What Kind of Mother (Detective Dan Riley #8) by Anna-Lou Weatherley
Genre: Psychological thriller
Read: 3rd January 2025
Published: 8th January 2025
★★★★ 4 stars
DESCRIPTION:
My son and his girlfriend stand there, two terrified teenagers shivering in the doorway, and say the unthinkable. ‘I think we killed someone.’ Now, I have to decide exactly what kind of mother I am…
It was never my dream to clean the Levinsons’ mansion for a living, particularly as Helen Levinson and her daughter Paris are oddly secretive about which rooms I can go into.But none of that matters the night Paris and my son Conor come begging for help, their clothes spattered with blood. They say it was an accident, that they were in the wrong place at the wrong time…
Now, Helen and I have to make a terrible choice. Do we tell the truth and risk losing our children forever? Or do we lie to keep them safe?
We will do anything to protect our children, but one wrong move could cost us everything. Lying to the police was a risk, and now Helen is acting more unpredictable by the day – turning up at my house unannounced, harassing my husband, telling lies about my past…
The only way to save my family is to uncover the truth about that night. I’m convinced the answers lie hidden inside the Levinsons’ house. I’d do anything for Conor, but am I prepared for what I might find behind locked doors? But when your son is in danger, you find out what kind of mother you are…
Anyone who loved Lisa Jewell, Gillian Flynn and The Housemaid will be absolutely blown away by the rollercoaster ride of emotions in this gripping psychological thriller! A totally twisted page-turner guaranteed to keep you up all night flipping pages.
MY THOUGHTS:
How far would a mother go to protect her only child...?
Ed and Christine Carter are struggling financially, raising their only son Conor and paying for the care of Christine's mother who has dementia. Though Conor is their only child, they had a daughter Cora who they lost to meningitis twenty years before but the pain remains. A parent shouldn't have to bury their child. And so they have poured all their love into their remaining child as he follows his dreams to become a professional footballer.
And then one night, Conor and girlfriend Paris return from a night out and all is well until they see the news the following morning. And both are racked with worry and guilt and panic about what lay in store for them.
Christine is awoken by the young couple's frantic whispers and heads downstairs to investigate. The morning news is blaring from the TV about the murder of a young local man the night before, which only seems to sends Paris into even more wailing. Christine is shocked. She didn't even know Conor knew Paris Levinson, the 17 year old daughter of the affluent couple she cleans for to keep a roof over their heads and her mother in proper care. But that aside, the couple are frantic about something. And when she manages to get some semblence of sense from them, Christine pales. She calls for Ed. And then the doorbell rings. Everyone panics.
Enter Helen and Bryan Levinson. The rich wife and prominent MP who has his fingers in many pies. Why are they calling on them at their house at this hour on a Sunday morning? And how did they even know where they lived? But more than that, how are they going to keep their children from being charged with murder?
As the story unfolds, we see the parents bans together to cover up their childrens' involvement in the murder but it does get a little unhinged at times. Are they even on the same team?
With secrets and lies in abundance, there is a lot going on behind the scenes. Including in DCI Dan Riley's personal life concerning one of his own children. I love Riley and his team though I felt they didn't seem to feature quite as much as they have in previous books. But that's OK as I love Anna-Lou's style of blending the investigation with the lives of other characters involved in the story. However, this one is a little different than the others. I can't say how as that would be a spoiler but suffice to say that it's not tied up as neatly in the end as previous books or stories.
While it was entertaining throughout, I didn't enjoy it quite as much as all her previous ones which I believe were just phenomenal. I'm not sure what it was about this one that made it different but it just was. Well, there are a few key aspects that do make it different (none of which I can reveal) but on the whole, I'm not totally sure why. Even so, it was still relatively entertaining even if I didn't get all the answers at the end. Like...who was Bradley? And why did Cynthia keep insisting Christine had a sister? I know she had dementia, but as she featured as a key witness of sorts I kind of expected some of what she said to be explained at the end.
Overall, a fast paced entertaining thriller with a few unexpected twists along the way.
I would like to thank #AnnaLouWeatherley, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #WhatKindOfMother in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Anna-Lou Weatherly is well known for her engaging and compelling mystery suspense novels. Instantly grabbing the attention of the reader, she delivers her stories in a straightforward style that really works for her material. Often writing about darker subject matter, too, she doesn’t hold back when it comes to more serious topics, really delivering gripping narratives. Her work is set in a league of its own when it comes to rich and immersive thrillers that allow the reader to escape into them.
Constantly keeping her audience guessing throughout, she’s a writer gifted in the art of compelling narratives with plenty of twists and turns. Pushing the boundaries of what the romance genre can really do, she allows her stories to speak for themselves essentially when it comes to telling them. Her books come alive off of the page, enveloping the reader and holding them there for the complete duration of the novel. Establishing her own style and tone, too, each book of hers is unmistakeably hers, as she really does have her own voice and approach.
When it comes to characters, she really embeds herself in their mindset, providing readers with a clear view of their perspective. This style gives her readers a front-row seat when it comes to the action, really making it engaging on all levels. Winning awards for her work, too, she’s written for many outlets, from Smash Hits to the NME, to Marie Claire, making her one of the most prolific writers within her area. There are plenty more titles planned for the future, too, as her writing career continues building from strength to strength.
Born in Southampton in England, Anna-Lou was raised in London with a passion for reading and writing. Nurturing this interest of her over time, she would hone and refine her skills as an author, discovering her own unique voice in the process. Studying further, she would continue to apply herself to her craft, building a profile for herself within the literary world.
Going on to work as the editor for several different publications, she would get to sharpen her writing skills for a mass audience. Drawing in inspiration from her surrounds, she would proceed to put much of it back into her writing and work. Currently still living in London to this very day, she continues to write regularly, with lots more set for release on the horizon.
Prior to writing fiction full-time, Anna-Lou Weatherly worked as an editor for prestigious publications such as Smash and J-17. Creating a big name for herself as a novelist, she would slowly come to find her own voice before writing her first complete novel. This would be titled ‘Ibiza Summer’ back in 2006, and it would give her an insight into her many writing processes and what she had to offer.
Before long, she would begin writing suspense novels and mystery thrillers, establishing a profile as a writer known for tension. Beginning her ‘Detective Dan Riley’ series with the novel ‘Black Heart’ in 2018, she would soon be on her way to being a hugely successful author. Winning awards for her work, she’s been in the industry for over ten years and counting as her career grows upwards and onwards.
When she's not writing, which isn't often, she likes to hang upside down on a pole - she's a qualified pole fitness instructor, and drink fancy wine (though not necessarily at the same time, that would be dangerous). She adores creating exciting, three dimensional, glamorous and flawed characters against a backdrop of exotic locations. Revenge, sex, sin, glamour, excess, crime and intrigue is her speciality. Her next novel, title to come, promises all the above and more!
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