Review: What the Nanny Said

What the Nanny Said by Lara Finch
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I snuggled up with Lara Finch's What the Nanny Said and a cup of tea, eager for a psychological thriller to envelop me in its snare of secrets. Located in the charming canals of Little Venice, London, the novel follows Lucy, a mother attempting to deal with the vagaries of caring for her daughter, Evie, while her journalist husband is working most of the time. When Taylor, a sleek and so-called perfect nanny, enters Lucy's life, she's a lifesaver, but her perfection might hide darker ambitions. This story is a maze of doubt, manipulation, and hidden truths, with a plot that promises suspense.

What most impressed me in What the Nanny Said was the clever use of untrustworthy narrators. Every character seems to be concealing the truth from themselves or someone else. It's a lusciously dark tone, just like in None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell, where I was questioning motives step for step. The elements of motherhood, delusion, and control are skilfully woven together, and add depth to the story. I kept questioning how far we'll go to maintain our sense of self, or how obsession can destroy even the most maternal of urges.

All that being said, I struggled with Taylor’s characterization. She’s portrayed as almost too clever, too resourceful, a near-superhuman manipulator. This made her less plausible and took me out of the story at times. Unlike the nuanced characters in What Lies Between Us by John Marrs, Taylor’s cunning sometimes felt exaggerated, bordering on caricature.

The writing is engaging, though I did find that there were a couple of stumbling transitions between present and past timelines that pulled me out of the scene. It's a minor complaint, but one that leapt out at me. The pace is fast, with brief chapters that kept me furiously tearing through pages to untangle the next thread of deception. I found myself thinking this book is just like a Sunday night TV movie kind of thing: not mind-blowing, but so delightful to snuggle up with, flaws and all.

The standout element, for me, was the motherhood and protection theme. Finch did an amazing job at showing the gut-wrenching vulnerability of parenting, the shame, the terror of failing your child. Lucy's internal conflict was achingly relatable, and it made her a fantastic anchor through the constant twists in the thriller.

I recommend What the Nanny Said to fans of domestic drama psychological thrillers with a touch of suspense, like The Couple Next Door or The Turn of the Key. It's a perfect fit for anyone who likes unreliable narrators and don't mind a villain who is a little too much. If you're looking for a quick, absorbing book that delves into the complexities of family and loyalty, this book will be ideal for you.

I would like to thank Lara Finch, Storm Publishing and Netgalley for a copy of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

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