Only Daughter: A Novel

By Anna Snoekstra

In this chilling psychological thriller debut, one woman’s dark past becomes another’s deadly future.

In 2003, sixteen-year-old Rebecca Winter disappeared.

She’d been enjoying her summer break: working at a fast-food restaurant, crushing on an older boy and shoplifting with her best friend. Mysteriously ominous things began to happen—a presence in her room at night, periods of blackouts, a feeling of being watched—though Bec remained oblivious of what was to come.

Eleven years later she is replaced.

A young woman, desperate after being arrested, claims to be the decade-missing Bec.

Soon the impostor is living Bec’s life. Sleeping in her bed. Hugging her mother and father. Learning her best friends’ names. Playing with her little brothers.

But Bec’s welcoming family and enthusiastic friends are not quite as they seem. As the impostor dodges the detective investigating her case, she begins to delve into the life of the real Bec Winter—and soon realizes that whoever took Bec is still at large, and that she is in imminent danger.

Praise for Only Daughter

“Twisty, slippery, and full of surprises, this web of lies will ensnare you and keep you riveted until you’ve turned the final page.” —Lisa Unger, New York Times–bestselling author of Ink and Bone

“[A] dark and edgy debut. . . . Truly distinctive and tautly told, Only Daughter welcomes a thrilling new voice in crime fiction.” —Mary Kubica, New York Times–bestselling author of The Good Girl

“Snoekstra’s excellent debut stands out in the crowded psychological suspense field with smart, subtle red herrings and plenty of dark and violent secrets. Recommend to genre aficionados and readers who enjoyed Lisa Lutz’s The Passenger.” —Library Journal (starred review)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Sep 20, 2016
• ISBN: 9781460395967

Anna Snoekstra

Anna Snoekstra is the author of Only Daughter, Little Secrets and The Spite Game. Her novels have been published in over twenty countries and sixteen languages. She has written for The Guardian, Meanjin, Griffith Review, Lindsay,LitHub and The Saturday Paper. Her first audio drama, This Isn't Happening, is out with Audible in late 2022. Photo by Samantha Iliov

Book preview

In this chilling psychological thriller, one woman’s dark past becomes another’s deadly future

In 2003, sixteen-year-old Rebecca Winter disappeared.

She’d been enjoying her summer break: working at a fast-food restaurant, crushing on an older boy and shoplifting with her best friend. Mysteriously ominous things began to happen—a presence in her room at night, periods of blackouts, a feeling of being watched—though Bec remained oblivious of what was to come.

Eleven years later she is replaced.

A young woman, desperate after being arrested, claims to be the decade-missing Bec.

Soon the impostor is living Bec’s life. Sleeping in her bed. Hugging her mother and father. Learning her best friends’ names. Playing with her little brothers.

But Bec’s welcoming family and enthusiastic friends are not quite as they seem. As the impostor dodges the detective investigating her case, she begins to delve into the life of the real Bec Winter—and soon realizes that whoever took Bec is still at large, and that she is in imminent danger.

Praise for the novels of Anna Snoekstra

"In Anna Snoekstra’s dark and edgy debut, a young woman slips easily into the life of a girl missing eleven years, only to discover the grisly truth behind the disappearance. Will she be the next victim? Truly distinctive and tautly told, Only Daughter welcomes a thrilling new voice in crime fiction."

—Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Girl

"Only Daughter by Anna Snoekstra is a dark meditation on the secrets we keep about our families and about ourselves. Twisty, slippery, and full of surprises, this web of lies will ensnare you and keep you riveted until you’ve turned the final page."

—Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of Ink and Bone

A wickedly twisted and fast-paced plot that leaves numerous questions unanswered…readers who enjoy a creepy thriller that will keep them guessing will be unable to put this down.

—Booklist (starred review)

Escalating tension and menace will keep readers glued to the pages, leading to a highly satisfying resolution that is both surprising and believable. Snoekstra’s excellent debut stands out in the crowded psychological suspense field with smart, subtle red herrings and plenty of dark and violent secrets.

—Library Journal (starred review)

ONLY DAUGHTER

Anna Snoekstra

Mira_with_Register.EPS

For my mother.

Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

I’ve always been good at playing a part: the mysterious seductress for the sleazebag, the doe-eyed innocent for the protector. I had tried both on the security guard and neither seemed to be working.

I’d been so close. The supermarket doors had already slid open for me when his wide hand clamped on my shoulder. The main road was only fifteen paces away. A quiet street lined with yellow-and-orange-leaved trees.

His grip tightened.

He brought me into the back office. A small cement box with no windows, barely big enough to fit the old filing cabinet, desk and printer. He took the bread roll, cheese and apple out of my bag and laid them on the table between us. Seeing them spread out like that gave me a jolt of shame, but I tried my best to hold his eye. He said I wasn’t going anywhere until I gave him some identification. Luckily, I had no wallet. Who needs a wallet when you don’t have any money?

I attempted all my routines on him, letting tears flow when my insinuations fell flat. It wasn’t my best performance; I couldn’t stop looking at the bread. My stomach was beginning to cramp. I’ve never felt hunger like this before.

I can hear him now, talking to the police on the other side of the locked door. I stare up at the notice board above the desk. This week’s staff roster is there, alongside a memo about credit card procedures with a smiley face drawn on the bottom and a few photographs from a work night out.

I have never wanted to work in a supermarket. I’ve never wanted to work anywhere, but all of a sudden, I’m painfully jealous.

Sorry to bother you with this. Little skank won’t give me any ID.

I wonder if he knows I can hear him.

It’s all right—we’ll take it from here. Another voice.

The door opens and two cops look in at me. It’s a female and a male, both probably about my age. She has her dark hair pulled back in a neat ponytail. The guy is pasty and thin. I can tell straightaway that he’s going to be an asshole. They sit down on the other side of the table.

My name is Constable Thompson and this is Constable Seirs. We understand that you were caught shoplifting from this store, the male cop says, not even bothering to hide the boredom in his tone.

No, actually, I wasn’t, I say, imitating my stepmom’s perfect breeding. I was on my way to the register when he grabbed me. That man has a problem with women.

They look at me doubtfully, their eyes sliding over my unwashed clothes and greasy hair. I wonder if I smell. My bruised and swollen face isn’t doing me any favours. It was probably why I got caught in the first place.

He was calling me foul names when he brought me back here— I lower my voice "—like skank and whore. Disgusting. My father is a lawyer and I expect he’ll want to sue for misconduct when I tell him what went on here today."

They look at each other and I can immediately tell they don’t buy it. I should have cried.

Listen, honey, it’s going to be fine. Just give us your name and address. You’ll be back home by the end of the day, the girl cop says.

She is my age and she’s calling me pet names like I’m just a kid.

The other option is that we book you now and take you back to the station. You’ll have to wait in a cell while we sort out who you are. It will be a lot easier if you just give us your name now.

They’re trying to scare me and it’s working, but not for the reason they think. Once they have my fingerprints it won’t take them long to identify me. They’ll find out what I did.

I was so hungry, I say, and the tremor in my tone isn’t fake.

It’s the look in their eyes that does it. A mix of pity and disgust. Like I’m worth nothing, just another stray for them to clean up. A memory slowly opens and I realize I know exactly how to get myself out of this.

The power of what I’m about to say is huge. It courses through my body like a shot of vodka, removing the tightness in my throat and sending tingles to the tips of my fingers. I don’t feel helpless anymore; I know I can pull this off. Staring at her, then him, I let myself savor the moment. Watching them carefully to enjoy the exact instant their faces change.

My name is Rebecca Winter. Eleven years ago, I was abducted.

1

2014

I sit in an interview room with my face down, holding my coat tightly around myself. It’s cold in here. I’ve been waiting for almost an hour, but I’m not worried. I imagine what a stir I’ve caused on the other side of that mirror. They’re probably calling in the missing persons unit, looking up photographs of Rebecca and painstakingly comparing them to me. That should be enough to convince them; the likeness is uncanny.

