I've always been meaning to read one of Paula Daly's books, and then I heard her speak at a crime event in December, First Monday Crime. I was really interested to hear about her inspirations for The Trophy Child (watching Child Genius on Channel 4 and seeing her own children becoming angry with the pushy parents featured on it). 

The Trophy Child isn't quite the rollercoaster of thrills I was hoping for, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. Karen is the pushy parents you loved to hate (there was no doubt in my mind that's what she was compared to the 'doting mother' the strapline threw up as an alternative). There's a suitable amount of suspense and whodunnit, which did keep me guessing and I raced through it, finishing it practically in one day. 

A novel which is an easy, satisfying read. Would recommend.

This is the second book by Paula Daly and having really enjoyed Just What Kind of Mother Are You?, I was expecting big things from The Trophy Child. The story centres around the Bloom family, a seemingly normal upper-middle class family. Well, they seem normal until you scratch beneath the surface. Karen, the matriarch of the Bloom household is the second wife of Noel Bloom and together they live with Ewan, Karen's son from a previous marriage, Verity, Noel's daughter from a previous marriage, and Bronte, the child that they have together. One day, Bronte mysteriously vanishes and the events that follow this sudden disappearance will change the Bloom family forever.

I won't say anymore in order to avoid spoilers but I will say that Karen was without a doubt one of the most infuriating fictional characters I have ever encountered. She is what is commonly referred to as a "tiger mother" and not only that but she is proud of this. Her relationship with Bronte is downright disturbing and raises some interesting questions about parenting. In a culture that is becoming increasingly obsessed with our children's achievement, I think that The Trophy Child is extremely relevant and eye-opening. Karen is a classic example of when parenting and wanting the best for your child becomes toxic. I would go as far to say that she is abusive to Bronte. As well as her distorted relationship with her daughter, her indifference towards her son and husband and the disdain that she shows for her step-daughter is enough to make her a character with next to no redeeming features. The woman was vile.

Growing up in a very small suburban town, I recognised a lot of the behaviours in parents that were displayed by Karen. Although these behaviours are not quite at Karen's level of obsessiveness, I recognised them none-the-less. For me, this made The Trophy Child a very interesting read with lessons which I think that many parents need to listen to. What I will say is that I would have actually enjoyed reading slightly more about Karen and Bronte's relationship as I felt that it was lacking after the first third of the book. 

Although it is Karen's treatment of Bronte that drives the entire story, there are very few scenes with Karen and Bronte together. Now, this may be deliberate on the authors part- I don't know. But for me, I would have loved to unpick this relationship further. In addition to this, it would have been brilliant if Karen's relationship with the rest of her family was also examined in further detail. Whilst we know that she is cold and unfeeling towards her family, it is not ever really made clear as to why this is. I think that Paula Daly understands how people operate better than almost any other author that I have read so in this respect, it would have been brilliant if the characters had been developed just that little bit further. 

Overall, The Trophy Child was a really impressive read and one of my favourite family-drama novels. Prepare to be incredibly frustrated reading this book (particularly any scene that Karen is present in) and to not want to put the damn thing down. Whilst having slightly more character development and less of a "who-done-it" story line would have brought this book up to five stars, The Trophy Child was an all around brilliant read.

