I have received ARC of She’s Mine by A.A. Chaudhuri from #NetGalley .

She’s Mine by A.A. Chaudhuri is a psychological thriller that explores the dark side of marriage, infidelity, and motherhood. For the world, Christine had it all: a good and devoted husband, a successful career, and stunning looks. However, there was a void that only her lover, who was not her husband, could fill. The physical attraction between Christine and her lover was so strong that she could not resist this raw magnetic attraction. Although she knew it was wrong, she continued the affair even after giving birth to her first child — a beautiful daughter named Heidi. Then, one day, this bundle of joy, her daughter, was abducted while she was busy talking to her lover on the phone. Two decades and two more kids later, the guilt of losing her two-year-old daughter still gnawed at her to the verge of consuming her. Both Greg (Christine’s husband) and Christine dealt with the pain of never finding out what happened to Heidi in their own ways. While Greg threw himself to work, Christine shut herself off. The unavailability of their parents turned Ella and Daniel, their two kids, into seriously troubled adults. They blamed not only their mother but also their missing sister, Heidi, for their disturbing childhood that was devoid of a mother’s love. But, when someone starts dropping notes claiming to know Heidi’s whereabouts, their lives dramatically change.

I lost you. And after that, I was never the same again. I went from being the most self-assured, rational person I knew, to a feeble, mentally unhinged nervous wreck who, for a year, could barely pluck up the nerve to make a cup of tea, let alone leave the house and function anywhere like a normal person.

– An Excerpt from She’s Mine by A.A.Chaudhuri

The abduction of a child is a very sensitive topic for any parent; A.A. Chaudhuri has done a commendable job of tastefully expressing the pain, grief, guilt, and trauma that follows such a heartbreaking incident. With Christine, this guilt increased multifold since she made the mistake of turning her back on her child while talking on the phone — that, too, to her lover, of all people. Christine’s pangs of conscience dripped through her every thought. Whether the audience blamed her for Heidi’s disappearance or not, they could feel the remorse that Christine felt every breathing moment of her life. A.A. Chaudhuri has an innate ability to express her characters’ emotions in a relatable manner. Since this is a psychological Thriller, understanding the functioning of the brain becomes all the more fascinating and important. The author succeeds in this area with flying colors. Nevertheless, the repetition of Christine’s guilt and almost every character’s hatred toward her resulted in a tedious reading. Furthermore, it was unnerving to see everybody bashing Christine for not showing her kids with affection, yet give a clean-chit to Greg who, on account of throwing himself to work, was also mostly absent. Page after page, Christine was badmouthed, while Greg was presented as a Saint. A diverse opinion of the characters could have stimulated the audience and made for a mindful reading.

You are my cocaine. A drug that is bad for me, that will no doubt kill me eventually, but makes me feel so high at the time. You are the drug I simply can’t get enough of.

– An Excerpt from She’s Mine by A.A.Chaudhuri

The intrigue to find Heidi and clever twists of the plot saved She’s Mine. Even though the author left enough breadcrumbs for the readers to guess the conspirator, she still kept some major twists close to her heart. With each hint toward the troublemaker, the audience sat holding their breath, disgusted, perplexed and transfixed. The book has sexual scenes, and therefore, is suitable for a mature audience. Once you start flipping the pages of She’s Mine by A.A. Chaudhury, you will want to know how it ends. In She’s Mine, A.A. Chaudhuri has woven a story of grief, heartbreak, and guilt by using fragile threads of friendship, marriage, and parenthood. The storytelling has a gripping quality that will excite and attract psychological thriller readers.

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