This book covers all the modern things that are relevant today...

Bullying, suicide, social media and it is what makes this a chilling and intriguing read.

I loved how this story unfolded, it had me gripped from the start and gave me a lot to think about,

This psychological thriller grabbed my attention right away. Jen and Lia had known each other most of their lives and used to be best friends. Now they are neighbors and their daughters Alex and Willow are best friends. Willow’s twin Simon, is also always around. Alex is a victim of bullying and Jen is determined to find out what happens to her. This book had me up all night reading it.

A chilling tale of the consequences of bullying.
“A Good Mother” deals with contemporary issues such as the pressure on young people from social media and bullying. It is the story of two mothers and two sets of children. The children have been best friends since birth, but then for seemingly no reason, it’s as if a hand grenade has been thrown into the midst of their relationship. To cope, each teenager pulls away from the other in an act of self-preservation, but causing immense pain to their friends in the process.
It is no spoiler to say the books opens with an apparent suicide by drowning, the death of Alex, Jen’s only child. In a midst of her grief, Jen struggles to come to terms with aspects of her daughter’s life she was oblivious too; but the more Jen learns about her child, she more convinced she becomes that Alex would never have taken her own life.
This is a complex, emotional story of broken friendships; with the message that doing what feels like the right thing at the time, to make a stand, perhaps isn’t the best choice in the long run.
I did guess the outcome about a third of the way through, but this isn’t the point. This isn’t a who-dunnit type mystery, but an unravelling of people and the slow realisation of what is truly important in life. I took away from this book the importance of making time and listening, and to cherish those you hold dear no matter how busy you are.

Told from the perspective of two women, Lia & Jen, as they navigate life, marriage and raising teenagers. Lia seems to have the perfect life; married to a successful man, living in the best house on the street, and seen as the cool Mum by her children‘s friends. Jen on the other hand is struggling with everything Lia makes look easy; her marriage is falling apart, the bank is about to repossess her home and her relationship with her teenage daughter Alex has never been more strained.

When Alex is found dead and her death is ruled as s*icide, Jen becomes obsessed with proving that Lia and her family are hiding dark secrets behind their perfect smiles and manicured lawns.

This story covered some really important topics such as domestic violence and bullying, and the impacts it can have directly and indirectly. The message within the story is very powerful. However, for me, the story itself fell a little flat. As far as thrillers go, I felt this one was a little too predictable and I guessed the ending at about the 60% - 70% mark. Without giving away any spoilers, there were also parts that I found a bit hard to believe and too many loose ends that weren’t tied up.

Overall, not a bad read and again, really powerful messaging, it just didn’t nail it as a thriller for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for providing an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

I think this book focused on the wrong characters for the story it tried to tell. The “bad guy” was cartoonishly evil, and everyone else just sort of cowered around without ever having any sort of moment of strength to root for. If it had been told from the kids’ perspectives it could have been much more powerful.

Definitely a heavy book. Lots of trigger warnings. But overall, I enjoyed it. It kept me guessing the whole time and also broke my heart. First book by this author, and I’ll be looking for more!

this book was gripping. it was the best kind of domestic thriller. ive not been this hooked and this unsettled for quite a while. and that in itself has me upping the stars on this one. i literally didnt and couldnt put it down. there was clocks that were ignored so i could keep turning pages. there was anger when i new i should be doing something else and was instead reading this book.
this book was all about how far a mother would go when she believes her daughters death is not what everyone is telling her it is. and lot of people are trying very hard to tell her things.
Jen is left heartbroken when her daughter Alex is found dead in the river. the police say its a suicide but Jen cant believe this because her daughter would not be found in the water. because her daughter would not be near water because ever since a scare when she was little she was petrified of it.
so Jen goes to task to find out what happened and in doing so she uncovers far too many unsettling secrets about her daughters life. ones that link her to her ex best friends husband. and as she keeps digging the more unsettled she becomes about this seemingly perfect family next door. but as Jen keep uncovering their secrets they become more determined to keep them covered. and what appears from the depths of this family gets more haunting the more you learn.
the tension is ramped up and up and up with this book. the creepy,tingly feeling is amped up throughout and you just dont want to put it down until you are told what the real story is and reach the conclusion.
i would tell anyone and everyone to read this book. it was sooooooo good.
i would say this book covers some tough subjects which im afraid will be total spoilers if i give warnings into. but i will put it covers alot of what the domestic abuse spectrum would cover. but its also done really well so dont be worried it would be crass or insensitive to those. and it only adds to the depth of the book and depth of the characters.

Holey Moley!!!! A Good Mother by Michelle Dunne is a domestic suspense that delves into some deep subjects. This story hooked me from the start and didn't let go until the end.

Once best friends, Jen and Lia now live across from each other. Though they can barely tolerate the other, their children are best friends. When one of the families faces a tragedy, will they put their differences aside or will this just widen the gap?

