Book Review
This was my first time delving into a book by this author. It is her third book out and I've just gone and bought her first two, I enjoyed her writing that much.
The Guilty Mother is that good, you will just want to read more from Diane...
This dark, engrossing novel will have you turning the pages at a mighty pace.
We meet Melissa Slade, a mother to twin girls who is in prison for the murder of her baby girl.
Journalist Jonathan Hunt is given the task of covering the appeal story with reporter Kelly who he has taken under his wing and is showing the ropes to.
But whose fault is the murder, did Melissa really commit such a horrible crime. How could a mother do something so awful to her newborn baby? And what are her family hiding?
There are so many twists and turns to this story that you suspect everyone at some point or other.
It is a tense story line, her characters so interesting and completely believable.
But why is Jonathan so reluctant to cover this story. I couldn't figure this out for ever so long.
One minute I felt she was guilty, the next minute not so much. The story line had me hopping over and back, switching all the time. A real did she/didn't she type of read.
Brilliantly brought together, you won't be disappointed...
Well worth taking the time to read this one.

Thank you kindly to author Diane Jeffrey and her publishers HQ Digital for my copy of this book. Much appreciated.
HQ Stories Diane Jeffrey Author

Melissa is in jail as she was found guilty of killing her baby. Now her first husband wants to help exonerate her as he believes she never did this. Both her twin daughters died and she was accused of murdering one but the other was a tragic cot death. Can two investigative reporters help her cause?

I enjoyed this up to the last few chapters then it got a tiny bit predictable. Still a great read all the same. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I read Diane’s previous book ‘He Will Find You’ and I was blown away by how good the book was. I couldn’t wait to read her next book. Well ladies and gents, the wait is over (temporarily) because Diane’s new book is called ‘The Guilty Mother’ and it was released on 2nd August 2019. Oh my, Diane has done it again and she has written one hell of a fantastic book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘The Guilty Mother’ but more about that in a bit.
I must admit that I didn’t warm to Melissa Slade at all. There was something about her that I just didn’t like. I didn’t know whether or not to trust a word she said. I think that has more to do with the fact that I suspect everybody and believe nobody. Melissa is currently in jail having been found guilty of killing two of her children. She has appealed against her conviction after some new evidence came to light. If we believe what Melissa says then she was a mother of three children and she seemed to suffer from PND (Post Natal Depression). Her marriage is under increasing strain, which isn’t surprising given that her husband is seemingly a controlling miser, who hated having to spend money.
Blooming Nora, Diane has done it again and written one hell of a book that messed with my head a fair bit. I didn’t know what or who to believe and I kept chopping and changing my mind as to what had really happened to those two babies. Whilst reading this book, I felt like I was a judge listening to the evidence being presented before me. I soon got into this story and I swiftly became addicted to reading ‘The Guilty Mother’. I just had to keep reading to discover the truth as to what happened and to discover whether or not Melissa was guilty of what she was accused of. The pages of the book turned increasingly quickly as my desperation to find out the truth grew. I had only picked the book up intending to read a couple of chapters but I was still sat there reading over a dozen chapters later. I was gripped by the story and on the edge of my seat throughout.
‘The Guilty Mother’ is superbly written but then I wouldn’t expect anything else from Diane Jeffrey. She grabs your attention from the start and she keeps you in her vice like grip all the way through the book. Diane has created a cracking story with realistic characters. ‘The Guilty Mother’ has a whole load of drama going on within its pages. The story is complex but not overly complicated and I was able to follow the story all the way. Usually I have the attention span of a gnat and I am easily distracted but not with this book. I was able to focus only on this book and I was able to shut out other distractions. I found it interesting to discover how Melissa’s case didn’t just affect her and her loved ones but it had a wider impact on a lot of other people.
In short, ‘The Guilty Mother’ is one hell of a twisty, psychological thriller that will certainly make you think as well as mess with your head a bot. ‘The Guilty Mother’ is sure to soar to the top of the bestsellers list and that is nothing more than Diane deserves. I would definitely recommend her books to other readers. I can’t wait to read what she comes up with next. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

Having lost a child myself I found this book a little hard to read but i did it and really enjoyed it.

