The Baby I Stole

by McGarvey Black

My husband and I are desperate for a baby. So I stole one.

All my adult life, I’ve longed for a baby. We tried IVF. We tried everything. Now we’re waiting to adopt. We have a beautiful home and all the love in the world to give a child. But we’re told it will take years.

Then one day, at Rocky Point Beach, one thing leads to another. I make a split-second decision — and I come home with a baby. His name is Liam. He has tiny red bow lips and the chubbiest cheeks. He’s gorgeous. I call him Jonah.

Now what happens when my husband gets home?

Genres: Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Fiction

312 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 13, 2024

About the author

Suspense/Thrillers

THE SECOND HONEYMOON - August 2025

He's planned the perfect cruise - and the perfect murder. His new girlfriend (my replacement) is waiting in the wings.

Our luxury cruise ship departs from Florida. Its destination - paradise. A surprise gift from Andre. Our first proper vacation in five years. A second honeymoon.

He's bought me the perfect outfit. The champagne is flowing. Everything's going to plan. Andre's plan.

He thinks he'll get away with it. But he doesn't know what I'm capable of. Not yet.

Also,

—THE BABY I STOLE
—MY SISTER'S KILLER
—THE FIRST HUSBAND
—WITHOUT HER CONSENT
—THE WOMAN UPSTAIRS
—TRUST ONLY ME
—TWICE ON CHRISTMAS
—THE GIRL WHO KILLED HER MOM

Romantic Comedy;

— LOVE ON THE LINE (original title— THE FUSSY VIRGIN).

Morality Tale

—A FAMILIAR STRANGER "It's a Wonderful Life" meets "Wall Street". This novel is a parable of our times.


All my stories are character driven. I try to throw in lots of twists and turns to keep the reader interested and guessing. Most of my writing is inspired by real people or events that trigger my imagination.

I am married with two children and currently live in Connecticut where many of my stories take place. I'm happy to FaceTime or Zoom into your book club if our schedules permit. Reach out and I'll do my best to make it happen.


——McGarvey

You can find me on Facebook or Twitter, too. Thanks for reading my books and if you like them, please leave a review, it helps so much.

Reviews

[Nina (ninjasbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved several parts of this. The twist was a bit unlikely though, but still enjoyable. I also could have done without the repetition of the events to explain it from a new POV, it could have been shortened extensively.

[Jayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE BABY I STOLE stole my weekend.

WHY?

From start to finish, I was unable to remove my headphones.

I dare you to guess the multiple twists in this surprise 5-star read!

I lost track of the number of times I GOL (Gasped Out Loud).

I listened to the audiobook read by Emily Sutton-Smith, who did an outstanding job with the narration.

No plot details have been revealed since it's best to go into this book blind.

One of my besties of 2024.

What more can I say?

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

All my adult life, I've longed for a baby. We tried IVF. We tried everything. Now we are waiting to adopt. We have a beautiful home and all the love in the world to give a child. But we're told it will take years. Then one day, at Rocky Point Beach, one thing leads to another. I make a split-second decision - and I come home with a baby. His name is Liam. He has tiny red bow lips and the chubbiest cheeks. He's gorgeous, I cal him Jonah. Now what happens when my husband gets home?

The story starts with Tori stealing a baby. I suppose you would need to be in Tori's position to know how much the desire to have a baby can take over your grief.

This fast-paced read is gripping, twisted, and well-written. The characters are well-drawn and they all have flaws. Some parts, to me, were a bit obvious, but that took nothing away from my enjoyment of this story. Tori knew she was breaking the law when she took the baby, but it's all justified in her mind. This is an emotional and complex read that's filled with lies and shocking revelations.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #JoffeBooks and the author #McGarveyBlack for my ARC of #TheBabyIStole in exchange for an honest review.

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for the Arc (Advance Reader Copy) of The Baby I Stole by McGarvey Black. This is my first book by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was fast pace and kept me engaged all the way through. It was fast paced and well written. It was quite a unique story. I would recommend this book to others and I gave it a 5 star rating. I did not predict the ending.

[Kristina (seekerofbooksandcoffee) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to McGarvey Black and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book early in exchange for an honest review.

All my adult life, I've longed for a baby. We tried IVF. We tried everything. Now we are waiting to adopt. We have a beautiful home and all the love in the world to give a child. But we're told it will take years. Then one day, at Rocky Point Beach, one thing leads to another. I make a split-second decision - and I come home with a baby. His name is Liam. He has tiny red bow lips and the chubbiest cheeks. He's gorgeous, I cal him Jonah. Now what happens when my husband gets home?


