Next of Kin by Kia Abdullah

ON AN ORDINARY WORKING DAY…

Leila Syed receives a call that cleaves her life in two. Her brother-in-law’s voice is filled with panic. His son’s nursery has called to ask where little Max is.

YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE…

Leila was supposed to drop Max off that morning. But she forgot.

Racing to the carpark, she grasps the horror of what she has done.

IS ABOUT TO COME TRUE…

What follows is an explosive, high-profile trial that will tear the family apart. But as the case progresses it becomes clear there’s more to this incident than meets the eye…

A gripping, brave and tense courtroom drama, Next of Kin will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final, heart-stopping page.

My Review:

Well, where do I even start with this book? It is absolutely brilliant, it will have you hooked from the minute you pick it up.

Leila and Yasmin are sisters, and very close. They live near each other and Leila often helps out with childcare for Max when she’s needed. But on this fateful day, she drives to work, and forgets about Max. I won’t say anything more, or it will spoil the story, but it is both shocking and twisty. I genuinely gasped at several points in this book, and it’s totally unputdownable.

What follows is a complex family drama, with some unexpected twists along the way.

This masterfully crafted, complex and addictive story had me turning page after page. Every aspect of it is perfect, from the initial shock, to the courtroom dramas, to the aftermath. It’s my first read by this author, and I will be seeking out more of her books, it’s simply superb. Can’t recommend it highly enough.

Thank you so much to HQ for the copy of the book. It’s available for pre-order now, out on September 2nd.

My Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

About the Author:

Kia Abdullah is an author from London. Her novel Take It Back was named one of the best thrillers of the year by The Guardian and Telegraph and was selected for an industry-first audio serialisation by HarperCollins and The Pigeonhole. Her follow-up novel, Truth Be Told, is out now (Mar 2021, HarperCollins).

Kia has written for The New York Times, The Guardian, The FT, The Telegraph, the BBC and The Times, and is the founder of Asian Booklist, a nonprofit that advocates for diversity in publishing.