Brilliant. This was a well written book that I greatly enjoyed and already plan to recommend. Believable characters and an inticing setting. Some parts were perhaps a little lengthy, but maybe because I was impatient to reach the novels conclusion! Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

After reading (and totally loving) "The Doll's House" a couple of years ago, I was excited to dive into Phoebe Morgan's latest thriller THE BABYSITTER. And while it does start out a little slow at first, it soon picks up pace to become an addictive little number.

Siobhan and her family are just beginning their holiday at her sister's beautiful villa in France when the police arrive and arrest her husband under suspicion of murder. It appears he'd been having an affair with the deceased so of course immediately becomes prime suspect. But Callum vehemently denies killing her.

TV executive Callum is handsome, successful and loves women almost as much as he loves himself. This is not the first time he has had an affair as his wife Siobhan is well aware but even she is shocked that he is now under suspicion of murdering the latest one. But that's not all. It seems the deceased, Caroline, had been babysitting a friend's little girl and now baby Eve is missing as well. As he is lead away in handcuffs en route back to the UK for questioning, Siobhan attempts to appease her distraught teenage daughter Emma with little effect. But it's her older sister Maria who soothes the frantic girl, leaving Siobhan once again feeling left out of her own life.

Maria has never married and enjoys her life of independence. She sees the freedom she has to live as she chooses a far cry from Siobhan's life of drudgery, tethered to serial philanderer Callum. Not being tied down has enabled her to afford the luxury of not only owning her own place in the UK, but the beautiful sprawling villa in St Juliette in France. She is in the process of redecorating it when she invited Siobhan and the family to stay.

Then there is poor Caroline Harvey, a needy, unstable and largely insecure woman in her late 20s who found herself in an 18 month long affair with the self-indulgent Callum. She foolishly believed, as many "other women" do, that he would leave his wife for her but she didn't bargain on his affinity with his daughter Emma. Even when Caroline found herself pregnant, that wasn't enough to lure Callum away from his family...and Caroline began to wonder was it all really worth it? She'd loosely confided in her friend Jenny who was initially worried about the fact that she was involved with a married man. But Jenny had a busy life, married and mother to 18 month old Eve that Caroline found herself envying her friend. She wanted what she had.

So when Jenny asked her to baby-sit Eve, Caroline jumped at the chance despite knowing very little about babies. She had looked after her once before that Jenny didn't hesitate to ask her friend for the favour and, desperate as she was, said that she would bring Eve and all her paraphernalia to Caro's flat. But no sooner had Jenny hurried out the door than Eve began to cry which then turned into screams that Caroline found herself unable to pacify.

And little did Jenny know that that would be the last time she saw her little girl. For when she returned to collect her later that night, she found Caro bent over the portacot dead and Eve nowhere to be found.

Who would enter Caroline's flat, kill her and abduct a baby? What motive could there possibly be? Police could surmise one scenario for Caroline and one for Eve, but not one that would involve them both. Jenny had enlightened them to Caroline's affair with married man Callum Dillon which then in turn lead police to their doorstep in France a few days later. Despite being on the continent now, the murder actually occurred the night before they left. So while selfish, philandering Callum is undoubtedly a jerk, is he a murderer? And where is baby Eve?

As soon as Callum is sent back to the UK for questioning by the Suffolk Police, Siobhan, Emma and Maria soon follow. The scandal surrounding the Caroline's death and Callum's womanising becomes frontline news as reporters begin to doorstep the family leaving them prisoners in their own home for fear of being accosted by them should they step outside. "Hashtag Find Eve" is trending on Twitter with locals surmising their own opinions as trial by social media purports its findings. Everyone, it seems, has an opinion as accusations are thrown involving Callum, Siobhan and even baby Eve's parents' Jenny and Rick. No one is immune from attack.

But Siobhan is hiding secrets of her own while trying to maintain harmony for her family as 16 year old Emma behaves erratically whilst seeking comfort in the arms of her aunt Maria. Siobhan cannot help but feel excluded from her own daughter's life, who has always been far closer to her father and now, it seems, to her aunt.

And yet, despite this, I couldn't feel much empathy towards Siobhan. It was Caroline I felt for. She was lonely, insecure and longed to be loved. She thought she had found it in Callum...but did she really? Even in death she appeared to be forgotten, as all anyone was interested in was finding baby Eve (understandably) but that didn't mean Caroline's life was worth any less just because she was dead.

Told from multiple perspectives - Siobhan, Caroline and DS Wildy primarily - the story unfolds before and after Caroline's murder. It's with this aspect that we, the reader, are aware of circumstances and facts that the police not yet privy to. It makes it interesting as we ponder who could possibly be responsible for Caroline's murder and the disappearance of baby Eve? Is Eve even still alive? No one knows but after the first 48 hours the likelihood of finding Eve alive drops considerably. The characters all well developed and somewhat interesting - I loved DS Wildy the best - though some are thoroughly unlikeable...least of all, serial philanderer Callum. Quite frankly, he deserved the grief he got for all he put his long-suffering wife and family through. Though I doubt he loved any woman he was involved with as he was far too in love with himself.