WOW! I have never read anything by McGarvey before, but this won't be my last book by her! I was so sure I knew how this book was ending but I didn't expect that twist!
I loved all the characters in this book and could empathize with everyone. Even though this book is fiction, I could see something like this happening in real life.

[Shauntelle (myglamorousreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW! This is a fast paced read full of drama and gripping. I couldn't stop reading this one. I just had to find out what happened! This book is full of secrets, lies, revenge, and twists and turns galore. Halfway through, I just knew I had it figured out, but I was definitely WRONG. I could've never guessed the ending.

The writing and pacing of the story was great. The characters were well developed, and we got to know them and all their flaws. The drama was tense, and certain parts had me on the edge of my seat...literally! A solid domestic suspense novel.

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a tense and fun read, centered on Tori, who is so desperate to have a baby that she takes one when the opportunity arises. She is constantly looking over her shoulder, has increasing health issues, and on top of that starts getting threats that lead her to believe that someone knows her secret.

The story is really fast paced and even though I guessed 2 of the 3 major twists early on, I still enjoyed the tension throughout. The final plot twist did surprise me as well. I had to suspend my disbelief a bit, as some of the decisions the characters made seemed unrealistic to me. Speaking of the characters, none of them were likable, but I was ok with that and they did seem believable. I felt like the baby was portrayed realistically when sometimes books use babies only as props.

Overall, I wish that I had been just a little more surprised at some of the twists, but I really enjoyed the pacing of the book, and I thought the story was unique. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️

This story grabbed my attention straight away. The premise was intriguing, complex, and twisted. I found the narrator, Tori, dark, flawed and well developed. Although I didn’t agree with all of Tori’s actions, her character in addition to the supporting characters, made for a tension filled story.

Of all the parts of the story, the beginning and final quarters of the book were the most compelling and memorable. The middle was lackluster and more tedious details along with nuanced dialogue that I could have done without.

In all, The Baby I Stole was a drama and tension filled mystery that was easy to read and had a satisfying culmination.

[Heidi Lynn’s BookReviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, I want to thank McGarvey Black, Joffee Books, NetGalley and Zooloo’s Book Tours for providing me with this book so I can bring you this review.

WOW!! Are you looking for a fast paced read that will hook you within the first page and keep your attention throughout the book? One with deep dark hidden secrets, wicked twists and turns, and an ending you will never see coming? Then you need to pick up McGarvey Black’s latest psychological thriller The Baby I Stole! It is unlike any book out there right now! It is so good and needs to be put on your tbr pile.

McGarvey’s storyline is stocked full of deep dark lies, betrayal, hidden secrets, and mind blowing twists and turns nobody saw coming. This is a creative read that would be perfect for any book club as there is so much to discuss!

The Baby I Stole is insanely twisted and has so much going on within the storylines! It starts out one way and just when you have it figured out McGarvey flips the switch and takes it into another totally different direction. That being said it is easy to follow but I needed to go back and revisit some scenes. Ohh but she didn’t stop there with the plot twists!! There are two more that will be saying omg she went there!

With all that I have said so far either this book needs a sequel to focus more on the last storyline revealed. Either that or this needs to be a series that I would totally binge watch on Netflix.

[Grace J Reviewerlady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of surprises!

Tori and her husband are desperate for a baby; however, she has a mountain of medical issues and the doctors have advised against any more IVF but the longing just won't go away. Then one day when she's at the beach, a young mother asks her to mind her baby while she has a quick swim in the ocean - and she doesn't come back. Tori makes the split-second decision to take the baby home with her, telling her husband that the adoption people phoned unexpectedly. Will she get away with it?

This is a riveting read. I always enjoy this author's books and this one had me gripped all the way through. Did I see it coming? Certainly not! I had an inkling about a little part but the whole twist just blew me away! did, however, foresee issues which weren't addressed in the book, but I do tend to be a bit pedantic. A stunning read and one I'm happy to recommend. 4.5*.

[Angelica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

Immediately, the book opens with the scene of how the main character, Tori, steals a baby. And as it was unfolding, I thought, something about this doesn't seem right. I can't see this actually happening...Who leaves a baby with someone they just met...Who steals a baby? and How to do they expect to get away with it?

