The Trophy Child

by Paula Daly

Paula Daly is acclaimed for her distinctive voice, masterful plotting, and terrifying depictions of ordinary people whose everyday lives are turned upside down through deception and murder. In her unsettling new domestic thriller, The Trophy Child, Daly digs beneath the serene surface of the idyllic suburban Lake District community where families strive for perfection, delivering a suspenseful, surprising story of motherhood and fallibility.

Karen Bloom is not the coddling mother type. She believes in raising her children for success. Some in the neighborhood call her assertive, others say she’s driven, but in gossiping circles she’s known as: the tiger mother. Karen believes that tough discipline is the true art of parenting and that achievement leads to ultimate happiness. She expects her husband and her children to perform at 200 percent—no matter the cost. But in an unending quest for excellence, her seemingly flawless family start to rebel against her.

Her husband Noel is a handsome doctor with a proclivity for alcohol and women. Their prodigy daughter, Bronte, is excelling at school, music lessons, dance classes, and yet she longs to run away. Verity, Noel’s teenage daughter from his first marriage, is starting to display aggressive behavior. And Karen’s son from a previous relationship falls deeper into drug use. When tragedy strikes the Blooms, Karen’s carefully constructed facade begins to fall apart—and once the deadly cracks appear, they are impossible to stop.

A thrilling tale of ambition and murder, Daly’s richly imagined world of suburban striving and motherly love is an absorbing page-turner about the illusions of perfection and the power games between husband and wife, parent and child.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Contemporary

352 pages, Hardcover

First published January 26, 2017

About the author

Paula Daly is the acclaimed author of six novels. Her work has been sold in sixteen countries, shortlisted for CWA Gold Dagger award, and developed for the ITV drama, DEEP WATER, starring Anna Friel. She was born in Lancashire and lives in the Lake District with her family.

Reviews

[Deanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

My reviews can also be seen at: https://deesradreadsandreviews.wordpr...

This is the third book by Paula Daly that I have read. I really enjoyed the first two books so I was pretty sure I would like this one too.

As the book opens we meet sixteen-year-old, Verity Bloom. Verity does not usually get into trouble and is a great student. However, right now she's about to submit her urine for her PE teacher to test. After an incident with her step-mother, her father made a deal that she could remain part of the school ONLY if she agreed to these weekly drug tests as well as counseling sessions. There is so much more to the story but no one listens to Verity. Her mother, Jennifer has multiple sclerosis and is in a care home near-by. Needless to say Verity has a lot going on.

We are then introduced to Detective Joanne Aspinall. It's to be her first date with a man she met online at secondchance.com. She's quickly realizing that most people are just looking for no-strings sex....not love. She's learned that it's better that she doesn't tell the men that she's a detective as that usually ends things before they even begin.

Then we have, Noel and Karen Bloom. Noel is a forty-seven year doctor. He is married to Karen and they have one daughter together, 10 year-old Bronte. They also each have a child from their previous relationships. Noel has a daughter, Verity and Karen has a son, Ewan. Lately, Noel finds himself doing whatever he can to avoid going home. His work is his refuge, where he is truly needed. He's never been a hands on father and has been mostly absent from his children's lives.

Karen Bloom suffers no fools and her children are no exception. She makes no effort to hide the fact that she is disappointed in both her son and Noel's daughter. Therefore, her focus is entirely on ten year-old, Bronte. Bronte is an easy child and does exactly what is asked of her.

Karen is known as a "tiger mother" and she's proud of it. Between music lessons and dance lessons, Bronte has a schedule that very few kids could handle. However, lately she's been having problems with her hands and although she's been to the doctor, they can't find the problem. Noel feels that her mother is pushing her too hard. Needless to say, Karen doesn't agree. Life is a competition to Karen, and only the best and the brightest will succeeded. She has given up on her first child, Ewan. He's lazy and disrespectful and she feels that she failed him as a mother. She is determined that won't happen with Bronte.

Right from the beginning, all I could think was that I REALLY disliked Karen. I probably said it aloud a few times as I continued reading. She's not just a tiger mother, she's a real *insert expletive(s) here* Wow...did she really pull some strong feelings out of me.

But then EVERYTHING spirals out of control after a simple trip to the park, setting off a chain of events that will change not just the Bloom family but many others as well.

This book had me locked in! I could not put it down! It's really hard to say much more without giving anything away. There were a lot of different plot lines happening, but they all came together well. Love them or hate them the characters were fantastically drawn.

An intelligent domestic thriller that surprised me with its twists and turns and some awesome jaw-dropping moments. Not your typical suspense novel....so much more!!

I am now a huge fan of Paula Daly and I can't wait to see what she writes next!

Thank you NetGalley, Grove Atlantic, and Paula Daly for providing an advanced readers copy of this book for me to read in exchange for my honest review.

[Elyse Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a thing for British author, Paula Daly.
This is the 4th book I've read by Paula, and I've enjoyed them all. The stories are each completely different, but there is a common thread in all her books:
.....The characters, multifaceted, are interesting rather than purposely likable.
.....The storytelling is intimate dealing with social, family, and personal challenging
issues.
.....Her books are contemporary fiction- psychologically taut -suspenseful thrillers.
.....Paula paints highly imagined emotional chaos that's both compelling and gripping.
ALL OF HER BOOKS I ADORE!!!

In reviewing "The Trophy Child"....
I thought it might be useful point out the Dictionary definition to the word NORMAL:
..... usual, standard, ordinary, customary, conventional, habitual, accustomed, typical.
After reading "The Trophy Child", ---( a terrific book club discussion pick) ---one of the questions I sat with was "what is a normal family"?
And why is the term 'new-normal' a phrase we are all familiar with today?
Did Paula write a book about a 'new-normal' family? Just questions to think about.

