Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. 'Next of Kin' was gripping. I was interested in the storyline from the off, and Abdullah kept up the pace throughout, her skilfull writing making the emotion of the story leap off the page and keeping me invested throughout. All the characters were well-written (both likeable and unlikeable) and the author created real empathy for Leila in particular. The twists kept coming right until the end, and the closing revelations were gutting and ultimately challenging. A powerful novel.

SPOILER FREE review!
Many thanks to HQ Stories and Netgalley for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review. Next of Kin by Kia Abdullah… Can I just say “You should read this book”? No? Okay well I’m a very slow reader and read this in just under 3 days and I thoroughly enjoyed it! The characters are somehow more real than most and the story gets going really quickly and has you thinking, and trying to workout what’s happening, the whole time.
The subject matter isn’t perhaps the happiest, TW for Miscarriages and child death, but those things help you understand the characters and their behaviours more. But the story is so gripping, clever, and I think it’s well worth giving this book a read. The hardback is out in the UK in September ‘21. I’ll certainly be looking up the Authors other books now!

I am not often keen on daily dramas so I wasn't sure what to expect but the premise of this immediately had me drawn in.

This story is ultimately about family, about being able to forgive and how tragedy affects everyone. It is a raw and messy portrayal of family and relationships.

The book follows Leila who has struggled to have kids and her sister Yasmin who has a son Max. After Andrew, (Yasmin's husband) gets an emergency call from work, Leila is asked to drop Max to school. Tragedy befalls the family as on this hot day, Leila leaves max in the car causing his death and the continuing trial for manslaughter changes everything within the family. Was it just a tragedy or something more sinister?

The characters themselves were so fleshed out, I felt like these were people I knew and truly felt the conflicting feelings and they were so human, none of them was all good and always made the right decisions, they were complicated and that made them feel real.

The ending had me reeling, with twist after twist after twist. It didn't feel cheap and it made sense though I wasn't expecting any of it. Overall I absolutely would recommend this though the subject matter is extremely upsetting. This story is so much more than just one event but also the complicated relationship between sisters.

What a book. I've just devoured this in one sitting. From the very start you are gripped.. Leila Syed is a busy business woman. But, she loves her nephew Max. So when her brother in law asks her to drop him off at school due to a work emergency she thinks nothing of it.
On the way to school she too develops a work emergency. Over three hours later the school phones. Where's Max? Leila had left him in her car and it's the hottest day of the year. Max is dead.
What follows next is a journey of emotions as Yasmin , Andrew, Leila and Will come to terms with the tradedy and the court case that follows. How many secrets can one family have and how will they all play out?
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Wow! If you want an emotionally charged book then this is the one for you. I was unsure how I felt about reading a book about the death of a child, but this book draws you in from the very first page, and you will feel all of your emotions.
Leila is horrified at what she has done and the family dynamic around her thrums with hostility, blame, grief, love, despair, suspicion and uncertainty. The court case is vivid and feels real, the twist is something I did not see coming and the book will have you holding your breath as you go ever deeper into the maze.

A truly original book which grips you from start to finish.

I read this in a couple of days as the pressure to find out the verdict built! The beginning is seriously shocking. The court scenes are tense and the twist at the end is startling although as the verdict came in with 20% of the book still to go, suggesting a more was to come. I had my suspicions but I was only half right!
I found the story compelling and thought it would be a great holiday read!
Definitely recommended

Leila Syed receives a call that leaves her life in two. Her brother-in-law’s voice is filled with panic. He’s at his son’s nursery to pick up Max. But he isn’t there. Leila was supposed to drop Max off that morning. But she forgot. Racing to the car park, she grasps the horror of what she has done. Max has been locked in her car for six hours on the hottest day of the year. But she’s too late. There were tons of moments where I slapped my hand over my mouth and lots of heartbreaking moments. And I’m still sitting here with all kinds of ‘What would I do in that situation?’ questions floating around in my mind. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. Wow this topic has got to be hard to write about, especially if you are a parent. How heartbreaking for them and how could you ever get over this if you were the one that left the child in the car. Great writing! The ending was a huge shock. I never saw that coming!

I loved the premise for this book - I thought it was a really brave and unique choice, so kudos for that!

I really enjoyed the story, I especially love courtroom scenes and found that section of this book to be brilliant. The characters were well written and the sibling dynamic was interesting to read about.

The only thing that stopped me from absolutely loving the book is that I feel there were just too many twists crammed in at the end - the first big twist was really good and I think that it would have been more effective had the story ended there.

I would definitely recommend this book though as it was a fantastic exploration of family dynamics after a tragedy and the courtroom scenes were great.

Kia Abdullah is my all time favorite author. Her writing is so evocative and her books bring out ALL of the emotions while still being a total thriller. If Take It Back made me love her and Truth Be Told solidified her spot at the top of my favorite authors, then Next of Kin made me a full-fledged addict to her writing. I love that she’s not afraid to write about topics that make me squirm. I felt sympathetic toward every single character in this book. They all made me uncomfortable and drawn in at the same time. As usual, there were tons of moments where I slapped my hand over my mouth and lots of heartbreaking moments. And I’m still sitting here with all kinds of ‘What would I do in that situation?’ questions floating around in my mind. Kia Abdullah is not afraid to explore those questions and then delve deeper than I would even think possible. PLEASE never stop writing novels, Kia!!! Even going in expecting a million star read, I’m still totally blown away! I mean, I teared up when I read the blurb for goodness sake!
I can’t wait to discuss this with my friends when they read it, too. It would be the most perfect book to discuss for a book club! 87 gazillion stars from me! I cannot wait for her next book!

Next Of Kin - Kia Abdullah

Kia Abdullah two previous books Take It Back and Truth Be Told are amongst my favourite titles from the last two years and I was very excited to read this one.

A standalone legal thriller involving two sisters, Leila and Yasmin. Leila is facing a negligent manslaughter charge following the death of Yasmin's three year old son Max.

As always from Kia Abdullah the character writing is superb, rich in emotion, thoughts and memories. The pace is gentle to moderate for much of the first half, before really picking up once the tense courtroom scenes start.

It is a good book, but didn't quite shine for me the way the author's previous books did. The plot felt less complex and more linear with fewer characters. I also missed the brave multicultural observation and insights of the Zara Kaleel books.

I will be very interested to see what Kia Abdullah writes next.

Thanks to Netgalley and HQ.

Another emotionally charged and socially relevant psychological drama from this author and it was superb.

The sibling relationship at the heart of Next Of Kin is hugely complex and beautifully layered and the ongoing events are addictive and heartbreaking.

So good. Full review for publication but highly recommended.