Book Review - The Daughter In Law by Nina Manning

 

The Daughter In Law is a psychological thriller and the debut novel by Nina Manning. The story begins with Annie, who has not had the best deal in life. Her husband walked out on her when she was heavily pregnant, leaving Annie to be a single mother to her only child, Ben. Annie does not want to live in the house she and her husband bought. She moves into an isolated seaside cottage she inherited from her drunken father. Annie does not want to share her child with anyone and thinks this is the perfect place to bring Ben up. She loves their life together and enjoys keeping him close to her.

Ben and Daisy have had a quiet wedding ceremony after a whirlwind affair and finding out that Daisy is pregnant. Ben and Daisy are entirely in love. Ben has moved into the flat, which Daisy shares with her best friend Eve. They all get on well and are enjoying life. When Ben takes his wife to meet her mother-in-law, Annie struggles to understand why he needs anyone else. Daisy does not get a warm welcome from her mother-in-law. Annie is distraught that the couple has married in secret. Wouldn't any parent be?

When the flat Daisy and Ben share erupts in a gas explosion killing Eve, with nowhere else to go, they move in with Annie. However, the house is no longer warm and cosy Annie believes she recognises Daisy's face from somewhere. Searching the internet for information, she finds what she needs and prints it out to show Ben. Ben confronts Daisy and wants to know the truth about her. What is Daisy hiding? Will Daisy be safe? Are Annie's motives more sinister than trying to look out for her son?

Annie and Daisy tell their stories in alternate chapters in the first person, bringing a personal perspective to the plot. Their thoughts draw us into their confused minds abyss with equally complicated narratives. And then there is Grace, who shares her own remarkable story. Who is she? Furthermore, where does she fit in?

With each chapter, the story unfolds, delivering new shocking revelations that make 'The Daughter In Law' by Nina Manning a compelling and intriguing read you will not want to put down. The characters are complex, emotionally damaged, but entirely believable. It is easy to empathise with Daisy in her predicament from which she cannot escape. She is grieving, and she is missing her husband. Additionally, her hormones are playing havoc with her emotions, making her easy prey for the mother-in-law from hell. This is a fast-moving roller coaster of a thriller that keeps you turning the pages until the end and leaves you wanting more!

I want to give this book 5 out of 5 stars. Nina Manning excels in this genre and is an author to watch out for. I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next. I highly recommend this to adults who enjoy page-turning, twisted psychological thrillers.

Audible original Novella review - Kill Your Brother by Jack Heath - Narrated by Hannah Monson

 

Kill Your Brother by Jack Heath is an Audible Novella set in Australia. It is a tense and compelling story with a damaged young woman at its heart. Elise is a disgraced elite athlete – the backstory to the cause of her disgrace is gradually revealed through the novella. She is searching for her older brother Callum who seemingly has disappeared. Demonstrating considerable strength and resourcefulness, Elise soon realizes that more choices are available to her than the two she has been presented with. As in all good psychological thrillers, the story unfolds with sufficient twists and turns to ensure the reader is kept enthralled to the last page.

Readers of the crime genre do not always look for depth in character development. Their requirements are more for a fast-paced plot-driven story with twists, turns, and perhaps some clarity at its conclusion as to who did what. There are, of course, some crime writers whose characters are fully-fledged and who inhabit their stories with depth and breadth of personality. This novella is essentially plot-driven. Its characters are drawn only to the extent that serves the plot. Elise's parents – for example – are lightly sketched out. Just enough to tell the listener how inadequate they were in their responses to the issues confronting Elise and Callum as children and teenagers.

Callum's personality features strongly throughout the novella, even when he is not physically present. His whereabouts and the reasons behind his disappearance drive the narrative. The third protagonist Stephanie, however, is the one who is the puppet master. Through the story's exposition, the reader slowly learns what led to her actions, even if there may be some difficulty in accepting them.

Telling the backstories of Elise, Callum, and Stephanie while at the same time ensuring that the momentum of the present time narrative is maintained is no mean feat. But it is one that the author manages exceptionally well. The tension increases as the novella moves closer to its conclusion. Kill Your Brother is a well-crafted psychological thriller that will satisfy the listener. 

 

I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it to an adult audience who enjoy psychological crime thrillers.