The Nanny by Gilly Macmillan

 

Jo is back where she never expected to be again.  Growing up, she found her parents inattentive and cold.  The only warmth and love she got was from her nanny, Hannah.  But Hannah disappeared in the middle of the night when Jo was eight and after that she counted the days until she could leave also.  Jo married, moved to the United States and had a daughter, Ruby.  But her husband was killed in an accident and now she is back in England, back home with the mother she could never love.

Jo's mother is even more demanding and cold now that her health is waning.  She does love Ruby, though, and shows her the love and attention Jo had wanted so desperately growing up.  Then one day, Jo opens the door and there stands Hannah on the doorstep.  She has returned to the village and wants to renew her relationship with Jo.

Jo is ecstatic but her mother warns that Hannah is conniving.  Soon Jo is caught between the two women who despise each other.  Each of the older women tries to get Ruby's attention and love but Ruby doesn't like Hannah much to Jo's dismay.  When a skull is found on the estate, the police come to uncover all the secrets.  Who died and how?

This was my first novel by Gilly Macmillan and it won't be my last.  Every time I thought I knew where the story was going, there was another twist.  Macmillan is known for her thrillers and this delivered.  The relationships stretching back to childhood and the renewed fight for Jo's child's love adds another layer of suspense.  This book is recommended for mystery readers.