📱E- Book Review📱

Mother Knows Best
JA Baker

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This is my first read by this author, but even though I wasn't sure what to expect, I love to try out new authors, especially in this, my favourite genre.

This was pretty slow to get going and it took me a fair few chapters to really settle into this one.
I normally like an initial kick to a thriller read, so this didn't instantly grip me.
However, the tension builds gradually as the storyline unfolds and once the girls start to go missing and the investigation ramps up, I found the pace pick up too.

I loved following this over the multiple pov's and timelines which helps to create the tense atmosphere and allowed the plot to develop.

The characters were realistic and believable with their own flaws that helped me connect with them, especially Helena.
Being a mother myself, it was easy to relate to the issues and worried that plagued her throughout the book.

The writing style was good through the second half of the read, just a little slow to get going.
But this won't put me off and I'd love to check out some more reads by this author in the future.

Mother Knows Best
by J A Baker
Pub Date: Aug 25 2025

Mother Knows Best was a The story is told in numerous points of view going from the past to the present. It's a good plot, it had me hooked from the very first page until the last! I highly recommend this to anyone who loves a good dark psychological mystery-thriller.

Synopsis: Helena has always prided herself on being a good mother, a constant for her daughters, Vanessa the responsible one, and Rachel – fragile and sensitive. But as her daughters navigate adulthood, a chilling question begins has her devotion been a delusion? Now, Rachel walks the city streets, lost to addiction, while Vanessa's endless nights at work leave her children vulnerable in Helena's care – proof of their fractured family.

Many thanks to #MotherKnowsBest #NetGalley and #BoldwoodBooks for providing me an E-ARC of this book.

In this book we experience several POVs from different characters and also time shifts. All of that messes with my head, because it's hard to follow who is who and what year it is and what's happening. Even with that I would say that I was bored and checked how much of the book I have left. I was not interested in the story at all. Kind of had my suspiciousness at the beginning of the book and by the end of it I was correct. Most of the time I can't guess what will happen.
I would say that I want more backstory and to know what happened, but not in this way (if it makes sense).

This was a 3.5 for me, the story was interesting and never once was I bored, but there was very little character development. Even after I finished reading it, I was still confused as to why certain characters did what they did, and key moments felt underexplored. A deeper dive into the characters' inner worlds/psyche would have made the plot's impact much stronger.

This was my first by this author and it was a bit slow at first but I'm slow glad I continued! "Mother Knows Best" is a domestic thriller with a great twist! Read if you like: slow burn, serial K1llers, domestic drama. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. *I received a complimentary e-ARC from the author/publishing company via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

Mother Knows Best is a thriller full of manipulation, lies, secrets, and a dysfunctional family all in one. 💫💫💫💫💫

Helena is a good mom and a phenomenal grandmother. She is always there for her daughters who lost their father at an early age, and she is there to help her daughter Vanessa when she needs help with her two kids at any hour of the night. Helena also has a daughter named Rachel who lives on the streets because she is an alcoholic and refuses her mother's help. However, Helena's world comes crumbling down when one day her granddaughter gets really sick and Vanessa is unreachable. She calls her job and finds out that she isn't on shift at that moment. There is also a serial killer on the loose killing young women. All Helena can think of is her daughters and how they may become pray for the killer.

The story had a huge twist, and it is juicy. I liked how Alex's character slowly began his ascent into what he would inevitably become. This is a slow burn book, so give it time to get to the most amazing twist ever!

Thank you, Netgalley and Boldwood Books, for this eArc. All opinions are entirely my own.

Told by the main characters in the book (none of whom I really liked !!) the author weaves a tale of everyday life for some people trying to juggle work, family and personal time too. Helena who is the mum/granny and also a widow, tries too hard at times to keep her girls and the grandchildren all together and for me was quite annoying although she did realise that she could be too soft at times. The story also flits to and fro between different times which is well done and easily followed. And just when you think it has all been sorted......BAM!! Read it to find out. !

Thanks to Netgalley/Boldwood books for the ARC to review.

Mother Knows Best is a twisted and unsettling psychological thriller that thrives on secrets, manipulation, and the unraveling of hidden truths. From the very beginning, J.A. Baker pulls the reader into a world where appearances can’t be trusted, and as the story unfolds, the unsettling reality of what’s happening becomes increasingly clear.

The novel is packed with shocking turns and a sense of growing unease that keeps you questioning every character’s motive. As more details are revealed, the tension builds in a way that makes it difficult to put the book down. Baker excels at weaving psychological complexity into the narrative, creating an atmosphere where trust is fragile and danger lurks beneath the surface.

That said, there were a few points in the story that could have benefited from deeper development to really elevate the impact of certain revelations. With just a bit more layering in places, the twists could have carried an even greater punch.

Still, Mother Knows Best succeeds as a gripping and darkly twisted thriller that will appeal to readers who enjoy stories where nothing is quite as it seems. It’s the kind of book that keeps you turning the pages, eager to uncover the truth—even if that truth is far more disturbing than you expect.

This was a good thriller. This book had me hooked from the start and I could not put it down. There was plenty of twist to keep things interesting and well developed characters. The story is suspenseful and twisty from the beginning to the end. The plot is well developed and brilliantly wrote by Baker.

The story follows Helena, a devoted mother to two very different daughters — Vanessa, the responsible one, and Rachel, who struggling with addiction. When young women start disappearing in their town, Helena’s anxiety spirals, pushing her to extremes as she tries to protect her family. But as tensions rise and suspicions grow, Helena starts questioning everything — even those closest to her.

