Just when you think psychological thriller fiction can’t get any better, one comes along that proves it definitely can. That was most certainly the case with Give Me the Child by Mel McGrath which surpassed all my expectations. Once I had started this book, I found that I was completely unable to put it down and raced through it in just a few hours. I absolutely loved it!
Despite being happily married to Tom and with one beautiful daughter named Freya, the one thing Cat Lupo desperately wants in life is another child. However, after her first pregnancy left her suffering from severe psychosis she is wary about falling pregnant again. One night, the peace of an otherwise quiet house is disturbed by the doorbell ringing and they are shocked to find the police on their doorstep with a young child, Ruby. Although Tom doesn’t at first know it, Ruby is his daughter and following the death of her mother she is now his responsibility. As both Cat and Tom come to terms with this news and decide to take Ruby into their house her behaviour concerns Cat who is determined to discover the truth about the girl.
Cat was a wonderful character who thanks to Mel taking the time to introduce and explain her thoughts and feelings to us became very real. As Cat found herself under a huge amount of pressure within Give Me the Child and we learnt of her previous mental health issues, we saw how everyone was very quick to judge her and presume that she would relapse again. As other characters in the book questioned her reliability which in turn leads us to question whether we could really trust what she says, Cat’s story is one that is utterly compelling.
Mel has told an incredible story within Give Me the Child that includes a huge number of unexpected twists and turns to keep readers on their toes. Whilst reading the book I had absolutely no idea which direction the book was going to take and, with each chapter ending in a cliffhanger, I found myself desperately turning out the pages to find out just what would happen next. As a book that deals with a number of challenging themes, with mental health being just one of them, I feel that Mel should be commended for how she dealt with them in a very sensitive manner.
As a book that has a unique premise and one in which the author has clearly done her research, I predict great things for this spectacular book. A powerful story that will keep you guessing for hours, this book is everything that a good psychological thriller should be. I’d certainly be interested in reading more by this author in the future.
