The Stepmother
It is a day like any other when Sarah arrives at the school gate to pick up her two stepchildren, Izzy and Patrick.
But when the twins don’t run out to meet her like normal, Sarah knows something must be wrong.
Sarah can’t believe what she’s hearing when the teacher informs her that their father, Mike, removed them from school earlier in the day. All of Sarah’s calls to Mike go to voicemail.
Worse is to come when Sarah is told by police that as she and Mike are not legally married, and he is the children’s father, there is nothing they or Sarah can do.
Then she receives a text message from Mike: Don’t go home. It’s not safe.
What has Mike been hiding? Where are their children? How can Sarah get her family back? Before it’s too late…
Praise for Sheila’s writing:
‘A tour de force… Imagine a collaboration between Ann Tyler and AM Homes’ Ken Bruen
‘A rollercoaster of twists and turns, a thoroughly unputdownable read!’ J. M. Hewitt
‘I devoured it! This is, without doubt, the best novel I have read in a long, long time. Twists and turns galore all leading up to an exciting and tension filled finale.’ Lorraine Mace
‘A dark and deliciously tense story of coming home, in every sense of the word. A truly immersive read.’ Marion Todd
‘The plot is as intricate as it is compelling; the characters so vivid they almost walk off the page. The resolution is richly satisfying. An absolute delight from start to finish.‘ Chris Curran
Out on 26 September 2026 and available to pre-order now from Amazon and all good bookshops.