Paula Daly is acclaimed for her distinctive voice, masterful plotting, and terrifying depictions of ordinary people whose everyday lives are turned upside down through deception and murder. In her unsettling new domestic thriller, The Trophy Child, Daly digs beneath the serene surface of the idyllic suburban Lake District community where families strive for perfection, delivering a suspenseful, surprising story of motherhood and fallibility.Karen Bloom is not the coddling mother type. She believes in raising her children for success. Some in the neighborhood call her assertive, others say she’s driven, but in gossiping circles she’s known as: the tiger mother. Karen believes that tough discipline is the true art of parenting and that achievement leads to ultimate happiness. She expects her husband and her children to perform at 200 percent—no matter…
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Paula Daly is a rising English suspense novelist who consistently receives enthusiastic reviews from her readers. They like her focus on the everyday binds that ordinary people get themselves into…complications so stressful that they lead to violent crime. When you read her work, you might feel you are in the middle of a reality T.V. show. In fact, Daly says she was once inspired by something she saw on Oprah. Falling somewhere between a cozy and a police procedural, her fourth novel “The Trophy Child” shouldn’t disappoint anyone. Not only is her mining of the vein of misery in an extended family right on, but her plotting of the crime is quite ingenious. Meet the miserable folks. Dr. Noel Bloom, a country general practitioner, is into his second marriage -- this time to Karen Bloom, a woman he got pregnant while he was married to his first wife, a woman now in the advanced stages of MS. Bloom made the decision to leave his first wife and do what he thought was the right thing by Karen. It has turned out to be an unhappy decision for him and his strong-willed teenage daughter Verity, who actually tries to strangle Karen at the novel’s opening. Karen, a controlling shrew, cannot get over disappointment in her own teenage son Ewan, a slacker and a pothead. So she takes out her frustrations out on their 10 year old daughter Brontë, whose life is a dreary schedule of lessons, self-improvement and studying as Karen relentlessly pushes her to become a trophy child almost to the point of abuse. Watch out tiger moms everywhere. Is this you? When Verity loses Brontë in the park while dropping in on her mother at a nursing home nearby, it seems as though the central crime has occurred. As the hours pass, Brontë doesn’t return and the police arrive at the Blooms in the person of Detective Sergeant Joanne Aspinall, a lonely police offer who spends hours at night worrying about known criminals in the area. Sgt. Aspinall thinks Brontë will return and the child does -- but without saying a word about where she’s been. All the while, without the reader being aware of it, an ingenious murder is being planned and that, after all, is what a good suspense novel is about. Daly writes in a nice cinematic style, letting the dialogue advance the plot. Without too much description, she somehow makes you feel you know all the characters involved. “The Trophy Child” does not rise to the level of a P.D.James novel or the kind of modern psychological suspense story we see in “Gone Girl” or “The Girl on the Train,” but it does not disappoint. Daly should add to her fan base with this one. -- Janet Rotter

Have read a few of Paula's other books and this was certainly as good as the others , I really like how the same detectives pop up in all the books and like catching up with Detective Aspinall though she is a little too close to the latest investigation  them , the lake district is always described really well too . I really took a dislike to .Karen who bullied her kids and step daughter terribly and her husband Noel who was completely spineless and couldn't stand up for himself or his kids but it did make for a great story . I raced through to the end and enjoyed it all tremendously . Thank you for the opportunity to read this . Would make a great film or tv drama ...

BookFilter review by writer Janet Rotter: Paula Daly is a rising English suspense novelist who consistently receives enthusiastic reviews from her readers. They like her focus on the everyday binds that ordinary people get themselves into…complications so stressful that they lead to violent crime. When you read her work, you might feel you are in the middle of a reality T.V. show. In fact, Daly says she was once inspired by something she saw on Oprah. Falling somewhere between a cozy and a police procedural, her fourth novel “The Trophy Child” shouldn’t disappoint anyone. Not only is her mining of the vein of misery in an extended family right on, but her plotting of the crime is quite ingenious. Meet the miserable folks. Dr. Noel Bloom, a country general practitioner, is into his second marriage -- this time to Karen Bloom, a woman he got pregnant while he was married to his first wife, a woman now in the advanced stages of MS. Bloom made the decision to leave his first wife and do what he thought was the right thing by Karen. It has turned out to be an unhappy decision for him and his strong-willed teenage daughter Verity, who actually tries to strangle Karen at the novel’s opening. Karen, a controlling shrew, cannot get over disappointment in her own teenage son Ewan, a slacker and a pothead. So she takes out her frustrations out on their 10 year old daughter Brontë, whose life is a dreary schedule of lessons, self-improvement and studying as Karen relentlessly pushes her to become a trophy child almost to the point of abuse. Watch out tiger moms everywhere. Is this you? When Verity loses Brontë in the park while dropping in on her mother at a nursing home nearby, it seems as though the central crime has occurred. As the hours pass, Brontë doesn’t return and the police arrive at the Blooms in the person of Detective Sergeant Joanne Aspinall, a lonely police offer who spends hours at night worrying about known criminals in the area. Sgt. Aspinall thinks Brontë will return and the child does -- but without saying a word about where she’s been. All the while, without the reader being aware of it, an ingenious murder is being planned and that, after all, is what a good suspense novel is about. Daly writes in a nice cinematic style, letting the dialogue advance the plot. Without too much description, she somehow makes you feel you know all the characters involved. “The Trophy Child” does not rise to the level of a P.D.James novel or the kind of modern psychological suspense story we see in “Gone Girl” or “The Girl on the Train,” but it does not disappoint. Daly should add to her fan base with this one. -- Janet Rotter