The Bloom family is a blended family:
Noel Bloom is a general practitioner in the small town in Lake District of the U.K.
Karen is Noel's second wife.
Ewan is Karen's 16 year old son from a previous relationship
Bronte, is 10 years old. She is a 'luv child' --conceived when Noel had an extramarital affair. Noel was married to Joanne at the time.
Verity, is 15 years old. She lived with her parents Noel and Joanne until she was 11 years old. By the time Verity was 11...her mother needed to be moved to a special nursing care facility. Joanne -only in her 40's had advance stages of MS.

At the start of the story there are some problems showing up with Verity. All she did was try to strangle her stepmother, Karen's neck. What's the problem? Karen's abusive inappropriate behavior was wrong. Verity simply tried to stop her stepmothers
persistent yelling.
Verity spent some time in the hospital- for evaluation. Turns out she wasn't harmful to herself or anyone else. They sent her home. Verity had some guideline rules to follow once at home and at her Private 18,000 a year, prestigious High School.

Moving along smoothly - for a few minutes or two--
Pasta family dinner perhaps? Yes... but Karen and Bronte were never home for dinner. They were either busy with piano lessons, harp lessons, dance classes, or tutoring. Bronte was Karen's full-time job. God forbid, Bronte should be bored - play tiddlywinks- bake cookies - slouch-on-the couch! Don't even consider such a thought for Karen's "special project" daughter.
Karen thinks she failed with her son Ewan because he didn't pass the entrance exam to get into the $18,000 a year prestigious high school. OF COURSE...., that's an embarrassment and reflection on Karen!
So, Karen's parenting Philosophy--or shall we call it 'abusive pressure'- has changed for little Bronte. Bronte ( a sweet average girl of average intelligence is going to be molded into a brilliant child prodigy). You get the picture, yes?

Having fun? Think this book sounds good?
It hasn't even started.........it gets better and better - with SIGNATURE *Paula Daly*
surprise twists and turns. It's not even possible to guess how this book turns out.

I'll give one more tidbit:
Bronte is missing! YIKES...TIME TO GO TO PIECES!!!
Bronte is missing her music lesson! ( relax Karen)
SHE COMES BACK.....
But.......
Another family member goes missing....
Oh my -- we aren't in Kansas anymore!!!!

Characters to love and despise---
Situations to ponder---
I LOVE YOU PAULA DALY.... keep these stories coming!!!!!!

Thank You Grove Atlantic- NetGalley- and Paula Daly

[Felice Laverne · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Karen didn’t believe in keeping a lid on things, picking your battles, and all that other claptrap parents were advised to do. When did people stop being parents, exactly? Karen knew when—when they were scared to death their kids wouldn’t love them any more if they scolded them, that’s when. When they’d fallen out of love with their spouses and so the thought of conflict with their child, the thought of saying a simple ‘no’, panicked them beyond measure. For Christ’s sake, people didn’t even scold their dogs any more…”

Trophy children are quite en vogue these days, judging by the recent publications so many publishing houses have put out. I, myself, have read and reviewed a large handful of novels about this “perfect child” phenomenon, often featuring plots wrapped around the mystery of the death or fall of that child. The backstories here are often the same, stemming from parental pressures inflicted by those living vicariously through their offspring, rather than asserting those pressures upon their own lives, so it really ends up coming down to two things: intended audience and execution. Paula Daly’s latest novel, The Trophy Child, is definitely for a certain audience and the execution was fine. But that’s about all that it was: fine. If the above blurb made you think you’d encounter some spin on this “perfect child” motif, adding poignancy, startlingly well-drawn characters, or anything resembling originality, you may be disappointed by this one.

Here you will find the quintessential “thriller” for housewives. I say that more so honestly than sarcastically, but, to answer your next question, “No, this one did not work for me.” I was bored to skimming (if not tears) for the majority of the first half of this novel, and could find nothing of value or originality to take from this one. It was formulaic in most ways imaginable; the twists were enough to keep me reading, while not enough to get any sense of shock or admiration from me. Not a single character in this novel interested me or made me yearn for more, likely because I never saw anything within any one of them that made me care about the outcome of their lives in the slightest. How’s that for honest?

Starting with the “Tiger Mom” herself, Karen Bloom is painted as an overly ambitious sort of mother, one who pushes herself, her children and her husband to exude perfection in all shapes and forms. We have them here in the U.S., too, of course, usually identifiable by their hectic schedules filled to the brim with carting their minivan full of children to this practice or that, passing the days away in Whole Foods in their Lululemon getups. We know these women, and whether we identify with them or not, they have become a notorious stereotype in our culture. Thus, suffice it to say, the brilliantly written blurb for this novel will be more than enough to get readers to pick this novel up, but I suspect there will be polarizing opinions on this one. Here’s why:

Paula Daly has a fan base; there are plenty of people out there who are looking for a comfy pseudo-thriller, some book that you can curl up on the couch with and take in with a cup of Earl Grey and a bit of skim milk. If you’re one of those readers, then you may absolutely love this one! Daly will have lived up to her reputation and really entertained. However, if you’re looking for any sort of depth, action, major thrill or narrative creativity, you’ve come to the wrong place and should step no further.

The trouble with Paula Daly’s The Trophy Child is that the 350+ pages that it took to tell this tale were not particularly well used. The characterizations were in a lot of ways lackluster and uninteresting, namely because the characters failed to live up to anything more than the stereotypes they’d been written as. Karen Bloom is, seriously, just a disagreeable and annoying person to the point that she actually contemplates fairly early on in the novel whether or not she should throw a huge tantrum, because its ‘been a while since she’s thrown one.’ (Goodness, I just wanted to slap her in the face and tell her to get off the page.) Her husband is mealy mouthed and spineless and also happens to be a drinker and womanizer. Add in the pothead son, the duo of the order-barking military grandfather + the spacey wife and you’ve got yourself a rather interesting novel, right? Wrong. Just think The Nest meets cozy pseudo-thriller, and you’ll have a pretty good idea of what to expect here, because none of these stereotypes were particularly turned on their head, no new and entertaining characterization of these typecasts ever happened across the page. I quickly lost interest and had to fight the urge to skim ahead. Often, I lost this fight with myself and went ahead and did it.

