Book review: Little Darlings

By
By Melanie Golding
Published by HQ

Synopsis: Lauren is alone on the maternity ward with her new-born twins when a terrifying encounter in the middle of the night leaves her convinced someone is trying to steal her children. Lauren, desperate with fear, locks herself and her sons in the bathroom until the police arrive to investigate.

When DS Joanna Harper picks up the list of overnight incidents that have been reported, she expects the usual calls from drunks and wrong numbers. But then a report of an attempted abduction catches her eye. The only thing is that it was flagged as a false alarm just fifteen minutes later.

Harper's superior officer tells her there's no case here, but Harper can’t let it go so she visits the hospital anyway. There's nothing on the CCTV. No one believes this woman was ever there. And yet, Lauren claims that she keeps seeing the woman and that her babies are in danger, and soon Harper is sucked into Lauren's spiral of fear. But how far will they go to save children who may not even be in danger?

How did this book end up in my hands? I read a 10-part serialisation of the book via The Pigeonhole ahead of publication.

Was it a page-turner? Yes, so much so that catching up with the new instalment on the app was the first thing I did each morning. I dare anyone who doesn’t have to wait for chapters to be released on a daily basis to not read this book in one sitting.

Did the book meet my expectations? This novel definitely exceeded expectations. I had a hunch it would be good as I loved the synopsis but I wasn’t prepared for goosebumps. Parts of the novel are seriously hair-raising. It’s the way that the author makes you question whether what you know must be true is indeed the truth. I kept telling myself that there was a logical explanation to everything. And yet I couldn’t help but doubt myself at the same time.

Three words to describe it. Creepy. Supernatural. Chilling.

Do I like the cover? Yes, it proves how something so innocuous as a safety pin can become a symbol of something extremely sinister.

Have I read any other books by the same author? Little Darlings is the author’s debut novel and I look forward to her next work.

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