Thank you Harper 360 and Net Galley for an Unbelievable Novel!!!! This was a WOW type of book, not One but Two OMGosh Shockers!!! What a thought provoking story. Fantastic book, this will stay with me a Very Long Time!!! I felt like I was with Every character during each chapter.

Kia Abdullah is my all time favorite author. Her writing is so evocative and her books bring out ALL of the emotions while still being a total thriller. If Take It Back made me love her and Truth Be Told solidified her spot at the top of my favorite authors, then Next of Kin made me a full-fledged addict to her writing. I love that she’s not afraid to write about topics that make me squirm. I felt sympathetic toward every single character in this book. They all made me uncomfortable and drawn in at the same time. As usual, there were tons of moments where I slapped my hand over my mouth and lots of heartbreaking moments. And I’m still sitting here with all kinds of ‘What would I do in that situation?’ questions floating around in my mind. Kia Abdullah is not afraid to explore those questions and then delve deeper than I would even think possible. PLEASE never stop writing novels, Kia!!! Even going in expecting a million star read, I’m still totally blown away! I mean, I teared up when I read the blurb for goodness sake!
I can’t wait to discuss this with my friends when they read it, too. It would be the most perfect book to discuss for a book club! 87 gazillion stars from me! I cannot wait for her next book!

Just wow!! Kia Abdullah absolutely knocks it out of the park again. I’m just gobsmacked. Painful premise and flawless execution. Such.a chilling read. Great characters and fragile secrets lead to bomb shell reveals
Highly recommend
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

Part family drama, part courtroom thriller and all edge-of your seat, nail-biting read, Next of Kin is the explosive new mystery by gifted author Kia Abdullah.

Sisters Leila and Yasmin have a loving yet complicated relationship. Yasmin and her husband Andrew have moved near the more successful Leila, now estranged from Will. Yasmin relies on Leila’s help with three year old Max, not fully realizing how much Leila wants a child of her own. Leila always agrees to help but a surprise request one morning leads to unspeakable horror. “I got a message from the nursery. They said Max wasn’t dropped off this morning…Leila, where’s Max?”

An arrest and trial follow. Leila’s life is shattered: her job, her sister, her brother-in-law, all that she cared about are forever changed. And a dogged police detective is determined to prove that Leila is guilty. Will her life ever return to normal? And, more important, does she care?

There is so much more to come, including the final chapters that will turn around everything you’ve been led to believe. Next of kin is a tour de force and deserves every one of 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper 360 and Kia Abdullah for this ARC.

This is a well written legal thriller that focuses on the complex relationship between two sisters. What happens when one of them kills the other's son by accident and gets prosecuted for it? I guessed the first twist but then they kept coming and in fact a sequel would work for this story. It is mostly Leila story and what she does for love of her sister, she is a complicated heroine, probably not likeable i "real life" but very understandable the hard choices she has to make. Lots to think about ethically in this one 4.5