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Little Disasters

Sarah Vaughan (Goodreads Author)

3.63 · Rating details · 4,769 ratings · 978 reviews

A new thought-provoking novel exploring the complexity of motherhood and all that connects and disconnects us.

You think you know her…but look a little closer.

She is a stay-at-home mother-of-three with boundless reserves of patience, energy, and love. After being friends for a decade, this is how Liz sees Jess.

Then one moment changes everything.

Dark thoughts and carefu ...more

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Kindle Edition, 400 pages

Published April 2nd 2020 by Simon & Schuster UK

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· 4,769 ratings · 978 reviews

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Sep 15, 2020 Melissa ~ Bantering Books rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-arc, on-my-kindle

3.5 stars

I’m not gonna lie.

Motherhood is hard. It’s stressful. It’s chaotic. It gives no rest to the weary.

It. Is. The. Most. Trying. Challenge. Of. My. Life.

But never would I wish to change a single thing about it.

And when I think back to the “baby years” with my two boys, I smile with love and fondness at the memories. But I also shudder. For I remember --

The never-ending sleepless nights and debilitating fatigue.
The irrational fear and anxiety.
The feelings of isolation and sadness.
The unc ...more

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Jan 27, 2020 Dorie - Cats&Books :) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: edelweiss, mystery-thriller, 2020-edelweiss-challenge

This is a fast paced drama/mystery which I tore through pretty quickly. Ms. Vaughn writes a heartbreaking story with humanity, realism and characters that I grew to understand and care for.

Jess is a mother of three, her youngest Betsey, 10 months old, is not at all like her two older boys. She is a baby who is often inconsolable and requires a lot of holding, nursing and attention and Jess has felt overwhelmed pretty much since her birth. She felt as though she had things under control and organ This is a fast paced drama/mystery which I tore through pretty quickly. Ms. Vaughn writes a heartbreaking story with humanity, realism and characters that I grew to understand and care for.

Jess is a mother of three, her youngest Betsey, 10 months old, is not at all like her two older boys. She is a baby who is often inconsolable and requires a lot of holding, nursing and attention and Jess has felt overwhelmed pretty much since her birth. She felt as though she had things under control and organized until Betsey was born. Her husband Ed is supportive but often absent, he works long hours and pretty much leaves the parenting to Jess. As a mother of four daughters, I could relate to some of the isolation and feelings of helplessness when a newborn continues to cry and cry despite all of your efforts. I can even remember putting my baby in her crib, closing the door and going away for 15 minutes or so to collect myself. It happens to most mothers at some point I think if we are all being honest.

Jess has a group of friends including Charlotte, Mel and Liz who formed a friendship during prenatal classes for their first born children. Since Betsy was born Jess has felt isolated and yet she is so unsure of herself, scared of some of her inner thoughts that she fails to reach out for help, even from her closest friends.

The drama begins when Betsy is brought into the ER by Jess with a head injury. Liz, a pediatrician, on call in the hospital, is called to the ER when Betsy is brought in. Because of their friendship and hospital protocol, the child’s care is quickly shifted to another pediatrician. When they perform a scan they discover an injury that doesn’t fit with the admission statement that Jess made. Quickly Social Services is called in, the police get involved and Jess’s care of her children is brought into question.

Her husband Ed begins to question Jess’s explanation also and wonders why she didn’t share his sense of urgency until “he had shouted at her in frustration and threatened to call a cab to take the baby himself? . . . .Jess had taken quite some persuading, had insisted that Bets must just have a virus and initially accused him of overreacting.”

Slowly as we work backwards through the story, told mostly in the voices of Jess and Liz, we find that Jess had an unhappy childhood which is one reason why she has tried to be “perfect”. We can feel her self distrust when some of her “visions” of causing harm to her child are revealed; she has been struggling and very unhappy for a long time.

Her friend Liz has a large part in the story, she also had a difficult childhood. She has a lot of empathy for Jess and tries to do what she can to help her and her family. She will be the one who ultimately finds out what truly happened to this little girl.

There are several twists to the story and just when I thought the novel was wrapping up, another layer was exposed which explained everything.

There is much to think about in this book and very pertinent to our times. Mothers are often meant to be everything, a mother, a career woman, a wife and taking care to get exercise to keep her figure in pre baby shape. I think this quote says a lot:“Perfectionism is a dangerous state of mind in an imperfect world” -- Robert HIllyer

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well written, character driven drama.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss.

