The Night Nanny's Secret

by Kathryn Whitfield

YOUR NIGHTMARE IS ONLY JUST BEGINNING . . .

New mum Lucy couldn't be more in love with her twin baby boys, but with her husband Andrew's return to long hours at work, she's left to deal with the sleepless nights alone. When her best friend Nina suggests they hire a night nanny, Lucy jumps at the opportunity - much to the distaste of her overbearing mother-in-law.

But Evie is a natural with the boys and the extra sleep means the days are more manageable. Slowly but surely, Lucy is a finding a way back to her old self and soon, she might even be ready to get back to running the gym she owns with Nina.

Then things begin to go missing, the doubts start creeping in and Lucy finds she can't keep track of the truth. Is it baby brain, or could there be a side to Evie she's not letting on? And when the future of Lucy's business is threatened, she starts down a path that might lead her to uncover some long-buried truths about their small town.

These secrets might tear her family apart - from the inside out.

---

From the author of The Family at Number 11 comes a brand-new twisting and gripping domestic suspense that will have you turning the page long into the night. If you love Nelle Lamarr, Frieda McFadden and Daniel Hurst, you'll love The Night Nanny's Secret.

Readers love Kathryn Whitfield's compulsive novels!

'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ I. LOVED. IT.'

'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ If you like Lisa Jewell or Louise Candlish novels you will love The Family At Number 11 . . . fantastic'

'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ This book is amazing, a proper page turner . . . My mind is literally blown. 100% recommend'

'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ A thrilling read . . . I would recommend this book to everyone. It is that good'

'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ I was gripped from the very beginning'

'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Suspenseful, pacey page-turner . . . genuinely unputdownable and I can't remember the last book I could say that about'

'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Claustrophobic and suspensful'

Genres: Thriller

336 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 5, 2024

Reviews

[Jennifer Bendel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Possible spoiler

This book just wasn’t for me. The plot sounded really good but it never pulled together. The first 60% of the book nothing at all happens. It’s just a mom getting a nanny. No drama, no suspense, nothing. Then a couple of small things happen but the nanny ultimately had nothing to do with anything. She ended up being related to a random character but she wasn’t sinister or mysterious at all. The end got a little bit wild but it didn’t pull together somehow and I didn’t care by then. The characters throughout the book seemed very inconsistent which also made it hard to enjoy the book.

[Teresa Nikolic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucy and Andrew are new parents to twin boys who they adore but, with Andrew's job as a surgeon meaning he has to work long hours, it's hard for Lucy to cope on her own, so when her best friend and business partner Nina suggests they hire a nanny to look after the boys at night Lucy is immediately invested in the idea, even though Andrew isn't, and his mother even less so. Lucy eventually convinces Andrew that it will be good for them as they'll get much needed sleep so they interview and employ Evie, who immediately settles into her new role and Lucy can start thinking about when she may return to work, then things start going missing and long buried secrets begin to unravel and Lucy doesn't know who she can trust anymore.

The Night Nanny's Secret starts off as a slow burner told from the perspective of Lucy in the present day with flashbacks to the year 2000 when Andrew was a teenager. The first half of the story mapped out the background of the characters and, while it was at times repetitive, it was easy to follow and with later events did make sense in the end. During the second half things began to ramp up when the two timelines collide, with lots of twists, secrets and lies and eventually we discover why Andrew was so against getting a nanny for his boys. It's a well crafted plot with creepy undertones, some really interesting characters and a great ending. This is the first I've read by this author but have since discovered I have her previous book on my kindle so I look forward to reading that and more of her work in the future.

I'd like to thank Headline and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

[Talou Thomo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this. Read in one sitting, gripping from start to finish. I loved the guessing, the twists and the thrill of the plot.

[Bee 🐝 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really easy to read, the plot of the book was great, characters were easy to understand. Only gave 3 stars because I feel like there was a few unnecessary parts in it. Overall good book!

[Krys · Rating 2 out of 5]

My Rating: 2 (would have been 2.5) stars out of 5

Trigger Warning and full disclaimer, I knocked an half a star from this review due to the unnecessary death of a pet. I understand the author was trying to emphasize just how cruel this particular character could be, but I will never condone violence against animals for the shock value, especially when there are other ways that the same point could have been driven home to the reader. I would have taken a full star, but decided to be generous since the death itself happened off the page.

