Review: The Daughter by Lucy Dawson

You lost your daughter. You will never forgive yourself. And now someone’s determined to make you pay…
Seventeen years ago, something happened to Jess’s daughter Beth. The memory of it still makes her blood run cold. Jess has tried everything to make peace with that day, and the part she played in what happened. It was only a brief moment of desire… but she’ll pay for it with a lifetime of guilt.

To distance herself from the mistakes of the past, Jess has moved away and started over with her family. But when terrifying things begin happening in her new home, seemingly connected to what happened to Beth, Jess knows that her past has finally caught up with her. Somebody feels Jess hasn’t paid enough, and is determined to make her suffer for the secrets she’s kept all these years.

Review

Let me start by saying that I was wrong about this book. I read the first sentence in the blurb and immediately made an assumption on what the book would be about. The first chapters caught me by surprise. I didn’t expect to feel such heartbreak. I was fighting back tears as I turned the pages. However, the story gradually changes as it progresses.

So 17 years ago, Jess lost her daughter and this is where the story begins. Readers are taken back to that day. The author shares details of the day right from when it started. Some of these details later prove to be key in the story. After the first chapters, the story moves to 17 years after the tragedy when weird things start happening.

Jess is the MC in the story and the story is narrated from her POV. She is easily likeable and relatable. Still, there are events that took place that made me want to yell at her. However, her character was so well crafted that it was easy to understand even her ‘crazy’ actions.

I loved the suspense in the story. I was able to guess part of the mystery a bit early. I knew who the perpetrator was and guessed their backstory. However, I wasn’t one hundred percent certain. The author brilliantly managed to throw me off and I ended up changing my mind a couple of times. In the end, my guess was right but I was still surprised by the reveal. I think the author handled this aspect really well.

As you can probably tell already, I enjoyed this book. I liked the premise and the twists and turns along the way. I enjoyed reading  about the characters and I admit, I absolutely fell in love with one, little gentleman called James. This is an entertaining, gripping read perfect for fans of psychological thrillers.