The novel is set to publish in August of 2020. ...more

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Mar 08, 2020 Nilufer Ozmekik rated it really liked it · review of another edition

How far you may go to make your children safe and give the care, comfort they need? A mother’s job is looking after them, feeding them, keeping them healthy, happy, fulfilling all their mental and psychical needs but what happens to all those caring and sacrificing mothers when they get exhausted, all alone to achieve their best and when the time comes, they find out their best is not a great option for their kids!

This book is not a thriller or mystery, this is though-provoking, questioning an ...more

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Oct 02, 2020 Kaceey rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, netgalley

When Jess Curtis brings her crying baby girl to the emergency room, she’s confident everything will be alright. And why wouldn’t she? Her friend Liz is the pediatrician on duty. Of course she’s in good hands. So how did everything spin so horribly out of control, even requiring the involvement of Police?

Could Jess have possibly harmed her own baby? After all, she’s been having those dark thoughts about doing exactly that. But did she actually take the next step and act them out? She’s just been ...more

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Mar 03, 2020 megs_bookrack rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs-read

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Liz, a pediatric doctor, is surprised when one of her closest friends, Jess, arrives at Emergency Services one night with her baby, Betsey.

She is even more surprised once she discovers Betsey has suffered severe head trauma, to the point of cranial fracture.

Making matters worse, when Liz questions Jess about it, she is quite dodgy with her story. She tells Liz she wasn't even aware Betsey had a head injury.

She claims after Betsey vomited in her crib, her husband insisted ...more

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May 03, 2020 Sandy *The world could end while I was reading and I would never notice* rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020, 4-star, contemporary-fiction, mystery, netgalley-arc, domestic-drama, new-to-me-author, psychological-thriller

EXCERPT: She risks glancing down. Two eyes stare back. Please don't cry, please don't cry, the plea is automatic. The baby's bottom lip quivers and the uneasy quiet is broken with a bleat. Great gulps of rage soon drown out the heavy lullaby. Please be quiet. Just be quiet. Be quiet, won't you? Just be quiet, for God's sake!'

It's no good. The walls push in; the heat bears down and the noise - the terrible crying that has been going on for three hours - engulfs her. Her eyes burn and she feels li ...more

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Jul 03, 2020 Liz rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

I was a fan of The Anatomy of a Scandal, so I was curious to see what Vaughn would write this time around. Liz is a pediatric doctor, who has drawn the short straw and is working Friday night when a friend, Jess, brings in her ten month old baby to the ER. The mother’s story isn't consistent with the head injury. As much as Liz doesn’t want to, she’s forced to get social services involved.
We hear from both women, in a nonlinear fashion. The women have vastly different lives. Jess is a stay at h ...more

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Nov 16, 2019 Ceecee rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Sarah Vaughn has done it again! This is another book that is impossible to tear yourself away from. This is a very emotionally charged psychological drama that is beautifully written. The central premise being the difficulties of parenting especially the early months when your baby may not settle and nothing you do stops the crying or even worse, the screams. Liz is a paediatric doctor and is called to A and E when baby Betsey, daughter and third child of her friend Jess, is brought in with a su Sarah Vaughn has done it again! This is another book that is impossible to tear yourself away from. This is a very emotionally charged psychological drama that is beautifully written. The central premise being the difficulties of parenting especially the early months when your baby may not settle and nothing you do stops the crying or even worse, the screams. Liz is a paediatric doctor and is called to A and E when baby Betsey, daughter and third child of her friend Jess, is brought in with a suspicious head injury theta does match with her story. At the behest of her unpleasant boss Neil, the police and social services are called and what unfolds is movingly told from several points of view but principally Jess and Liz. The story goes backwards and forwards from the incident to their meeting at ante natal classes to the incident and beyond.

