Two years ago, while working as a nanny for Mia and Ryan, Tara, an Irish backpacker disappeared. From all accounts, Tara drowned in a tragic accident while swimming in the ocean. However, now in the present, the police and Tara’s mother have offered a one-million-dollar reward for information and the case is reopened.

Mia and Ryan’s reaction to this makes it obvious they are guilty of playing some part in Tara’s disappearance. Tara was ill-suited for the job, drinking and partying, many times hungover while providing the extra care needed for the son, Elliot, who is autistic. A point that Mia neglected to mention when advertising for the job. In fact, not far into the novel it is revealed that the couple are indeed responsible for Tara’s death.

There is another narrative that, at first, appears to have nothing to do with Tara’s death. Beth, a struggling single mother, believes it to be too much of a coincidence when her house is burgled and then her car is stolen. Her car is an old model, hardly likely to catch a thief’s eye.

Beth suspects she is the victim of harassment from her ex-husband, exacting a form of mental abuse on her. He knows that she is struggling just to keep her head above water since the separation, and the car is vital to her life.

Again, the connection is revealed quite quickly. The Other Side of Her is about an ordinary couple and the extraordinary lengths they must traverse to keep secret the truth surrounding Tara’s death. It is about two struggling families connected by a dark secret that, if revealed, could mean incarceration for one, and as the situation spirals out of control, death for the other.

A most enjoyable read.

Reviewed by Neale Lucas