Moving on to the rest of this story, this was a hard one to remain invested in as the first half drags on with repeated information that just isn't needed. First it was with the details of Lucy's exhaustion. I get it, she's a new mom to twins nonetheless and her husband (while he tries to occasionally be helpful) is still the only one working leaving the majority of the late-night work to her, so once they hired on their night nanny, I expected these details to become less so that we could move on to the real plot of the story. Sadly, I was mistaken as we were somehow bogged down with even more details. Of how Evie helped Lucy feed the twins, bathe the twins, change their diapers, change them for bed, etc.

About halfway through, we start getting other details thrown at us. Some money goes missing, Evie seems to overstep in certain areas, and a potential threat to Lucy's business rise up. All at once. And of course peppered throughout is the occasional visit from Lucy's mother-in-law, who seems to ooze disdain at everything Lucy does (or doesn't do as the case may be). But even then, the night-time routines of the twins seem to still take center stage to the point there were several times that I almost gave up on this novel. I desperately wanted MORE. Even the little bits that painted Evie in a not-so-flattering light were so few and far between that I found myself losing interest in this novel as there wasn't enough non-domestic drama happening to entice me to keep reading.

I feel I should also mention at this point that this novel does have dual timelines with certain events happening in present day, and others happening back when Andrew and his friends were teenagers. And even with that dual telling, I still found myself getting bored. Who cares what a group of bored teenagers were doing with their summer vacation back in 2000?

And then all of the sudden as we reached the last third of the novel, it was like a switch was flipped and the author suddenly remembered the plot. A lot of things started happening at once, and while the book did become a lot more interesting for me, I also found one particular plot point to be completely inconceivable (mainly the fact that if someone was so obviously in such an altered mental status that they attempted to harm themselves, they would have been placed on an immediate psychiatric hold and not allowed to just sign themselves out and leave). But by this point, it was too little too late as far as I was concerned. I would have much rather had all of this drama be spread out over more of the novel instead of just rushing at a breakneck speed towards the conclusion.

However, I do think that even with the issues that I had with this one (the trigger warning notwithstanding), this book may still appeal to those who enjoy suspense novels that are slow to get going, but once they do, go out with a bang.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

[Sian Morant · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my second book from this author, and it's another superb psychological thriller.
Andrew, a doctor and Lucy, a gym co-owner have just welcomed the birth of twin baby boys. As with all new parents, they end up completely sleep-deprived. Struggling with all the issues of first parenthood x 2, Lucy starts to doubt her ability as a mother. She tries to convince Andrew they need official help with childcare. At first. he is dead against the idea, but Lucy eventually talks him around. They employ young Evie as a night nanny so that they can catch up with some much-needed sleep. At first, all is well. Evie seems to cope well with the twins, a little too well as she makes Lucy feel inadequate and defensive. Then she starts to question certain aspects of Evie’s behaviour. Her doubts are further exacerbated when money and other items start disappearing. Is Evie sincere or does she have an ulterior motive in seeking work with Lucy and Andrew?
The book is written from both the past and present perspectives. Initially, I thought it be a little slow going, with too much focus on how Lucy was not coping, but it soon became fast-paced and a real page-turner. With multiple twists, The Night Nanny’s Secret is a well-written thriller with creepy undertones.
If you like the genre of psychological thrillers with a creepy vibe, this should definitely be on your list to read
My sincere thanks to NetGalley, Kathryn Whitfield and especially Headline Books for the much-appreciated ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.

[Shawna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this psychological thriller to pull me in right away. Lucy and Andrew are brand new, sleep deprived, parents to twin boys. With Andrew finishing up his parental leave, Lucy finds that just as she gets one baby settled, the other needs her attention - day and night, resulting in essentially no sleep.

At the suggestion of her bestie, Nina, she convinces Andrew to hire a night nanny a few nights a week, so they can get some rest and be more present for the boys and each other. Not only does she sense a strange reluctance from her husband, but this decision gives her stuffy and judgmental mother in law more fodder. Evie, the nanny, is wonderful with the boys. Coincidentally, strange things start happening planting doubts about Evie's character.

