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Annika
Annika is missing.
Harvey is addicted to sex apps.
Daphne is living with a sex addict father.
Their worlds collide.
Harvey is addicted to sex apps.
Daphne is living with a sex addict father.
Their worlds collide.
277 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 17, 2026
About the author
Kelly Creighton
25 books61 followersKelly Creighton is a Northern Irish novelist, crime writer, short story writer, playwright and poet.
She is the author of the Belfast based DI Harriet Sloane series (Friday Press):
THE SLEEPING SEASON, Sloane #1,
PROBLEMS WITH GIRLS, Sloane #2,
THE TOWN RED, Sloane #3.
The fourth instalment is coming in spring 2023.
SOULS WAX FAIR, a Me Too literary thriller set against the beautiful backdrop of South Dakota, will be released in May 2022.
Kelly has two short story collections:
BANK HOLIDAY HURRICANE (Doire Press), longlisted for the Edge Hill Prize and shortlisted for a Saboteur Award.
EVERYBODY'S HAPPY (Incubator Editions) was supported with a SIAP award.
THE BONES OF IT (Liberties Press; reissued by Incubator Editions) was the San Diego Book Review novel of the year 2015.
She co-edited UNDERNEATH THE TREE: Twelve Christmas stories from Writers in Northern Ireland; a multi-genre anthology.
Kelly is the founding editor of The Incubator, an online literary journal showcasing the contemporary Irish short story.
Kelly lives with her family in Co Down where she teaches English as a foreign language, facilitates creative writing workshops for community groups and schools, and mentors new writers.
She is the author of the Belfast based DI Harriet Sloane series (Friday Press):
THE SLEEPING SEASON, Sloane #1,
PROBLEMS WITH GIRLS, Sloane #2,
THE TOWN RED, Sloane #3.
The fourth instalment is coming in spring 2023.
SOULS WAX FAIR, a Me Too literary thriller set against the beautiful backdrop of South Dakota, will be released in May 2022.
Kelly has two short story collections:
BANK HOLIDAY HURRICANE (Doire Press), longlisted for the Edge Hill Prize and shortlisted for a Saboteur Award.
EVERYBODY'S HAPPY (Incubator Editions) was supported with a SIAP award.
THE BONES OF IT (Liberties Press; reissued by Incubator Editions) was the San Diego Book Review novel of the year 2015.
She co-edited UNDERNEATH THE TREE: Twelve Christmas stories from Writers in Northern Ireland; a multi-genre anthology.
Kelly is the founding editor of The Incubator, an online literary journal showcasing the contemporary Irish short story.
Kelly lives with her family in Co Down where she teaches English as a foreign language, facilitates creative writing workshops for community groups and schools, and mentors new writers.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
There’s something quietly terrifying about a story that begins in the snow.
From its opening image — a mother, a stroller, a disappearance — Annika announces itself as the kind of thriller that doesn’t shout. It watches. It waits. And then it tightens.
Kelly Creighton writes with a control that feels deliberate and dangerous. The tension isn’t manufactured; it seeps in. Harvey’s account of events fractures in subtle but undeniable ways, and the cracks are where the unease lives. Nothing feels exaggerated, which makes everything more disturbing.
The dual thread involving thirteen-year-old Daphne adds an unexpected and deeply compelling layer. Her voice — insistent, observant, aware that the adults around her are failing in ways they refuse to name — brings emotional weight to the mystery. The way the novel explores identity, vulnerability, and the stories we tell to survive is handled with precision. Daphne’s instinct that “trouble finds her” becomes more than a teenage refrain; it becomes a lens through which we see generational damage taking shape.
What makes Annika stand out is its refusal to sensationalize. This is domestic noir in its purest form — fractured families, addiction, secrets carried like heirlooms, and danger that originates not in strangers, but at the kitchen table. Creighton understands that the most unsettling truths are the ones closest to home.
The pacing is taut, the psychological undercurrent steady, and the emotional stakes feel real. You don’t just want to know what happened — you need to understand why.
Dark, intelligent, and quietly devastating, Annika proves that some of the most dangerous places are the ones we call family.
From its opening image — a mother, a stroller, a disappearance — Annika announces itself as the kind of thriller that doesn’t shout. It watches. It waits. And then it tightens.
Kelly Creighton writes with a control that feels deliberate and dangerous. The tension isn’t manufactured; it seeps in. Harvey’s account of events fractures in subtle but undeniable ways, and the cracks are where the unease lives. Nothing feels exaggerated, which makes everything more disturbing.
The dual thread involving thirteen-year-old Daphne adds an unexpected and deeply compelling layer. Her voice — insistent, observant, aware that the adults around her are failing in ways they refuse to name — brings emotional weight to the mystery. The way the novel explores identity, vulnerability, and the stories we tell to survive is handled with precision. Daphne’s instinct that “trouble finds her” becomes more than a teenage refrain; it becomes a lens through which we see generational damage taking shape.
What makes Annika stand out is its refusal to sensationalize. This is domestic noir in its purest form — fractured families, addiction, secrets carried like heirlooms, and danger that originates not in strangers, but at the kitchen table. Creighton understands that the most unsettling truths are the ones closest to home.
The pacing is taut, the psychological undercurrent steady, and the emotional stakes feel real. You don’t just want to know what happened — you need to understand why.
