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Next of Kin
ON AN ORDINARY WORKING DAY�
Leila Syed receives a call that cleaves her life in two. Her brother-in-law’s voice is filled with panic. He’s at his son’s nursery to pick up Max. But he isn’t there.
YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE�
Leila was supposed to drop Max off that morning. But she forgot.
Racing to the carpark, she grasps the horror of what she has done. Max has been locked in her car for three hours on the hottest day of the year.
IS ABOUT TO COME TRUE�
But she’s too late.
What follows is an explosive, high-profile trial, that will tear the family apart. But as the case progresses it becomes clear there’s more to this incident than meets the eye�
A gripping, brave and tense courtroom drama, Next of Kin will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final, heart-stopping page.
Leila Syed receives a call that cleaves her life in two. Her brother-in-law’s voice is filled with panic. He’s at his son’s nursery to pick up Max. But he isn’t there.
YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE�
Leila was supposed to drop Max off that morning. But she forgot.
Racing to the carpark, she grasps the horror of what she has done. Max has been locked in her car for three hours on the hottest day of the year.
IS ABOUT TO COME TRUE�
But she’s too late.
What follows is an explosive, high-profile trial, that will tear the family apart. But as the case progresses it becomes clear there’s more to this incident than meets the eye�
A gripping, brave and tense courtroom drama, Next of Kin will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final, heart-stopping page.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published September 2, 2021
672 people are currently reading
24.2k people want to read
About the author
Kia Abdullah
13books1,185followersKia Abdullah is a Times bestselling author and travel writer. Her novels include Take It Back, a Guardian and Telegraph thriller of the year, Truth Be Told which was shortlisted for a Diverse Book Award, and Next Of Kin which was longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger Award and won the Adult Fiction Diverse Book Award 2022. Her new novel, Those People Next Door, is out now.
Kia has written for The New York Times, The Guardian, The Financial Times, The Times, The Telegraph and the BBC, and has received a JB Priestley Award for Writers of Promise (2020). She is also the founder of Asian Booklist, a nonprofit that advocates for diversity in publishing.
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Kia has written for The New York Times, The Guardian, The Financial Times, The Times, The Telegraph and the BBC, and has received a JB Priestley Award for Writers of Promise (2020). She is also the founder of Asian Booklist, a nonprofit that advocates for diversity in publishing.
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,821 reviews
October 18, 2022
Reading this book is like being stabbed in the heart over and over and over again.
When a family suffers the consequences of an unthinkable act, their trauma, grief, and shame are highlighted in a murder trial. Was a crime committed, or is there more to this story than meets the eye?
The plot revolves around a three-year-old child who was left in a car on an extremely hot day--he doesn’t survive. Was his death an accident or intentional?
The fate of the accused plays out in the courtroom, the media, and the public eye. The investigation and trial add a complex layer to the plot. I enjoyed the trial, as I kept getting swayed by the lawyers and testimony on both sides.
Abdullah does an amazing job of portraying the emotions of the characters and exploring the trauma of the event. This side of the novel is too real, and it was hard to read. Watching the characters struggle to accept what happened tore my heart out.
There are several twists, and these took my rating down a bit. Some readers have described the twists as shocking, I didn’t find either of them that way. I don’t think the final twist was necessary, as it was sensationalized instead of adding depth.
Overall, I appreciated this for making me think, but it was too much to take emotionally--I would not want to read it again.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
When a family suffers the consequences of an unthinkable act, their trauma, grief, and shame are highlighted in a murder trial. Was a crime committed, or is there more to this story than meets the eye?
The plot revolves around a three-year-old child who was left in a car on an extremely hot day--he doesn’t survive. Was his death an accident or intentional?
The fate of the accused plays out in the courtroom, the media, and the public eye. The investigation and trial add a complex layer to the plot. I enjoyed the trial, as I kept getting swayed by the lawyers and testimony on both sides.
Abdullah does an amazing job of portraying the emotions of the characters and exploring the trauma of the event. This side of the novel is too real, and it was hard to read. Watching the characters struggle to accept what happened tore my heart out.
There are several twists, and these took my rating down a bit. Some readers have described the twists as shocking, I didn’t find either of them that way. I don’t think the final twist was necessary, as it was sensationalized instead of adding depth.
Overall, I appreciated this for making me think, but it was too much to take emotionally--I would not want to read it again.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
July 24, 2021
*4.5 stars *
Probably one of the most intense, distressing, and tragic opening chapters that I’ve ever read. This is a true scenario from hell.
When Leila Syed takes a call from her brother in law Andrew, asking why she didn’t drop his three year old son Max off at nursery that morning, the panic and realisation of what she has just done hits her, and it means their lives are about to come crashing down in the most unimaginable and tragic way.
During the journey to the nursery, Leila is distracted by an urgent call from her workplace (she is a busy professional, a partner in a successful architectural company). Though she has an exceptionally busy life, she still helps her sister Yasmin and her husband Andrew out, by looking after Max, and today she was meant to drop the toddler off at nursery, but the phone call meant that she forgot that the quietly sleeping Max, was in the back of the car - he was left there for hours on the hottest day of the year. A tragedy that results in Leila facing a negligent manslaughter charge in this excellent courtroom drama.
Though handled with sensitivity, this is a really heart wrenching storyline that brings to the surface, sibling rivalry, jealousy and resentment that goes back years. As the story unfolds, the tension is, at times, unbearable, but author Kia Abdullah, is adept at keeping the reader on the edge of their seat, with some unforeseen twists and turns that makes one draw breath. Another winner for this author, and highly recommended.
*Thank you to Netgalley and HQ for my ARC. I have given an honest unbiased review in exchange*
Probably one of the most intense, distressing, and tragic opening chapters that I’ve ever read. This is a true scenario from hell.
When Leila Syed takes a call from her brother in law Andrew, asking why she didn’t drop his three year old son Max off at nursery that morning, the panic and realisation of what she has just done hits her, and it means their lives are about to come crashing down in the most unimaginable and tragic way.
During the journey to the nursery, Leila is distracted by an urgent call from her workplace (she is a busy professional, a partner in a successful architectural company). Though she has an exceptionally busy life, she still helps her sister Yasmin and her husband Andrew out, by looking after Max, and today she was meant to drop the toddler off at nursery, but the phone call meant that she forgot that the quietly sleeping Max, was in the back of the car - he was left there for hours on the hottest day of the year. A tragedy that results in Leila facing a negligent manslaughter charge in this excellent courtroom drama.
Though handled with sensitivity, this is a really heart wrenching storyline that brings to the surface, sibling rivalry, jealousy and resentment that goes back years. As the story unfolds, the tension is, at times, unbearable, but author Kia Abdullah, is adept at keeping the reader on the edge of their seat, with some unforeseen twists and turns that makes one draw breath. Another winner for this author, and highly recommended.
*Thank you to Netgalley and HQ for my ARC. I have given an honest unbiased review in exchange*
December 2, 2021
Well, I did not expect THAT, or THAT...or THAT!
Leila Syed’s brother-in-law calls her one morning right before she leaves for work, asking her if she has time to drop her nephew, Max, off at the nursery. It’s “practically on the way� to her office. She agrees.
Hours later at work, she gets a call asking why her nephew hasn’t been dropped off at the nursery...hours after Leila picked him up...on the hottest day of the year.
She makes her way to her car and makes a discovery in her backseat�
This is an intense domestic/legal thriller, and I’m sure anyone can picture the horror that all parties are going through. It’s dark, brutal, gut-wrenching, and unputdownable.
However, the characters aren’t likable, and that may have been the reason I wasn’t as emotionally gripped as I was with Kia Abdullah’s previous novels.
BUT...I still flew through this one. I thought I had guessed the twist early on. Well I was wrong! And then I was wrong again...and again! The ending absolutely bamboozled me as it spat out surprises like an ice cream machine with a broken “off� valve.
Hats off to Ms. Abdullah AGAIN, and I need her next book NOW!
4.5 stars rounded up.
Review also posted at:
Leila Syed’s brother-in-law calls her one morning right before she leaves for work, asking her if she has time to drop her nephew, Max, off at the nursery. It’s “practically on the way� to her office. She agrees.
Hours later at work, she gets a call asking why her nephew hasn’t been dropped off at the nursery...hours after Leila picked him up...on the hottest day of the year.
She makes her way to her car and makes a discovery in her backseat�
This is an intense domestic/legal thriller, and I’m sure anyone can picture the horror that all parties are going through. It’s dark, brutal, gut-wrenching, and unputdownable.
However, the characters aren’t likable, and that may have been the reason I wasn’t as emotionally gripped as I was with Kia Abdullah’s previous novels.
BUT...I still flew through this one. I thought I had guessed the twist early on. Well I was wrong! And then I was wrong again...and again! The ending absolutely bamboozled me as it spat out surprises like an ice cream machine with a broken “off� valve.
