Author: Melanie Golding
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Released: April 30, 2019
Received: NetGalley

Melanie Golding’s debut thriller novel, Little Darlings, is one that immediately caught my attention. Thanks in part to a brilliant cover (I’m a sucker for this particular aesthetic) but also due to the description.

For many, the phrase ‘mother knows best’ evokes an image of a caring mother who knows the best way to care for her children. That, or they’re picturing Mother Gothel’s song. Now, that phrase is about to take on a more sinister twist.

Lauren Tranter may be exhausted – having twins will do that to a woman – but she knows what she saw. She knows that a woman snuck into her hospital room and attempted to swap out her children. What she doesn’t understand is why nobody will believe her.

“She had to play the game, even before she knew what the rules were.”

In my book, there’s little better than when a thriller novel pulls in fantasy elements, such as what happened here in Little Darlings. This is one of those tales that all changeling fans will love, even as they try and put the pieces of the puzzle together.

When this book promised to add a haunting twist to ‘mother knows best’ – they really weren’t kidding! That phrase has already been a little warped for me (thanks, Disney), but now it’s taken on a whole new meaning.

Is it bad that I’m rather digging it? It never occurred to me to try and blend that phrase with the concept of fae and kidnappings, but Melanie Golding has forced a perspective shift on my part. It’s clever and horrifying all in one.

The way Golding’s writing carries the story along is so perfect. It’s creepy and feels off – in all the right ways, naturally. Readers can instantly tell that something is wrong, but it’s harder to peg if what the mother saw was real – or a fantasy. That is until you keep reading.

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.