More suspense books for the #allthebookreviews duo!
Thanks to William Morrow for the free copies in exchange for our honest reviews
THE NANNY – Gilly Macmillan (out now!)
Book Description:
“The Nanny kept me in white-knuckled suspense until the very last page. Gilly Macmillan’s breakout thriller is a dark and twisted version of Downton Abbey gone very, very wrong.” — Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author
The New York Times bestselling author of What She Knew conjures a dark and unpredictable tale of family secrets that explores the lengths people will go to hurt one another.
When her beloved nanny, Hannah, left without a trace in the summer of 1988, seven-year-old Jocelyn Holt was devastated. Haunted by the loss, Jo grew up bitter and distant, and eventually left her parents and Lake Hall, their faded aristocratic home, behind.
Thirty years later, Jo returns to the house and is forced to confront her troubled relationship with her mother. But when human remains are accidentally uncovered in a lake on the estate, Jo begins to question everything she thought she knew.
Then an unexpected visitor knocks on the door and Jo’s world is destroyed again. Desperate to piece together the gaping holes in her memory, Jo must uncover who her nanny really was, why she left, and if she can trust her own mother…
In this compulsively readable tale of secrets, lies, and deception, Gilly Macmillan explores the darkest impulses and desires of the human heart. Diabolically clever, The Nanny reminds us that sometimes the truth hurts so much you’d rather hear the lie.
Chandra’s Thoughts: 3/5 stars
Gilly Macmillan is the author who writes these suspenseful slow burn novels that I always, absolutely, MUST read. I’m always entranced with the story line… and then I get to the end. Every time I end a book of hers, I think, “Huh, well that was a good story.” Close the book and that’s about it. I’m not fully satisfied. I’m not wowed. But I’m ALWAYS asking questions.
For The Nanny – I was entranced with this read from the very beginning. While still a slow burn, I felt the pacing was faster than the other two books of hers that I’ve read. I was mesmerized and intrigued with all these characters I was loving to hate. But then, again, I reached the end and did the same thing…. good story.. but I have questions. So, ok. THAT happened and this is how it ends.. but what about this, THIS and THAT?
Now, I consider a 3 star rating still a good rating and I still did enjoy this book. I just needed a fuller ending. Did anyone else have questions at the end? Personally, I think it’s usually a good thing to want to know more. *shrug*
What I do know is that I’ll continue to pick up Macmillan because I am enthralled with the stories she brings. If you like that slow burn with some unlikeable characters, this is probably right in your wheelhouse.
My Thoughts: 3.5/5 stars
This was my second outing with Macmillan and really enjoyed her writing in ODD CHILD OUT. I was excited for another great thriller and couldn’t wait to start. I will say that the synopsis definitely gives you everything you need to know about the book. Not too many twists will be thrown at you outside of the information you’re already given. Did that ruin the reading experience for me? Not at all! Despite being 400 pages, this one did move quickly but took me a little longer to finish than I anticipated. There seemed to be a lot of information that could have been omitted and we still would have gotten the same suspense and mystery!
I liked the premise of the book, a nanny leaves without a trace and without warning, leaving seven-year-old Jocelyn heartbroken. Fast forward a few decades, Jo and her daughter, Ruby, return to her childhood home in need of help from her mother. Despite the relationship not being the best between them, Jo and Ruby begin to settle into their new surroundings. That all changes when human remains are found on the property and an unexpected visitor returns. Who can Jo trust? What happened all those years ago?
This was predictable and didn’t really stand out compared to other thrillers out lately. However, I do enjoy how Macmillan tells a story. I liked her writing in her previous book I picked up and I think I will continue to pick up books from her in the future.
Jessicamap Reviews 