Publication Date 25.03.21
'PLEASE HELP ME . . . MY DAUGHTER HAS GONE'
Naomi is desperate to prove to her ex husband that she can be trusted with their only child. She's made mistakes, but she knows she's a good mother.
So when an overnight stay goes terribly wrong, Naomi panics - and tells a desperate lie.
SHE REPORTS HER DAUGHTER MISSING.
Within hours, police begin searching her home. Journalists crowd her driveway. Her former husband paces the hall. Soon the whole country will be looking for her daughter. And Naomi knows her lie has gone too far.
BUT CAN SHE EVER TAKE IT BACK?
Five Star Review
What a fantastic read - shocking, gripping and heart breaking - in equal measures. I raced through it, unable to put it down.
From the first few pages, I was scared. When Freya was in the bath I could hardly bear to read on. Knowing something was about to happen. Lia Middleton keeps that tension tight on each subsequent page and there is barely room to breathe as you read on and on, wondering what is going to happen.
I felt a whole range of mixed emotions towards Naomi. At first, I truly emphasised with her predicament as she only wanted time with her daughter. How cruel for her husband to limit her time with the child she adored. But that turned quickly to disgust and then to frustration. Yet I still cared for her. And although I didn't agree with her lying to the police, her reasoning behind it is written so well that I could understand her decision.
I adore when I connect with a character in such a way, it shows true skill as an author to elicit such a reaction in the reader. I was fully immersed in Naomi's story, her thoughts and all the other characters that inhabited her world. Even although there were a few I disliked at times. Bur it's great to dislike a character in a novel, we all love a baddie and to work out their character. I just wish Naomi had someone she could have trusted and confided in. But then she can't even trust herself.
I thought it was also very clever to set this novel in the middle of winter. The snow melting only added to the tension. Everything felt like it was closing in on Naomi - even the weather. Strong writing and cleverly plotted, this psychological thriller is a dark twisty ride and you too will be gripped until the very end.
An incredible debut
About the Author
Lia Middleton is a barrister who specialises in criminal law, public law and offender management. She lives in Beaconsfield with her husband and their two children.
