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.

WOULD YOU BELIEVE HER?
2013
Melissa Slade had it all: beauty, money, a successful husband and beautiful twin babies. But, in the blink of an eye, her perfect life became a nightmare – when she found herself on trial for the murder of her little girls.
PRESENT DAY
Jonathan Hunt covered the original Slade Babies' case for the local newspaper. Now that new evidence has come to light, Jon's boss wants him back on the story to uncover the truth.
With Melissa's appeal date looming, time is running out. And, as Jon gets drawn deeper into a case he’d wanted to forget, he starts to question Melissa's guilt.
Is Melissa manipulating Jon or telling him the truth? Is she a murderer, or the victim of a miscarriage of justice?
And if Melissa Slade is innocent, what really happened to Ellie and Amber Slade?

This is a wonderful psychological thriller.
It grabs you from the first page and doesn't let you go at all.
Wonderful characters that have been fleshed out well.
Amazing plot and story line with so many twist and turns you don't know who to believe.
Really enjoyed reading.
Recommend reading highly.

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

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! ⭐️

The Guilty Mother
Written by Diane Jeffrey
Rating – 4/5
Genre – Suspense, Legal Thriller, Domestic Fiction

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. 

In 2013, Melissa had beautiful, innocent twins. One of her twins died from SIDS. Then the other twin dies only a few weeks later. How does this happen? Melissa is charged in their death and sentenced to time in prison. Could she possibly be responsible for the murder of these two sweet babies or is she the victim of bad luck? Present Day, Jonathan Hunt, who wrote the original article for the local newspaper, hears that Melissa has now filed an appeal. His boss has requested Jonathan to cover the story. Jonathan does not feel comfortable doing so, and his coworker Kelly takes the case. This story is told from the perspectives of Melissa, Kelly and Jonathan. 

This book had me in stitches, guessing, trying to figure out exactly what the heck was going on. I highly recommend this book. I am thankful for the opportunity to review this book. It is one that I will remember for a long time.

I just finished this book and it was so good! It kept me guessing and just when I thought I figured out the end, there was a surprise twist.

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.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5

*I received this book as an ARC through @netgalley* 

Melissa Slade had it all: beauty, money, a successful husband and beautiful twin babies. But, in the blink of an eye, her perfect life became a nightmare – when she found herself on trial for the murder of her little girls. 

This book follows 3 people’s perspectives regarding the accidental death (SIDS)/murder of twins Amber and Ellie. Melissa (the mother) Jonathon (journalist) and Kelly (journalist). Melissa is currently sitting in prison sentenced to life for the murder of daughter. Jonathan and Kelly work at the local newspaper and are writing an article about Melissa’s upcoming court date trying to overturn her sentence. 

The guilty mother is one hell of a thriller. I was hooked from the first 3 pages. Then in the middle of the book I struggle for a little bit, some of the book was still trying to build the characters back story. Normally I prefer fast paced books that leaving me wanting to keep reading. Nearing the end I couldn’t put it down, and when I did I found myself wondering what was going to happen and trying to hurry back to finish the book. Needless to say I finished the last 30% in about an hour and half lol. Don’t think you the ending figured out because you will change your mind a few times. The ending surprised me, I didn’t see it coming at all!

(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.

Awesome book! Suspense was intense. The ending was a huge surprise. Lots of connections between characters or situations I didn't see coming.