Fantastic physiological thriller kept me up guessing all night I could not put this book down I love a good thriller that keeps you turning the pages so fast paced an enjoyable read

My Rating: ★★★★☆

JP Delaney’s My Darling Daughter is a captivating psychological thriller that expertly explores the complexities of adoption and the potential dark sides of social media interactions. The story revolves around Anna, a fifteen-year-old adopted girl who reconnects with her birth mother, Susie, disrupting the lives of Susie and her husband Gabe.

The narrative alternates between the perspectives of Anna, Susie, and Gabe, offering a multifaceted view of the unfolding drama. Anna’s accusations against her adoptive parents raise suspicions and create tension, leaving readers questioning her true motives and the nature of her adoptive family’s behavior. Delaney’s skillful storytelling keeps the readers guessing, as he introduces twists and turns that challenge our perceptions.

One of the standout aspects of the novel is its ability to maintain suspense while delving into serious themes such as child welfare laws and the impact of past actions resurfacing due to social media. The psychological depth of the characters, especially the strained dynamics between Gabe and Susie, adds to the emotional intensity of the story.

While some parts of the narrative involving explanations of adoption law can slow the pace, these sections are essential for understanding the legal and psychological context. The climax, with its unexpected revelations, solidifies Delaney’s reputation for crafting intricate and thought-provoking thrillers.

Overall, My Darling Daughter is a compelling read that I would highly recommend to fans of psychological thrillers. It offers a tense, emotionally charged journey with plenty of surprises along the way.

Thanks to publisher and netgalley for arc of this book.

What a better such a great book twisty and had me on end of my seat just read this!!!

I have always enjoyed JP Delaney's previous books and this one followed the same trend. I enjoyed reading the development of the characters and it had me gripped immediately!

My Darling Daughter makes you want to yell at everyone in this book - or maybe that’s just me! The story portrays the complicated situation when an adopted child meets her birth mother, and how there’s no system in place to accommodate the possible risks involved. It’s the story of an adoption gone wrong, with detailed scenes involving social workers and law enforcement. But there’s more to it. Because everyone is hiding secrets!

Susie is so desperate to have her child back that she’s willing to risk herself and her husband’s safety. Gabe is the rational one, and it’s unbelievable how much he’s put through. For a couple of celebrities, I thought they were too naive. The book zooms in on them to the extent that it seems like they live in a bubble, even though some of the things that happened would have landed them on the front page of TMZ. Anna is a troubled child and the things she does are wild, and I found it a tad unbelievable that she could get away with all of it. The sugar-coated ending feels unrealistic but the whole story feels like a wish fulfilment. I’m curious to hear what adoptees and adoptive parents think about this book. It has interesting things to say and I was swept into the drama of this family. But in the end, I felt the execution could have been better.

As I've come to expect and love from JP Delaney, this was one he'll of a psychological thriller. Always tense, sometimes disconcerting with a spattering 9f darkness, what more could a reader want?

Suzie and her husband Gabe, both working in the music industry, have an ideal life. They have everything, apart from a child. So when Suzie is contacted on social media by Anna, claiming to be the daughter she gave up for adoption 15 years ago, life takes a turn.

Agreeing to meet up, the contact brings forward a past that could cause problems. We get to know what was behind the cause of adoption and the consequences following it.

Anna paints a harrowing picture of her homelife with her adoptive parents and Suzie and Gabe feel they have no choice but to help. But is the tale Anna spins really the truth? Suzie takes it upon herself to contact the adoptive parents but is quickly dismissed which leaves her even more concerned for her 'daughter'.

The short, punchy chapters draw you in and make it even easier to read and the change of POVs from each main character kept me intrigued all the way through.

You never quite know which direction this book I taking you, it's twists and turns throw you around until you're not sure which way you're heading.

There are alot of sensitive subjects covered in this tale and the author covers them amazingly with real sensitivity.

The characterisation was perfect, each character is presented individually with real depth and the emotions throughout just flood off the page.

A real intense novel that covers so much in a short time. Full of suspense, drama, tension and dilemma. Highly recommended.

Huge thanks to Netgalley and Quercus Books for the ARC.

Another great book from one of my favourite authors. An adoption story with a twist! Great characters, a thrilling tense read. Excellent book.

This is a domestic thriller which tackles many sensitive topics. The story is told from multiple perspectives. There are many twists and turns which makes this a page turner. A compulsive read

A fantastic novel as always from j p Delaney. Tense and also heart wrenching at times as the story developed. Really enjoyed getting to know gabe and susie and sky. Thanks for the opportunity to read

A cracking read, full of tension and foreboding. Great characters and plot. Can't wait to read more from the author.

