The Stolen Child by Sanjida Kay

The Stolen Child
By Sanjida Kay
Published by Corvus (6 April 2017)
ISBN: 978-1782396918

Publisher's description

Zoe and Ollie Morley tried for years to have a baby and couldn't. They turned to adoption and their dreams came true when they were approved to adopt a little girl from birth. They named her Evie.

Seven years later, the family has moved to Yorkshire and grown in number: a wonderful surprise in the form of baby Ben. As a working mum it's not easy for Zoe, but life is good.

But then Evie begins to receive letters and gifts.

The sender claims to be her birth father.

He has been looking for his daughter.

And now he is coming to take her back...

My verdict
The Stolen Child is a gripping psychological thriller. It covers some interesting themes (including adoption, a child's sense of belonging and alcohol foetal syndrome), with a more in-depth feel to it than many other books in this genre.

The book is fast paced, with high suspense, and lots of emotion. It's also beautifully written with atmospheric descriptive narrative and realistic dialogue. I read over three-quarters in one sitting late one evening. I couldn't put the book down, trying to figure it all out. I thought I knew what was going on, but then I wasn't sure, and changed my mind yet again several times by the end.

The Stolen Child is cleverly plotted, with red herrings strategically dotted all over, so that everyone becomes a suspect. I didn't particularly like Zoe or Ollie, the main characters, but that didn't spoil my enjoyment at all. This is a very twisty tale and a highly enjoyable read.

I enjoyed the author's first book too, so I'm interested to see what she writes next.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher and through Lovereading.