As you read you feel a range of emotions including sadness and empathy. Liz and Jess are united in that they both had very difficult childhoods but the incident with Betsey tests their friendship. It forces Liz in particular to focus on suppressed memories from her own childhood and on several terrible events and the difficult relationship with her mother. Liz is lucky that she has a rock in Nick, her steady and kind husband. The characters are well portrayed and most are likeable because like all of us they have frailties although Charlotte is not at all easy to like. She is sharp and cold and as the story progresses you realise there is good reason to distrust and dislike her. I especially like the portrayal of the children especially Jess and Ed’s boys. Jess’s mental breakdown is distressing and you feel her pain as she tries to wipe away her problems with antibacterial spray. Her husband Ed is good at earning the beans (and plenty beans) but is content to leave parenting to Jess with disastrous consequences. He does thankfully emerge a better person. I like the exploration of the dynamics of friendship and family as things shift and change and this is sharply observed. There is tension and emotion as the novel builds to a twisty and unexpected climax and thankfully there is reconciliation, forgiveness and professional help for Jess. The end is optimistic which I like.

Overall, a fantastic book that shines a spotlight on how hard and unrelenting parenting can be, that sometimes it is drudgery and very exhausting and at others, great joy. It captures the moments when even the best of parents can find themselves trapped in an endless cycle and it can be overwhelming without support. It’s an excellent psychological drama which I recommend.

With special thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC. ...more

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Jul 29, 2020 Barbara rated it liked it · review of another edition

Mothers have a biological imperative to nurture their offspring. In humans, this generally amounts to providing food, clothing, shelter, and a safe and loving home. On occasion, however, things go wrong, and mothers think of harming their children. In this book we meet an array of mothers, some more capable than others.

Liz, Jess, Charlotte, and Mel met in prenatal group ten years ago, when each woman was expecting her first child.

The mothers remained friends ever since, though life's responsibi ...more

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Mar 30, 2020 Denise rated it liked it · review of another edition

I've been on such a great run of amazing reads - unfortunately, this book ended that run. It's not that it is an awful book, but it is touted as a psychological thriller, but it is NOT in any way a thriller - it is more of women's fiction/domestic drama. If I had known that going into it, I may have had different feelings about the book, but I kept waiting for things to happen that just didn't.

The book begins with Liz, a pediatrician, who is suddenly faced with an ethical and personally difficu I've been on such a great run of amazing reads - unfortunately, this book ended that run. It's not that it is an awful book, but it is touted as a psychological thriller, but it is NOT in any way a thriller - it is more of women's fiction/domestic drama. If I had known that going into it, I may have had different feelings about the book, but I kept waiting for things to happen that just didn't.

The book begins with Liz, a pediatrician, who is suddenly faced with an ethical and personally difficult decision when her good friend, Jess, comes into the emergency room with her 10 month old daughter, Betsey. Betsey has suffered a head trauma, yet Jess took over 6 hours to bring her to hospital and is vague about how the injury happened. Liz has no alternative but to report the injury, bringing social services and the police in to investigate. The investigation takes on a life of its own and secrets abound. I'm trying to come up with positives - it's an interesting insight into postpartum, but frankly, it's been done before and much better, in my opinion.

The book is told through the POV of both Liz and Jess, but it jumps around from the present, where there are different perspectives given from multiple secondary characters, to the past when the women met in a childbirth class, but then also way back to when Liz's childhood. I didn't enjoy Liz's chapters at all, and found her childhood "backstory" distracting and unnecessary [Slight spoiler alert: I felt like it was thrown in for the author to show, 'see, here is what a really bad mom looks like - Jess is fabulous compared to her']. I found both Liz and Jess to be a bit lean in regard to characterization - Jess is the seemingly perfect stay-at-home mom, Liz is the guilt-obsessed working mom, etc. There are also too many secondary characters who just cluttered the plot.

Almost from the beginning, the plot is obvious - there are so many clues along the way that you can't help but catch on. There is a twist near the end that I didn't totally see coming (but that being said, it was unpleasant and unbelievable, at best). The ending also just did not work for me - while I do enjoy a book that ties things up in the end, I do not like when a serious, life-altering plot suddenly flashes six months in the future and everything is now coming up roses. That is just not true to life.

The best thing I can say about Little Disasters is that it did present some thought-provoking insights into postpartum, but in the end, I couldn't get over the fact that the book just wasn't what I expected. I think I'm in the minority here, but for me, it was only a 3 star read. ...more

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May 27, 2020 Katie B rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, mystery, arc, fiction, read-in-2020

This is the second book I have read by this author and once again she has incorporated a tough subject into the story. It was an uncomfortable read but I say that as a positive thing. The way she handled the material made me appreciate this more as a straight fiction read rather than one in the mystery or thriller genre. For me it was a compelling story without the twists or turns.

