‘Your turn to pay or their turn to die’

This suspenseful and well paced book had similar vibes to The Chain - parents are being forced to make terrible decisions to keep their children safe, even if that means putting other children at risk. The subject matter alone is enough to put the reader on edge, that’s before the criminal characters are developed and thwarted into cynical and cruel presences in the lives of these targeted parents.

Arlidge and Maslen create a tense world in which Annie and daughter Isla, and Michael and son Aaron are targeted by 2 cyber criminals. Both children, along with many other children, are in danger unless their parents pay $1000 a month into a Cayman account. These cyber criminals have no morals, they are driven by only one thing; money.

Annie isn’t willing to accept these twisted threats without putting up a fight. But will she be able to take on the web of lies and blackmail to keep her daughter safe? And just how far are the blackmailers willing to go to get what they want?

Arlidge and Maslen show the scary truth of how normal people, with normal lives, can be so easily targeted and manipulated. In today’s world, technology, if not used correctly, is a dangerous thing. It exposes people’s privacy and allows complete strangers to take a deep dive into your life.

What a cracking thriller this was. Sucked into the all-to-real opening & spat out at the end - an exhausted wreck, wondering what I had just read.

Annie is sent a video of herself at her daughter’s funeral, except she’s safe upstairs isn’t she? Michael senses his teenage son is slipping away from him following the death of his mum, but would he fantasise about being deliberately targeted by a moving van? Oh, & add in two psychotic scammers who are raking in thousands of pounds each month to an account in the Cayman Islands & a battle weary ex-soldier who is suffering from PTSD & just wants to do right by his own kids.

Starting slowly, with a vast array of characters, I was drawn in immediately but did wonder how everyone joined together. You would never guess this is a collaboration, such is the seamless storytelling & frantic pace. And as for the end…….well!

What a brilliant read
A book full of twists and turns
Will have you hooked from the first page to the last
Thanks Netgalley

Another brilliant fast paced read by MJ Arlidge. Hard to put down once I started and keep you hooked until the last page

As a huge fan of M.J. Arlidge’s Helen Grace series I was thrilled to be offered the chance to read this new psychological thriller written in collaboration with best selling author Andy Maslen. Your Child Next is a fast paced, dark and disturbing thriller that doesn’t pull its punches and really does make you think about what you’re sharing about your personal life on social media.

Life has been difficult for Annie since her husband left her for another woman. Her teenage daughter, Isla, has become an anxiety riddled shadow of her former self. Annie is terrified of what Isla might do and that she’ll somehow lose her, too. So when Annie receives what appears to be a video of herself crying at Isla’s funeral, her blood runs cold. Who sent the fake video and what could they possibly want?

And then we have Michael whose wife has recently died. Finding a standing order for a monthly payment he knows nothing about, Michael begins to wonder exactly what his late wife has got herself involved in. But then it becomes clear that she was one in a long line of parents who are being blackmailed, the lives of their children, including Michael’s stepson Aaron, under threat.

Unwilling to go to the police, Annie and Michael begin to work together, desperate to keep their children safe. But just how far are they willing to go?

In what is a taut and tense thriller, Your Child Next really did keep me on the edge of my seat and, although I did have to suspend my disbelief at times, I found it to be an exhilarating psychological thriller that kept the twists, turns, shocks and surprises coming throughout.

M.J. Arlidge and Andy Maslen have written a gripping, tense and superbly plotted thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed from beginning to end. With a fascinating cast of characters and a dark and twisted storyline, this is a book that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Two strangers, who are parents, are both being blackmailed. They have no idea who is trying to extort money from them, but they team up and are determined to find who it is, and save their children from certain death.

This was a brilliant and page turning thriller. The storyline was sublimely written, so tense, and every page offered so much. I raced through this book, and, although, it is just a story, I really felt this could genuinely happen in real life. The characters were all so well written and absolutely bang on for this story, although I wish Annie was stronger from the beginning. There were also stories intertwined with this, such as illness, divorce, mental illness, and parent loss. This was such an excellent read, and I would highly recommend.

Absolutely loved this stand alone thriller. Fast paced and jaw dropping, you definitely don’t want to miss this book. Highly recommended!

M J Arlidge is one of my favourite authors and I’m enjoying these collaborations with other authors. Your Child Next with Andy Maslen is my favourite yet, its a fast paced thriller that will have you hooked from the beginning till the end making it a must read.
Thank you NetGallely for the ARC of Your Child Next in return for my honest review.

This book grips you from the very first page. I literally had a nightmare about it. 🤯
It's fast-paced, thrilling and hard to put down. I never read anything from Andy Maslan, but I'm eager to check out his work.

We follow a lot of characters but in the end, they all connect. The story really shows what social media can do with teenagers and that is just awful and shocking.

I really liked the epilogue, with three more chapters from the most important characters.
4 stars ⭐

Thank you Netgalley & Orion Publishing Group for the ARC! ♡

Another book by M.J.Arlidge, together with another author, Andy Maslen, from the minds of Orion Publishing Group, is called Your Child Next. I received a copy from Orion Publishing Group via Netgalley.

This book is a gripping psychological thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. The story follows Annie, a mother already struggling with her family’s breakdown, when she receives a chilling video of herself grieving at her daughter Isla’s funeral — only Isla is very much alive. This twisted blackmail plot throws Annie into a desperate race against time, as she faces the terrifying ultimatum: give in to the criminal’s demands or risk her daughter’s life.

The authors masterfully build suspense with every page, pulling me deep into the tension of Annie's emotional turmoil and dangerous choices. The fast-paced plot, combined with intense, high-stakes drama, makes this another masterpiece by Arlidge (and Maslen). The mystery of who’s behind the blackmail and the lengths Annie will go to for her daughter makes for a truly gripping experience.

I absolutely can't wait to read the next book in this writers' room project by Orion. Apparently, the next book will be out in May, and it's a collaboration with author Lisa Hall. Can't wait!

5/5⭐️

I'm a big fan of Mr. Arlidge's work, and this book is another great addition to his collection. With strong characters and a gripping, fast-paced plot that kept me hooked from start to finish. The twists were well-executed, making for a thrilling read. Beyond the suspense, the story highlights the dangers of oversharing online.

I'll definitely be checking out Andy Mason's books, as he's new to me, and of course, I already know I'll be reading more from M. J. Arlidge!

What a BOOK!

I am a huge fan of the MJ Arlidge Helen Grace series, so I have come across a few of his standalones and have enjoyed them!

I was gripped from the first page all the way to the end. I immediately felt for the main characters, as they were likeable and relatable – just normal people, trying to do their best for their children.

I definitely recommend this book.

A decent read overall. A very unique story line and this was very well written. I didn’t connect with main character which is why it was a big harder of a read for me. But I feel the writing was great and plot was great. I don’t feel this book is the problem it just didn’t hit me the way i wanted. The pace was slower at first but picked up and the end was great. Twists and turns and overall a good read

I have read a number of MJ Arlidge books and am a big fan. This book seemed a little more formulaic to me. I enjoyed the fast pace and it has an interesting premise, although the ending just seemed contrived to me.

They faked your child’s death and if you don’t give them what they’ve asked for, they’ll make it a reality.

I feel like it took me a while to get fully invested in the book because at the start, it felt like a lot of characters were being introduced, which felt a little overwhelming and I was struggling to remember who was who. However, the more that I read, the less of an issue I had with the amount of characters and remembering who was who as I found them to be quite distinct and memorable.

I did like the characters and I was rooting for them to be successful in their pain. I liked how we got to see glimpses into their lives and their back stories, because it made me care about them and what they were going through.

I did like the atmosphere and could picture the settings and characters, although I will say that I feel like it lacked suspense. I didn’t feel the danger that the characters were in throughout the book, even though there was multiple dangerous situations and plenty of opportunities for suspense.

To me, some aspects felt like they lacked logic and it didn’t flow as well as it could have done because of that. I don’t really want to go more into that because I feel like it’s a spoiler.

For the most part, I did really enjoy the writing style but there was some repetition in parts that I felt didn’t add much to the overall story and there was a lot of derogatory language that I didn’t think was necessary, which was aimed towards people who are homeless and/or substance and/or alcohol use disorder(s).

Thank you Orion and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early, in exchange for an honest review.

⚠️ CWs: grief, panic attack, mental health illness (anxiety, depression, PTSD), alcohol and drug use, stalking, derogatory language, cheating, cursing, domestic abuse, person with substance and alcohol use disorder, homelessness, physical assault, blood, attempted murder, adult/minor relationship, animal cruelty/death; mentions death, terminal illness, statutory rape, microaggressions, self harm, child sexual abuse, body injury, body horror/gore, war ⚠️

Thank you so much to Netgalley for this one. I loved M.J.Arlidge so was super excited when i saw this one! It was such an intense thriller that i read it in 2 days! It kept me hocked and up at night reading it. Loved it!

A fast and expertly paced thriller. Not as dark or as violent as much of Maslen's work which suited the suburban setting. I hope for more books from this author pairing.

Great book. Was up all night reading it. I loved the characters & the storyline. I totally recommend reading this book straight away, the twists and turns are fab. Definitely 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Great read. Hard to put down - had to be sure the families would be ok. Who has a 1000 pounds a month to make sure the threat your child will be killed if it doesn’t show up. How many families are living in fear?

Anything written by MJ Arlidge is a must for me. And when he’s teamed up with another author it’s still a must. This book is full of the usual twists and turns you’d expect from such a fab author. Highly recommended