Next of Kin: A compelling and shocking psychological legal crime thriller that you won’t want to miss!

'A gripping legal thriller that will leave you reeling. A book that will stay with you long after the last page. The ending is a stunner!' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'This was a roller coaster of a book, an immersive read, a sublime plot with very open and direct dialogue. Expertly written and highly recommended' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Kia Abdullah is the absolute queen of the courtroom drama' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'WOW!! This book is astonishingly brilliant! An absolute masterpiece' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

* * * *

ON AN ORDINARY WORKING DAY...

Leila Syed receives a call that cleaves her life in two. Her brother-in-law's voice is filled with panic. His son's nursery has called to ask where little Max is.

YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE...

Leila was supposed to drop Max off that morning. But she forgot.

Racing to the carpark, she grasps the horror of what she has done.

IS ABOUT TO COME TRUE...

What follows is an explosive, high-profile trial that will tear the family apart. But as the case progresses it becomes clear there's more to this incident than meets the eye...

A gripping, brave and tense courtroom drama, Next of Kin will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final, heart-stopping page.

* * * *

Praise for Kia Abdullah

'Abdullah's legal thrillers make John Grisham seem like a maiden aunt' Sunday Times Crime Club

'An enthralling, heartbreaking and thrilling courtroom drama that had me shouting out loud and gripped until the last page' Nadine Matheson, author of The Jigsaw Man

'Brilliantly tense, this is another clever page turner from Kia Abdullah that I couldn't put down. Just superb' Louise Hare, author of This Lovely City

'Twists and turns aplenty ... The author's greatest strength lies in her sensitive and relatable description of the relationship between sisters Leila and Max's mother Yasmin' i

'A tense, brilliant read' Bella

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Published Sep 20, 2022

384 pages

Average rating: 7.72

154 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

RM
Jan 18, 2026
10/10 stars
Not an easy topic to read - but very well written. Hard to stop reading.
TanH
Jul 09, 2024
9/10 stars
Whew, what a ride! 🥴 Overall it was a pretty good book with plot twist that I did not see coming AT ALL, which is a good thing. There were a few pages that I almost wanted to skim through to get to the matter at hand but Geesh…this one will sit with me for a min.
Jewel_66
Mar 28, 2026
4/10 stars
Suspense? ✔️ Writing? ✔️ Ending? …we need to talk 😩 8.5⭐
Kellyo
Mar 19, 2026
7/10 stars
Terrible event that occurs, but the story was well told. Didn’t see it coming.
_shereads
Feb 22, 2026
10/10 stars
Loved the multiple twists at the end and the way the story was told. It moved along at a pace that wasnt too slow

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