130,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿 

Happy Long Weekend! We're open all 3 days! 📚 Open 7 days, 8:30am–5pm

The Wrong Child

The jaw dropping and twisty new thriller about a mother with a shocking secret
By Julia Crouch and M. J. Arlidge
0.0 (0 reviews)
4.13 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating. ( 3,412 ratings, 310 reviews)
Brief Description
A mother with a dark secret... A daughter dying to tell. When 3-month-old Max is abducted, his parents are plunged into their worst nightmare. Devastated mum Sarah only took her eyes off him for a second, but that doesn't stop her guilt. Even husband Jake can't... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2999
OVERNIGHT NZ-WIDE DELIVERY

Found a better price? Request a price match

A gripping, heart-wrenching thriller for fans of Cara Hunter, Heidi Perks, Claire Douglas, Fiona Barton, Susan Lewis and Lesley Kara

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description
A mother with a dark secret...
A daughter dying to tell.

When 3-month-old Max is abducted, his parents are plunged into their worst nightmare. Devastated mum Sarah only took her eyes off him for a second, but that doesn't stop her guilt. Even husband Jake can't hide his anger that their little boy went missing on her watch.

By contrast, there are smiles and celebration at a caravan park in Lincolnshire, as baby Blaze is introduced to the Star family. Jenna and Gary are delighted with the new addition to their family. He is their fourth child and a real object of delight to their eldest – fifteen-year-old Willow – who once again will raise the child.

But trouble is brewing for the Star family. Willow is concerned by the desperate online appeals from Sarah and Jake. Baby Max has neonatal diabetes and, without regular treatment, will die. As baby "Blaze" becomes seriously ill, Willow makes a shocking discovery. What is the truth about her family? And how far will they go to hide their deadly secret?

READERS ARE LOVING The Wrong Child:

'This needs to be on your TBR' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'I couldn't put it down!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'A rollercoaster ride... absolutely full of twists and turns!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Gripping read' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Highly recommended and I need more please!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'It had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781398716605

Publisher: Orion Publishing Co

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 30 May 2024

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Orion

Contributors:

  • Read by Alex Rivers

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 30.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 271g

Pages: 384

Collections

Best Sellers at Book Hero Crime & Thriller Crime and mystery gifts Fiction General Fiction Gift Finder Gifts for adults Gifts under $100 Gifts under $30 Gifts under $50 In Stock Books In-Stock Fiction Books Julia Crouch M. J. Arlidge New Release Fiction New Zealand's Best Selling Books Thrillers and suspense gifts

About the Author

M.J. Arlidge has worked in television for the last twenty years, specialising in high-end drama production, including prime-time crime serials Silent Witness, Torn, The Little House and, most recently, the hit ITV show Innocent. In 2015 his audiobook exclusive Six Degrees of Assassination was a number-one bestseller. His debut thriller, Eeny Meeny, was the UK's bestselling crime debut of 2014 and has been followed by ten more DI Helen Grace thrillers - all Sunday Times bestsellers.

Julia Crouch is the author of ten internationally published Domestic Noir novels: Cuckoo, Every Vow You Break, Tarnished, The Long Fall, Her Husband's Lover, The New Mother, The Daughters, The Perfect Date, The Surprise Party and The Wrong Child. She has also written eleven plays and is developing a screenplay. She teaches for UEA, Faber Academy and the National Centre for Writing, and mentors writers trying to start, finish or polish a novel. Once a committed pantser, she is now an avid plotter.

