Publication date: 2nd September, 2020.
Description
It’s a normal afternoon when I walk out the patio doors of our kitchen to check on Mia, my stepdaughter, who is swimming in our backyard pool. But she’s gone. My heart stops when I see the back gate is open, her pink, fluffy towel lying folded on a chair. I was just feet away. Why didn’t I hear her scream? Who took our little girl?
My husband can’t understand how I could I have let his daughter disappear. And when the police come asking questions, I wish I could wind back time to that normal afternoon when I was cooking lasagna for my family, Mia’s favorite. I can tell the officers don’t believe me: they’ve cast me as the evil stepmother.
I just wish I could understand the messages I’ve found from my husband on Mia’s phone: I’m so sorry, I still love you. And why his wedding ring is found at the bottom of the pool after Mia disappeared. He never told me it was missing. What else is he hiding?
But the detective keeps asking me where I was during those ten minutes when Mia vanished. And I can’t tell her my secret. From the way she’s looking at me, I know she thinks I did something to my stepdaughter. Mia and I haven’t always been that close and sometimes she drives me nuts, just like any normal teenager, but I would never hurt her.
I just need you to believe me.
A twisty novel packed with unputdownable suspense about the power and damage of secrets we hide. Perfect for anyone who was totally hooked by The Mother-in-Law, Kerry Fisher and Big Little Lies.
About the author
Georgina Cross is the author of The Stepdaughter (publishing September 2020) and Book 2 (title to be released January 2021) and Nanny Needed (to be published 2021) which are works of domestic suspense, psychological suspense, and thriller.
She is represented by Rachel Beck with Liza Dawson Associates with her suspense fiction appealing to readers of The Good Girl by Mary Kubica, The Marriage Lie by Kimberly Belle, The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth, and Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty.
Georgina has been writing since she was a child. Notebooks & floppy discs filled with stories: adventures growing up in New Orleans and tales from Malaysia & England where her family lives. After graduating from Louisiana State University, she pursued a career in marketing & communications and founded Susie’s Wish non-profit which sends patients with life threatening illnesses to the beach. She spends time with her husband and their combined family of four sons watching plenty of scary movies and is thrilled to be a full-time author.
Author website: http://www.Georgina-Cross-Author.com
Twitter: @GCrossAuthor
Facebook: GeorginaCrossAuthor
Instagram: GeorginaCrossAuthor
My thoughts
Wowser! This was a fast mover. I literally read ‘The Stepdaughter’ in two sittings and don’t know where today went. When something begins with a bang, in this case a missing teen, I have to keep reading. Mia was missing and I had to know how and why.
I think I suspected just about everyone at some point. I loved Vanessa’s character and felt myself totally rooting for her. I felt the awkwardness of her position. The tension between the rest of the cast was so cleverly written, building to a shocking crescendo.
As for the writing, it took me on a speedy journey and I barely noticed the words on the page. It was brilliantly structured, just revealing what the reader needed to know at the right time.
I had such a clear image of the garden, the street, and Vanessa’s home. I also have to give a special mention to Charlotte’s character – she was adorable. I’d definitely recommend this book to fast-paced psychological thriller lovers. It’s not one to be missed. Be prepared to lose time once you start reading!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stepdaughter-addictive-suspense-packed-secrets-ebook/dp/B08C5L1TVG/
Thanks for reading!
Why not check out one of my other reviews? Maybe you’ll find your perfect read.
Push Back by James Marx – review. https://griffbuck.wordpress.com/2020/08/31/push-back-by-james-marx-review/
Carla Kovach – author of Amazon and iBooks bestselling DI Gina Harte crime series.