By: Valerie Keogh
Narrator: Rose Robinson
ISBN: 9781805494331
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Publication Date: 06/27/2024
Format: e-book
My Rating: 4 Stars (ARC)
Preorder the BRAND NEW psychological thriller from the NUMBER ONE bestselling author of The Nurse
A terrible wife...
Sarah Westfield is unhappily married to perfect husband Nick. Handsome, devoted and kind, he should be the ideal man for her, but Sarah knows their marriage is the biggest mistake she’s ever made…and she wants out.
But then Nick offers her one last chance to make their marriage work – a baby.
Sarah is horrified – a baby would tie herself to this man forever…wouldn’t it? Or could it be exactly what she needs?
So Sarah agrees.
A terrible mother?
When the baby arrives, Sarah struggles with motherhood and her resentment towards Nick only grows. Sarah feels more trapped than ever, but she loves her precious daughter...doesn’t she?
And then baby Kaya goes missing...
And everything Sarah has ever believed in comes crashing down around her...
Don't miss the brilliant new story from the psych thriller queen!
My Review
Author Valerie Keogh returns following The Mistress with her latest domestic suspense, THE MOTHER. A bad marriage, a baby, a kidnapping, and a deadly cat-and-mouse game will have you turning the pages to see how this one will turn out.
About...
Sarah is unhappily married to husband Nick. He was a rebound and wanted to marry. She agreed, but now he is clingy and needy. She is a doctor and wants a divorce. She regretted getting married too quickly.
However, before she can ask for a divorce, Nick wants a baby. (Like that will solve a bad marriage). That is the last thing Sarah wants to be tied to this man with a child.
But she thinks that will take the heat off her, so she agrees. (wrong decision about becoming a mother).
However, once the baby, Kayla, is born, she is not bonding with the baby, and all the work to do and no sleep. All she wants to do is go back to work.
She definitely is not showing Nick any love now. Now that she has a husband and a baby, Nick is not getting any attention.
Nick and Sarah visit a pub from her background out of town. The pub is crowded, and they sit with two other women. The baby is screaming, so the woman says she will walk her so they can eat. Taking up an offer to let a stranger walk your baby?
The one takes the baby, and when she does not return, the next one goes after them. Neither returns and now their baby is missing.
Nick is distraught, and Sarah is not showing much distress. Maybe the baby would be better off with someone else. Is she a terrible mother? YES!
There is an investigation, and the authorities think Sarah is acting a little strange, and Nick seems upset.
But things are not as they appear. Who has the baby? Was this planned? Mix in Sarah's best friend, Jade, who knows things about her from her past. Can she trust Jade?
Then, there is a break-in at her condo, and someone tries to kill them in a hit-and-run accident. What is going on? Could it be related to her baby's kidnapping?
As the investigation continues, Nick may not be the perfect husband, and Sarah is far from it. Will she ultimately get her baby back and be the best mother she can be?
My thoughts...
Trust no one here. Everyone is keeping secrets.
THE MOTHER explores the dark side of motherhood and marriage in this twisty, deadly game. Who is the villain, and who is the victim? With these two parents, the baby does not stand a chance. It's a twisty who and whydunit psychological thriller with no likable characters.
Then you have a Detective who is a mother who would prefer to go out of town with work and leave her baby at home with its work-from-home dad. She is initially very judgmental about Sarah when she might be just as bad herself, which adds another level of intrigue to the storyline.
The author cleverly keeps you in the dark with misdirection, offering some final twists in this entertaining popcorn thriller.
Recs...
THE MOTHER is for Keogh fans and those of Daniel Hurst's The Doctor's Wife series and Freida McFadden.
Thanks to Boldwood Books for a gifted digital advanced review copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: June 27, 2024
About the Author
Valerie Keogh is the best-selling author of The Nurse. She lives in Wiltshire with her husband and a huge black cat, Fatty Arbuckle. She grew up reading Agatha Christie and initially wrote crime novels - she now writes psychological thrillers.
The Little Lies was shortlisted for the Crime Fiction Lovers Award 2021
Valerie has a BA in English and an MA in American Literature.
She is currently published with Boldwood Books. READ MORE
Order of publication:
Deadly Sleep (2016)
Twisted Power (2016)
Bitter Business (2017)
Wicked Secret (2018)
Secrets Between Us (2018)
The Housewife 2019
The Dublin Murder Mysteries (2020)
The Three Women (2020)
The Perfect Life (2020)
The Little Lies (2020)
The Lies He Told (2021)
The Couple in the Photograph (2021)
A Taste of Deceit (2022)
The Lodger (2022)
The Widow (2022)
The Trophy Wife (2023)
The Librarian (2023)
The Nurse (2023)
The Lawyer (2023) (previously published as The Deadly Truth)
The Housekeeper (2023)
The Mistress (2024)
