This book was so interesting. The characters are well developed. The author keeps you engaged throughout the whole book. The author has done a lot of research.

Slow moving and tedious novel about an interest topic. This was not for me, sorry. Thanks for the review copy though.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
Contrary to the blurb about this book I didn't know anything about the Lindbergh case so I was looking forward to the promised 'psychological thriller'. I didn't warm to the characters, particularly the nanny whose background story was hinted at (a past lover who did something we weren't told). Details given about 'the baby' didn't seem to add up: he's barely 12 months old but sat on the potty each night and 'going to school next year'. Betty's relationship with the rest of the staff seemed very strange and they constantly snipe about each other. I got to just over a quarter through and gave up reading.

Fantastic storyline and characters and had me reading well into the night. Prepare for a whirlwind of emotions and suspense in this expertly crafted narrative that's sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Any fan of historical fiction, or of a ripping good read will be beguiled by this book. Exquisite writing. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Many thanx to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for allowing me to read and review this book.

I started to read this with very high hopes, we all know the story regarding the kidnapping of this baby. But I very soon felt the book becoming rather boring and not what I expected. Some of the narrative was rather elongated and not too believable. I managed to claw my way to the end but didn't enjoy what I thought would be an interesting, enjoyable book.

The Lindbergh Nanny tells the story of the events surrounding the disappearance and murder of toddler Charlie Lindberg in 1932, through the eyes of his young, Scottish Nanny, Betty Gow.

Charlie was the first-born son of the famous Lindberg aviators and, although a conviction was eventually made, a lot of mystery remains surrounding the motive for the crime and whether anyone else was involved.

I must admit I wasn't familiar with this case before reading the book, so I came to it without preconceptions. I understand, of course, that much of the book is fictional (conversations etc) and the author explains this in their closing chapter, distinguising between what was based on fact and what was conjecture. A well-written, compelling read and i'm intrigued to find out more about this story!

The tragic and still beguiling story of the kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby remains almost as fascinating today as it was at the time, which will ensure interest in this fictional retelling from the viewpoint of his nanny, Betty. Scottish-born, she travels to America to reunite with an older lover who lets her down, leaves her employment under a cloud but is engaged as nurse to little Charlie, son of the famous aviator, celebrity and hero of the day. He is a remote and frequently absent father with strict ideas on child-raising, demanding that his toddler son needs to learn “independence,” and he and his wife are frequently absent from home, leaving Betty and the other servants as primary carers for the child. Her genuine love for Charlie shines through the book. However, the publicity surrounding the Lindberghs and the constant media intrusion make Charlie a target, and Betty will not be able to save him from danger. Is she to blame for the kidnap, or is it someone else in the household? Did she lower her guard and trust too much, or has this terrible event caused former friends to turn on each other? This is an interesting version of the story, with the first half telling the story of the family and Betty’s time working for them, and the second being the fallout of the kidnap, the investigation and the aftermath for the household. The action does slow down rather in the middle as the police search for the baby, but slowly the pieces of the mystery begin to fit together and a culprit is identified. What is clear is that these lives will never be the same again. Moving and often intriguing, this is a well-researched and illuminating account of a shocking and unforgotten crime, given resonance through the account of someone at the centre of the action and with everything at stake.

Like most people of my age I’ve heard of the Lindbergh kidnapping and so it’s no surprise that the subject matter would be of interest. I started reading it with thoughts that it was probably based on research of the crime records and was happy to find the execution of the plot wasn’t too heavy. In fact this fictionalised ‘perhaps this is how it happened’ was quite interesting.
The background to the nanny forms almost half of the book but her story was told well. However I did find myself waiting for the kidnapping to happen and then the after story felt a little flat but only because I did know what had happened in real life.

4.5*

I'm always fascinated by true crime - the story of 20 month old baby, Charlie Lindbergh, occurring in America in the early 1930s is of course so well known and here Mariah Fredericks has taken true facts and fictionalised them around from the perspective of the nanny who was charged with his care.

Initially from Scotland, Betty Gow was employed as a nanny (or nurse) to the Lindberghs. She had to follow their exacting parenting rules with regard to baby Charlie which even to my inexperienced mind seemed rather harsh and raised questions of safety, especially considering their public profile. Colonel Charles Lindbergh, considered by many of his countrymen to be a hero, seemed a complex character with somewhat of a controlling influence in the marriage with his wife following in his wake.

