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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
WHOA! This is easily on my list of Top Psychological Thriller Reads for the year. I Could. Not. Put. It. Down. I don’t read in the car because I get car sick… you better believe I figured out how to make it 3 hours in the car with it anyway because I just couldn’t stop!!!
Caitlin and her older sister Olivia are home alone one night and Olivia is kidnapped by a stranger in a mask. They never find her or know what happened. 16 year later, she returns. But is it really her, or an imposter?
I definitley had parts and pieces of the book figured out, but half the fun was going back and forth and doubting myself and it ended up so convoluted (I don’t use that term negatively!) that I didn’t get it all 100% right so I reminded surprised. It ended up so much more DARK than I thought it would and had my eyes bugging out!
This book secured a spot on my “for keeps” shelf. Keeping this review short & sweet because I think it’s too easy to spoil it - just go read it!
Thank you to Hambright PR and Kensington Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
⭐️ 5/5
Caitlin and her older sister Olivia are home alone one night and Olivia is kidnapped by a stranger in a mask. They never find her or know what happened. 16 year later, she returns. But is it really her, or an imposter?
I definitley had parts and pieces of the book figured out, but half the fun was going back and forth and doubting myself and it ended up so convoluted (I don’t use that term negatively!) that I didn’t get it all 100% right so I reminded surprised. It ended up so much more DARK than I thought it would and had my eyes bugging out!
This book secured a spot on my “for keeps” shelf. Keeping this review short & sweet because I think it’s too easy to spoil it - just go read it!
Thank you to Hambright PR and Kensington Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
⭐️ 5/5
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Boring book. Last two hours of this audiobook was awesome. Felt like nails on a chalk board
There are things I liked and things I hated. I didn’t like Elinor’s pov. And it just felt like the story drag on. Yes it has plot twist, mystery kidnapping, so it kept me interested.
dark
mysterious
ARC book review
I don't normally read thrillers so I was excited to dive into this book. I must admit it was a little confusing the back and forth between the times, like at one point we are in the past and then back in present with another character. I got lost on what was happening a few times. When you get down to the plot it was ok, I don't know if I totally got the plot, but I did finish the book. I think I am still at a loss on the wrong daughter title, or maybe I missed that. I really wanted to like this story but I just think it just wasn't my cup of tea.
TYSM Hambright PR and Dandy Smith for this ARC
I don't normally read thrillers so I was excited to dive into this book. I must admit it was a little confusing the back and forth between the times, like at one point we are in the past and then back in present with another character. I got lost on what was happening a few times. When you get down to the plot it was ok, I don't know if I totally got the plot, but I did finish the book. I think I am still at a loss on the wrong daughter title, or maybe I missed that. I really wanted to like this story but I just think it just wasn't my cup of tea.
TYSM Hambright PR and Dandy Smith for this ARC
Received an ARC via NetGalley.
This one was pretty grim, subject wise. But trying to puzzle it out was really enjoyable. And also kind of frustrating, in a good way. I had so many theories as to what was going on but I kept discarding them and couldn’t figure it out bc there was so many different things to focus suspicion on. (Turns out all my guesses were right which I definitely did not see coming).
Really interesting untangling it all. I had hoped for some things to end up being different, and I felt the narrator a little frustrating at points. But it was really fun to get sucked into a mystery like this.
This one was pretty grim, subject wise. But trying to puzzle it out was really enjoyable. And also kind of frustrating, in a good way. I had so many theories as to what was going on but I kept discarding them and couldn’t figure it out bc there was so many different things to focus suspicion on. (Turns out all my guesses were right which I definitely did not see coming).
Really interesting untangling it all. I had hoped for some things to end up being different, and I felt the narrator a little frustrating at points. But it was really fun to get sucked into a mystery like this.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
twisty page-turner that gives multiple meanings to “sister wives”
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thank you to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy.
The Wrong Daughter follows Caitlin, a woman whose entire life was changed by one night. When Caitlin was just ten years old, her thirteen year old sister Olivia was kidnapped at knife point by a man in a black mask. In a panic, Caitlin ran back to her bedroom, hiding until her parent's return instead of calling the police. Despite extensive searches Olivia was never found. Sixteen years later, Caitlin has tried to be the perfect daughter, wracked with guilt about not helping her sister sooner. She never left her small town, never causes trouble for her parents, and she even became a teacher because Olivia had expressed interest in the career. Her quiet life is upheaved by the return of Olivia, or at least a woman claiming to be her. Caitlin grows more suspicious as Olivia can't seem to recall details about their life before her kidnapping, and when she starts seeing the man in the black mask again, she vows to find out what really happened to her sister.
Caitlin is a well done character. Her guilt about the night her sister was kidnapped is reasonable, but still it's obviously not her fault. It also makes sense that she doesn't just outright call Olivia a liar in front of everyone because sixteen years as a kidnapping victim would change anyone, and Caitlin doesn't want to seem insensitive. Additionally, the things Olivia forgets are small and mostly inconsequential, but it's enough to matter. The tension is great, and the manipulation Olivia does to those around her is both subtle and effective. My main complaint is mostly in regard to how the other characters treat Caitlin.
