Lullaby - Leila Slimani

I read this book in two sittings and found it a highly compelling read. It was originally written in French and translated into English by Sam Taylor, and I thought the translation was excellent - none of the beauty of the language and descriptions seemed to be lost or at all clunky. The novel follows Myriam, a French-Moroccan lawyer who decides to return to the profession after the birth of her two children. Against her protective and anxious instincts, she finds a suitable nanny to look after her baby and young daughter.

Louise is the epitome of organisation and poise - seemingly a wonder-nanny. She instills a sense of calm and routine into the life of Myriam and her husband and the children absolutely love her. She sings, cleans, cooks, bakes, sews, plays imaginative games and never seems to tire, even sleeping on the sofa if she’s completed a long shift. The lives of the family become completely entwined with the elegant and polite new nanny.

As the dependency - on all parts - grows deeper, and resentment and jealousy begins to set it, the apparently still waters become choppy. Louise shows flashes of anger or spite at times, and then they are gone in an instant and the idyllic woman returns. Myriam and Paul begin to become suspicious. And then one day, it’s too late. The police are outside the building when Myriam returns - and both of her children are dead. What happened to cause their brutal deaths? This is certainly an uncomfortable read and the depiction of the crime scene is pretty harrowing.

The novel is only around 200 pages so a quick read and the author knows how to draw you in - I was gripped throughout. Lullaby is reminiscent of Gone Girl which I also read recently, and if you like the foreboding sense of danger and tense build-up in a novel then I think you would enjoy this one!