I saw it months ago. I was wrapped up with Peter, a little bundle of warmth. Usually I got teary when I was hungover and just spent the day hiding in my room listening to sad music. It was different with him. We woke up at noon and sat on the couch all day eating pizza and smoking cigarettes until we started feeling better. That was back when I thought my parents’ money didn’t matter and all I needed was love.

We were watching some stupid show called Wanted. They were talking about a string of grisly murders at a place called Holden Valley Aged Care in Melbourne and I started looking for the remote. Butchered grannies were definitely a mood killer. Just as I went to change the channel, the next story began and a photograph came up on the screen. She had my nose, my eyes, my copper-coloured hair. Even my freckles.

Rebecca Winter finished her late shift at McDonald’s, in the inner south Canberra suburb of Manuka, on the seventeenth of January 2003, a man said in a dramatic voice over the photograph, but somewhere between her bus stop and home she disappeared, never to be seen again.

Holy shit, is that you? Peter said.

The girl’s parents appeared, saying their daughter had been missing for over a decade but they still had hope. The mother looked like she was about to cry. Another photograph: Rebecca Winter wearing a bright green dress, her arm slung around another teenage girl, this one with blonde hair. For a foolish moment, I tried to remember if I had ever owned a dress like that.

A family portrait: the parents looking thirty years younger, two grinning brothers and Rebecca in the middle. Idyllic. They may as well have had a white picket fence in the background.

Fuck, do you think that’s your long-lost twin or what?

Yeah, you wish!

We’d started joking about Peter’s gross twin fantasies and he forgot about it pretty soon. Nothing stuck around long in Peter’s mind.

I try to remember every detail I can from the show. She was from Canberra, a teenager, maybe fifteen or sixteen at the time she went missing. In some ways, I was lucky the side of my face was bruised and swollen. It masked the subtle differences that distinguished us. I’ll be well and truly gone by the time the bruising fades. I only need to buy myself enough time to get me out of the station, to the airport maybe. For a moment my mind wanders to what I would do after that. Call Dad? I hadn’t spoken to him since I left. I had picked up a pay phone a few times, even punched in his mobile number. But then the sickening sound of soft weight crashing against metal would fill my head and I’d hang up with shaking hands. He wouldn’t want to talk to me.

The door opens and the female cop peeks in and smiles at me.

This won’t take too much longer. Can I get you something to eat?

Yes, please.

The slight embarrassment in her voice, the way she looks at me and then quickly averts her eyes.

I had them.

* * *

She brings me a box of piping-hot noodles from the takeaway next door. They’re oily and a bit slimy, but I’ve never enjoyed a meal so much. Eventually, a detective comes into the room. He puts a file on the table and pulls out a chair. He looks brutish, with a thick neck and small eyes. I can tell by the way he sits down that my best chance with him is ego. He seems to be trying to take up as much space as possible, his arm resting on the chair next to him, his legs wide open. He smiles across the table.

I’m sorry this is taking so long.

That’s okay, I say, wide eyes, small voice. I turn my face slightly, to make sure he’s looking at the bruised side.

We’re going to bring you to the hospital soon, okay?

I’m not hurt. I just want to go home.

It’s procedure. We’ve been calling your parents, but so far there’s been no answer.

I imagine the phone ringing in Rebecca Winter’s empty house. That was probably for the best; her parents would just complicate things. The detective takes my silence as disappointment.

Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll get a hold of them soon. They’ll need to come here to make the identification. Then you can go home together.

That’s the last thing I need, to be called out as a fraud in front of a room full of cops. My confidence starts to slip. I need to turn this around.

I speak into my lap. I want to go home more than anything.

I know. It won’t be too much longer. His voice is like a pat on the head. Did you enjoy those? He looks at the empty noodle box.

They were really nice. Everyone has been so amazing, I say, keeping with the timid-victim act.

He opens the manila folder. It’s Rebecca Winter’s file. Interview time. My eyes scan the first page.

Can you tell me your name?

Rebecca. I keep my eyes down.

And where have you been all this time, Rebecca? he says, leaning in to hear me.

I don’t know, I whisper. I was so scared.

Was there anyone else there? Anyone else held with you?

No. Only me.

He leans in closer, until his face is only inches from mine.

You saved me, I say, looking him right in the eyes. Thank you.