A gripping psychological thriller, THE BABYSITTER is not quite of the same calibre as her debut "The Doll House" , which was too clever beyond words, but it is still packed with surprises and the ability to shock at the end. It is compelling and completely engaging from start to finish, though it was a little slow to begin with before it gained momentum and thus flowed flawlessly at a rapid pace. I did partially work out who was involved but not completely until just before it is revealed. The twist, when it came, was deliciously clever.

A definite recommend to fans of thrillers - domestic and psychological alike.

I would like to thank #PhoebeMorgan, #NetGalley and #HQStories for an ARC of #TheBabysitter in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great book, a real page turner. 
Days after arriving in France for a family holiday Callum Dillon is arrested on suspicion of the murder of Caroline Harvey and the disappearance of baby Eve Kent. 
Callum’s wife Siobhan, daughter Emma and sister-in-law Maria are left to pick up the pieces, devastated and not sure what to believe. 
What follows is a really cleverly written story, with endless twists. How did Callum meet Caroline? Did Siobhan know about their affair? Who did kill  her? The questions are endless, and the answers don’t come until the very end of the book. Really enjoyed this and would love to read more by this author.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley. 

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity. 
Natalie.

Even though I did buy myself a physical copy of this book, I would still like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review. 

I loved it. 
Yes, the reveal was a tad bit predictable but with plenty of twists and turns, the book wasn't short of suspense, intensity, and excitement!
I literally have stayed awake all night because I couldn't put this book down. Such a cleverly-written addictive story. 
I didn't particularly like any of the characters, but my heart was pounding from start to finish, desperately hoping for the baby to be found!! 
Can't wait for this author's next!

The book begins with the Dillon family holidaying in a relative's villa in France. All is well until they are awoken one morning by the Police arresting the father Callum on suspicion of the murder of Caroline Harvey, a woman who was in her flat in England babysitting her friend's baby.

The first twist of many is that although Caroline maybe dead, the baby is missing!

This book had me gripped from start to finish and I loved how each chapter told the story from a different character's perspective.

The twist at the end flawed me and one I did not see coming.

I loved this book. A great psychological thriller that is hard to put down. From beginning to end it had me hooked-I did not want it to end. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

This is by far one of my favourite books this year. The twists and turns throughout the book were fantastic, and the major twist at the end was one I could never have predicted! 
I loved how well the characters were brought to life in this story, and the ways in which they interacted with one another was captivating. I particularly loved the way in which each chapter of this story was told from a different perspective too.

Gripping from start to finish, full of twists and turns and paced to perfection..... the perfect psychological thriller an without a doubt a definite must read.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc. I read this book over 10 days via Pigeonhole and it was an amazing read and the stave a day just added to the mystery and suspense of the storyline. The Babysitter by Phoebe Morgan was a very clever storyline and an enjoyable read.
The characters, mystery and suspense all combined to make the book an exceptional read.
Highly recommended

I was gripped from the first few pages, and although I had a few inklings as to what may have happened, most of them were so far from the truth it scary.  And when we do get to the business end of the book I definitely was shocked, as I just hadn't seen it coming. 

At all points the police case just didn't quite add up, but just who is innocent of guilty is to be discovered. And I loved the various view points we got, and for a change in these sorts of books, the timeline was reasonably simple to follow too. 

From a few days before the incident until we know the truth. What we know from the start is that Caroline Harvey is definitely murdered, and that a baby has gone missing.  We know early on that Caroline is having an affair with Callum and that as a result he is prime suspect number 1.  We also know that the baby isn't Caroline's or Callum's, but belongs to another family as she was being babysat. 

We get insights into Caroline's last days on earth, as well as everything to do with the Dillon family, their holiday to France and their varying dynamics. 

I was kept guessing throughout and loved the writing style from Phoebe Morgan.  I really should read her other books at some point and definitely keen to read more.  This was fabulous. 

Thank you to HQ and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

This book took me a long time to get into, I’m not sure whether it was the book or just a reading slump I was having. I did enjoy it though, there were lots of twists to it and it turned out not to be who I had thought it would be. It was quite a clever storyline. I didn’t quite warm to any of the characters, but then in this type of genre, I don’t think your meant to!  

