Little Darlings is one of those books that leave you guessing until the end. Is this just a mother dealing with postpartum depression or is there truly something more sinister at work. Quoting folklore and fairy tail from around the world, Melanie Golding is able to submerge the reader into a rich world while adding a validity to what her characters are experiencing.

Lauren Tranter has given birth to two beautiful twin boys, Riley and Morgan. She feels almost guilty as she does not get that "instalove" that she was told she would feel upon first holding her babies. Her husband Patrick seems to the unknowing eye like a doting husband and father, but is quick to blame work and other things on why it's necessary he shouldn't be the one to get up with them, even quickly leaving her alone the night of their birth when visiting hours are over. While attempting to get some rest after just delivering two healthy bundles, Lauren is awoken by another new mother in the stall over, also talking to twins. Delighted to have another mother to talk to, Lauren inquires about the twins and new mother next door with the nurse the next morning, while the nurse tells her that her twins are the only twins in the unit. The next night, Lauren is met with a threat from the mystery woman and her twins, "Let me have one, or I'll take both. I'll make it look the same, you won't even know that we've switched". Realizing the threat to her babies, Lauren takes them into the bathroom and rings the police, as the woman begins throwing herself at the door demanding the switch.

Jo Harper is a hard headed detective with a soft spot for children, especially babies. Upon hearing about Lauren's call, she investigates further into what happened, as security cameras found nothing suspicious. Jo is unwilling to write off Lauren as sleep deprived despite the doctors, nurses, and even Lauren's husband discredit her panic. Jo gives Lauren her card and tells her to call her anytime, that she would respond if able.

This leads us onto the true journey of our book, as the first time Lauren goes out, she falls asleep after sitting on a park bench accidentally. Lauren calls the police, who find her babies after a short while by the river, but when they bring them back to their mother she is convinced that something has changed. These are not her twins, but the woman from the hospitals...but can she get anyone to believe her before it's too late to get her babes back?

There are really strong moments to this story, however it experiences some massive pacing issues. For me the story didn't really begin until over 50% of the way through the book. The characters had me sold, I just with they had done more with the page time they were given. The ending felt forced and rushed, and I wish we could have explored the twists and turns more in-depth rather than them feeling like an afterthought. Overall a great read, but I really wish the author would publish a novella where we could explore the world and thoughts of changelings and mental health.

I would recommend this book to any who find the premise intriguing, just be ready to put in the time before the story really begins.

When I requested this book from Netgalley I thought it was psychological suspense. It is definitely psychological but not so much suspenseful. I had a little trouble getting into it and staying with it. I am not sure exactly why, perhaps it was just the English style of writing and slang.It was interesting but I felt like it moved slowly.
Lauren Tranter is a new mother of twins. She married after a short romance. She has a history of depression after her mother's death. She had a difficult birth with complications. She is sleep deprived. She thinks she is visited in the hospital by an old dirty woman with twins who wanted to exchange her twins for Lauren's. Everyone says there was no one there. When she goes home she refuses to leave the house and stays locked in her bedroom, terrified her twins will be taken. And then they are gone. The folklore of changelings and the reality of postpartum depression go hand in hand in this book. The use of the unreliable narrator further confuses things. The police detective who has problems of her own, who sort of believes Lauren but then doesn't adds to the confusion. I don't want to reveal too much. You must draw your own conclusions. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book. I will be interested to see the movie that I understand is being made from it. It should be really creepy.

LITTLE DARLINGS
Melanie Golding
Crooked Lane Books
ISBN 978-1-68331-997-7-9
Hardcover
Thriller

LITTLE DARLINGS is more than an impressive debut novel. It is an impressive work, period. Melanie Golding’s first published book-length work sure-footedly straddles genres --- mystery, thriller, supernatural --- while grabbing the reader from its first few pages and not letting go. I had, on the particular day that I started LITTLE DARLINGS, binge-watched a bunch of Rob Zombie horror films and thought that I was totally scared-out, as it were. I was wrong. LITTLE DARLINGS has more than enough fright, terror, and suspense to satisfy even the most jaded reader of genre fiction.

