Not Your Child

Not Your Child 

Not Your Child is the latest novel to be checked off my to be read list. I’ve been reading more thrillers lately because I go through genre spurts and this is my current favorite. 

This is the debut novel of author Lis Angus, and I have always thought there is something very special about every debut novel. The description captured my attention and set my expectations very high. 

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I had no idea what I was getting myself into by reading a brand new to me author, but I had to find out if this book would live up to the description and how great it sounded. I was curious, and had to satisfy that curiosity.

I felt the same way when I read Angry Hornet Nest, that I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but I was really curious and needed to find out if this was an author for me. 

Have you read Not Your Child? Come on in and let me tell you about it! 

About Not Your Child 

When Ottawa psychologist and single mother Susan Koss discovers that a strange man has been following her twelve-year-old daughter Maddy, she fears he’s a predator. But it’s worse than that. The man, Daniel Kazan, believes Maddy is his granddaughter, abducted as a baby—and he’s obsessed with getting her back.

Susan insists on a DNA test to disprove Daniel’s claim, but the result is one she can’t understand or explain: it says she’s not Maddy’s mother.

Then Maddy vanishes. Susan’s convinced Daniel has taken her, but he has an alibi, and two searches of his house turn up nothing. The hunt is on—police are on full mobilization, and Susan fears the worst. 

Thoughts on Not Your Child 

In Not Your Child we meet Daniel, Maddy, and Susan. Susan is Maddy’s mother, and Daniel thinks he is Maddy’s grandfather. 

Daniel is stalking Maddy, convinced she is his long-lost granddaughter who supposedly went missing after a car wreck that killed her parents. This isn’t the first time Daniel has done this either. But it seems the police don’t think he’s all that dangerous, more delusional than anything, but still pretty harmless. Daniel also hears the voice of his dead wife in his head as the book goes on. 

I honestly felt bad for Daniel throughout the book, until the DNA results came back. That is when he really became dangerous, and I felt the deep tension, wondering what would happen next. The ending where I had the answers about Daniel actually made me mad. It is hard not to spoil it all right here. I want to explain my point, but I’m not going to spoil it for anyone. You’ll have to read it and see exactly what I’m talking about. 

Maddy is a typical twelve year old, who thinks she’s seventeen and knows absolutely everything, and should be treated like an intelligent and responsible adult. I found her to be really annoying. But again, she’s twelve and knows everything, as most twelve year olds do. Despite my dislike of Maddy, she is still a well-written character, especially for her age and the way she thinks. 

The one big part that I feel like could have been explored more with Maddy is how she felt about the DNA test results. She questioned it all, obviously. But it would have been interesting to see her explore that more, and get a better vibe on how it was making her feel, or understand how much it influenced her decision to run away. I think this would have given the middle of the book a better pace and not felt quite as laggy. 

I also really appreciated Susan’s character development in this story. She obviously struggled with raising a twelve going on seventeen year old, as I’m sure all parents do. The pre-teen years are not remotely easy years. It certainly made me think about my own childhood and how I was at that age. Susan really grew on me as she looked inward and really reflected on how to improve on being a mother. 

Maddy running away was a very predictable portion of the book, but everything else took some twists and turns that I wasn’t expecting. The book was a bit tedious in the middle, as some books are. But it was still a really fast-paced read and I finished it in one typically rainy Pacific Northwest afternoon. It gave me all the answers at the end that I needed, and didn’t leave any loose ends undone. 

What irritated me the most was my inner crazy auntie was screaming at the police. My bestie was a cop, and we’ve talked about many cases over the years and how they’re handled, or mishandled at times. Needless to say, I was really irritated that they didn’t see Daniel as a real threat. 

Why they weren’t watching him despite his alibi checking out is beyond me. I was mad they didn’t post an undercover officer outside his house to watch him while Maddy was missing. Especially given this wasn’t his first stalking case where he thought some random girl was his long lost granddaughter. When someone shows you exactly who they are and what they are capable of, and a pattern emerges, believe them. Believe that it can and will escalate too. But the police didn’t see it that way. 

But I also have to remind myself that if everybody made all the right decisions my armchair quarterbacking self wanted them to, there wouldn’t really be much of a story to read. 

Final Thoughts on Not Your Child 

I’m calling Not Your Child a four star read. I really enjoyed it, but I would not read it a second time, and that is a big criteria for my five star ratings But it is absolutely worth taking the time to read this novel. 

Not Your Child was my introduction to Lis Angus and her writing and I am looking forward to reading more of her novels. This may be my first book I’ve read from her, but it will definitely not be my last. 

I am really looking forward to reading more from Lis Angus, because writing is like anything else, the more you practice, the better you are at it. I’m fully expecting that each book she writes will be better than the last. She’s a talented writer with a bright future ahead of her. I’m more impressed with her debut novel than I expected to be, and that just makes me happy. 

If you are looking for a simple yet great thriller novel that you can read in just one day, I highly recommend giving Not Your Child a try. 

After I wrote this review, I went to read other reviews to see if my opinions were similar or different from other readers. It was interesting to note how hostile other readers were to the characters. Those who gave it less than three stars hated every single character. I thought they were flawed, sure. But also well written. But I did note the majority of reviews were very positive. 

This is one of the most amazing parts of reading, it is so subjective. I always encourage you as a reader to form your own opinions on each book that I review here in my blog and let me know if you agree or disagree with my thoughts on it. 

Discussion 

Have you read Not Your Child or any other writing from author Lis Angus? Are you a fan? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! 

About the Author 

Lis Angus is a Canadian suspense writer. She has always loved reading and writing; by the time she was six, she often sat at the kitchen table writing stories while her mom cooked supper. At age nine, she spent a summer writing a novel in her cousin’s hayloft. 

Originally from Alberta, she has also lived in Germany and Toronto. Before turning to fiction, she worked with children and families in crisis, and later as a business writer, conference organizer, and policy advisor. 

Her debut novel, Not Your Child, was a finalist for the 2021 Daphne du Maurier Award and was published in 2022. That Other Family is her second novel. 

She’s a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, Crime Writers of Canada, Capital Crime Writers, and the North Grenville Writers Circle. She now lives south of Ottawa with her husband.  

Purchasing Not Your Child

• If you are interested in buying the paperback version of Not Your Child, click here.
• Click here for the Kindle version.
• Click here for my favorite Kindle I currently own.

More from Lis Angus

Did you enjoy my review of Not Your Child? Need another great Lis Angus novel to read? Here are my favorites!

• Not Your Child
• That Other Family
• Black Cat Mystery Magazine Number 11 (short story collection from multiple authors)

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