Hats off to Ms. Abdullah AGAIN, and I need her next book NOW!
4.5 stars rounded up.
Review also posted at:
December 12, 2021
We have all read the news stories of a child who loses his or her life after inadvertently being left in the back seat of a car on a blistering hot day. Such is the premise of this story.
On a busy morning, Leila is asked to drop off her nephew at daycare. On the way, she is distracted by an emergency call at work and forgets about Max, left asleep in the back seat. Three hours later she receives the devastating call notifying her that Max was a no-show at day care. The horror she feels as she realizes what she has done is palpable.
The story is more complicated than it first appears, and told in three parts: the event, the courtroom trial, and the aftermath. Was the aunt responsible? Was it accidental or did she deliberately leave Max in the car as she dealt with a work emergency? Leila insists she simply forgot but the prosecution claims it was a deliberate act. What are the complicating familial relationships that come into play?
This is not just a riveting courtroom thriller, but also a family drama with relevant social commentary that brings up many controversial issues. Like the peeling of an onion, the author is adept at uncovering the issues, but is never heavy-handed.
As with most books of this genre, its best to go in blind. Nothing is at it appears. Be prepared to be surprised, not once, but many times. This is a story full of lies and deception, surprises and thoughtful nuances. It would make a terrific book club selection.
On a busy morning, Leila is asked to drop off her nephew at daycare. On the way, she is distracted by an emergency call at work and forgets about Max, left asleep in the back seat. Three hours later she receives the devastating call notifying her that Max was a no-show at day care. The horror she feels as she realizes what she has done is palpable.
The story is more complicated than it first appears, and told in three parts: the event, the courtroom trial, and the aftermath. Was the aunt responsible? Was it accidental or did she deliberately leave Max in the car as she dealt with a work emergency? Leila insists she simply forgot but the prosecution claims it was a deliberate act. What are the complicating familial relationships that come into play?
This is not just a riveting courtroom thriller, but also a family drama with relevant social commentary that brings up many controversial issues. Like the peeling of an onion, the author is adept at uncovering the issues, but is never heavy-handed.
As with most books of this genre, its best to go in blind. Nothing is at it appears. Be prepared to be surprised, not once, but many times. This is a story full of lies and deception, surprises and thoughtful nuances. It would make a terrific book club selection.
September 10, 2022
There are legal thrillers…then there are LEGAL THRILLERS!
WOW! This book was equally powerful both in and out of the courtroom.
A successful business woman, Leila is starting her day like every other. As she is about to step outside leaving for work she gets a call from her brother-in-law pleading for help. He explains he needs to run into work immediately and asks Leila if she can drop off his son Max at the nursery. Not a problem. Leila adores her nephew and easily agrees.
But on the way Leila receives a call of her own from work and needs to get to the office stat! What a day this has turned into. Her thoughts are now on work, not on her nephew sitting in the backseat.
A devastating, horrific mistake. But the police believe otherwise, sensing there was more to this tragedy. Now this family will be torn apart in their private lives as well as in the courtroom.
Kia Abdullah writes a highly compelling and unsettling legal thriller. The court room action was taut. The characters…heartbreaking.
So many times I had to pause for a moment to ٳ�.ڱ. After all, isn’t that what we all search for in our books?
Simply outstanding! I have one more book from this talented author on my kindle and I cannot wait to get to it!
A buddy read with Susanne!
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360, HQ
WOW! This book was equally powerful both in and out of the courtroom.
A successful business woman, Leila is starting her day like every other. As she is about to step outside leaving for work she gets a call from her brother-in-law pleading for help. He explains he needs to run into work immediately and asks Leila if she can drop off his son Max at the nursery. Not a problem. Leila adores her nephew and easily agrees.
But on the way Leila receives a call of her own from work and needs to get to the office stat! What a day this has turned into. Her thoughts are now on work, not on her nephew sitting in the backseat.
A devastating, horrific mistake. But the police believe otherwise, sensing there was more to this tragedy. Now this family will be torn apart in their private lives as well as in the courtroom.
Kia Abdullah writes a highly compelling and unsettling legal thriller. The court room action was taut. The characters…heartbreaking.
So many times I had to pause for a moment to ٳ�.ڱ. After all, isn’t that what we all search for in our books?
Simply outstanding! I have one more book from this talented author on my kindle and I cannot wait to get to it!
A buddy read with Susanne!
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360, HQ
September 22, 2022
Thank you Harper360 for my beautiful gifted copy. Again it pains me to rate a gifted physical copy less than bangerlicious 😢 I am always so appreciative and in awe of book mail but a hoe (me) cannot lie
SYNOPSIS
It's everyone's worst nightmare... Leila picks up her nephew Max on her way into the office but a work emergency causes her to forget him in the car, and by the time she realizes, Max has died. As Leila's trial unfolds, so do family secrets.
MY OPINION
Ok first of all, this situation is literally nauseating. Sometimes I'm late feeding my dog by 5 mins and I feel like PETA is gonna buss through my windows and arrest me. I cannot imagine living with the guilt of leaving a whole ass child in the car and they end up dying. Take me to the nearest cliff because it's over ladies n gents.
ANYWAYZ... I was nervous reading this because I anticipated major emotional wreckage ahead, and I gotta be in the right mindset for these type of reads. And while the story is certainly heartfelt, it was just MEH in the end for me. In a way, I wanted MORE emotional wreckage.
I'm not sure if the author intentionally wrote Yasmin as vain, vapid, and ... is there a "v" word for flirtatious LOL? Anyways... I just didn't like her and unfortunately it made it hard to empathize at times. Her resentment toward Leila � whom kept her alive and out of the dreaded foster care system � was bizarre? And then there were inconsistencies in Leila's character. At times she was soft-spoken, demure, a real blend into the wallpaper type, and then she showed flashes of ruthlessness, cold-heartedness, shrewdness that were largely unprovoked. Again, maybe this was intentional by the author to create complexity, but it wasn't the type of complexity necessary for this story.
Will's insistence that "people like [Leila] don't get convicted" was laughable. She's a woman of colour?????? No Will, they don't put people like YOU in prison *sarcasm*. As per usual, I wanted to whoop Will's ass... but what's new. Still waiting for a likeable fictional husband LOL.
I also found that the trial dragged. But here is my biggest gripe: THE ENDING???? The last few reveals had me screaming into the abyss. You actually can't be dead ass??? Smell >>> legit medical diagnosis. Plz. And how did X convince Y to do something with such high risk and legit zero reward? Matt still ended up dead; is locked in a car in the sweltering heat really "better" than the alternative? Ok and then after all this boo boo comes out, the couples (Leila + Will, Yasmin + Matt) are just hanging out and kikiking together like nothing happened. Ok and then when you think it can't get anymore eye-roll inducing, BAM here comes the illicit affair reveal!!! I wanted to rip the last page out and burn it lmao... You're joking right?
Anyways. I still want to read because the writing is quite good, I just wasn't a fan of the direction the author took in the end.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: solid writing, very interesting premise
Cons: not enough emotional wreckage, ending was nonsensical, last page should've been kept in the drafts
SYNOPSIS
It's everyone's worst nightmare... Leila picks up her nephew Max on her way into the office but a work emergency causes her to forget him in the car, and by the time she realizes, Max has died. As Leila's trial unfolds, so do family secrets.
MY OPINION
Ok first of all, this situation is literally nauseating. Sometimes I'm late feeding my dog by 5 mins and I feel like PETA is gonna buss through my windows and arrest me. I cannot imagine living with the guilt of leaving a whole ass child in the car and they end up dying. Take me to the nearest cliff because it's over ladies n gents.
ANYWAYZ... I was nervous reading this because I anticipated major emotional wreckage ahead, and I gotta be in the right mindset for these type of reads. And while the story is certainly heartfelt, it was just MEH in the end for me. In a way, I wanted MORE emotional wreckage.
I'm not sure if the author intentionally wrote Yasmin as vain, vapid, and ... is there a "v" word for flirtatious LOL? Anyways... I just didn't like her and unfortunately it made it hard to empathize at times. Her resentment toward Leila � whom kept her alive and out of the dreaded foster care system � was bizarre? And then there were inconsistencies in Leila's character. At times she was soft-spoken, demure, a real blend into the wallpaper type, and then she showed flashes of ruthlessness, cold-heartedness, shrewdness that were largely unprovoked. Again, maybe this was intentional by the author to create complexity, but it wasn't the type of complexity necessary for this story.
Will's insistence that "people like [Leila] don't get convicted" was laughable. She's a woman of colour?????? No Will, they don't put people like YOU in prison *sarcasm*. As per usual, I wanted to whoop Will's ass... but what's new. Still waiting for a likeable fictional husband LOL.
