Next of Kin

By: Kia Abdullah

Narrated by: Tania Rodrigues, Avita Jay

Length: 10 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

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. His son’s nursery has called to ask where little Max is.

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.

Is about to come true....

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 heart-stopping final word.

©2021 Kia Abdullah (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

"This is Kia Abdullah’s third novel, and I am continually impressed with how she deftly handles important social issues." (Belfast Telegraph)

"Brilliantly tense, this is another clever page-turner from Kia Abdullah. A nightmare scenario evolves into an engrossing human drama that I couldn’t put down. Just superb." (Louise Hare, author of This Lovely City)

"Amid the requisite revelations of resentments and secrets, Abdullah draws out the truth with compassion, charting with notable understanding the ever-changing currents in human relations." (The Times)

Slow in the middle, great at the end

The procedural courtroom drama - which took the bulk of the book to narrate - was repetitive and not super interesting. But the connections between the characters and the beginning and end (I won’t spoil it) is very interesting and well done.

Omg

This book was great. I should have known better than to think it would be so obvious. So many twist and unexpected turns omg.

The twist and turns of this book are amazing

This book is amazing. I can’t believe anyone would think of a subject like this to write in a book.

Misleading title

I couldn’t get into this book but after seeing the positive reviews I listened to the first two chapters twice and then really got into it. But the title is a misnomer. Basically there are two sisters. One has a kid and a husband and a lower level job. The other has a great job but no child and her marriage fell apart. She has an accident and her sister‘s child ends up dead. About 90% of the book is them coping with the fall out including the trial. I guess the title refers to the fact that the latter sister raised the former for several years while they were children but I don’t think the title really fits the book. Regardless a pretty good story.

My first audiobooks

It was long but I enjoyed the story kept me intrigued. Ready for my next book to listen to.

So very worth the time

Wow. The twists and turns to this story. I like that it didn’t take forever to get to the meat of the story.

Twist after twist

This book has the most unexpected twist. It had us at edge the whole time.
I can only say… WOW!

Look no further

Plenty of twists! Couldn’t stop listening! Very well written and very intriguing. This book grabs your attention from beginning to end

Outstanding

The characters and their personalities are so well portrayed, the author definitely hits on the things that humans can do to one another, and change the course of everyone’s life in a second!

Mind Blowing

I only listen to audiobooks and this has to be the fastest one I’ve ever finished. It kept me on the end of my seat clenching my cheeks (both of them lol). Well written thriller! Eager to read more from this author.