THE BOOK begins in 1997, with sisters Laurel and Rosie luring two-year-old Kristie to play. Kristie is later found dead, 10-year-old Laurel is sent to prison, and Rosie is never tried because she was only six at the time.
Nineteen years later, Rosie now goes by the name Hazel, and is trying to start a new life with Johnny, a wealthy older man.
However, a little girl named Georgie goes missing in a hotel where Hazel is holidaying with Johnny and his daughter Evie. Afraid of her dark history coming out, Hazel is forced to tell Johnny about her past.
However, her secret eventually leaks out, and she has to contend with being the prime suspect.
Although the missing girl is later found alive, Hazel now has to face media scrutiny, and an angry public who still have not forgotten Kristie’s murder.
Meanwhile, Laurel, who has always maintained her innocence, has given up all hope of leaving prison.
However, events force the sisters to meet again, and the story takes a dramatic twist.
Some aspects of this book will remind you of the 1993 James Bulger case, where two young British boys were convicted of killing a toddler, and other aspects of the story will remind you that children can do very despicable things.
While elements of this story can be disturbing, author Alice Clark-Platts manages to weave an interesting story that goes back and forth between the two time periods.
There are several interesting characters who carry the story along. Though the premise is horrifying, you can’t stop reading until the end.