I also found that the trial dragged. But here is my biggest gripe: THE ENDING???? The last few reveals had me screaming into the abyss. You actually can't be dead ass??? Smell >>> legit medical diagnosis. Plz. And how did X convince Y to do something with such high risk and legit zero reward? Matt still ended up dead; is locked in a car in the sweltering heat really "better" than the alternative? Ok and then after all this boo boo comes out, the couples (Leila + Will, Yasmin + Matt) are just hanging out and kikiking together like nothing happened. Ok and then when you think it can't get anymore eye-roll inducing, BAM here comes the illicit affair reveal!!! I wanted to rip the last page out and burn it lmao... You're joking right?
Anyways. I still want to read because the writing is quite good, I just wasn't a fan of the direction the author took in the end.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: solid writing, very interesting premise
Cons: not enough emotional wreckage, ending was nonsensical, last page should've been kept in the drafts
October 13, 2022
my feelings were back and forth with this one.
on one hand, im obsessed with legal dramas and this book only cements my opinion that KA writes the best of them. she is so skilled at creating an intriguing case and filling it with engaging details that make you feel as if you are sitting in the courtroom alongside the characters. and this story in particular is full of family history, dubious relationships, and heartbreaking loss. so i think this latest addition to KAs bibliography is a definitely win when it comes to the plot and how its written.
but on the other hand, i couldnt stand the characters. the two sisters and their husbands are some of the most unsympathetic people i have ever read about. i didnt root for any of them and i didnt care about the outcome of the legal case either way because i just didnt care about them. i guess you could argue that KA wrote them very well, which is why they evoked such a strong response, but i just found them unenjoyable to read about.
and while unlikable characters are usually a deal breaker, i never actually found myself hating the story or wanting to stop reading. which is why im going to round up my rating.
thank you, HQ, for the ARC!
� 3.5 stars
on one hand, im obsessed with legal dramas and this book only cements my opinion that KA writes the best of them. she is so skilled at creating an intriguing case and filling it with engaging details that make you feel as if you are sitting in the courtroom alongside the characters. and this story in particular is full of family history, dubious relationships, and heartbreaking loss. so i think this latest addition to KAs bibliography is a definitely win when it comes to the plot and how its written.
but on the other hand, i couldnt stand the characters. the two sisters and their husbands are some of the most unsympathetic people i have ever read about. i didnt root for any of them and i didnt care about the outcome of the legal case either way because i just didnt care about them. i guess you could argue that KA wrote them very well, which is why they evoked such a strong response, but i just found them unenjoyable to read about.
and while unlikable characters are usually a deal breaker, i never actually found myself hating the story or wanting to stop reading. which is why im going to round up my rating.
thank you, HQ, for the ARC!
� 3.5 stars
September 10, 2022
Next of Kin is a fabulous book of deception, misguided loyalties, shocking secrets, and a drama with a difference. A gripping and distressing psychological thriller involving four main characters and a relentless but likeable detective.
Leila Syed is a successful businesswoman, who has achieved everything but was never granted the one thing she wanted most. Her own child which in some ways has driven a wedge between her and Will, her on off husband. Yasmine her sister, who seems to have everything except the successes of her sister, has now focused all her efforts and love on Max, her 3-year-old son, and finally Andrew, quiet but supportive and the loyal and doting husband.
Leila Syed is charged with the manslaughter of her nephew Max, for having left him by accident in her car in unbearable heat, and so opens a court room drama that reveals a conspiracy of lies, hidden secrets, deception, intriguing couple dynamics and sibling rivalry both in and out of the court room.
Every little irrelevancy, every little nugget of information, every little lie, every secret had such a bearing on the whole story, and they just kept coming with fascinating twists and turns to keep the reader engaged and enthralled. I just knew to be surprised and I was, as the outcome is one heck of a twist and will leave you feeling shocked and gutted in equal measures.
I am loving this author, and yet again this was another roller coaster of a book, an immersive read, a sublime plot with very open and direct dialogue. The book dealt with some emotional and difficult themes which were interwoven subtly and sensitively throughout the book. This was an expertly written story and one I would highly recommended.
Leila Syed is a successful businesswoman, who has achieved everything but was never granted the one thing she wanted most. Her own child which in some ways has driven a wedge between her and Will, her on off husband. Yasmine her sister, who seems to have everything except the successes of her sister, has now focused all her efforts and love on Max, her 3-year-old son, and finally Andrew, quiet but supportive and the loyal and doting husband.
Leila Syed is charged with the manslaughter of her nephew Max, for having left him by accident in her car in unbearable heat, and so opens a court room drama that reveals a conspiracy of lies, hidden secrets, deception, intriguing couple dynamics and sibling rivalry both in and out of the court room.
Every little irrelevancy, every little nugget of information, every little lie, every secret had such a bearing on the whole story, and they just kept coming with fascinating twists and turns to keep the reader engaged and enthralled. I just knew to be surprised and I was, as the outcome is one heck of a twist and will leave you feeling shocked and gutted in equal measures.
I am loving this author, and yet again this was another roller coaster of a book, an immersive read, a sublime plot with very open and direct dialogue. The book dealt with some emotional and difficult themes which were interwoven subtly and sensitively throughout the book. This was an expertly written story and one I would highly recommended.
July 31, 2021
The acclaimed Kia Abdullah has deservedly acquired a reputation for writing unmissable courtroom dramas, sensitively portraying riveting and taboo issues that make for utterly gripping reading. Here, she powerfully portrays the raw and harrowing fallout of a traumatising tragedy, a child's death, and the ensuing courtroom trial that follows it, accompanied by the inevitable imploding family relationships. The ambitious Leila Syed is married to Will, she has carved out a successful career, she is a partner in a architectural firm, a busy and pressurised role. Coming from an impoverished background, family circumstances resulted in her playing a key role in raising her younger sister, Yasmin, who is now married to Andrew, and they have a toddler son, Max.
On what begins like any other ordinary day, all their lives are set to unravel. Andrew fatefully calls Leila in the early morning to ask her to take toddler Max to nursery as neither he or Yasmin are able to. Leila is happy to help and agrees, only to get fatally distracted by a work emergency herself. A dawning horror begins to grip a panicking Leila when Andrew calls, he has been notified by the nursery that Max never arrived. Max had been forgotten in Leila's car on the hottest day of the year, and the horrifying nightmare is compounded by what follows. Leila is charged with negligent manslaughter and a tense high profile court trial attracts huge attention and judgements.
As might be expected from Abdullah, nothing is as seems in this emotionally heartrending rollercoaster of a hard hitting story, with its surprising twists and turns, of secrets and lies, of what constitutes family, and of complicated and flawed sibling relationships laced with feelings of jealousy and resentment. Attitudes to women and motherhood in society are raised in the novel, highlighting how men are not judged in the same way. This is not an easy read, but I found it compulsive with great characterisation, nailbitingly suspenseful, as I turned the pages as fast as possible to find out how it all ends. Highly recommended. I think existing fans of the author will love her latest offering, as will many readers who will be reading her for the first time. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
On what begins like any other ordinary day, all their lives are set to unravel. Andrew fatefully calls Leila in the early morning to ask her to take toddler Max to nursery as neither he or Yasmin are able to. Leila is happy to help and agrees, only to get fatally distracted by a work emergency herself. A dawning horror begins to grip a panicking Leila when Andrew calls, he has been notified by the nursery that Max never arrived. Max had been forgotten in Leila's car on the hottest day of the year, and the horrifying nightmare is compounded by what follows. Leila is charged with negligent manslaughter and a tense high profile court trial attracts huge attention and judgements.
As might be expected from Abdullah, nothing is as seems in this emotionally heartrending rollercoaster of a hard hitting story, with its surprising twists and turns, of secrets and lies, of what constitutes family, and of complicated and flawed sibling relationships laced with feelings of jealousy and resentment. Attitudes to women and motherhood in society are raised in the novel, highlighting how men are not judged in the same way. This is not an easy read, but I found it compulsive with great characterisation, nailbitingly suspenseful, as I turned the pages as fast as possible to find out how it all ends. Highly recommended. I think existing fans of the author will love her latest offering, as will many readers who will be reading her for the first time. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
September 22, 2022
Holy moly! My mind has been blown! 🤯
Leila Syed is getting ready for work one morning when she receives a frantic phone call from her brother-in-law Andrew. There is an emergency at his work and he was hoping she could bring her 3 year old nephew, Max, to nursery for him since it's nearby her work anyhow. Leila is happy to do it and agrees without another thought. Andrew and her sister Yasmine live right around the corner from her so she gathers Max as quickly as she can.
On the way to the nursery school she receives a work call. An emergency. Blueprints are missing that her partner desperately needs in order to attend a meeting in which they hope to score their biggest client yet. The only other set of prints is in her locked office so she flies to the office so her partner doesn't miss this incredibly important meeting.
