My husband's son

                                    

MY HUSBAND’S SON
By DEBORAH O’CONNOR
Published by Twenty7
Paperback, 6th October 2016, £7.99
Heidi and Jason aren’t like other couples.
Six years ago, Heidi’s daughter was murdered. A year later, Jason’s son – Barney – disappeared. Their shared loss brought them together.
The police investigation into Barney’s kidnap remains open, but after five years... it has lost momentum. Then, by chance... Heidi meets a boy she’s certain is Barney. But Jason is equally convinced it’s not him.
It’s Heidi mad? Or is Jason hiding something? And can their fragile marriage survive Heidi’s newfound quest for the truth...?
‘An ending that left my head spinning and wanting more from this superb author’
Jo Spain – bestselling author of With Our Blessing
For interviews, review copies and further information about the book please contact Carmen Jimenez, PR Assistant at Twenty7 carmen.jimenez@bonnierzaffre.co.uk

‘Staggering – I absolutely tore through it’
HOLLY SHELDON, bestselling author of Try Not to Breathe

                                                                                                      
YOU’D ALWAYS RECOGNISE YOUR OWN CHILD. WOULDN’T YOU?

                                                                                   

About the Author: 

Deborah O’Connor read English at Newnham College, Cambridge, before going on to become a television producer. Having worked on everything from The Big Breakfast to Big Brother, she produced the BAFTA award-winning poetry documentary Off My Heart and is currently the head of factual development at TV production company, CPL.

Born and bred in the North-East of England, she now lives in East London with her husband and daughter.

www.betteroffdeb.com 

My Review

This is an interesting debut thriller whose strengths lie in portraying the relationship of a man whose son has disappeared and a woman whose daughter has been murdered. It is not an easy book to read on account of the subject matter and I found myself checking up on my son more often than usual as a result. The skill of the book is enabling the reader to identify with the emotions the characters are feeling even if, fortunately, you have never had to experience a similar situation yourself.
On one level I understood the reasons that drive Heidi to stop at nothing to prove that the little boy she saw in the newsagent's really is her husband's son despite the fact that her husband is adamant that he isn't. Perhaps she really would have got herself into all those stupid scrapes, it's difficult to know, but I did find her antics becoming more and more reckless towards the end and less credible as a result.
The exploration of life after such a tragedy for both parties is well depicted. The twist at the end left me feeling 'What?' and even now I'm not sure if it was the right decision made for the wrong reasons or the wrong decision made for the right reasons but either way it left me feeling unsettled because it wasn't what I wanted to happen. Whether it was the right thing to do opens up a whole can of worms.

4/5