Someone else's child by Kylie Orr

Ren is thoroughly committed to helping her best friends Anna and Jez in their crowdfunding bid to raise funds to take their terminally ill 8-year-old daughter Lottie to Germany to participate in a new drug trial to target brain cancer. While the local community bands together to donate, it’s not enough money, and the search becomes desperate to find more sources of funds. It’s not surprising that the stress starts to show cracks in Anna and Jez’s marriage, and Ren finds herself running ragged trying to be a support to them both, and to little Lottie, to the extent that it starts to impact her own work life.

Ren feels concern for Lottie in the process. The child craves normal childhood fun and friendships at the same time as battling her illness and fear of death. Ren tries to give her some of the fun and laughter that she needs. She would do anything to help Lottie.

But sometimes, when everyone is focussed on one goal, little things are overlooked. Slowly niggling questions start to arise about some things. Anna usually has all the answers, because she has always been confident and highly organised. But the questions build up in Ren’s mind.

This is a thriller with a difference. It moves quickly, carried mainly by the conversational style, in dialogue between Ren and other people. It starts out as a moving family drama, but veers unexpectedly into more of a detective story. I won’t add any more spoilers, other than to say it is a good read that will hold your attention until the last page.

Themes: Cancer, Friendship, Child abuse, Trust.

Helen Eddy