Around noontime Leila receives another frantic phone call from Andrew. Max never made it to school. The shock hits Leila like a punch to the face and she races to her car in the parking lot where the inevitable happened on the hottest day in London.
I was hooked from the very first page. The opening scenes were downright horrifying. A thought you hate to even consider and your first reaction is how does a person forget a child in a vehicle but we see it on the news often enough to know that it does indeed happen. Kia Abdullah then takes us through the trial - is Leila guilty of manslaughter having intentionally left her nephew in the vehicle or was it an honest to god mistake in which she simply forgot. He was sleeping after all.
So much to consider, so much to think about. I thought Abdullah did an outstanding job in creating these characters and my like and dislike for each of them ebbed and flowed like the sea on a stormy day. I was so conflicted, so enthralled, so heartbroken for their loss.
Abdullah also educated me on a disease I was completely unfamiliar with. Epidermolysis bullosa. Having never heard of it before I decided to hit up my friend Google for more information and I almost wish I hadn't. I wish I could unsee what I saw and unknow what I read. What an absolutely awful condition a baby must suffer. The world is horrible enough, if there is a higher power out there, then why must you make people suffer so cruelly. 😢💔
As you near the end, reveals are made and let me tell you I didn't see any of them coming. Absolutely jaw dropping. A round of applause to Abdullah! 👏👏👏 I can't wait to get my hands on her next book. ALL THE STARS!!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for my complimentary copy.
Leila Syed is getting ready for work one morning when she receives a frantic phone call from her brother-in-law Andrew. There is an emergency at his work and he was hoping she could bring her 3 year old nephew, Max, to nursery for him since it's nearby her work anyhow. Leila is happy to do it and agrees without another thought. Andrew and her sister Yasmine live right around the corner from her so she gathers Max as quickly as she can.
On the way to the nursery school she receives a work call. An emergency. Blueprints are missing that her partner desperately needs in order to attend a meeting in which they hope to score their biggest client yet. The only other set of prints is in her locked office so she flies to the office so her partner doesn't miss this incredibly important meeting.
Around noontime Leila receives another frantic phone call from Andrew. Max never made it to school. The shock hits Leila like a punch to the face and she races to her car in the parking lot where the inevitable happened on the hottest day in London.
I was hooked from the very first page. The opening scenes were downright horrifying. A thought you hate to even consider and your first reaction is how does a person forget a child in a vehicle but we see it on the news often enough to know that it does indeed happen. Kia Abdullah then takes us through the trial - is Leila guilty of manslaughter having intentionally left her nephew in the vehicle or was it an honest to god mistake in which she simply forgot. He was sleeping after all.
So much to consider, so much to think about. I thought Abdullah did an outstanding job in creating these characters and my like and dislike for each of them ebbed and flowed like the sea on a stormy day. I was so conflicted, so enthralled, so heartbroken for their loss.
Abdullah also educated me on a disease I was completely unfamiliar with. Epidermolysis bullosa. Having never heard of it before I decided to hit up my friend Google for more information and I almost wish I hadn't. I wish I could unsee what I saw and unknow what I read. What an absolutely awful condition a baby must suffer. The world is horrible enough, if there is a higher power out there, then why must you make people suffer so cruelly. 😢💔
As you near the end, reveals are made and let me tell you I didn't see any of them coming. Absolutely jaw dropping. A round of applause to Abdullah! 👏👏👏 I can't wait to get my hands on her next book. ALL THE STARS!!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for my complimentary copy.
Currently reading
October 5, 2021I started to read this beauty and thank my intellectual lucky stars to be thankful for still having ŷ app during internet shutdown!😃
June 29, 2021
4-5 stars
Leila Syed is a very successful architect but she and her husband Will carry a lot of pain. As a teenager Leila sacrifices a lot to raise her much younger sister Yasmin, her life now contrasting sharply with the poverty of their youth. Yasmin is married to Andrew and they have a three year old Max, they too are carrying pain. One very hot morning, Leila rushes into work ..... and your heart sinks because you realise she has forgotten something very precious ....
This is without a doubt a very emotional read from beginning to end. The author seems to be able to paint pictures and scenes without overburdening with anything unnecessary but you feel every emotion of the main characters. There’s everything you can think of here from shock to horror to terror, to hate, blame and utter desperation. At times it’s very unexpected because some characters act in ways you don’t foresee which keeps you on your toes throughout. The characters are good but each and every one of them is flawed and damaged in some way although it’s way worse than you initially think. The relationship between Leila and Yasmin is a rollercoaster one with many a high and low with sibling jealousy and resentment rearing it’s head on several occasions. There are hints from about 40% on that things are not what they seem but the last part is dizzying as there are so many twists and turns you aren’t sure which way is up. It’s extremely clever and much more shocking than you imagine and your heart sinks with the enormity of it. The story is full of heartbreak and it’s not an easy topic but the author does a good job in letting us feel the heartache but also progressing the story. There’s one section where Leila’s actions are being judged and the author makes pertinent points about the differences in attitudes that society CAN have about women who are found wanting in some way yet men can be admired for their fortitude for similar actions. This is a multilayered story of tragedy, of relationships, of sibling rivalry, of choices and guilt.
Overall, this is immersive and compelling from start to finish and it makes you reel, your head in a spin with what you read. Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HQ for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
Leila Syed is a very successful architect but she and her husband Will carry a lot of pain. As a teenager Leila sacrifices a lot to raise her much younger sister Yasmin, her life now contrasting sharply with the poverty of their youth. Yasmin is married to Andrew and they have a three year old Max, they too are carrying pain. One very hot morning, Leila rushes into work ..... and your heart sinks because you realise she has forgotten something very precious ....
This is without a doubt a very emotional read from beginning to end. The author seems to be able to paint pictures and scenes without overburdening with anything unnecessary but you feel every emotion of the main characters. There’s everything you can think of here from shock to horror to terror, to hate, blame and utter desperation. At times it’s very unexpected because some characters act in ways you don’t foresee which keeps you on your toes throughout. The characters are good but each and every one of them is flawed and damaged in some way although it’s way worse than you initially think. The relationship between Leila and Yasmin is a rollercoaster one with many a high and low with sibling jealousy and resentment rearing it’s head on several occasions. There are hints from about 40% on that things are not what they seem but the last part is dizzying as there are so many twists and turns you aren’t sure which way is up. It’s extremely clever and much more shocking than you imagine and your heart sinks with the enormity of it. The story is full of heartbreak and it’s not an easy topic but the author does a good job in letting us feel the heartache but also progressing the story. There’s one section where Leila’s actions are being judged and the author makes pertinent points about the differences in attitudes that society CAN have about women who are found wanting in some way yet men can be admired for their fortitude for similar actions. This is a multilayered story of tragedy, of relationships, of sibling rivalry, of choices and guilt.
Overall, this is immersive and compelling from start to finish and it makes you reel, your head in a spin with what you read. Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HQ for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
December 31, 2021
4.5 STARS
Another exciting, emotionally charged courtroom thriller!
A phone call that no one ever wants to receive.
A heartbreaking and tension filled scenario.
Someone is at fault and needs to pay.
A courtroom trial ensues and a verdict is reached, but this is NOT over. Buckle up for the the ending that left me stunned, one I didn't see coming.
If you enjoy courtroom dramas, you may enjoy this one too! Thanks to Jayne for discussing with me.
Another exciting, emotionally charged courtroom thriller!
A phone call that no one ever wants to receive.
A heartbreaking and tension filled scenario.
Someone is at fault and needs to pay.
A courtroom trial ensues and a verdict is reached, but this is NOT over. Buckle up for the the ending that left me stunned, one I didn't see coming.
If you enjoy courtroom dramas, you may enjoy this one too! Thanks to Jayne for discussing with me.
September 7, 2023
4.5⭐️ I need five to six business years to recover from this book
June 22, 2022
4+ stars for this riveting, twisty and shocking courtroom domestic drama!
Leila and her sister are close. One morning Leila’s brother-in-law calls last minute to ask if she can bring her nephew to school. She rushes over to pick him up on her way to work. After picking him up, she gets a frantic call from her office and forgets he is in the backseat of her car.
This storyline is GUT WRENCHING. This centres around an extremely upsetting and intense family tragedy. My stomach was in knots for the first half of this gripping and emotional book. It’s a tough read but one I couldn’t pull myself away from. The writing is sharp and powerful. The characters are endearing and intriguing. The pace and flow of the book is strong but it did let up a little in the second half. Perhaps the intensity of the storyline was stronger at the start because of the shock of it. Regardless, this was a fantastic read from start to finish that kept me engaged and invested throughout.
I have read one of this authors previous books, Take It Back, and while that remains my favourite, this was a brilliant novel that I highly recommend!
Thank you to my lovely local library for the loan!
Leila and her sister are close. One morning Leila’s brother-in-law calls last minute to ask if she can bring her nephew to school. She rushes over to pick him up on her way to work. After picking him up, she gets a frantic call from her office and forgets he is in the backseat of her car.
This storyline is GUT WRENCHING. This centres around an extremely upsetting and intense family tragedy. My stomach was in knots for the first half of this gripping and emotional book. It’s a tough read but one I couldn’t pull myself away from. The writing is sharp and powerful. The characters are endearing and intriguing. The pace and flow of the book is strong but it did let up a little in the second half. Perhaps the intensity of the storyline was stronger at the start because of the shock of it. Regardless, this was a fantastic read from start to finish that kept me engaged and invested throughout.
I have read one of this authors previous books, Take It Back, and while that remains my favourite, this was a brilliant novel that I highly recommend!
Thank you to my lovely local library for the loan!
December 18, 2021
Make NEXT OF KIN your next read.
This 10-star family drama/legal thriller is intense,riveting, heartwrenching, suspenseful, explosive, and horrific, all at the same time.
And it's unputdownable.
NEXT OF KIN is a tragic tale of the death of a 3-year-old littleboy, left in a car on a hot day byhis aunt.
Was the little boy's aunt responsible for his death?
Did the aunt knowingly leave her nephew in the car?
Or did the aunt, an accomplished business executive who "never forgets anything", simply get distracted by an emergency at work and forget that there was a sleeping toddler in the back seat of her car?
Authorities press charges and what follows is an emotionally pulverizing courtroom trial that tears a family apart from theoutside and within.
Also on trial are social norms: Are there different accepted "rules" for female executives than male executives?
Are childless women judged more harshly than women with children?
This brilliantly plotted story of sacrifice, sibling rivalry, family dynamics, guilt, hidden secrets, and tragedy was fast-paced and riveting, from beginning to end.
The book's MCs were deeply flawed, well developed, and shockingly unpredictable.
But it was the book's ultra-compellingcourtroom drama that set this book apart from similar books in its genre.
When I researched the author, I was astounded to learn that she did not have a legal background. The entire trial was jolting and reflected an intimate knowledge of the law; reminiscentof the old Perry Mason trials that I used to watch on television many, many years ago.
Quite frankly, an entire team of legal experts could not have penned a better court transcript.
I listened to the audiobook and the narration was superb.
This book is a story that will stay with me and, to date, it's definitely one of my top reads of 2021.
This is my first book by Kia Abdullah and I look forward to listening to future titles by this talented author.
This 10-star family drama/legal thriller is intense,riveting, heartwrenching, suspenseful, explosive, and horrific, all at the same time.
And it's unputdownable.
NEXT OF KIN is a tragic tale of the death of a 3-year-old littleboy, left in a car on a hot day byhis aunt.
Was the little boy's aunt responsible for his death?
Did the aunt knowingly leave her nephew in the car?
Or did the aunt, an accomplished business executive who "never forgets anything", simply get distracted by an emergency at work and forget that there was a sleeping toddler in the back seat of her car?
Authorities press charges and what follows is an emotionally pulverizing courtroom trial that tears a family apart from theoutside and within.
Also on trial are social norms: Are there different accepted "rules" for female executives than male executives?
Are childless women judged more harshly than women with children?
This brilliantly plotted story of sacrifice, sibling rivalry, family dynamics, guilt, hidden secrets, and tragedy was fast-paced and riveting, from beginning to end.
The book's MCs were deeply flawed, well developed, and shockingly unpredictable.
But it was the book's ultra-compellingcourtroom drama that set this book apart from similar books in its genre.
When I researched the author, I was astounded to learn that she did not have a legal background. The entire trial was jolting and reflected an intimate knowledge of the law; reminiscentof the old Perry Mason trials that I used to watch on television many, many years ago.
Quite frankly, an entire team of legal experts could not have penned a better court transcript.
I listened to the audiobook and the narration was superb.
This book is a story that will stay with me and, to date, it's definitely one of my top reads of 2021.
This is my first book by Kia Abdullah and I look forward to listening to future titles by this talented author.
September 28, 2021
I thought this was an incredible novel! This was my second book from Kia Abdullah and it hit me as hard as the first one did. An intense and VERY emotional read.
I was back and forth between the book and the audio. I couldn't stop.
Highly recommend. Honestly can't wait to see what this author writes next!
December 19, 2024
“Brilliantly tense � A nightmare scenario evolves into an engrossing human drama� � NOT!
When an emergency at his office makes it difficult to drop his son Max off at the nursery, Andrew Hansson asks his sister-in-law Leila Syed, a partner of a successful local architectural firm, if she would mind helping out by taking Max because the center was located so close to her office. But when a second emergency concerning a critical presentation that she and her partner were going to make that morning to a potential rainmaker breakthrough client arises, Leila simply forgets that Max is in the car. Several hours later, her panicked brother-in-law calls her to let her know that the day care center has just phoned him to inquire as to Max’s whereabouts. A wave of horrified terror washes over Leila as she realizes what she has done. She dashes to the parking lot to pull Max from the searing heat of the parked car but it’s too late. The three year old youngster is dead. A post mortem attributes the cost to vehicular hyperthermia and Leila finds herself charged with negligent manslaughter.
It’s an interesting and provocative scenario that the back cover marketing blurb characterizes as “a gripping, brave and tense courtroom drama� that will “keep you on the edge of your seat until the final, heart-stopping page.� Unfortunately, it isn’t and it doesn’t. In fact, it’s a poorly written trial that would never have happened in a real-life setting. The prosecuting attorney, for example, conducts himself in a flagrantly badgering manner that wouldn’t have been tolerated without objection by the greenest of rookie defense attorneys but it was simply allowed to pass without a whisper from either attorney or judge. The characters are poorly created, not particularly credible, and uninteresting to the extent that the reader will fail to feel any sympathy for the parents of the deceased child. In fact, the only character in the novel’s line-up who may whip up some emotion in a reader is Leila, the alleged cold-hearted and self-serving ice queen charged with making a specific choice to leave an untended child in a hot car for a unspecified period of time while she dealt with her business emergency.
It is only after a distinctly non-gripping and non-tense courtroom trial winds its tortuous way to a close that some interesting ethical issues create a clever twist in the closing chapters. But, frankly, I found myself wishing that the ideas, the trial, and the legal, medical, and ethical treatment of these rather touchy questions raised in the final handful of chapters had been the creation of the likes of Jodi Picoult. Now there’s an author who knows her way around courtrooms, ethical dilemmas, credible, exciting, emotionally charged characters and issue-driven thrillers.
To summarize? NEXT OF KIN was an interesting read but I’m hardly blown away with the enthusiasm to recommend it to other readers.
Paul Weiss
When an emergency at his office makes it difficult to drop his son Max off at the nursery, Andrew Hansson asks his sister-in-law Leila Syed, a partner of a successful local architectural firm, if she would mind helping out by taking Max because the center was located so close to her office. But when a second emergency concerning a critical presentation that she and her partner were going to make that morning to a potential rainmaker breakthrough client arises, Leila simply forgets that Max is in the car. Several hours later, her panicked brother-in-law calls her to let her know that the day care center has just phoned him to inquire as to Max’s whereabouts. A wave of horrified terror washes over Leila as she realizes what she has done. She dashes to the parking lot to pull Max from the searing heat of the parked car but it’s too late. The three year old youngster is dead. A post mortem attributes the cost to vehicular hyperthermia and Leila finds herself charged with negligent manslaughter.
It’s an interesting and provocative scenario that the back cover marketing blurb characterizes as “a gripping, brave and tense courtroom drama� that will “keep you on the edge of your seat until the final, heart-stopping page.� Unfortunately, it isn’t and it doesn’t. In fact, it’s a poorly written trial that would never have happened in a real-life setting. The prosecuting attorney, for example, conducts himself in a flagrantly badgering manner that wouldn’t have been tolerated without objection by the greenest of rookie defense attorneys but it was simply allowed to pass without a whisper from either attorney or judge. The characters are poorly created, not particularly credible, and uninteresting to the extent that the reader will fail to feel any sympathy for the parents of the deceased child. In fact, the only character in the novel’s line-up who may whip up some emotion in a reader is Leila, the alleged cold-hearted and self-serving ice queen charged with making a specific choice to leave an untended child in a hot car for a unspecified period of time while she dealt with her business emergency.
It is only after a distinctly non-gripping and non-tense courtroom trial winds its tortuous way to a close that some interesting ethical issues create a clever twist in the closing chapters. But, frankly, I found myself wishing that the ideas, the trial, and the legal, medical, and ethical treatment of these rather touchy questions raised in the final handful of chapters had been the creation of the likes of Jodi Picoult. Now there’s an author who knows her way around courtrooms, ethical dilemmas, credible, exciting, emotionally charged characters and issue-driven thrillers.
To summarize? NEXT OF KIN was an interesting read but I’m hardly blown away with the enthusiasm to recommend it to other readers.