Golding gives us a taste of the conclusion of LITTLE DARLINGS at the start of the book before going back to the beginning, as it were. That opening scene consists of Lauren Tranter giving birth to twin sons. Golding gets it all just right, from the complications that accompany the birth to the presence of Patrick, the somewhat hapless but (somewhat) well-meaning husband and father, who tries not to be superfluous to the event even as he doesn’t seem totally engaged. Lauren is another story. She is, in fact, a good deal of the story, an enigmatic figure who is either totally aware of what is going on, entirely delusional, or caught in stasis at some terrible mid-point in between the two states. She is still a patient with her children in the maternity ward when she hears a woman in the bay next to her, who also apparently has twins, singing a bizarre song. Lauren eventually confronts the woman, who Lauren initially thinks is a street person who has somehow gotten onto the ward. The woman wants to make an exchange with Lauren. This, of course, scares the hell out of Lauren, and, in Golding’s quite capable hands, doesn’t do wonders for the reader’s mental health, either. The problem is that the midwife and nurses on the ward all insist that Lauren is the only mother on the ward with twins. Lauren, who called the police during the episode, doesn’t believe that she experienced a hallucination, which is what the psychiatric staff at the hospital keep insisting. Detective Sergeant Jo Harper, who takes the report, isn’t sure what is going on but doesn’t entirely disbelieve Lauren, particularly when she reviews hospital security camera footage outside of Lauren’s ward as well as the recording of Lauren’s 911 call. Harper sees and hears things which can’t entirely be explained away as imagination. Problems continue when Lauren and Patrick eventually take the twins home. There are the usual ones --- sleep deprivation, division of duty issues, and the like --- but the worst is the occasional odd and inappropriate baby gifts that keep showing up on the porch. The worst, however, is that Lauren continues to see the strange woman from the hospital. An incident then occurs which endangers the twins and sends Lauren to an inpatient psychiatric hospital. A terrible question arises as to whether Lauren is trying to injure her babies --- babies which she is insisting are not hers, and have been switched --- or is trying to save them. The distinction becomes extremely crucial before the end of the book, and, in a neat and frightfully exquisite turn, after its conclusion.

LITTLE DARLINGS is a haunting work on multiple levels. It gave me a humdinger of a nightmare --- something which made me love the book all the more --- that echoed well into my waking hours afterward. Anyone who has wondered where the ancient stories and legends come from will read LITTLE DARLINGS with some appreciation. Speaking of which, Golding intermittently includes topic-appropriate epigraphs at the beginnings of some of the chapters and generously provides citations to them at the conclusion of LITTLE DARLINGS. It’s a chilling touch to a tale that is as frightening as its source material. Changelings, infant abduction, and the like are recurrent themes in literature across history and cultures and Golding reminds her readers of this though it is doubtful that they ultimately need to be reminded. Anyone with children, or anyone who knows anyone who has children, will find LITTLE DARLINGS an excruciatingly frightening but nonetheless irresistible tale. Strongly recommended.

Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
© Copyright 2019, The Book Report, Inc. All rights reserved

Little Darlings, the debut novel by author Melanie Golding is one of the most original premises I’ve read in a long time. It melds fairytale and folklore with an unhealthy dash of postnatal depression with just a touch of the supernatural. See? Original!

Lauren Tranter is waiting to feel that rush of love for her newborn twin boys when a disheveled woman appears in her hospital room, asking to swap the babies with her own. Lauren manages to escape and call the police, but nobody believes her. Not her husband, not hospital staff, and not the police - except one detective, who is inexplicably drawn to the case. When her children go missing, Lauren is beside herself, and when they’re returned, she knows the babies that came back aren’t her precious boys, and she will go to any lengths to get them back.

Told in two timelines, of both Lauren and DS Joanna Harper, the aforementioned detective who feels that there is something a little off. She starts her own investigation, flouting the rules and getting herself in trouble with her superior officer as she does so. Her involvement lends some serious gravity to the story, and amps up the mystery factor, that’s for sure!