I would characterize Paula Daly’s The Trophy Child as an okay read for a quick little jaunt, something to read when you’re off of work on a random Tuesday or something. A nice airport read as you suffer through a layover. But it’s unlikely that I’ll remember anything in particular about this novel by the time I finish my next one, and, for me, that warrants a ‘Meh’ and a half. That’s about it. 2.5 stars, which, on a good day, could be rounded up to 3, per my rating scale of "Average." ***

I received an advance-read copy of this novel from the publisher, Grove Press, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Karen is a horrible mother and step-mother. It's no wonder each child is so screwed up. She thinks the term tiger mother is a compliment. Her husband Noel calls her “achievement-obsessed”. And when her father shows up on the scene you see exactly why she turned out the way she did because he's a real piece of work as well.

I love Joanne, the DS in this novel. Now here's a woman you can relate to. She attempts online dating after her relationship with a colleague ended, with disastrous results . The consummate professional, able to handle even Karen. And how many main characters have gone through a breast reduction?

I've not read this author but love her style. She manages to paint each character so you get a complete sense of who they are. And the plot zips along at a good pace.

I don't want to say too much about the story line but there are some wonderful twists. I did not see this ending coming at all.

This is not your typical mystery. There was some real substance to this book, especially when it comes to the different ideas of parenting styles. There's also a bit of dry humor here. Or is that me reading into it?

My thanks to netgalley and Grove Press for an advance copy of this book. Highly recommend!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just about every school that my children have attended have had one mother a little like Karen Bloom; one of the main characters in this novel. Perhaps not quite as obsessive, but nevertheless a proud and unrepentant ‘Tiger Mother,’ who is obsessed with their child’s potential to excel. In this novel we meet Noel and Karen Bloom and their various offspring. Noel Bloom is a doctor, who hides from his obsessive, overbearing second wife by staying late at work, hiding in a bottle and opting out from parental responsibility. He lives with Karen, their ten year old daughter, Bronte, his daughter from his first marriage, Verity, and Ewan, Karen’s son from a previous relationship.

From the outside, their marriage looks stable, affluent and successful. However, both Noel and Karen have long since fallen out of love and all of Karen’s ambitions are now poured into Bronte. Dig a little deeper and the issues seem even more complicated. Ewan is hiding out in a separate room over the garage; spending his days lazing around, taking drugs with the friend his mother does not approve of, and not exactly making Karen proud. Meanwhile, Verity also has issues and, when we first meet her, she has to visit a psychotherapist in order for her exclusive school, to allow her to stay on. Verity, who is naturally bright, has falling grades, while Bronte, who is a sweet and academically average child, is being pushed beyond endurance – to piano lessons, harp lessons, tutors, dance class and more. Actually, this was probably the only part of this novel which did not ring true to me – Bronte is ten and most of the children who have tiger mothers do seem to achieve well, at an early age, at least. That said, there is obviously a lot of unhappiness in the Bloom household and an awful lot of tension between the members of the family.

It is hard to review this book, as there are several plot twists. In a way, you think the first main event of this novel is the entire storyline, but then it swerves and goes off in a completely different track. I really found this an excellent crime novel. I loved the characters, including Detective Sergeant Joanne Aspinall and her new partner, DS Oliver Black. Karen Bloom is obviously the character you will love to hate, but I felt some sympathy for her when introduced to her equally odious father. Without doubt, though, her behaviour, and personality, bring an excellent amount of tension to the novel and I am sure she is a character that many readers will recognise all too well. I have never read anything by this author before, but I am certainly going to look out for Paula Daly’s novels in the future. If you love crime novels with a domestic setting, and characters you can feel strongly about, this is perfect for you. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been a parent for 13 years. I know that makes me a newbie to some and more seasoned to others, but no matter how many years experience you have at this parenting gig, we can all agree that decisions related to your kids can be tough to make sometimes. We all do what we think is best though, right?

In The Trophy Child, a severe style of parenting is portrayed and potential consequences follow. Harsh regimens, high expectations, with a superior refusal to accept feedback or perspective from anyone around her... the mother in this book was a piece of work. I hated her character and I believe that was the intention. The audiobook performance was superb giving her a tone made her that much more awful in my opinion. But sadly, there are probably parents like her in this world.

Author Paula Daly explores the delicate subject of parenting while giving readers engaging mysteries to solve. The characters won't make it easy for you though and I loved that. I must have thought about the outcome in a million different ways and the one I wanted most to be true but thought was the least likely was the winner! I experienced a few surprises while reading but the ending made this book for me!

I personally don't think The Trophy Child is Ms. Daly's finest but it sure was engaging and thought-provoking. After all is said and done, every parent will make mistakes. We will make decisions we think are best and maybe they are and maybe they're not. But if we focus on the true purpose of parenting: to grow our children into functioning adults who can take care of themselves and make a positive contribution to society, then I don't think we can really beat ourselves up too much about it.

Breathe, make memories, and love each other ♥

My favorite quote:
"When did people stop being parents, exactly? Karen knew when—when they were scared to death their kids wouldn’t love them any more if they scolded them, that’s when. When they’d fallen out of love with their spouses and so the thought of conflict with their child, the thought of saying a simple ‘no’, panicked them beyond measure. For Christ’s sake, people didn’t even scold their dogs any more."

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I tried to get into this book but unfortunately the characters didnt get me in it was the 3rd chapter before any of the character in the synopsis showed their faces i was looking forward to finally reading Paula Daly but for me it took a while to get into the plot & for me a bit too slow, maybe i am in the minority here as it has a lot of 5 star ratings all i can say is this was not for me.

[ReadAlongWithSue recovering from a stroke★⋆. ࿐࿔ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so reluctant to finish this as I was enjoying it too much.

Karen is the second wife of Noel.
Noel has a daughter from his first marriage, the marriage broke up. His ex has MS and in a Care home.
Their daughter visits mum often.