Paul Weiss
November 20, 2021
Prickly chilling eerie and powerful. Emotional and utterly compelling read.
Did I enjoy this? No need to ask me twice, yes I did!
I have been unable to separate myself from this book, the opening section just dropped my jaw to the floor. The way it was written I was “oh my god�. You just couldn’t help but get drawn in.
First book I’ve read from this author i now have her other book and I’m definitely reading it before Christmas!
Did I enjoy this? No need to ask me twice, yes I did!
I have been unable to separate myself from this book, the opening section just dropped my jaw to the floor. The way it was written I was “oh my god�. You just couldn’t help but get drawn in.
First book I’ve read from this author i now have her other book and I’m definitely reading it before Christmas!
February 2, 2022
Another author, who based on one book alone, is sure to become a future favourite.
It’s the hottest July on record in London as architect Leila Syed drives to work. It’s an important day for her firm as her partner is pitching a major project. Halfway to the office, at 8:08am, Leila receives a frantic call from her assistant � they’ve misplaced the blueprints, the spare copies are in Leila’s locked office, and if her partner doesn’t have them asap then he will be late for the meeting. A stressed Leila races toward the office, parks, locks her car, and hurries upstairs to sort it out.
In the backseat of Leila’s car, in the sweltering heat, is her sleeping three-year-old nephew Max. Leila was supposed to drop him off at Nursery on her way to work. It won’t be until 11:25am, over three hours later, when Leila receives a worried call from her brother-in-law Andrew wondering why Max isn’t at Nursery that an in shock Leila will remember him. But by then it will be too late�
It goes without saying that Next of Kin was definitely, at times, a heartbreaking and distressing read. The death of a child (even a fictional one) in such a horrific, inconceivable, preventable way is always somewhat distasteful, even if it makes for an exciting and intriguing premise. And believe me, as soon as I read the book blurb for this I felt all of those things, and Next of Kin did not disappoint. It included everything in a thriller that I had been anticipating. The twists were riveting, and the emotions and dialogue were spot on. I was enthralled from beginning to end.
Next of Kin was divided into three parts:
Part One � The day of the incident and the aftermath. This section was mainly domestic noir, and the POV’s were Leila’s and her sister, Yasmin (Max’s mother), focusing heavily on grief, disbelief, blame, and shame, and family secrets of course. There was also some police procedure from a third POV � DS Chris Shepherd.
Part Two � A courtroom drama, unfolding mainly from the perspective of the accused � Leila.
Part Three � Six weeks after the verdict. And, boy oh boy, did those twists just keep on coming. What a mind blowing conclusion.
Kia Abdullah’s two previous novels, Take It Back and Truth Be Told, have been on my radar for ages, but having now read Next of Kin I will be rushing to read them in record time flat. Not to be missed!
It’s the hottest July on record in London as architect Leila Syed drives to work. It’s an important day for her firm as her partner is pitching a major project. Halfway to the office, at 8:08am, Leila receives a frantic call from her assistant � they’ve misplaced the blueprints, the spare copies are in Leila’s locked office, and if her partner doesn’t have them asap then he will be late for the meeting. A stressed Leila races toward the office, parks, locks her car, and hurries upstairs to sort it out.
In the backseat of Leila’s car, in the sweltering heat, is her sleeping three-year-old nephew Max. Leila was supposed to drop him off at Nursery on her way to work. It won’t be until 11:25am, over three hours later, when Leila receives a worried call from her brother-in-law Andrew wondering why Max isn’t at Nursery that an in shock Leila will remember him. But by then it will be too late�
It goes without saying that Next of Kin was definitely, at times, a heartbreaking and distressing read. The death of a child (even a fictional one) in such a horrific, inconceivable, preventable way is always somewhat distasteful, even if it makes for an exciting and intriguing premise. And believe me, as soon as I read the book blurb for this I felt all of those things, and Next of Kin did not disappoint. It included everything in a thriller that I had been anticipating. The twists were riveting, and the emotions and dialogue were spot on. I was enthralled from beginning to end.
Next of Kin was divided into three parts:
Part One � The day of the incident and the aftermath. This section was mainly domestic noir, and the POV’s were Leila’s and her sister, Yasmin (Max’s mother), focusing heavily on grief, disbelief, blame, and shame, and family secrets of course. There was also some police procedure from a third POV � DS Chris Shepherd.
Part Two � A courtroom drama, unfolding mainly from the perspective of the accused � Leila.
Part Three � Six weeks after the verdict. And, boy oh boy, did those twists just keep on coming. What a mind blowing conclusion.
Kia Abdullah’s two previous novels, Take It Back and Truth Be Told, have been on my radar for ages, but having now read Next of Kin I will be rushing to read them in record time flat. Not to be missed!
June 27, 2021
I have previously read ‘Take it Back� and ‘Truth be Told� by this author and absolutely loved them so I was always going to read this one. Author Kia Abdullah has set such an high standard with her previous novels and this one was also a great read.
This is a very good legal thriller that is full of emotion and great characters. Really good courtroom drama will keep you at the edge of your seat.
When Leila receives a call from her brother in law asking her why his son Max never turned up at nursery, her life is about to explode. Leila was meant to drop Max off at the nursery but forgot and left him in her car resulting in her now facing a negligent manslaughter charge following his death.
It was never going to be as straight forward as that and there are lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing. A difficult subject but exceptional writing make this book a great read. Another winner for me.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and HQ for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
This is a very good legal thriller that is full of emotion and great characters. Really good courtroom drama will keep you at the edge of your seat.
When Leila receives a call from her brother in law asking her why his son Max never turned up at nursery, her life is about to explode. Leila was meant to drop Max off at the nursery but forgot and left him in her car resulting in her now facing a negligent manslaughter charge following his death.
It was never going to be as straight forward as that and there are lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing. A difficult subject but exceptional writing make this book a great read. Another winner for me.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and HQ for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
October 19, 2021
I'm a bit of an outlier with this one, mostly 4 and 5 star reviews but for me there was something missing. Even though the subject matter was harrowing, for something that I usually would've found extremely emotive, it strangely left me cold. The characters were really unlikeable and their grief never felt real to me, I never got a sense of little Max as a real person, he just felt like a plot device. The court details were interesting, but the ending was, well let's just say I didn't like it. Another reviewer described the book as all plot and no depth, I'd have to agree.
June 11, 2024
3.5/5 ⭐️
- Finished this book in only a few days because the pacing was perfect and I wanted to find out the ending of this one so badly! This was my first courtroom thriller and first book by this author, but it definitely won’t be my last!
- Found myself wanting to skim parts of the book because there wasn’t as much dialogue outside of the courtroom as I usually enjoy, but the nature of the story was so gripping that it kept me coming back for more!
- The ending was such a shock and didn’t see it coming at all!! Would have loved another chapter or two to wrap a few loose ends up, but will definitely be reading more from this author when I’m looking for a book that I want to keep me invested!
- Finished this book in only a few days because the pacing was perfect and I wanted to find out the ending of this one so badly! This was my first courtroom thriller and first book by this author, but it definitely won’t be my last!
- Found myself wanting to skim parts of the book because there wasn’t as much dialogue outside of the courtroom as I usually enjoy, but the nature of the story was so gripping that it kept me coming back for more!
- The ending was such a shock and didn’t see it coming at all!! Would have loved another chapter or two to wrap a few loose ends up, but will definitely be reading more from this author when I’m looking for a book that I want to keep me invested!
December 11, 2021
We know from the beginning what happened to 3-year-old Max, son of Leila's sister Yasmin and her husband, and the first couple of chapters were difficult to read. I was almost wishing that the blurb hadn't put the circumstances in our faces like that. I think it would've had more of an impact if we hadn't been privy to this information. But that's just me. Leila, who was supposed to drop Max at nursery school on the way to work, is charged with manslaughter and faces a jury trial to determine her guilt or innocence.
The author has done a superb job in bringing the whole issue to life and although it was sad, I loved this book. In fact I've loved all three of Kia Abdullah's novels that I've read. The tension that develops during the trial just keeps ratcheting up keeping me on pins and needles. It was very hard to put the book down during the last couple hundred pages and yet I didn't want it to end. There are a few twists near the end but, strangely enough, I had suspected the truth for a while. Still, I give this book my highest recommendation and hope that Kia Abdullah is hard at work on her next novel!
Many thanks to the London Public Library for the loan of this novel.
The author has done a superb job in bringing the whole issue to life and although it was sad, I loved this book. In fact I've loved all three of Kia Abdullah's novels that I've read. The tension that develops during the trial just keeps ratcheting up keeping me on pins and needles. It was very hard to put the book down during the last couple hundred pages and yet I didn't want it to end. There are a few twists near the end but, strangely enough, I had suspected the truth for a while. Still, I give this book my highest recommendation and hope that Kia Abdullah is hard at work on her next novel!
Many thanks to the London Public Library for the loan of this novel.
January 6, 2022
Oh! Very intense and consuming. I got played real good.
Kia Abdulla captured every emotion inside a courtroom so well. The evocative descriptions of the legal proceedings were so vivid I could see myself in the public gallery watching the scenes unfold. I could feel the tension between the characters during the cross examinations and the slow descend of their fortitude.
Unlike the other books I've read so far, I didn't really put too much effort in trying to figure out the big twist(s) in the story, I let myself be lost in the moment because the theme was a bit overwhelming. The fact that something like this could happen to anyone is frightening. Like how a busy day could make you forget something or someone so crucial and important. But is forgetting a child inside your car an honest mistake or something more shocking is behind it?
Absolutely brilliant writing, Kia!
Kia Abdulla captured every emotion inside a courtroom so well. The evocative descriptions of the legal proceedings were so vivid I could see myself in the public gallery watching the scenes unfold. I could feel the tension between the characters during the cross examinations and the slow descend of their fortitude.
Unlike the other books I've read so far, I didn't really put too much effort in trying to figure out the big twist(s) in the story, I let myself be lost in the moment because the theme was a bit overwhelming. The fact that something like this could happen to anyone is frightening. Like how a busy day could make you forget something or someone so crucial and important. But is forgetting a child inside your car an honest mistake or something more shocking is behind it?
Absolutely brilliant writing, Kia!
September 23, 2022
Next of Kin by Kia Abdullah
Synopsis /
ON AN ORDINARY WORKING DAY�
Leila Syed receives a call that cleaves her life in two. Her brother-in-law’s voice is filled with panic. He’s at his son’s nursery to pick up Max. But he isn’t there.
YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE�
Leila was supposed to drop Max off that morning. But she forgot.
Racing to the carpark, she grasps the horror of what she has done. Max has been locked in her car for six hours on the hottest day of the year.
IS ABOUT TO COME TRUE�
But she’s too late.
What follows is an explosive, high-profile trial, that will tear the family apart. But as the case progresses it becomes clear there’s more to this incident than meets the eye�
My Thoughts /
⚠️ Trigger Warning: Death of a child.
Shortlisted for CWA Gold Dagger Award 2022.
Was it truly a moment of forgetfulness? Being totally consumed by work and business thoughts? Or a deliberate act?
These are questions that will be floating in your mind as you read Kia Abdullah’s latest offering, Next of Kin.
Leila Syed is a very busy woman. She has worked extremely hard to build a successful architectural business here in London. But, it hasn’t been easy. Leila’s parents died when she was young and, after their deaths, Leila was left to raise her younger sister, Yasmin, alone.
The story opens with a family get-together at Leila’s house. Leila, her husband Will, her sister Yasmin, and her brother-in-law Andrew have gathered together in Leila’s back garden, where Yasmin and Andrew’s son Max is fast asleep. Leila and Yasmin have always been close, but despite this, there is a jealousy and hidden rivalry to their relationship.
It was a strange thing to be jealous of your sister, yet perfectly natural at the very same time.
What follows is a tragedy that will tear them apart. This family’s life changes in an instant, when Leila Syed leaves her three-year-old nephew Max alone in her locked and parked car on London’s hottest day of the year. During the court case that follows, Leila Syed’s life is put on trial for all to see, both past and present.
Leila Syed had never driven her nephew Max to school before, but, on this particular morning, Andrew (Max’s dad), had rung her in a panic. He had been called into work on an urgent matter but was supposed to be dropping Max off at school. Since the school was only five minutes from Leila’s office, was it possible she could do the drop off this morning? Happy to help her sister out whenever she can, Leila obliges, and arrives to collect Max for the short drive to the nursery. It’s only sometime later, when she receives an anxious call from Andrew to tell her the nursery called and Max never arrived, does Leila realise what has happened.
With Max safety strapped into his car seat and asleep in the back of her car, Leila set off. On the way, her phone rang incessantly � it was work � there was a problem with a multi-million-dollar contract meeting scheduled for this morning. The plans had gone missing and without them the meeting would fall over. A copy of the plans was needed urgently so the meeting could go ahead. Her mind, now totally engaged in work mode. Leila parked her car and dashed into work, completely forgetting that Max was asleep and in the back of the car. The temperature inside the car was so hot, that Max had no chance of surviving.
The courtroom scenes are tense. Abdullah drops hints like breadcrumbs and scatters them throughout the narrative to give us clues about the secrets hidden in the story. Pulling on our emotions, she highlights how successful childless women become targets of condemnation and are forced to live under the pressures of prejudices and high expectations. In short, the life of Leila Syed falls apart when her fate becomes dependent on public opinion. In the court case she’s viewed as cold and selfish; jealous of her sister for becoming something which she could not � a mother.
It’s strange: all your life, you could believe one thing about yourself but find that you were different when it really mattered.
As you can imagine, the writing in here is heart-wrenching and intense. As Abdullah advances the story, you are left to wonder who is really to blame; and it’s only with the final portion of the story revealing the real truths you are left to wonder no more.
After finishing this book, I pondered, how frequently does this happen � children being left unattended in cars? Some of my investigations were frightening.
On the website for the Child Accident Prevention Foundation of Australia, Kidsafe VIC Inc it states:-
Every year in Australia, over 5,000 children are rescued after being left unattended in a car. Between 1st September 2017 and 31st August 2018, Ambulance Victoria responded to 1587 callouts for people locked in cars across Victoria, with the vast majority being cases involving toddlers and babies.
Please, be careful with your children.
Synopsis /
ON AN ORDINARY WORKING DAY�
Leila Syed receives a call that cleaves her life in two. Her brother-in-law’s voice is filled with panic. He’s at his son’s nursery to pick up Max. But he isn’t there.
YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE�
Leila was supposed to drop Max off that morning. But she forgot.
Racing to the carpark, she grasps the horror of what she has done. Max has been locked in her car for six hours on the hottest day of the year.
IS ABOUT TO COME TRUE�
But she’s too late.
What follows is an explosive, high-profile trial, that will tear the family apart. But as the case progresses it becomes clear there’s more to this incident than meets the eye�
My Thoughts /
⚠️ Trigger Warning: Death of a child.
Shortlisted for CWA Gold Dagger Award 2022.
Was it truly a moment of forgetfulness? Being totally consumed by work and business thoughts? Or a deliberate act?
These are questions that will be floating in your mind as you read Kia Abdullah’s latest offering, Next of Kin.
Leila Syed is a very busy woman. She has worked extremely hard to build a successful architectural business here in London. But, it hasn’t been easy. Leila’s parents died when she was young and, after their deaths, Leila was left to raise her younger sister, Yasmin, alone.
The story opens with a family get-together at Leila’s house. Leila, her husband Will, her sister Yasmin, and her brother-in-law Andrew have gathered together in Leila’s back garden, where Yasmin and Andrew’s son Max is fast asleep. Leila and Yasmin have always been close, but despite this, there is a jealousy and hidden rivalry to their relationship.
It was a strange thing to be jealous of your sister, yet perfectly natural at the very same time.
What follows is a tragedy that will tear them apart. This family’s life changes in an instant, when Leila Syed leaves her three-year-old nephew Max alone in her locked and parked car on London’s hottest day of the year. During the court case that follows, Leila Syed’s life is put on trial for all to see, both past and present.
Leila Syed had never driven her nephew Max to school before, but, on this particular morning, Andrew (Max’s dad), had rung her in a panic. He had been called into work on an urgent matter but was supposed to be dropping Max off at school. Since the school was only five minutes from Leila’s office, was it possible she could do the drop off this morning? Happy to help her sister out whenever she can, Leila obliges, and arrives to collect Max for the short drive to the nursery. It’s only sometime later, when she receives an anxious call from Andrew to tell her the nursery called and Max never arrived, does Leila realise what has happened.
With Max safety strapped into his car seat and asleep in the back of her car, Leila set off. On the way, her phone rang incessantly � it was work � there was a problem with a multi-million-dollar contract meeting scheduled for this morning. The plans had gone missing and without them the meeting would fall over. A copy of the plans was needed urgently so the meeting could go ahead. Her mind, now totally engaged in work mode. Leila parked her car and dashed into work, completely forgetting that Max was asleep and in the back of the car. The temperature inside the car was so hot, that Max had no chance of surviving.
The courtroom scenes are tense. Abdullah drops hints like breadcrumbs and scatters them throughout the narrative to give us clues about the secrets hidden in the story. Pulling on our emotions, she highlights how successful childless women become targets of condemnation and are forced to live under the pressures of prejudices and high expectations. In short, the life of Leila Syed falls apart when her fate becomes dependent on public opinion. In the court case she’s viewed as cold and selfish; jealous of her sister for becoming something which she could not � a mother.
