The phone starts vibrating in my hand. It's my father. He never calls. Pulse racing in trepidation, I sit up in bed and answer. 'Caitlin,' he says. 'You need to come to the house. Right now. It's Olivia. She's back.'

A solid murder mystery/thriller. Interesting plot and plot twists, good tension.

The Wrong Daughter was my first book by Dandy Smith and it did not disappoint. It had me hooked from the first page on.

3.5 stars. I have mixed feelings about this book. The well-written plot is clever, with a carefully hidden and shocking twist. Readers who enjoy a surprising twist will love this. For most of the story, this was a 4 to 5-point compelling read. Timelines were concealed. About 2/3 through, there seemed to be a clue, but it was misleading. Figuring out the conclusion will rely on guesswork. In a world of a deranged psychopath, hidden identities, devious players, and their victims, I didn't feel that the violent and unexpected solution was believable.

The primary focus of the story involves chapters focusing on Caitlin Arden. Sixteen years ago, her sister Olivia was kidnapped, which shattered her grieving family. The girls had been left alone in their home for the first time with the 13-year-old Olivia in charge. They had an enjoyable, fun-filled day and were proud to be trusted. They were unaware someone was watching the home and entered through an unlocked door. Caitlin awakened during the night and saw her older sister being led away at knifepoint by a masked man. She was frozen in shock and fear and failed to report what happened until the next day. How reliable was her story about what she witnessed?

Caitlin is now a grown woman but has never recovered from the loss and is trying to please her parents. She is now a school teacher, setting aside her dreams to travel and pursue an art career. She is engaged to marry but keeps postponing the wedding. She intensely misses Olivia and is filled with guilt. There had been searches for Olivia when she disappeared, but she is now believed to be dead or suffering as an enslaved and abused woman. Sixteen years later, Olivia has returned to her parents' home, and they are overcome with joy. Her parents accept her reluctance to reveal what happened in her absence and where she was during those many years.

In an infuriating and seemingly unrelated story, the focus is on Heath and his sister, Elinor. They live in a magnificent estate with their uncle, who is their guardian. He is away working on weekends and is very authoritative when he comes home. Does he have evil intent? Heath knows he will inherit the property when he turns 21, but suspects his uncle will murder them before he obtains the home and land for himself. The story implies incest between the brother and sister. This is not directly confirmed but causes their chapters to be very disturbing and unsettling.
When the siblings begin dating outside the home, it increases jealousy and anger. Readers of mysteries will understand that these two unrelated stories must converge. Still, there is no direct clue as to how these chapters are related to Caitlin and Olivia's stories.

At the beginning of Olivia's return home, Caitlin is relieved and happy to have her sister back. She becomes suspicious of Olivia when she has no memory of places or events from their childhoods that should have been significant. Olivia has found some old diaries to fill in the blanks. Is the woman claiming to be her sister an impostor?

Olivia has taken Caitlin's best friend and is now invited to be the bridesmaid of honour at the friend's wedding. This was a role promised to Caitlin. Olivia is secretly working on a book with Caitlin's fiance, and he has been deceiving Caitlin. Olivia is receiving all their parent's attention. No one believes Caitlin's insistence that the woman is not Olivia, and most everyone thinks Caitlin has developed emotional problems and has become deluded. Olivia whispers threats and malevolent statements to Caitlin. This all comes to a head at the friend's wedding. Caitlin is told she can still participate but warned not to ruin the ceremony. She becomes unhinged and hysterical and has to be removed from the wedding due to Olivia's underhanded behaviours toward her. Of course, Caitlin is not believed when she catches glimpses of the same masked man who abducted her sister. Why does he seem to be watching her? Are she and her family in danger, and why?

Caitlin's only comfort comes from the psychologist helping her stay more grounded. There may even be a romance developing. She changes from a passive victim to being more assertive, even reckless. Will this woman claiming to be Olivia continue to destroy her life?

It is highly recommended for readers who enjoy twisty, complex stories with shocking reveals. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review. It will be published on February 8th.

Holy guacamole this book infuriated me in the best kind of way!! This is exactly what I needed to get out of this book slump I was in. First of all I want to say that this book was so well written and I was so engrossed by the story that I would have devoured this in 1 day if I had the time. I found myself needing answers because of course I had theories like one does when reading a thriller/who dunnit type of story.

Sisters Caitlin and Olivia are left at home alone while their parents attended a party. Their parents return home that night to discover Olivia has been kidnapped. 16 years later Olivia has finally returned home however, Caitlin is convinced Olivia is hiding something.

I found myself feeling like Caitlin. I could no longer trust my mind. Such a great read none of my theories were correct and I love when that happens. A lot of times when reading books like this the plot twist is either too easily guessed or too outrageous that it’s ridiculous but this one was perfect!

I wasn’t sure if I was going to finish this book. It started off slow so I had a hard time getting into it. Caitlin and Olivia are sisters who spend a wonderful summer day together but things take a turn when Olivia gets kidnapped in the middle of the night. Years go by and then they receive a phone call that Olivia is alive. I found parts of the book not enjoyable, a little dark and uncomfortable. Thank you Dandy, NetGalley and Embla Books for ARC!

Two equally fascinating story lines form the basis of this intriguing thriller. The way in which the two streams come together is cleverly done and adds some interesting points of view. Dark themes underlie much of this plot which comes to a satisfying conclusion after many twists.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Really awesome thriller with a lot of twists and surprises.
Well written and pulls you right in. I definitely want to read more from this author.

A very twisty physchological thriller that takes you on a wild ride! I love how the author keeps you guessing and then just when you think you have worked it out yet another turn appears. I was surprised throughout the book. It's bloody brilliant.