Paula Daly is one of those authors whose books I buy without even reading the blurb. As her others, this one is a domestic phycological thriller and features the policewoman Joanne Aspinall. A few other familiar characters also make a welcome appearance. It's quite difficult to define what this book is about as it is so much more than just a murder mystery. There's family drama, damaged relationships, secrets, lies... The characters are well drawn out and realistic and the plot lines (even if a little far-fetched) are suspenseful and gripping. 
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

This was a decent suspense novel but a little unbelievable.  It's a quick read and you will definitely want to find out what Bronte and later to Karen but much of what occurs just wasn't plausible to me.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not sure what to expect at the beginning of this book. It depicts this family with a very tough mother. Dysfunction runs through this family like mud! By midway, this book takes a turn I was not expecting. Now we are looking at a murder and very little clues. The twists in story were so clever. Keeps the reader on their toes for sure. Very enjoyable!

This book is amazing - nothing is what it seems. I really enjoyed the depth of characters and my heart went out to poor Bronte.

Just about every school that my children have attended have had one mother a little like Karen Bloom; one of the main characters in this novel.   Perhaps not quite as obsessive, but nevertheless a proud and unrepentant ‘Tiger Mother,’ who is obsessed with their child’s  potential  to excel.  In this novel we meet Noel and Karen Bloom and their various offspring.  Noel Bloom is a doctor, who hides from his obsessive, overbearing second wife by staying late at work, hiding in a bottle and opting out from parental responsibility.  He lives with Karen, their ten year old daughter, Bronte, his daughter from his first marriage, Verity, and Ewan, Karen’s son from a previous relationship.   

From the outside, their marriage looks stable, affluent and successful.  However, both Noel and Karen have long since fallen out of love and all of Karen’s ambitions are now poured into Bronte.   Dig a little deeper and the issues seem even more complicated.  Ewan is hiding out in a separate room over the garage; spending his days lazing around, taking drugs with the friend his mother does not approve of, and not exactly making Karen proud.  Meanwhile, Verity also has issues and, when we first meet her, she has to visit a psychotherapist in order for her exclusive school, to allow her to stay on.   Verity, who is naturally bright, has falling grades, while Bronte, who is a sweet and academically average child, is being pushed beyond endurance – to piano lessons, harp lessons, tutors, dance class and more.   Actually, this was probably the only part of this novel which did not ring true to me – Bronte is ten and most of the children who have tiger mothers do seem to achieve well, at an early age, at least.  That said, there is obviously a lot of unhappiness in the Bloom household and an awful lot of tension between the members of the family.

It is hard to review this book, as there are several plot twists.  In a way, you think the first main event of this novel is the entire storyline, but then it swerves and goes off in a completely different track.   I really found this an excellent crime novel.   I loved the characters, including Detective Sergeant Joanne Aspinall and her new partner, DS Oliver Black.   Karen Bloom is obviously the character you will love to hate, but I felt some sympathy for her when introduced to her equally odious father.   Without doubt, though, her behaviour, and personality, bring an excellent amount of tension to the novel and I am sure she is a character that many readers will recognise all too well.   I have never read anything by this author before, but I am certainly going to look out for  Paula Daly’s novels in the future.   If you love crime novels with a domestic setting, and characters you can feel strongly about, this is perfect for you.  I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

I have always looked forward to a new book coming out by Paula Daly ever since I was blown off my feet by her first book “Just What Kind of Mother Are You?”. I absolutely loved that book and thoroughly enjoyed the following 2 books as well. This is the fourth book now set in her trademark Lake District and again featuring DS Joanne Aspinall. Now I mentioned in my review of “The Mistake I Made” that I would love to get to know more about Joanne and I’m pleased to say that here we get much more of an insight into her personal life as she becomes involved in her latest case.

Paula Daly has once again given us a dark family orientated drama. But whereas before she took an ordinary family and a mother having to dig deep to save that family, here we meet a different type of mother. Karen is that very current phenomenon “the tiger mother”. She’s a pushy parent to the daughter Bronte that she has with her husband, GP Noel, and also mum to her own son Ewan and stepmum to Verity. Bronte lives a life stuffed full of activity to “encourage” her musical talents while her “helicopter mother” lives out her ambitions through her daughter. But is it all too much for ten year old Bronte?

I absolutely detested Karen from the moment she appeared. She was just so far from the ambitious but warm and caring parent that I had been expecting. She was rude, quite vicious in the way she spoke to everyone and totally unapologetic with it! I just kept waiting for that sliver of softness to peek through the curtain of poisonous backbiting, a buried deep reason for such behaviour, an eventual breakdown and visible vulnerability that would explain why! I thought Noel was a weak and downtrodden individual looking for an easy life, which obviously wasn’t a happy one, and I felt such an empathy with all the children because, as much as you want your child to succeed in life, at the end of the day a happy well adjusted adult is the aim of the game…..isn’t it?

There are twists and turns galore here, red herrings in shoals full and one rather jaw dropping moment for me that I totally did NOT see coming. In fact, I really thought I had the plot all worked out-how stupid do I feel now! I was miles off the mark with this one!

In my opinion, this is actually her best book since “Just What Kind of Mother Are You”. I loved the plotline and how I was made to feel about the characters. And I loved that a place as beautiful and peaceful as the Lake District is used as a foil to the dark goings on behind closed doors. Definitely recommend by me!

Its all about the illusion of perfection in this haunting novel.

I received an ARC of Paula Daly's The Trophy Child in exchange for an honest review. This book was different than the other two books that I have read by Daly, but equally as good.

We start by meeting Verity Bloom, who is the daughter of Noel and step daughter to Karen. She seems to have a lot of spunk. She hasn't been doing well in school and not long ago hit her step mom Karen. Karen doesn't seem to care for Verity. Noel, Verity father, is a doctor and works overwhelming hours, but still finds time for women and alcohol. 

Karen believes in pushing her children to the max so they can succeed in life, but often pushes to hard. Bronte (daughter of Karen and Noel) a young girl, is enrolled in everything because of Karen. If there is lesson or vocation someone her age can do Karen has her enrolled.

Joanne's investigation starts when Bronte goes missing overnight. She goes missing from a park and doesn't show up until the next afternoon. She won't tell anyone where she has been but is adamant that she "fell asleep" in a shed. Several days later, Karen goes missing. The police find her vehicle near the lake and several days later they find her body.

This story goes into the investigation of what happened to Karen. Also contains some romance and some great twists. I'm an avid reader for books similar to this one and totally didn't see the ending coming till I read it. Can't wait for more books by Paula Daly!!

Really good read and easy to follow story line. Always enjoy reading paula dalys books . Look forward to reading more from this author.

The story concerns Noel Bloom a gp working in the Lake District and his family. He is married to Karen a tiger mother of the worst kind to their daughter Bronte. He has a daughter, Verity from his first marriage to Jennifer and Karen has a son from a mysterious liaison she had before we meet her in the story. When ten year old, naive,  Bronte disappears from the local park whilst Verity is supposed to be looking after her the family is obviously distraught and Karen goes into meltdown. The police get involved in the shape of DS Joanne Aspinall who has already met Noel under different circumstances. She is involved in a case of drug peddling by a local small time crook but she is unable to track him down. She is soon involved in trying to trace Bronte but the Bloom family all seem to have something to hide. 
This was a satisfying read which kept me guessing right to the end when all ends are tidied up and we learn what happened to Bronte and the family. A lesson to all pushy parents who fill their childrens' days with activities and study and who don't let them have a free minute to play with friends or just kick back.

I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and independent review. 
Karen is a stereotypical pushy mother and her attention on her youngest daughter is to the detriment of her son and stepdaughter, and even her husband.  She is not a likeable character.  Noel, her husband married her when she fell pregnant. His ex -wife is in a home with MS and their daughter lives with her father and stepmother. 
When a murder happens all the individual stories unfold, with each interlinking. A well written nicely paced thriller. One of the major strengths of the book was the depth of the characters.