I love the Delaney books, I was so looking forward to reading the new novel and am so grateful to have access. The characters always feel so relatable and the sense of loss and great hope are always balanced in the end. Thank you.

This was a gripping and thrilling read. It was creepy in parts and very atmospheric. This wasn’t my favourite book by this author but was still enjoyable.

The protagonists in this story are Susie, Gabe and Sky/ Anna and this story is told from their perspectives. Susie and Gabe are wealthy musicians living in a nice place until Susie gets a text from a daughter whom she gave up for adoption 15 years ago. Sky seems very unhappy with her adoptive family, so Susie ridden with guilt and newfound hope to reconnect invites Sky to meet up. And that is where everything changes. I enjoyed Sky’s parts in this book the most, I wanted to learn more about her life and why she is the way she is. My favourite has to be Gabe, he is the rational and logical one, the one who is not blinded by emotions and sees things the way they actually are. My least favourite has to be Susie, I understand why she was behaving the way she has but I found her too soft and irrational. The characters were very open in this novel and I enjoyed getting to know them and the lifestyle that musicians have during their careers.
The narrative of this book was well thought through and has a good element of surprise. I was not expecting certain twists and turns and I really enjoyed them. The part that I missed the most was mystery, intrigue and the uniqueness of the plot. I have seen plenty of horror films with similar plots and I was not very impressed by it. There are a lot of topics discussed in this book such as adoption, mental health issues, drugs and alcohol, behaviour issues, infertility, non-consensual sex, sex between minors and many more. This book is very heavy mentally and emotionally and it could be a trigger to some readers.
The book was set in and around London and I really enjoyed the setting. JP Delaney is a great storyteller and he knows how to write a good thriller, I really enjoy his writing style. The chapters were not very long and the pages flew by quite quickly. The ending rounded the story well but I don’t know how I feel about it…

I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide me review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

My first JP Delaney and definitely won’t be my last! This was super fast paced and gripping and I couldn’t put it down! Can’t wait to start another of his works

Susie is contacted on social media by Anne, claiming to be her daughter (known then as Sky) that she gave up to adoption 15 years ago. Anne relays some details that convinces Susie and as she has always dreamt of this moment, can’t wait to be reunited. However, Anne’s adopted parents are cruel and overbearing and Anne pleads to Susie and husband Gabe to take her in. However, they are in contempt of the law and face child offences for not having permission from the adopted parents to have contact. Things escalate quickly and so does Anne’s temper and the adopted parents relinquish any responsibility. Anne, now goes by Sky, starts to show her true, manipulative colours and makes all sorts of accusations, putting marriage and careers at risk.
A truly dark domestic psychological thriller, with plenty of turmoil and twists as revelations are announced throughout. The consequences of Skys actions affecting everyone around her. A fast paced read that will keep you wanting to know more.

I enjoyed this read and found it gripping and a page turner. I always like it where the chapters are told through each of the characters voice. There were times where I thought, that wouldn’t happen in real life, but at the end of the day it’s fiction. Delaney had done a lot of research in preparation for the story and there seemed to be several issues addressed.
Susie is married to Gabe, and both have a successful musical career. Sky is Susie’s daughter who was taken into care and then adopted as a toddler. Sky tracks down Susie and weaves herself into their lives. Here the nightmare begins as Sky’s psychological issues become obvious, clearer and dangerous for these involved with her. Susie has that mother’s guilt and has the blinkers on when the warnings given fall on deaf ears.
I felt that the story was well paced although the conclusion was quite possibly rushed. There were possibly too many issues for them to be addressed adequately. I would still suggest that this is a fantastic read.
Many thanks to Netgalley and JP Delaney for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Susie Jones is contacted on social media by Anna, the baby she gave up for adoption fifteen years ago. Susie is happily married to Gabe and she now has an up and coming music career.

Anna is having trouble with her adoptive parents, Susie filled with guilt reaches out to her and they offer to help her in any way they can. This will start a chain of events that will change all their lives forever.

A book that held me captive from the start, not knowing where this twisty and suspenseful read would go.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Prepare for jaw-dropping surprises in this suspenseful book, full of twists and turns it will hook you from page one and not let up.

Another absolutely cracking psychological thriller from JP Delaney. Every book is a guaranteed page turner. Suzie and Gabe are a super cool rockstar couple, trying their best to conceive a child after a string of miscarriages, when Suzie is contacted by someone claiming to be her daughter. What unfolds is a complete upheaval of their lives and their deepest secrets. The consequences are irrevocably changing. Just when you think things cannot get any more complicated or disturbing, it.does! Superb writing. #my darling daughter #jpdelaney