Liz first met Jess years ago while they were both pregnant and attending birthing classes. Liz is a doctor at a hosp ...more

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Aug 25, 2020 Phrynne rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 5000-2020

I was misled by all the claims that this is a mystery or a thriller. Okay so we do have to find out who dropped the baby and part of the book works around this, but a far greater part is spent on social issues surrounding post natal depression, relationships, and the need for more support for vulnerable new mothers. This is not a bad thing but it is not my thing and I was not the best audience for this book.

Nevertheless I can see it is a good book, well written and dealing with important social ...more

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Mar 28, 2020 Carolyn rated it liked it · review of another edition

I wish to express my sincere thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advanced copy of Little Disasters in return for an honest review.

The book was well written and the characters well developed. I regret to say that this book was just not for me through no fault of the author’s literary abilities. I mistakingly thought from its description it would be a medical mystery, but instead found a grim, gut-wrenching tale of family dysfunction, mainly emphasizing postpartum anxiety and depress I wish to express my sincere thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advanced copy of Little Disasters in return for an honest review.

The book was well written and the characters well developed. I regret to say that this book was just not for me through no fault of the author’s literary abilities. I mistakingly thought from its description it would be a medical mystery, but instead found a grim, gut-wrenching tale of family dysfunction, mainly emphasizing postpartum anxiety and depression. On a personal note, being childless, and at the time finding doctors and counsellors dismissive of my feelings, it was difficult for me to connect with the four mothers and they did not resonate with me. Individual characters were experiencing anxiety, holding feelings of inferiority and guilt, and keeping secrets.

I feel that the book will appeal to many readers and would raise interesting book club discussions. I will never look at postpartum depression and SIDS the same way again.

The focus is on a mother of three who takes her eleven-month-old girl to the hospital, concerned that she threw up. The attending female doctor is her good friend so another doctor takes charge. It is discovered the little girl has a fractured skull. The mother denies she knew about any injury, but admits that the girl fell while trying to pull herself up from a crawling position when her back was turned. She appears suspicious and evasive when questioned and says she was never aware of the injury from the fall six hours earlier. The baby girl is kept in hospital, begins having seizures, and put into an induced coma.

Child Welfare and the police question the mother. They are suspicious of the timeline, and the fact that the injury in no way coincides with the mother’s description of the fall. Her friends noticed changes in her personality around the time of her child’s birth. Her irrational behaviour leads her to snatch the sick child from the hospital room before stopped by security.

There is much suspicion and speculation regarding what really happened on the day the toddler was injured. I failed to anticipate the shocking reveal near the end of the story. ...more

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Aug 20, 2020 Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Liz thinks she knows Jess all too well. They’ve been friends for years, and she can’t imagine anyone more patient and loving with her kids. In one split moment, everything Liz thinks is blown apart.

The pacing here is strong, and I read Little Disasters quickly. I have to say this story did a number on my heart because it’s so emotional. I love the twists, and my favorite aspect was the characterization. Overall, I think Little Disasters is an intriguing, character-driven mystery that’s also thou ...more

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Jul 12, 2020 Sharon rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-reading-challenge, arc, 5000-2020, ucorrected-proof, mystery, thriller, sent-by-publisher, own-read

Liz Trenchard works long and tiring hours as a pediatrician. When she is called into the ER to attend to a ten month old baby, Liz wasn’t expecting to discover her friend Jess waiting in the room with her daughter Betsey.

After examining Betsey, Liz is concerned that Betsey has suffered some sort of head trauma. Liz speaks with Jess about what happened, but what Jess is telling her is not adding up and Liz has no choice other than to contact family services.

Little Disasters is a fast paced, hea ...more

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Jun 30, 2020 Carolyn rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, domestic-drama, mental-health, 2020, mystery, netgalley-2020, family

When pediatrician, Liz Trenchard is called into ER by a junior doctor she is surprised to see that the baby daughter of her friend Jess is the patient. Jess says the baby has been crying all night and then started vomiting but when Liz examines her she finds a head injury that Jess can't adequately explain. However, Liz knows that Jess, stay at home mother of three, is the perfect mother all other mothers are jealous of, so what happened for baby Betsey to have a head injury?