Karen now has a daughter by Noel.
She's very OTT and pushy where it comes to her daughter. No time for children's free time, oh no, she needs to be at one of her after school activities be it music lessons and so on. She has aspirations for HER daughter.

Noels daughter by his first wife 'had an incident' with his wife Karen which results in his daughter needing therapy.

All very interesting as Paula Daly delves more and more into this complicated family.


They're child they have together one day goes missing under the care of her step sister.

My jaw dropped when after time she just walked right into her home again.
Gasp.

Where had she been?
She didn't look hurt.

While a Police and family members are trying to come to terms with this, Karen vampnishes.

This is a fast paced book that will keep you spinning on your axis until you get right at the end....
Then another jaw dropping moment.

My thanks to Grove Atlantic via Net Galley for my copy

[Rachel (not currently receiving notifications) Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never read a Paula Daly novel before, however, having listened to an audiobook I was well aware of her skill in chronicling domestic drama, particularly within the confines of a family unit. The Trophy Child is her fourth novel and without a doubt a one sitting, compulsive page-turner of a psychological thriller. Read the synopsis but by no means expect it to give any indication on the serpentine course that the plot takes as the transfixing story of the Bloom family of Windermere does not chart a familiar course. This novel is a glorious chance to snigger at the overblown lifestyle of the upper middle-class and aspirational tiger mothers who come to define themselves through their children's achievements. For a compulsive crime fiction novel, this story won’t win any prizes, but for a sneering portrayal of life amongst the hothousing mothers of costly independent school, Reid’s Grammar, this is wonderful. Why? In short, because central character and alpha mother, Karen Bloom, is impossible not to revile. She is an odious snob, vocally airs her offensively frank opinions, is a contemptible step-mother to her husband's sixteen-year-old daughter, Verity, and blatantly shows her disappointment in son, Ewan. She is also a relentless slavedriver to ten-year-old Brontë, her daughter by Noel Bloom. Karen is a pantomime villain, without a single redeeming feature and hence the reader will feel fully vindicated in their loathing of her. In fact she is so offensive that it is laughable and I can attest to never having met anybody quite of that ilk and whilst there are pushy mothers at most schools, it would be unlucky and unlikely to meet anyone as truly cretinous as Karen Bloom.

The opening pages of The Trophy Child show Paula Daly sketching out what passes for family life in the Bloom household. Dr Noel Bloom is avoiding going home of an evening, spending longer in the office and losing himself in the bottom of a whisky bottle. It takes a fair while for the exact nature of the family breakdown to be set in motion, first readers see sixteen-year-old Verity being forced to submit to weekly urine tests, attend counselling sessions and going along with the stipulations of Karen since their furious tussle. However, with an ailing mother with multiple sclerosis resident at the private hospital nearby, it quickly becomes apparent that Verity is doing anything for an easy life and for her father's sake. But the loose cannon is not Verity, as readers will presume, when the disappearance of Brontë (on Verity’s watch) brings down to earth policewoman DS Joanne Aspinall into the fray and things start to escalate. It is the safe return of Brontë and her sworn silence over her whereabouts that sees the start of the fallout to come when the case starts to attract media scrutiny and Karen is publicly vilified and subsequently disappears, but with a never ending list of suspects, narrowing things down is a challenge.

As a serious crime fiction novel, The Trophy Child, is barely worth its salt and does not stand up to any rigorous scrutiny. Whilst Paula Daly has clearly done her research to ensure the investigation largely adheres to the basic principles and procedures, all this is background noise against the wider dynamics of the family and the domestic tension. Noel Bloom is a fleeting and largely irrelevant presence in the household despite being the breadwinner whilst second-wife, Karen, timetables a lifetime of lessons, practice and talent honing for ten-year-old, Brontë. His attempts to mediate wth his wife and address her daunting plans for Brontë are met by vehement obstruction and he is rather lily-livered and cowardly when it comes to addressing her malicious attitude to Verity. At moments, I found myself wanting to shout, “grow a pair, man!” at Noel’s lack of backbone. He may be a considerate, genuine and thoughtful man, but his pitiful acceptance of each and every obstacle put in Verity’s path is galling. Apart from boorish father-in-law in Karen’s overbearing and draconian father, Bruce Rigby, the rest of the family seem like absolute saints! Whilst there are plenty of moments when Daly does conform to the stereotypes, from the one night stand of last week being a potential suspect in an investigation the following for DS Joanne Aspinall, there are still surprises to come as the story unravels. That the novel manages to fascinate is purely due to Daly’s cast of characters who drive the story. Are all of the remaining Bloom’s as curiously relieved by the death of Karen Bloom as DS Joanne Aspinall and her new partner, DS Oliver Black, suspect? It it this parody of grief that will keep readers invested but with the spotlight of suspicion darting from family members (Karen shopped her own son to the police, tried to get his step-daughter sent away and categorised as unstable, ran off with Ewan before his father even knew), through to the great unwashed British citizens, via her diatribe on the “impoverished council-estate families” and the crocodile tears they shed when children go missing, gaining a foothold in the investigation is hard yards.


The Trophy Child is essentially a fascinating opportunity to take a look at the inner workings of an amalgamated family unit and see how their lives have been altered by the union of parents, Karen and Noel Bloom. A chance encounter with a woman he knew nothing about, let alone their compatibility, left Karen pregnant and largely honourable GP Dr Noel Bloom confessing his misdemeanour saw first-wife, Jennifer, send him packing. Whether he wanted to, whether he knew anything about the woman who had fallen pregnant with his child or whether he had intended to leave his adoring wife and happy home with their shared daughter, Verity, never really featured in the equation and it is this knowledge that pervades as the story gathers momentum and unravels. A realistic crime novel? On balance, no. A fascinating portrayal of one families dynamics and the loss of the powerhouse mother who has come to define them? Absolutely! As the pages turn themselves, this is a fascinating psychological thriller with huge potential for discussion. Admittedly, I did have some niggles with the story, indeed how much older than their years Verity and Brontë seemed, but The Trophy Child is a book to sit back and indulgence on!

