The Stepdaughter

“A top-notch psychological thriller, The Stepdaughter immerses the reader in the unhappy family life of the Buckleys: Elise, the neglected, down-trodden wife; Andrew, the cold, domineering husband; and Niamh, the daughter who knows too many secrets. The death of Holly, Niamh’s highly strung friend, opens up a sorry tale of affairs and abuse, and casting a shadow over several lives, the threat of blackmail linked to child abuse images.

Set in the peaceful yet insular village of Abingworth, near Chichester, this well-written story is told in the present tense, a devise that adds atmosphere, and from the alternating perspectives of Elise, Niamh, and Nicki, the investigating detective, herself an abused wife. The reader will feel Elise’s growing fear of her husband; will puzzle over what Niamh knows but cannot tell; will sympathize with her as she watches her family disintegrate; and will struggle alongside Nicki as she investigates the villagers who might be engaged in pornography, tries to find out what really happened to Holly, and looks for links between the two cases.

Blurbs often claim that readers will be kept guessing to the very end, but in the case of The Stepdaughter, the reader really will be kept guessing until the very last page.”