Title: The Wrong Child

Authors: M. J. Arlidge and Julia Crouch

Genre: Thriller

Publisher: Orion

Publication Date: 30th May 2024

Rating: 4.5/5

Cover:

Summary:

When 3-month-old Max is abducted, his parents are plunged into their worst nightmare. Devastated mum Sarah only took her eyes off him for a second, but that doesn’t stop her guilt. Even husband Jake can’t hide his anger that their little boy went missing on her watch.

By contrast there are smiles and celebration at a caravan park in Lincolnshire, as baby Blaze is introduced to the Star family. Jenna and Gary are delighted with the new addition to their family. He is their fourth child and a real object of delight to their eldest – fifteen-year-old Willow – who once again will raise the child.

But trouble is brewing for the Star family. Willow is concerned by the desperate online appeals from Sarah and Jake, baby Max has neonatal diabetes and without regular treatment will die. As baby “Blaze” becomes seriously ill, Willow makes a shocking discovery. What is the truth about her family? And how far will they go to hide their deadly secret?

Review:

I’m always interested in whether a book with two others may feel disjointed or disconnected, however The Wrong Child is totally seamless and also completely gripping. I was hooked from the first few chapters by this story of two very different families with two very different mothers. Sarah is a new mum to baby Max, who has neonatal diabetes and consequently requires a lot of care. She is also suffering from postpartum depression and when she takes her eyes off Max whilst out on a walk, the unthinkable happens and he is kidnapped. Her guilt afterwards is compounded by the way she seems to be blamed by everyone, from the police to the media and even her husband.

In a caravan park, miles away, the Star family welcomes a new baby to their ranks. Jenna, the matriarch of the family, has to be one of the most terrifying characters I’ve come across recently. She is a master manipulator, who runs her family according to her pretty twisted beliefs and accepts no breaking of ranks. She is a massive force in the narrative and her lack of morality and predictability adds a rising sense of tension and danger throughout. Her teenage daughter, Willow, is starting to question her mother’s strict rules and where baby ‘Blaze’ really came from as his health declines rapidly. The story really revolves around Sarah, Jenna and Willow – and I found it utterly compelling to see how their lives became connected as the plot reaches its intense climax. The Wrong Child is a propulsive, emotional and addictive thriller that I would highly recommend. I’ll certainly be reading any future collaborations by these two authors.

★★★★.5

Huge thanks to Tracy Fenton of Compulsive Readers for my place on this tour and for the copy of the book. My review is entirely my own honest opinion.

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