My Little Girl by Shalini Boland. Family drama with a little girl kidnapped during a outing with her grandmother. New word learned, scatty (scatterbrained) which was used to describe Jill, the grandmother to Bea. Claire and Oliver were hard to related to and had difficulty in understanding some of their actions/decisions. An entertaining read.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

Shalini Borland writes crisp, sharp domestic thrillers and I have enjoyed every one of them. My Little Girl moves so quickly I was halfway through when I looked at the clock and reluctantly put the book down for thr night, only to pick it up first thing next day to finish it, A missing child, lost at a fairground, brings a marriage to its knees and there are five or six suspects and I had them all pegged until I didn’t. I loved Jill, the grandmother and hope she figures into another story.

Bea goes missing at the fair. Her grandmother Jill momentarily distracted. Claire and Oliver are distraught and wretched, desperately searching for their lost child. This is the story of a family in crisis.

I enjoyed this book, but found it a little predictable in places. The characters make odd decisions which are a little jarring at times. It is well written and keeps to a decent pace, but I didn’t really warm to any of the characters as they were selfish and egotistical. It’s a good story but it’s been done before and I didn’t feel this version bought anything new to the table. All that said, it is an enjoyable read and I’m sure it will do well on publication as it’s a decent, well structured novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

My Little Girl by Shalini Boland is another brilliant read from an author whose shopping list, if published, would make an appearance on my TBR. I was long overdue for a read that I was powerless to put down and, as expected, Ms Boland delivered.

Jill has taken her granddaughter Bea and a friend to a local fun fair. The trio are having a wonderful time until the unthinkable happens. Jill is temporarily distracted by a phone call, and in the blink of an eye her beloved Bea has disappeared. Upon hearing the devastating news, Bea's mother Claire is livid that her husband Ollie would allow his scatty mother to be left in charge of their precious girl.

This is a story that delves into the dynamics of a family in crisis. Where does the blame lie, and will this fractured family ever become whole again following every parent's, and grandparent's worst nightmare? Recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC.

Claire's life is turned upside down when her seven-year-old daughter Beatrice goes missing when at the fair with Claire's mother-in-law Jill. Claire is angry as it was meant to be her husband Ollie taking Beatrice to the fair and not his mother, and now Ollie is acting strange. As the police try to find clues to what happened to Beatrice, Claire does her own investigations and starts suspecting people. Could her husband's ex-wife Laurel be guilty? Or someone else in the area? Claire will stop at nothing to find out what has happened to her daughter.

Yet another brilliant book by Shalini Boland. The story and thrilling and tense and keeps you turning the pages until the shocking ending. Full of twists and turns and also a variety of characters who could be behind the disappearance, I really recommend this compelling book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book in return for my honest feedback.

Me: I’m so over those books about young girls getting kidnapped.

Also me: Oooh, Shalini Boland has a new book about a young girl getting kidnapped. REQUEST!

Jill takes her granddaughter, Beatrice, and her friend, to the fairgrounds. She’s thrilled for this opportunity because her daughter-in-law, Claire, doesn’t think she’s fit to watch over Beatrice. Then, in the house of mirrors, Jill gets a phone call from her ex-daughter-in-law, whom she’s still friends with. Although the call is brief, Jill may have taken her eyes off of Beatrice for a minute...and Beatrice is gone.

Claire was supposed to be having a fun night out with her friends, but now she is at a loss since her loving child, Beatrice, has gone missing. Her husband, Ollie, was supposed to be taking Bea and her friend to the fair. So, where was he? And why did her mother-in-law end up taking them when Claire made it claire...I mean, clear...that she didn’t trust Jill to look after children?

On top of everything else, why is Ollie acting so strange after their daughter’s disappearance? And how close is Jill to Ollie’s ex-wife? Where is Bea?

This is an entertaining thriller that held my interest. Some of the characters actions were so ridiculous and eye-roll inducing...and then next thing I knew, I was rooting for some of them. While this doesn’t offer anything truly innovative in the genre, Boland manages to keep the plot moving at a brisk pace, make the culprit(s) seem so obvious, and then catch you off guard once you realize who it really is. I knew it at the 75% mark, but never suspected it beforehand.

The reasons for said abduction are a bit far-fetched, and the epilogue wasn’t necessary, but it’s a fun journey getting there...with great character development.

I’m a huge fan of Shalini Boland, and enjoyed this more than her last two releases. I recommend this to those who don’t want something extremely heavy, but still want to speculate...and maybe be surprised and intrigued by some of the revelations.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on: 4/22/21.

Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com

Claire Nolan receives a call telling her that her seven year old daughter Beatrice is missing, it’s every parents nightmare. Her mother-in-law Jill was supposed to be looking after her at the fair but she disappeared in the hall of mirrors. The situation is made worse as Claire’s husband Oliver was supposed to take Bea to the fair but he changed the plans without telling Claire. She thought they had no secrets between them, but maybe that’s not the case.

With Jill becoming increasingly scatty and Oliver disappearing for hours on end whilst Bea is still missing, plus Oliver’s ex-wife hanging around, Claire becomes more concerned someone is lying to her but will she point the finger at the right person?

My Little Girl is an addictive and compulsive read that will draw you in from the first page. A brilliant psychological thriller that is impossible to put down.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the chance to review.

Absolutely loved Shalinis latest book My little girl, totally engrossed me from start to finish couldn’t wait to see what happened next!
Every parents nightmare, the abduction of your child,the distress, anguish and guilt coupled with the not knowing drives a wedge between you just when you need to be supporting each other! Claire and Oliver parents to Bea are distraught when Bea goes missing after a visit to the funfair with Oliver’s mother Jill, instead of pulling together they move further apart as each one deals with the emotional rollercoaster they are on, as we are taken on a thrilling twisty read with several surprises on the way leading to a shocking conclusion!
Would highly recommend! Thank you net galley for this early read.

Ollie and Claire have it all.
Until they don't.

A fun outing at the local fair with 6 year old Beatrice and her flighty Grandma Jill goes tragically wrong when Jill takes a phone call instead of keeping little Beatrice in her sights. What follows is every parents worse nightmare.

This is a classic whodunit.
While I greatly enjoyed the writing and the book itself, unfortunately it was utterly predictable. Still worth a read.

Your daughter is missing. Did someone close to you take her?
Good quick read! If I'm being honest here! Kidnapping scares the living He!! Outta me! So at times this was bit hard because I kept thinking what if!
But anywho..... This wss quick suspense read! I really enjoyed the well written plot! This book will help your attention staring at these pages!

I was excited to finally get a Shalini Boland book, having heard good things about her previous works. This was a fast-paced suspense novel, albeit predictable.

Claire and Oliver Nolan's seven-year old daughter Beatrice is kidnapped from a fair while in the care of Oliver's 65-year old mother, Jill. The Nolan family is beside themselves over their missing child, each of them dealing with the trauma in their own way - Jill is organising search parties, Claire is trespassing properties to follow leads while Oliver remains suspiciously MIA throughout the day, only to turn up drunk in the evenings. As the kidnapper taunts the family with anonymous messages, Claire is faced with the threat of losing both her child and her marriage.

My Little Girl is a well-written psychological thriller that captures Claire and Oliver's turmoil over losing their daughter and Jill's helplessness quite remarkably.

I liked the story, I truly did. But there was a sense of deja vu that this story has been told numerous times in different formats. I myself have read and reviewed quite a few novels employing the 'missing child' trope in the recent past. Because of this and also thanks to a very obvious red herring placed early in the plot, it didn't require much guesswork to identify the kidnapper. Suffice to say, the suspense was ruined for me, thereon. While the ending was perfect where the author neatly tied up all loose ends, that epilogue, in my opinion, was overkill.

Overall, the narrative and writing style were engaging but the lack of freshness in the story was disappointing. I believe it didn't live up to the hype that I had built up in my head. Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for providing a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This thriller grabbed me from the first page! Quirky, rich characters drive a tale of child abduction, family tensions, and friends that aren’t quite what they seem. I figured out who the villain was pretty early on, but the twist and turns kept me turning pages to find out how and why! A great beach or pool read.

Shalini never fails to tug at the emotional heart strings while placing the reader in what feels like a high octane situation. After a banging start, the pace remains fast with a race against time to find little Beatrice. I found my heart pounding at times; after all, a missing child is every parent’s nightmare.

I literally couldn’t put this book down. It had me waking up in the night and picking it straight back up to read a few more chapters. I simply had to know what had happened. The writing is slick and the chapters are snappy which made it even harder to put down.

As far as the relationships in the story were concerned, I really enjoyed the growth between Claire and Jill. The emotions running between them felt so realistic and I could see each characters points of view. As for what had happened to Beatrice, I had so many theories but I didn’t manage to guess it. I’d definitely recommend ‘My Little Girl.’ That ending was a shocker!

Love this author. Shalini Boland never seems to stop from drawing you right into a story like you are there.
Another 5 star could not put this down. Saw it was out and had to have it and I always drop everything to read her books.
Great thriller.... great characters.... great twist.. and what an ending!!!
Definitely one to pick up and read..

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

A regular evening turns into a nightmare for the Nolan family. Oliver was supposed to take his 7 year old daughter Beatrice and her friend Millie to a fair but decided to catch up on work instead and asks his mother, Jill, to take them. His wife Claire was going to have a girl's night out.

During the evening, Jill loses sight of Beatrice at the fair in the hall of mirrors and she goes missing. She is devastated, guilty and broken up about it. Her daughter-in-law, Claire, already doesn't trust her and she feels that Jill is just not reliable. Also, Jill is still friendly with Oliver's ex-wife Laurel.

With no real leads, they are struggling to find out what happened to Beatrice. Will they find her?

Overall, I enjoyed the book and the story pulled me in from the beginning. I absolutely loved Claire and her determination to find her daughter. I would recommend this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Claire and Oliver have it all a good life and a daughter Beatrice Claire does not have much time for her mother in law Jill . so when Oliver promise s to take his daughter and friend to the fair he askes his mum instead as he busy but does not tell Claire as she having a night out .but it makes it more easy for someone to kidnap Beatrice as Jill is not reliable on keeping a close eye on girls Oliver s ex wife Laurel is still good friends with Jill am not saying no more but this author has done it again very addictive and twisty i thought i had it worked out but no was shocked so recommend this authors books

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read this Arc.
A little girl goes missing in the hall of mirrors while at the fair with her grandmother.
Her parents, instead of pulling together in their devastation, seem to be falling apart.
With no leads forthcoming in the days following the abduction time is running out.
A delicious twist at the end.
Shalini Boland never disappoints. Another brilliant book.

This book is another masterpiece from the queen of psychological thrillers. I have been completely hooked and this has to be one of my favourite books yet.
As soon as this one was announced, I had to be a part of it and I have not been disappointed. This has been a rollercoaster of a read and one that I wish I could experience for the first time again.
I have loved the variety of characters present in this book. Some you instantly like and others you cannot help be suspicious of. I have tried to work out this one, extremely unsuccessfully and Boland has laced the plot with enough tension and suspense to keep you on edge throughout.
A missing child is everyone's worse nightmare and this is a book that has definitely given me chills. I've been thinking about this book even when not reading. It's a plot that stays with you and keeps you thinking.
I have read the majority of Shalini's books and this is high on the list of favourites. This is a unique and suspenseful read which will keep you turning the page wanting more. I have been so engrossed and immersed in this one, I have felt as though I have been watching the events play out in front of me.
I adore the cover, it catches your eye and makes you want to know more about this one. The story itself definitely doesn't disappoint. This is gripping and completely tense from the very first chapter.
I 100% recommend this book! Shalini Boland is a superb author and this is truly another masterpiece. Five stars does not do this book justice.

Once again Shalini Boland does not disappoint. This time we concentrate on a missing child who vanishes in the hall of mirrors when her Grandmother is looking after her. As the child parents start to fall apart at the seems and all leads leading nowhere the family are shocked to find out maybe someone closer to home is responsible and will they ever find the child. Loved it!!

#MyLittleGirl #NetGalley
Boland is getting better with each book.
Beatrice has gone missing. Her mother Claire’s whole world has been turned upside down in just one moment and she can’t stop shaking. She’s desperate to find her precious daughter, but nothing about the day she disappeared makes sense…
The mother-in-law: Jill was meant to be looking after Beatrice. She says she didn’t take her eyes off the little girl but her version of events doesn’t add up… Claire has never got on with her, so why should she trust her now?The husband: He should have been with their only child. Instead, he changed the plans without telling Claire. She didn’t think there were any secrets between them, but maybe she was wrong?
The first wife: Laurel has always been jealous of Claire’s family. Has her husband’s ex-wife taken her daughter?
I would highly recommend this book to everyone because of its plot and narration.
I'm doing more promotion on its release date among my fellow Authors Bloggers Family Friends and followers.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me an advanced copy of this psychological thriller.