You really feel for the main character throughout the book even at the end.

There are complex family dynamics and a history of depression that culminate in a terrible accident.

I did enjoy this book which covered its subject sensitively but also left me in floods of tears.

This book was very well written. Nice and easy to read and flowed well. Had me on the edge of my seat. Wondering which way it was going to go. Great mystery can’t beat it.

Thank you netgalley for sending me this free ARC in return for my honest review .




Melissa Slade is sentenced to life in prison for the murders of her 3 month old twin girls . Now the question is did she do it ? Did she really kill her babies ?




Journalist Jonathan Hunt and his colleague Kelly fox are requested by their boss to report on the Melissa Slade case and with lots of digging , what they uncover is more than just a story it’s Melissa’s Innocence! was she really innocent this whole time? who is she protecting and why she hasn’t told her truth ?!



This book was so well written just when I thought I had it figured out , it left me guessing all over again ! The ending was shocking did not see it coming !! Defiantly a must read if you’re into a suspense/ who did it ?

Jonathan has recently been promoted to chief reporter at “The Redcliffe Gazette.” Kelly is working with Jonathan, and he is mentoring her. Their boss, Claire, is the news editor and has called him into her office. She wants him to investigate more of the Melissa Slade murder conviction.

Jonathan works hard to write his news stories as fairly as possible, and is diligently working with Kelly to show her how to do the same. Jonathan is a widower with two young sons. His wife had been killed along with their unborn daughter several years ago.

The Court of Appeal has allowed Melissa Slade to appeal against the murder conviction of killing her twin daughters. The babies died a few weeks apart. It was determined that Amber had died from SIDS or cot death, but Ellie’s death was ruled suspicious and the jury convicted Melissa to life in prison for the deaths of both girls. Melissa is also an ex-cop which makes life for her in prison even more difficult. It appears that the autopsy report for Ellie had not been fully shared with the court at the time of the trial and new evidence makes some think Melissa may be cleared of murdering her babies. Melissa is also the mother of teenager, Callum, from her first marriage. He has not dealt well with having his mother in prison, and she wants so much to be out and help him.

Melissa Slade had a difficult time with post-partum depression after the birth of the twins. Her husband hired a nanny named Clementine to help her, along with a maid to clean the house. Some think she may have been depressed and that’s why she killed Ellie.

Will Melissa get a new trial, and if so, could she be cleared of charges? How can she ever be happy after losing her little babies?

This is a good book that keeps the reader wondering right up to the very end what happened, and who, may have killed Ellie. Any mother reading this book will realize even more just how fragile little babies are. Read the book and see if you can guess what truly happened.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A baby dies.
A second baby dies.
Was it all a very unfortunate coincidence, or is there something more sinister going on?

The mother is suspected. Did she? Didn’t she?

The book plays with your emotions, thoughts and sense of right and wrong. Did she? Didn’t she?
If she did, why? If she didn’t, who did? Did anyone?
Melissa is either a killer or a victim – who will believe her?

A psychological thriller that plays with your mind - you become convinced that you know the truth, but something changes and you are no longer sure.
One thing is for sure, you want to know the truth!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book free via NetGalley, but all opinions on my own.

I really loved this book!! It had so many twists and turns. It kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next!! This was my first book by this Author, and it won’t be the last!! Quick read!! Highly recommended!! You won’t be disappointed!!

Whilst I waited a few weeks with this on my #tbr pile, this really took me less than a day to read! Melissa’s in prison for the separate death of her twin girls - but is she really the guilty one? Jon and Kelly, two journalists assigned to her case work to uncover the truth. I really enjoyed how Melissa’s diaries were interspersed over the first part of the book as her case is worked on and uncovered by Jon and Kelly. This is one of those books where even when you think the final twist has been delivered, you find there is still more to come! ⭐️

Omg omg omg I don't know whether to laugh at the sheer brilliance of the thriller or cry at the pathos weaved in the storyline.

Melissa was in prison for killing her newborn baby.

One child died, it was ruled as cot death. Second too died in 3 weeks, it was MURDER.

She was tried and convicted until an appeal brought hope of her release. Journalist Jonathan and colleague Kelly soon got to investigating, and the truth revealed was simply soul-chilling.

