Another Five Star Thriller
- Nicole Trope
- Sep 16, 2022
- 3 min read
⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐
The Foster Family by Nicole Trope
The Blurb
In their holiday home, a stone’s throw from the beach, Elizabeth dials the police with trembling hands. ‘My little boy, he’s missing.’
Elizabeth is Joe’s foster mother, but she loves him like her own. The five-year-old, who adores superheroes and watching the birds outside, is the child she has dreamed of. As she looks into the garden, where he was playing just moments ago, her heart feels like it has been ripped from her chest.
She was meant to save Joe from his birth mother who almost harmed his chances at life. The woman who has been trying to desperately get him back.
She was meant to protect Joe from her husband. The man who, right now, lies to the police, saying he was making breakfast when Joe disappeared. Who squeezes her shoulder, ordering her to be quiet.
She was meant to look after Joe. They are just footsteps from the ocean, and little Joe can’t swim.
Then Joe’s tiny blue sandal is found in the water. If the worst has happened – the unimaginable – Elizabeth will never forgive herself. Because what if the secret she has been keeping for years, the guilt eating her alive, has somehow hurt her little boy?
It’s time to tell the truth – even if it means losing the child who is her whole world. Even if it could be the death of her.
A totally addictive, twist-packed psychological thriller about family secrets, a marriage on the edge, and the deadly line between love and hate. Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Liane Moriarty and Freida McFadden.
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. She 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
The Review
I’ve read several novels by this Author and am always impressed as to how many novels she releases in a year and the top quality of every single one. Nothing feels like it’s been done before, all of them have the most wonderous characters central to the plot full of flaws and life stories and this one did not disappoint.
Elizabeth has been married to her abusive husband Howard for over 20 years. She’s terribly unhappy and anxious though she won’t admit it even to herself, doing everything within her power to be the wife that Howard clearly demands. This has left her a shadow of her former self from years of trying to avoid arguments, disappointment which leads to Howard losing his temper and throwing his weight around. But when five year old Joe comes into their lives as a foster child with the potential of adoption, Elizabeth’s world is thrown into turmoil.
Howard wants to get away for the holidays and they rent a house opposite elderly Gordon, an ex-teacher and kind-hearted neighbour struggling with the symptoms of early dementia. Gordon is a terrific character and you’ll fall in love with his kindness and the impact he has on Joe and the way Trope describes his struggles with dementia is truly heart-warming.
When Joe goes missing, every passing hour is heartbreaking for Elizabeth who is trapped in her own thoughts too scared to tell the Police the truth about the past couple of days. The novel is fast paced and as one of Joe’s shoes turns up, the fear heightens in all concerned.
This is a heart-warming story that you won’t be able to put down.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Book available for pre-order – release date – 21st September 2022:-
Date of review: 16th September 2022
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