It’s strange: all your life, you could believe one thing about yourself but find that you were different when it really mattered.
As you can imagine, the writing in here is heart-wrenching and intense. As Abdullah advances the story, you are left to wonder who is really to blame; and it’s only with the final portion of the story revealing the real truths you are left to wonder no more.
After finishing this book, I pondered, how frequently does this happen � children being left unattended in cars? Some of my investigations were frightening.
On the website for the Child Accident Prevention Foundation of Australia, Kidsafe VIC Inc it states:-
Every year in Australia, over 5,000 children are rescued after being left unattended in a car. Between 1st September 2017 and 31st August 2018, Ambulance Victoria responded to 1587 callouts for people locked in cars across Victoria, with the vast majority being cases involving toddlers and babies.
Please, be careful with your children.
November 5, 2021
Once again Kia Abdullah pleased me with another great read.
What a terrific thrilling drama!
If you are a reader that needs to like a character in order to like a book, then you may be disappointed.
This is a stand alone, but I do recommend her previous thought provoking books, so that you can familiarize with her writing style.
Here we have a very hard subject matter. Perhaps every parent’s nightmare.
The situation is very heartbreaking and devastating. I can’t imagine going through it in real life.
I thought that the storyline was brilliantly written and I found this book quite entertaining.
I was totally connected and on the edge of my seat, even though I wasn’t a fan of any character.
The courtroom scenes could have been more intense but I enjoyed this book in its almost entirety (90% of brilliance).
But, and of course there is a but, the last 10% was a let down for me because I felt cheated.
It was an unexpected twist.
As I said on several reviews, I do not mind unreliable narrators but I do not like being lied to.
Regardless, I still do recommend this to my fellow readers and I can hardly wait for her next book.
I do hope that she will bring Zara Kaleel back.
What a terrific thrilling drama!
If you are a reader that needs to like a character in order to like a book, then you may be disappointed.
This is a stand alone, but I do recommend her previous thought provoking books, so that you can familiarize with her writing style.
Here we have a very hard subject matter. Perhaps every parent’s nightmare.
The situation is very heartbreaking and devastating. I can’t imagine going through it in real life.
I thought that the storyline was brilliantly written and I found this book quite entertaining.
I was totally connected and on the edge of my seat, even though I wasn’t a fan of any character.
The courtroom scenes could have been more intense but I enjoyed this book in its almost entirety (90% of brilliance).
But, and of course there is a but, the last 10% was a let down for me because I felt cheated.
It was an unexpected twist.
As I said on several reviews, I do not mind unreliable narrators but I do not like being lied to.
Regardless, I still do recommend this to my fellow readers and I can hardly wait for her next book.
I do hope that she will bring Zara Kaleel back.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2023
The twists 🤯 so good
December 5, 2021
Kia Abdullah returns with another chilling thriller that is sure to stir up many sentiments for the attentive reader. Pulling on some family emotions, the story centres around two sisters and a tragedy that tears them apart. Leila Syed is a busy woman, but helps her sister whenever possible. When she’s asked to take her nephew to nursery, Leila obliges, which is when things go horribly wrong. Forgetting young Max in her vehicle when a work emergency arises, the little one is left to overheat. He succumbs to vehicular hypothermia and a manslaughter case begins. Now, Yasmin Syed must wonder if her sister did this on purpose as a means of retribution for having no children of her own. Leila is charged and a court case is pending, where the truth will come out, slowly, for all to see the truth behind the dynamics between the Syed sisters. Abdullah does a masterful job in this piece, sure to leave the reader torn between which side they feel could be telling the truth.
Since raising her younger sister for most of their formative years, Leila Syed has tried to make a name for herself. Now a successful architect in London, Leila remains busy with her life, but is still fairly close to Yasmin. When Leila receives a call from her brother-in-law, Andrew, asking that she help by taking young Max to nursery, Leila obliges and collects Max for the short drive. Only later, when Andrew calls to say that Max never arrived at the nursery, does Leila realise her horrible mistake. Young Max was left inside her vehicle for the entire time, on the hottest day of the year.
After trying to revive him, medics rush Max to the hospital, where he soon succumbs to vehicular hypothermia. With a dead child on her conscience, Leila cannot face what will come. Yasmin is beside herself with grief and baffled as to why Leila could be so careless. While Leila vows it was an accident, some begin to wonder, what with her lack of children and a marriage that recently turned rocky. Leila is soon charged with manslaughter and a court date is set for all to be sorted.
When the trial begins, Leila is put on the defensive from the outset, as her personal life is magnified for all to see. While Leila did raise Yasmin after her parents� death, some begin to wonder if the strain on having to be a quasi-parent might have been too much. Other truths come to the surface that only make it more apparent that the elder Syed had a great deal of animosity within her. Still, could Leila actually have left her nephew in the car to perish as an act of retribution for the bitterness in her own life? The truth will come out eventually and justice must be served, though it is not entirely clear on which side it will land. It is only after the trial that other, more sinister realities come to the surface. Kia Abdullah mesmerizes the reader with this stunning story that tears a family apart and opens up a plethora of new questions.
Since discovering the work of Kia Abdullah, I have been an ardent fan, trying to get my hands on each of her novels as soon as they are available. This was no exception, as the writing is intense and the story is as heart-wrenching as one could imagine. The familial bonds are torn apart with his piece and the reader is forced to watch it all play out, leaving them to play the role of ‘thirteenth juror� in a way, asking that they weigh the evidence of Leila Syed’s guilt in the matter of her dead nephew. I found myself transfixed by the story and rushed to find out what happened and how it all came together. Perhaps one of Abdullah’s best pieces to date!
Leila Syed does play a central role in the story, her life put on trial for all to see. Leila struggles with some of the experiences she has had, not the least of which having to raise her sister, Yasmin, after the death of both parents. While there are some great moments of backstory development, it is primarily the mindset that Leila has in the present that remains the crux of the novel, putting her on trial for her apparently careless act. What transpires is a complete analysis of Leila as a person and the struggles she has to keep it all together.
A novel’s impact is one of the key ingredients I look for when I read. If the story lingers and the characters resonate within me, I feel that I have found something worth recommending to others. I have had that happen many times when reading Kia Abdullah’s work and this was no exception. The narrative flows well and takes a turn at just the right moment, thrusting Leila Syed into the spotlight for reasons she would likely prefer not have happened. The plot advances well and twists at poignant times to leave the reader unsure of their sentiments towards all those involved. Could Leila have been simply careless or was there more to it? As the story advances and truths surface, the reader must use their own intuition and pass judgement on what might have happened and who could be to blame for it all. The final portion of the novel exposes real truths that never made it into sworn testimony, which adds new flavour to an already explosive thriller.
Kudos, Madam Abdullah, for another stunning novel. Your writing keeps getting better the more I read.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: /group/show/...
December 6, 2021
4 Stars
I really didn't want to read this book. I avoided it like the plague for months. But then I relented, the reviews were just too good.
You see, a little boy has tragically died in Croatia this summer after his dad accidentally left him locked inside his car in hot weather while he went to work. The father dropped his wife off at work and then forgot to drop off his son at kindergarten. The boy's absence was noticed when his mother went to pick him up from kindergarten in the afternoon. She called her husband who was convinced he had dropped his son off at school that morning. But when he returned to the car to check, it was too late.
That particular incident shocked me to the core. I couldn't stop thinking about that family for months after the tragic incident. There was a lot of debate in the public and the media on how to prevent such tragedies. One of the ways is to always leave your handbag or your coat in the backseat of your car.
As far as this story is concerned, of course I didn't like it. And I definitely couldn't relate to the characters. I didn't like any of them. But I have to give it a high rating - it is a compulsively readable edge-of-the-seat book, packed with emotions on every single page. Once you start it, you cannot stop. The writing is fantastic.
I'm definitely going to try this author's other books.
I really didn't want to read this book. I avoided it like the plague for months. But then I relented, the reviews were just too good.
You see, a little boy has tragically died in Croatia this summer after his dad accidentally left him locked inside his car in hot weather while he went to work. The father dropped his wife off at work and then forgot to drop off his son at kindergarten. The boy's absence was noticed when his mother went to pick him up from kindergarten in the afternoon. She called her husband who was convinced he had dropped his son off at school that morning. But when he returned to the car to check, it was too late.
That particular incident shocked me to the core. I couldn't stop thinking about that family for months after the tragic incident. There was a lot of debate in the public and the media on how to prevent such tragedies. One of the ways is to always leave your handbag or your coat in the backseat of your car.
As far as this story is concerned, of course I didn't like it. And I definitely couldn't relate to the characters. I didn't like any of them. But I have to give it a high rating - it is a compulsively readable edge-of-the-seat book, packed with emotions on every single page. Once you start it, you cannot stop. The writing is fantastic.
I'm definitely going to try this author's other books.
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