Jo never wanted to move back to her childhood home. In fact, she moved to the other side of the world to get away from it. In California with her husband and daughter, Jo had a happy life, far away from the childhood that caused her so much pain. And then it fell apart. Her husband was killed suddenly in a car accident. They had no savings nor insurance, as he was trying to set up his own business and everything was going toward that. And then Jo’s immigration status was revoked, and she had no choice but to return to England, to her childhood home, to Lake Hall, where her mother still lives.
When Jo was a child, she had a beloved nanny named Hannah. Jo adored her and the special relationship that they had. Jo’s mother Victoria didn’t like Hannah as much. She felt like Hannah was coming between her and her daughter. But then Hannah mysteriously disappeared, and Jo was devastated. Victoria hoped that they could repair their relationship at that point, but instead it just drove them further apart. As adults, that mother-daughter relationship is still strained. But Victoria does have a glimmer of hope—her ten-year-old granddaughter Ruby.
Victoria adores Ruby, and Ruby draws closer to her grandmother in a way that Jo isn’t completely comfortable with. But with no money, Jo has to find a job, and that means she needs help watching Ruby. So when Jo’s former nanny Hannah shows back up in their little town, it’s perfect for Jo. Her beloved nanny can now watch Ruby for her, and Jo can go to work and try to rebuild hers and Ruby’s life.
But is Hannah really who she says she is?
A grisly discovery in a nearby lake, human remains with a skull that was clearly broken, raises questions about who the woman claiming to be Hannah is as well as who was killed and dumped in the lake. As the investigation goes on, more and more secrets are brought to light, and Jo finds that everything she thought she knew about who she is and what happened in her childhood is in question.
Gilly Macmillan is a master of modern thrillers, and The Nanny is no exception to her exciting, twisty thrill rides. One revelation after another spins the story in new directions, and each new uncovered secret brings gasps and goosebumps in this complex story of family, class, and burning resentments. If you need a roller coaster family story to help you pass some time this summer, The Nanny should be high on your list.
I listened to this on audio, and that was an especially fantastic way to be immersed in this story. The chapters are told from different perspectives through time, and narrators Clare Corbett, Patience Tomlinson, and Ben Eliot take turns to bring this story to life in a beautifully dramatic fashion. This one is highly recommended.
I won a copy of the galleys for The Nanny from William Morrow and Goodreads, with many thanks, but I bought the audio book myself through Audible.
