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The Mother Next Door
By: Leah Mercer
Publication Date: February 27, 2023
Published By: The Wild Rose Press
278 pages
Find It On: Amazon | Goodreads
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ABOUT THE BOOK
I glance over at Lou’s house as I pull onto my drive, surprised that it is still in darkness. Lou and the kids should have been home from school long ago. I should be preparing a delicious meal for my children as they tell me about their day. But Lou’s car is nowhere to be seen…
The night is drawing in and Lou has still not returned. I try not to panic, but deep down I know something is wrong. Lou is the most dependable friend. Our children are at the same school. We always help each other out, and she cares for my two like only a mother can.
As a storm rages outside and local news reports tell everyone to stay indoors, a feeling of deep dread starts to swell. Then the call comes. The police have found Lou’s car, with my children’s schoolbags still inside along with Lou’s phone. But they are nowhere to be seen.
Clutching my husband’s hands, willing our children to be found safe and sound, I try to silence the voice inside my head. I’ve not been honest. I’m being punished for what happened all those years ago.
And then I get Lou’s message and I know that if I want to see my children again, I need to tell the truth to everyone I love.
What I don’t yet know is that Lou has been keeping her own dark secret. And once the storm passes, nothing will ever be the same again.
A gripping and addictive psychological suspense about dark obsession, intense motherly love and how far we will go to protect those we love the most. Perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty, Adele Parks and Sally Hepworth.
MY REVIEW
Told in multiple person first person point of view, we meet Fiona, Alison, and Jasmine. All mothers, all friends with Lou. There are also chapters from Tabitha, Fiona’s daughter, which give you an insight as to what is happening to the children. It seems everyone has a secret, including Lou, and Lou wants those secrets revealed. What is that secret? You’ll never guess! The chapters are timed, and take place only over 2 days, so it makes the pace of the book spot on. I didn’t guess at ALL what the secret was. Once the secret was revealed, I definitely didn’t see the twist coming! The book was very tense, and the addition the husbands’ anxiety over what was happening really added to the atmosphere of the book. However, I really didn’t like all of these women, especially Jasmine. I honestly liked the husbands more because they seemed to care about the children more. There is also a small lesson to be learned here. Overall, a great book!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leah Mercer was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on the east coast of Canada. Her first ambition was to be a journalist, but after completing a Master’s in Journalism, she soon realised she preferred anything other than reporting the news. After trying her hand at public relations, teaching and recruitment in various countries around the world, she finally settled in London and returned to writing…fiction, this time. Her first two novels, Who We Were Before and The Man I Thought You Were, were shortlisted at the UK’s Romantic Novelists’ Association Awards. Leah loves books, running and visiting historic houses with her husband and their son.
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