I wasn't expecting that!

You need your imagination with this one.

A child abduction story that is fast paced with lots of unexpected twists and turns along the way.

Hang onto your hats and enjoy the ride.

Well Shalini has done it yet again, she has provided us with another outstanding brilliant and gripping read. 

I thought the story was brilliantly well written and the characters are all so very well portrayed and believable. I loved getting to know all of the characters and trying to suss them all out. It was a truly gripping and entertaining read from start to finish. 

I've said it before but I'm going to say it again, Shalini has such a way with words that she just draws you in right from the beginning, keeps you enthralled throughout and leaves you with bated breath right to the very end. Which is exactly what she did with this latest book of hers. 

So if you are looking for a book that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat in eager anticipation as to what will happen next, with a shocker of a twist come the end and be completely captivated throughout, then you really need to read this book.

You can always expect Shalini Boland to deliver a tense story that will keep you hooked throughout and The Other Daughter does exactly that.

Every parent’s worst nightmare comes true for Rachel when her two-and-a-half- year old daughter, Holly, is abducted from a shopping mall. Now, nine years later, Rachel has moved away, picked up the pieces of her life and has a new partner and a new family. But then Kate and her family move into town and when Rachel meets Kate for the first time, Rachel’s life comes tumbling down around her. Because she is absolutely convinced that Kate’s daughter Bella is her very own missing daughter, Holly.

And off we go to find out if Bella really is Holly. Rachel is quite obviously the character to root for. She is going to stop at nothing, which is completely understandable. Yet I couldn’t help but think some of her actions were a tad on the dubious side. But it all does make you wonder what you would do in a situation like that.

Is Rachel imagining things? Is her conviction that Bella is her daughter driving her somewhat paranoid? What is Kate hiding? So many questions and the answers take quite a long time in coming. This story is one big puzzle, often switching between “then” and “now”, and I had a really hard time trying to put the pieces together. In hindsight, I probably shouldn’t have bothered because I couldn’t have predicted the outcome at all and it absolutely boggled my mind.

The Other Daughter is a twisty, gripping and addictive story that I devoured in one afternoon. Granted, there were moments where I felt I needed to suspend belief somewhat and I wasn’t entirely sure if things actually made sense in the end but I enjoyed it anyway. This is yet another suspenseful read from Shalini Boland and once you pick it up, you will not want to put it down.

The Other Daughter is a psychological thriller that will keep you wanting to keep reading to see what is going to happen next. Very clever writing with a fabulous ending. 
Thanks to netgalley and bookouture for allowing me to read this book in exchange for a review.

THIS BOOK! You must read it if you haven't yet. I can honestly say I was shocked, so many times throughout the read, for so many different reasons! Seriously, I loved it so much, that I immediately grabbed another book by this author when I finished this one because I was just not ready to be done with her yet. The writing is impeccable, the story is so well told and so original, and the characters are relatable, in a way that hits so close to those parts of you that you probably don't want to show to the world. Highly recommend.

A solid thriller with a great twist! Kept me reading long past my bedtime because I just had to find out the truth.

Boland does it again!  I love thrillers written by Shalini Boland, because she truly knows how to write a thriller in that twisty, chilling, thrilling, and shocking manner that I absolutely love.  This was by far one of her bests, although I say that every time!  She had well developed characters and story, making it absolutely impossible to put down.  I highly recommend!  
Will make sure I buzz it up!

Wow what a great read. It really is a rollercoaster of a book.

Nine years ago Rachel experienced every parent’s nightmare when her daughter disappears. After falling apart she rebuilds her life and starts a new family, so she is shocked when meets another person called Kate and her daughter Bella.

Bella is the image of her missing daughter, and she is determined to prove that she is. A decision that throws not just her life turned upside down.

What I loved about this book, is just when you think you have it all sorted out, the author goes and turns everything around. I am pretty good at sussing out twists but I didn’t see this one at all.

Brilliant read.

This was such an emotional novel which really tugs at the reader’s heartstrings. When the two-year-old Holly is kidnapped it’s chilling, but even more so because we see it happen from the perspective of the kidnapper. It’s devastating to watch and genuinely quite disturbing to see the logic of the kidnapper, but it’s unique for sure.

The book then moves on to the perspective of Rachel, who becomes obsessed with a child she sees who would be the same age her daughter would be. Again, watching her slowly unravel has quite a chilling undertone to it. For some reason there are elements which were seriously creepy, but others where I totally understood why she was doing what she was doing.

I really liked the contrast between the past and the present as the differing tones made the book really fast-paced. It was quick, unnerving and the characters were brilliantly written.

I love these kind of books... I really feel as if the authors just have the best characters and bring them to life. Which Shalini Boland definitely did! It was excellent and you all need to start reading this one now!

Fantastic I was gripped from the start so many twists and turns you don’t see comeing I loved how it shows ho easy it is for something to happen if u take ur eyes away for a second

Amazing book that I could not put down. I could not believe how well this story is told. Your heart will break for Rachel and Holly and so many of the  characters in this story.
Boland does an incredible job of keep the reader enraged in the different characters. This book is a must read for anyone who loves psychological thrillers.

When Rachel meets a friend for coffee she keeps the baby with them but thinks letting her small daughter play in the play area is good for everyone. Glancing back & forwards every so often she suddenly realises she can't see her! Extensive searches reveal nothing- she seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth.

