This book had me hooked from the start! Felt so sorry for Alex and Jen. Every mothers worst nightmare. This book is a brilliant thriller and I'll definitely be reading more by this author! Thanks Netgalley and Storm publishing for letting me read and review this book.

This fast-paced, emotional novel had me in its grips from the beginning. I couldn’t put it down!
The dynamics between these two mothers and their children are so compelling.

This could have been a true story - and that is unsettling. There are several difficult themes happening here, and each one is well-written.

Michelle Dunne ties this story together and makes it all work.

Thank you to Storm Publishing, Michelle Dunne and NetGalley for this e-ARC.

This was a good psychological thriller which left a chilling feeling in me. It’s about 2 school friends and one ends up dead in the river, but was it murder or suicide. Teenagers are complex people and this was a good book to share this, but the twist at the end got me. I would never have guessed. It does have some triggering issues, but an overall great read. A chilling 4 star. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

A really difficult book to read, but meant in the most flattering way as it is so hard hitting. The characters are terrifyingly real so much so that I forgot several times that this was fiction and was genuinely left holding my breath or having to step away for a beat. Having got to the end I feel a bit emotionally washed out, such was its impact and genuinely a bit sad.
There are some very tricky subject matters tackled seamlessly within the storyline, from domestic abuse and coercive control to bullying and teenagers finding their identity and the courage to be themselves against adversity. Definitely not a light read but I wholeheartedly recommend it, very clever and insightful writing.

Social media, school bullying, controlling husband and the many problems of being a mother all feature in this excellent book. Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

A thought-provoking thriller that really makes you reflect on life choices and their consequences. Gripping and well worth the read.

A gripping psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. This is a definite page turner and leaves you wanting more after every chapter!
There are some heavy topics like the consequences of bullying and child loss…and you will hate every man you come across.
All-in-all a great, suspenseful read!

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC

I could not put this book down! I was hooked after the first paragraph. The plot is very relatable. The characters are very well developed. They could be your very own neighbors. The story is organized and flows well. At no point did I feel like it began to drag. It is suspenseful and tragic. My heart broke multiple times for so many reasons. Bravo, Michelle Dunne!

I read this one as an ARC, and was not disappointed. My first by Michelle Dunne, and hopefully not my last.

Old friends, new friends, twists you don't see coming and a story that wraps up nicely with a bow. When one's daughter goes missing and is found in the water, who do you blame? Was it suicide despite being terrified of water? Was it murder? What drives someone to that point?

Nice, fast paced twisty thriller. Does not disappoint.

As a parent myself, I honestly do not know what I would do if something were to happen to my child. Let alone if people were trying to convince me that she committed suicide using a method I know her to be terrified of. That's what happens to Jen when she finds out her daughter, Alex, was found drowned. Why was Alex spending so much time with Jen's former friend and neighbor, Lia?
This book was unafraid of triggers. Dead children, sexual misconduct, bullying. A lot happen. It kept me tearing through the pages because I felt such sympathy for Jen who was absolutely certain her daughter would never commit suicide by drowning...she was terrified by water.
The twist wasn't super surprising but it was a solid and entertaining novel.

A Good Mother is my first book by Michelle Dunne. I received this eARC from the publisher and asked for my honest review in return. This is not a difficult task because WHOA was this book amazing. I seriously did not want to put it down. It grabbed my attention from the very beginning until the very end. There were times in the book that I wanted to scream at the creepy Jay character because boy did I dislike him A LOT! The twist at the end I had kind of figured it out but it definitely did not ruin anything for me. I hope you will take the time to read this one and enjoy it as much as I did.
Thank you Storm Publishing and NetGalley for this eARC.

A Good Mother is the painful and tragic story of one mother’s fight for justice.

Jenn Blake’s daughter Alex is found dead in the river. The problem is, Alex has a severe fear of water. Jenn is convinced that Alex would never have jumped into the water willingly, someone else must be involved.

It’s soon revealed that Alex was the target of bulling at her school. All signs point to suicide but Jenn is still not convinced. She talks to anyone who will listen to help her to get justice. As text messages, social media posts and photos are uncovered, the Higgins family next door, begins to come under suspicion.

A classic who done it; was it Alex’s best friend Willow who has been recently hanging out with different friends? Was it Willow’s twin brother Simon who seems to be slowly following into his father’s foot steps? Was it Lia, the twins mother who has a history with Jenn Blake? Or was it Jay who would do anything to maintain his perfect family image in the hopes of getting elected?

With the help of a local reporter who has connections to police, Jenn is finally able to get her questions answered and to put the culprit behind bars.

This story was honestly heart wrenching and hard to read at parts. Trigger warnings of suicide, rape and abuse should be included. I can’t image reading this as a mother. The book was good but heavy. I also found the third person narrative to be weird in some parts. Just not my favourite style of writing.

This was a dark story focusing on bullying and abuse. I enjoyed it but it wasn't a favorite of mine. There was a good twist in the end I didn't see coming and that's always a great surprise.

I wish some of the characters had more nuance, some felt like cardboard figures. I liked Jen, the main character, and the girls, Alex and Willow were well done. Overall, the book was well written and I liked it!

From the very first page, this book draws you into its world with engaging prose, well-developed characters, and a compelling narrative. The author's storytelling is confident and immersive, weaving together themes that resonate long after the final chapter.

Wow I don’t even know where to begin with this book!
It was gripping and I couldn’t put it down. The twists were crazy, I wasn’t expecting the ending. This book had me feeling all sorts of emotions being a mother myself.
Absolutely recommend this book to anyone.
5* from me

A dark, twisted thriller with a shocking twist at the end!

This was a good, but heartbreaking, story dealing with motherhood, bullying, and domestic abuse. A darker style thriller that held my attention with many twists throughout.

A fantastic read, and topics that the author handled sensitively in my opinion regarding suicide.
Jen and Dale are about to lose their house, yet their old friends Jay and Lia are lording it up. When Jay's daughter Willow starts to choose new friends over Alex Jens daughter and friends since forever, everything starts to break down. Simon who is Jay and Lias son has always been the third wheel in their friendship, but Alex never minded simon. Will Willows new friends become so accommodating??
When Alex is found in the river, has she taken her own life? Surely not she has a deep seated fear of water and would go nowhere near it, would she? Or has something else taken place?? Thoroughly enjoyed it

Reading this had me full of many emotions. As a mother, I fully empathized with the parents in the book, and even the teenage girls.

The reason I couldn't give 5 stars was because the story with Simon was left completely unresolved. That could leave an opening for a second book, but I was left unsatisfied with the ending.

The Blake and Higgins families are more than neighbors, they share a past. Jen and Lia were best friends in high school. Their own children have grown up together, sharing common interests. Their daughters, Alex Bailey and Willow Higgins are now inseparable, that is until the night Alex is found floating dead in a river. Alex is deathly afraid of water and her mother, Jen knows for certain that her daughter would never choose to end her life in a body of water. Jen is on a mission to find the truth in her daughter's death and what really happened that awful night.
This book has it all! It is full of secrets and the length one will go to keep those secrets. I read every free moment I had until the last page. I highly recommend that face paced, psychological thriller.

When jens daughter Alex is pulled from the river something doesn’t sit right with Jen, her daughter was terrified of water so if she was going to take her own life surely she wouldn’t have drowned herself.

A mother’s determination to discover what really happened to her daughter

A fantastic read which I raced through

4 stars

Thanks to net galley and the publishers for this arc