This tale of mothers ...more

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Jul 23, 2020 Erin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, netgalley

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.

For Dr. Liz Trenchard, it's supposed to be a typical January night in the ER, but when her friend Jessica Curtis arrives with her youngest child, Betsey, Liz can immediately see that something is not right. Betsey has severe injuries that don't match up with Jess's narrative. Why won't Jess just tell Liz or anyone else at the hospital what happened? As the police and the social workers get involved, so do Jes ...more

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Jul 04, 2020 Christina rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is a sad and engrossing tale of motherhood.

First thing to know is that this is not really a mystery or a “domestic thriller” - I went in expecting that, and found more of a Big Little Lies type story of a group of friends with a focus on one particular family. If you are expecting a more traditional thriller just know that this is not that book.

Despite that, the book was engrossing. There is a mystery of sorts in the book - how did mother Jess’ child get seriously injured? Jess’ friend, a ...more

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Aug 10, 2020 Julie (JuJu) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs, 2020-reads

An honest, raw and tragic portrayal of motherhood and post-partum depression.

On the surface, Jess is one of those perfectly-organized mom's that can do it all....and make the rest of us feel inadequat. Her house is spotless, her children are always clean and fed. Her family life is structure...serving dinner on time to her working husband, who is seldom home to offer assistance.

But underneath, Jess is an overwhelmed and sleep-deprived mother, trying to do everything perfectly and hold it toget ...more

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Jul 09, 2020 Erin Clemence rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, first-reads

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.

Expected publication date: August 18, 2020

Liz is a pediatrician and has spent the last few years working long hours in the ER, seeing horrible tragedies befall children and their families. Her friend, Jess, is a stay-at-home mom of three children, who, on the surface, seems to be a loving, caring mother. When Jess brings her infant daughter Betsey into the hosp Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.

Expected publication date: August 18, 2020

Liz is a pediatrician and has spent the last few years working long hours in the ER, seeing horrible tragedies befall children and their families. Her friend, Jess, is a stay-at-home mom of three children, who, on the surface, seems to be a loving, caring mother. When Jess brings her infant daughter Betsey into the hospital one evening, Liz is astonished. Betsey has a skull fracture, and it is so violent it couldn’t possibly be caused by bumping her head on a table, like Jess claims. Due to Liz’s professional responsibility, soon the authorities are called in and Jess is kept away from her ailing daughter. Now, young Betsey keeps getting worse and Jess’ answers only lead to more questions. Jess is the perfect mother- is it possible she harmed her baby?

Sarah Vaughan’s “Little Disasters” is a horrifying tale of the struggles of motherhood, family secrets, and the stigma attached to mental illness. Hot on the trail of “Anatomy of a Scandal”, “Disasters” is one heck of a gripping thrill ride.

The story is told in alternating viewpoints; both Jess and Liz, varying across timelines, so that the suspense pulls you in, and brings you along from start to finish. We learn how Liz and Jess became friends, and how their relied on each other during tough times as parents, and this is juxtaposed with Liz having to report Jess to the authorities and the suspected abuse. Each chapter is clearly identified, so we knew who is speaking and when.

The novel is well-told, and the characters are likable and honest. Even Jess, who is suspected of abusing her daughter, still has her charming and endearing qualities. This novel is full of suspense, leading up to a surprising conclusion. Vaughan’s “Disasters” checks every box in the “familial suspense” genre.

Although a new author to me, I’m definitely going back to check out Vaughan’s other works, and am keeping an eye out for anything she releases in the future!
...more

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Apr 18, 2020 Theresa Alan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is a book about the complexities of motherhood. Four women meet at a birthing class, so at least their firstborns are all about the same ages. There is Liz, a doctor, who’s slightly less successful because her superior doesn’t appreciate her taking maternity leave for two kiddoes. There is Jess, who seems to be the perfect stay-at-home mom with a wealthy husband. Mel has two kids and when the novel starts, her husband has just left her for a much younger assistant. And there is Charlotte, w ...more

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Apr 03, 2020 Gloria Arthur rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: the-bookshelf

Little Disasters is a thought provoking read into the dark side of motherhood

Here we have a group of mothers who bond at their local prenatal classes for their first-borns and become long time friends.