This was such a great story that touched on so many emotions. It does deal with subjects that could be a trigger for some, but it was done in a very careful way. A lot of the characters were despicable and narcissistic but were well depicted. Once you start reading it will be hard to put down. I absolutely loved this book. This was my first by Michelle Dunne and I look forward to see what she brings next.

Thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the advanced copy

A Good Mother by Michelle Dunne is a deeply gripping psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. With its emotionally charged narrative, the story explores the lengths a mother will go to when she believes her child’s death is not what it seems. A truly unsettling read, it delves into the dark side of secrets, lies, and dangerous truths, all while presenting two mothers and two daughters caught in a web of devastating choices.

The book follows Jen Blake, a mother whose world is turned upside down when her daughter, Alex, is found dead in a river. The police rule it a suicide, but Jen can’t bring herself to accept that conclusion. Convinced that something doesn’t add up, she begins to unravel the mystery of her daughter’s life, only to discover a series of troubling secrets, especially concerning Alex’s relationship with Lia Higgins, Jen’s former best friend. As Jen digs deeper into the perfect family next door, she uncovers a web of deceit, manipulation, and disturbing truths that someone is willing to go to great lengths to protect.

The strength of A Good Mother lies in its complex characters and their emotional depth. Jen’s grief, desperation, and determination to uncover the truth are palpable, and her journey is filled with twists and turns that will keep you guessing. The portrayal of the Higgins family is equally compelling, with their facade of perfection slowly crumbling as Jen uncovers more about their dark secrets. The tension between the two families escalates as Jen becomes more relentless in her search for answers, resulting in a chillingly realistic narrative.

Dunne doesn’t shy away from difficult topics, and this book contains sensitive content such as coercive control, suicide, bullying, and domestic abuse. These themes are explored with a level of realism that adds weight to the story, making it both harrowing and thought-provoking. The psychological depth of the characters makes this thriller stand out, as it doesn’t just focus on the mystery, but also on the emotional and psychological toll the events take on everyone involved.

A Good Mother is an intense and thought-provoking book that explores the dark complexities of family, grief, and the lengths people will go to protect their loved ones—or their secrets. If you enjoy psychological thrillers with well-developed characters and unexpected twists, this book will not disappoint. It’s a haunting, disturbing, and ultimately heartbreaking read that will leave you reflecting long after the final page.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

A book about love, hate, jealousy and fear throw in a murder and you have A Good Mother. This is a thriller that keeps you guessing till the end.

Dale and Jen Blake along with their daughter Alex live in the same estate area as Jay,Lia and the twins Willow and Simon. Willow and Alex have been best friends up until recently.Lia and Jen had been best friends when they were at the same school that their kids go to Saint Brendan.Lia married Jay and her friendship with Jennifer fell apart. Jen did not like Jay and vice versa.

Years go by and Dale and Jen fall on some more times where Jay is running for public office and Lia and the kids are like the perfect family. Or are they really what dark secrets are they hiding? The friendship between the Higgins twins, and Alex have become very strained where Alex is having a very hard time in school and with the rest of the kids there. Simon think she’s playing hard to get and tries to be overly friendly with her with Alex. Just turns and runs. Things get bad from there on for the Blake family, Jen is working all the time and misses so many important things in Alex‘s life but she feels something is wrong. One day Alex just doesn’t come home from school and Jen is frantic. She tries to find out what happened during the day and nobody is telling her anything. It isn’t until.Lia Goes out searching for Alex that they find out what happened that day at school. They are saying, Alex committed suicide, how could that be was afraid of the water? Was it suicide or was Blake murdered?

I enjoyed this book. It had a few twists, and it kept me wanting more. what is the issues I did have with it was they made the character of Jen very whiny. Yes she lost her daughter, but they saw it made her a little bit crazy and she wasn’t like by many people because of what she had to go through to keep her family afloat. They gave you a background on the Higgins how they met, what kind of man Jay really was and what was really going on with his wife? I would’ve liked to read more about Jen and her husband Dale and more into the relationship they had with their daughter Alex. I would totally recommend this book to anyone who likes a good thriller. This is the first book I read by this author and I would enjoy reading more from her. I gave this book for stars because it kept me involved in the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC. I look forward to more books from Michelle Dunn.e.

You always think you'll be best friends with someone. You plan on living next to each other and raising your families together. Jen and Lia used to be like that. Something tore them apart, and now they live across the street from each other, and avoid each other at all costs.

When Jen's daughter Alex is found dead in the river, Jen is sure that it wasn't suicide. When she digs in and finds messages from Alex to Lia, she is shocked at what she will learn.