A separate timeline tells of Andrew's upbringing and escapades from his teen years. Let's just say the past is not always hidden away like one may wish.

Full of wild twists, and just the right amount of small details, I had trouble putting it down! This story seems like something that could unfold in your very own neighborhood. The bags under my eyes prove that I stayed up way too late to finish the story.

Thanks to NetGalley, Headline | Headline Accent, and Kathryn Whitfield for the eARC.
#TheNightNannysSecret #NetGalley

[Morag Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an enjoyable, original story by Kathryn Whitfield. The story is that of Lucy, a new mum struggling with extreme fatigue following the birth of her twin boys. Best friend and business partner, Nina, suggests a night nanny and Lucy is instantly drawn to young Evie to fulfil this role. Things in the home start to go awry and suspicions as to Evie's intentions are cast. Thrown into the mix, we are privy to Evie's internal dialogue and it is A LOT!!

In a seemingly unrelated event, Lucy discovers that her husbands childhood friend, Carl, is planning to set up a business that will directly impact the success of the gym she runs with Nina. Though seemingly unrelated these event are linked in mysterious and quite frankly pretty dark, ways!

This book is wonderfully original, well written and utterly gripping - all in all, a novel I would wholeheartedly recommend!

My thanks to NetGalley, authors and publisher for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an advance copy.

[Farah G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lucy and Andrew are new parents, struggling with fatigue as a result of dealing with their twin babies. Lucy shares a business venture with her best friend Nina who suggests that the couple get a night nanny, so that they can sleep more and are better equipped to deal with their baby boys.

All seems to be working out well initially with Evie, who handles the children very well, enabling the exhausted pair to catch up on their sleep to some degree. But soon inconsistencies emerge and Lucy is unsure whether this is a result of hormone related memory issues aka pregnancy brain, or something more sinister...

I found the pacing of this story to be less than satisfactory, which adversely affected my opinion of the book. It does have certain strengths, which lie primarily in the plotting of the story. A smoother pace in the storytelling would have done better justice to the book itself, but it is still worth a read.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

[Marlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Night Nanny’s Secret by Kaitlyn Whitfield is a psychological thriller that follows a family’s decision to hire a night nanny to help with their newborn. While the arrangement initially seems perfect, strange events begin to unravel, exposing hidden secrets and lies. As trust crumbles, the family must confront the unsettling truth about the person they invited into their home.

I found The Night Nanny’s Secret to be a mixed bag. The book starts off quite slow, with the first half feeling a bit repetitive as the groundwork is laid for the story. However, once the second half kicks in, the pace picks up and I was drawn into the twists and turns. The suspense builds nicely, and the revelations in the latter half make up for the sluggish start.

While the beginning could have been more dynamic, I enjoyed how the story wrapped up and appreciated the clever plotting in the end. Fans of slow-burn thrillers with a big finish will likely enjoy this book.
3.5/5

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded up to 3. So, this is a new to me author I liked the premise of the book so decided to give it a try. This book starts slow. And I do mean slow. It drags all the way past the half way point with repetitive information and honestly, if it were not an ARC, I wouldn't have finished it. Things picked up around 60 percent but a lot of things didn't make sense to me. I felt the characters were very one dimensional and flat. I needed to know more. I again found a lot of holes and things that just needed more explaining and a lot of things that needed much less explaining. In a nutshell, Lucy has twins, but her husband needs to travel for work so they hire a night nanny, Evie.

Thank you to Headline Accent and Netgalley for the ARC. I greatly appreciate it. I cannot, in good faith, recommend this book. I'm sorry.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucy and Andrew have had twins, and are sleep deprived. They employ Evie as a night nanny, who copes well with the twins so they can catch up on sleep.
Lucy trusts Evie, until money and other goods go missing.

Switching between the past and the present, I found the book to be a little slow in the beginning.
Then the twists started. Yes, twists to make you whip your head around and wonder what the heck just happened!
I don't want to say too much, as I don't want to spoil anyone's opinion of this book, but I can see why Andrew wasn't happy about getting a night nanny.
If you want a page turner, this is the book for you.

Thanks to Netgalley and Headline for the opportunity to read this book.

[Sarah Bloomfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many thanks to netgalley, the author and publisher for approving my request to read this book.