My first book by Diane Jeffrey, and I have become a permanent fan of her writing. A mind blowing storyline, which had the excitement coursing through my veins, made it a delight to read. The plot twists had me going WOW after every few pages. AND THAT LAST CHAPTER TOOK MY BREATH AWAY. It was everything a thriller ought to be. My pulse skyrocketed. OMG. I simply couldn't believe what I had just read.

Told in multiple POV of the 2 journalists and mother Melissa, the characterization was realistic and with genuine emotions. Each of them had something happening in their personal lives which was triggered by Melissa's story. They were all trapped in this whirlpool where secrets had to be forgotten, changes had to be made, and revenge had to be taken and justified.

Diane Jeffery has made this book a rocking, absolutely unputdownable roller coaster of a ride where the dips were so low that they touched the darkness of a human psyche and the ups were so high that I was instantly dizzy. It was nothing short of sheer genius, a master storyteller who could make the heart thud with a single stroke of her pen. I was still trembling with the rush of adrenaline while writing this review. WOW

I was really looking forward to reading this book but I was somewhat disappointed. Although the storyline is good and there are three different narrators which I like very much, the story drags in some places. It just wasn't as. "edge of your seat'" as I was hoping it would be. However I would still recommend this to anyone who enjoys domestic thrillors.

Thanks to Net Galley for allowing me to read this arc.

I recieved this book via Netgalley and give it my honest review.
Wow! What a gripping story, full of twists and turns! A great thriller I couldn't put it down! I recommend this book to all those that love a sit on the edge of your set type of story.

Great book, keeps you guessing all the way through! The twist at the end is perfect and ends the book nicely! I wanted to know the truth from the start! I really like the relationship between Jon & Kelly and how they worked together! Definitely would recommend

Alternating timelines and new clues with each turn of the page, the tale filled and abundance of secrets and lies. This books is filled to the brim with tension and fraught with emotion.

The Guilty Mother is a gripping psychological thriller. It's no exaggeration when I say that I was on the edge of my seat when reading this story. What could have been a complicated storyline was executed in a way that provoked more intrigue and excitement.

Highly recommended!

I'll have to admit I may be a little biased because domestic thrillers are a guilty pleasure of mine. However, this is one of those books that will leave you trusting no one, flipping through the pages as fast as you can.

(Also posted on my GR page!)

2 stars for being (I think) a decent book that I couldn't connect to

My problem with The Guilty Mother is that it used too many povs, and they were inconsistent.
I'm a fan of using multiple povs, but TGM took it too far with its consistencies and instead of having (maybe) only Melissa (the titular mother) and Jon (the reporter), we also got Jenny (for once?), Kelly (after the second part, and we never went back to Melissa again), and CMIIW was it Holly too?
I don't get why it should be parted in the middle when it only shifted from Melissa to Kelly's pov. Jon was still there, kinda.

The book is kinda bland. It doesn't left me with a certain feeling and I'm glad it's over.

4.5 Stars
Do you believe in coincidences?

This was a page turning thriller it was fast pace and kept me engaged from start to finish. You think you’ve figured it out but nope, it’ll have you guessing until the end. Now all that being said there was a cpl things I wish were tied up a bit more at the end with some of the other characters but that’s just if I’m being really picky! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to any suspense book lover!

Note: I’m someone who is usually put off by books with abducted and murdered children but this book is not that at all! Do not skip this book for that reason alone it’s definitely worth the read!

A psychological thriller that really tugs at the heartstrings I never wanted this to end. Melissa was a very sympathetic character and I so wanted her to be found innocent. I thought the working relationship between Jonathan and Kelly was great and loved watching how their friendship evolved. I would really like to see more of these two characters and think they would make a great series. The twist at the end was such a shock I had to go back and read parts of the book over again. I will be keen to read more of this author's work.

Review posted on Goodreads and Amazon

A mother who experiences an unplanned pregnancy in a turbulent second marriage. Twins are born. Both babies die in separate incidents. There are a lot of different players in this story, a lot of different branches in the storyline, leading one to think they’ve got the answer. Surprise!! Nope! There are a lot of twists and turns in this book and I had a hard time putting it down, which to me equals a great read.