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliantly insightful psychological thriller here from Paula Daly – a one sitting read for me, with more of her trademark divisive characters and a genuinely enjoyable and thought provoking storyline.

Karen is a tiger mother – her daughter Bronte is dragged around from one activity to another, pushed to her limits and despite many people trying to tone down Karen’s incredibly forceful nature things are reaching breaking point as the rest of the family crumbles…

Of course things could not keep up that level without something giving and that is what the author explores here, this is utterly character driven and yes we have a murder and a mystery but also a sharp and intelligent look at family dynamics and loyalties. Many layers are at play here and it all makes for terribly addictive reading.

I couldn’t feel even vaguely sorry for Karen, she was just horrible, but I loved that her nature was fully explored, through meeting her parents and seeing how she treats the rest of her family, you just wanted to yell FOR GODS SAKE STOP WOMAN at her for the most part, as a reader I was totally engaged with this first page to last.

Also I want to move to the Lake District now which happens every time I read a Paula Daly novel – as yet I have not but maybe in the future. The sense of place she brings to the setting is gorgeous and despite horrible things happening to people in her tales of ordinary people caught up in ordinary lives that shatter, you still see the beauty of it.

Overall fantastic yet again. Brilliantly written with a cutting edge and a dark heart.

Highly Recommended.

[BIBLIOMANIAC MJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who has been spoken of by a 'friend' as a mom who is hard on her kids with regard to their academics, the blurb for this one snatched my attention, but also caused a twinge of discomfort and fear that it could perhaps reveal that I'm THAT mom, a mom that's not merely ensuring my kids are living up to their natural potential, but rather, that I expect perfection that could be to their detriment.

However my fear of likeness with the tiger mom Karen was soon appeased, as I discovered she is highly unlikeable, stroppy and ' achievement addicted!'

I think the key to this parenting see-saw is balance, in order to ensure the kids don't end up with their hands around your neck.

On the other side of the see-saw is Noel, Karen's husband, who seems to lack backbone as a father and as a husband, who turns a blind eye from his family responsibilities and problems, turning his eye rather to work, alcohol and other women.

So it is only a matter of time before things go non-linear for the Blooms, ensuring all family members perched on this unbalanced see-saw are in for one hellishly bumpy ride!

The story highlights the amount of pressure the younger generation is in in order to achieve success, whether it's pressure by parents or prestigious education institutions. These pressures could potentially lead to a variety of unforseen consequences, such as depression, anxiety, or in this case, the devastation of an entire family.

This one ticked all the boxes : my love of domestic thrillers; dysfunctional families; murder and mystery; adultery; twists and surprises I didn't see coming, knocking my smug confidence to the curb; even bits of humour interspersed throughout to break up the tension.

The only negative I have to comment on is that it is unfortunate the title and synopsis of The Trophy Child was a bit misleading. The story veers off onto a different track from its original one, turning into that of a crime novel , where the reader is re-introduced to DI Joanne Aspinall, a character from Daly's previous novels. I can't say detective crime series are my favourite, as details about the police officers are shared that is not always significant to the story, unless you're planning on becoming invested in the series. As far as I could tell, this book was not marketed as being part of a crime series, however it could be seen as one ( although at no stage will the reader feel lost if this is their first novel by this author.)

Oh, another thing I have to mention that bothered me is I seriously had to question Joanne's personal relationship decisions...I think her judgement in this regard is peculiar and puzzling.

Despite the odd niggle, I must offer my congratulations to the talented Paula Daly. I thoroughly enjoyed this smart, unpredictable and gripping domestic thriller. This one comes highly recommended.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Trophy Child” takes the Tiger Mother to a new level. In fact, author Paula Daly satirizes the Tiger Mother to such an extent that this is both a mystery and a comedy. Karen Bloom is said tiger mother with her trophy child being Bronte. Poor Bronte, the youngest of three and smothered like no child should be. Karen is in a stalled and stale marriage, with an older son who has adapted the stoner lifestyle. Karen has given up all hope for her son, and uses Bronte to validate herself. Her antics with Bronte prompted her stepdaughter Verity to throttle Karen. Now Verity is in counseling in an agreement to not be punished. This is all learned in the first few pages of the novel.

The characters all provide the reader with humorous scenes. Karen, though, is the focal point of the jokes until a tragic incident occurs. There is a plot turn that creates two mysteries. As with mysteries, no plot description can be said without spoilers. I enjoyed this novel for the cleverly crafted mystery(s). The reader is intrigued to the end. The sweet-spot of the novel is the humor. Daly takes a dark plot and makes it funny….not easy to do. I have Bibliomanica MJ to thank for the recommendation. It’s a fun and entertaining read.

[Louise Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Karen Bloom believes in raising her children for success. She expects then and her Husband to perform at 200%, no matter what the cost. Then her seemingly flawless family starts to rebel against her. When tragedy strikes the Blooms, Karen's facade falls apart.

I liked the authors style in writing this book. There are more than enough twist and turns to keep your attention. The pace is far from fast set, but that just keeps your interest more. The ending definitely surprised me.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Grove Atlantic and the author Paula Daly for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Kristie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This turned out to be a really great book! It was much better than I expected, actually it was different than I expected too, more of a mystery.

I found the characters to be interesting and I didn’t know who-dun-it until Daly wanted me to. There was a time when I thought it was going to take a turn that would have been aggravating and warranted some eye-rolling, but Daly tricked me and it actually pulled together really well. Sorry if that’s a bit vague, but it has to be in order not to spoil anything.

The mom in this book was a bit over the top. She was just awful and you didn’t feel bad for her at all. I felt that maybe she was written more negatively than necessary, as she was not sympathetic at all and a little less realistic due to not having any real positive traits. I could see where she was going as a mom and why she was written that way in the end, but it was just a touch too far, in my opinion.