But the story was interesting and I was intrigued that it kept me reading, so much so, that I finished it in one day. I didn't like Tori, she comes off very entitled as she's handed literally everything from her parents and she keeps attempting to validate her reasoning for stealing this baby. It seemed odd to me that we're expected to believe that no one would be looking for this baby, especially when Tori herself starts looking for his mother. I didn't particularly care for her husband either. Their marriage was filled with lies and deceit, both are self absorbed and only looking out for themselves. Daniel even more so than his wife.

As the story continues and we learned more, it just kept getting worse. More lies, more drama and it made me not classify it a psychological thriller, but more of a family drama. Some of the twists were easy to be guessed, but some of them were more of a surprise and they kept coming until the very last page.

I liked the story for a while. The idea was great, but then I think it went too far off the deep end and became a mess of family revenge.I thought the ending fell a bit flat. But I also didn't see it coming, so at least that part wasn't predictable.

This book has parts of it that remind me of other books I've read, including, The Drowning Woman, Sometimes I Lie and The Last One Left. Some of them I liked, others I didn't.

[Diane 🌻 Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gives “Lifetime Movie” vibes. Not bad, but not great.

[Paula Learmouth · Rating 5 out of 5]

If all you've ever wanted is a baby and tried everything you can, would you be tempted to steal a baby? Toni had been through so much and all she's is told was 'Sorry, you'll have to wait'. Toni can't imagine life without a baby, it's all she's ever wanted growing up and it's the only thing that's missing from her life. At Rocky Point Beach Toni sees a baby that she can see being hers, even though he's not. It's not long before Toni is back home where she feels safe, but she's not alone, along with her is the baby from the Rocky Point Beach. What will she do?, What will her husband say when he gets home? Where is the baby's mother and what is she think?
This is a fast pace book that will keep you reading till the end. Even though I knew what was coming most of the time, I didn't see what the end had instore for me

[Tracy Fenton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Baby I Stole (tagline Twisty, nail-biting, crime mysteries and suspense thrillers) – an unputdownable psychological thriller with an astonishing twist is basically exactly what it says it is! So I’m not sure if I need to say much more, but as you are here now, I might as well add my thoughts:

Firstly, and most importantly, this is a dark story, so if you are triggered by themes of child abduction or infertility, then maybe give this one a miss!

I must admit that I don’t normally read books with the blurb in first person, it seems to be all the rage at the moment and for some reason it really puts me off, however as this book is Free on Kindle Unlimited and I’m determined to get my money’s worth, I decided to read it.

The story grabbed me straight away, our narrator Tori is planning on spending the day at the beach where her wealthy parents live. She’s been coming to the same beach all her life and always sits in the same place under a tree in the shade, but when she gets there, a young woman and her baby are already sitting there. After striking up a conversation, the two women spend the next few hours getting to know each other and enjoying the sunny day, however in a split second a tragedy occurs and Toni makes a decision that will change her life forever.

You’ve read the blurb above, so you already know that Tori is rich, she’s married, she’s been trying for a baby with her husband for years and she is desperate to have a child so when an opportunity arises she grabs it and doesn’t really think about the consequences until it’s too late.

Personally, I thought this was an easy and gripping read full of tension throughout. Although I didn’t agree with Tori’s actions and she wasn’t particularly likeable, I was still eager to find out what was going to happen. The tagline above mentions an “astonishing twist” and I will admit I didn’t see the twists coming, despite being a professional armchair detective and self proclaimed expert in psychological thrillers, so I would definitely recommend this book to any fans of dark and twisty books.

[Sonal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tori meets Sasha and her adorable infant son on the beach one day. After a nice long chat, Sasha asks Tori to watch her son as she takes a quick swim. When a commotion happens on the beach, Tori realizes that Sasha must have drowned, she doesn't think twice about taking the baby. Tori has wanted nothing more than to be a mother, but with her serious health issues, it isn’t possible for her. She thinks of this as a sign for her to be a mother to this child. Tori's husband and parents are ecstatic about this new family member, but Tori is struggling, physically and mentally, over this huge secret. It doesn't help that she starts to recieve mysterious messages from someone who seems to know what she's done.
This book definitely kept me intrigued. I honestly did not feel bad for Tori at all, who kidnaps a child, and within a week is looking for a nanny, an absolute stranger, to watch the child? Also, I never really felt Tori's desperation for a child, she barely spent time with him. I had a hard time connecting with her.
I thought I had the twist figured out, and for the most part, I was right, I just never expected it to be as twisted as it was. I wish I had felt a bit more connection with the characters, there was also a lot that wasn't explained (but could be assumed) that I would have liked, such as the mysterious notes. The ending was definitely unexpected but satisfying, I just felt there were a lot more details that could have been explained.
Thanks to Netgalley and Joffe Books for providing the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Dalene Dawdy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so excited when I read the summary and reviews on this book. It sounded so interesting and I just had to read it. The book was not terrible, neither was the storyline, however this book was way too drawn out and much longer than it needed to be. This book was around 400 pages and could have easily been an amazing 200 page short psychological thriller. Due to the length of this book, I got so bored and it took me so long to get through it because it felt like such a drag. The twist at the end was pretty shocking but just not as crazy as many reviews made it out to be, and also way too unreal and ridiculous. If you are looking for a simple psychological thriller, I would read this, however... only if you have the time to get through it.

[Hailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a book is characterized as THE PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER YOU NEED TO READ THIS YEAR, you bet your ass I'm going to read and gobble up every morsel! The first two chapters are jam packed with action and trust me when I say this, go into this blind if you can. This book will have you in a death grip from beginning to end and it's the type of book that will keep you from doing anything productive until you read the breathtaking final pages. You will enjoy this a lot if you've loved Freida McFadden, Daniel Hurst, T.M. Logan, Anya Mora, T.J. Brearton, Patricia MacDonald and Shari Lapena.

[GGmom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plot twist

This was a decent book. More like a 3.5⭐️ rating. It was somewhat drawn out and definitely predictable. The last chapters were where the real twist came that I didn’t see. What happens is a woman Tori and her husband Daniel are trying for a baby. Tori is a trust fund baby herself and her husband whose an actor - not successful- is basically her dependent. They’ve tried to have a baby, but with her health condition the doctors explain it’s not going to happen for her even with IVF. So she does what most would do and gets on a list for adoption. She’s very desperate to be a mother and would do anything to be one. When summer comes around she goes to her parents place in the Hamptons while her husband is in CA for an audition. She happens to meet a woman who has a 4 month old precious baby boy. They get to chatting and then the woman asks her to watch her baby for 10 minutes while she goes to cool off in the ocean. Tori finds that odd since she is a stranger, why would a mother just let someone she just met watch her baby? But Tori agrees. Next thing you know there is hysteria forming by the beach because a woman in a pink swim cap has gone missing in the water. The police show up and it’s assumed the woman - the babies mother - has drowned. Tori thinking fast on her feet inevitably decides to take the baby. Afterall he has no other family according to his mother and Tori doesn’t want him in the foster care system. She’s wealthy and married and knows her very rich and supportive parents would be thrilled to have a grandson. So the lies begin. She’s keeping the truth hidden from her family and they seem to buy it. Daniel her sweet loving handsome husband is also keeping some secrets from his wife and gee, the nanny they hire who is all but a snaggle tooth is also keeping secrets. It’s a fascinating way the story unravels and the lengths the characters went through to get what they wanted and hide what they didn’t want revealed. ***one spoiler*** when people started telling Tori how much the baby looked like her, including her father (who said the baby looked like him) I assumed one of two possible scenarios: either the baby was conceived out of an affair between her father and another woman (the nanny) OR the nanny somehow had IVF with Tori and Daniele embryo. Both of those theories were incorrect. The truth is much simpler.

[Joyce Stewart Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author : MCGARVEY BLACK

THE BABY I STOLE
5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Description:
THE ONE PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER YOU NEED TO READ THIS YEAR. My husband and I are desperate for a baby. So I stole one.
All my adult life, I’ve longed for a baby. We tried IVF. We tried everything. Now we’re waiting to adopt. We have a beautiful home and all the love in the world to give a child. But we’re told it will take years. Then one day, at Rocky Point Beach, one thing leads to another. I make a split-second decision — and I come home with a baby. His name is Liam. He has tiny red bow lips and the chubbiest cheeks. He’s gorgeous. I call him Jonah.
Now what happens when my husband gets home?

