Kia Abdullah presents the reader with an unmissable courtroom drama in Next of Kin in which Leila Syed leaves her sister, Yasmin and brother-in-law, Andrew's son, Max in her car for six hours on a red hot day. The child is discovered when the nursery Max attends, phones Andrew. This results in a high profile trial when Leila is charged with negligent manslaughter.

In this, nail-biting, suspenseful read, nothing is as it seems. I was completing riveted and greedily sucked up every word as Kia Abdullah fearlessly tackles some controversial and complex subjects. Her characters are exceptional as is her writing and I highly recommend Next of Kin.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from HQ via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

What a twist… Kia Abdullah has done it again! I was hoping for a sequel to her previous two books but this was great too. Actually, I will read anything she writes.

Next of Kin is a brilliant novel but it’s not always easy to read. It follows Leila who one day is asked to take her very young nephew to nursery on her way to work. She agrees but later in the day when the baby’s father rings her to ask why his son isn’t at nursery Leila realises her mistake and races to her car. There are distressing scenes in this book but the story is really well written and the issues are sensitively handled. The novel follows the aftermath of Leila’s discovery and the guilt of various members of the family. I love how it explored the ramifications for Leila and her sister’s relationship. This is the third book I’ve read by Kia Abdullah and her writing just keeps getting better and better – I already can’t wait to read whatever she writes next.

Leila is partner in an architect practice. Having brought up her younger sister Yasmin, she has worked hard to be a success. One morning her brother in law phones to ask if she could drop Max, her nephew off at nursery as he's been called into work urgently. Leila agrees although she is not delighted at the prospect. En route she gets an urgent call about lost blueprints & rushes off to work. When Andrew phones to say Max's nursery has phoned to ask why he is absent Leila suddenly remembers leaving Max asleep in the car- on the hottest day of the year. By the time paramedics arrive Max is dead & Leila is charged with manslaughter. The book is in three parts. The lead up to Max's death, the trial & the aftermath.

I found this book totally gripping. The author really presented the reader with a cast of not particularly likeable characters but the desire to find out 'the truth' kept the pages turning. But- & sadly it is a big 'but' I couldn't quite forget that Max was in a rear-facing child seat- is there such a thing for a child of that age? From the activities Leila enjoyed with Max seemed to suggest that he was much older than three, but being carried out in his car seat & strapped in presents him as a very small child. It was a great read but with this 'but' hanging over it I couldn't give it five stars. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read this book.

This tense, edge-of-your-seat legal thriller is brilliantly conceived and — gratifyingly — just as skillfully executed. The premise is so awful in its imagining, it makes your blood run cold. The ramifications so catastrophic, you can barely consider them.

Imagine forgetting that you have your three year-old nephew in the back of your car and leaving him there for hours on the hottest day of the year. Imagine the horror and the grief; the fury, the blame, and the guilt. Imagine this tragic accident tearing your family apart.

Then imagine being prosecuted for the manslaughter of the child you adored.

This is the story of Leila, her sister Yasmin and toddler Max. It is absolutely riveting. And not just because of the cut, thrust and parry of the trial, which is more dramatic than any episode of Law and Order, but because of the expert way in which Abdullah carves open the emotions of everyone involved.

There’s Leila, distraught at the outcome of her momentary lapse; prepared to face judgement, but equally ready to do whatever it takes to avoid a jail sentence.

There’s Yasmin, utterly bereft in her grief; caught between white hot fury and her instinctive love for her sister, while nurturing a kernel of suspicion about Leila’s version of events.

And, there’s Max’s father, Andrew, and Leila’s estranged husband, Will; both men morally challenged when obliged to give evidence.

The narrative that emerges is a writhing tangle of emotions and divided loyalties. It is layered, twisty, and razor sharp. And it holds you in an iron-clad grip from start to finish.

The truth that unfolds in the closing chapters is gut-wrenchingly shocking, yet somehow utterly plausible. And just when you think it’s all over, Abdullah swipes the rug from under your feet with one final, magnificent flourish.

An absolute triumph of a book. I can’t wait to see what Abdullah comes up with next.

4 - 4.5 stars
well written legal thriller about a sister who is responsible for the death of her nephew. The jury must decide whether it's a tragic accident or if it was deliberate, premeditated murder.

Difficult to read at times (particularly the opening chapters) the tension is constant, the family dynamics and sibling rivalries were wonderfully depicted, as was the predjudice surrounding sucessful women and how evidence and testimony can be presented and indeed twisted by baristers in court.

The devastating truth is gradually revealed in this cleverly plotted, twisty tale of heartbreak, betrayal and lies.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and honestly review this book.

another spectacular and perfectly- pitched novel from Kia Abdullah, who is fast becoming one of my 'must reads'. Two sisters, torn apart and brought together by the same awful heart-breaking tragedy. Leila, a high achieving architect, is asked to take her loved nephew Max to nursery one sunny morning, An urgent phone call distracts her and she gets drawn into work, forgetting that Max is still in the car when she parks it. The most unimaginable outcome follows, and a court case ensues. The book is written with such sensitivity to both sisters, developing their relationship and their family history in a world where there are no good outcomes. A complete page turner and a very well deserved 5 stars.

Whoa! This is definitely a page turner. I really enjoyed this book, easy to read, likeable characters and a suspenseful plot which keeps you reading one more chapter!

Leila an architect, parter in her own firm has to take her nephew to work one morning. En route she receives a call from the office.. she diverts to work to solve a critical issue.
Only she forgets her nephew is in the child seat in the back on the hottest day of the year, which leaves devastatingly tragic consequences.

The story follows Leila through the tragedy, her fraught relationship with her her sister.. the court case which is set before a jury, whose job it is to determine whether she intentionally left little Max in the car.

The book is full of twists and turns, and just as you think you’ve guessed the ending, you realise you haven’t.

I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it.

Thank you Netgalley for my free ARC copy of this book in return for an honest review! :-)

For one family, their worst nightmare comes true.

This is a gripping courtroom drama with clever twists and turns that had me turning pages late into the night. My only gripes are that a few scenes were not credible and the ending came too abruptly.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my Advance Review copy. This is my unbiased opinion.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

First time reading anything by this author and i can safely say i was not disappointed. One of the best books I’ve read in a while and the twists kept coming! Can’t wait to read more by this author

This is the first book I have read by Kia Abdullah but it won’t be the last. A fantastic and well written book that had me hooked throughout with plenty of twists and turns and a shock ending. Would definitely recommend reading this one. Looking forward to reading more from this author. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

What if your act of kindness leads to tragedy? What if you cause the unforgivable? What if Your carelessness sends your life spiralling into a nightmare? What if that moment is set to haunt you?...
A thought provoking tale. Well written tale

Next of Kin by Kia Abdullah is a book about a family torn apart after a dreadful tragedy. It is a book about a family who were always there for each other. It is a book that had me gasping in shock as I was reading it. A tense and at times upsetting read. This book wasn’t good it was absolutely fantastic and will be one of my top 10 reads for 2021.

Ok, this is the last time I'm reading a book bout missing/dead child. I just don't have it in me and it's too stressful.

Actual rating 3.5
The idea is great, very real and it's basically every parents' worst nightmare - your child dies.
Here we have a very uncomfortable mix of parental hell, mixed loyalties, a bit of procedural drama.
In theory it's a recipe for success, unfortunately it missed a mark for me a bit. The writing is repetitive at times and characters pretty unlikable. Like, I honestly didn't have anyone I really sympathized with.

It's not a bad book, It's just not the best either.

I’ll be honest with you, I haven't even read the synopsis before requesting the book. I knew that Kia Abdullah will do a great job and I was right.

I loved the book right from the start even though it left me sobbing hysterically.
Well, I was sobbing throughout the whole story. I had to put it away quite a few times because I was overloaded with emotions.

“Next of kin” is the best courtroom drama I’ve ever read.
It’s fast-paced, gripping and full of twists. When you think you know it all the author drops another bomb.

The characters are so authentic it makes you feel like they're the real people. You can feel their sadness and despair coming out from the pages (or Kindle reader in this case).

“Next of kin” is a unique story, which proves that siblings love has no end. It’s heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time.

I highly recommend it and I hope it gets translated to Polish and many other languages.

A very interesting plot , but I guessed the outcome very early on. Some things were a bit unbelievable but an enjoyable read.

Struggled to put this book down so finished it at 2.30am. Very clever story that is so much more than a courtroom drama. There were a couple of sentences that almost made me give up on in. One being about hand me down bras and the other.about a tweed suit from liberty’s for a three year old! What century did the author transpose herself into for these silly comments? Luckily the rest of the book is excellent so well deserving the five stars I’m giving it.

Wow, what a complex and emotional journey this story takes you on. At first I suspicious that the plot would remain quite linear and not really have anything to get me gripped but it gradually delivered with the twists, turns & intrigue I was hoping for. I love this author's writing style - I have now read all her books and she is a firm auto book-buy author for me!

This was a fabulous read - everything I enjoy - a twisty family and courtroom drama. I loved the twists which were so unexpected and there wasn’t just one twist - they kept coming. One of the best books I’ve read this year. Highly recommended.

4.5⭐
I was fortunate to receive a copy of this ARC from HQ publishing and NetGalley.

I really enjoyed the author's two previous books featuring Zara and this is a completely new storyline. I thought the concept of this was so clever. All parents make mistakes but hope that it doesn't cause long term damage. This story starts with Leila making an error of judgement with her nephew Max. The storylines of the two couples were very clever and there were also twists that we now expect from Kia! The story also has the legal and courtroom aspects which Kia has included in previous novels. I liked the chapters narrated by the police investigator Shep, this added an additional layer to the story.

My favourite quote:
"She was the mother, she had carried him in her body, she had ventured to that frozen edge where life drops into death and returned with their son victoriously."