I enjoyed this book which centres around Andrew and Lucy who have just welcomed twin baby boys. Struggling with the intensity of parenthood and the sleepless nights they employ a young night nanny called Evie to help them.

I can't go into too much detail without giving much away but there are twists aplenty throughout this story which flicks between past and present really well.

Well written and fast paced with a touch of creepiness The Night Nanny's Secret is an enjoyable psychological thriller which I would recommend for fans of this particular genre-I look forward to more from this author.

[Jemma Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't really enjoy this book,the plot sounded really great, and I expected a lot of suspense throughout, but for the first 70% of the book, nothing happens other than a woman hiring a nanny and readjusting to life after having twin boys, who she is struggling taken care of herself while her husband is at work. The ending was a little interesting, but nothing that WOWED me, to be honest, I think the buildup to it was disappointing due to the slow pace up until then, so I was bored with it.

I’ll give it 2.5 stars so I’ll round it up to 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
If it didn’t have so many unnecessary chapters and more drama and suspense I would’ve liked it better.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Headline and NetGalley for an early copy of The Night Nanny’s Secret. This was a good read. The description of the babies moves like eating, grunting and noises they make were so real, it brought back memories of my children when they were that small. I won’t give any spoilers away but one of the characters really was abused badly and the twist in that was WOW!!! I liked the characters very much, fast reading and I couldn’t wait to see what was happening. The only downfall was the ending, too much unreal drama unfolded but all in all a great book.

[Tracy ann Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

my first read from this Author and very much enjoyed, Luce and Andrew have 2 beautiful twin baby boys. but with Andrew's job Luce not coping with no sleep and the night feeds, her best friend and work partner suggests a night nanny. Andrew is not keen, but she persuades him. everything starts ok but then things go missing and Andrews best friend is opening a gym right buy hers someone will do everything to keep the secrets safe a very addictive and twisty read

[Laura Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Night Nanny's Secret by Kathryn Whitfield.
Release date set for the 5th of December.
Thus is a great book.
Personally for me it was a little slow to start with but it was soon picked up and was a great book.
Good twists.
I for one will never hire a nanny... who am I kidding I couldn't afford one anyway ha

[Nicola Poole · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant psychological suspense.

A really relatable story of early parenthood. Very easy to get hooked into the characters lives. Suddenly, it becomes very dark and it is difficult to know where the story is going, but oh my goodness, I was unable to put this book down. I would highly recommend this book by Kathryn Whitfield.

[Susan Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good read

I enjoyed this book it was one of those books you can't put down, you need to find out what happens next. This book could definitely become a film it's got lots of twists & turns. Thought Kathryns 1st book was very good but this booked was even better.

[Kirstie Wallace-Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wasn’t for me. Slow burn took to long for anything to happen.
It’s fine if you like that but we basically got Lucy’s routine for the first 80% of the book. I DNF I couldn’t stay interested. I hate wasting time and money and usually push through.

[Rachel Stephens · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started off well with potential, but then just got too confusing and nothing about the original storyline, to a point that I couldn’t wait to finish it as it was all a bit of a mish mash of storyline!

[Stacey Wetzel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn’t enjoy this book at all. It was a slow burner for me, i was bored reading it I had to force myself to finish. Nothing happens until you’re more than halfway through the book. There were no “wow” or “OMG” moments, nothing at all got me excited to read the next chapter. Not for me this one.

[Ang · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just 3 stars. Mainly for the ending! Didn't really find this one too much of a page turner and found I skimmed many pages. I'm in a reading slump atm which may have contributed to my lack of enthusiasm reading this one at this time. Loved the ending tho!

[Chyns Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started off good.. then the middle became boring then towards the end started getting boring again.. we didnt find out what happened with the gym? Or the bestfriend!

[Lucy Johnstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

absolutely brilliant, hooked from start to finish

[Emma ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Bethan Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finished in a few days. Good book I did enjoy it. Took a little while to get into and I feel the ending was very long winded

[Dorset_dreamer · Rating 2 out of 5]

meh...

[Lauren Carter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent book to be fair, had me hooked. However, the first half of the book is just about a woman getting a nanny. It seemed very plain for the first part. The last part is decent though!

[Sue Hickling · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so good .