Joelle's Bibliofile

Jocelyn begrudgingly returns home to her posh family estate in England with her young daughter Ruby in tow after the accidental death of her husband. After spending so many years trying to avoid contact with her estranged mother, Jo now finds herself dependent on the family wealth she has come to resent. The only fond memory Jo has from childhood is of her nanny, who unexpectedly disappeared one night due to what she was led to believe were her own faults and misbehaviors. Secrets of an aristocratic family, resentments built on faulty memories, the grisly discovery of a body threatening the family's reputation- these tropes have become very familiar to today's reader of mystery fiction. The Nanny, a new novel by Gilly Macmillan, begins with a well-worn premise but remarkably rises above other suspense thrillers that have already wandered down this path. Jo's mother, Lady Virginia Holt, is not the frosty self-absorbed stereotype that she first appears. Jocelyn is not the likeable but hapless victim of a neglectful upbringing, and the body in the lake at Lake House may not be that of the missing nanny, after all. The story depicts the high moral price that is exacted in order to maintain a status that is hopelessly outdated and even despised by contemporary society. Even Jo and Ruby find themselves drawn into lies that may break their precious bond as they blindly struggle to protect each other. MacMillan's book addresses both the debasement of those attempting to forcibly attain access to a life of privilege and wealth, and the rigidity and false glamour that makes their covetousness undeserved. With vivid characters and well-paced action, The Nanny would be most suitable for lovers of suspense looking for a familiar tale told with a refreshing style.

Thanks to the author, Edelweiss, Library Thing and William Morrow for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.