Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’d been on a bit of a break from psychological thrillers as I was really struggling to find any good ones. I tend to find those books with loads of 5 star ratings are a bit of a let down. This however is definitely one of the good ones. It draws you in right from the start and doesn’t let go until the very end.

The central focus of the story is Heidi, who on her commute to work sees a young girl with a baby standing on the train platform with a small suitcase. She becomes concerned when she comes across the girl and baby a couple more times and realises they are homeless. Wanting to do something to help she takes the girl for a meal and ends up inviting her into her home. Her husband Chris and daughter Zoe are less than impressed with the bedraggled, dirty and secretive girl who comes into their home with a screaming, sick baby. Chris worries that the girl could be dangerous but Heidi is determined she stay. The big question is should they be worried about her and her mysterious past or is there something closer to home that should concern them.

The story is told from three different perspectives, Heidi, Chris and Willow (the girl on the platform). Heidi is the one who takes a chance on a stranger, loves her family and has a strong social conscience. Chris is the practical investment banker, who wants to protect his family but is distracted by an attractive co worker and Willow is the young girl with a troubled past. However all is not as it seems and there are a lot of twists and turns in this gripping tale.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I don’t think it will be the last. I really like her writing style. It’s very atmospheric and really sweeps you into the story and the minds of the protagonists.

As you can probably tell I really, really liked this book and I think it may have restored my love for psychological thrillers.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.