ARC REVIEW: The Other Daughter – by Shalini Boland @bookouture

Title: The Other Daughter
Author: Shalini Boland
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
First published: November 5th 2019
Publisher: Bookouture
Finished reading: October 15th 2019
Pages: 260

“She’s inside a nightmare. She’s inside hell. And nothing will ever be the same again.”

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

I’ve been a fan of Shalini Boland‘s psychological thrillers ever since I read The Girl From The Sea back in 2016, and I’ve enjoyed every single story since then. As you might already guess, every time I find out about a new Shalini Boland story, my heart skips a beat and I instantly have a new title on my wishlist. My reaction was no different when I first learned about The Other Daughter, and now I’ve had the chance to read it I can say that this newest story without doubt lived up to expectations.

There is just something about the writing that draws you right in, and even before starting The Other Daughter I already knew I had to free my schedule, because Shalini Boland‘s psychological thrillers in general are so engaging that you will have a hard time letting go before you reach the end. The only reason I wasn’t able to read it in one sitting was that I started it too late in the evening and had to get some sleep in between or I wouldn’t have been able to function the next day otherwise. Mind you, I did this reluctantly… The Other Daughter is so gripping that you keep turning those pages without noticing the time flying by; both the writing and the plot itself are probably the cause of this.

As with most psychological thrillers, the suspense is build up slowly but surely, keeping you in the dark about certain key information until the plot twist bombs are ready to be dropped on you. Past and present chapters are mixed in a balanced way, enabling you to learn about those dreadful events nine years ago as well as learning more about what it happening in the present. The plot development is well handled, and constructed in such a way to give maximum effect to that humongous plot twist reveal close to the ending. It doesn’t happen often anymore while reading (psychological) thrillers, but The Other Daughter managed to take me completely unawares. I’m talking about flabbergasted and staring at the page with my jaw dropping to the floor here! And I always love when that happens.

The characters in The Other Daughter are without doubt an interesting bunch. While I’m not sure if they are exactly likeable and some actions and personality traits can really get on your nerves, there is no doubt that the characters are thoroughly developed and feel realistic as they all have their flaws and make their mistakes. Who can you trust and how is the past related to the present? What happened to Holly that day? If you are looking for your next psychological thriller, The Other Daughter is without doubt a gripping and brilliant read. There is a reason she is one of my favorite authors of the genre!