Also by M. J. Arlidge

View all
  • Eye for An Eye
    OUR MOST NOTORIOUS CRIMINALS HAVE HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT.UNTIL NOW... Emily is a devoted single mother. Jack starts a new job in a new town. They both share the same secret: neither of them are who they say they are. They are among only nine criminals in the UK who have been granted lifelong anonymity, for their own safety, because...
    By M. J. Arlidge
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • The Reunion
    All I can say is WOW. I was immediately glued to the pages. This is one of the best books I've read this year... The authors did such a great job of describing the setting that I even felt like I was back in high school... Perfect... I highly recommend this one! Reader Review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A skull looks up at...
    By Steph Broadribb and M. J. Arlidge
    Paperback
    $2999
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • Little Boy Blue
    Little Boy Blue is the fifth DI Helen Grace novel by M.J. Arlidge. This time the crimes are closer to home . . . Helen's most personal case yet as she investigates the shocking and unexpected murder of a close friend found cocooned in plastic. It looks like it was a tragic accident - a sex game gone wrong. The...
    By M. J. Arlidge
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Out of the Ashes
    Out of the Ashes
    Pre-order the new gripping DI Helen Grace thriller from the million copy bestseller M.J. Arlidge now! Out of the Ashes features Detective Inspector Helen Grace as her best friend fights for her life, and the man responsible flees the country. An international manhunt leads to the Dutch port city of Rotterdam, where crime is big business. With the underworld harbouring...
    By M. J. Arlidge
    Paperback
    $3799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Down to the Woods
    The eighth DI Helen Grace thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Eeny Meeny, The Doll's House and Liar Liar. If you go down to the woods today... The last thing Tom Campbell remembers is camping in the New Forest with his girlfriend, Melissa. Now he is helpless, alone and consumed by fear, hunted through the woods by a...
    By M. J. Arlidge
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • Eeny Meeny
    Two victims. One bullet. One lives. One dies. A dark, ingenious, rocket-paced serial-killer thriller from a major new British talent. A young couple wakes disorientated, trapped and without food or water. There's no escape. Instead, there's a gun loaded with a single bullet and a mobile phone with charge enough only to deliver a short message: when one of you...
    By M. J. Arlidge
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • A Gift for Dying
    The gripping new stand-alone thriller from the bestselling author of the DI Helen Grace series. Adam Brandt is a forensic psychologist, used to dealing with the most damaged members of society. But he's never met anyone like Kassie. The teenager claims to have a terrible gift. With just one look, she can foresee when and how you will die. Adam...
    By M. J. Arlidge
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • Hide and Seek
    Silence of the Lambs meets Shawshank Redemption. Framed policewoman D.I. Helen Grace must survive prison and prove her innocence in M.J. Arlidge's sixth bestselling thriller. Prison is no place for a detective. Helen Grace was one of the country's best police investigators. Now she's behind bars with the killers she caught. Framed for murder, she knows there is only one...
    By M. J. Arlidge
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • Into the Fire
    Did I read this in a day? Yes, yes I did!... It was fantastic. Literally could not put it down... Fast-paced, brilliant characters... Completely loved it... M.J. Arlidge is a genius.' Reader Review, ????? Nowhere to hide. No one to turn to. Nothing to lose. Helen Grace is sure she made the right decision quitting her job as a detective....
    By M. J. Arlidge
    Paperback
    Sold Out

