The Mother Next Door by Leah Mercer
Genre: Domestic thriller, Suspense
Read: 26th February 2023
Audio Links
Published: 27th February 2023
★★★★ 3.5 stars (rounded up)
DESCRIPTION:
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 THOUGHTS:
You trust her with your children...but now they're gone...
I love stories where the secrets of the past and collide with the present and in THE MOTHER NEXT DOOR, three women discover that you can't always escape your past and that the secrets you bury often don't want to stay buried.
The story unfolds through the multiple narratives of the three women - Fiona, Alison and Jasmine - and Fiona's daughter Tabitha. Each of the first four chapters throw the reader headlong into the deep end as we try to unravel exactly what is going on and why.
Fiona is returning home after a busy day, relaxed in the knowledge that her neighbour and best friend Lou has collected her twins, Tabitha and Tim, from school. But when she arrives home and no one is home, she isn't immediately concerned. After all, she trusts Lou with her life...and her children are her life. She knows no harm will come to them in Lou's safe care.
But then time goes by and by 7pm the children still haven't arrived home and Fiona starts to get a little worried. A quick call to the school earlier confirmed that Lou had indeed picked up her children. Surely Lou could have phoned or messaged her if they got held up by now.
But Fiona isn't the only one who has entrusted Lou with her children. A couple of other mothers, who happen to be old frenemies/adversaries from school, have given their trust over to Lou with their daughters. Without any of them even knowing. And it seems that Lou is "besties" with each of them, having inveigled her way into their lives and somehow become indispensable to each of them in turn. After all, why else would she have collected each of their children from school that afternoon, unbeknownst to one another?
A storm is brewing and the police are called when Lou's car is found abandoned on the shoulder of the motorway with her mobile phone and the children's belongings inside. But where were Lou and the children? The parents are desperate to find out what's happened to their children and why Lou suddenly decided to take them. But someone knows why.
With her own children safely with their father, what plans does Lou have for Tabitha, Tim, Gabby and Juniper?
And then...the women each receive a text message from Lou telling them she has their children and urging them to confess... What is the secret that binds Fiona, Alison and Jasmine?
THE MOTHER NEXT DOOR started off with a bang that kept me glued to the pages, eager to find out where it all lead. But it wasn't long before it became obvious to me where it was heading and there endeth the suspense factor. I mean, if it wasn't one outcome it was the other. You didn't need to be Hercule Poirot to figure this one out...and believe me, I had it pieced together long before the halfway point. But that never ruins a good story for me.
But in this case, I found the story a little average. It wasn't gripping enough and I didn't much like any of the characters. In fact, I loathed Jasmine (which wasn't difficult as she was so incredibly vain and shallow) and Juniper wasn't much better. Alison was a little flaky considering how far she had come since "the event" and Fiona? Blaming herself for something that one could clearly see wasn't her fault felt a little martyrish to me.
Although much of the story was predictable, I still guessed the twist because it just seemed like the obvious outcome to me. Maybe I'm just a domestic thriller nerd that nothing much surprises me in this genre...lol But don't be disheartened, this is still a, entertaining reach for much of the story. And I did enjoy it. It's just with a few more twists and tweaks, I think it could have been better. I'd read more by this author though because I can see the potential for some great thrillers.
Overall, an entertaining read that had me intrigued but it wasn't mind-blowing.
I would like to thank #LeahMercer, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheMotherNextDoor in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Leah put writing on hold to focus on athletics, achieving provincial records and becoming a Canadian university champion in the 4 × 400-metre relay. After getting her BA, she turned to writing again, earning a masters in journalism. A few years later she left Canada and settled in London, where she now lives with her husband and their young son.
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