There are many characters who have an impact on the story in some way, both from the rather large household of the Morrows (Anne Morrow Lindbergh's parents), and in the Lindbergh house itself. There are too many to get to know in detail, but certain characters form a backdrop to Betty's life with the couple with one person in particular having a romantic presence in her life.

The story covers Betty's arrival in the household, the time of the kidnapping and subsequent police investigation and then through to her life afterwards. We see her impressions of Col Charles Lindbergh and his fellow aviator wife Anne, her life as part of their household and how much baby Charlie meant to her. There was one particular event in Betty's life that revealed the selfishness and thoughtlessness of her employers and I felt so sorry for her. As regards to the kidnapping, I was holding my breath in the lead up to this happening and wished that I was reading pure fiction instead of an awful true event.

My initial reaction to Betty was that she was a little prickly, although the more her voice came through the pages, she became an engaging and sympathetic character. The older Betty I had a great deal of admiration for. The public vitriol and hate didn't seem to end for her, even when she tried to move on with her life and she showed an amazing strength of character. The police investigation seemed particularly brutal to employees like Betty and other Morrow staff who were considered suspects and as history shows, with tragic results.

Mariah Fredericks has written a fascinating and detailed re-imagining of life within the Lindbergh household and the reactions of so many to the heartbreaking turn of events and I thoroughly enjoyed this captivating and atmospheric story. The blend of fact and fiction has clearly been intricately researched - at the end is a short piece on the Real Betty Gow, as well as information as which parts were fictionalised which was extremely interesting. Also included are details of the research sources and if I had more time and fewer books to read, I would be very tempted to follow some of these up.

Atmospheric, Immersive…
The story of the kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby told from the perspective of the Lindbergh nanny - Betty Gow. Making good use of historical facts and narratives, the author weaves a fictional tale around the infamous kidnapping - cleverly told from the perspective of the one woman who found herself at the very centre of the scandal, the first to find the baby missing as well as the last to see him. Atmospheric, immersive and beautifully done.

This book was particularly hard going. Although tackling the tough subject of the disappearance of baby Chas Lindbergh the story was hard going. You didn’t gel with any of the characters and at times felt very monotonous. I ended up skim reading just to get to the end. Won’t be making my top books of the year.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to see an ARC

Perhaps one of the best historical fiction books I've read this year, I was gripped right from the beginning. I knew bits of the story of the kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh jr and his subsequent death. This however, is told from the viewpoint of the nanny.
An excellent novel and a highly recommended read!
Thanks to NetGalley and Headline for the opportunity to read and review this arc.

I really enjoyed this book. Excellent read with great characters and a really good storyline. I would recommend this book.

Obviously I knew bits of this historic story. I resisted the urge to Google before the ending. A great book thats tels the history from the angle of the nanny. Loved it.

I am starting to read more historical fiction and I love stories such as these which tell the 'story' behind an event which we know a lot about.

An excellent novel and highly recommended.

Thanks to Headline Review and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I wasn't aware of the true story behind this book but I will definitely be doing more research into it. This book was one of the best books I have read this year. The writing was so engaging and I was riveted right from the get go. I didn't want to put it down I had to know what happens. A fantastic read.

This is retelling of the true story of the kidnapping of 20 month old Charles Lindbergh jr who was the son of Anne Morrow Lindbergh and Colonel Charles Lindbergh a famous golden couple. The eccentric Colonel Lindbergh famed for his flight across the Atlantic took great pains to keep his sons life and pictures out of the spotlight so the kidnapping was a massive story in the press and was reported worldwide becoming one the most talked about cases even today.
This fictional story uses historical facts and accounts following the case and mainly from the point of view of the Lindbergh’s nanny Betty Gow a Scottish immigrant who at the time was herself a suspect in the case.
I really enjoyed this book I had read quite a lot about the case and so was interested in how the book would portray the happenings and I think the author did a magnificent job it certainly kept me hooked especially all many of the details were true.
So a lot of information the book was written in such a way that although it was fiction most of the characters were real people and the facts and places were taken from real life making it an excellent read.
My thanks to NetGalley and Headline for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I am fascinated with this book. I have read bits about the case over the years but I love when authors find a new angle and do some kickass research to get it so good. I thought I was there chatting to the nanny. She was the last one to see the baby. Good author note at back detailing research and why she was fascinated to write this. A really good read and a must buy!