The Wrong Daughter by Dandy Smith is a gripping, psychological mystery thriller. The story is told in two timelines, with chapters alternating between Caitlin Arden and Elinor Ledbury.
Olivia, 13, and Caitlin, 10, are left home alone while their parents attend a work dinner party. The girls are excited to be old enough not to have a babysitter.
But, unbeknownst to them, someone is watching. The girls are woken by an intruder, and Caitlin witnesses Olivia’s abduction.
For sixteen years, Caitlin feels guilty that somehow she should have prevented the abduction. She has a fiancé, friends, a job, and a busy life. There is only one thing missing, and that is her sister Olivia.
Now, sixteen years since the abduction, a woman claiming to be Olivia returns. The family has dreamt of this moment, and Olivia is embraced by her parents.
Caitlin has doubts that this woman is really Olivia. If it is her, she is nothing like who she was!
Caitlin has so many questions that go unanswered, her life as she knew it is falling apart, and she doesn’t know who to trust.
To add more mystery or to complicate the story, we follow Elinor Ledbury’s story in alternate chapters.
Elinor, 17 years old, lives with her brother, Heath, 20 years old, at Ledbury Hall, their mother’s ancestral home. Their parents have died in an accident. Their uncle has guardianship and control of their mother’s wealth. Their lives are complicated.
Part of the mystery is just what it is that connects the two families.
We join Caitlin on her rollercoaster ride of emotions as she tries to solve the puzzle as to who took Olivia and why. I really liked this character, although there are some quite nasty and unlikeable characters in this story too.
There are plenty of twists and action to surprise you and keep you engaged and guessing as to the final outcome.
I really enjoyed the book, but I understand some twists are possibly a bit dark for some readers. But if you love a good psychological thriller, this is the book for you. Five stars.
A selection of our Beauty and Lace club members are reading The Wrong Daughter by Dandy Smith. You can read their comments below, or add your own review.
I love to read, any book on any topic. I now love ebooks as they are easier to store, I was running out of bookshelves! My other interests are family, gardening and our beautiful King Charles spaniel dog who is my reading companion.
Wow! I really enjoyed The Wrong Daughter by Dandy Smith (Echo Publishing) It was absolutely gripping, compulsive reading – I stayed up all night to finish it because I just couldn’t bring myself to stop reading! ( I haven’t done that for a long time!)
The main story is told from Caitlyn’s point of view. Caitlyn is the one that was left behind when her sister Olivia was abducted from their family home. Now 16 years later a woman claiming to be Olivia returns. Everyone is ecstatic, her parents are thrilled,
but for Caitlyn something doesn’t feel right… Is it just survivor guilt? Or Is it jealousy that Olivia is once again the centre of attention? Each member of the family’s response to Olivia’s return is very realistic and reveals some complicated family dynamics… But is this really all it is Or is something else going on?
There were so many unpredictable twists and and turns to Olivia’s story that I kept going back and forth trying to figure out what was going on. Who was Olivia really?
At the same time as this main story unfolds another very different storyline also emerges, one involving two poor little rich kids – an orphaned brother and sister being raised by their harsh uncle who is their guardian and the trustee of their wealth.
For quite some time I was unsure what the connection between the two stories was … right up until the last moment. When it was revealed, I was quite surprised. So many thrillers are predictable, but this one and it’s conclusion definitely kept me guessing.
The Wrong Daughter by Dandy Smith has so many twists and turns it’s like a roller coaster.
Caitlin and Olivia were left alone at home when young by their parents one evening and when their parents came home only Caitlin was there. Olivia was abducted and remains missing. The family have tried to get by as best they can. Caitlin is now a teacher and haunted by that night. Everything changes when Olivia suddenly returns. Their parents accept it straight away with minimal questions not wanting to rock the boat, but Caitlin isn’t convinced all is as it should be. Soon Caitlin as it odds with loved ones including Olivia’s best friend who became a best friend to Caitlin, and feeling like she is going mad. That is when the situation changes again and nothing will ever be the same. From slow burning moments and a lot of internal struggles it suddenly changes to action and the pace moving very quickly.
There is also the alternate story of Elinor 17 and her brother Heath 20 who live at Ledbury Hall with their parents long gone and their uncle only there on the weekends. They are curiously close and don’t interact with the outside world too much. It was crazy to find out how these two stories were connected.
I loved that this book had a different story to any other I’ve read and it had me wondering what was actually happening. The build-up was quite long and the ending a little rushed. We get most of the answers and I enjoyed the twists which kept me hooked and wanting more.
Dandy is an author who takes a situation and makes it unique, taking it to places I could never conjure. For that, I want to read her books more and more.
Wow, wow, wow a psychological mystery thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat from the first page to the last. I was totally captivated by the storyline, and you just want to keep reading.
The story revolves around two sisters Olivia who is aged 13 and Caitlin aged 10, who are left home alone whilst their parents are out for the evening. This is their first time of being left alone with no babysitting and they were excited.
