Book Reviews: The Nanny and Bring Me Back

The Nanny by Gilly MacMillan
Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris

I recently read these two titles and thought they would be good to review together since they share a major plot point. In each book, a character thought to be long dead rather improbably returns.

In The Nanny, we meet Jo and her young daughter who are still processing the sudden death of their husband and father. Jo has been forced by circumstance to return to her childhood home and her mother, with whom she has a difficult relationship. Alas, poor Jo was forced to grow up surrounded by wealth, privilege, and the English aristocracy, all of which she now disdains. Jo’s only fond memories are of her beloved nanny, Hannah, who mysteriously disappeared when Jo was only seven. Or did she? Not only has Jo come home, but a woman claiming to be Hannah has returned as well and deftly ingratiates herself back into the household. Jo’s mother is, of course, hiding something (lots of somethings) and the reappearance of Hannah is most unexpected. If this is really Hannah, then whose skull has just been found in the lake on the family property? Many revelations follow. At times, it’s hard to find sympathy for anyone but Jo’s poor, sad daughter Ruby who is caught between her grandmother, her mother (who is rather slow on the uptake where Hannah is concerned), and her new/old nanny.

B.A. Paris’s Bring Me Back starts out very strong. I was instantly intrigued by the story of Finn and Layla’s whirlwind romance and her subsequent disappearance. Twelve years later, after clearing his name and putting his life back together, Finn is told that Layla has been spotted at the idyllic coastal cottage where they spent the happiest years of their lives together. At the same time, Finn and his fiancée, Ella (who, incidentally, is Layla’s sister) both start finding tiny Russian dolls. Only Finn and Ella could know that Russian dolls were significant to Layla. Their appearance must be proof that Layla is alive and trying to contact them. Could it be? Where has she been? Did Finn’s engagement to Ella arouse Layla’s jealousy and prompt her to return? After many pages and many Russian dolls (many, many Russian dolls), we learn both Ella and Layla’s obligatory secrets and finally find out how Layla has spent the last twelve years.

I enjoyed both of these books for what they are; mildly suspenseful domestic dramas with the requisite twist at the end. They’re quick and wonderfully escapist reads. Each author does a good job of creating characters and stories that pull you in and make you curious. I’ll be seeking out their other works the next time I’m in the mood for a little suspense.

Submitted by Mary Beth Newbill, Southern History Department, Central Library