TWO LITTLE GIRLS, British author Laura Jarratt’s adult debut novel, is more than a thriller --- it’s a rolling nightmare that just seems to get worse and worse with each passing chapter until the tension becomes almost unbearable.

At the start of the book, Lizzie firmly states that everything she does is for her two girls. That’s what motherhood means to her. She is spending time with them at the Scottish Borders, bonding with 15-year-old Portia, who is somewhat moody and sullen, and seven-year-old Becca, who is her pride and joy. Her husband, Dan, is a diligent defense attorney who was not able to accompany them.

"TWO LITTLE GIRLS literally grabs you by the throat and does not let go. Even if Jarratt wanted to step on the brakes, I do not think she is capable of doing so --- and we are all the better for it because this is an outstanding potboiler of a novel."

On their way back home, tragedy strikes when Lizzie is blinded by what appears to be the lights of an oncoming car. She is abruptly driven off the road and into a nearby body of water. The windshield is shattered, and the vehicle sinks rapidly as icy water pours inside. The last thing she hears before they all go under is Portia’s screams, and she realizes that all three of them are not going to survive. Lizzie is only able to grab one of her daughters, and they huddle for warmth, staving off hypothermia. She hopes against hope that a rescue team will come for them before they all perish.

Three months later, Lizzie is being arrested for suspicion of dangerous driving leading to the death of a child. Dan immediately gets his friend, Aidan, to represent her as the thought of her being at fault here is just too cruel to imagine.

Jarratt is very subtle in waiting a bit before revealing which child survived the crash. But if you think she’s done with you, dear reader, you have another thing coming. This nightmare becomes a waking one for Lizzie’s entire family as we see chapters from the point of view of a mysterious outsider who appears to be watching them. Then there are accusations against Dan himself, as well as the many potential enemies he has made in his line of work.

TWO LITTLE GIRLS literally grabs you by the throat and does not let go. Even if Jarratt wanted to step on the brakes, I do not think she is capable of doing so --- and we are all the better for it because this is an outstanding potboiler of a novel. She explains a lot about her thought process when conceiving the story in her Author’s Note, and I especially enjoyed the quote she included from Robert Frost: “I write to find out what I didn’t know I knew.”