My sister recommended this book - and I am so glad she did - as I possibly would not have requested it otherwise!!
Mind blown - that’s all I can say!! Hideously distressing subject matter - with a tragic start to the story!
Love a court room drama - and this was certainly that - but there was so much more - the complexities of the characters and the twists you think you may know - or suspect, that reveal twists you could never have imagined!
Excellent read - and I will seek out more by this fabulous writer!

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Interesting to follow the court case and see how things can be interpreted in different ways. The author kept you guessing at what was going to happen with a few unexpected twists at the end. I had to keep turning the pages!

Totally gripped from page one I wish I could give more stars.
Leila helps her brother in law out when he gets called into work by taking her nephew Max to nursery even though she has a problem at her work place as well.On the hottest day in July she forgets his in the car and leaves him locked in there,she didn't mean to do it did she?
What follows is a rollercoaster of emotions each character made me feel both sorry and angry with them at times.
The subjects covered were hard hitting but written brilliantly.
The twist at the end had a twist of its own a fantastic read not to be missed.
Thanks to Netgalley and HQ Stories for the ARC.

Well she managed to smash the difficult second book hoodoo and now Kia Abdullah has bettered that with an emotionally intense and beautifully plotted standalone thriller for her third.

This book grabbed me from the beginning as a family struggled to stay together and had to cope with the gut wrenching and tragic death of a young child apparently caused by one sister's negligence.

The excitement picks up even more during the trial scenes and this book has a bit of everything.

A wonderfully written and plotted contemporary drama that is a MUST read.

A devastating story of the tragic loss of a child.
Well written with a few shocking twists.
I couldn’t put it down.

A fast paced, intriguing and beautifully written story, The characters build well and the author mixes pathos and emotion carefully to make this a challenging yet absorbing read. Difficult subjects are tackled with grace and humanity making the story totally believable.

I recieved a copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review and have given Next Of Kinfive stars.

Next of Kin is bloody fantastic!!!

Just when you think it's done boom! More secret, more lies. It's been a long time since I have stayed up late to finish a book but I just couldn't put this book down.

The story matter is a little difficult but the characters are flawed and relatable and there is so much detail that just draws the reader in but not all is as it seems and this author was incredibly clever at concealing it. This book was everything, it was well thought out, well executed and I loved everything about it. Next of Kin kept me on the edge of my seat as I never came to close to guessing what happened next

I am left wondering how I have never heard of them before now? I always think that is the beauty of discovering a new author, you never know quite know what to expect but I will definitely be reading all if their books, especially if they are anywhere near as good as this one.

I loved everything about this book, definitely my favourite read of 2021.

I enjoyed this thriller/court drama a lot. The event which detonates the story is a life-shattering tragedy: the death of a 3-year old child after three hours of being left, forgotten, inside a car by her aunt Leila. The novel follows her trial for negligent manslaughter, but, of course, the interest of the story is to be found not only in court but around this successful-despite-everything professional woman and her family's life.

The writing is precise, quite dry, and the development of the story is well paced - the traditional thrilling surprises came sufficiently unexpectedly and were dosed cunningly - ie I found myself rereading paragraphs... to be sure. The topics discussed are also exceedingly interesting, serious, but are better discovered as one reads. Suffice it to say that motherhood and the professional woman is touched upon in intelligent ways but even meatier topics surface along this compellingly quiet, intelligent novel, which is thought-provoking yet packs lots of entertainment. I recommend it.

Wow! I haven’t read any of Kia’s books before but will definitely go and read some after this book.
I won’t give any of the story away as you need to follow the twists and turns yourself and there are plenty of those!
Leila and her sister Yasmin and two very different characters with a very close bond, a tragedy occurs and a court case ensues but the real story is after the court case ends.
Excellent writing, I could feel the horror and emotions jumping off the page.
Do not pass this book by.

Wow !!! I absolutely loved this . I couldn't put it down and was really annoyed when work got in the way !!!!
I love a good courtroom battle and this was exceptional . Leila and Yasmin are sisters , both very different , Laila a hotshot career woman and Yasmin a mother . A terrible accident occurs when Laila agrees to take 3 year old Max to nursery , she gets a work call is distracted and forgets that Max is in the car . The resulting investigation and court case was totally absorbing , some great twists and an excellent conclusion .
Well written , pacey and a great read . 5 stars

I found the synopsis pretty shocking tbh but bloody hell thats nothing compared to the story. Holy shit what a dark subject!

I won’t give any of the plot away. Other than the synopsis I think you should go into Next of Kin blind. The less you know the better.

I think this is a strong story about strength, tragedy and sacrifice. The twists are as shocking as the subject matter. Next of Kin is the sort of book where you finish a chapter and then look at the start of the next chapter blankly while you digest what you just read!

A very strong 5/5.

WTF!! This was bloody brilliant!!

If there was one author I could read forever. It was this author. KIA Abdullah. I loved her previous Zara the brave books and was so excited when I got this one.

This was an heart wrenching emotional story where Leila was accused of manslaughter of her nephew when she forgot about him in the car on the hottest day in July.

This book had Inspector Shepard in the forefront, and I gripped my kindle so hard that my fingers started aching as secrets and lies, deeper lies, hidden motives and drama were exposed down the pages.

Well developed characters, layered subplots, tension filled atmosphere were the hallmarks of this novel. I loved every minute spent in the pages.

A cracking thriller. This author would be my auto-read. I am obsessed with her and I think I have to read all books she writes. My favorite!!

I was excited to read this book as I think Kia Abdullah is a great writer. I wasn't disappointed; this is a gripping story, even though the subject matter is rather upsetting. Although the ending is slightly unrealistic, this is such a good read that I was completely caught up in the story. Definitely one that I'd recommend.

This is a really gripping courtroom drama. Leila is on trial for the manslaughter of her three year old nephew. Secret after secret is revealed as the family drama unfolds in flashbacks. Detective Shepherd is suspicious but will he be able to uncover the truth? The ending is brilliant with none of the characters knowing all the facts.

Gosh this is a gut-punch of a book, with a truly awful 'What if....?' situation at it's heart. Characters are skilfully brought to life and even the less likable ones are fully rounded. This is a really accomplished book, it packs an emotional punch while keeping tension ramped up and twists coming.

An original, complex thriller. The subject is difficult but worth exploring; the death of a toddler left in an overheated car on the hottest day of the year. This leads to a gripping trial, but there are more revelations to come. Intelligently written, I was absorbed throughout the book and didn’t see some of the twists that followed. The characters were believable and the family dynamics well portrayed. I definitely recommend it as a very compelling story.
Thanks to HQ and NetGalley for an ARC, the opinions are my own.

A legal thriller which had me gripped. The characters weren’t particularly likeable but the story was good up until the end when it all fell apart for me as it suddenly became too unrealistic. I think sometimes my practical head takes over what I’m reading and can spoil a book for me!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.

Wow! and then Wow again!
This book is amazing on many levels, from the fantastic characters and their relationships with each other (sisterly jealousy, secrets kept for "each others good", taking advantage, misunderstanding etc etc) but also because the story line is compelling from the very beginning- a tragedy that was avoidable and the fall out from it within the family-but what is even better is the twists taken by the ensuing investigation and the revelations that just keep on coming from left field.
I couldn't put it down and wish there were more than 5 stars to award.

A gripping legal thriller dealing with the very difficult subject of children being left alone in a sweltering car. Kia Abdullah writes intelligently and with sensitivity, slowly drawing the reader in. Highly recommended!

This was twisty, turny, heartbreaking and surprising. What you think is one story suddenly becomes a different story entirely. I found the characters to be realistic although not altogether likeable.