My Little Girl

by Shalini Boland

Your daughter is missing. Did someone close to you take her?

Seven-year-old Beatrice has gone missing. Her mother Claire’s whole world has been turned upside down in just one moment and she can’t stop shaking. She’s desperate to find her precious daughter, but nothing about the day she disappeared makes sense…

The mother-in-law: Jill was meant to be looking after Beatrice. She says she didn’t take her eyes off the little girl but her version of events doesn’t add up… Claire has never got on with her, so why should she trust her now?

The husband: He should have been with their only child. Instead, he changed the plans without telling Claire. She didn’t think there were any secrets between them, but maybe she was wrong?

The first wife: Laurel has always been jealous of Claire’s family. Has her husband’s ex-wife taken her daughter?

Which one of them is lying? And who really knows where Beatrice is?

From the million-copy bestselling author, this totally addictive psychological thriller will keep you guessing all the way to the final shocking twist. Perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl and The Wife Between Us.

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

363 pages, ebook

First published April 22, 2021

About the author

Shalini Boland is the USA-Today bestselling author of twenty psychological thrillers. With three million copies sold, her titles are published by Amazon Publishing, Audible, Bookouture, and Grand Central Publishing.

Shalini lives by the sea in Dorset, England with her family and their increasingly demanding dog, Queen Jess. Before kids, she was signed to Universal Music Publishing as a singer/songwriter, but now she spends her days writing (in between re-stocking the fridge and dealing with endless baskets of laundry).

She is also the author of two bestselling SFF series.

www.shaliniboland.com

Now available:
THE BIRTHDAY PARTY
THE HONEYMOON
THE SCHOOL REUNION
THE SILENT BRIDE
THE DAUGHTER-IN-LAW
A PERFECT STRANGER
THE FAMILY HOLIDAY
THE COUPLE UPSTAIRS
MY LITTLE GIRL
THE WIFE
ONE OF US IS LYING
THE OTHER DAUGHTER
THE MARRIAGE BETRAYAL
THE PERFECT FAMILY
THE SILENT SISTER
THE CHILD NEXT DOOR
THE SECRET MOTHER
THE MILLIONAIRE'S WIFE
THE BEST FRIEND
THE GIRL FROM THE SEA
The OUTSIDE SERIES - a thrilling dystopian adventure
The VAMPIRES OF MARCHWOOD series - a romantic fantasy adventure
A SHIRTFUL OF FROGS - an evacuee timeslip adventure

Reviews

[Lisa of Troy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Jill takes her granddaughter Beatrice to the fair to discover that she has disappeared. What happened and who did it?

Mystery and thriller is usually my jam, but this book just was not for me. The pacing is extremely slow. I didn't feel like we were really on the brink of discovering anything, and I fell asleep at least 3 times while reading this book. That was how thrilling this book was! Mother May I is being released in April as well which also features a kidnapped child. However, the parents aren't just sitting around wringing their hands for most of the book.

The storytelling was really subpar, and I just didn't find this book entertaining in the least.

*Thank you, NetGalley, for the free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest opinion!

2024 Reading Schedule
Jan Middlemarch
Feb The Grapes of Wrath
Mar Oliver Twist
Apr Madame Bovary
May A Clockwork Orange
Jun Possession
Jul The Folk of the Faraway Tree Collection
Aug Crime and Punishment
Sep Heart of Darkness
Oct Moby-Dick
Nov Far From the Madding Crowd
Dec A Tale of Two Cities

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[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jill has taken her 7 year old granddaughter Beatrice (Bea) to the travelling fair, along with Bea’s friend Millie. They’re in the hall of mirrors having a great time, until Jill is distracted by a phone call from her ex daughter in law Laurel. Engrossed as she is with the call, she loses sight of the girls, they’d been flitting about from one mirror to another, but she immediately begins to panic, calling her granddaughter’s name, whereby a young woman offers to help her look for Bea and Millie. They eventually find Millie, but Bea isn’t with her, and Millie has no idea where she went.

Here’s the thing though, Bea’s Dad Oliver (Jill’s son) was supposed to take the girls to the fair, but because he was tired after a busy day, he let Jill take them instead. Big problem - Oliver didn’t tell his wife Claire, because she already thinks Jill isn’t up to looking after Bea, but with Claire going on a girls night out, Oliver saw no other option.

This is a truly compulsive, unpredictable read, that makes you ponder about the people around you, and their real motivations. With more red herrings than you can shake a fishing rod at, ‘My Little Girl’ will have you turning the pages with increasing speed until it’s all over - but is it?

* Thank you to Bookouture for an ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *

[Michael David (on hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Mandy White (mandylovestoread) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have always enjoyed Shalini Boland books and I was really excited to get my hands on this one.

I was very disappointed. It was really different to her other books, it was long winded and predictable. I figured out what was happening fairly early on and the story did seem to drag.

Thank you Bookouture and Netgalley for my advanced copy, sorry I didn't enjoy it more. i will still look forward to her next book.

[Natalia R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seven-year-old Beatrice Nolan vanishes while on a trip to the fair with her grandmother Jill. Jill claims that she took her eyes off her granddaughter for a few seconds but is she telling the whole truth? Beatrice's mother Claire thought her husband Oliver was taking Beatrice to the fair and is furious that Oliver would allow his irresponsible mother to be left in charge of their little girl. From there, we follow the perspectives of Jill and Claire, with one of them being a slightly unreliable narrator.

We've all seen it on the news way too many times. The devastated look on the faces of parents whose children have vanished without a trace, pleading for their safe return and asking anyone with even the smallest amount of information to please come forward. This domestic thriller explores what a family goes through when the unthinkable happens: the search parties, the media scrutiny, the waiting, the stress, and the tension between family members. Strong characters, a couple of suspects, and plenty of suspense make this a solid thriller that will keep you on your toes. Not my favorite book by this author but still a very enjoyable and compelling read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Tonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Claire and Oliver are living in a parent’s worst nightmare. Their sweet daughter, Beatrice is missing. Beatrice vanished without a trace while attending the fair with her grandmother, Jill. She is riddled with guilt for not being more aware and not keeping a watchful eye on Beatrice. Feeling responsible, Jill organizes a search party in hopes of finding her sweet girl. Everyone is under the veil of suspicion and trust is in short supply. Who took Beatrice? Was it an unhinged stranger, or is the culprit someone near and dear? This story is intriguing and compelling and kept me reading late into the night. Shalini Boland perfectly paced this twisty tale. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my copy. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jill is spending the day with her seven-year-old granddaughter Beatrice and her friend Mille at a school carnival. She takes a phone call from a friend and looks away just for a minute. Beatrice is gone. This psychological thriller dug into the fractured family relationships. Beatrice’s mother Claire is the second wife of Oliver, Jill’s son. Claire and Jill have never gotten along and Jill was not supposed to watch Beatrice alone because Claire didn’t trust her. Jill has remained close to Oliver’s ex-wife, Laurel, who she was talking to at the time of the abduction. Both Oliver and Jill are troubled. As the book gets further in, and the characters fall apart as time goes by and Beatrice hasn’t been found, you start to question everyone. Loved the twists at the end. 5/5 stars.

[fleurette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of any parent's greatest nightmare - the disappearance of their child. Brilliantly told.

This is a story told from the perspective of two women - Claire, the missing girl's mother, and Jill, her mother-in-law. In many ways, this story is vivid a portrait of these two women and their relationship. Women who at first glance do not have much in common, apart from the obvious love for little Bea. Claire's strong personality, which keeps her constantly searching for her missing child, adds a lot of drama to this story. So does Jill's insecurity, as she is unable to find strength after her husband's death. In the background, we also have Claire's husband, Oliver, whom Claire says is the perfect husband, but his behaviour is a little suspicious. And Laurel, Oliver's ex-wife, who apparently still hasn't come to terms with the divorce after eight years. These are good and interesting characters that make this dramatic story.

You also have an excellent and suspenseful plot. There are many people who behave suspiciously, not only the main characters. There are also numerous suspicious events and coincidences. You clearly feel the desperation and frustration of Claire who, in her despair, investigates every, even the most improbable clue. The author did an excellent job of building tension.

Especially since we do not know what the police are really doing and how the investigation is going on. We only know as much as Claire and Jill know, and the police are reluctant to share information with them. This makes it even easier for us to feel the frustration of Claire and her sense of loneliness in this situation.

I didn't know who was behind the kidnapping of the girl until the end. And the ending surprised me for sure.

This is a great story with a well written atmosphere that I would definitely recommend to anyone who, like me, got interested after reading the blurb. You will not be disappointed.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claire Nolan receives a panicked phone call, telling her that her seven year old daughter Beatrice has gone missing in a trip to the local fair. Her mother-in-law Jill was meant to be looking after Beatrice but the little girl disappeared in the hall of mirrors. Claire races to the fair ground to find police officers everywhere. She's distraught and desperate to uncover the truth. But it was Claire's husband that was supposed to take Beatrice to the fair, but he's changed the plans without telling her.


I read this book in one sitting. I could not put it down. I needed to know who had taken Beatrice and the reasons why. Jill had taken her granddaughter Beatrice and her friend to the fair. They were in the hall of mirrors when Beatrice disappeared. Her dad, Oliver was supposed to take the girls to the fair. There's a list of suspects to choose from that includes the fair ground workers to the Nolan's neighbour. This is a quick an easy book to read and it held my attention throughout. The pace is steady. Another great read from the author.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #Bookouture and the author #ShaaliniBoland for my ARC of #MyLittleGirl in exchange for an honest review.

[Dana-Adriana B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bea and her grandmother are having a good time until Bea disappears. And now the nightmare begins. The story is told from the point of view of the mother and grandmother, the police figures are almost not there.
Thank you Netgalley for this adventure.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read all of the authors previous 11 psychological thrillers ( the most reviewed by any author in any genre) I pretty much knew this would be a great read
And it was
In the ups and downs of reading it’s fab to pick up a book by an author who you know is going to deliver, if you want an exciting, whodunitish psychological thriller written for the reader to fall into and be welcomed with a good plot, great characters and a lot of ‘mmmmm wonder if it’s her/him’ then this is for you
I have to mention the Mother In Law, Jill, superb characterisation and I built a pic of her within seconds
Love the setting of Christchurch and surrounding areas and how the combination of a mellow setting works so well with the taut excitement of this story
And any book that mentions jammie dodgers has to be good 😎😁
I don’t know what else to say except if you love this author you will devour this and if you are a 1st timer you will be checking out her previous books as soon as you finish it
Loved it
10/10
5 Stars

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read by author Shalini Boland, I love her writing style, from the very first page I am absorbed and want to carry on reading. Excellent characters, plenty of suspense and lots of twists and surprises.

Claire Nolan’s world is turned upside down when she receives a phone call telling her that her seven-year-old daughter Beatrice has gone missing on a trip to the local fair. Her mother-in-law Jill was looking after Beatrice but the little girl disappeared in the hall of mirrors and, an hour later, she still can’t be found.

Claire rushes to the fairground to discover police officers everywhere and the reality starts to sink in. She needs answers, where was her husband, why wasn’t he with Beatrice as arranged, how could mother in law Jill let this happen. Something just doesn’t add up and Claire starts to suspect those closest to her.

I love the simplicity of Shalini Boland’s writing and the consistently high standard she achieves book after book. A great mix of characters and suspects, plenty of suspense and surprises make this a very entertaining read.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Bookouture for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

[Pauline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seven year old Beatrice goes missing while at a trip to the fair with her grandmother.
The police are called and it’s a race against time to find the little girl.
Her parents are desperate to get her back alive and well.
A story about revenge, jealousy, secrets and lies.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

[DJ Sakata · Rating 4 out of 5]

Favorite Quotes:

I feel my cheeks grow warm under her gaze. It’s as if I’m back at school in assembly where we’re all being scrutinised by the headteacher for some misdemeanour and you still feel guilty even though you’ve done nothing wrong.

I feel as though I’m speaking from a long way away. Like I’m not even here. All these words and acronyms sound so official, like something out of a TV crime drama. Why are they now part of my real life?

Laurel’s voice is on a register that could cut through double glazing.

The room deflates. You can hear it, the sudden shrinking of sound, the shrivelling of hope.


My Review:

This was my first experience in reading this author and I found her writing easy to follow with the suspense intriguing and held taut, although the family drama was center stage with bold choices made with her characters. The main cast of players wasn’t generally likable most of the time while being true-to-life damaged, realistically and deeply flawed, and prone to poor decisions. While they were bordering on obnoxious and greatly annoying me, they were also human and struggling with an extremely stressful and agonizing situation.

I reacted the strongest to the least likable personality of Claire, as she was arrogant, angry, and petulantly lashing out and systematically accusing everyone. Claire had me cringing and wanted to tell her to shut her pie hole and take a handful of Xanax to chill out enough to be civil. The grandmother was rather ditzy and unfocused and prone to tunnel vision and moronic choices, yet she was well-meaning and kind-hearted, although I doubt the merchants in her area would agree. The husband was the biggest disappointment, what a milksop, he needed some foot to derriere therapy, and my toes were tapping and itching to volunteer. The author was certainly doing something right to have me so deeply invested while antagonized yet also terminally curious with her maddeningly paced tale. She fooled me but good as I didn’t puzzle this one out until right before the identity of the abductor was revealed. Shalini Boland is as sly as she is insightful.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shalini Boland is one of my favourite go to authors. The past week I've been unwell and struggled to even get invested in a book and read which is not like me at all. As with all her books, this was another one I started and finished in the same day. Her stories grab me from the go and I can never put them down until I have all the answers.

I had empathy for both Claire and her mother in law Jill in the story. There certainly can't be anything worse than your child going missing but for a child to go missing on your watch, it's unbearable to even think about. As the minutes become hours and the hours become days, tensions are fraught. Claire becomes more suspicious and I couldn't blame her for grasping at every straw that might lead her to finding out what has happened to her daughter.

I was so enthralled throughout My Little Girl. As desperate as I was for little Beatrice to be found, I was just as eager for the twists and turns I knew would be awaiting me as Shalini knows how to keep her readers entertained. Her books always leave me on a high and ones I want to talk about with my book friends. My suspicions went into overdrive and yet again I was completely wrong! Brilliant book!

[Tracy ann Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Totally predictable

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am so tired of the "I lost my man and thus became a psycho killer" trope.

My Little Girl is repetitive and predictable. I guessed the perp before the halfway mark.

The mom was an idiot, screaming, trespassing, and accusing everyone while distracting police from their investigation (although tbh, they didn't seem to be doing much).

The dad gets caught up in the "do what I say, lie to your wife, and don't tell the police" ploy, which has never worked out in the history of time.

Lots of drama with the grandma (drinking & driving, shoplifting) that was neither here nor there.

And the most pointless epilogue of all time. So dumb.

[Melissa Suslowicz Bartz · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Review:

Another fabulous read by the fabulous Shalini Boland. In my book she is the Queen of psychological thrillers. She has been writing these kind of books since 2016 and I finally only have a few more to read by her. She has been on my top favorite author list for years. I can’t wait to read more by her so she better get to writing.

This book was a about a mother and her mother in law who would stop at nothing to find their precious daughter and granddaughter. Did the child run off? Was she kidnapped? Who could have taken her? Are they ever going to get her back? You find out these answers and so much more by the end if the book.

I absolutely loved this book along with all the other books I’ve read by this author. She is one of my all time favorite writers. This book really grabbed me from the start. Who doesn’t love a good kidnapping story. I felt so bad for the grandmother since she was the one looking after her granddaughter when everything went down. The grandmother did rise to the occasion though and showed everyone that she can save the day. I loved how each chapter alternated with different people. It kept the story really moving along and gave the readers insight to all the characters not just one. I love that in books. Now on to that shocking ending. Shalini Boland proved to be the Queen with that ending. I couldn’t believe it in a million years. Then to find it why on top of that, OMG. This book was such a treat. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning opening presents. I will definitely be reading more of this authors books.

Between the plot, characters and all the twists in this book it made it an easy and fast read. I would definitely recommend it and happily give it 5 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[Andrea Pole · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

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

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

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a decent read, but not my favorite book by Boland. It starts out with action almost immediately, when 7-year-old Beatrice disappears from the fair that she attended with her grandmother Jill. Jill is beside herself with worry and Bea's parents, Claire and Oliver, are mad at each other for having situations that didn't allow one of them to be with her. There is a lot of mistrust between these characters that the author delves into further as the story progresses.

I found the first half of the book to be a little repetitive, and almost boring. We hear from all the primary players about how worried they are about Bea and there is similar dialogue both between characters and in their heads that made me want to skim through some of the detail. There were multiple red herrings thrown in
that kept me engaged during this part of the book, though. Things really start to come together in the last quarter of the book, and the culmination of the story provides not just one, but a couple of unique twists.

I wish that I would have learned more about Oliver in this book- the author didn't provide enough detail about his background and even his marriage for me to understand him as a person as much as I felt I did with Claire and Jill.

Overall, decent read and it won't stop me from picking up Shalini Boland's next book, but it just wasn't my favorite amongst a crowded genre of similar stories. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Diane Merritt · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

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

[Robin Loves Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Claire Nolan's worst nightmare has come true. Her daughter has been kidnapped. Claire is especially distraught as her daughter has disappeared while under the care of her mother-in-law Jill. Claire has told her time and again that she did not feel comfortable with Jill caring for Beatrice and now this has happened.

Meanwhile, Jill has been quite happy. Excited to spend time with Beatrice and determined to prove trustworthy when it comes to doing just that. Her son Ollie, Claire's husband, trusts her, so why not Claire? Things were going quite well while Jill had taken Beatrice and her best friend to the fair. Until...

The chaos of the fair has proved to much. Suddenly Jill cannot find Beatrice. Panicked beyond belief, Jill desperately looks for her granddaughter. She finds Millie, Beatrice's best friend, but not Beatrice. Where could she be? Not only is she more than worried about Beatrice, she knows that Claire and Ollie will be more than livid. Claire's lack of trust of trust just has proved to have merit.

Even with the police investigating, everyone begins to point fingers, especially Claire. She is angry with Ollie because he was the one to have taken the girls to the fair. But Claire's anger goes beyond Jill and Ollie. So, who is responsible? Jill? Ollie? In fact, Claire's long-standing mistrust goes beyond Jill. She begins to wonder about Laurel, Ollie's ex-wife. Could Laurel have something to do with Beatrice being taken?

As time goes by all too slowly, one thing begins to ring true. Someone is lying. Someone in this small circle of people just has to know something about where Beatrice could be. For starters, Claire has never felt comfortable with the fact that Jill have remained close to Laurel. Could Laurel have anything to do with Beatrice's disappearance? A web of lies begins to unravel. Combine lies with a lack of trust and perhaps the police can begin to develop enough clues as to where Beatrice is and if she could possibly be returned safe and unharmed. That is what Claire believes and that is what Claire insists.

What a thrilling story! Tension is present from beginning to end. Any story that involves a child being taken is a difficult read. When the story is wrapped in lies and untrustworthy characters that only makes the story that much more compelling. Then there is the simple fact of the author of this book: Shalini Boland. ANY book by Ms. Boland proves compelling. Hands down. This book ranks right up there with another fabulous read that has grabbed my attention from the start all the way to the exciting conclusion.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

[Helen Leecy · Rating 3 out of 5]

As many other reviews have said, I agree that the missing child storyline has been overplayed. However, I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to read a Shalini Boland book as she hasn’t done me wrong so far. So against my better judgement regarding the subject matter, I requested this book and got stuck in.
I was very disappointed, though and should have overlooked this one. There just wasn’t enough meat to the story. We spend approximately 75% of the book watching the parents and Jill’s reactions to Beatrice being missing. The story is slow and plods along. There are teeny tidbits to keep you interested, but I think they would have been better being a little more in your face. They were too subtle, and there just wasn’t enough excitement. Maybe if we had seen things from Oliver’s perspective, it might have changed the book’s whole dynamic.
The character’s actions are often questionable, and I wanted to bang my head against my kindle on more than one occasion. I know Jill is meant to be scatty, but her behaviour is just sleepy and made me feel really lethargic. Claire’s attitude was similar, hours of time would pass by, and she’d still be in the house doing nothing. I was just bored.
We only see things from Claire and Jill’s perspective, apart from at the beginning of each new day, where we are given an insight into the abductor’s mind. I think these one-page chapters were the best part of the whole book; at least with them, there was a little malevolence other than just the other character plodding on and not doing much.
The story’s outcome was very predictable, and I had guessed the perpetrator as soon as we were introduced to them. There are no major twists or surprises, and the lead up to discovering what had happened to Beatrice was just too easy and a little bit twee. So, overall a really disappointing read. I seem to be in the minority with my view, and I’m sorry it just didn’t grip me. I wanted more from another abduction story. Something unique and interesting but this, unfortunately, in my opinion, was just generic.

Thanks for reading! If you want to see more of my reviews visit www.pinkanddizzy.com

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

My LIttle Girl is another winner by Shalini Boland. Most of the story unfolds over one week and Boland packs a lot of tension and suspense into those seven days. The story alternates between the point of view of Claire Nolan and her mother-in-law Jill, with a few short passages from the kidnapper’s point-of-few. Claire doesn’t trust her absent-minded mother-in-law to care for seven-year-old Beatrice on her own. However, when Claire decides to go on a rare girl’s night outing, her husband allows his mother to take Bea and a friend to a local fair. While in the Hall of Mirrors, Jill gets distracted by a phone call and in that brief time, her granddaughter Bea disappears. Now it’s a race against time to get Bea back safely.

This fast-paced thriller is full of suspense without being too dark. I’m glad I started reading this on a day I had a lot of free time, because I didn’t want to put it down and ended up finishing it in one sitting. There are a few characters who act suspiciously, but I correctly guessed who was behind Bea’s disappearance. That didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the book at all, because there was plenty going on to keep my interest. There is a capable law enforcement team on the case, but the focus is Claire, her husband Oliver, Jill, and their dynamic and how Bea’s disappearance affects them. Most things seem to be resolved by the end of the book, but a surprising development in the epilogue could result in future trouble for the Nolan family. In my opinion, this final twist is unwelcome, but that is my only complaint about this fantastic thriller. I’ve read two other books by Boland and this is my favorite of the three. I have a few other books by her on my shelf that I need to move up in my “to be read” list. Fans of the author’s other books or those who enjoy books by Shari Lapena will want to experience the latest by Boland. I would rate the book 4.5 stars.

I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Bookouture. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Little Girl is a tense, twisted new book by Shalini Boland. I love the way Shalini writes & this book too was great in every way. And although I did guess the culprit accurately there were many surprises along the way. The description & dialogue between the characters feels genuine & believable. While at the start I found certain characters to get on my nerves I grew to like them, eventually. The book felt like an accurate representation of a real case & Shalini managed to capture all the nuances that made the crime & story so unique. There is something very refreshingly unique about Shalini's books. I wouldn't miss a book by this author.

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture & Shalini Boland for an arc!

[Samantha Curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just wow. What a well written book

In a big fan of shaking boland. She didn’t disappoint me in this book

Had me wanting to read more and am I thinking there might be a second book?

Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy for a honest review

[Erica⭐ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claire is shocked to hear that her precious daughter Beatrice has gone missing at the fair whilst under the care of her grandmother Jill who should not have been given the responsibility of taking little Beatrice to the fair. Claire believes Jill to be scatty and not to be trusted with looking after the little girl and blames Oliver, her husband, for allowing this to happen. There follows many twists, turns and red herrings which kept me reading to find out what had happened to Beatrice and who had taken her.

[Tamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Little Girl is a psychological thriller about a 7 year old girl who goes missing when in the care of her grandmother. The grandmother is known for her scatty behaviour and is not supposed to look after the child by herself.

The story unfolds across multiple points of view and a number of suspects are thrown into the mix which helps to maintain the suspense. Unfortunately the characters seemed a little one dimensional and a lot of the plot was too predictable.

This is my first book by this author. Although this didn't quite hit the spot for me I would be interested to read more of her work.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Nikki Joyce · Rating 2 out of 5]

*2.5 rounded down*

Unpopular opinion here. Started off good, but fell flat. I couldn’t connect with the characters, and I found it predictable and unsurprising. I really wanted to like it, but it wasn’t the good domestic thriller I was hoping for.