Thursday 27 June 2024

The Mother by Valerie Keogh - #bookreview #blogtour

 



It was late Friday afternoon. Sarah was speaking to Nick about their weekend plans, her mobile pressed to her ear as she tapped on the keyboard with the fingers of her other hand. They'd been invited to a housewarming party that night by an old college friend of hers... who had been gregarious, irreverent, and fun in college...

***

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...

***

If you like the crime mystery genre with a twisty turny plot then you will love this.

This is not the first book that I have read by Valerie Keogh. I have previously read The Mistress, and also The Nurse. If you would like to read my reviews of either of those books, please just click on the title to do so.

Ms. Keogh is so skilled at creating her characters that she seems to inhabit them. The main character in this book, Sarah, is utterly believable and easy to identify with. She is a busy GP with an overbearing husband who she is not in love with. Add a newborn into the mix, and it makes for a complex situation.

Although one of the themes is child abduction, it was not portrayed in a traumatic manner. Rather it was the linch pin which allowed Sarah to consider her feelings towards her husband and child. There were points where I found her a difficult character to like, but she won me round by the end of the book.

It is fast paced and the dialogue and excellent prose keep the plot moving along perfectly. It is suspenseful throughout and every time I thought I had worked out where the plot was going, the next page would turn my theory on it's head. The ending was surprising and I had not worked out that it would end in that way.

The book is publishing today and it is well worth getting your hands on a copy.


ISBN: 978 1805494317

Publisher:  Boldwood Books

Formats:  e-book, audio, hardback and paperback (currently available on Kindle Unlimited)

No. of Pages:  296 (paperback)


About the Author:


Valerie Keogh is the internationally bestselling author of several psychological thrillers and crime series, most recently published by Bloodhound. She originally comes from Dublin but now livesin Wiltshire and worked as a nurse for many years. Her first thriller for Boldwood was published in August 2022.




(ARC and media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)
(all opinions are my own)





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