Title: Your Child Next

Authors: M. J. Arlidge and Andy Maslen

Genre: Thriller

Publisher: Orion

Publication Date: 16th January 2025

Rating: 4/5

Cover:

Summary:

THEY’VE FAKED YOUR CHILD’S DEATH. AND IF YOU DON’T GIVE THEM WHAT THEY WANT, THEY’LL MAKE IT A REALITY.

Things have been difficult for Annie since her husband left; her teenage daughter, Isla, has become a ghost of her former self. Annie’s terrified that Isla might do something desperate, and she’ll lose her, too. So when Annie receives a video of herself crying at Isla’s funeral, her blood runs cold.

Confused and horrified, Annie races upstairs to check on Isla, who is alive and well. The video has been faked. But who sent it and what do they want?

One dark truth soon becomes clear: Annie is the latest in a string of parents being blackmailed, and Isla will be killed if Annie goes to the police or if she fails to give the sender what they want. Annie has a deadly choice: comply with the demands, or try to unmask the dangerous criminal.

Review:

The premise of Your Child Next is what drew me in initially. It sounded like such a horrifyingly tense situation for a parent to be put in and just perfect for a propulsive and pacy thriller. Happily, I can confirm that it does work perfectly and Your Child Next had me racing through the pages to find out what happened next. It is a very addictive read, with relatively short chapters that make it easy to keep reading until the dramatic end. I finished it in just a couple of sittings. 

I found the characters interesting, and liked that the perspective of the psychopathic villain was included, which gave the whole thing a brilliantly sinister undercurrent. The two parents that the narrative focuses on are likeable and I enjoyed them teaming up to protect their teenage kids and uncover the twisted blackmail scheme they are caught up in. Your Child Next is a  fast, intense and engaging read that will hook thriller fans immediately. I would absolutely recommend it to fans of the genre. 

★★★★ 

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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