When They Find Her by Lia Middleton #bookreview

On my blog today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the debut novel by Lia Middleton, When They Find Her.

BLURB

NAOMI ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A MOTHER.

But three years ago, her husband left, taking their child with him.

Now, her daughter has come to stay, and Naomi knows it’s her one chance to re-build her family.

But the night ends in a terrible accident.

And Naomi has no memory of what happened.

Panicking, desperate, Naomi finds herself telling a lie:

‘My daughter is missing.’

NOW SHE CAN NEVER TAKE IT BACK . . .

MY THOUGHTS

When They Find Her is a tense, compelling and a heartbreaking psychological thriller by Lia Middleton. The moment I read the blurb for this book and saw the cover, I knew I had to read it. It is a very fresh thriller built around a horrific lie and how a lie can spiral out of control. It is a fantastic debut.

Naomi is desperate to spend time with her daughter, Freya, who has been living with her father since Naomi split up with her husband. Naomi lost custody of Freya, and she is desperate to show that she can be a good mother. Naomi believes she can do this even though her ex-husband has reservations about her looking after their daughter. But tragedy strikes, and in a panic, Naomi covers up what has happened, and her lie will have disastrous consequences.

I was utterly gripped from the first chapter. I couldn’t believe what I was reading as the scene on the page played out. I couldn’t believe Naomi’s actions as she tried to cover up what had happened. I could feel her fear and the tension building up inside her as she tried to make sure that the police and her ex-husband didn’t find out what really happened to her daughter. I could understand her fear, and why she was worried about the police finding out, it made me wonder what I would have done if I was in her position. It did make me wonder how long she would be able to keep the lie up.

Lia Middleton keeps the tension ticking up a notch, and this is the type of book that you can devour in just one sitting. I wanted to know what was going to happen to Naomi and if anyone was going to discover the secret she had covered up. I also kept wondering if her ex-husband was going to discover it as well. This really added to the pace and the tension.

My eyes were kept glued to the page as Lia Middleton wrapped the book up in the final scenes. There is a devastating twist which I could not believe as I was reading it. Psychological thriller lovers, you need to add this book to your TBR pile. I can’t wait to read what Lia Middleton comes up with next.

Publisher: Penguin

Publication date: 25th May 2021

Print length: 371 pages

When They Find Her is available to buy:

Amazon UK Kobo Waterstones