The Girl She Wanted by K.L. Slater
Genre: Domestic thriller, Psychological thriller, Suspense
Read: 17th October 2020
Published: 22nd October 2020
★★★★ 4 stars
DESCRIPTION:
What if my sister is unstable and everyone can see it but me? What was she really doing standing over Florence’s cot in the middle of the night?
Alexa has always looked up to her older sister Carrie. Carrie lives in Alexa’s family home, and adores her one-year-old niece Florence. Alexa doesn’t know how they would cope without her. So when Carrie is suspended from her job as a senior nurse, accused of the most terrible crime, Alexa reels in disbelief. Alexa knows how caring Carrie is, and as she watches Florence gurgling and cooing whenever Carrie is around, she knows her little girl is in safe hands.
Alexa’s husband doesn’t trust Carrie. He wants her out of the house, unable to ignore what people are saying about her. But when he suggests that Carrie could be a danger to their daughter, Alexa shuts him out. Nobody will ever come between her and her sister.
Then Florence is hurt while in Carrie’s care and Alexa at last starts to wonder. Alexa has always wanted to protect Carrie from the past they have hidden. But does Alexa know what Carrie wants? And will the secret that has kept the sisters together now destroy her little girl?
A completely gripping rollercoaster of a read about the darkness families hide behind closed doors. Fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train will be hooked on The Girl She Wanted.
MY REVIEW:
I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for K.L. Slater's exciting new thriller THE GIRL SHE WANTED.
I'm a huge fan of Kim's and devour every one of her books in record time but THE GIRL SHE WANTED is a little different from her usual vein. For a start, my biggest issue is the title. It has no bearing on the story whatsoever, in my opinion...except maybe in light of the epilogue but even then that wasn't the crux of the story. It is hugely misleading and gives the reader the wrong impression of what to expect. My second issue is that the twist isn't exactly jaw-dropping either...not in Kim's usual way at least. It was unexpected but not jaw-dropping. But that said, THE GIRL SHE WANTED is still an addictive read from beginning to end.
When 82 year old Angus Titchford falls and breaks his hip on Easter Sunday, he is transported to King's Mill Hospital where he is given a good prognosis for a full recovery. Less than a couple of hours later, Angus is dead having suffered an unexpected cardiac arrest. Dr Nathan Mosley, a junior doctor in A&E, is concerned that another unexplained death has occurred with no apparent cause or reason, the first being of six months old Samila Khalil back in December. It may be something and nothing but Dr Mosley feels obligated to report his suspicions to the Sherwood Forest Health Trust who then embark in an internal investigation.
For ten years, Carrie Parsons has worked at King's Mill Hospital as a senior nurse and ward manager. After her husband left her in massive debt, she moved in with her younger sister Alexa, a temporary solution till she got back on her feet. Eight months later and her presence is grating on Alexa's husband Perry, who is wondering when Carrie is going to get her own place. But Alexa, who fears leaving the house alone due to a past trauma, finds Carrie's presence a huge support and she is wonderful with their one year old daughter Florence who adores her aunty "CaCa".
After six days on shift, Carrie's enjoying a much-needed day off at the park with Alexa and Florence when she receives a phone call. Her superiors have asked her in for an important announcement and it must be today. She leaves an anxious Alexa with Florence at the park, who assures her sister she'll be fine and makes her way back to the hospital. Upon arriving, she fins her staff are gathered with several senior looking officials from the Sherwood Forest Health Trust who announce that an investigation is underway into the deaths of two patients who had otherwise non-life-threatening diagnoses and a good prognosis...and yet they both died anyway. The Trust were looking into whether the deaths were a cause for concern and revealed that the police would also be involved.
Not wanting to stress her already anxious sister and setting her back, Carrie said nothing of the deaths or the pending investigation when she returned home. Instead she claimed tiredness and went to bed. The following morning, she hurried out of the house before Alexa could question her on her way to her police interview. Carrie knew she had done nothing wrong and had nothing to hide but the police had statements from her co-workers that painted a suspicious picture of her.
The following morning, after Perry left for his three week stint on the rig off Scotland and reminding Alexa to ask Carrie about moving out, the police arrived banging on the door with an arrest warrant for Carrie. Alexa is stunned. Arrested? For murder? Of two patients? But why has Carrie not said anything? But the evidence is clear - CCTV of Carrie on the ward when she says she wasn't, medication mix-ups, changes to work schedules. But it's all circumstantial. And yet her colleagues have also spoken against her, citing her as cold and uncaring.
Despite all the evidence being thrown at them, Alexa firmly believes that her sister is innocent. Though she dreads having to tell Perry who will see this as an opportunity to force her to move out once and for all. But she will not turn her back on her sister when she needs her most...after all, she never turned her back on her when she needed her, did she?
But then when Florence is injured while left in Carrie's care and Alexa is forced to question everything she thought she knew. Is Carrie guilty? Did she hurt Florence? No! She wouldn't...would she? Alexa doesn't know any more and it becomes clear when they take Florence to A&E that tensions are rife. And then social services are notified of Florence's "accident" and suddenly the realisation that she could lose Florence becomes real to Alexa and she must choose - her daughter or her sister?
There is so much undercurrent to this story that is left unsaid until just the right moment that leaves you questioning exactly what is going on. Why is Alexa so fearful? What happened to her? And why is Carrie so cold and almost obnoxious? There was a reveal in this story that picked up immediately just through a few subtle references like eye contact...long before it was revealed near the end. So that was no surprise there.
The big surprise was the twist that, while not completely jaw-dropping, did have the affect of "where the hell did that come from"? For me, it did seem a little out of left field as there didn't even appear to be any subtle references, though I was slightly suspicious at times throughout. But there had been no pieces to put together which is why it seemed so random. No subtle clues dropped like breadcrumbs throughout the story. No chance for the reader to hone in and work it out. So I kind of felt a little robbed in that respect as I like to have a few clues peppered throughout the story and then to try and piece it together as I'm reading. But looking back, I can see nothing.
Still...THE GIRL SHE WANTED is a fast paced addictive read that will have you turning the pages until the very end. Told from mainly Alexa's narrative, we do have a third person perspective of various others throughout such as the police, Carrie and a few others. The epilogue did seem a little random, although it was part of the story it wasn't the main part nor the crux either. So I was a little confused as to why it ended with it.
THE GIRL SHE WANTED is something of a different thriller for K.L. Slater, not in her usual domestic vein, although there is an element of that too. This book extends a little further than the confines of a domestic thriller whilst still being a domestic thriller of sorts, if that makes any sense. I don't find as claustrophobic as others but it is chilling.
As usual, Kim continues to surprise fans with her level of ingenuity for keeping readers engaged and entertained. I am never bored with any of her thrillers and always eagerly look forward to the next. This one is no different...despite it being a little different.
I would like to thank #KimSlater, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheGirlSheWanted in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
After years of trying to get published and never getting further than the slush pile, Kim went back to university at the age of 40 where she gained a first-class honours degree in English & Creative Writing and an MA in Creative Writing with distinction.
Kim's first adult psychological thriller for Bookouture, ‘Safe with Me’, actually started life as a dissertation on her English & Creative Writing degree in 2010. She says" he creepy voice of Anna came to me strong and insistent . . . she wanted to be written, she wouldn’t go away. I’m so glad I listened!"
Kim first became published writing Young Adult fiction for Macmillan Children’s Books under the name Kim Slater. Her award-winning YA debut, SMART, started life as a short story for her MA in Creative Writing in 2012.
Kim is now a full-time writer. She has a daughter and two stepsons and live with her husband Mac in Nottingham and Yorkshire.
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