The Times book review

Exiled by Shireen Jilla “I couldn’t imagine that my romantic dream would turn into a dark battle for everything I loved.” Anna is thrilled when her diplomat husband, Jessie, is offered a job in New York. But the dream turns sour. New Yorkers mistake Anna’s British sense of humour for a lack of commitment, and a team of armed cops descends on her when her four-year-old son is accidentally locked out on the terrace. Worse, Jessie’s stepmom, Nancy, is your typical Manhattan superbitch: evil, rich, immaculately groomed and with designs on her handsome stepson. Bristling with tension and studded with designer names, this fast-moving debut is extremely entertaining. Kate Saunders The Times saturday review, 23 April 2011