I can see his chest swell. Canberra is only three hours from here. I just need to push a little harder. Now that he’s feeling like the big man, he won’t be able to say no. It’s my only chance to get out of here.

Please, will you let me go home?

We really need to interview you and take you to the hospital to be examined. It’s important.

Can we do that in Canberra?

I let the tears start falling then. Men hate seeing girls cry. It makes them uncomfortable for some reason.

You’ll be transported back to Canberra soon, but there is a procedure we need to follow first, okay?

But you’re the boss here, aren’t you? If you say I can go they have to do what you say. I just want to see my mom.

Okay, he says, jumping out of his seat. Don’t cry. Let me see what I can do.

* * *

He comes back to say he’s worked it all out for me. I will be driven to Canberra by the cops who picked me up, and then the missing persons detective who worked on Rebecca Winter’s case will take it from there. I nod and smile at him, looking up at him like he’s my new hero.

I’ll never reach Canberra. An airport would be easier, but I’m sure I can still get away from them somehow. Now that they see me as a victim, it won’t be too hard.

As we walk out of the interview room, everyone turns to look at me. One woman has a receiver pressed to her ear.

She’s here now. Just let me ask. She puts the receiver against her chest and looks up at the detective. It’s Mrs. Winter—we finally got a hold of her. She wants to talk to Rebecca. Is that okay?

Of course, the detective says, smiling at me.

The woman holds out the receiver. I look around. Everyone has their heads bent but I can tell they are listening. I take the phone and hold it to my ear.

Hello?

Becky, is that you?

I open my mouth, needing to say something, but I don’t know what. She keeps going.

Oh, honey, thank God. I can’t believe it. Are you okay? They keep saying you aren’t hurt, but I can’t believe it. I love you so much. Are you all right?

I’m okay.

Stay where you are. Your father and I are coming to get you.

Damn.

We’re just about to leave, I say, in almost a whisper. I don’t want her noticing my voice is all wrong.

No, please, don’t go anywhere. Stay where you’re safe.

It’ll be quicker this way. It’s all sorted out.

I can hear her swallowing, heavy and thick.

We can be there really soon. Her voice sounds strangled.

I’ve got to go, I say. Then, looking around at all those pricked-up ears, I add, ’Bye, Mom.

I hear her sobbing as I hand the phone back.

* * *

The last glow of sunlight has disappeared and the sky is a pale grey. We’ve been driving for about an hour and the conversation has dried up. I can tell the cops are itching to ask me where I’ve been all this time, but they restrain themselves.

This is lucky really, because they would most likely have a better idea than I do where Rebecca Winter has spent the past decade.

Paul Kelly croons softly on the radio. Raindrops patter on the roof of the car and slide down the windows. I could fall asleep.

Do you need me to turn the heater up? Thompson asks, eyeing my coat.

I’m okay, I say.

The truth is I couldn’t take my coat off, no matter that I was starting to feel a bit hot. I have a birthmark just below the crook of my elbow. A coffee-coloured stain about the size of a twenty-cent piece. I’d hated it as a kid. My mother always told me it was the mark left by an angel’s kiss. It was one of the few memories I have of her. As I grew up I sort of started to like it, maybe because it made me think of her, or maybe just because it was so much a part of me. But it wasn’t a part of Bec. I doubted that either of these idiots had looked closely enough at the missing persons file to see the word nil under birthmarks, but it wasn’t worth the risk.

I try to force myself to plan my escape. Instead all I can think about was Rebecca’s mom. The way she had said I love you to me. It wasn’t like when my dad used to say it, when someone was watching or when he was trying to get me to be good. The way she had said it was so raw, so guttural, like it was coming from her core. This woman that we are zooming toward really does love me. Or she loves who she thinks I am. I wonder what she is doing right now. Calling her friends to tell them, washing sheets for me, dashing to the supermarket for extra food, worrying that she wouldn’t sleep because she was so excited? I imagine what will happen when they call her to tell her that they lost me on the way. These two cops would probably get into a lot of trouble. I wouldn’t mind that, but what about her? What about the cleanly made-up bed waiting for me? The food in the fridge. All that love. It will just go to waste.