I found the writing in this book to be engaging. I did not want to put it down and was questioning who the “bad guy” was throughout. The twist at the end was really good. I didn’t put it together, though the link was there all along.

I would certainly recommend this to others that are interested in the genre. 4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for providing me with a free electronic copy in exchange for an honest review. I honestly loved it.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a big fan of Paula Daly’s previous books and stupidly excited by the news of a new book which I was lucky enough to receive from the Lovereading Reader Panel.

As with all of this author’s novels, this latest is set in the picturesque Lake District – and home to the rather dysfunctional Bloom family. The father Noel, is a GP, married to Karen and they have a 10 year old daughter Bronte. Both Noel and Karen have a child from a previous relationship – Verity (Noel’s daughter) and Ewan (Karen’s son). Both teenagers are a disappointment to Karen and so all her time and efforts are taken up with trying to ensure that Bronte is a super achiever who shines at everything (whereas the reality is that she shines at nothing!). The poor child is burdened with every extra curriculum activity you could think of – she barely has time to eat however Karen is oblivious to her daughter’s distress and marches on regardless. That is until something happens which shakes the family to its core.

Paula Daly has a talent for creating characters that you love to hate and that get under your skin and that is certainly the case here. This is a story of a family at breaking point. Verity has done something rather serious and as a result is seeing a therapist, Ewan spends his time in his rooms above the garage doped up to his eyeballs and Noel, well lets just say Noel isn’t the best father or husband in the world! I hadn’t really come across the phrase ‘Tiger Mother’ before but that is exactly what Karen is – and she’s proud of it. Her obsession and focus on Bronte is such that she gives neither thought nor care to anyone else in the family. Her social standing is everything to her and there is a scene with the press in her garden which gives a very telling insight as to what she thinks about other people.

DS Joanne Aspinall makes a welcome return and this time is given a much bigger part to play. Certain events could give rise to a conflict between her professional and personal life and there are times when she has to answer to her conscience. She still lives with her aunt Jackie, whom readers might remember from previous books. Here, she is partnered with a new colleague, DS Oliver Black; this new partnership works very well and I do hope it’s continued in future.

I don’t want to say too much about the plot for fear of spoilers but will only say that the story takes an even darker turn. Paula Daly plants a few red herrings (in my opinion) and although at one stage I thought I knew who was responsible, I was completely wrong.

This is another captivating and engrossing read from an author who seems to specialise in stories of domestic drama. The story takes place over a period of less than two months; this short timescale gives the story pace as well as suspense and intrigue with well defined characters and of course it wouldn’t be a Daly book without her trademark dark humour sprinkled throughout the the narrative. I enjoyed it very much although I did feel that the reveal felt slightly rushed.

I have no hesitation in recommending this even though I didn’t feel the story was quite as strong as in previous books (but that’s just my personal view). Having said that, this was a very enjoyable 4* read for me and I shall be eagerly awaiting the next book!!

[Bill Kupersmith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Can someone kindly tell me what the two diacritical little dots over the e in Brontë are called in English? I know the Greek, French & German terms—I suspect there is no English word for those dots, just transliterated Greek. Why would anyone name her daughter Brontë? As I read The Trophy Child & kept feeling much sympathy for the 10 y/o stuck with this for a Christian name, I kept wondering how does she manage to tell people how to spell it? Did her mother Karen give her that name because she thought it posh—like Patrick Brunty the 19thc incumbent clergyman @ Haworth?) Did she know it is actually a ducal title in Sicily, awarded to Lord Nelson by the King of the Two Sicilies for saving his wretched realm from Napoleon? (Some Napoleonic reforms were actually good things! One wonders how would the Emperor have dealt with the Mafia?) This query about two dots & a name may seem terribly superficial, but for me it brings out the principal weakness of Paula Daly as an author. Her characters aren’t just flat. You could run over them with a road compactor and they’d scarcely notice. They are about 1mm thick. Karen is Amy Chua trans-morphed into an Englishwoman in the Lake District, but where did she get her Tiger Mum obsession with forming the perfect dtr? There’s her unpleasant father Bruce, ex-military. But ex-military what? Sergeant? Major? Which regiment? (My guess is redhats or loggies—definitely not Brigade of Guards.) Lately we are having a run of almost middle-aged women police detectives who are excellent officers but cack-handed @ relationships. Paula Daly’s characters have a much higher sleaze-tolerance than even most agony-aunts would recommend, especially how Joanne & Noel (alias Sean aka Mr. Karen) begin their relationship with a barroom hookup. (If it doesn’t get you killed, you’ll probably get an STD tho’ fortunately Noel/Sean is also a GP, as well as a semi-alcoholic & a neglectful father.) The most interesting & admirable character is Karen’s stepdtr Verity, but it seemed Paula Daly didn’t know quite what to do with her.

Readers who enjoyed Paula Daly’s books, tho’, are not lacking in taste. She handles plot with dexterity, & her Lake District settings are excellent. I liked The Mistake I Made more, partly because I really admire PT as a profession & also because Roz’s financial straits excuse her sleazy behavior & she discovers that offers that are too good to be true aren’t. What Kind of Mother Are You strained my credulity with characters introduced ad lib like magician’s rabbits as required by the plot, as was true for the “Queen of England” in Trophy Child. But this book obeyed the most basic rules for discardable read-once-and-throw away mysteries: the victim should be someone who needs killing & the villain both easily escaping notice & yet well motivated. Also offers some useful information to avoid cutting yourself if you’re trying to stab someone death.

[Judy Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Paula Daly returns following The Mistake I Made landing on my Top Books of 2015, with her fourth and latest domestic suspense THE TROPHY CHILD with an array of dysfunction and madness, mixed with mystery.

Our favorite DS Joanne Aspinall (from previous books), revisits—always finding herself in the middle of trouble and mischief.

Karen Bloom (achievement-obsessed) is a tiger mom to ten- year-old Bonte. Karen is married to womanizer Noel and does not pay much attention to her stoner son, Ewan, and her teenage stepdaughter, Verity (drug possession). She had to agree to weekly onsite drug tests and counseling sessions.

