Jess and Liz have been friends for ten years since they met at antenatal classes prior to the birth of their respective first born children.

When Jess arrives at the hospital Liz works with a story that doesn't add up. Liz is the Doctor on call. Her instincts as friend tell her that she should believe and trust what Jess is telling her, but her medical background and intuition is telling her not to.

Jess' daughter Betsy is admitted for tests and Liz raises the potential safeguarding issue with her boss, who is less than happy with her hesitation. It is a clear cut case for referral to the authorities as far as he is concerned.

Of course, once the authorities do get involved Liz is public enemy Number One with Jess and her family, and their other close friends from antenatal classes. No one sees that Liz had to do her job, they only see a betrayal of trust.

For Jess surely would not hurt her own daughter. Would she?

Little Disasters deals with some difficult subjects sensitively and is a brilliant novel about friendship, trust and loyalty. I look forward to the author's next.

Not for me I'm afraid. Nothing particularly wrong with it, just not really interested in young women with babies.

A well-written book, though it didn’t grab me personally. The swapping of viewpoints was a bit too intrusive, so I never got sucked in. Thanks for the opportunity to read :)

For Doctor Liz the admittance of a baby into her ward with a skull fracture should be ringing huge alarm bells but this is the child of her friend Jess. Jess is a good mother, they've known each other for ten years, but why is she so defensive and why has she told lies to the police. As friends and neighbours take sides, Liz also has to deal with her mother's illness and the shock of her revelations.
This is actually quite a clever little book with a twisty plot. The story investigates child neglect and post-natal depression is a sensitive manner, the sub-plot about Liz's mother shows how these issues can carry on throughout life. I did find the final denouement a little annoying as it just went a little too far but that was a minor gripe with a very good book.

Unfortunately I still haven’t got around to reading this book, it’s on my a TBR pile and I’m hoping to read it and review on my blog later this year

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC of this book.

I’m not sure this is the best book to be reading when you have a young baby at home, as it features one character who kills a baby and another who is suffering with maternal OCD and constantly imagines harming her baby. However, it is written very sympathetically towards mothers and gives a really good insight into how it feels to be a mother and how, even if you are not suffering with mental health issues, motherhood changes you, makes you compare yourself to others and makes you feel like you can never be enough for your children.

Despite the unnerving content, I found this book very interesting. It has a really enthralling hook, the quandary which a paediatric doctor faces when one of her best friends, who she thinks is a brilliant mother, brings her infant daughter in with a head injury and lies about how it happened. Should she report her friend to the authorities? I liked the exploration and outcome of their friendship.

There is a secondary plot line about the doctor’s neglectful mother which I thought was less compelling. It rounded out her character, but I don’t think the book would have suffered if it had been cut out.

I thought the book could have ended about 10% earlier. There is an unnecessary twist at the end which makes the story seem less grounded in realism and gives the book more of a villain character, which it has done well to avoid until then by looking at all sides of a story and understanding how difficult parenting can be.

This is a very well written book with a good insight into parenting and the affect of a traumatic birth on a mother’s mental health. I appreciated its nuanced and sympathetic approach, particularly aa I struggled with post natal depression following a traumatic birth with my first child and I am only now reflecting on how much it affected me, as I parent a second baby who was born without trauma. I think Vaughan is a very talented and thoughtful writer.

Here is my review of Little Disasters by Sarah Vaughan. It’s her fourth book and is set in West London.

They all originally met at antenatal class ten years ago with their first child. There was Liz and Nick, Charlotte and Andrew, Mel and Rob and Jess and Ed, plus one or two others but these ones remained friends. Their children were at the same schools so they got to see a lot of each. Also, Charlotte and Ed knew each other from Uni.

Fast forward ten years, Jess and Ed decided to have another child. Betsey came along. Jess was the only stay at home mum out of the friends but she seemed so organised and handled her children really well whilst Ed went to work for such long hours. The friends lost touch a bit over the months after the birth of Betsy.

Then one evening, Jess had to take Betsy to A&E while Liz was on duty. She examined Betsy, thinking how little she had seen of them over the months. The answers Jess gave to her questions were ringing alarm bells with her. She is continuing her examination of Betsey, asking questions as she goes and now got to her head, she shrieks. There is a bump and maybe some swelling? She decided that it would be best to admit Betsey for scans as she was more than unhappy with Jess’ explanation and it was a safeguarding issue. She would have to inform her boss, social services and the police.

The scans showed that Betsey had a skull fracture. Jess is taken by two police officers to a side room at the hospital to be questioned. One officer is wearing a body cam to record her answers. They send scenes of crime to Jess’ home to investigate the kitchen for clues. Also, the officers want to question Ed, Kit and Frankie.

