I have come to love Shalini Boland's books and have read them all to date. I am a bit behind in my reviews and it is a while since I read The Perfect Family and eventhough I have read a number of books since I can fully remember this book in detail that's what I love about her books they stick with you long after you've finished them!!!
A happily married couple with two children seem to have it all until they hire a childminder after one of the little girls takes off and is brought back by none other than the mother in law. You read the psynopsis and think this might be interesting but smugly think you know exactly where it's going but not when Shalini Boland is the author oh no you are literally twisted and turned in every direction and never in a million years could you see that ending coming!!!!!! Shalini you did it again another 5 stars (and more if I could give them) from me!!!!!

Thank you to Bookouture, Shalini Boland and NetGalley for the arc of The Perfect Family my review is honest and unbiased in any way.

The Perfect Family was just WOW!!! I loved this book and could not put it down. A great page turner which gripped me from the first page. Have a read you will be glad you did.
Another great read by Shalini.

While there were quite a few scenarios in this book that had the "Southern Belle Mom" in me want to yell "Oh, hellllll no!", this was a pretty fast paced & enjoyable tale, by & large. Glad to have stumbled onto this author & plan on giving some of backlist a perusal. Thanks to Netgalley & Bookoutre for this opportunity!

Another brilliant psychological thriller by Shalina Boland. It is a book that grips you from the start and one that you will not be able to put down. All the characters in the book and interesting and believable and a tense plot unravels as the book goes along. So many twists and turns, with a jaw dropping twist at the end. A thoroughly recommended read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Bravo!! Loved it! Seemed like a story I already knew but by the end I was thrown in to a wall of delight and can breathe a sigh of relief as this author has once again delivered on an entertaining story with an actual twist that made every page worth turning! This is my fourth book and I have been surprised and entertained through each one. On to the next!! Nice job very well done. I love how the endings are never rushed through and everything is explained. No need to flip back pages or go hey what about this part though? Thank you for the copy! Great way to start 2019

It’s a parents nightmare, a child going missing, so it makes it hard for me personally, but I enjoyed the story.

Gemma has a great life. Two gorgeous little daughters, a handsome husband and a successful facilities management business. Yes, she is incredibly busy with her work and would like more time with her family, but needs must – plus she loves her job. With her life so great it hits her like a truck when a series of troubling incidents take place, one after another. She begins to doubt her ability to hold it all together and, under pressure from her pushy mother-in-law, takes on a live-in nanny and tutor for her girls. At first Sadie seems perfect – like a true God send, but in time Gemma becomes suspicious of her intentions. What is Sadie really after? Does she want Gemma’s life for herself?

This is a real corker of a read. The characters are credible and well written and I found myself easily rooting for Gemma. There is an authenticity about her that makes her likeable and at times frustrating but ultimately believable. The novel itself is brimming with tension throughout – to the point of being painful at times. I needed a few calming tea breaks! This tension builds throughout and, with a true feeling of urgency, reaches its climax which includes a truly delicious twist.

If you enjoy a psychological thriller that hooks you in from the get go, engages you throughout and leaves you kind of exhausted but grinning in admiration at its brilliance, then you will absolutely flipping love this book! It has my full recommendation.

My thanks to #NetGalley and to the publisher #Bookouture for a copy of #ThePerfectFamily in exchange for an honest review.

If you love psychological thrillers, this is the book for you. The characters are realistic. The book started with a bang right from the start. You wont believe the ending. Cant wait to read more of Shalini's books.

Wow what a fab book. What a fabulous unputdownable psychological thriller. An exciting plot full of twists and turns. The story was very unique and surprising. I was grabbed from the beginning and didn't want to put it down
We discussed this book at bookclub and all enjoyed it.

