By: Flora Collins
ISBN: 978-0778311614
Publisher: MIRA
Publication Date: 11/30/2021
Format: Paperback
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
Audiobook narrated by:
Brittany Pressley and Reba Buhr
DEBUT NOVEL
“A well-crafted debut . . . horrifying . . . Psychological thrillers fans won’t be disappointed.” —Publishers Weekly
"Unsettling, compelling, elegantly paced . . . A slick, contemporary novel that explores the wispy, nagging memories of childhood.” —Julia Heaberlin, bestselling author of We Are All the Same in the Dark
In this compulsively readable novel of domestic suspense, a young woman takes comfort in reconnecting with her childhood nanny, until she starts to uncover secrets the nanny has been holding for twenty years.
Sue Keller is lost. When her father dies suddenly, she's orphaned in her mid-twenties, her mother already long gone. Then Sue meets Annie. It’s been twenty years, but Annie could never forget that face. She was Sue’s live-in nanny at their big house upstate, and she loved Sue like she was her own.
Craving connection and mothering, Sue is only too eager to welcome Annie back into her life; but as they become inseparable once again, Sue starts to uncover the truth about Annie's unsettling time in the Keller house all those years ago, particularly the manner of her departure—or dismissal. At the same time, she begins to grow increasingly alarmed for the safety of the two new charges currently in Annie's care.
Told in alternating points of views—Annie in the mid-'90s and Sue in the present day—this taut novel of suspense will keep readers turning the pages right up to the shocking end.
Praise
VOGUE, The Best Books to Read This Fall
Town & Country, THE 45 MUST-READ BOOKS OF FALL 2021
“A domestic thriller in which the domestic elements are cannily veiled as the book unfolds, Nanny Dearest is an accomplished thriller debut.” —VOGUE
“A well-crafted debut . . . horrifying . . . Psychological thrillers fans won’t be disappointed.” —Publishers Weekly
“Collins skillfully pivots between two timelines and perspectives… It’s a seesaw of rising tension that ultimately delivers a raw, crashing conclusion… Collins’s debut illustrates the sometimes obsessive and terrifying nature of love and the shattering consequences of its betrayal. Nanny services across the country may see a dip in demand when this intensely emotional psychological roller coaster is released.” —Library Journal
“Nanny Dearest is not just an entertaining suspense novel but a therapeutic one for any adult who has faced disturbing holes in the family tree. Unsettling, compelling, elegantly paced—Flora Collins’ debut is a slick, contemporary novel that explores the wispy, nagging memories of childhood, the dark side of relationships, and the unrelenting desire to be loved.” —Julia Heaberlin, bestselling author of We Are All the Same in the Dark
“A delicious spine-tingling thriller that lulls the reader into a false sense of security before going straight for the jugular. Packed with haunting characters and twisted relationships, this impossible-to-put-down slow burner might make people think more than twice about their childcare arrangements!” —Hannah Mary McKinnon, bestselling author of You Will Remember Me
“Flora Collins is a sure-handed and inventive suspense novelist, and NANNY DEAREST is an impressive, immersive novel sure to be a big hit. I loved it.” —Adriana Trigiani, bestselling author of The Good Left Undone
A powerful debut about the fine line between love and obsession...haunting.” —Miranda Smith, author of What I Know
“You won't be able to put this book down.”
—Emily Freud, author of My Best Friend's Secret
About the Author
Flora Collins was born and raised in New York City and has never left, except for a four-year stint at Vassar College. When she's not writing, she can be found watching reality shows that were canceled after one season or attempting to eat soft-serve ice cream in bed (sometimes simultaneously). Nanny Dearest is her first novel, and draws upon personal experiences from her own family history. READ MORE
