The Mother's Mistake by Ruth Heald
Published by Bookouture
Publication Date: 11th June 2019
Genre: Psychological Thriller
374 pages
Book Description:
Everyone makes mistakes. But does everyone deserve to be forgiven?She runs past the tinkling of children’s laughter that fills the park. Heart hammering, she reaches the riverbank, breath catching in her throat as her eyes take in the small body, tangled in the reeds, pale and lifeless.
Three years later.
Claire’s life is picture perfect. A new home in the countryside. A new-born baby. A doting husband by her side.
But behind closed doors, her life is falling apart.
And when a threatening note is posted through her letterbox, saying she doesn’t deserve her daughter, it’s clear that someone knows about her past…
Someone knows that Claire doesn’t deserve her perfect life. Someone’s going to do everything in their power to destroy it.
An atmospheric, chilling and absolutely unputdownable psychological thriller about a mother’s worst nightmare. Fans of K.L. Slater, Shalini Boland and The Girl on the Train will love the twists, turns and gasp-worthy shocks of this stunning debut from Ruth Heald.
Three years later.
Claire’s life is picture perfect. A new home in the countryside. A new-born baby. A doting husband by her side.
But behind closed doors, her life is falling apart.
And when a threatening note is posted through her letterbox, saying she doesn’t deserve her daughter, it’s clear that someone knows about her past…
Someone knows that Claire doesn’t deserve her perfect life. Someone’s going to do everything in their power to destroy it.
An atmospheric, chilling and absolutely unputdownable psychological thriller about a mother’s worst nightmare. Fans of K.L. Slater, Shalini Boland and The Girl on the Train will love the twists, turns and gasp-worthy shocks of this stunning debut from Ruth Heald.
My Review:
The presentation of this gripping psychological thriller takes on a popular style of a 'past' and a 'present' but also throws in an unusual viewpoint of an unknown narrator, set in italic type at the end of many of the chapters. Who is the anonymous voice? There are several contenders and I switched my decision as to whose voice this is on more than one occasion, until eventually we are presented with what has led to the situation Claire has found herself in.
Matt and Claire find themselves in what should be a picture perfect scenario in rural England: new home in Matt's late grandmother's cottage with the support of Matt's parents just next door, new baby Olivia is perfect and very much wanted by both her parents. But Claire is struggling to cope with the challenges of new motherhood while Matt spends long hours away from home setting up his new vet practice, so much so that Claire eventually wonders whether her dream of country living is actually a nightmare which she should abandon in favour of a life back in London.
All the time the unknown voice keeps chipping in and I could feel Claire's confusion and desperation so strongly, I felt quite concerned for her at various points in the story. Eventually the book works to a climax and the mists clear to expose the owner of the voice, the connections between what Claire has been going through and the past which has been lurking in her subconscious.
The descriptions of Claire's post natal depression are very realistic and the loneliness and paranoia she describes are something I feel many new mums will be able to relate to during those early days of sleep depravation and endless rounds of breast feeding. There are a couple of scenes in the book which some people will find upsetting and I found myself with a tear in my eye on more than one occasion.
I found this to be an emotional read which had me wanting explanations on Claire's behalf and to give her in-laws a good shake!
The presentation of this gripping psychological thriller takes on a popular style of a 'past' and a 'present' but also throws in an unusual viewpoint of an unknown narrator, set in italic type at the end of many of the chapters. Who is the anonymous voice? There are several contenders and I switched my decision as to whose voice this is on more than one occasion, until eventually we are presented with what has led to the situation Claire has found herself in.
Matt and Claire find themselves in what should be a picture perfect scenario in rural England: new home in Matt's late grandmother's cottage with the support of Matt's parents just next door, new baby Olivia is perfect and very much wanted by both her parents. But Claire is struggling to cope with the challenges of new motherhood while Matt spends long hours away from home setting up his new vet practice, so much so that Claire eventually wonders whether her dream of country living is actually a nightmare which she should abandon in favour of a life back in London.
All the time the unknown voice keeps chipping in and I could feel Claire's confusion and desperation so strongly, I felt quite concerned for her at various points in the story. Eventually the book works to a climax and the mists clear to expose the owner of the voice, the connections between what Claire has been going through and the past which has been lurking in her subconscious.
The descriptions of Claire's post natal depression are very realistic and the loneliness and paranoia she describes are something I feel many new mums will be able to relate to during those early days of sleep depravation and endless rounds of breast feeding. There are a couple of scenes in the book which some people will find upsetting and I found myself with a tear in my eye on more than one occasion.
I found this to be an emotional read which had me wanting explanations on Claire's behalf and to give her in-laws a good shake!
My thanks to Noelle Holten of Bookouture, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this emotional, psychological thriller as part of the blog tour.
About the Author:
Ruth Heald is a psychological thriller writer from a suburban
Buckinghamshire town. She studied Economics at Oxford and then worked in an
eclectic mix of sectors from nuclear decommissioning to management consulting.
Seeking
a more creative environment, she found a role at the BBC and worked there for
nine years before leaving to write full time. Ruth is fascinated by psychology
and finding out what drives people to violence, destruction and revenge. She’s
married with one daughter and her novels explore our greatest fears in
otherwise ordinary, domestic lives.
Social Media Links:
Website: www.rjheald.com
Twitter: @RJ_Heald. https://twitter.com/RJ_Heald
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