This book has too many characters changing their behaviour to fit the plot. The three people the story is told by are Claudia, Sara and Anna and at any time any one of them might be supporting or acting against the other and then the whole thing changes. So it’s unnecessarily complicated and also rather repetitive.
Not awful but not great either.

The Babysitter is a tense and thrilling domestic thriller that I would recommend to readers of this genre. A great nail biting storyline filled with many unlikeable characters. The author has written a book that right from the start had me completely hooked and she has written and described the characters so well I had no clue who was telling the truth and who wasn’t.

Tilly, 8 months old, was taken from her home in Kingston. Claudia, her mom, rushed home with Tilly and was expecting a agency babysitter as her usual babysitter was not well and could not help. As she is trying to manage Tilly, handbag etc she is opening the door when a lady came up the door. Tilly thought she was the sitter and invited her in. As she handed Tilly to the sitter while she sorted herself out her phone rang, she answered it leaving the sitter with Tilly in the lounge. She finished her call and went to the lounge, no babysitter and no Tilly. This is where the drama ramps up. Claudia is convicted of killing Tilly and spends 10 years in jail. She admits guilt 10 years on so that she can be released and this is what she wants – to find out what happened on that fateful day. Joe, her ex husband is now married to Sara and they have a child themselves. The story now is really about three women, Claudia, Sara and Anna. It turns out that their paths have crossed before. The link between them is Joe. He is now a headmaster but was a teacher and very popular with the girls. The story continues giving you a look into the life of all three. Who is capable of the murder and why are they throwing Claudia one way and then the other. I really enjoyed this book and was not sure who would eventually be the one as the manipulation between Sara and Anna was very intriguing. A must read

The Babysitter was a great, solid read that kept me turning the pages. It has interesting characters and I could not put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atlantic Books for my ARC.

Ten years ago Claudia handed her baby daughter Tilly to the agency babysitter and she was never seen again, the police didn't believe her story and arrested her for her daughters murder, though her body was never found. Claudia insisted she was innocent but then confessed to manslaughter so she could gain early parole to find out exactly what happened to Tilly. Joe, her husband, has now moved on, married to Sara and with a baby of their own and Claudia's release threatens Sara's perfect life. Anna, the babysitter, who was a no show on the day Tilly disappeared has also moved on, now married and with a child of her own, but Claudia's return brings back painful memories for her too. Three women who are linked in more ways than they realise, only one of them knows the truth about that day.

The Babysitter is a multi perspective story told by the three main characters; Claudia, Sara and Anna, it's an intriguing read with unreliable and unlikeable characters, and had me switching my beliefs constantly as to who was responsible for Tilly's disappearance but I was steadfast in my belief that Claudia was innocent, only time would tell if I were to be proved wrong. This is a tale that covers many delicate subjects which the author deals with sensitively. There are times in the story where it's a little bit too far fetched and you do have to suspend belief, for that reason I've only given it three stars.

I'd like to thank Atlantic Books and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Amazon and Goodreads.

So chilling! When Claudia’s eight month old baby is abducted and she is convicted of her murder, there’s only one way to find out the truth - admit she did it, plead manslaughter, get out of jail and find out the truth for herself.

The main characters of Claudia, her ex-husband, Joe, his new wife, Sara, and the babysitter from back then, Anna, are really well developed - they all have their own agenda and there are lots of secrets to come out. I really liked the writing style and the twists were plentiful, so the tension was high, right up until the very end.

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Emma Curtis and Atlantic for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Highly readable and compelling book with believable characters and several twists. The ending felt incredibly rushed and slightly hollow but I enjoyed it nonetheless!

This was another great read from this author. Centred on Claudia, who, after a stranger snatches her child from her home, is convicted of her daughter's murder. After years in prison, she is released and is determined to find out what happened to Tilly. The book is written from multiple perspectives, principally Claudia, Sara, who has since married Claudia's ex-husband, and Anna, the babysitter who let down Claudia on the day Tilly was taken.

None of these narrators are very likeable, nor indeed are the surrounding characters, and as the story unfolded, I was left increasingly uncertain how reliable each narrator was.

This book was very cleverly written, with a great pace and a tense and engrossing finale. I really enjoyed this book and found it to be a thought-provoking read, which kept me guessing throughout.

Thanks to netgalley and Atlantic books for the opportunity to read.

I received an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Atlantic Books, and the author Emma Curtis.
A solid thriller/mystery that would be good for a holiday read. It dragged on at times, especially in the second half which felt under-developed compared to the first. Unfortunately the big reveal was also pretty predictable and a little convenient at the end, but an easy read and enjoyable nonetheless. 3 stars.

Oh god this one was actually quite terrifying! I mean I’m not a thriller person so take that with a pinch of salt 😅

Emma Curtis built so much suspense and I genuinely couldn’t decide ‘who dunnit’ until close to the end when it was being revealed so I’d definitely recommend!

The book starts with the kidnap of Claudia’s little girl, Tilly. Fast forward 10 years and we find out she has been imprisoned for her murder. On her release she is determined to find out what actually happened the night the babysitter arrived and took her child.

The book is told from three women’s point of view, Claudia, Sara - Joe’s new wife, and Anna the babysitter who let them down that night triggering the events.

It’s gripping and heartbreaking, but quite grim in places!

Thank you to @netgalley @atlanticbooks and @emmacurtisauthor for this review copy!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Reading the baby sitter has just reminded me why I love Emma Curtis and her style of writing. With this unique and twisty thriller it was everything you could possibly want in a book. I was hooked from start to finish and found I was picking my kindle up at every available moment I had.

