Not My Boy - by Kelly Simmons (Paperback)

About the Book

Includes an excerpt from Where she went, a reading group guide, and a conversation with the author.

Book Synopsis

Who will you cross to protect your own?

When Hannah packs up her past and moves to the cottage next-door to her sister, she hopes the luxe neighborhood and close family ties will be the perfect escape for her son and the shadows that trail them. But when a young girl goes missing days after they unload their final boxes and her son is quickly thrown under suspicion, Hannah must do whatever it takes to protect her child.

Even if that means pointing the blame her sister's way instead.

With investigators swarming and neighborhood scrutiny closing in, the divide between two sisters grows. As one fiercely defends her husband, the other shields her boy from the crime, keeping quiet the secrets that might unravel it all.

And all the while, one young girl has vanished, and someone is to blame.

Review Quotes

"Not My Boy is a dark, rich tale of a mother's absolute love for her unusual son and of the hazards of sisterhood. Simmons is at the top of her game here, writing with confidence and candor, never hitting a wrong note or taking a false step. I felt as though Hannah, the heroine, was leading me by the hand through the dense woods surrounding her home--emblematic of her life and of the pitfalls of family allegiances--and confiding in me all her secrets. Atmospheric, tense, and authentic to the core, Not My Boy will catch you in its thrall and hold you there until the very last page." -- Sonja Yoerg, Washington Post bestselling author of True Places and Stories We Never Told

"A missing child, a family with multiple secrets, and a cast of characters that are complicated and fully realized...Not My Boy lands the reader in the middle of a mystery that is propulsive and impossible to put down." -- Julie Clark, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Flight

"Kelly Simmons has created a chilling tale of suspense and intrigue. Filled with sharp insights about the fierce protectiveness and envy that define a close-knit family, Not My Boy kept me turning the pages late into the night." -- Angie Kim, international bestselling author of Miracle Creek

"Told from alternating perspectives, Simmons throws readers right into the middle of the mystery and keeps them guessing the whole way through. Readers who enjoy the suspenseful reads of Liane Moriarty won't be able to put down this novel." -- Booklist, Starred review

"When tragedy strikes in Not My Boy, a privileged neighborhood is turned upside down--and no man, woman, or even child is above suspicion. Kelly Simmons has spun a nail-biter that will have you questioning how quickly we can turn on the people we hold dear, and how far we might go to keep our deepest fears from being realized." -- Jessica Strawser, bestselling author of Not That I Could Tell