Ava is struggling after the birth of her daughter. She hires Marley to work as a night nanny but soon she is full time. Ava feels pushed out and begins to fear for herself and her child…
The Night Nanny is a psychological thriller set in America.
Poor Ava suffers from PGP in the last weeks of pregnancy and then has an emergency caesarean. She is unable to move easily and is reliant on her selfish husband Ned who refuses to offer more than minimum help. He insists they hire someone to support the family and luckily Ava met Marley before she gave birth and they had a connection.
Ned is despicable. He won’t adjust to fatherhood or let anything disrupt his routines and expectations. My sympathy was with Ava straight away as I had PGP during my second pregnancy and know how debilitiating it can be. Being a new mum is tough and I felt that Ava’s character was authentic in her self-doubt.
The book is written from the first person perspectives of Ava, Ned and Marley. This is a clever device for laying hints about what secrets may unfurl later. It also served to bring all three main characters to life and ramp up the tension as we learn about the hidden dangers.
There is a major twist two thirds of the way through and although I was waiting for a big reveal, I didn’t expect this! I had to suspend my credulity but did enjoy the dark turns that the plot and characters take. The epilogue was pitch perfect but then the author added a postscript which I felt was unnecessary (in her note at the end, the author does mention her dilemma about including it).
The Night Nanny is a tense and dramatic psychological thriller.
The Night Nanny: An addictive and unputdownable psychological suspense thriller with a killer twist by Nelle Lamarr
“Please don’t worry, Ava. Your baby is safe with me. I’m going to take care of her like she’s my own…”
Ever since my daughter Isa was born, I’ve been struggling. I can’t remember anything, and my brain is in a fog. So when my husband Ned suggests we hire a night nanny, I leap at the chance.
When she walks into our home, I smile at her, relieved she’s finally arrived. But then I notice her eyes: the color of amethysts. A memory flashes across my brain, but before I can grasp it, it’s gone…
Then I see Ned whispering with her as she touches his arm. A chill runs down my spine. But I try to brush it off, sure that my mind is playing tricks on me. I know I desperately need this woman’s help.
But then I find my baby girl face down on her stomach and struggling to breathe. I scream as I hug her close and Isa cries in shock. For one moment relief floods my body: she’s okay. The next moment I’m frozen to my core as I turn to find Ned behind me…
I look into my husband’s deep brown eyes, and realize one thing: he thinks it was me.
I have to figure out what’s happening to keep my baby safe. Is this all in my head, or is someone trying to destroy me?
The totally gripping page-turning psychological thriller with twists that will leave you guessing until the very last page. Perfect for fans of Freida McFadden’s The Housemaid, The Girl on theTrain and Colleen Hoover’s Verity.
Nelle Lamarr is the pen name for Nelle L’Amour, a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, who has sold over 350,000 books worldwide. Her books feature flawed, complex characters and nail-biting twists you won’t see coming. A former executive in the entertainment industry, she lives in Los Angeles with her Prince Charming-ish husband, beautiful twin princesses, and a bevy of royal pain-in-the-butt pets. When she isn’t writing, you can find her reading gripping thrillers by her favorite authors with a cup of coffee or glass of wine.
Ava is struggling after the birth of her daughter. She hires Marley to work as a night nanny but soon she is full time. Ava feels pushed out and begins to fear for herself and her child…
