Genre:
Thriller
Format:
E-ARC
Publisher:
Berkley
Release Date:
January 8, 2019
Synopsis from Goodreads:
A grand estate, terrible secrets, and a young woman who bears witness to it all. If V. C. Andrews and Kate Morton had a literary love child, Emma Rous’ The Au Pair would be it.
Seraphine Mayes and her twin brother Danny were born in the middle of summer at their family’s estate on the Norfolk coast. Within hours of their birth, their mother threw herself from the cliffs, the au pair fled, and the village thrilled with whispers of dark cloaks, changelings, and the aloof couple who drew a young nanny into their inner circle.
Now an adult, Seraphine mourns the recent death of her father. While going through his belongings, she uncovers a family photograph that raises dangerous questions. It was taken on the day the twins were born, and in the photo, their mother, surrounded by her husband and her young son, is beautifully dressed, smiling serenely, and holding just one baby.
Who is the child and what really happened that day?
One person knows the truth, if only Seraphine can find her.
My Review
Seraphine Mayes is devastated when her father has a freak accident and dies. As she goes through his things, she finds a family photo of the day she and her twin brother were born. The strange thing is, there is only one twin in the photo. She’s not sure if it’s her or her brother, but where is the other twin? Her mother looks happy enough. However, later that day her mother committed suicide and threw herself off a cliff. To say the least, Seraphine finds the picture very strange.
As Seraphine questions her grandmother and older brother, she soon realizes her family has many secrets. The small town is constantly gossiping about them. Seraphine is determined to get answers and she starts with the au pair who vanished right after that picture was taken.
This story is filled with intrigue. It’s dark and mysterious and took me in a direction I wasn’t expecting. When I started to figure it all out, I learned that I didn't. There were even more twists in store for the readers. I couldn’t put this one down until I had all the answers.
There was one part I found a bit unbelievable, but it didn’t ruin the story for me. It just made it more intriguing. The story is told from two different view points, in two different time periods. I found this to be an interesting and captivating way to tell the story.
The Au Pair had the feel of a good old fashioned Gothic novel.
For reading challenges:
Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge 2019
Cloak & Dagger Reading Challenge 2019
FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Purchase Links
This one is on my list as well; sounds good.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great storyline!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds interesting.
ReplyDelete