THIS is how to you a domestic thriller. From page one, this was going 100 miles an hour and didn't stop. The pain and hurt from Jen is felt on every page. Michelle Dunne did an excellent job of exploring how far a mother will go for her child.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The characters in this book are so well written. I truly hated some of them and they felt so real. Michelle Dunne does a great job writing stories that seem so realistic and evoke a lot of emotion. The two mothers in this story were so starkly opposite. Thriller that keeps you guessing about what really happens and makes you continuously doubt yourself on whether you figured it out. Very fulfilling conclusion as well. I read another Michelle book and enjoyed it so I went into this one blind and I would really recommend doing so.

Thanks to Storm Publishing for this arc.

Wowza! This book was like driving a race car you were careening along super fast and banking corners going way too fast. I loved every second of it. Each character played a significant role and love them or hate them they were needed. Noelle knocked it out of the park!!

A pacey read with several topical themes: school bullying, coercive control and family relationships. Lia and Jay seem to have everything: good looks, a fashionable home and an exciting future. Lia's former best friend Jen, living opposite, has financial worries and can't get to the bottom of daughter Alex's sudden spiral into moodiness and depression. When Alex is dragged dead from a nearby river, Jen refuses to believe she committed suicide. She has plenty of reasons for thinking Lia's family may be to blame.
I identified the protagonist about halfway through the book but I had no inkling of what prompted their action.

If you like classic domestic thrillers with family drama set in a cul-de-sac, where neighbors have secrets, this book is for you! I liked how the writer contrasted the inner lives of household members with how they appear to neighbors. During the first part of the book, I was tempted to DNF it due to early inconsequential, slow-moving dialogue. But I'm glad I hung in there, because the story became a page-turner that I thought about when I wasn't reading it. Overall, it was a dark compelling story that improved midway through the book.

Book: A Good Mother
Author: Michelle Dunne
Publisher: Storm Publishing
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Pub Date: April 29, 2025
My Rating: 3.6 Stars
Pages: 338

The Blakes- Jen and her husband, Dale, have been struggling since Dale lost his job. They currently are living in a neighborhood above their means and are trying to keep up with their old life style even though they cannot afford it.

Jen's childhood friend, Lia and her husband Jay Higgins live next door, and their children are friends; especially Alex and Willow, Alex tolerates Simon, Willow's twin.

Something nasty is going on with Alex. Is she unhappy with the lack of money they once had? Why is she withdrawn from classmates at school=her team mates; spending no time with family.
Ever since Alex was five years old and nearly drowned, she has been terrified of water, When the police find Alex’s body in the river, it is ruled it a suicide, However, Jen knows that cannot be the case.. But no one will listen to her.

Jen knows her daughter had messaging Lia the day she died- But why??
Also why isn’t Lia helping Jen with regarding doubting suicide?

This story was a struggle for me to get into as I didn’t like the characters. But I did feel sorry for Alex.

As the story unravels is gets more and more twisted. Awful secrets emerge. I could not put it down and yet did not like what I was reading .....but HAD to know what really happened.

Want to thank NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for April 29, 2025.

There are some tough topics in this book. Amongst others, we deal with bullying and coercion amongst teenagers, as well as family violence. It is at times a challenging book to read, and it’s hard not to want to shake some sense into some of the characters. Beyond that, it is an interesting thriller, with a few twists. Despite some of the subject matter, it’s worth a read.

Book Review

📖📖📖📖

Two mothers, two daughters, and a twisty thriller that you won’t want to put down.

The story is told back and forth between Jen and Lia as they navigate their way through motherhood and marriage, as well as the friendship of their daughters, Alex and Willow. When the girls fall out, and Alex is found in the river, Jen and Lia are thrown back into each other’s lives at rapid speed. Just how far would you go to protect your children? Or to defend your child’s honor? Secrets, lies, deception. How far is too far?

There are so many deep issues brought to light in this story. The chapters are quick and the more I read, the more I needed to figure out where this story was going. Would things come to light? Would issues behind closed doors be found out? Would Jen be able to prove her daughter did not commit suicide? Would two marriages survive?

It’s a quick read that I definitely enjoyed. Thank you to @netgalley and @stormhauspublishing for this ARC, due out on April 29, 2025!

#aprilrelease

★★★ ½ “this book was pretty good, but i wanted a bit more”

“That feeling you have right now - that everything is impossible. It's true. Everything is. But only for women.”

a good mother holds an intriguing premise and builds a solid sense of tension from the very first page. unfortunately, the reveal itself felt underwhelming, especially after such a strong buildup.

the writing felt emotionally distant and i struggled to connect with the characters, which made it hard for me to fully immerse myself in the story. but i did appreciate it still.

i’m so thankful to netgalley, michelle dunne and storm publishing for allowing me to experience my first arc, it’s been very special. ◡̈

How powerful the message of this book is, with a story of abuse, death, lies and coverups. I read this compulsively and fully immersed, it's strength in what could be lying behind any door to a house in your area. Superb