Jump forward a number of years. Rachel is now in Devon living with a loving partner,she now has two children & is involved in the local community. When a new family move into the area with children the same age she befriends the mother. All is well until she meets their elder daughter- she is exactly how Rachel imagines her missing daughter must look like! Rachel cannot get it out of her head that she has finally found Holly & nothing is going to stop her proving it! Interspersed with Rachel's story is the story of the person who abducted Holly.

This was an engaging read, although I did find Rachel's behaviour somewhat over the top. I certainly wasn't prepared for the ending, which I found stretched believability a bit too much, which is why I couldn't quite give it five stars. I did enjoy it though. Thanks to Netgalley & the publishers for letting me read & review this book.

The opening scene is a little girl being led away from a playground, by a stranger.  CCTV shows a grainy image of the person who takes her.

Rachel and Matt are happy with their family of Charlie and Jessica.  Their lives are busy with Kate working part-time in Dee's cafe.  Kate is a new face at the school gates, dropping and collecting her two children.  They soon become friends.

To tell more about this will detract from what makes this a dark but clever thriller.  There is a clear case of Dissociate Identity Disorder, and the person suffering from it is not who we think to start with. However, I found it absorbing and couldn't wait to get to the end.

I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are all my own and completely unbiased.  My thanks to NetGalley for this opportunity.

I have read and enjoyed all titles by Shalini Boland so there’s no way I was going to miss the opportunity to read this one. Glad to say that I wasn’t disappointed.

The story begins with a heartbreaking scene. A little girl is taken from the park. Her mother, Rachel, is left searching for her and it takes years before news of the little girl comes up again.

What I love about Shalini’s books is that she always creates situations that will make you wonder what you would have done in similar circumstances. I never want to experience what Rachel did but at the same time, I could understand her obsession with finding her daughter.

This was a compulsive read that had me totally focused on the narrative. I wasn’t even trying to jump ahead and guess the twists. My mind was so focused on the mystery. Like Rachel, I needed answers.

The twist and ending turned out to be unpredictable. I missed all the clues until right before the big reveal. The Other Daughter by Shalini Boland is tightly-plotted, well-paced and quite entertaining. Another win by Shalini!

Fast paced, absorbing, suspenseful...The Other Daughter was a gripping psychological thriller. The book has two timelines - then and now - that delves into the abduction and loss of a 2-year-old named Holly. There were parts that required me to suspend reality because some of the decisions were unbelievable and the timelines weak, but despite all that, I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The plot suspense and reveal made up for the inconsistencies. It was just one of those thrillers that was fun to read and had me puzzling as to how it would end. I'm keen to read more from this author. A gracious thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Shalini Boland has become one of my favorite authors and one that I always recommend to others.  This book is a prime example of why I love her books so much.  I thought that I knew where this story was going, but then things shifted and I found myself forming a new opinion.  Shalini Boland keeps me guessing with her writing, which is hard to do for most authors.  Along with the suspense, I genuinely felt invested in Rachel's journey.

The Other Daughter, by Shalini Boland, is every parent’s nightmare…you look away for just a few seconds and something awful happens to your child.  It is a heartbreaking premise which is executed at breakneck speed, and yet, takes time to explore the fragility of the human spirit.  It is a quick read, and well worth the time.  

My only grievance was that the sudden unraveling of the mystery was very abrupt, and without adequate explanation as to what tipped who off and why. Nonetheless, I was sorry to leave these characters and wonder if there might be sequel in the future.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read the electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am still something of a Shalini Boland novice having only read one of her other books - The Marriage Betrayal.  I was so impressed with this outstanding psychological thriller. The premise of the book beckoned to me and I knew that I had to read this novel!

In this story, Rachel Farnborough is drinking coffee and talking to her friend when the unthinkable happens, her two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Holly, is happily playing one minute then, in the blink of an eye she has vanished, snatched by a stranger. Nine years later, Rachel has a new family, a loving partner, is living a quiet life in Dorset and her secrets are locked away in her painful past. Then one day Rachel meets Kate Morris and her teenage daughter Bella at the school gates. Rachel’s world is instantly turned upside down again as she’s seen Bella before. It’s her missing child.

The Other Daughter definitely did not disappoint. It had everything I would expect from a psychological thriller - a great plot, well-drawn characters and terrific pacing. I was completely gripped by from the outset and I loved the shock factor and twisting plots, making this extremely difficult to put down. The story is told in alternating chapters of past and present with Rachel narrating the present ones. The past chapters are narrated by Catriona Devon, the woman who abducted little Holly.  Although this has a tried and tested story-line, the novel stood above many others for me as the clever narrative brought with it a unique view of each character’s frame of mind at their respective times and goes somewhere towards rationalising certain behaviour. 

 I  didn't foresee any of the plot twists and I loved Shalini Boland's smooth writing style. It was very easy to connect with the characters - to imagine them, sympathise with them, love or hate them.
 
The great reveal was the final and fulfilling shocker of the book, The Other Daughter was everything I wanted in what was a pretty special psychological thriller. 

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

9 years ago Rachel's daughter, Holly, is taken by a stranger whilst she is having coffee with a friend. Now she is back!!!!!!!

This story grabbed me from the first page and I was on the edge of my seat throughout. It's full of twists, turns and red herrings. Amazing book.