The officers are digilent and go searching for clues. They keep questioning Jess, they know her story doesn’t hold up but what is she hiding?

This is the first book I have read by this author. It was an intriguing read and hard to put down. It was in diary format, mainly from Liz and Jess, so much more interesting. Good twist at the end. Well worth a read. Not my usual sort of book.

This book explores some complex, emotive and perhaps taboo issues relating to motherhood and child-parent relationships. One theme that runs throughout is mothers who harm - or feel like harming - their babies, and underlying conditions such as post-natal depression and OCD. There is also a recurring theme of “not being good enough mothers.” Sarah Vaughan deals with these topics in a sensitive and compassionate way in how they are told through the experiences and voices of the characters.

The novel is compelling with a brilliantly controlled plot, and moves between the past and present in a way that kept me in suspense as layers of the story unfolded. I was torn between wanting to finish the book to find out what happened, and not wanting to finish it as I was enjoying it so much. The first twist towards the end was a shocker, and then along came another in the last chapter! What made this book so creepy, sad and terrifying in places is that it’s set in the lives of ordinary characters that gave it a real sense of it “could happen to anyone.”

I enjoyed everything about this novel and highly recommended it to readers who enjoy domestic noir psychological thrillers.

Little Disasters is at times not for the faint-hearted. This book will pull on the heartstrings of any parent who has suffered the upset and frustration of a baby that will just not settle. Mothers who have suffered postpartum depression or dealt with anxiety and self-doubt that you're not good enough will also empathise with Little Disasters. In what feels like a shocking and shameful subject, Little Disasters tells the struggles of a woman pushed to the brink when she cannot cope with her baby daughter and begins to feel like she wants to harm her child. When the child ends up hospitalised after an incident at the home, the police investigation tries to pin the blame on the mother who maintains her innocence. Friends and family try to support but the relationships are fraught and nobody is telling the absolute truth which only adds to the suspicion.

I enjoyed the book and the twist but I couldn't help but feel like I'd read a very similar book once before and that the story took an almost identical path. The book is good, don't get me wrong but it's quite heavy at times.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Vaughan and Simon & Schuster UK for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A fast paced family drama with plenty of mystery and medical drama thrown in.

Liz is working at the hospital and is called down to A&E to look on a baby that has been bought in. When she arrives to take a look at the child she is surprised to see her friend, Jess. The child is Jess’ daughter Betsy. After some routine questions Liz starts to doubt her friend, something doesn’t add up about Jess’ version of events. What is Jess hiding and could she really hurt her own child ?

After discovering Betsy has a fractured skull Liz has to pass the care of Betsy over to her boss. The first question asked is has social services been called ? Despite the doubts she had, Liz really can’t believe her friend would hurt her own child but she is forced to make a report to social services and ultimately the police. Soon there is a full blown investigation into how Betsy sustained her injury. Who is to blame ? Could Jess really harm her own child ?

This is a fantastic story about a group of friends and their families and the repercussions of a child’s injury. Can friends relationships stand the test of time and will families stick together ?

Thank you to Simon and Schuster UK and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

I loved Anatomy of a scandal and couldn't wait to get started on Little Disasters. This was a brilliant, captivating read. The characters felt so real and the writing was incredibly bold and confident and absorbing, I really felt as if I was with them all.

The foreshadowing and the feel of impending disaster that Sarah Vaughan creates is just brilliant! I read this book in 2 sittings and couldn't put it down!

Little Disasters has themes of friendship, domestic noir and motherhood. It also explores the darker side of motherhood and this is done exceptionally well. So well, at times it is haunting.

The plot is well crafted, twisty without being annoying, and it keeps you flipping the pages until the very end.

Liz and Jess were well drawn and believable. I loved the way the story was drip fed to the reader. I loved the tension right up to the last page. The funny thing is, even after I'd read the last word, I thought about this book for a week afterwards. Its stayed in my mind which is a sign of a brilliant book!
I cannot recommend this book enough.

I thought this was a great book. Every time I thought I knew where this was going I was proved wrong. I couldn’t understand how, what looked like, a simple story could last so many pages.
Liz is a paediatric doctor when she’s called down to see a patient in A&E. on arrival she finds its her friend Jess with her daughter Betsy who has an unexplained injury. Lis has to follow protocol and inform social services. What follows is the story before and after the call to social services written by several characters perspectives. I was glued and it kept me reading well into the night. Can’t wait for the authors next book.
Thanks to Simon and Schuster UK and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#LittleDisasters #NetGalley

This is one of the most satisfying psychological thrillers I have read because alongside the clever plots, and sub-plots there is also an emotional tale of mothers and motherhood.

Jess, mother of three including baby Betsey, Liz paediatric Doctor, Charlotte lawyer and Mel all met at antenatal classes before the birth of their first children a decade ago. The bonds were forged in those early days of motherhood but have loosened as the families grew and changed. Even so when Jess turns up at the hospital with her baby daughter with a shifty story, Liz is forced to make one of the most difficult decisions in her professional life.

Sarah Vaughan, author of Anatomy of a Scandal, has written a terrifically compelling story which had me caught up in the moment. The characters and their decisions were recognisable, including those of the children, and as a result I found myself with a tear in my eye more than once.

😊 Sarah Vaughan writes a mind-blowing, incredibly good mystery/drama. Little Disasters follows mother of three Jess, whose youngest Betsey, just 10 months old, is nothing like her two older boys. Betsey is an often inconsolable and a quite demanding baby and Jess has felt overwhelmed virtually since her birth. Her husband Ed is supportive but is often absent as he works long hours. Jess has a small group of friends including Mel, Charlotte, and Liz who formed a friendship during their antenatal classes. Since Betsy's arrival Jess has felt isolated and so unsure of herself and scared of some of her inner thoughts that she fails to reach out for help, even from her closest friends. One night, paediatric doctor Liz is called to Accident and Emergency when baby Betsey is brought in with a suspicious head injury that does not match with the story Jess provides. Under the instruction of her obnoxious boss Neil, Liz advises the safeguarding team, and what unfolds is an extremely moving tale. Told from several points of view but principally those of Jess and Liz, the story goes backwards and forwards from the incident to their meeting at antenatal classes and beyond.

Thrillers are one of my favourite genres and I couldn't wait to get started on Little Disasters. This was an impressive, meticulous and captivating read. The characters were expertly drawn and believable in their roles, the writing assured and vigorous. Sarah Vaughan was able to create a tone of foreboding that continued until the very last page, and frankly, I found the novel impossible to put down.

Little Disasters was a mesmerising story incorporating main themes of friendship, domestic noir and motherhood. Add into the cooking pot some of the sub ingredients from the darker side of motherhood such as fury, despair, fear, loss of control and exhaustion and the reader can appreciate how sophisticated and special this novel actually is.

The parts of both Liz and Jess were ingeniously created by the author, whose personalities were complex and intriguing. I loved the way the finer points of the tale were drip-fed to the reader as the story built to its satisfying conclusion. The added bonuses of the menacing moments and buckets of tension helped to make Little Disasters a true masterpiece.

Overall, a clever and brave psychological thriller delivering many surprises, complete with an outstanding, attention-grabbing plot. 😊

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel at my request from Simon and Schuster UK via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

After reading Anatomy of a scandal, I was really looking forward to reading Sarah Vaughan’s next book Little Disasters. This is another gripping novel that tackles relevant social issues that many people may have experienced.
Liz is put in a difficult position as a paediatric doctor when her friend, Jess brings in her infant daughter with a head injury that can’t be clearly explained. They are part of a friendship group of four couples who met at an antenatal class, and as the drama unfolds with Jess it is clear that everyone has hidden issues they are dealing with. Liz feels a responsibility to her alcoholic mother who was abusive and neglectful to her children when they were young. Jess’s life is now under scrutiny due to her daughter’s injury, and Mel is recently separated from her unfaithful husband. Charlotte, a successful lawyer also has secrets that she is hiding from her friends.
I found this book to be compelling as well as raising issues in a sympathetic way that many readers will be able to relate to. It was also incredibly well researched, and held enough plot twists to keep me guessing.

I was gradually drawn right into this intensely emotional story about motherhood. The publishers punt it as compelling and thought-provoking, and that’s exactly what it is. To begin with, Little Disasters seems to be a straightforward tale about a young couple whose life is turned upside down with the birth of their third child. Jess, a previously exemplary mother, simply isn’t coping any more. And her husband, Ed, is not handling the situation particularly well at all.
But this is Sarah Vaughan, author of international bestseller Anatomy of a Scandal and so of course there’s a lot more to this story …
It made me tear my hair out in frustration and think deeply about difficult choices and friendship. What would you do if your professional code demanded you behave in a certain way which would have deeply negative consequences for one of your best friends? This is the dilemma in which Jess’ friend, Liz, finds herself.
I warmed enormously to sensible Liz. Jess, on the other hand, often left me puzzled and irritated. Unlike her friend, she seemed shifty and deceptive. Worse, she was gradually destroying herself and family. As I came to know her better, my feelings for her swung from horror to heartfelt sympathy. Poor, poor Jess. She catastrophised everything, and it frustrated me that her friends and family didn’t recognise that she desperately needed help.
In the meantime, Jess’s horrendous situation unearths fragmented memories of a distant childhood tragedy for Liz, who’s also trying to cope with her difficult mother. Some strange parallels emerge as Liz gains more insight into her past.
Sarah Vaughan writes so beautifully that she instantly transports her readers right into the story. The book starts with a hugely uncomfortable scene about a mother unable to cope with her colicky child. It broke my heart. I became hugely invested in all her characters. Her descriptions of babies, in particular, were absolutely spot-on and swept me straight back to when my kids were babes…..
If you enjoy emotionally-charged dramas about real life that’ll take your breath away and keep you reading far into the night Little Disasters is right up your street.

