A Daughter's Secret by Eleanor Moran

A Daughter's Secret
By Eleanor Moran
Published by Simon & Schuster (30 July 2015)
ISBN: 978-1471141690

Publisher's description
Mia is a high-flying child psychotherapist, hoping to be made partner in the thriving practice where she works. But then she takes on a case which will change her life for ever, and bring back the past she has done her best to bury.
Thirteen year old Gemma was the last person to see her father before he went on the run, fleeing from a major criminal trial. The police are desperate to track him down, pressuring Mia to tease the information out of his angry and reluctant daughter. But what does Gemma really know and how hard can Mia push without betraying her?
Both are hiding devastating secrets. Both need the other to survive. Will they learn to trust each other before it's too late?

My verdict
A Daughter's Secret is a book about complex father-daughter relationships.

Mia is a psychotherapist. She has been tasked with finding out the location of 13-year-old Gemma's father, who is on the run from a major criminal trial. Gemma was the last person to see her father and the police are convinced that she is still in contact with him. Meanwhile Mia is struggling with maintain a professional relationship with Gemma, seeing similarities between them as her memories of her own father bubble to the surface.

This is an enjoyable story and kept me intrigued until the end. I liked the author's style of writing and this was an easy read. From the blurb, I was expecting more of a psychological thriller, but there was little of the 'thriller' aspect. It was mainly an exploration of dominating fathers and whether it's possible to love your children 'too much'.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.