Dark, intelligent, and quietly devastating, Annika proves that some of the most dangerous places are the ones we call family.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Annika is a dark, elegant domestic noir that slips under your skin from the very first page. It has that quiet, creeping tension I love—nothing loud or showy, just a steady tightening of dread as two seemingly separate lives begin to circle the same devastating truth. The atmosphere is wintry and brittle, full of unspoken fears and the kind of family secrets that warp everything they touch.
Annika’s disappearance is the spark, but the emotional weight comes from the fractures already running through these families. Harvey’s account never quite settles, and the police sense it immediately—those subtle cracks that make you lean in closer. And then there’s Daphne, whose voice is one of the novel’s strongest elements: sharp, vulnerable, and heartbreakingly aware of the danger she keeps insisting she attracts. Her chapters carry a raw honesty that makes the unfolding mystery feel even more unsettling.
The story moves with a taut, deliberate pace, weaving past and present into a pattern that only becomes clear when you’re right on top of it. The author handles the themes of trust, trauma, and the danger that begins at home with a deft, compassionate touch. It’s twisty without ever feeling contrived, and the emotional undercurrents give the final reveals real impact.
Moody, gripping, and beautifully written, Annika is a standout domestic thriller—one that lingers long after the last page, not just for its twists but for the haunting humanity at its core.
With thanks to Kelly Creighton, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
Annika’s disappearance is the spark, but the emotional weight comes from the fractures already running through these families. Harvey’s account never quite settles, and the police sense it immediately—those subtle cracks that make you lean in closer. And then there’s Daphne, whose voice is one of the novel’s strongest elements: sharp, vulnerable, and heartbreakingly aware of the danger she keeps insisting she attracts. Her chapters carry a raw honesty that makes the unfolding mystery feel even more unsettling.
The story moves with a taut, deliberate pace, weaving past and present into a pattern that only becomes clear when you’re right on top of it. The author handles the themes of trust, trauma, and the danger that begins at home with a deft, compassionate touch. It’s twisty without ever feeling contrived, and the emotional undercurrents give the final reveals real impact.
Moody, gripping, and beautifully written, Annika is a standout domestic thriller—one that lingers long after the last page, not just for its twists but for the haunting humanity at its core.
With thanks to Kelly Creighton, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I received an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley.
Annika is a psychological thriller with dark themes, including several potential triggers, and a twisty plot. The novel is presented from two points of view: Harvey, a sex-addict and Daphne, the daughter of a sex-addict.
While I was initially hooked in the opening scene, and found some scenes to be very engaging, the story didn't land for me overall. Creighton is ambitious in her complex storyline. She isn't afraid to reveal several important themes and behaviors that authors may typically shy away from. While the story is suspenseful, and the plot is creative and shocking, I struggled to connect with the characters and setting. Annika is set in the Southeastern US, specifically Atlanta. However, there are frequent moments throughout the narration and dialogue during which the cultural nuances and speech patterns feel inauthentic with regards to the region. In addition, there were several times lengthy dialogue stalled the plot - or complicated it - instead of moving it forward.
Nonetheless, Annika will keep you guessing from the start. It is a compelling read for those interested in dark psychological thrillers that explore trauma, addiction, and identity.
Annika is a psychological thriller with dark themes, including several potential triggers, and a twisty plot. The novel is presented from two points of view: Harvey, a sex-addict and Daphne, the daughter of a sex-addict.
While I was initially hooked in the opening scene, and found some scenes to be very engaging, the story didn't land for me overall. Creighton is ambitious in her complex storyline. She isn't afraid to reveal several important themes and behaviors that authors may typically shy away from. While the story is suspenseful, and the plot is creative and shocking, I struggled to connect with the characters and setting. Annika is set in the Southeastern US, specifically Atlanta. However, there are frequent moments throughout the narration and dialogue during which the cultural nuances and speech patterns feel inauthentic with regards to the region. In addition, there were several times lengthy dialogue stalled the plot - or complicated it - instead of moving it forward.
Nonetheless, Annika will keep you guessing from the start. It is a compelling read for those interested in dark psychological thrillers that explore trauma, addiction, and identity.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Annika is a dark, unsettling domestic thriller which starts with Annika disappearing with her young daughter on a snowy night.
This story is told from multiple viewpoints and each character in this book is deeply flawed for various reasons which are explored in great depth with each page that is turned.
I liked this authors writing style and she really shows us in this book that the most dangerous people you can meet are the ones you already know.
Overall I enjoyed this book and would recommend if you are a domestic thriller fan though I would suggest that the author includes some trigger warnings if they haven't already as there are some uncomfortable events in this book that some may find very upsetting and that you check these before you read it.
Many thanks to netgalley, the author and the publisher for approving my request to read this book.
This story is told from multiple viewpoints and each character in this book is deeply flawed for various reasons which are explored in great depth with each page that is turned.
I liked this authors writing style and she really shows us in this book that the most dangerous people you can meet are the ones you already know.
Overall I enjoyed this book and would recommend if you are a domestic thriller fan though I would suggest that the author includes some trigger warnings if they haven't already as there are some uncomfortable events in this book that some may find very upsetting and that you check these before you read it.
Many thanks to netgalley, the author and the publisher for approving my request to read this book.
Did Not Finish
March 21, 2026I honestly thought I was so going to like this book because it look so good but please check the trigger warning there are so topic that may be a little to much
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews