The Babysitter by Phoebe Morgan is a gripping psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
The story follows Callie, a young nanny who takes care of a wealthy family's children, but soon discovers that there is something sinister going on in their perfect home.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery and a fast-paced plot.

Thriller read that will keep you guessing and keep you on your toes. One min you think you’ve cracked it then you realise that there is more to come

The Babysitter by Phoebe Morgan and Claire Allan is an unmissable thriller! With its fast-paced story and complex characters, it quickly becomes a roller coaster of emotions and mysteries. We are drawn into the mystery of Caroline's death and the missing baby, while watching the tensions between the Dillon family unfold as they try to stay together in the midst of scandal. This novel offers both a captivating story and important lessons on trust and relationships. It's sure to be a thrilling page-turner and an essential read!

This is a strong mystery thriller that kept me guessing. I loved the twists and turns and I really enjoyed the chapters written from various POVs.

This book is a thriller/ police procedural. It kept me gripped from the very first page.
It was filled with so many twists that I didn’t see coming.

Great twists at the end! Two or three times, I thought I knew what had happened - only to be taken aback by a new revelation. Such a great twisty plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I can't wait to read more from the author.

Omg omg omg .......... this book was amazing I could not put it down I read every word on the edge of my seat I loved the story line, i loved the way the story just kept us guessing all the way threw I loved all the twists and turns and would defiantly recommend this book it was so believable and kept the reader engaged I love it

Twisty, compelling and all around addictive. I loved this story and Morgan’s writing is getting better and better.

Thanks to my reading slump, it’s taken me a long time to get around to reading – and then reviewing – The Babysitter. It’s a shame too, because it’s a great book – one everyone who enjoys a good domestic suspense should probably read (if they haven’t already – it was released last year after all).

It’s really cleverly written so there are plenty of suspects and plenty of red herrings to keep you guessing about just who Caroline’s killer is and what happened to the baby in her care. I have to say I was convinced from about a third of the way in how it would turn out and I was wrong – something I don’t mind being when it comes to my books (don’t ask me about the rest of my life!).

Something else that put this on my ‘must read’ recommendations list are the characters. I often find with mystery/suspense novels that only the central characters are well drawn; everyone else is a bit too two-dimensional, which means I lose interest. Here, though, every person felt well rounded and well thought out. It felt real (well as real as this genre can be).

All in all, then, a cracking read.

I've never read any of Phoebe Morgan's books before, but there's been a few of them that have caught my eye, and so when I saw The Babysitter on NetGalley I requested it immediately. The idea of a young woman murdered, and the baby she was looking after going missing, was just so creepy that I knew I had to read it. And I was definitely not disappointed.

You read from the perspective of a few different characters, but the main focus is Caroline (the babysitter) in the timeline leading up to her death, and Siobhan (who's husband is arrested for murdering Caroline). I don't want to say too much for fear of spoilers, but there's so many twists and turns along the way, and you're left guessing throughout the whole book as to what really happened that night. And while I had my suspicions, the final reveal had my heart in my throat the whole time! All in all, a fantastic read, and an author I'll keep an eye out for in future.

Disclaimer - I was fortunate enough to be provided with an advance reading copy of this book by NetGalley. This has not affected my review in any way, and all opinions are my own.

Woah what a brilliant read this one was, a great little thriller right here, didn’t really like Callum nor Siobhan to be honest but that didn’t spoil the book for me. The ending was fantastic and that’s when you get the answers you’ve been seeking from the start, a must read for 2021

Brilliant. This was a well written book that I greatly enjoyed and already plan to recommend. Believable characters and an inticing setting. Some parts were perhaps a little lengthy, but maybe because I was impatient to reach the novels conclusion! Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

After reading (and totally loving) "The Doll's House" a couple of years ago, I was excited to dive into Phoebe Morgan's latest thriller THE BABYSITTER. And while it does start out a little slow at first, it soon picks up pace to become an addictive little number.

Siobhan and her family are just beginning their holiday at her sister's beautiful villa in France when the police arrive and arrest her husband under suspicion of murder. It appears he'd been having an affair with the deceased so of course immediately becomes prime suspect. But Callum vehemently denies killing her.

TV executive Callum is handsome, successful and loves women almost as much as he loves himself. This is not the first time he has had an affair as his wife Siobhan is well aware but even she is shocked that he is now under suspicion of murdering the latest one. But that's not all. It seems the deceased, Caroline, had been babysitting a friend's little girl and now baby Eve is missing as well. As he is lead away in handcuffs en route back to the UK for questioning, Siobhan attempts to appease her distraught teenage daughter Emma with little effect. But it's her older sister Maria who soothes the frantic girl, leaving Siobhan once again feeling left out of her own life.

Maria has never married and enjoys her life of independence. She sees the freedom she has to live as she chooses a far cry from Siobhan's life of drudgery, tethered to serial philanderer Callum. Not being tied down has enabled her to afford the luxury of not only owning her own place in the UK, but the beautiful sprawling villa in St Juliette in France. She is in the process of redecorating it when she invited Siobhan and the family to stay.

Then there is poor Caroline Harvey, a needy, unstable and largely insecure woman in her late 20s who found herself in an 18 month long affair with the self-indulgent Callum. She foolishly believed, as many "other women" do, that he would leave his wife for her but she didn't bargain on his affinity with his daughter Emma. Even when Caroline found herself pregnant, that wasn't enough to lure Callum away from his family...and Caroline began to wonder was it all really worth it? She'd loosely confided in her friend Jenny who was initially worried about the fact that she was involved with a married man. But Jenny had a busy life, married and mother to 18 month old Eve that Caroline found herself envying her friend. She wanted what she had.

