Helena Echlin

Charlottina osmiletá dcera Stella je nadprůměrně chytré, nejspíš geniální dítě. Charlottu ale znepokojuje a děsí náhlá proměna její osobnosti. Po nečekaném odchodu a smrti oblíbené chůvy Blanky má totiž Stella najednou úplně jiné chutě, záliby, dovednosti i temperament. Chováním i zjevem se začíná výrazně podobat právě Blance, pocházející z Arménie, ať už jde o používané obraty, chyby v angličtině, vzhled vlasů, rukopis nebo neustálou chuť na dušené jehněčí, a to navzdory dosavadnímu vegetariánství. Charlotte, čekající druhé dítě a vyčerpaná těhotenstvím a častými nevolnostmi, je přesvědčená, že za Stellinou proměnou je nějakým způsobem Blanka. Že by Stellu posedla? Nebo se Stella stala svou bývalou chůvou? Nebo si tu chce Blančin duch něco vyřídit? Čím víc je Charlotte celou záležitostí pohlcená, tím víc je přesvědčená, že jen ona může svou dceru zachránit... I přesto, že se záhy ukáže, že její muž považuje všechna její podezření pouze za konstrukt její mysli. Jedinečný, mrazivý příběh zkoumá nezřetelné hranice diagnózy u dětí a zásadní význam mateřských instinktů. Napínavý, nefalšovaně děsivý román s příchutí nadpřirozena ve stylu Iry Levina je ódou na mateřství, od které se nebudete schopní odtrhnout až do velkolepého, překvapivého finále.

A MOTHER KNOWS HER CHILD BEST. DOESN'T SHE?'Brilliant and creepy, I wolfed it down! One of my favourite reads of 2025' LISA JEWELLCharlotte's daughter, Stella, is sensitive and brilliant - perhaps even a genius - but after the sudden death of her babysitter, Blanka, the once disruptive and anti-social child has become docile and agreeable. And what's more unsettling is that she has begun to mirror Blanka's personality, from her accent and repetitive phrases to fierce cravings for Armenian meat stew after being raised a vegetarian. Charlotte is pregnant with her second child, depleted and sick, and convinced that Blanka herself is somehow responsible for Stella's transformation. But how could Blanka still be entwined in their live? s Charlotte becomes increasingly obsessed, it's clear her husband believes this is all in her head and soon, Charlotte is convinced she is the only one who can save her daughter. Told through a singular, chilling voice, Clever Little Thing holds light to the blurred lines of diagnosis in children and to the vital power of maternal instinct. Kaleidoscopic and tense, pulse-pounding and genuinely creepy, this is an ode to motherhood and a page-turner that will haunt readers long after its epic finale. 'Compelling and creepy' ASHLEY ELSTON'An eerie, twisty story of a mother trying to protect her daughter' TRACY SIERRA'Perfectly unnerving' ASHLEY AUDRAIN'Unsettling in the best way' MARY KUBICA'Incredibly moving, tense, and deliciously creepy' ASHLEY TATEDiscover for yourself why readers can't get enough of CLEVER LITTLE THING:'CLEAR YOUR CALENDARS for January. You will be doing nothing but devouring this absolutely breathtaking page-turner of a book. Think THE PUSH - on steroids' Reader Review, ? ?'The best psychological thriller I've read this year!' Reader Review, ? ?'Clear your calendar because this one is impossible to put down. I devoured it in one sitting' Reader Review, ? ?'If you enjoy bingeable psychological thrillers, pick this one up . . . it deserves all the praise' Reader Review, ? ?'Clever Little Thing explores the complexity of mother-daughter relationships with a supernatural twist . . . a phenomenal read, one that I didn't want to put down' Reader Review, ? ?'A must read . . . a book that I will tell everyone about!' Reader Review, ? ?

A MOTHER KNOWS HER CHILD BEST. DOESN''T SHE?''CLEAR YOUR CALENDARS for January. You will be doing nothing but devouring this absolutely breathtaking page-turner of a book. Think THE PUSH - on steroids'' Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐''Goosebumps! Sharp and unflinching . . . this is a perfectly unnerving story with something to say about the collision of motherhood''s love and fear'' ASHLEY AUDRAIN''Compelling and creepy, Clever Little Thing taps into the heart of maternal fear and will shock you in the best way'' ASHLEY ELSTON''Echlin brilliantly blurs the lines between love, possession, and obsession in this eerie, twisty story of a mother trying to protect her daughter. Clever Little Thing had me racing to discover what was madness, what was manipulation, and what might be all too real'' TRACY SIERRA----Charlotte''s daughter, Stella, is sensitive and brilliant - perhaps even a genius - but after the sudden death of her babysitter, Blanka, the once disruptive and anti-social child has become docile and agreeable. And what''s more unsettling is that she has begun to mirror Blanka''s personality, from her accent and repetitive phrases to fierce cravings for Armenian meat stew after being raised a vegetarian. Charlotte is pregnant with her second child, depleted and sick, and convinced that Blanka herself is somehow responsible for Stella''s transformation. But how could Blanka still be entwined in their lives?As Charlotte becomes increasingly obsessed, it''s clear her husband believes this is all in her head and soon, Charlotte is convinced she is the only one who can save her daughter. Told through a singular, chilling voice, Clever Little Thing holds light to the blurred lines of diagnosis in children and to the vital power of maternal instinct. Kaleidoscopic and tense, pulse-pounding and genuinely creepy, this is an ode to motherhood and a page-turner that will haunt readers long after its epic finale.''A cleverly constructed psychological thriller about the lengths that a mother will go to to protect her children . . . incredibly moving, tense, and deliciously creepy, and I know that last chapter will stay with me for a very long time'' ASHLEY TATE''Clever Little Thing is unsettling in the best way, a page-turning thriller about a mother''s love and endless devotion to her child that is impossible to put down'' MARY KUBICADiscover for yourself why readers can''t get enough of CLEVER LITTLE THING:''The best psychological thriller I''ve read this year!'' Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐''Clear your calendar because this one is impossible to put down. I devoured it in one sitting'' Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐''If you enjoy bingeable psychological thrillers, pick this one up . . . it deserves all the praise'' Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐''Clever Little Thing explores the complexity of mother-daughter relationships with a supernatural twist . . . a phenomenal read, one that I didn''t want to put down'' Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐''A must read . . . a book that I will tell everyone about!'' Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