More from Crime & Thriller

View all
  • New Release
    King’s Ransom
    Five innocent hostages. Five private investigators. A fiendish ransom game. Has Detective Sam Speedman met his match? A fast and deadly Matthew Reilly thriller. A DARING ABDUCTION The richest man in the world has been kidnapped. Along with four of his children. THE DEADLY CHALLENGE The kidnapper's demand: the five best private detectives in America must come to the missing...
    By Matthew Reilly
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3499
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • New Release
    The French Illusion
    Bestselling author John Grisham delivers a new gripping, suspenseful page-turner about aParis honeymoon gone horribly wrong - and the nightmare that follows. After Paul and Chelsea Tanner's fairytale wedding, their future is full of promise. But their honeymoon to Paris takes a dark, shocking turn when they are kidnapped while on a day trip to the French countryside. Who would...
    By John Grisham
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • King’s Ransom
    New Release
    King’s Ransom
    Five innocent hostages. Five private investigators. A fiendish ransom game. Has Detective Sam Speedman met his match? A fast and deadly Matthew Reilly thriller. A DARING ABDUCTION The richest man in the world has been kidnapped. Along with four of his children. THE DEADLY CHALLENGE The kidnapper's demand: the five best private detectives in America must come to the missing...
    By Matthew Reilly
    Hardback
    $4499
    Elsewhere:
    $4999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • New Release
    Lizzy's Pick Lizzy's Pick
    Chain Reaction
    Jack Reacher, \"the coolest continuing series character\" (Stephen King), returns in a brand new, pulse-pounding read from Lee and Andrew Child. The world’s bestselling hero is back in a brand new, high-octane adventure! ‘She knew that finding Reacher would not be easy . . .’ Washington DC. General Susan Turner needs help from the only guy she knows will get...
    By Lee Child and Andrew Child
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • New Release
    The Family Cross
    In the gripping new thriller in James Patterson's globally bestselling series, Alex Cross faces his most personal case yet as a ruthless conspiracy targets Washington's most vulnerable... and his own family. Discover the latest gripping thriller in the globally bestselling Alex Cross series - now the inspiration for the original series CROSS on Prime Video starring Aldis Hodge as Alex...
    By James Patterson
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • The Heights
    In The Heights by #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Sir Ian Rankin, murder comes to London's most exclusive high-rise - and every resident is a suspect... MURDER COMES TO LONDON'S MOST LUXURIOUS HIGH-RISE: AND EVERY RESIDENT IS A SUSPECT. The Heights: a gleaming, high-end high-rise looming over Hyde Park. Newly built from steel and smoked glass, it is a billionaire's playground offering sumptuous suites...
    By Ian Rankin
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • New Release
    Death Row
    With all hope of an appeal fading away, the fate of a condemned murderess takes a shocking turn in a breathtaking short story from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Housemaid! A thrilling novella from #1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden! Death is coming for her… unless she finds the truth first. Talia Kemper is on death row for murdering...
    By Freida McFadden
    Paperback
    $2299
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • Signed Copy
    On Sale
    19% off
    Dying Days
    Award-winning writer delivers a pulse-pounding espionage thriller. Missing soldiers, MI6 secrets and European partisans collide in a deadly game where the lines between lies and reality are fast disintegrating. In the dying days of the Second World War, a new conflict is about to ignite. May, 1945: After fighting to liberate Europe from the Nazis, Tito's Yugoslav Army and Allied...
    By Anthony Byrt
    Paperback
    $2600
    Elsewhere:
    $3699
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • On Sale
    19% off
    New Release
    Fury In Death: An Eve Dallas thriller (In Death 63)
    In the new crime thriller from the bestselling author, Lt. Eve Dallas journeys into the darkness where murder is born… NYSPD homicide detective Eve Dallas has seen a lot in her time but even she is shocked by the savagery of a beating which leaves a wealthy biotech executive dead in his home office. The victim’s corpse is so mangled...
    By J. D. Robb
    Paperback
    $2600
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • On Sale
    19% off
    New Release
    Tom Clancy Pressure Depth
    Jack Ryan Jr leads a team of divers in a race to beat the Chinese Navy to a weapon of terrible destructive power in the latest entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series. Jack Ryan Jr. is on Guam to work on a project for Hendley Associates. It's a perfectly ordinary insurance matter, but trouble finds the Ryans...
    By Jack Stewart
    Paperback
    $2600
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • The Country Road Murders
    On Sale
    10% off
    New Release
    The Country Road Murders
    From the Sunday Times bestselling author comes a pulse-pounding thriller about justice, vengeance and the roads that lead us home. No one gets this big without amazing natural storytelling talent - which is what Jim has, in spades — LEE CHILD Cross Rivers is the kind of small town where everyone knows your name – and your secrets. Silas Tucker...
    By James Patterson
    Paperback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • On Sale
    15% off
    Every Lake
    Scary stories are fun... until your life becomes one. When Alice was fifteen, her father killed Mia Heywood in their lakefront cottage before vanishing into the trees. At least that's what the locals think happened. Over a decade later, Alice has lost her job as a journalist, she's going through an expensive divorce and she desperately needs to sell the...
    By Adam Perry
    Paperback
    $2800
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.

Crime & Thriller lists from the team

Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!

The Latest at Book Hero

View all