Liz's work as a hospital paediatric doctor brings her into contact with different levels of trauma, some of which are caused accidentally, whilst others need more investigation, however, they all leave Liz with a feeling of professional unease, but she knows, deep down, that whatever her personal feelings, her responsibility always has to be in the best interest of her young patients. When her friend, Jess arrives at the hospital with her baby, 10 month old Betsey, Liz is caught between professional duty and genuine concern about what has happened to both Betsey and Jess.

Beautifully described in emotional detail what follows is a multi layered and complex story which looks minutely at the overwhelming notion of complicated motherhood, especially when the nurturing instinct is controlled by feelings of anxiety which threaten to spiral out of control.

Emotionally taut and desperately sad in places, Little Disasters, is a real roller coaster of a read which leaves you wanting to reach into the page and hug the characters close but even as you watch the jigsaw puzzle pieces start to slot together you can't help but wonder if there is more to this story than is being revealed and, of course, this talented author doesn't disappoint or shy away from describing difficult subjects. The torment of maternal culpability, the sheer anxiety of knowing something is wrong and not being able to fix it, and the awful dilemma of a doctor whose professional duty goes far beyond the bounds of friendship.

Little Disasters is another absolute triumph from this talented author whose writing just goes from strength to strength with each succeeding novel. I wasn't sure how she would top the excellent Anatomy of a Scandal but Little Disasters is a worthy addition to her collection of exceptional stories.

I loved this book as much as the first book. An impactful, thought-provoking psychological thriller that was really gripping.
Thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this copy.

Jess is the absolute role model of a mother, her friends have always admired her diligence and devotion to care for her two sons. When she unexpectedly gets pregnant with a third kid, her husband is over the moon but she does not really share his enthusiasm, she knows how demanding kids can be even for a home-stay-mom. When Betsey indeed turns out to be a rather challenging child, Jess loses her temper, the less she can control the girl, the easier she freaks out until she even gets close to wanting her dead. Her friends Liz, a paediatrist, senses that things do not go too well, but with her own kids and her job, she does not have the time to really take look into the situation. When one evening Jess turns up in the emergency room with Betsey showing obvious signs of neglect and being severely hurt, Liz is trapped between being a friend for Jess and informing the police. How well does she actually know what is going on at her friend’s home?

Sarah Vaughan masterly plays with truths, half-truths and all the things her characters consider truths. Told from different points of view, the reader over and over again gets caught in a trap by making sense of what you know and deciding on what and how the tragic incident happened. Forget it, you are completely wrong since – just as in real life – there is so much more.

Even though the main focus is on the one big question around Betsey’s injuries, the author addresses a lot of questions going far beyond the crime plot. The struggle of women who feel pressure to be the perfect wife, perfect mother, have a successful career and who easily prepare parties with exquisite food is palpable throughout the novel. The four women at the centre all struggle with complying with expectations and their very own goals and ideals. Showing weakness does not seem to be an option, just like asking for help and thus, precarious and even dangerous circumstances are silently endured. Additionally, the question of how far a friendship should or must go is tackled. Liz’ remorse is easy to understand and certainly nobody could ever wish to get into such a situation.

I totally adored the novel, after “Anatomy of a Scandal”, another thoroughly convincing plot with authentic characters and a lot of suspense.

Liz, Jess, Mel and Charlotte all met at antenatal classes and became friends, ten years later Jess brings her third child Betsy into the hospital after being sick and sees Liz who is a doctor. When Liz realises Betsy has a serious head injury and starts asking questions about how it happened but Jess’s story doesn’t add up, leaving Liz with no choice and she involves social services and the police.

This story deals with the struggles of motherhood and how important it is to talk. It’s filled with heartache and lies and highlights just how easy it is not to see that someone is struggling with mental health issues.