced that there is kidnapping in progress in her neighborhood Kristie calls the cops but nobody seems to believe her and even her husband feels she needs to visit the doctor. Kristie then becomes scared and paranoid that somebody is trying to hurt her baby and decides to investigate her neighbors but some secrets might be better left undiscovered.

The Child next door is s fast paced , captivating psychological suspense that kept me up reading till late in the night. The ending was brilliant with a completely unexpected twist and would highly recommend it

I would like to thank Bookouture & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.

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