Personally, I have so many feels about Little Darlings and I suspect that’s exactly what Ms. Golding was going for. Her descriptions are on point and she creates believable characters we can love and hate, but that we can relate to, and they're people we all know. Lauren could be any young, new mother and her husband, Patrick, could be any seemingly well-meaning, self-absorbed jerk (we hates him, my precious). And we’re handed enough misdirect throughout to keep us guessing. More than once, I thought I had it straight, but I was wrong. Even at the very end, while the case is tied up somewhat neatly, there are a couple of super creepy things thrown in that make you wonder about certain events and certain motives.

To sum up, Little Darlings is well written, has believable characters (with one exception, but I’m sure you’ll figure that out), and is as eerie as all get out. It’s definitely one I’d recommend - unless you’re a new Mom and then ...

‘”I’ll take yours and you can have mine. You’ll never know the difference.”’

Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read Little Darlings in return for my honest review.

Oh my gosh, this was a wonderfully creepy mystery. The story mixes the perfect wonder of new motherhood and the struggles that go with it and the terror or someone taking/changing out your children. There is a great buzz through it all as you try to figure out - is it real? Or is it all in Lauren's mind?

I liked the POV of the officer, Harper. She was a great contrast to Lauren, as you got to see the investigation side and the officer really try to investigate if someone else was there, trying to steal her children. It's a fast paced real and definitely one I enjoyed!

Looking for a suspenseful, creepy baby-swapping tale? Well, look no further. I thoroughly enjoyed Melanie Golding's "Little Darlings." Golding's prose is rich and builds a world that draws you in; I felt like it was raining and dreary the whole story. Were Lauren's newborn twins swapped out for an identical, but otherwordly, set of twins? Or is has she lost her mind? I flip-flopped several times throughout the novel as to which side I believed. The issues of motherhood and postpartum depression are handled realistically and ground the (possibly) supernatural elements of the tale. The characters were multi-dimensional and behaved realistically. I'm excited to see that this is going to be a film!

As a first time mother of twin boys who are now eight months old, how could I not request and devour this book? At times I thought it was the best idea I'd ever had and at others, I was so creeped out, I thought I'd made a huge mistake.
Overall, I enjoyed the experience, even when it did hit a little too close to home. I could relate so closely to the depiction of new motherhood - the rewards and yet, the loneliness. The determination and yet, the sense of foreboding. For that portrayal, I feel like this is an important book though it does seek and succeeds to entertain as well.
The atmosphere was haunting. I was engrossed in this story, but one could wonder if that was due to the similarities to my own life. As such, I am a little haunted after reading it.

This book right here is an excellent example of why I choose to go into most books as close to blind as possible. If I’d gone based solely on the blurb, I probably would have taken a pass on this book as your typical domestic thriller. But this novel is so much more than what it says on the tin, and I’m so glad I gave it a shot! This book grabbed me from the very first page, and didn’t let up until I’d devoured the entire novel.

This novel takes one of my most loathed tropes and completely turns it on its head. I haven’t made any secret of my hatred for this trend of thrillers where no one believes the traumatized female main character, and I cringed a little when I saw that this book was heading in that direction. However, it takes a sharp, completely unpredictable turn early on and keeps you guessing all the way through. Honestly, I spent this entire novel second-guessing myself because the unreliable narrators here are just that good. Every time I thought I had things figured out, the author would pile on a new aspect that would have me back at the drawing board, trying to figure out what was ACTUALLY happening here.

I really loved how vividly the author brings her characters to life. None of them are entirely likeable, but they’re so realistic that I couldn’t help but feel strong emotional ties to all of them (yes, even Patrick…anger is an emotion!). The less-than-rosy portrait of new motherhood that the author paints here was raw, visceral and wholly compelling, in a way that I don’t think I’ve encountered before. My heart broke over and over for Lauren as she tried to protect Morgan and Riley as her world crumbled around her.