⛔MY REVIEW ⛔

Wow, Wow, Wow!!!!! The Baby I Stole by MCGARVEY BLACK is one of the best books I have read this year! If I could give it more than 100 stars I would. I have struggled so much this year with my concentration but not with this book. Once I started I could not put it down. I read the whole story in just a few hours. I know you hear people say this a lot but with this book it is so true. It is fast paced from the beginning to the end and so so good .But don't take my word for it go check it out for yourself. From the very first page to the last I was completely engrossed in this story. It is a true psychological thriller with so many jaw-dropping twist in every sense of the word. The twists and turns are completely unexpected and so good. The characters were very well drawn and I felt the same uncertainty ,anxiety, raw emotion, thoughts, and ideas that the characters do. If you love psychological thrillers full of twist then read this book.It will keep you turning the pages into the wee hours of the morning. I Literally read this book in one day.If you love a good thriller and prefer them on the twisted side then this book is for you. Just when you think you have everything figured out the author throws in another huge twist. The ending of this book was so twisted and totally blew my mind. Can't wait to read her next book.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one wasn't on my #marchhopefuls but I was feeling a thriller and am so glad I threw this one in! Amazon describes The Baby I Stole by @mcgarveyblack1 as "an unputdownable psychological thriller with an astonishing twist" and I couldn't agree more!

Tori wants nothing more than to have a baby, but with her heart condition and other medical issues, her last hope is adoption. When she hears from the adoption agency that it will take longer than expected, and then suddenly she is presented with a baby whose mother suddenly drowned, the obvious answer is for Tori to take this baby and make him her own.

The twist though... it made this book. I enjoyed it all the way through, but the twist got me. I had a few wonderings about where things were headed, but it was not at all what I predicted. This book is super well written, very interesting and the perfect psychological thriller for when you need a quick reading palate cleanse like I did! It's out now so go grab a copy!

Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher @joffebooks for giving me the chance to read and review this awesome book! I will definitely be checking out others from this author and publisher!

[Nicola · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title of this book explains what happens in the first few pages of the book! No spoilers there! The main character, Tori, has been struggling to have a baby. One day she is presented with an opportunity and she does the unthinkable. And then the lies start to accumulate…

This book was easy to read and kept me interested. It took lots of twists and turns. I thought I had figured it out but about 60% through there was a twist that I did not see coming and the books shifts to be written in dual POV.

I really liked the ending of this book and when I put it down I breathed a sigh of relief for the characters. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Emma Sherburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

'The Baby I Stole' is a twisty thriller surrounding Tori, who, absolutely desperate to become a mother sees an opportunity one day at the beach and steals a baby. The story focuses on Tori's need to keep her theft a secret from everyone, including her not-very-successful actor husband, Daniel and their nanny, Eden.

If you're a Frieda McFadden fan you will love this book! It is fast-paced and each chapter wants you craving more. I'm also proud to say I worked one of the twists for the first time ever...however fell short at discovering the others.




Thank you to Netgalley, Joffe Books and McGarvey Black for the opportunity of reading this novel.

[Kyla · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars - I enjoyed this book quite a bit. Earlier on in the story I was SUPER interested but I found around 70-75% in, once the reveal started happening I was actually a bit less interested. I guess it didn't go how I was hoping it would, though i'm not sure what else I was hoping for/ expecting. I did LOVE how thoroughly explained everything was though. It was very satisfying to have everything found out and not be left with questions and loose ends.

[Sue Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

The baby I stole by McGarvey Black.
My husband and I were desperate for a baby. So I stole one. All my adult life, I’ve longed for a baby. We tried IVF. We tried everything. Now we’re waiting to adopt. We have a beautiful home and all the love in the world to give a child. But we’re told it will take years. Then one day, at Rocky Point Beach, one thing leads to another. I make a split-second decision — and I come home with a baby. He has tiny red bow lips and the chubbiest cheeks. He’s gorgeous. I call him Jonah. Now what happens when my husband gets home? When you want something so badly . . . you might do the wrong thing.
I did enjoy this book. Although a little slow at first I soon got into it. I wasn't sure how I felt about the characters. I didn't have a favourite. I certainly didn't see that twist coming. I was on the edge of my seat. Omg. Double twist. I was mindblown with the ending. Wow. 4*.

[Ann Gandolph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read

I really liked this book. It grabbed me right away and never let go (except for a couple slow spots in the middle). There were several twists and turns that I never saw coming. It was one of my quickest reads, ever.

[Tash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for this advanced copy! As a fan of Lifetime movies, this book was everything I'd expected it to be. It was a little predictable however it was still a good read!

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read and a few twists. Really enjoyed the ending and wasn’t expecting it.

[Michelle Torgerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!

In two sittings I read this entire book today. WOW. Just wow. Nicely written, totally blew me away!

Well done! Look forward to reading more from you!

Michelle Torgerson

[Rachel Christine Rice · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a little slow in my opinion and part of the twist was predictable but overall a good book.