This story takes a while to get going but it has a very intriguing plot that definitely kept me guessing. When Caitlin was a little girl, her sister Olivia was abducted. Caitlin managed to pull together a decent life for herself in spite of the tragedy - she’s engaged to a great guy, has a decent job as a school teacher, and a couple of cloth friends. Suddenly, Caitlin gets the call that Olivia is back and her whole life begins to unravel. As a secondary story - we meet the Ledbury siblings - the 17-year-old impressionable Elinor and her somewhat reckless brother Heath. Both stories are connected in a surprising way, one that genuinely shocked me.

At first I found the Ledbury story tiresome, but Elinor really grew on me and by the time it reached its conclusion - I loved her. I find never everyone else in this book unlikable. While Caitlin’s responses to events is understandable the author makes her seem a bit too passive and whiney so that when she does eventually grow a spine- it comes off as reckless.

The writing in this book is not my cup of tea. There were a few paragraphs that almost sounded like product placement for skin care and makeup but I liked the twists and turns of the story and by the time I got to the climax, I absolutely could not put it down. My favorite types of mysteries tend to be old manor or police procedurals so this isnt my favorite type in this genre but it was thoroughly entertaining and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in a twisty thriller.

This is my first book I’ve read by Dandy Smith and I’ll definitely read another.

Thank you to Netgalley and Embla Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! This is my favorite book by Dandy Smith so far. Get ready for a wild ride. You won't be able to put THE WRONG DAUGHTER Down.

Many thanks to Embla books and Netgalleu for my gifted copy.

The majority of readers interested in mysteries and murders search for the "gotcha" moment, when everything becomes clear and the plot is revealed. Reading The Wrong Daughter, I came to the conclusion after three 'gotchas' that I was reading a story by a very talented author, Dandy Smith.
Thank you for confusing this reader with your twists, turns, and direction changes. Excellent writing, a captivating story-line, and plenty of tension.
Simply put, don't offer to plan a wedding Dandy
An independent review for NetGalley / Embla Books

WOW! This is my first book by this author and it kept me on the edge of my seat. There were so many twists and turns. A must read for sure!

This thriller grabbed me in from the very beginning. Very twisty! This one is going to take you in a ride that you will still be thinking about long after you’ve finished it!!

In this riveting psychological thriller, the lives of siblings Caitlin and Olivia are upended when their supposedly deceased sister, Olivia, reappears after years of absence. The sudden call from their father triggers a chain of events that plunges the family into a web of deception and dark secrets.

As they grapple with the return of a long-lost loved one, both sisters harbor hidden truths that threaten to unravel their family's stability. Dandy Smith's narrative skillfully weaves together a haunting tale of fractured trust and looming danger, shrouded in the mystery of Olivia's reappearance.

The relentless suspense and unexpected twists keep the reader on edge, culminating in a climactic revelation that defies all expectations. This chilling and masterfully crafted thriller is a page-turner, captivating audiences with its compelling characters and an unpredictable, heart-stopping conclusion that lingers long after the final page.

Yall this book took me on a ride I wasn't ready for. Caitlin and Olivia Arden are sisters enjoying a lovely summer afternoon spent together full of laughter. That beautiful day turns into a nightmare when a masked man enters their home and takes Olivia from her bed. This book is told from a dual POV of two sisters, Caitlin Arden and Elinor Ledbury. Elinor's story caught me off guard, especially because I chose to request this book based off the summary, but the way the story comes together I see why it was needed. Though I finished this book, I almost DNF'D it a few times because incest is implied but not detailed. That was tough for me to get through but I'm glad I stuck it out. I give this book 5 stars because even though I didn't like that part the story, it was well written and kept drawing me in. Every time I thought I knew what was happening there was another twist that left me staying up real late to finish a chapter or two lol. By the end I was boo hoo crying and completely satisfied with how it was wrapped up. If you're looking for a thrilling mystery make sure you pick this up when it's available!

Oh my goodness! This book was incredible! Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher, for giving me an advance reader copy. This is my honest review.

Caitlin and her older sister Olivia are left home alone one evening and Olivia is taken by a masked intruder. Sixteen years later she returns, or does she? Caitlin isn't sure if that is her sister and she also has seen the masked intruder around. She is terrified for her whole family and doesn't know where to turn.

This story is an amazingly complex psychological thriller. There are plenty of twists and turns, some wonderfully complicated characters and it will keep you guessing right to the end. If there is one book you should read this year, it's this one!

One night a sister goes missing. The remaining sister lives a partial life, trying to move on and live a safe life her parents will approve of. All of a sudden, the missing sister returns. Or does she?
This was a really twisty story. The middle was a little slow but the main storyline was so good. I was so curious to see how everything would tie together. I was wrong on most of my guesses. The big twist was so shocking. I didn’t see it coming at all. This would have been a 5 star for me but the very end I felt was too cruel to poor Caitlin.

Wow - Read this.

Twist, turns, two crazy story lines that weave together well in this great novel! Kept me guessing until the end.

Can't wait to see what Smith comes up with next.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and honestly review this book.

I can't quite decide how I feel about this book! It's written as 2 sperate plot lines which seem completely seperate but it does all fall Into place seamlessly which really does show how well plotted out it is and some very clever writing to get the plot threads so cleverly woven together

The characters were well written and original. I can't say I was a fan of half of them but it's a sign of good writing to make a reader hate people that don't exist.

Some really good twists and turns. Quite a dark story but captivating none the less. I would say at times the 2nd plot line seems pointless but stick with it and it'll all make sense

Overall this was a good book! It had some twists and turns that I wasn't expecting, and I had a roller-coaster of emotions while reading it. I would recommend this book to other readers.