Of course, Karen compares the other two children, to her precious Bonte. Brontë goes missing, and Karen is, of course, crazy with worry, since her daughter is her life.

Karen did not care that people called her a tiger mom. She was proud of it “It was an easy way to justify their own lazy lives, their own acceptance of mediocrity.”

And Karen was very sorry, but she wasn’t having that for Bronte. It was her duty to prepare her daughter for the life ahead of her in the best way she knew how.

Life was a competition. Only the best and the brightest succeeded, and if that meant Karen had to put her own hopes and dreams on the back burner, while she invested everything she had in Bronte’s future, so be it.

In the meantime, we catch up with Joanne, joining secondchance.com and her share of bad men and dating. She is always good for a few laughs.

Joanne is called in to investigate when Bronte goes missing from Windermere. She soon learns and is shocked to find a connection to Noel. (Seamus-whom she had gone to bed with six nights previously). She had no idea he was married. She had sex with the father of a missing child. Not cool.

Noel is a small-town GP. He had to be careful so as not to run into his patients. There was his first wife, then Karen. Second marriage problems, and stepchildren.

The child returns unhurt, (where was she), but not before Karen has stirred up all sorts of problems and outrage. Then Karen turns up murdered. Not liked by many, did Noel kill his wife? Was she sleeping around? There is a long line of suspects.

Now Joanne must find the killer and figure out what happened to Bronte. Was the same person involved?

A crazy bunch, this was my least favorite of all Daly’s books. I have read all her books and each has been 5-star, except for this one. Too much drama and not enough likable characters, except for Joanne (she is always a spark); however, beginning to question even her choices.

Fans of Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies may enjoy the dysfunction, drama and dark humor.

A special thank you to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

JDCMustReadBooks

[Lucy'sLilLibrary · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately this did nothing for me, I thought the pacing was really off which was one of the main reasons it really frustrated me. At first it's about a little girl who goes missing and I thought the story line was really interesting but then it switched to something much less interesting. Karen is a really annoying character who I could not have cared less for, so when she goes missing I really didn't care what happened to her.

I think the 'BIG' twist was quite obvious from the start, and didn't have a lot of impact. None of the characters ever felt fully established, we got snippets of everyone's personality but we never fully discovered who they were. This was especially annoying because there wasn't even that many characters in this book.

Think book has started of a reading slump for me, the next book I will be reading won't be from this genre.

[Bren fall in love with the sea. · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Human beings were so full of emotion. That was the problem. They could kill for a reason that to them felt like the only reason and to the rest of the rational thinking population felt like no reason at all.”
― Paula Daly, The Trophy Child




Oh wow, another book about Tiger moms. This did remind me a tad bit of Megan Abbott's "You will know me".

It isn't that I did not NOT enjoy this book about Karen, the tiger mom and her screwed up family who all appeared frightened to death of her. I did moderately enjoy this. I read it fast too. There was just one thing I did not get. This one thing brought the book down a bit for me. And it concerns the ending.

SPOILERS:

I disliked..OK, actually I LOATHED Karen. I sure felt sorry for her family. But why did everyone..umm..CELEBRATE when she is found dead? As much as I could not stand her, could people have been any jollier? I mean the woman was murdered. I did feel some sympathy for her because of that. I know she wasn't liked or even respected but did everyone have to all but throw a party? It was a little odd.

I did still mildly like this book although the end bothered me.

[Bookread2day · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to read The Trophy Child as I have read What Kind of Mother Are You and The Mistake I Made. For me personally What Kind of Mother Are You was my favourite. I didn't feel the same buzz with excitement reading The Trophy Child. Karen and Noel each have been married before. Noel has a daughter, Verity by his first wife. Karen has a son, Ewan. Karen and Noel have a daughter Bronte, who seems to be spoilt having music lessons and dance classes and doing extra school work and whatever it takes to be top in everything. Noel's daughter Verity is very different her grades are down and drugs were found in her school locker. Verity is having counselling she attacked her stepmother Karen and nearly strangled her to death. The family is coming to breaking point as verity and ten-year-old Bronte go out and Bronte disappears. Has Verity done something to her stepsister? Or is there another reason why Bronte has disappeared?

[Melissa Borsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really had high hopes going into this book because it sounded like it was going to be a good read. Perhaps it was the fact that I couldn’t find a single character to like but, this story bored me to tears. I thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Kim Ebner · Rating 4 out of 5]

All my reviews can be viewed at: www.thebuzzingbookmark.com

The best way for me to describe this book is to say that it's utterly "gripping". I read the whole book in a matter of days. The story twists and turns, and many of the characters act strangely which causes beads of suspicion to lodge in one's brain in regard to many of them. There is no clear front runner when it comes to the unfolding of the plot. I was guessing right up until the end.

Kate is an absolute tyrant and one can only feel terribly sorry for ten year old Bronte who has to deal with her mother's ridiculous demands and expectations on a daily basis. I must say that I did want to hit Noel around the head on a number of occasions for marrying such a terrible woman and then allowing her to treat their daughter like she did. This story made me appreciate the gentle nature of my own mother and the support that I received from both my parents growing up. The strange thing is that I could actually see some truth in the way Bronte was treated. Pushing children to do tons of extra mural activities and to excel at everything that they do is a symptom of modern parenting. Children are expected to be brilliant at everything they do and if they aren't, extra lessons are arranged, private tutors are employed and teachers are engaged on how best to deal with the child so that they can improve. One can't help but wonder whether this is ultimately in the best interest of the child. Could the weight of such expectation not be doing more harm than good?

I'm not quite sure whether I could classify this book as a crime procedural or a psychological thriller. I actually think it has elements of both and so it doesn't fit squarely into one genre. I rather liked that about the book.