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

I found this book has me hooked from the first chapter.  It opens with the discovery of Caroline’s body, she has been stabbed.  She was babysitting Eve, the baby of her old friends but when the police attend the scene they find that Eve is missing.  The story then moves to France where Siobhan is holidaying with her husband Callum, her 14 year old daughter Emma and her sister Maria who owns the villa where they are staying.  Siobhan is convinced that Callum is having an affair and when he is arrested by the French police on suspicion of Caroline’s murder she realises that she was right.  The story is told by different perspectives including the detective investigating the case.  Siobhan and her family are torn apart by the media as the police frantically try to find Eve.  Was Callum guilty of Caroline’s murder, if so what has he done with Eve?  We learn of the back story of Caroline and her hidden secrets.  This is a story that will have you totally gripped and suspecting all the characters.  A tense and compelling read with a fantastic twist at the end.  A great read.
Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Slow to begin with - took me AGES to get into it. Once I did, I was hooked. The plot was clever, even if at times, I felt the writing style could have been a bit better.

The story starts in France, where Siobhan is on holiday with her husband Callum & daughter Emma staying with her sister Maria. At first glance, they seem like a perfectly happy family but we soon see some cracks & tensions under the façade … but when the police turn up to arrest Callum for the murder of a woman in Ipswich, everyone’s life is turned upside down. He doesn’t even know the woman … and even if he does, what’s happened to the baby?
Over the next few days, we uncover an affair, jealousy, and an increasingly tangled web of lies. Even when questioned by the police, the alibis are full of half-truths and omissions - however, nobody can deny that a woman is dead & a baby is missing. 

Caroline was babysitting a friend’s baby on the night that she was murdered & she is found draped over the travel cot, but where is baby Eve?

The story is told from several people’s points of view, and we are given short chapters primarily from the points of view of Siobhan, Caroline & the police detective leading the investigation. We flit from present to past and this works well, helping the reader to understand the characters more & developed the plot well. Baby Eve’s parents are obviously heart-broken & just want to know the truth about what happened to their baby, but we never really see the points of view of Callum, Maria & Emma – Callum comes across as very shallow & quite needy, Maria as a warm hearted but quite lonely woman who craves the family life that she sees in her sister, and poor Emma as a somewhat neglected/overlooked teenager who is often treated as a child much younger than her 16 yrs (right from the start she is told to go upstairs away from the police on the doorstep – the way you might treat an 8-10 yr old). 
We know that one of this small group must be the murderer, but the books offers enough twists & turns that it is not immediately obvious, and even if you do guess “whodunit”, you will want to keep reading to tie up the loose ends – after all we still have a missing baby … and we still don’t know if she is dead or alive! 

Overall I didn't warm to many of the characters but this was a “can’t put down” thriller with twists & turns aplenty. This was my first book from this author but I will definitely look out for more.

#TheBabysitter #NetGalley

Disclosure: I received an advance copy of this book free from the publisher via NetGalley. Whilst thanks go to the publisher & author for the opportunity to read it, all opinions are my own.

The Babysitter is another gripping read by Phoebe Morgan.  I was gripped by the premise and the first couple of pages.  Siobhan's life is torn apart when her husband is arrested for murder during a family holiday.  A woman is found dead and her baby is missing - but is husband Callum involved.  Clever and gripping.  4 stars

I loved this book, you can't beat a good psychological thriller for me, and this was one of the best that I have read for a long time. A dead babysitter and a missing baby - keep it coming, I couldnt put it down, on the edge of my seat for so much of the book. Well worth reading

Caroline Harvey is found dead leaning over the cot of her friends baby Eve. But the baby is missing.
Callum Dillon was having an affair with Caroline. Did he kill her before he left on holiday to France with his family and if he did what has he done with the baby?
The police in France come calling the morning after they arrive and arrest Callum on murder and they bring him back    home . 
He says he’s not done it but the police don’t believe him.
Plenty of twists and turns in this book.
A great read
Thanks NetGalley

After reading ‘The Doll House” I was very excited to start this book and was soon hooked!!

Siobhan and Callum are on holiday in France staying with her sister Maria, in her holiday home with their 16 year old daughter Emma. All is going well until the police arrive and arrest Callum for murdering his former girlfriend Caroline. Caroline was babysitting for a friend when she was murdered and the child she was looking after has disappeared. 

This amazing story is told from several people’s points of view, as we are given bite sized pieces leading up to the night Caroline was murdered. 

This is a great psychological thriller with twists that will keep you on the edge of your sofa and with an ending I did not see coming. I love a book where it keeps you guessing and my amateur detective skills are put to the test!!

An author that I will look out for.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

Did Callum Dillon kill his mistress and if so, where is the baby she was caring for at the time of her murder? The women in his life all have different reasons for wanting to see him convicted of her murder but surely none of them would go out of their way to frame him. This book has one of the coldest, most calculating criminals I have ever come across. There is absolutely no remorse for the killing and certainly no sympathy for the parents of the missing child. It's very enjoyable if a bit slow at times.

Ooohhh this was a good one....a woman is looking after a friends baby and she is found murdered and the baby gone...,..a gripping who dun it that kept me guessing right until the end! Loved it!!!