Old friendships are stretched to breaking point when one of the mothers, Liz a paediatrician doctor finds herself attending to one of her friends injured baby at the Hospital Accident and Emergency Department where she works and is given a story that just doesn’t add up. Suspicions arise and Liz ...more

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Aug 21, 2020 Dana rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: review-copies

Sometimes what you see on the outside isn't the true picture of what's happening on the inside ...

An extremely thought provoking and authentically raw look at motherhood. Well written, great character development and a plot that will have you feeling ALL the emotions.

Liz and Jess have been friends for years, and she thinks she knows her friend well but a trip to emergency after a blow to Jess's daughters head has Liz questioning if she really knows Jess at all.

Huge thank you to Simon and Schu ...more

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Apr 18, 2020 Mandy White (mandylovestoread) rated it really liked it

Shelves: z-read-in-2020, net-galley

Little Disasters by Sarah Vaughan is an emotional and traumatic look at motherhood. It is not always the easiest story to read with some parts coming rather close to home. Once you pick it up you will want to keep reading so be warned. The author looks at mental health and anxiety in mothers from all angles and treats the subject respectfully. This book made me cry, imagining how these poor women were feeling and what they went through.

The women in this book have been friends since their first ...more

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Apr 30, 2020 Tooter rated it liked it · review of another edition

3 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I loved Sarah Vaughan's first book, Anatomy of a Scandal. This book was good, but a little slow and tedious. ...more

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Jun 30, 2020 Marialyce rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley, books-of-2020

3.5 stars

This book explores the consequences of postpartum depression in a character driven story that alerts the readers to the various ways in which new mothers often find themselves after having a new child in their midst.

Charlotte, Mel, Liz, and Jess are friends having met in a prenatal class. In this book, Jess is the main protagonist and the mother of three. She has a good husband, but he works constantly so she can be a stay at home mom. Jess is a perfectionist and is troubled by dark dre ...more

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Jul 06, 2020 Judy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Just one moment can change your life in a heartbeat. This book brings emphasis to how one event can change you, how people perceive your, and affect you so dramatically you may not recover from it. Jess is a mother of three. She is a great mother who take care of her children, has lots of energy and patience with them. Then something happened that changed everything. Jess's friend Liz begins to question whether there is a problem. Something is definitely not right.

This is a heartbreaking story t ...more

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Apr 17, 2020 Emma Garland rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Liz adores her job as a paediatrician but does not enjoy the night shifts that come hand in hand with the role. As she begins another, her own children tucked up in bed, she is called for a second opinion. Upon entering the room she recognises her friend Jess. She has bought her baby to the emergency room claiming she is unwell. When Liz begins to investigate she notices things aren’t adding up. The accident isn’t matching the injury and the timeline is off. But this is Jess. Super mum Jess. A f ...more

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Jun 18, 2020 Brooke - One Woman's Brief Book Reviews rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-reviewed-2020

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Little Disasters by Sarah Vaughan. (2020).

A mother in crisis. A doctor's duty. What is the truth about that night?
Liz and Jess have been friends for 10 years since meeting at a prenatal class. But how well do they really know each other? When Jess arrives at Emergency with her baby girl and a story that doesn't add up; Liz is the doctor on call. Jess has devoted her life to family and home, but she is hiding so many secrets. As the tr ...more

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Sep 21, 2020 Kristy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, read-in-2020, arc, mystery, thriller, ebook, swapped-back-on-pbs, atria, emily-bestler

A compelling and emotional thriller about motherhood

Liz and Jess have been friends since they met in a prenatal group over ten years ago. So Liz, a doctor in a pediatrics hospital ward, is of course anxious when Jess brings her youngest daughter, baby Betsey, in with a head injury. But the worry turns to further concern when Betsey's injury appears suspicious and Jess's explanations of how it occurred are insufficient. The incident in the ward sets off a series of events that will change the two ...more

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About Sarah Vaughan

Sarah Vaughan

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Sarah Vaughan read English at Oxford and went on to be a journalist. After training with the Press Association, she worked for The Guardian for 11 years as a news reporter, health correspondent and political correspondent before leaving to freelance and write fiction. Her 3rd novel, Anatomy of a Scandal, was an instant international bestseller, a Sunday Times top five bestseller, a kindle number 1 ...more