Next of Kin

Written by Kia Abdullah

Narrated by Tania Rodrigues and Avita Jay

Winner of The Diverse Adult Book Award 2022

‘Abdullah’s legal thrillers make John Grisham seem like a maiden aunt’ Sunday Times Crime Club

‘An enthralling, heartbreaking and thrilling courtroom drama that had me shouting out loud and gripped until the last page’ Nadine Matheson, author of The Jigsaw Man

‘Brilliantly tense, this is another clever page turner from Kia Abdullah that I couldn’t put down. Just superb’ Louise Hare, author of This Lovely City

‘Twists and turns aplenty . . . The author’s greatest strength lies in her sensitive and relatable description of the relationship between sisters Leila and Max’s mother Yasmin’ i

‘A tense, brilliant read’ Bella

* * * *

ON AN ORDINARY WORKING DAY…

Leila Syed receives a call that cleaves her life in two. Her brother-in-law’s voice is filled with panic. His son’s nursery has called to ask where little Max is.

YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE…

Leila was supposed to drop Max off that morning. But she forgot.

Racing to the carpark, she grasps the horror of what she has done.

IS ABOUT TO COME TRUE…

What follows is an explosive, high-profile trial that will tear the family apart. But as the case progresses it becomes clear there’s more to this incident than meets the eye…

A gripping, brave and tense courtroom drama, Next of Kin will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final, heart-stopping page.

* * * *

Readers are GRIPPED by Next of Kin

‘Kia Abdullah is the absolute queen of the courtroom drama’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘WOW!! This book is astonishingly brilliant! An absolute masterpiece’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I couldn’t put this down and Kia Abdullah is becoming a firm favourite read’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Kia Abdullah is a writing maestro’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A gripping legal thriller that will leave you reeling. A book that will stay with you long after the last page. The ending is a stunner!’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Release date: Sep 2, 2021
• ISBN: 9780008433666

Kia Abdullah

KIA ABDULLAH is a novelist and travel writer from London. Her books include Truth Be Told and Take It Back. She has written for The New York Times, The Guardian, The Times of London, and The Telegraph and is the founder of Asian Booklist, a nonprofit organization that helps readers discover new books by British Asian authors.

Reviews for Next of Kin

[Kizza Racheal · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I absolutely loved Next of Kin. It is a page turner. The character development is comprehensive and therefore the reader easily relates with all the characters. I highly recommend this novel.

[selmona · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The plot, the characters, the conflict- so real and human. Good read and i certainly would recommend it for a book club discussion

[Effie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Abdullah is SO good with plot twists. She amazes me with every book. And the themes she chooses to write about are so important and can start very deep conversations.

[Sadaf Abdolvahabi · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book will continue to surprise you till the end.

[bookish59 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Next of Kin is another strong offering from Trollope. Her ability to capture the large and small nuances of famiy dynamics and how they progress and change is wondrous. Judy was adopted by Robin and Carolyn as a baby, and grew up on a farm surrounded by her grandparents and aunt and uncle. As an adult she is hurting because of her mother's death from cancer and angry at her father. Robin is angry as well. After another family tragedy feelings are stretched taut and Robin needs to become the rock everyone counts on. But it is Judy's roommate Zoe, a young photographer's assistant, who understanding sorrow because of her own loss, steps in and helps Judy's family. To me she is a kind of Mary Poppins who goes where needed and instinctively knows what to do and say. Good read.

[nyiper · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I am continually amazed at how much I love the way Trollope writes---in every single book. The stories are about people and emotions but, at least to me, they are all so different. Her characters are pictured completely with her words.

[celticlibrarian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Oh my my.... what did I just read? Review follows now that my heart rate has returned to normal. This book delivered quite the visceral punch.On a hot morning in London, Leila Syed agrees to help out her desperate brother-in-law by picking up 3-year-old Max and taking him to nursery. Unfortunately, Max doesn't make it to school. Leila has forgotten that he was strapped in the back seat and Max is found dead, inside the vehicle, in the parking lot of her office building several hours later. What happens next?The book is divided into 3 different parts and focuses on the crime, the trial, and the aftermath. It is quite gripping and tense though the characters were so unlikable that I was sometimes unable to elicit any empathy for them. I was so torn in my emotions as various details were revealed and the narrative really kept me guessing. What a great story as long as you can suspend disbelief and go with all the twists and turns. It's definitely more a domestic drama than a legal thriller as, even though I know next to nothing about the British legal system, I think the courtroom scenes were unrealistic. Something that was totally missing was extended interaction between Leila and her attorney. There was no trial prep and it all just seemed that was not the focus of the book. But, whoa, the drama! In any event, I enjoyed this one and have also really liked two other books I've read by this author. She has a knack of finding some very timely issues and writing great stories about them. I definitely feel that this novel will invite some lively discussion about several different aspects of the legal case and the nature of family and female ambition. The less you know going into the book, the better. Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend. I am looking forward to the author's next book.

[pgchuis · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This has a fantastic hook, and after that it is quite clever, although I never felt very invested in any of the characters. It is a quick easy read.Would a 3 year old really still be in a rear-facing car seat?