Unfortunately, someone is watching them, and, on this night, Olivia is abducted. Caitlin is scared as she doesn’t report it to the police straight away. It isn’t till her parents come home that she explains what has happened.
16 years pass from when Olivia disappeared when suddenly she returns home to her parent’s house, but Caitlin believes it is an imposter as she is not nice to her and is quite mean.
Throughout the book there are two other characters a brother and sister. Heath is 20 years old, and Elinor is 17. They live in their mum’s ancestral home called Ledbury Hall that has been left for them until Heath is at least 21. Before this time, they have an uncle who has guardianship of control of their mother’s estate. Heath cannot stand their uncle as he is cruel to him. The uncle only comes to live with them at the weekends.
As I was reading, I could not concept how the storylines of Heath and Elinor connect with Olivia and Caitlin.
I was totally absorbed in the storyline. I thought I may have an idea but then that got squashed as there are other characters in the story. I had so many theories rolling around in my head and it isn’t till the end of the story that everything will tweak.
Generally, these days, thrillers make me edgy when reading but with all the twists and turns within this story, it really captured my attention.
I found myself loving the characters of Caitlin but also Elinor who has a very confusing relationship with her brother.
This book I would highly recommend for anyone to read even if you fear thrillers. It has been brilliantly written by the author Dandy Smith.
The cover depicts the story amazingly, giving a haunting look.
Thank you to Beauty and Lace and Echo Publishing for sending me this book to read. My apologies for taking longer to read it though as I am having trouble with my glasses so could only read 1 or 2 chapters at night. Awaiting on new glasses after another eye test being done again.
I hadn’t read any previous books by Dandy Smith but definelty will be adding her to list. The Wrong Daughter was an entertaining and well-written psychological thriller that kept me guessing from the first page.
Thirteen-year-old Olivia is abducted from her home while her sister, Caitie, watches helplessly as a masked man takes her sister. Years go by, and Caitie resigns herself to the painful reality that Olivia may never return.
Then, without warning, Olivia comes back — but something feels off. Is she really Caitie’s long-lost sister, or a clever and dangerous imposter? It’s twisty, suspenseful, and filled with characters that keep you questioning everyone’s motives.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the dual timelines were interesting and it took me awhile to realise the significance of the these, im normally good at guessing what’s going to happen.
When 13 yr old Olivia is abducted from her home in the middle of the night, younger sister Caitlin is the only witness.
She relives that terrifying moment as she grows up into a Twenty-something teacher, building her own life with her fiance Oscar but forever living in the shadow of her missing sister.
When a young lady turns up claiming to be Olivia, Caitlin is taken on a whirlwind ride of emotions. She starts to wonder if everything is as it seems, or is this ‘The Wrong Daughter?’
This book is suspenseful in all the right ways, keeping me guessing and turning the pages. I was invested in Caitlin’s emotional turmoil and her quest to uncover the truth.
This was a brilliant read & I’ll be checking out more of Dandy Smith’s work.
The Wrong Daughter by Dandy Smith is a gripping psychological thriller that will have you reading to the wee small hours because you can’t put it down.
Sisters Olivia and Caitlin are left home alone while their parents go to a dinner party. When their parents return only Caitlin is there, Olivia has gone. Sixteen years later Olivia returns, but Caitlin isn’t convinced she is the real Olivia.
Heath and Elinor live in Leadbury Hall, their mother’s ancestral home. With their parents dead, their uncle Robert is the caretaker until Heath is of an age to inherit. Things are not all they seem here either.
Where and how these two stories connect is just a part of the mystery. I thought I had it worked out at one point but I wasn’t quite right!
The Wrong Daughter is fast paced and a real page turner. Thank you to Beauty and Lace and Echo Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this great read.
“The Wrong Daughter” is a psychological thriller which was interesting and grabbed you from the very beginning.
Olivia is abducted from home and Caitlin feels guilty for many years until Olivia returns, but is it Olivia?
Another story running concurrently shows Heath and Elinor who live in a run down mansion, only seeing their guardian, an uncle who visits weekly.
I enjoyed this book and recommend it if you enjoy thrillers.
Thank you Beauty and Lace for the offer to review The Wrong Daughter by Dandy Smith.
The first part of the book concentrates on Caitlin, whose older sister Olivia disappeared when the girls were 10 and 13 years old. Olivia is the sister Caitlin admired and thought the world of, who could do anything.
Caitlin lives with the guilt that she saw Olivia being taken away at knife point and didn’t help but hid under the bed. When her parents came home they called the police. Caitlin lives with guilt and a sense that the wrong daughter was left behind. It was a tragedy that left a hole in everyones hearts.
Sixteen years later Olivia returns and no explanation is given at first, on how she got home and where she had been all these years. Olivia is unable to remember details of her earlier life and Caitlin becomes suspicious that this woman is not her sister.
I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to everyone.