A wonderful twisting, turning ,thrilling read as I’ve come to expect from Shalini Boland. Gemma is married to Robert and they have two beautiful daughters, a wonderful home and a perfect marriage, that is until suddenly everything changes. Out of the blue strange occurences happen to put Gemma on edge and shake her up. Then along comes Sadie the nanny and once more life retuns to normal , the children are happy, and Gemma is able to focus on her business and have the perfect work, life balance. However, just as Gemma relaxes and begins to put all those weird happenings behind her , her dowdy nanny suddenly apeears to have more than just a wonderful rappore with the children but she seems to be making a play for Robert.. The thing I enjoy most about this author is the unpredictability of her storylines, just when you think you know exactly what’s going on and are congratulating yourself for working it all out, you read on and the plot goes somewhere completely different and turns all your theories on their head.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish and can’t wait to read what this author will write next.

Brilliant read. I do love Shalini Boland’s books. Burnt the midnight oil on this as I really didn’t want to put it down

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.

Another exciting psychological thriller by this talented author. Great characters, solid plot with enough twists and turns to enthral and kept me entertained right to the surprising end.

Great thriller with a bunch of twists. I am a huge fan of Shalini Boland. Can't wait to see what she comes out with next!

i didn’t enjoy this book as much as this author’s previous work. i found it a little bit slow and predictable.

Gemma seemed to have it all. She has a loving handsome husband who willingly shares in childcare whilst she runs her successful business. Her two daughters are a delight. OK so it does feel like she is stretched a bit thinly at times but when her youngest daughter disappears one morning it brings her up short. Maybe they need to think about getting some help. When she discovers her elder daughter needs a tutor to prepare her for the Grammar School exams, her mother in las steps in. She finds a tutor & live in nanny to help.

Sadie is quite a plain girl, rather old fashioned, but she & the girls get on extremely well. Gemma tries to accept this new regime, but she has other worries. Someone has defaced her car with the words "Bad Mother". A business meeting with a prospective client resulted in her having to fight off his advances. Things go from bad to worse. Before long Gemma wants rid of the nanny- but that mightn't be that easy!

As one has come to expect from Shalini Boland there are red herrings & false trails throughout resulting in a book you can't put down.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

The Perfect Family

by Shalini Boland

Bookouture

Mystery & Thrillers

Pub Date 06 Nov 2018

I am reviewing a copy of The Perfect Family through Netgalley and Bookouture:

Gemma Ballantine six year old daughter has disappeared, Gemma starts a nail biting frantic search for her six year old daughter.

It seems like forever before Emma’s Mother In law Diane finds Katie wandering lost, only a few streets away. Relieved to have her daughter back Gemma breathes in the scent of her youngest daughter’s hair. Gemma is certain the nightmares over.

But slowly her family falls apart!

I give The Perfect Family five out of five stars

Thriller written just the way it is supposed to be! Engaging from the first page, interesting and strong characters and fast pacing plot. Shalini Boland is incredibly talented and becoming one of my favourite thriller authors. Will definitely read more by her in the future.

I was totally drawn in by this story from the first few pages, I love when that happens. It's one of those books you can't wait to get back to go find what's going to happen next. Great characters and brilliant plot. Huge 5 stars.

Wow, what a fabulous book, I had my heart in my mouth the whole time reading this it was absolutely stunning.. full of suspense, tension and angst it kept me on the edge of my seat holding my breath. It had plenty of twists to keep me guessing, it was very cleverly written, I couldn’t get my head out of this book I just didn’t want to put it down. A very well deserving 5 stars, but it was brilliant.

Shalini Boland, author of The Secret Mother and The Child Next Door has hit a home run with this psychological thriller!

Gemma, a working mother juggling her job and her children falls into a nightmare she doesn't see coming. Her daughter Katie goes missing and is soon found by mother in law Diane but this was just the beginning of the nightmare. The tension and mistrust builds throughout the novel culminating in an unexpected twist that readers will find hard to fathom.

A must read for anyone who loves psychological thrillers. This was a book I read in one sitting and I will definitely be reader Boland's other novels now!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC.