By: Teri Terry
Narrator: Melanie Crawley
Hachette UK - Bookouture
ISBN: 9781835256411
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: 07/29/2024
Format: e-book
My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC)
My life should be perfect. But my stepdaughter wants to destroy it all…
Standing in my bathroom, the luxurious marble tiles cool under my feet, I stare at the test in my trembling hand. The second line is unmistakable: I’m pregnant.
This is all my husband Theo and I have ever wanted, but I didn’t think it was possible. I should be excited, but all I can think about is telling my stepdaughter.
Because Ellie’s always hated me, ever since she realised it was no longer just her and Theo. Now she’s seventeen, beautiful and smart – smart enough to see through me. And if Ellie decided to uncover my secrets, it wouldn’t be just my marriage at stake… it would be my life.
But I’ve been so careful burying my past. There’s no way she could learn the truth. I know stress isn’t good for the baby, so I force myself to relax.
Until one day I find a packet of tablets tucked inside Ellie’s bag. My head spins – she’s made it clear she wants me gone but I never imagined she would try to harm my baby. I know I can’t tell Theo. She would only deny it to her beloved daddy, fluttering her lashes like she always does.
My beautiful home has become a prison, my husband feels like a stranger. But all I know is that this precious life inside me is more than I deserve – and there’s nothing I won’t do to protect it…
An absolutely gripping and page-turning psychological thriller that will keep you reading late into the night! Perfect for fans of Daniel Hurst, Shari Lapena and T.M. Logan.
My Review
Author Teri Terry returns following The Patient with another twisty sizzler, THE STEPDAUGHTERS LIE — a woman gets caught up in an intense marriage with a manipulative stepdaughter and a smart house, an unexpected pregnancy, with gaslighting, questioning her own sanity in this riveting domestic suspense thriller full of lies, deceit, and plenty of dark secrets.
The plot is filled with unexpected twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
About...
Rowan, a woman in her late thirties/early forties, has recently married Theo, a man in his fifties. Theo has a teen daughter, Ellie (17), from his previous marriage. Rowan finds herself in a complex situation, unsure about the man she married, who often travels, leaving her alone with his manipulative daughter.
When she discovers she is pregnant, things go from bad to worse. She experiences horrors from her past so she is anxious and fearful. Theo is not excited and Ellie hates the idea, thinking she wants to push her out.
Ellie, the manipulative teen, controls everything, including the functions of the smart house. The house's advanced technology becomes a tool for Ellie's manipulation, adding a unique and intriguing element to the story.
This is only just the beginning of the problems.
What really happened to Ellie's mom (Theo's first wife, Naomi) and who is the real monster in the house, Ellie or Theo? The characters are multi-dimensional, each with their own secrets and motivations, making them all the more intriguing.
Rowan has a traumatic past, and she must protect herself and her baby from the monsters in this house. The emotional depth of the characters will draw you in and keep you invested in their journey.
Who is trying to kill her? Rowan has secrets, but so does Theo. Is she trapped? How will she escape? The closer she gets to the truth, the more danger she and her unborn child are in.
Something is sinister and very wrong. What is happening?
My thoughts...
Teri Terry wowed readers with The Patient and she delivers another twisty suspense thriller that will keep you glued to the pages and on the edge of your seat. Expect the unexpected. Trust no one.
Wickedly delicious and atmospheric, this story is about dark secrets, lies, and deception told from the POV of Ellie, Rowan, and Grace. Being locked inside by someone controlling and manipulating a smart house gives a locked room-claustrophobic vibe.
The author also explores highly charged topics of teen pregnancy, abortion, trauma, abuse, social workers, adoption, gaslighting, and murder with a perfect ending with helpful resources in the author's notes.
Smartly written, I highly recommend this author!
Recs...
This is for fans of the author's previous book, The Patient, and those of Daniel Hurst, Miranda Rijks, and Freida McFadden.
Thanks to Bookouture for a gifted digital advanced reading copy via NetGalley for an honest review.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: July 29, 2024
About the Author
I've lived in France, Canada, Australia and now England at more addresses than I can count. Moving constantly as a child, teenager and also as an adult has kept me on the outside looking in much of my life. It has given me an obsession with characters who don't belong or find themselves in unfamiliar places.
Along the way, I have always lived in my own world. As a result I spend a lot of time talking to myself. Oh, and Scooby (below). Talking to yourself - and holding endless imagined conversations in your mind - are good practice for being a writer. I always made up detailed stories and loved to play with words.
But it was a long journey. I've been a scientist, a lawyer, an optometrist; I've managed businesses, worked in secondary schools and libraries. Writing and stories always continued in the background, but it wasn't until I moved to England in 2004 that they took over. WEBSITE