I need to go to the bathroom, I say, seeing a sign for a rest stop.

Okay, honey. Are you sure you don’t want to wait for a servo?

No. I’m sick of being polite to them.

The car veers onto the dirt road and stops outside the brick toilet block. Next to it is an old barbecue and two picnic tables and behind that is solid bushland. If I get a decent head start, they won’t be able to find me in there.

The female cop unclicks her seat belt.

I’m not a kid. I can take a piss by myself, thank you.

I get out of the car, slamming the door behind me, not giving her a chance to argue. Raindrops fall onto my face, ice against my sweaty skin. It feels nice to be out of that sweltering car. I glance back before I walk into the toilet block. The headlights beam through the rain, and behind the windscreen wipers I can see the cops talking and shifting in their seats.

The toilets are disgusting. The concrete floor is flooded, and scrunched-up wads of tissue float around like miniature icebergs. The place stinks of beer and vomit. A bottle of Carlton Draught rests next to the toilet and the rain beats against the tin roof. I imagine what my night tonight will be like, hiding in the rain. I’ll have to wander until I reach a town, but then what? I’ll be hungry again soon and I still don’t have any money. The last week has been the most horrible of my life. I’d had to pick up men in bars just to have somewhere to sleep, and one night, the worst one, I had no other option but to hide in a public toilet in a park. Jumping out of my skin at every noise. Imagining the worst. That night felt like it would never end, like the light would never come. The toilet block looked a bit like this one.

For a moment my resilience slips and I imagine the other alternative: the warm bed, the full stomach and the kisses on the forehead. It’s enough.

The bottle breaks against the toilet seat easily. I pick a large shard. Squatting down in the cubicle, I hold my arm between my knees. I realize I’ve started to whimper, but there’s

Reviews for Only Daughter

[jaxlynleigh · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The premise of the book sounded interesting but the execution of it just didn’t do it for me. I kept reading on because I wanted to find out what happened, but there were many parts that just didn’t seem plausible, such as the police not pushing more on the investigation and her ability to not get additional tests/DNA tests done. I wanted to really like this book, but the plot had too many holes to thoroughly enjoy without questions. *I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review .*

[kbranfield-837433 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Only Daughter by Anna Snoekstra is a riveting mystery that is written in a split narrative that takes place during two different time periods. In 2003, the story takes place in the days leading up to Bec Winters' disappearance. In the present, the story begins when a young woman who closely resembles Bec takes her place to avoid arrest. Both story arcs are compelling but the events leading up to Bec's disappearance are the most chilling.

After being picked up for shoplifting, a young woman makes an impetuous decision to tell authorities her name is Bec Winters. Since she bears an eerie resemblance to the missing girl, the police have no reason to doubt her claim and she is quickly reunited with "her" family. Fooling the family seems to be easy enough but the imposter has a more difficult task of convincing the real Bec's best friend Lizzie Grant. The imposter must also endure in depth questioning from the detective on the case, Vincent Andopolis. An excellent actress with an uncanny ability to read people, she manages to evade answering Vincent's many questions about her kidnapping but he seems to growing suspicious of her. Although Bec's parents and twin brothers Andrew and Paul seem to harbor no doubts about her identity, the imposter begins to grow uneasy with the family's increasingly strange behavior.

The flashbacks detailing the days before Bec's disappearance begin with normal teenage behavior. She hangs out with her best friend Lizzie in between working her shifts at a fast food restaurant. At home, Bec's parents dote on Andrew and Paul while mostly ignoring Bec and chastising her for not spending about time with her brothers. As strange things begin occurring at home, Bec turns to Lizzie and her co-workers to help exorcise her ghosts. Shortly after a disagreement with Lizzie, Bec vanishes without a trace after a late shift at work, leaving everyone, including the police, stymied about what happened to her.

A suspense-laden debut by Anna Snoekstra, Only Daughter is an intriguing mystery that has plenty of twists and turns. Bec's story arc grows increasingly ominous as the bizarre events she is experiencing become more frightening. The present day storyline is full of tension as the imposter tries to keep everyone from realizing she is not Bec. Both story arcs reach their denouement at the virtually the same time and although a little far-fetched, the novel's conclusion is full of stunning plot twists. An all around spellbinding mystery that fans of the genre are sure to enjoy.

