A MOTHER KNOWS HER CHILD BEST. DOESN'T SHE?
'Brilliant and creepy, I wolfed it down! One of my favourite reads of 2025' LISA JEWELLCharlotte's daughter, Stella, is sensitive and brilliant - perhaps even a genius - but after the sudden death of her babysitter, Blanka, the once disruptive and anti-social child has become docile and agreeable. And what's more unsettling is that she has begun to mirror Blanka's personality, from her accent and repetitive phrases to fierce cravings for Armenian meat stew after being raised a vegetarian.
Charlotte is pregnant with her second child, depleted and sick, and convinced that Blanka herself is somehow responsible for Stella's transformation. But how could Blanka still be entwined in their lives?
As Charlotte becomes increasingly obsessed, it's clear her husband believes this is all in her head and soon, Charlotte is convinced she is the only one who can save her daughter.
Told through a singular, chilling voice, Clever Little Thing holds light to the blurred lines of diagnosis in children and to the vital power of maternal instinct. Kaleidoscopic and tense, pulse-pounding and genuinely creepy, this is an ode to motherhood and a page-turner that will haunt readers long after its epic finale.'Compelling and creepy'
ASHLEY ELSTON'An eerie, twisty story of a mother trying to protect her daughter'
TRACY SIERRA'Perfectly unnerving'
ASHLEY AUDRAIN'Unsettling in the best way'
MARY KUBICA'Incredibly moving, tense, and deliciously creepy'
ASHLEY TATEDiscover for yourself why readers can't get enough of CLEVER LITTLE THING:
'CLEAR YOUR CALENDARS for January. You will be doing nothing but devouring this absolutely breathtaking page-turner of a book. Think THE PUSH - on steroids' Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'The best psychological thriller I've read this year!' Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'Clear your calendar because this one is impossible to put down. I devoured it in one sitting' Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'If you enjoy bingeable psychological thrillers, pick this one up . . . it deserves all the praise' Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'Clever Little Thing explores the complexity of mother-daughter relationships with a supernatural twist . . . a phenomenal read, one that I didn't want to put down' Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 
Industry Reviews
Praise for Clever Little Thing:'Compelling and creepy, Clever Little Thing taps into the heart of maternal fear and will shock you in the best way. This one will give you goose bumps'
'Goosebumps! Clever Little Thing is a sharp and unflinching twist on mom noir - part psychological thriller, part supernatural horror, this is a perfectly unnerving story with something to say about the collision of motherhood's love and fear, maternal instinct, and the bond between mothers and daughters'
'Echlin brilliantly blurs the lines between love, possession, and obsession in this eerie, twisty story of a mother trying to protect her daughter. Clever Little Thing had me racing to discover what was madness, what was manipulation, and what might be all too real'
'Helena Echlin's Clever Little Thing is a cleverly constructed psychological thriller about the intense pressures of motherhood and the lengths that a mother will go to to protect her children - I found it incredibly moving, tense, and deliciously creepy, and I know that last chapter will stay with me for a very long time'
'Clever Little Thing is unsettling in the best way, a page-turning thriller about a mother's love and endless devotion to her child that is impossible to put down'
'[A] haunting psychological thriller . . . At once a propulsive page-turner and a thought-provoking exploration of maternal attachment, this is a devilish good time' - Publishers Weekly
