The Stepchild by Nicole Trope is one of those psych thrillers that is good on the surface but has a deeper current of something more sinister.
A psych thriller that can manage both a compelling surface story and underlying tension – and do so effectively – is a winner in my book.
On the surface, it is a simple missing child case. Those parts are fairly straightforward and easy to read. Stepsister is babysitting, little sister goes missing, parents panic, police get involved.
But there is much more to it. I don’t want to give anything away (because you really should enjoy it spoiler-free, like I did), but everyone has secrets.
Where was Leslie (the mom)? Why wasn’t Randall (the dad) around? And what is Shelby (the stepsister) not telling everyone?
The answers to these questions and many more are revealed gradually. I appreciate that, because it is a tactic that allows the action to continue without giving everything away too soon.
Apple: http://ow.ly/Y64b50Hc3af
Kobo: http://ow.ly/eWLZ50Hc3aj
Google:http://ow.ly/LJju50Hc3ah
Interspersed between Leslie and Shelby’s points of view is Ruth’s story. Ruth is an odd duck – that is apparent from the very beginning.
But as Ruth tells her story in short bursts, you realize that this is where the undercurrent is. This is the heart of the story – and where the twists really come into play.
All of this takes place (as I mentioned) while Millie (the child) is missing. The author does a fantastic job of weaving everything together, keeping the focus on finding Millie, even as character’s secrets and actions threaten to derail the case.
Honestly, it’s a great juggling act and the author handles it deftly with lots of engagement.
I will admit that I guessed at a pretty big twist, but I’ve made no secret about how I like to challenge myself. The author resolves everything to great satisfaction – everyone’s story is realistic.
There should probably be a trigger warning on this book, as it does deal with a pretty serious issue. I really don’t want to say what it is, because that would totally give away big sections of the plot.
You can search other reviews that will most certainly mention specifics. Not here though.
But again, the author handles a very sensitive subject with tact and efficiency, using just enough to get the point across without being heavy-handed or preachy.
Now that I think of it, The Stepchild (and who is the stepchild, really?) is about as close to perfect a psych thriller as a reader could hope for.
Other psych thrillers from Nicole Trope: The Girl Who Never Came Home; The Family Across the Street; The Mother’s Fault; The Nowhere Girl
Twitter: @nicoletrope
About the author
Nicole Trope went to university to study Law but realised the error of her ways when she did very badly on her first law essay because-as her professor pointed out- ‘It’s not meant to be a story.’ She studied teaching instead and used her holidays to work on her writing career and complete a Masters’ degree in Children’s Literature.
The idea for her first published novel, The Boy under the Table, was so scary that it took a year for her to find the courage to write the emotional story. Nicole went on to publish a further five novels in Australia before joining Bookouture in 2019. She is a USA Today and Amazon bestseller in the USA, UK, AUS and CAN.
She lives in Sydney with her husband and three children.