[pgchuis · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Rebecca Winter disappeared 11 years ago on her way home from work. In the present day of the novel the unnamed protagonist claims to be the (abducted but recently escaped Rebecca) to get out of a shoplifting charge. She intends this to be a temporary means to an end, but finds life as Rebecca, with a mother so happy to have her back, to be so enticing that she prolongs the deception. However, she begins to wonder what exactly did happen to Rebecca...On the plus side, this was a quick and well-written read, and it was a pleasure to read a novel set in Australia. On the other hand, it was rather unbelievableSPOILERSWould the police really be so easily fobbed off with the pretence that "Rebecca" could remember so little of the previous 11 years? She very easily evaded blood tests etc to determine her health, regardless of checking her DNA. "Rebecca's" personality softened up remarkably quickly - I found it hard to believe she would be so desperate for a mother figure, especially as "the mother" was so distant and the final crisis was very melodramatic.

[jjnaaucoin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have not read a book this quickly in years, I could not put it down. I loved the entire story line. I hope this author continues to write! The only thing I didn't like was the descriptive nature at the end. Although, I somewhat knew the end, the twists were so AMAZING. The characters were very real for the most part and the flat characters were flat for a reason. Such a enjoyable read for me.

[taranator-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this novel immensely and in no way found the violence too graphic or over the top. The reveal actually surprised me, who doesn't happen often. I found the authors writing style easy to read and understand. I definitely recommend.

[mooose_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This suspenseful book had me readying, reading, reading. And what could be cooler than that? It's what we look for in a story. Don't bother reading reviews that might hold spoilers, just get the book and dive on in.

[philipjhunt · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The adjective "debut" always gives me the impression of some precocious teen suddenly waking up one morning thinking "I wonder if I can write a novel?" The truth is, like the cliched 'overnight sensation', a fiction. Here is a debut novel by a not-yet-30 Australian who steeped herself in the crime writing genre, post-grad learning and writing workshops before producing this "instant" success.The book itself shows enormous promise. It's very readable and competently plotted. There are a few suspend-belief moments and I found the characters a bit thin but Snoekstra is still young and I'd be disappointed if her writing does not mature along with her. There is a second book coming this year. I look forward to reading it.

[boudicca123 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Four and a half starsTold by 2 voices, Bec and Rebecca. Bec disappears from her home and ten years later Rebecca, who looks very much like her, sidles into the family home - an imposter trying to live the life of her predecessor. This is one dark thriller with some very creepy people. Reading this is like being in a maze trying to find your way out - first one way, then speeding off in another direction. I loved it and found it very hard to put down. What a great story, so different from the usual psychological tales. I hope Anna is busy writing another book especially if it's anywhere near as good as this one!

[bnbookgirl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not a bad read. Bec disappeared several years ago and the case has run cold. A girl gets busted by the police and in her desperation blurts out that she is Bec. She escaped her captors and wants to go home. The family accepts her as Bec and life goes on. I really did not like "Bec" in the beginning and I felt sorry for her family. Then, the roles changed. I started feeling sorry for "Bec" and disliking the family. There are some great characters in this story even if you end up not liking them. I was not fond of the ending, it did seem a bit rushed. Not a bad read, it should keep you interested until the end. There could be some interesting discussions for book clubs.

