Review: THE MEMORY WATCHER, Minka Kent

• this edition published in 2016
• ISBN 9-781541-3681
• 321 pages
• source: my local library

Synopsis (Fantastic Fiction)

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When Autumn Carpenter stumbles upon the social media account of the family who adopted her infant daughter years ago, she finds herself instantly drawn into their picture-perfect existence.

From behind a computer screen, Autumn watches Grace's every memory, from birthdays to holidays to bedtime snuggles. But what starts as an innocent fascination soon spirals into an addictive obsession that comes to a screeching halt the day the McMullen family closes their Instaface account without so much as a warning.

Frantic and desperate to reconnect with her daughter, Autumn applies for a nanny position with the McMullens, manipulating herself into Grace's life under false pretenses. And it's only then that Autumn discovers pictures lie, the perfect family doesn't exist, and beautiful people? They have the ugliest secrets.

My Take

Daphne McMullen and Autumn Carpenter are the principal narrators of this tale. Autumn has been watching the McMullen family through social media, and then Daphne ceases to post. Autumn becomes desperate to establish some sort of contact. She can also watch the family quite literally over her back fence and what she sees is an idyllic family. She applies for the position of summer nanny and for a while everything seems to be working out well. But then she discovers the undercurrents running beneath the apparent harmony and things become very different.

I wasn't prepared however for the incredible twist in the middle of the novel.

Well, I can hear you - is this crime fiction? Well yes it is. There is a murder and there is a lot of mystery.
Quite a satisfying read, and not bad for a debut title.

My rating: 4.4

I've also read
4.4, THE PERFECT ROOMMATE