The folklore behind the story was a fantastic touch, and added an extra level of doubt to my reading. This book left me with more questions than answers, which would have been frustrating if the writing and detail of the plot weren’t so damn well done. Nothing ties up neatly, there are no right answers here, but it’s so deftly handled that I felt satisfied with just a hint of residual doubt niggling at the back of my mind when I finished reading.

This is a stunning debut, with big ideas and fresh takes on themes that have been saturating the thriller market for years. This novel beautifully showcases that you can absolutely write a new and unique story off the backs of existing tropes. An amazing thriller that I’m sure I’ll be recommending for months to come!

I was immediately hooked by the introduction. I’m not only curious, I am horrified by what she is about to do. Now I need to know why

Lauren Tranter had just delivered twins and as she held Morgan, she wondered why she didn’t feel the overwhelming love she had heard so much about. She was filled with doubts, but don’t all new mothers feel that way?

DS Harper saw the 911 call. Even though it had been cleared, something niggled at the back of her mind. She couldn’t let it go. She went to the hospital to check on Lauren Tranter, even though she was ordered to let it go. Her spidey senses were tingling and she had learned to listen to them. She had no desire to move up in the system, so she would walk that fine line and buck the system when she felt she must.

Was Lauren seeing things, hallucinating? The filthy muddy fish smell still lingered in her hospital room. And the cut on her hand? Where did that come from? Did she do it to herself?

I am trying to figure out where we are heading. What is really going on? Melanie Golding does a great job of keeping the mystery hidden. The story moves at a steady pace and I keep getting more anxious with each chapter read. I love the mounting tension and anticipation.

Little Darlings is a riveting tale of psychological thrills and chills and it may leave you, like me, wondering…Is it all in her mind? Are the folk tales of changlings true? You decide.

This is Melanie Golding’s debut novel and I only see good books coming from her in the future. Keep on writing, Melanie, and I’ll keep on reading.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Little Darlings by Melanie Golding.

Lauren Tranter has just gone through a complicated birth bringing her newborn twin sons, Morgan and Riley, into the world. When she experiences a weird encounter at the hospital, imagining there is a woman present trying to steal her babies, those around her become concerned. Clearly she is exhausted, but is there more to her story? Was someone actually in her hospital room? Could the nurses have missed this person?

When Lauren and the babies arrive at home her paranoia continues to grow. Her friends haven’t heard from in weeks. Her husband thinks she needs to get out of the house. When Lauren finally does emerge out into the world, she takes the babies, now a month old, to a local lake. The babies disappear while at the park. They are returned quickly to their hysterical parents, but Lauren believes something is wrong. Something has changed. That woman from the hospital stole her real babies and replaced them with changelings. What lengths will Lauren go to to prove she’s not hysterical. To prove that these twins are not hers?

Melanie Golding’s debut novel, LITTLE DARLINGS, is an absolutely addictive mix of fairy tale and modern day thriller. I haven’t read many books that fall into the crime fiction genre that encompass a fantasy element to them. Golding takes the folklore surrounding twin births and weaves it into a story all her own.

The story unfolds through the main characters of Lauren Tranter and the detective Joanna Harper, who has been assigned to her case. While the initial event that takes place at the hospital is written off as a mental health incident being handled by the hospital, Harper can’t stop herself from investigating. Harper’s utter determination and fascination with Lauren’s situation make the reader feel that perhaps Lauren hasn’t just lost her mind. Perhaps there are other answers to what is happening.

As the story progresses Golding makes a hard case for the possibility of the reader needing to suspend their belief if they are to take Lauren’s side. Surely there must be a factual explanation for what is happening, but what if there was more to it? How much the reader is willing to believe is up to them, but that won’t stop the folklore from catching everyone’s attention and making the reader intrigued. The confidence with which Lauren believes that her babies have been switched is both riveting and heartbreaking at times. As you learn more about the case and the investigation continues, Golding keeps the reader on the edge of their seat needing to know what Lauren will do next.

LITTLE DARLINGS is creepy, captivating, and downright entertaining to read! This book deserves to be at the top of your TBR because you’re not going to want to miss out on talking about it with fellow readers!

