Review: The Wrong Daughter by Dandy Smith

  

Print Length: 353 pages

Publisher: Kensington Books (August 26, 2024)

From Goodreads.com: “Do you have a sister, Ms. Fairview?” The little girl’s question, in all its buttery innocence, slices through me, and the answer catches in my throat. It isn’t as simple as yes or no. It hasn’t been, in nearly sixteen years.

The evening Caitlin and Olivia's parents leave them to go to a dinner party, both girls are bubbling with excitement. At ages 10 and 13, they are at last old enough to stay home alone. After all, in their idyllic town no one even bothers to lock their doors.

As the summer light fades, after TV and popcorn, the sisters finally put themselves to bed. They’re unaware of the figure watching them through an open window. Or of the back door opening once they’ve fallen asleep.

When their parents return, they will find Olivia's bed empty. Their golden-haired, long-limbed, eldest daughter gone. Never to return. Until now.

But is the woman who claims to be Olivia all she seems? Is everything Caitlin said she saw that night the whole truth? Their family have dreamed of this moment, but both sisters are keeping more than one secret. What price will they all pay if they end up believing the wrong daughter?

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My Rating: 2 stars out of 5

This book had me shaking my head a lot, but it wasn't because of how good it was sadly. Between characters being extremely unlikeable, several chapters being filled with long-winded speeches on how things look, or how people felt, and plot lines so far-fetched to the point they were both obvious and laughable, I struggled to finish this one. 

Let's start with the characters shall we? First we have Caitlin, who for sixteen long years has blamed herself for her sister going missing because on the night in question she was too terrified to get out of bed and call the police. It doesn't help that she once overheard her father telling her mother that it was all her fault either. So over the course of her life, she has put her own dreams and life on hold to try and mold herself into being the perfect daughter. The parents of course, are polar opposites of each other. Where her father treats her with cold disdain and practically blames everything on her at all times, her mother is overbearing to the point I was starting to feel suffocated by her. Then we have Olivia, whose mood swings practically gave me whiplash. One minute she is the sweet and caring sister who Caitlin has been missing, and the next she is a chaos causing viper intent on ruining Caitlin's life, with apparently no reason whatsoever. One scene that immediately springs to mind is when Caitlin finds out that Olivia wants her to move back in to their parents home as she thinks it will help her to better adjust, and Caitlin tells her sister no. To start with, she doesn't feel welcome in the family home due to her relationship with her father, and secondly, she has a home of her own that she shares with her fiancé. So Olivia gives her the cold shoulder, alienating her from spending with one of their now mutual friends. And wouldn't you know it, shortly after that Olivia calls Caitlin because she's "having a panic attack", but it just so happens to be near the exact location Caitlin's fiancé Oscar is currently having a secret meeting with another woman driving a wedge in their relationship that sends her doing exactly what Olivia wanted in the first place and moving back home. 

Sadly, the other characters in this novel such as they are don't really seem to matter other than as pawns to move things along and/or isolate Caitlin even more. In fact, I can barely remember the names of the women that Caitlin was meant to be friends with (and that's pretty bad considering she ruined the wedding of one of them due to Olivia's twisted behavior). 

And then on the other side of the story, you have Heath and Elinor Ledbury. A brother and sister duo who live a very isolated life in a large manor house under the conservatorship of their uncle until they come of age and gain access to the fortune left to them by their parents. Except this brother and sister are a lot closer than any brother and sister should be, if you get my drift. And that was something that I really could have done without. 

On the whole, one half of the plot (the part involving Olivia and her kidnapper) reminds me heavily of the movie "Do Not Reply" as the reason for the abductions were the same even if the methods and outcome were very different. The other half of the plot was just a jumbled mess of plot-points that bounced back and forth enough to give you a headache with a very unhealthy dose of Stockholm Syndrome mixed in. 

In the end, this book just didn't work for me. I read to find enjoyment not to have to muddle through so much that either just doesn't make sense at all, or is so obvious even a blind man could see it. 

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.