Claudia has just spent 9 years in prison after being convicted for her daughter Tilly’s murder. In order to get her sentence reduced Claudia pleaded guilty to manslaughter. Claudia knows she didn’t kill her baby girl, she was abducted by “the babysitter” and now that Claudia is out of prison she is determined to find out exactly what happened to Tilly.

In order to do this Claudia needs to speak to her e husband Joe, however the conditions of her release prevent her from speaking to him or it could send her straight back to prison. Luckily fed Claudia Joe agrees to meet her, but it’s clear he believes her guilty of killing Tilly.

Claudia forms an unlikely alliance with Sara who is Joes second wife. Claudia asks Sara to help her uncover the secrets of her enemies as she knows she has no chance of them speaking to her. Claudia also seeks help from a journalist Greg who does everything in his power to help prove Claudia is innocent even if it means uncovering and revealing secrets and lies from Joes past.

I really enjoyed the baby sitter. I instantly felt sorry for Claudia and I admired her determination to prove her innocence and find out the truth about what happened to her baby girl. Poor Claudia had everything thrown at her including being a victim of an arson attack. Someone clearly didn’t want Claudia to uncover the truth of past secrets.

I found the baby sitter fast paced, there was plenty going on to keep the reader interested. I loved the ending, I didn’t guess who was behind the crime, even though at one point I think I suspected just about everyone.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy of this book in exchange for this review.

A well written and easy to read thriller that sucks you into the (unnecessarily) complex plot. I did find it dragged a bit, and I couldn't really believe that Joe was such a magnet for the young women involved, but on the whole I enjoyed it and was keen to know what happened
Thank you to netgalley and Atlantic Books for an advance copy of this book

Always extra creepy when thrillers focus around children and the family dynamic this evokes. A tense read, but perfect if you like a pacey thriller.

It is a strange thing that to be released from prison you have to admit guilt to a crime you have always claimed you did not commit. Claudia has done this and is now determined to prove she did not kill her own child.
Having been released she returns to her home and is threatened and vilified by all around her. Her ex-husband is now married with a new family and Claudia will do anything to prove her innocence.
Fast moving and compulsive.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Emma Curtis/Atlantic Books for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Claudia was in prison having been convicted of killing her baby daughter. She knows she isn't guilty, and decides that the only way she can find out the truth of what really happened is to confess to manslaughter and therefore will be granted parole, so she does.
Claudias ex husband has remarried, and they have a baby daughter. Sara and Joe appear happy with their life, but Claudia being out on parole was not what they were expecting.
Anna was Claudias babysitter who had let her down the day baby Tilly went missing. Anna is also married now and has a child. When Claudia reappears on the street where they both live, Anna has an unpleasant surprise.
Claudia, Sara, and Annas lives are entangled with a history of secrets and lies. As I turned the pages, I suspected first one, then another. The plot twists and turns, an unputdownable read. Five stars.

I enjoyed this book. Claudia has been in prison for 10 years for the murder of her young daughter, Tilly. She has always proclaimed her innocence, saying that Tilly was snatched by an agency babysitter. Now she has said that she is guilty in order to be freed and find out what really happened. Her ex husband Joe is now married to Sara and they have a little girl. No one is happy to see Claudia back in town. This is a twisty story that will keep you guessing to the end, although I found it to be a bit long winded in parts. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

Claudia has lied to get parole from prison - she has said she killed her baby - but by getting out she can try to find out who really snatched her baby. Who was the woman pretending to be the babysitter who snatched her daughter? And who can she enlist to help her?
I really enjoyed this book. I thought all of the characters were believable, each with many flaws. With lots of reveals at the end, I felt sorry for characters who I did not expect to, and turned against others as their true stories came out.
A highly recommended read.

Claudia is released from prison after being charged with harming her own daughter. She pleaded guilty, but she knows it wasn't herself who hurt Tilly and will set out to find out who it was.

Joe has moved on from Claudia with a nee wife Sara and their daughter Maeve.

This had a few twists and turns in, but then starts to feel a bit drawn out from 50% in, by 75% it then picks up again. I was stuck between 2 people who I thought could have abducted Tilly and one of them was that person. The book leaves you in suspense until right near the end and then hits you with it.

I really enjoyed The Babysitter. It's a very readable, intriguing read which follows two women - Claudia, imprisoned for killing her baby daughter despite maintaining her innocence, and Sara, married with children to Claudia's ex, Joe. Claudia is determined to find out what really happened, causing quite a stir when she is released from prison.

The plot is well-paced, keeping me interested whilst still building the women's backstories, particularly Claudia's. We never know who we can trust, but the unreliable narrators just add to the suspense! I also really felt empathy for Claudia due to the way people around her treated her.

Some parts of the plot and character interactions required a bit of suspension of disbelief, but I think that's to be expected with any book in this genre - on the whole it felt believable and was really gripping, with some great twists. Recommended!

‘Sorry, would you mind holding Tilly while I get this?’
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Ohhhhh the horror story that plays in my mind when I read stories like this! A parent’s absolute worst nightmare! And then to be blamed yourself?! Horrifying!
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This whirlwind fact finding mystery had me GRIPPED from start to finish, we open the book with the afternoon of the crime, and then we spend the rest of the book trying to clear our main protagonists name as she insists she had nothing to do with her daughters disappearance. I could not put this down! I found it a captivating, heart breaking, page turning marvel! This was a huge hit for me! I looked forward to picking it up every day!!
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Thank you so much to netgalley and Atlantic for the early copy!!