I know that for this kind of story to work the people around Caitlin have to not believe her about both Olivia and the man in the black mask, but it became extremely frustrating to see that literally everyone was against her. It became difficult to deal with at points because it seems like no one in her life understands what kind of person Caitlin is. Her parents keep believing that she's doing these things for attention, but from everything we know about Caitlin's history and personality that's completely out of character for her. She didn't have a rebellious phase when Olivia went missing, and she hadn't ever shown jealousy towards her sister before the disappearance. I get that her father resents her, but even then you'd think that the parents would be more concerned about Olivia being taken again.
Her fiancé was also not a great man, and it's pretty obvious from the beginning that Caitlin doesn't really have strong feelings about him. They're mostly together because it's comfortable, and not because they love each other. I think going with this route would be better than what the author actually revealed about him. It just ended up feeling a bit unrealistic that literally EVERYONE in Caitlin's life betrayed her at some point.
The story between Heath and Elinor Ledbury was almost more interesting to me than the main plot because there's no previous context for it. That provides a really strong base for a mystery because we know they have to be tied into the mystery in some way. Thankfully, the author doesn't go for the obvious twist, that "Olivia" is really Elinor, but it's a good enough red herring for some time. I had my theories about how these characters connected, but the author managed to surprise me on just about every turn. I do think the way the two stories connected was well done.
I enjoyed the writing style quite a lot! It was well-paced and kept me very interested in where the mystery was going. I also really like the atmosphere in the section with the Ledbury's with their snowy mansion. Elinor and Caitlin had distinct inner voices, and their sections were easy to differentiate from each other, despite them having similar anxious personality types.
I would recommend The Wrong Daughter if you're looking for a good thriller with a tense atmosphere, but I warn that if you're the black sheep of your family this might trigger you a bit! I'd also warn that there's a bit of implied incest and implied underage marriage, so if either of those is upsetting to you I might avoid this novel.
The Wrong Daughter by Dandy Smith is releasing on August 26th, 2025.
The Wrong Daughter follows Caitlin, a woman whose entire life was changed by one night. When Caitlin was just ten years old, her thirteen year old sister Olivia was kidnapped at knife point by a man in a black mask. In a panic, Caitlin ran back to her bedroom, hiding until her parent's return instead of calling the police. Despite extensive searches Olivia was never found. Sixteen years later, Caitlin has tried to be the perfect daughter, wracked with guilt about not helping her sister sooner. She never left her small town, never causes trouble for her parents, and she even became a teacher because Olivia had expressed interest in the career. Her quiet life is upheaved by the return of Olivia, or at least a woman claiming to be her. Caitlin grows more suspicious as Olivia can't seem to recall details about their life before her kidnapping, and when she starts seeing the man in the black mask again, she vows to find out what really happened to her sister.
Caitlin is a well done character. Her guilt about the night her sister was kidnapped is reasonable, but still it's obviously not her fault. It also makes sense that she doesn't just outright call Olivia a liar in front of everyone because sixteen years as a kidnapping victim would change anyone, and Caitlin doesn't want to seem insensitive. Additionally, the things Olivia forgets are small and mostly inconsequential, but it's enough to matter. The tension is great, and the manipulation Olivia does to those around her is both subtle and effective. My main complaint is mostly in regard to how the other characters treat Caitlin.
I know that for this kind of story to work the people around Caitlin have to not believe her about both Olivia and the man in the black mask, but it became extremely frustrating to see that literally everyone was against her. It became difficult to deal with at points because it seems like no one in her life understands what kind of person Caitlin is. Her parents keep believing that she's doing these things for attention, but from everything we know about Caitlin's history and personality that's completely out of character for her. She didn't have a rebellious phase when Olivia went missing, and she hadn't ever shown jealousy towards her sister before the disappearance. I get that her father resents her, but even then you'd think that the parents would be more concerned about Olivia being taken again.
Her fiancé was also not a great man, and it's pretty obvious from the beginning that Caitlin doesn't really have strong feelings about him. They're mostly together because it's comfortable, and not because they love each other. I think going with this route would be better than what the author actually revealed about him. It just ended up feeling a bit unrealistic that literally EVERYONE in Caitlin's life betrayed her at some point.
The story between Heath and Elinor Ledbury was almost more interesting to me than the main plot because there's no previous context for it. That provides a really strong base for a mystery because we know they have to be tied into the mystery in some way. Thankfully, the author doesn't go for the obvious twist, that "Olivia" is really Elinor, but it's a good enough red herring for some time. I had my theories about how these characters connected, but the author managed to surprise me on just about every turn. I do think the way the two stories connected was well done.
I enjoyed the writing style quite a lot! It was well-paced and kept me very interested in where the mystery was going. I also really like the atmosphere in the section with the Ledbury's with their snowy mansion. Elinor and Caitlin had distinct inner voices, and their sections were easy to differentiate from each other, despite them having similar anxious personality types.
I would recommend The Wrong Daughter if you're looking for a good thriller with a tense atmosphere, but I warn that if you're the black sheep of your family this might trigger you a bit! I'd also warn that there's a bit of implied incest and implied underage marriage, so if either of those is upsetting to you I might avoid this novel.
The Wrong Daughter by Dandy Smith is releasing on August 26th, 2025.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death
Minor: Incest
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated