A huge thanks to the author A. A. Chaudhuri, Hera and Netgalley for having me along and providing a copy of this novel in exchange for an unbiased review and thanks to Danielle @_DanielleLouis_ for organising this tour.
Synopsis
Twenty years ago, Christine Donovan took a call she should have ignored while shopping. In those few seconds while her back was turned, her toddler, Heidi, was kidnapped. She’s never been seen again.
Despite having two other children with husband Greg, Christine remains guilt-stricken that her neglect caused her child to be stolen, while haunted by a secret that consumes her.
Just as she takes measures to finally heal, a note is posted through her door, with the words she has always longed to hear: Heidi isn’t dead.
Christine might finally get the answers she craves – but what she doesn’t know is that finding her daughter will uncover dark secrets close to home.
In seeking the truth, Christine might destroy everything that she loves … so how far is she willing to go to find Heidi?
With a truly jaw-dropping end twist, She’s Mine is a dark, scandalous, and gripping read from a major new talent in psychological thriller writing. For fans of Harriet Tyce, C.L. Taylor and Apple Tree Yard.
My Thoughts
I adored A. A. Chaudhuri’s The Scribe and The Abduction (Detective/Crime series) so I jumped at the chance to read and review ‘She’s Mine’ for the tour. I was excited to read a different genre by this author and I must say, she didn’t disappoint and showed that A. A. Chaudhuri is a mutli-genre genius!
She’s Mine is mainly narrated in first person by different narrators but more so by Christine, who took her eye off the ball which led to her toddler daughter being abducted. All the chapters are short and drip feed snippets of information to the reader so the intensity builds quickly with each one.
On the outside, and in the perception of others, Christine has it all but inside she fell apart the day her daughter Heidi was taken twenty three years ago. Chaudhuri creates a brilliant character in Christine and portrays a mother’s anguish, turmoil and guilt so well and despite her own failures, she definitely did not deserve the torture she put herself through for that time. My heart went out to her. This definitely tapped into my motherhood and preyed on that terrifying thought of losing a child and worse, never knowing what happened.
Once Christine receives a note indicating that Heidi is alive, she is led down a path she could never have imagined. The plot really digs deep into the human mind and the terrible things that we are capable of. It takes the worst traits we possess as humans and brings them to light. Along with the multi narration this really brings each character to life.
This is not a light-hearted or heart-warming read. It’s chilling and dark but compulsively addictive and impossible to let go of after the final pages. It contains some dark themes to create a twisted and depraved plot. If you like very dark, twisty thrillers then I highly recommend.
Author Bio – A.A Chaudhuri
A. A. Chaudhuri is a former City lawyer. After gaining a degree in History at University College London, she later trained as a solicitor and worked for several major London law firms before leaving law to pursue her passion for writing. She is the author of The Scribe and The Abduction, books 1 and 2 of her Kramer & Carver legal thriller series featuring the feisty Maddy Kramer, also published in audio. Her first psychological thriller with Hera Books, She’s Mine, will be published in 18th August 2021. Represented by Annette Crossland of A for Authors Literary Agency, she lives in Surrey with her family, and loves films, all things Italian and a good margarita!
#1 Amazon Australia Amateur Sleuth Mysteries (Aug ’19); #1 Amazon Canada Women Sleuth Mysteries; (Aug ’19) top 10 Amazon UK Legal crime thrillers (Aug ’19); #1 Amazon Australia Legal Thrillers (November ’19)
Find more info at:
https://aachaudhuri.com/
https://www.facebook.com/AAChaudhuri/
https://twitter.com/AAChaudhuri
https://www.instagram.com/a.a.chaudhuri/
Herding Cats 