THE PERFECT FAMILY by Shalini Boland – 5 of 5 stars

The Perfect Family: An unputdownable psychological thriller with a heartstopping twist by [Boland, Shalini]

Shalini Boland does it again with another heart-stopping, hold-your-breath, can’t-turn-the-pages-fast-enough read!

I’m a huge fan of Ms. Boland’s work and THE PERFECT FAMILY definitely didn’t disappoint. I loved that I knew what was happening long before the protagonist, but was kept in the dark when it came to the who and why. It was the perfect combination of a frantic need to warn the protagonist and desperation to learn the culprit’s identity / reasoning. I had my suspicions and it seemed I was right, until the gut-punching twist at the very end.

Okay, in all honesty, I did kind of suspect the twist, but since this is a psychological thriller, I’m always looking at every possibility and especially searching for the possible but least likely culprit. I mean, it wouldn’t be a psychological thriller without that twist! It didn’t spoil the ending for me, though. Not in the least.

Like every good book, the pages not only left me breathless, but pulled at my heart strings. I couldn’t help but to feel for this family suffering at the expense of someone else’s psychotic tendencies. Especially since children were involved.

Although the ending left me satisfied, it also played with my emotions in a way that most endings do not. I can’t say much without giving it away, but I was surprised of who I sympathized with when I turned that final page.

Hands down 5 of 5 stars, and highly recommended for any fan of psychological suspense!

THE CHILD NEXT DOOR by Shalini Boland ~ 5 of 5 stars

The Child Next Door: An unputdownable psychological thriller with a brilliant twist by [Boland, Shalini]

Oh, poor Kirstie Rawlings!

After overhearing a man’s voice through her baby monitor, Kirstie is convinced that someone has tried – and will continue to try – to kidnap her infant daughter, Daisy. Every imaginable precaution to protect the baby is taken, but Kirstie still doesn’t feel safe. She won’t let Daisy out of her sight, sleeps on an uncomfortable futon in the nursery beside the crib, and triple checks the door and window locks multiple times each night. It’s an obsession, really, one that seems completely reasonable and warranted.

To Kirstie.

The deeper she delves into obsession, the more everyone, including her husband, Dom, questions her sanity, leaving Kirstie to her own devices as she tries to figure out who wants to kidnap Daisy.

I absolutely loved this book! It grabbed me from the first page and didn’t let go. I was sure early on that I figured out the identity of the potential kidnapper, but was I off base! It’s well written, beautifully plotted, and maintains a must-keep-reading pace.

This is the second of Ms. Boland’s works that I’ve read and I will definitely be reading more.