Review of The Unheard by Nikki French

I’d never tried a book by this writing duo. What did I think of this domestic thriller about a woman whose young daughter insists she witnessed a murder? Check out my review of The Unheard by Nikki French

The Unheard by Nikki French

Published on October 26, 2021 by William Morrow. Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.

Synopsis: Maybe Tess is overprotective, but passing her daughter Poppy off to her ex and his new young wife fills her with a sense of dread. It’s not that Jason is a bad father–it just hurts to see him enjoying married life with someone else. Still, she owes it to Poppy to make this arrangement work. But Poppy returns from the weekend tired and withdrawn. And when she shows Tess a crayon drawing–an image so simple and violent that Tess can hardly make sense of it—-Poppy can only explain with the words, “He did kill her.” Something is horribly wrong. Tess is certain Poppy saw something–or something happened to her–that she’s too young to understand. Jason insists the weekend went off without a hitch. Doctors advise that Poppy may be reacting to her parents’ separation. And as the days go on, even Poppy’s disturbing memory seems to fade. But a mother knows her daughter, and Tess is determined to discover the truth.

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Review of The Unheard

This is my first Nikki French book and I’d definitely try another of their books.

What I did like about The Unheard:

he idea of a small child possibly witnessing a murder was an interesting one. Young children often have vivid imaginations and a loose understanding of truth vs. make believe. They can also be very impressionable and even come up with false memories. So … did Poppy really see a murder?

I also liked that this book did a good job of keeping me guessing. I felt like I did narrow down the suspects, but I didn’t have my eye on the right person. And I thought that Tess’s uneasy relationship with her ex was well executed. I appreciated that the new wife wasn’t a scheming witch, but a genuinely nice person who wants to make things right for Poppy.

What I needed more clarity on:

The book doesn’t really explain the connection between the murder and Poppy’s picture, or go into exactly what she saw or overheard. I also feel like most three year-olds could have at least explained why they drew the picture. Poppy seemed a little young for her age, but all kids are different.

In addition, Tess could be a frustrating main character. She seemed to go off half-cocked most of the time, repeatedly running to the police with theories without really looking into things.

If you’ve read The Unheard and want to discuss it, come over to my spoiler discussion. We’ll discuss the suspects, the ending and more!