Review: Nanny Dearest by Flora Collins
Nanny Dearest
by Flora Collins
Huge thanks to MIRA books for this gifted book.
Publisher: MIRA
Publish Date: November 30, 2021
Kindle Edition
336 Pages
Standalone
Genres: Thriller, Domestic Suspense
In this compulsively readable novel of domestic suspense, a young woman takes comfort in reconnecting with her childhood nanny after her father's death, until she starts to uncover secrets the nanny has been holding for twenty years.
Sue Keller is lost. When her father dies suddenly, she's orphaned in her mid-twenties, her mother already long gone. Then Sue meets Annie. It’s been twenty years, but Annie could never forget that face. She was Sue’s live-in nanny at their big house upstate, and she loved Sue like she was her own.
Craving connection and mothering, Sue is only too eager to welcome Annie back into her life; but as they become inseparable once again, Sue starts to uncover the truth about Annie's unsettling time in the Keller house all those years ago, particularly the manner of her departure—or dismissal. At the same time, she begins to grow increasingly alarmed for the safety of the two new charges currently in Annie's care.
Told in alternating points of views—Annie in the mid-'90s and Sue in the present day—this taut novel of suspense will keep readers turning the pages right up to the shocking end.
My Review:
OoOoOOoO this debut domestic suspense novel has been wanting to REALLY like it but finding myself a bit puzzled on how I actually feel overall. The first half is pretty slow but had my interest enough to see where it was going to go... and I already had a feeling, which turned out to be right, so at a certain point it was a matter of seeing HOW we were going to get there.
I love obsession, bat shit crazy, domestic reads and this one is definitely that. But the crazy one isn't just the antagonist here. Now, I've said it over and over again... I loooooove to hate on some characters. But uff, I just couldn't get into what was happening or WHY Suzy was acting as she was. I did enjoy the dual timelines and the slow showing of the how and whys... even if they didn't *quite* make a whole lot of sense. BUT, I also kinda like how wicked it was and how this very interesting relationship affected Suzy so much. Hrm... I question everyone in this dang book except for maybe the taxi driver at the end. Maybe.
I suppose what the book really is touching on is how nurture, in any form, can absolutely make a difference in a child's life. And how grief is such a hard emotion to roller coaster through. Who is really dependent upon who and why is everyone around that knew what was going on just so damned complacent? I HAVE FEELINGS ABOUT ALL OF THIS.
Very mixed feelings here but I can say that I'm a Collins fan and can't wait to see where her writing goes from here. As a debut, I like it! Let's see what else she was for us readers - I really can't wait.
★★★
This one sounds tough with the nurturing and grief standpoints! I've been avoiding domestic thrillers for a little bit because I read quite a few back to back that all centered on grief and it really put me in a weird headspace. But when I'm out of that, I'll have to give this one a try!
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