Disclosure: Thank you to Crooked Lane Books for sending me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! This was seriously creepy. I loved the way it was written - leaving the reader wondering if these supernatural things were real, was someone gaslighting her, or was it all imagination. The pacing was excellent as it moved from one theory to another, one suspect to another. The characters were believable (though some aspects of Jo Harper's personality seemed a bit forced) and the story was very compelling.

I enjoyed reading this book a lot more than I expected to!!

I had to watch CInderella after reading this, so I wouldn't have nightmares! The story switches perspective between Lauren and the detective, so you're constantly doubting what you previously believed in the previous chapter. This heart-racing thriller will keep you on your toes and guessing until the end. I live with my twin 18-year old nieces and look at them a little differently now, lol.

Melanie Golding’s debut novel is a hauntingly creepy novel that skillfully weaves traditional fairy tales and folklore about changelings into a darkly superb psychological thriller meets modern-day fairy tale. Little Darlings left me applauding the writer’s skill at brilliantly crafting a story that I devoured in several hours―I was riveted by the story of a young new mother who says someone is threatening her and her twin babies, but no one believes her and thinks she’s hallucinating. Is she? Or is something dark and evil lurking waiting to steal her babies?

When new mother of twin boys, Lauren Tranter is dozing after a terribly difficult delivery of her newborn twin sons, she wakes to singing and then a very peculiar looking woman with her own twins hisses she’ll take one of Lauren’s babies in exchange for one of hers. Lauren locks herself in the bathroom and calls the police, but no signs of anyone is found on video. Everyone thinks it’s all in Lauren’s head as she’s overly exhausted.

As the weeks pass, Lauren refuses to sleep in case the woman returns for one of her babies, so her days pass in a vicious cycle of breastfeeding, dirty diapers, sleeplessness, and never leaving her house. Her husband Patrick is selfishly no help, so Lauren is a young mother with no support, no help, and dealing with all the hardships of new motherhood times two.

When Lauren finally leaves the house, the unthinkable happens and her babies disappear! Yet, when they are recovered, Lauren swears they have been switched! Lauren knows she has to save her boys like the fairy tales she’s read have told her but to do so, she might end up making the biggest mistake of her life if she’s wrong.

As a mom who had severe postpartum depression and anxiety with all of my children, I appreciated how skillfully Golding presented the psychological torment of having PPD and PPA. Her accuracy in the depiction still astounds me. Those were probably the most horrible days of my life because even though I was thrilled to have my new babies, I was mentally tormented. No one I knew would talk to me about it, and it took 6 months to get a diagnosis after my 1st pregnancy because I had no idea what was wrong. I hope more people become aware of this common disorder and applaud Golding for making PPD a part of the story!

Golding’s novel is wickedly intense and will instill terror into any parent’s hearts. She’ll make you think fairy tales are true then the next minute you’ll think Lauren does have PPD. The contrast between what is real and unknown, the supernatural and natural is wonderfully explored, as well as the desperate love of a mother for her children.

While some readers might find the uncertainty of the ending frustrating, I appreciated it because I liked being able to interpret this multifaceted story in my own way. This is a well-written story that more than anything shines the light on a mother’s desperation to save her children.

**Thank you, NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC to read in exchange for a fair and honest review.**

Well, I have to be honest, as a mother, I have a huge fear of my kid being kidnapped. So this synopsis drew my attention immediately. And in this case it seemed like it must be some kind of paranormal situation, so I just couldn't past this chance to read "Little Darlings".

When I started reading it, the beginning seemed very promising and I raised my hopes even more. The mood of the book was set from the start and I hope to be creeped out.

However, after few pages I started disliking main character Lauren. Even though this book was about her, we didn't have any backstory of her life or her interests. Actually we don't know anything about her except that she had twins and a not so supportive husband. To be honest I wasn't fan of other characters too. I don't even remember some of their names.

The story seemed unfinished and in some places boring. It took me ages to finish this book, because I had to force myself to pick it up. And the conclusion of this story was very anticlimactic.

So, I don't think I will read more books by this author, but you should try it, because I'm in minority with my opinion.

I think this is the first "horror" book I've ever read! Completely outside my normal genre, but I really loved it! I found the end slightly unsatisfying, but that didn't really affect my enjoyment of the novel. Well written, captivating, slightly creepy (but ok for squeamish readers like I am), and interesting. A solid read!

I was not familiar with the folklore behind this story before reading Little Darlings, but I’m very interested in reading it now. Little Darlings was both creepy and heartbreaking at the same time.

Although I’m not a mother, and have never experienced PPD, I can really imagine what it would be like to be under a spell after giving birth to babies. I don’t know if PPD was the goal of the author, but I almost wonder if she knows someone, or is someone, that suffered because the descriptions and the agonizing emotions in this book were overwhelming.

Little Darlings just may keep you up at night, but the best books will do that to you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

This is one tense and creepy book. I was hooked from the start and had to know what happened next. If you’re looking for a mystery with thrilling twists and a supernatural element along with some police procedural, this is a great read.

I was immediately taken by this book. From the start there is detailed imagery surrounding childbirth. Lauren shares her point of view and the gory details about what goes into giving birth to twins vaginally. There’s mention of forceps, an epidural, and post-delivery bleeding. If these topics may be triggering I’d warn you to read with caution.

I appreciated Lauren’s point of view and her sharing the details of what it’s like to give birth and be left alone in the hospital to care for them. I thought that the descriptions and scenes were very believable and realistic. Everything stuck with me whenever I put the book down and I just had to get back into it to see what happened next.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mysteries and domestic thrillers with supernatural elements. There are strong female characters, unique plot twists, and interesting views into early motherhood and how women change after giving birth.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and Melanie Golding for the opportunity to read this creepy debut - i loved it! 4.5 stars rounded up because I couldn't put it down - can't wait to read more from this author.

Lauren just had identical twin boys. She waits for that sudden burst of maternal love that she's heard about but it doesn't quite come. While still in the hospital, she sees an old, creepy woman come into her room who tries to take her babies and replace them with her own. She calls 911, screams, but no one else saw a thing and no one believes her. Once home, she is afraid to let the twins out of her sight for fear the woman will come back to take them. Beyond exhausted, with a husband who doesn't help, she falls deeper and deeper into her own world with the babies. The first day she ventures out to the park with friends, she falls asleep on a park bench and wakes up to her twins gone. They are soon found but they aren't the same. And still no one believes her.

With each chapter beginning with a folklore or fable to add to the creepiness, this book will have you racing to the finish. It's also a look into the early days of motherhood, when you are too tired to breathe. Is it depression or psychosis? My heart went out to Lauren - she was incredibly strong, especially through the ending. Great read!

Little Darlings is an unusual mix of dark fairy tale and thriller. It is a enthralling ride down a rabbit hole where anything is possible.

In olden days, people believed that witches took newborn babies. Sometimes they exchanged them for demons who looked exactly the same as the newborns, but behaved differently. The witches particularly liked twins.

Lauren has twin boys that only she can tell apart. While still recovering from the birth, Lauren gets a visit from an old woman. The crone wants to trade for one of the newborn. If Lauren doesn’t agree, she threatens to take them both. When Lauren calls the police, they don’t believe her. Only one Sergeant, who has her own issues with babies, believes her enough to investigate. When Lauren sees the witch hiding across the street from her house, but no one else sees her, even Lauren begins to question her sanity.

Little Darlings is an atmospheric read. Multiple times I changed my mind from believing to disbelieving Lauren and vice versa. If you want a bit of paranormal horror mixed into your thriller, this book is a great choice. 4 stars!

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Wow, this was creepy! A sort of fairy tale retelling, where a mom thinks a woman has turned her twin babies into something...other than human.

At first, I didn't think I was going to like this book. It went into a lot of extra detail about things that didn't really add to the book, but I'm glad I stuck with it.

Thank you #NetGalley for an early review copy of #LittleDarlings by Melanie Golding.