If I was to be critical of the book in any way at all it would be to say that I found the ending a slight let down and I was expecting something a little more twisted perhaps. Also, Noel was a character that I didn't like at all and I wasn't quite sure how Joanne became quite as besotted with him as she did. I found that a little hard to swallow. Be that as it may, I still loved this book. It's a look into a completely dysfunctional family and although the characters are generally unlikable, it was a great read.

Many thanks to author Paula Daly and publishers Penguin Random House SA for my copy.

[Erin (from Long Island, NY) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5! This was by far my favorite Paula Daly book so far! Sometimes I find her thrillers somewhat shallow & predictable but this 1 was the opposite, it’s strongest suit imo was how incredibly authentic the extended family dynamics were. I really enjoyed the family, as well as DI Joanne.. & the author did a great job with Karen.😈 I DESPISED her!! But she was very realistic, even more so when we got to know her parents. All in all, this was an original, quick read with lots of questions & some great twists & turns along the way. Who did it & why? I really didn’t know- until I did.. & then it all made sense.😂 The end was really good too! I’d definitely recommend this for fans of domestic thrillers, even if Paula Daly isn’t usually up your alley.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this latest release by Paula Daly. Her books are complex but entirely readable, shrouded in mystery and difficult to put down. I have recommended her to others who enjoy similar genres after being introduced to her books by my Mum.

Noel is a local GP, addicted to his work and bordering on having a drink problem. He’s married to the enigmatic Karen and the two share a daughter, as well as a child each from their previous respective relationships. This is a story of the complexities of parental overachievement, stepfamilies and lies.

This book kept me guessing right until the end. I went through endless probabilities and thought I might have worked out the twist, but I was still wrong! Still, overall a very satisfying read. Perfect for mystery and thriller fans.

[Sarah Joint · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story with a lot of curveballs. Just when I figured out something major, everything completely shifted and the whole story changed. Very intriguing story full of surprises. I really enjoyed it. Very suspenseful and engaging with a shocking ending.

The Blooms are a "blended" family. Both mom and dad brought in one child from a previous relationship, and they have one together... a little girl. Mother Karen seems to have given up on her older son and stays away from her stepdaughter, devoting all of her time to the youngest girl and scheduling her entire life. Poor Brontë never gets a chance to relax or be a child: It's all lessons, schoolwork, and practicing. Meals eaten on the road from one place to the next. The poor child is starting to burn out, but she's not the only one with problems...

This book deals with the dysfunctional family life of all the Blooms and DS Joanne, who is thrust in their lives when tragedy strikes them. Joanne is a great character, engaging and relatable even though she doesn't always make the best decisions.

I received an ARC of this novel from Net Galley and Grove Atlantic, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.

[Sherri Thacker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into reading this book not knowing it was about a crime to be solved. It was a very SLOW start for me but once I got about 1/2 way through, it picked up speed and I could not put it down. And I did not see the twist at the end either. Great book overall!!

[Özben Yıldız · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bazı insanlar hırsları yüzünden küçük çocukların yaşamını heva ediyor resmen. Bir kurgu olarak okusak da gerçek yaşamda bunların izlerini görmek çok üzücüydü.
Kitabın başından sonuna kadar olaylar tahmin edilemeyecek şekilde ilerledi. Bazı durumların birbiriyle bağlantılı olabileceği düşünülse de öylesine anlatılmış havaları da vardı. Bir annenin hırsı bütün aileyi nasıl yerle bir ediyor resmen bunu okuduk.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a fan of Paula Daly's writing for a few years now. I remember sitting up throughout the night to finish her novel Keep Your Friends Close, her writing is that gripping. I absolutely raced through The Trophy Child, snatching every spare moment I could to read just a few more pages. I was hooked from the opening paragraph, right through to the unexpected ending.

I don't have children, so can look at the lead character, Karen Bloom through the eyes of the child-free. I didn't like her. I didn't like her one little bit, but oh my goodness, she is one hell of a character. Paula Daly has created my absolute favourite type of lead voice in Karen; that person that you love to hate, that person who constantly surprises you with their words and their actions, and who, despite their hatefulness is the backbone in an excellent story.



Karen Bloom is a 'tiger mother', that fairly recently invented phrase that used to be called the 'pushy
mother'. Her one aim in life is to ensure that her ten year old daughter Bronte is the very best at everything that she does. Bronte's life is a whirlwind of music lessons, reading out loud, grabbing a sandwich on the run .... pressure, pressure, pressure. It's absolutely clear that Bronte knows nothing else but this life, and also that she's not actually particularly gifted in anything, but wants to please her mother. Karen's husband Noel is a GP and does everything he can to avoid her. Her teenage son Ewan, from a previous relationship spends most of his time stoned in his room, and Noel's daughter Verity, from his first marriage is seeking therapy to deal with her violent feelings towards Karen.

A truly dysfunctional family, but one with many secrets and many skeletons in their cupboards. When Bronte disappears, closely followed by Karen, the family is torn even further apart.

DS Joanne Aspinall heads up the investigations into the disappearances, and finds herself drawn closer and closer to Noel and his children. Sailing a little too close to the wind, and battling her very unprofessional feelings, she is determined to get answers.

The Trophy Child is a compelling and intriguing read. Paul Daly's writing shows incredibly sharp insight, she teases the reader. The plot is witty, incredibly well put together and filled with suspense. Sometimes unsettling, but always brilliantly executed.

An absolute thrill of a read. Highly recommended

http://randomthingsthroughmyletterbox...

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sad yet hopeful, suspenseful tale.

[Marni · Rating 1 out of 5]

Stopped on p. 62. Stock characters -- Karen is hyper AND she does yoga AND she's meticulous applying her make-up. The little hints and half-told facts are annoying. I didn't like how it seemed to jump around in time for no reason -- he's at the bar...for the first time? No, now he's turning in for the first time, so how many weeks ago is this? Oh good grief, was I supposed to pay attention to the chapter titles to tell me what day it is? I never read chapter titles, and I didn't care enough to look back. By the time we get to the inciting incident, I felt neutral about all the characters, so I stopped reading. Acck, now I don't have a book to read...