I’ve just finished “what the nanny said” by Laura Finch which will be released on the 16th of July.

This book being right up my alley Genre wise; thriller / mystery and true crime. The last one I don’t really get since it isn’t based on true events but still, this book was a page turner!

Lucy is a stay-at-home mom, taking care of two-year-old daughter Evie in a very luxurious home with the most extravagant communal gardens. That’s where she meets Taylor, a young woman and very easy to talk to. It’s like they’ve known each other for a very long time.

Lucy’s home live isn’t really something to write home about, Sam, her husband is a journalist for BBC and works and travels a lot. He likes to be in the Spotlight so when he’s home there’s almost always a work colleague with him, friends… Live can get lonely for Lucy.

With her and Taylor becoming fast friends and Taylor egging her on to go back to work and find her worth again, that being in family law: Taylor pitches the idea of becoming Evie’s nanny on Lucy’s work days, when everything is set in stone and Lucy has gone back to work, things seem to escalate pretty quick.

Lucy is quite the alcoholic and uses Valium to zone out. When Sam finds a stash of Valium and other pretty heavy medication, he draws a line. Surely, she isn’t fit and capable to safely care for their daughter? He asks her to leave, without Evie.

Within a short timespan Sam seems to be head over heels for Taylor who is manipulating him but he can’t see it. Things just keep escalating until one winds up dead and two seem to have vanished of the face of the earth.

The storyline above takes place in the year 1999, but there is also a present timeline happening where Evie is an adult.

When visiting her mom something terrible happens, Evie’s mom Mia complains of a headache and heads to bed for a lie-down. Not much later Evie hears a shrill scream and runs to her mother’s bedroom, but she’s to late. Her mom died of a severe stroke. Overcome by grief and sorting some stuff out, Evie finds a box with old article clippings of a murder that has taken place in 1999.

The article talks about a nanny who has been interviewed claiming she was there when it happened. The 3-year-old girl has vanished with what looks like one of her parents and the other has been murdered. Evie does the math; the little girl was named Evie as well and has the same date of birth. Vanished around the time that Evie moved to New Mexico with her mother Mia. Her mother never wanted to talk about Evie’s father or their time in London.

The only thing she can remember her mother saying to someone was ‘that was in my Melody era’ Melody being Lucy’s best friend… Was Mia ever her mother? She wants answers, so she’s going to London to find out what happened. Who is Mia really? And what happened to her father? Does she have living relatives?

Definitely a ⭐⭐⭐⭐,5 read!

Every now and then you encounter a book that just sings to you. For me this is it, a psychological thriller it's told from different viewpoints and is as captivating as it is emotional. Really involves you in the narrative, it's exactly what I wanted from a novel.

Initially promising to be a compelling psychological thriller, this quickly turned into a "he said/she said" drama and before long I had a pretty good handle on where it was headed. Which is not usual for me. I found the nanny just as annoying as the detectives did.

This story is set in dual times, the late 1990s and the present day.

In the current day, Evie lives in Mexico and is going through her late mother’s things. She finds documents relating to her life before Evie, and there are articles about things that seem to tie in with Evie’s early life. She returns to London to investigate.

Back in the ‘90s, in London’s Little Venice, Lucy is struggling. She has a beautiful home, a high-flying husband, and plenty of money, but is feeling helpless at dealing with her little girl, Evie, and this adversely affects her mental health. Lucy then meets a lovely new friend, Taylor, who gets close to her and becomes Evie’s nanny, but it seems that Taylor wants more than just a job.

A gripping read, highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

What The Nanny Said by Lara Finch was such a twisty and ddictive read! It starts with a nanny who shows up to help a struggling mom and her little girl, Evie. She seems perfect at first, and then things slowly start to feel off. Twenty five years later, grown up Evie finds some old newspaper clippings hidden in her late mother’s stuff. They talk about a murder and a missing child with her exact name and birthday. If you love thrillers with lots of long buried secrets, definitely add this one to your list. I couldn’t put it down!

This had all the potential of a great psychological thriller:
A toxic relationship ✅
A devious young person ✅
Troubled pasts ✅
Blackmail ✅
Murder ✅
Suspense ✅
Sadly, it was let down slightly by the pace, which was woefully slow. My patience, however, was rewarded in the final third, thankfully.
The story is told over two timelines, 1999 and present day.
With the exception of Evie, none of the characters are likeable, but this is actually a positive. The nastier their behaviour, the more I wanted to read on. 🗡
So there you have it folks, a slow burn psychological thriller, crammed with tension, suspense and toxicity. 🗡
Thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for the digital ARC.

WHAT THE NANNY SAID - A bit wordy, but an average, interesting read with good characters and good story lines. Easy to figure out everything and I liked what Evie decided in the last part of the final chapter. Source: Netgalley. 3*

Lara Finch delivered a gripping debut! “What The Nanny Said” centered on the lives of mother and daughter, Lucy and Evie. Lucy, who was struggling with stress and paranoia. She hired Taylor, a beautiful and seemingly ideal nanny for Evie. However, Lucy soon became dismayed by Taylor’s increasingly possessive behavior, and so it appeared, Taylor wanted more than just the job, she wanted Lucy’s life.

I appreciated how Finch narrated this story through alternating timelines between the past and present as well as telling the story through Evie, Lucy, and Taylor’s perspectives. This dialogue built a gradual sense of unease and had me guessing throughout. I also appreciated the complex characters Finch fabricated. As a mother myself, I found Lucy’s character the most relatable. Lucy was a privileged and fragile mother. She struggled with postnatal anxiety, marital tension, and a growing sense that she was losing control. Contrary to Lucy, Taylor was the abstruse nanny who appeared to be the “ideal nanny”. She was calm, efficient and nurturing. And lastly there was Evie. She was the unsettled daughter. Evie was guarded, introspective and determined to uncover the truth about her family when she was older. I loved how these women’s lives intertwined in a gradually unearthing of the devastating effects of deception, obsession, and identity theft. It was engaging. All three were bound by secrets — but only one of them knew the full story, and it was up to Evie to untangle it.

Along with the elaborate characters, gripping themes were comprised. The ones that stood out the most to me were identity & self deception, obsession & control, and motherhood & protection. Each of these themes lead to the salient question of this story-“What happens when the roles of mother, child, and stranger are blurred beyond recognition?”

Aside from the elements I appreciated, there were a couple that I didn’t care for. Most of this story was fast paced with the exception of the middle portion, and perhaps that was because some of the plot elements seemed a bit far fetched. Moreover, Finch left the story with an unresolved ending. The ending was quiet but lingered on a haunting note. Does this mean there will be a sequel? I guess we will have to wait to find out.

As a lover of psychological thrillers and debut authors, I’m so happy to have found a new voice in the psychological thriller-mystery genre. Lara Finch delivered a chilling twisted tale that was filled with obsession, buried secrets, and blurred identities. I recommend “What the Nanny Said” to those that appreciate a suspenseful atmosphere, unreliable narrators, and readers who have enjoyed Lisa Jewell and Shari Lapena books.

Thank you to Net Galley and Storm Publishing for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Read in 2 hours and 29 minutes.

You’d think that this rather popular plot is another Mrs Parish mimic but this is much more than this; it’s a tense book with hidden depths of mental illness, domestic violence, morality and- most importantly, a mother’s love.

Throughout the entire book, Lucy has the blessing of never doubting that the woman who raised her did so with fierce love- but now she’s dead and her identity is questioned.

Actually, the identities of both women are murky with confusion as Evie discovers that she was actually a missing toddler from a posh part of London, and the police are still searching for her- and for her father, the accused killer of the woman believed to be her actual birth mother.

Dislodged from her world by this identity crisis, Evie flees to England to find answers about her past but the more she learns, the harder the truth is to stomach.

Who was the nanny that weaved her way into Evie’s childhood, and what did she really want?

This book is surprisingly mournful and the plot dwells heavily on the isolation and pain that young mothers- especially those with brain health problems- face.

The money that floats from the leafy greens around them can’t cushion the blow of uncovering your family’s darkest secrets, but it certainly helps grease the wheels of injustice...

The author coaxed me into picking up and cradling this emotional baggage and now I’m doomed to wander the streets, cursing the atrocities of Taylor Love and her ilk.

Sadly, Bliss and Love is left in the wreckage, but I can’t wait to see what this author pulls from the rubble next. O

2.75/5

This story follows two timelines, past and present, following Taylor arriving as a nanny for Lucy's daughter Evie. But everyone is weird and kinda sus.

More rich people drama (which I'm always here for), a garbage husband, a return to a childhood home to uncover secrets, and unlikable characters.

I found the pacing of this to be very strange, especially at the end. It just kind of ends, there's no real crescendo. That was kind of strange.

I also found the formatting and timelines confusing. And I really did not like any of these characters, yeah, they're supposed to suck. These are rich, entitled people with lame problems, but they had nothing redeeming about them. Even if the point of your story is that everyone sucks, you still need to make me root for someone. Give me a side to root for or something interesting about the characters so that I care what happens to them. Because I didn't. I really didn't care what happened to them at all.

So much potential!

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

What happened to Lucy? Did her husband murder her? Did he take their daughter Evie and run? If so, why has Lucy's body never been recovered? Who really is Taylor? There are so many questions that you need answered! From the very first pages you are hooked!! The author makes sure you not only are deeply involved in the mystery but makes sure you can't figure out what's going on! The twist at the end is perfection! Read this book but plan on staying up all night reading!

Possible spoilers

3.5 ⭐


Oh goody! Not one, but two unreliable narrators.
I was left not knowing who's word to trust, or which, if any , version events was even partly true
Taylor was quite the character, I enjoyed her a lot.
Evil too, digging away to find the truth.
An enjoyable read.

This is an emotional thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat for the entire read. It follows multiple perspectives, one of which is an interview with the police. As you progress through the novel you will start to second guess who is a reliable narrator and who is has actually been lying the whole time. Just when you are sure you know how this story will end, there’s another twist. If you’re looking for a sophisticated physiological thriller set in London, this is the book for you!

A lonely housewife named Lucy befriends a lovely girl named Taylor who quickly becomes her trusted confidant. Taylor becomes her nanny so that Lucy can get back to work part time. Lucy struggling with her own mental health issues is hoping this will be a fresh start. Things quickly unravel when Taylor wants to take over her life including her husband and daughter Evie. When disaster strikes who is alive and who is it? Better yet who is behind all of this? I absolutely loved this book. It was a wild ride and I didn’t want to stop reading. I loved the different view points of what was happening between the characters. You would read one point of view and think you had it figured out only to read the other point of views and realize there was more going on then meets the eye. I highly recommend to readers who like psychological thrillers with some mystery.

This is a fascinating look at deception and mystery. It involves a murder trial and a family with a nanny who is more than she appears to be! In the present we see a woman on trial and then we backtrack as we witness everything that leads up to this incredible mystery that is convoluted and well-planned. It's one of those novels that has your head spinning until the bitter end!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

What The Nanny Said by Lara Finch is a captivating psychological thriller that keeps you guessing from start to finish. Set against the elegant backdrop of Little Venice, London, the story of a young mother spiraling into doubt and her seemingly perfect nanny hiding dark ambitions is chilling and enthralling. The story shifts seamlessly between the present and the past, revealing layers of manipulation, obsession, and impossible choices. Evie’s discovery of mysterious newspaper clippings from her mother’s belongings sparks a thrilling journey into a world of secrets that threaten to unravel everything she thought she knew about her family—and herself. Finch expertly builds suspense, making it almost impossible to put down as the truth slowly comes to light. The characters are well-drawn, with the enigmatic nanny's quiet menace hiding a complex, compelling darkness. The plot twists are cleverly executed, even if a few feel a little predictable, they still pack a powerful punch. The themes of motherhood, obsession, and what lies beneath the surface of a picture-perfect life stay with you long after the book ends. Overall, What The Nanny Said is a compelling, haunting read—well-paced, chilling, and full of secrets waiting to be uncovered. A highly recommended page-turner for fans of dark psychological suspense. Four stars for a story that will leave you questioning what’s real—and what’s just out of sight.

Evie Segura lives with her boyfriend Antonio in Mexico City, not far from Mia, the mother she adores. Evie has a beautiful life, loved and adored by her mother and friends, she is perfectly at peace with her lot.

When Mia dies suddenly, and Evie discovers some old papers secreted away in Mia’s closet, her life is turned upside down, all what she thought was true is now open to speculation. Who are the photos of? Who are Evie’s real parents?

Told across two timelines, present day and 1999, with Evie as an adult and as a small child.

An engaging story at the start. As the story progresses we follow Evie as she sets out to find her real family and the mysterious events of the tragedies that occurred when she was a toddler, and what secrets have been buried in her past when she lived in Little Venice, London with her parents.

Up until approximately 50% of the way through I really felt that this book would be something special. Unfortunately it soon started to become more and more convoluted, with some really sketchy events. It wasn’t only the “interview” that was far fetched, the whole story become too silly and totally implausible.

I did finish the book but was very disappointed after such a cracker of a start. An unfinished ending so perhaps a sequel? If so I’m not sure I would be interested enough to buy.

2.5*

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing.

If you are looking for a novel that is filled with backstabbing, false friendship, and family then this is the novel for you. It is also a dual timeline story which takes place modern day with the other plot going back to the late 90's. Overall this was a very impressive novel. I will admit there were times it was a little much but I lucked it.
In modern day we are introduced to Evie who is living in Mexico. Her mother has recently died and while goibg through her stuff ahe comes across some old newspaper from the 90's about a murder in England where the girl who disappeared bot only had the same name as her but was also the same age. Realizing that there were some things that her mother was never honest to her about she decides to investigate for herself.
In England during the late 90's we are introduced to Lucy and her young daughter Evie. Lucy loves her daughter but her mental health issues cause her to become paranoid. She ends up meeting a girl named Taylor and the two hit it off with Taylor becoming a nanny for Evie. However, within time Lucy starts to become increasingly paranoid that Taylor wants to steal her life.
I received an arc copy from Netgalley and all opinions are of my own.

What the Nanny Said is a story that is told in dual timelines and multiple POV's. You've got Lucy who is raising her daughter Evie. She tends to lean on her valium when things get rough. Taylor is the young woman that she befriended who then became Evie's nanny. Lucy and Taylor start as friends and then things start going terribly wrong and it seems that Taylor is trying to take Lucy's place.

What the Nanny Said was fast paced and a one sitting read for me because I HAD to know what was going on. This was the first book I've read in awhile that I had absolutely no clue how it was going to wrap up! You've got Lucy's version of things and you've got Taylor's version of things and the two are nowhere near the same. Who are you supposed to believe?? The author did a great job of keeping things interesting and keeping you guessing. I would feel fairly confident in saying that there will be a sequel to this one and I would 100% read it!!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Are you a thriller fan? Check out What The Nanny Said by Lara Finch. It’s out soon and is one you’ll want to pick up.