Brenda's Reviews > The Stepchild

Leslie Everleigh was on her way home from the store when her phone rang. The screams and sobs terrified Leslie as she listened to her stepdaughter Shelby, telling her little Millie was gone. She was only three, how could she be gone? Shelby was twelve and her dad, and Leslie’s husband Randall, had decided she was old enough for short babysitting. But as Leslie berated herself, feeling the guilt overwhelming her, Shelby was also terrified. She knew the police were coming – could she keep the truth hidden from them as well?

As the police gathered around, questioning while sending the force out searching, the incident was put on the radio, the TV. The reporters gathered around and when an Amber Alert was raised, Shelby knew the worst had happened. Leslie knew she’d never see her beautiful daughter again…

Ruth was shut in her house, keeping herself calm in her normal way and wondering what she should do. When she saw the media report on the television, she was sent into panic. What should she do? Wrong, wrong – it was all wrong.

The Step Child is another excellent psychological thriller by Aussie author Nicole Trope, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Tense, heart pounding, breathtaking – the words kept flying by as I took them in. So much intrigue, misconception, misdirection – the heartache of your child missing, and the frustration of not being able to do anything, of letting others do it for you. An exceptional read, The Step Child is one I highly recommend.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.