Kylie Kaden

After a slow start, "Missing You" ended up being a great read. Told from three perspectives - Aisha (the woman who goes missing), Ryan (Aisha's husband) and Patrick (Aisha's father) - the story moves from the past to the present. It allows the reader to follow the romance between Ryan and Aisha from fledgling attraction to the parents of Eli, a child on the autism spectrum.

However, for me, the most interesting perspective was Patrick's. It was wonderful seeing him mellow from a cantankerous old man to a loving grandfather. He had to learn how to be a sole caretaker of a young boy and I loved seeing him come to understand how Eli saw the world. The bond that developed between them was touching and the experiences Patrick provided for his grandson enriched both their lives. Patrick ended up being my favourite character.

I didn't think much of the mystery surrounding this novel. It was obvious fairly early on who had kidnapped Aisha, and I ended up hating him for the way he manipulated the situation.

Focusing on family relationships, "Missing You" was an engaging read with romance, intrigue, drama and twists and turns along the way.… (más)

Lotti’s the daughter of a federal politician, but she’s determined to leave Canberra and build a new life as a teacher.
At the same time, she’s met a new man, August, a single dad who is the strong, silent type.
After a cryptic message, Lotti takes her partner’s deaf son Otto on a trip into the Queensland backblocks to try to find out who the man she loves really is.
Has she been sleeping with a stranger who has betrayed her? And is Otto really August’s son?
This is author Kylie Kaden’s fifth novel and she displays her gift for Aussie slang in an intriguing story of friends, families and secrets intertwined in a small town.
It’s a tale that’s guaranteed to make you want to hunt down her earlier books.… (más)

I enjoyed this novel about the families living in an exclusive, gated community. On the outside, their lives look idyllic but, despite their wealth, they are struggling with relationships, secrets and betrayals. The prologue drew me straight in and I found "One of Us" to be an easy, entertaining read.

There was a gradual build-up to what actually happened to Sam but the plot never dragged. The reader learns about the characters living at Apple Tree Creek; they are all flawed but relatable, and each one has a motive for stabbing Rachel's unsavoury husband. I liked trying to puzzle out who actually committed the crime and I did not predict the end at all.

I also liked the friendship that developed between Rachel and Gertie. Although very different, they are both mums who are trying to hold their dysfunctional families together, and a real bond grows between the two women.

The author touched on issues impacting modern families - midlife crises, marriage issues, screen time on devices, privacy, affairs, businesswomen, teenagers and loss, making the novel topical and realistic. "One of Us" was the first novel I've read by Kylie Kaden but I will definitely be looking for other books written by her. A great read.… (más)

One of Us is a contemporary novel of domestic suspense from Australian author Kylie Kaden.

Within one of the architecturally designed homes behind the gates of the exclusive Apple Tree Creek Estate lies the body of a man, blood pooling on the living room floor from a deep stab wound. As a detective studies the scene, and the reactions of the man’s wife, Kaden shifts to the recent past, and focuses on two women, near neighbours Gert Rainworth and Rachel York, who meet and become friends just as their respective marriages are falling apart.

At a fairly measured pace, Kaden exposes the secrets, betrayals, and stresses that culminate in the introductory scene. Gertie is reeling from her husband’s acceptance of a year long transfer to his company’s Singapore office, and his decision to go alone, leaving her with their three children. Rachel, heavily pregnant with her third child, is increasingly exhausted by her husband’s serial philandering, and escalating control issues.

Gertie and Rachel, despite having little in common, form a supportive rapport that feels authentic, as they both struggle with their respective situations. Kaden has a real talent for portraying the familiar minutiae of domestic life, and explores the challenges of marriage and motherhood with empathy.

Stripping back the facade of privilege, wealth and security the community and its residents project, Kaden reveals a host of hidden dysfunctions, from the awful truths about Rachel’s husband, to a neighbours secret shame, and even the way in which the measures used by the gated estate to keep residents safe, can be perverted.

By the time the identity of the stabbed man is revealed, several characters prove to have reasonable motives for the attack. I enjoyed the puzzle of determining which was most likely, and was satisfied by the denouement.

One of Us is an suspenseful and entertaining suburban thriller, sure to appeal to fans of Liane Moriarty, Sally Hepworth and Lisa Jewell.… (más)