2026 & 2027 Upcoming Releases

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The Golden Child

Lucinda Berry

Mystery, Psychological Thriller • Jan 12, 2027

Ava is the golden child. Brilliant, driven, her future a shimmering path of success. Her Irish twin, Bentley, is the opposite: a restless spirit, always one bad choice away from disaster. Inseparable, yes, but their lives were always headed in radically different directions.
Until one night, Ava makes a mistake that can't be undone. A dark road, a devastating impact, and a desperate call to the one person who has always been her shield. Bentley doesn't hesitate. He sees the blood, the terror, the shattered dreams in his sister's eyes. And in a split second, he makes a choice that changes everything: he takes the blame.
But secrets fester. And when the truth begins to unravel, their family is forced into an impossible decision. Protect the daughter whose potential knows no bounds, or save the son whose life has always hung by a thread?

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4 / 5

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advanced copy of this title.
Lucinda Berry has a distinct talent for unraveling complex family dynamics and exposing the darkest parts of human tragedy. The Golden Child navigates a devastating premise well by jumping between the present-day perspectives of Bentley, Ava, Danae, and Kash. The short chapters kept the narrative moving at a solid medium pace. This book is an emotional read because you watch a family fracture from the inside, seeing firsthand how a child who messes up too many times can become expendable. I appreciated how the tension builds naturally as the different viewpoints reveal the fractured reality of their situation.
While each character adds a necessary layer to the unfolding tragedy, I found Kash’s perspective to be the most compelling anchor. I viewed him as the sole voice who actually has everyone’s best interests at heart, providing a much-needed grounding element amidst Danae’s favoritism of Ava. Even though I didn't like the ending, it was well done and felt earned rather than rushed.
If you like multi-POV family dramas and emotional suspense then you will enjoy this book.
#NetGalley #TheGoldenChild

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