So when Jenny asked her to baby-sit Eve, Caroline jumped at the chance despite knowing very little about babies. She had looked after her once before that Jenny didn't hesitate to ask her friend for the favour and, desperate as she was, said that she would bring Eve and all her paraphernalia to Caro's flat. But no sooner had Jenny hurried out the door than Eve began to cry which then turned into screams that Caroline found herself unable to pacify.

And little did Jenny know that that would be the last time she saw her little girl. For when she returned to collect her later that night, she found Caro bent over the portacot dead and Eve nowhere to be found.

Who would enter Caroline's flat, kill her and abduct a baby? What motive could there possibly be? Police could surmise one scenario for Caroline and one for Eve, but not one that would involve them both. Jenny had enlightened them to Caroline's affair with married man Callum Dillon which then in turn lead police to their doorstep in France a few days later. Despite being on the continent now, the murder actually occurred the night before they left. So while selfish, philandering Callum is undoubtedly a jerk, is he a murderer? And where is baby Eve?

As soon as Callum is sent back to the UK for questioning by the Suffolk Police, Siobhan, Emma and Maria soon follow. The scandal surrounding the Caroline's death and Callum's womanising becomes frontline news as reporters begin to doorstep the family leaving them prisoners in their own home for fear of being accosted by them should they step outside. "Hashtag Find Eve" is trending on Twitter with locals surmising their own opinions as trial by social media purports its findings. Everyone, it seems, has an opinion as accusations are thrown involving Callum, Siobhan and even baby Eve's parents' Jenny and Rick. No one is immune from attack.

But Siobhan is hiding secrets of her own while trying to maintain harmony for her family as 16 year old Emma behaves erratically whilst seeking comfort in the arms of her aunt Maria. Siobhan cannot help but feel excluded from her own daughter's life, who has always been far closer to her father and now, it seems, to her aunt.

And yet, despite this, I couldn't feel much empathy towards Siobhan. It was Caroline I felt for. She was lonely, insecure and longed to be loved. She thought she had found it in Callum...but did she really? Even in death she appeared to be forgotten, as all anyone was interested in was finding baby Eve (understandably) but that didn't mean Caroline's life was worth any less just because she was dead.

Told from multiple perspectives - Siobhan, Caroline and DS Wildy primarily - the story unfolds before and after Caroline's murder. It's with this aspect that we, the reader, are aware of circumstances and facts that the police not yet privy to. It makes it interesting as we ponder who could possibly be responsible for Caroline's murder and the disappearance of baby Eve? Is Eve even still alive? No one knows but after the first 48 hours the likelihood of finding Eve alive drops considerably. The characters all well developed and somewhat interesting - I loved DS Wildy the best - though some are thoroughly unlikeable...least of all, serial philanderer Callum. Quite frankly, he deserved the grief he got for all he put his long-suffering wife and family through. Though I doubt he loved any woman he was involved with as he was far too in love with himself.

A gripping psychological thriller, THE BABYSITTER is not quite of the same calibre as her debut "The Doll House" , which was too clever beyond words, but it is still packed with surprises and the ability to shock at the end. It is compelling and completely engaging from start to finish, though it was a little slow to begin with before it gained momentum and thus flowed flawlessly at a rapid pace. I did partially work out who was involved but not completely until just before it is revealed. The twist, when it came, was deliciously clever.

A definite recommend to fans of thrillers - domestic and psychological alike.

I would like to thank #PhoebeMorgan, #NetGalley and #HQStories for an ARC of #TheBabysitter in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great book, a real page turner.
Days after arriving in France for a family holiday Callum Dillon is arrested on suspicion of the murder of Caroline Harvey and the disappearance of baby Eve Kent.
Callum’s wife Siobhan, daughter Emma and sister-in-law Maria are left to pick up the pieces, devastated and not sure what to believe.
What follows is a really cleverly written story, with endless twists. How did Callum meet Caroline? Did Siobhan know about their affair? Who did kill her? The questions are endless, and the answers don’t come until the very end of the book. Really enjoyed this and would love to read more by this author.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

Even though I did buy myself a physical copy of this book, I would still like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review.

I loved it.
Yes, the reveal was a tad bit predictable but with plenty of twists and turns, the book wasn't short of suspense, intensity, and excitement!
I literally have stayed awake all night because I couldn't put this book down. Such a cleverly-written addictive story.
I didn't particularly like any of the characters, but my heart was pounding from start to finish, desperately hoping for the baby to be found!!
Can't wait for this author's next!

The book begins with the Dillon family holidaying in a relative's villa in France. All is well until they are awoken one morning by the Police arresting the father Callum on suspicion of the murder of Caroline Harvey, a woman who was in her flat in England babysitting her friend's baby.

The first twist of many is that although Caroline maybe dead, the baby is missing!

This book had me gripped from start to finish and I loved how each chapter told the story from a different character's perspective.

The twist at the end flawed me and one I did not see coming.

I loved this book. A great psychological thriller that is hard to put down. From beginning to end it had me hooked-I did not want it to end. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

This is by far one of my favourite books this year. The twists and turns throughout the book were fantastic, and the major twist at the end was one I could never have predicted!
I loved how well the characters were brought to life in this story, and the ways in which they interacted with one another was captivating. I particularly loved the way in which each chapter of this story was told from a different perspective too.

Gripping from start to finish, full of twists and turns and paced to perfection..... the perfect psychological thriller an without a doubt a definite must read.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc. I read this book over 10 days via Pigeonhole and it was an amazing read and the stave a day just added to the mystery and suspense of the storyline. The Babysitter by Phoebe Morgan was a very clever storyline and an enjoyable read.
The characters, mystery and suspense all combined to make the book an exceptional read.
Highly recommended