[maggie1961-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It was just an impulse. Our narrator finds herself in trouble when caught shoplifting something only so she would have something to eat. If she gave her real name or was fingerprinted, they would know who she was and what she had done. She knew she looked like her, so before really thinking it through, she said "I'm Rebecca Winters and I was abducted 11 years ago". And then it was too late to take it back. Her plan was to escape in a few days but she got caught up in Bec's life. She was in a family, a family that seemed to adore her and the thought of taking over Bec's life seemed like a really good idea. But something is wrong. Maybe Bec's life wasn't all that golden. Someone is following her, someone is sending her texts. Who knew she wasn't the real Bec?"Her"mom seems a little off. She is having a hard time trying not to screw up and give herself away; to the parents, and the brothers, the best friend Lizzie and the policeman who handled her case. I had no idea where this was going and it was one thrilling ride getting there. What a fantastic plot line and conclusion, a total shock and surprise to me. The only reason I didn't give it a five was just a little of what i thought was unrealistic in her "return". No one really questioned anything about where she had been except Vince the cop. No one seemed to pick up on what had to be glaringly obvious, her mannerisms, her voice, no idea of anything in Bec's past so no way would she even be able to carry off being Bec. And also, someone would have leaked something to the press long before it actually happened. Nonetheless, other than that, which didn't wreck the story for me, this book just grips you, I read most of it in one sitting. It is told by Bec before her disappearance and by "Bec" when she returns. We had an advantage knowing details of Bec's life that the imposter didn't know; things that if she had known, she never would have returned. Great read!

[hellonicole_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

As a suspense novel, this falls kind of flat. The concept is there, but the foreshadowing is a bit heavy-handed at times, and the characters fall too flat to lend any sense of true urgency.

[welsh_eileen2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I may be alone in saying this, but I was not taken by the story unfortunately.Maybe it's because it is a debut novel, but the characters didn't ring true for me.Perhaps I will have better luck with future novels from this author.I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher Mira UK via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review.

[smik_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

When our unnamed central character decides to impersonate Bec Winter who has been missing from Canberra for 11 years, she means to do it for only a few days, and then to disappear. However she finds that plan is not so easy to carry out. For a start the police are reluctant to release her to Bec Winter's parents. When they finally allow her to go "home" they ask her to avoid publicity and the detective in charge of the investigation visits her every day trying to jog in her memory details of her original "abduction".The longer she stays the closer she gets to working out what actually happened on the day Bec disappeared. The reader is assisted by narrative about what actually happened to Bec in 2003, but not everything is revealed. There are several plausible red herrings about who might have been responsible for Bec's disappearance.We also become aware that our impersonator has a history which she is not anxious to be revealed.A rather tangled but interestingly worked plot, and a relatively quick read.

[shetreadssoftly · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Only Daughter by Anna Snoekstra is a highly recommended psychological thriller.In 2014 a young woman who is detained for shoplifting in New South Wales, Australia, claims to be Rebecca “Bec” Winter. Eleven years ago, in 2003, sixteen-year-old Bec went missing from the streets of Canberra. She was last seen working her shift at the McDonald's. This Bec, however, is an imposter who saw a TV show and noticed she resembled the missing girl. To avoid giving her real name and to escape the shoplifting charges, she tells the police the lie.Soon she is being reunited with her "family" and talking to the lead detective on the case, Special Investigator Vincent Andopolis. Fake Bec is claiming to be foggy on the details of what happened to her and says she just wants to be home, with her family. Her family seems to be... odd, and then there are the threatening text messages.The narrative alternates between the stories of the real Bec in 2003 versus the Fake Bec in 2014. In 2003 Bec seems to be all about teen drama and hijinks at first, but there are also unexplained, dark occurrences. Her family is more focused on how her twin brothers Andrew and Paul are doing than what Bec is up to. The tension begins to rise for Fake Bec too, as she decides to stick around and look for clues to try to find out what really happened to Bec. This is a well written debut novel that is both a quick and compelling read. The tension and ominous feeling carries through in both time periods. I was glued to the pages even when the action seemed a little far-fetched. It does require some suspension of disbelief (for example, Fake Bec even getting to meet the family, let alone the reaction of the family) and in the surprise ending, but I had no problem with that for Only Daughter. This is a perfect airplane book. You will be glued to the pages and the time will fly.Disclosure: My advanced reading copy was courtesy of the publisher for review purposes.

[marcejewels · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

From my blogOnly Daughter is the debut book by Anna Snoekstra from Australia. I see huge potential with this author's writing in the psychological thriller genre. This is a story about what is done in the dark will come out in the light and that family deep rooted secrets will come out and have you hurt all over again.A young woman is arrested and instead of facing her consequences she remembers an old police story where she looked like the victim and says she was abducted and that her name is Bec Winter. How shocking and ridiculous is this lie but she gets away with it, or does she...... 'Surely, a mother would know her only daughter.' Kindle 11%The story felt a little farfetched to start with coincidence after coincidence and then you realize the story may not be about her replacing Bec's life but finding out where Bec disappeared. The officer in charge is disappointed she won't help him find who took her and starts to think she is protecting someone, but who? Bec has no idea what she has started all over again with her new family and friends. Instead of living the life with a beautiful reunion she ends up with guilt and continuous stress on tricking her new family and getting the cops to give up on the investigation. 'I'm being hunted. Staked on every angle. Hoe is the only safe place left. Sitting on the couch, I try to breathe. Feeling helpless will get me nowhere. Fear will get me nowhere.' Kindle 49%The story switches between 2003 before Bec goes missing and 2014 when she is replaced. I thought this was a solid story keeping you engaged but it missed the thrill and the highs and lows that keep you on the edge of your seat. You knew something was off with the mom and dad but never exactly what, so many of the secrets were not fleshed out because the characters were one dimensional. You know the mom is conflicted but there is no growth to understand why. Then there is the best friend's father, weird things are said and done in the past and present but never comes to intuition, you just have this feeling that is never revealed.I enjoyed the ending but it could have been longer to answer some questions. The text messages she was receiving added a great potential threat and edge of your seat thrill but never was fully captured to be thrilling and a true threat. 'Get Out' and 'Leave now or it will happen again.' This execution was a miss and could have taken the book to another level but great debut overall.Thanks to Netgalley for pre-approving Only Daughter for me to review.

[pomo58 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Only Daughter is a phenomenal debut from Anna Snoekstra. This is truly a psychological thriller that will keep you reading.The basic premise, stepping into someone else's life, is done here with a dark twist. The original girl has been missing over a decade while the one who steps in has a murky past and thinks she has found a way to have a better future. Yet things are never quite as they seem. The novel is told from the perspectives of the impostor in the present as well as Bec, the missing girl, from the summer she went missing.Snoekstra's screenwriting education is evident here as the reader can easily picture the events as they occur. It is no wonder that the film rights have already been picked up. The novel throws the reader into the action from the beginning and we learn details at the same time we are wondering how the scene in front of us will play out.A highly recommended novel for those who enjoy suspense and some very well planned and executed twists. Reviewed from a copy made available through Goodreads' First Reads.

[lenamaybooks · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3/5 Stars
Only Daughter
by Anna Snoekstra
published by Harlequin (US & Canada)
Pub Date 20 Sep 2016

In the year 2003 a sixteen-year-old Rebecca Winters has a pretty normal teenage life. She’s working at a fast food restaurant, shop lifting with her best friend and enjoying the company of boys. That is until she starts blacking out and bizarre things start happening around her; the blood in her room, people acting strange and the sense that someone is watching her. Yet none of these things alert her to an impending doom.

A little over a decade later Rebecca is replaced. A woman who is so desperate to avoid being arrested claims to be the missing girl from eleven years ago. The new Bec takes over a stranger’s life and seems to have no trouble fitting in at all. She plays with her twin brothers, hugs the mom and crushes on her best friend’s boyfriend. However, the new Bec soon realizes she’s being followed and whoever played a part in the real Rebecca’s disappearance is still at large and she’s in real danger.

Only daughter is a mix of psychological and sociopathic craziness. I picked this book up and didn’t do anything until I turned the very last page. I had absolutely no idea “who-dunnit” and I suspected everybody. The characters were very well developed and the plot was sound.

The only issue I had was the lack of explanation at the very end. I feel that the author rushed the ending and I would have preferred more analysis of the psychological aspect of a few characters.

If you’re ready for a quick and twisty thriller, Only Daughter awaits you.

[susan.h.schofield · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I won an ARC of this book from Goodreads. This was a surprisingly good thriller. It was fast paced with some surprising twists. There were several plot points that were mentioned but never really developed ends but there was still a satisfying conclusion. If you are looking for a quick read and you enjoy a good mystery/thrilled then I definitely recommend this book.