The premise is intriguing, and J.A. Baker does a good job capturing the strained family dynamics and Helena’s growing paranoia. However, for me, I found the pacing quite slow, especially in the first half, and at times the narrative felt repetitive. While there are moments of tension, the story takes a while to build momentum. I struggled to get fully invested in the characters, I didn’t like any of them particularly and this meant I found it difficult to stay fully engaged. Vanessa, Helena’s oldest daughter comes across as a spoiled brat. The narrative of Rachel struggling with addiction didn’t seem to fit what you find out at the end. The multiple perspectives add depth but did on occasion, make the plot feel disjointed.

The ending brings some answers and a sense of closure, and the twist was good, though not shocking. And I still felt some questions were left unanswered. It’s more of a steady domestic suspense than a high-stakes thriller.

This book is a quick read but it lingers as the tension builds slowly, then hits hard. Perfect for fans of twisty domestic thrillers.

I enjoyed this book very good writing and got the storyline in the first 5 chapters!!

Blurb

A devoted mother

Helena has always prided herself on being a good mother, a constant for her daughters, Vanessa the responsible one, and Rachel – fragile and sensitive. But as her daughters navigate adulthood, a chilling question begins to fester: has her devotion been a delusion?

Now, Rachel walks the city streets, lost to addiction, while Vanessa's endless nights at work leave her children vulnerable in Helena's care – proof of their fractured family.

Her worst nightmare

Then the disappearances begin. Local girls, snatched from the darkness, their lives brutally extinguished. Fear consumes Helena, yet the harder she tries to protect her girls, the more her daughters push her away until a terrifying thought takes root, twisting Helena’s maternal instincts into icy suspicion.

This one was a bit of a tough read for me. It jumps around between timelines and characters, and sometimes I had to stop and figure out who was speaking.

Still, I stuck with it and I’m glad I did—the ending had a twist I didn’t see coming at all.

Helena’s story really sets the tone: she grew up with a tough childhood and tried to give her daughters the love she didn’t have. Vanessa is now a mom dealing with her own struggles, Rachel has chosen a homeless lifestyle (something Helena can’t wrap her head around), and Alex—who had a rough upbringing himself—still carries dark thoughts from the past. Their early connection and the tragedy they went through all circle back here.

Overall, a good read, but I didn’t always feel connected to the story or characters (who were mostly unlikeable—probably on purpose).

Mother Knows Best by J A Baker was a dark and very powerful thriller that was full of brilliant twists and turns throughout that will have you thinking more on what you had just read!

Mother knows best is about a mother called Helena who has 2 grown up daughters and she is so devoted on her 2 girls, she is a good mother to Vanessa and Rachel. Vanessa is the responsible one (this did make me laugh, my name is Vanessa, I am the eldest and I have always been told by my mum and sisters I am the responsible one of all my 2 sisters! lol) and Rachel who is fragile and very sensitive.

As adult like takes hold . . . . . . . Rachel walks in the city streets, lost to addiction and Vanessa has endless night at work and she leaves her precious children in Helena's care. - But, this is where the proof of their prefect family start to show, it is not perfect after all!!! it is a fractured family inside these four walls!

Helena's and Vanessa's worst nightmare is just about to happen . . . .. . . . Local girls are snatched from the darkness, and their lives are brutally extinguished. Now, the Fear consumes Helena, yet the harder she tries to protect her girls, the more her daughters push her away until a terrifying thought takes root, twisting Helena’s maternal instincts into icy suspicion. 🥹

Now, What if the danger isn't lurking in the shadows...but has been much closer to home all along? 👀

This book was excellent I ended up reading it all evening until I had finished! Superb book!!! I don' they all coped! as I sit here reading it in darkness and now sitting on the edge of my seat waiting to read what happens next!

I highly recommend this book another 5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Mother Knows Best by J. A. Baker is a tense and gripping read that kept me on edge throughout. The story is layered with family drama, suspense, and unexpected twists that made it impossible to put down. I enjoyed the way the author built both atmosphere and emotion, keeping me guessing until the very end. I truly enjoyed this book and rated it five stars.

This was a dark read, a gripping psychological thriller. Helena is a mother to two grown up daughters, one is an addict on the streets, the other works in a nursing home. Helena has tried to be the best mother, but is exhausted. Alex meanwhile has a dark secret, his life was abusive and he is always wanting to be better for his mother. The book jumps back and forth to the younger years and present day and you get a glimpse of their lives as children. When reading you think you’re reading two different books at the same time, but the ending ties everything nicely together. A gripping 5 star read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

Mother Knows Best is a psychological thriller that explores motherhood, family bonds, and the darker side of fear. At the heart of the story is Helena, a devoted mother to her two daughters, Vanessa and Rachel. As both daughters struggle with the pressures of adulthood—Rachel with addiction and Vanessa with balancing her demanding career—Helena finds herself increasingly consumed by the urge to protect her family. When a series of young women go missing in their quiet town, Helena’s fears escalate, and her maternal instincts quickly blur into suspicion.

The book begins at a slow pace, focusing heavily on Helena’s inner world, which helps set the tone of unease but may feel drawn out for some readers. While the tension eventually builds, the narrative can feel repetitive at times, and the shifting perspectives don’t always add clarity. The characters themselves are complex, though not always sympathetic, making it difficult to fully connect with them.

That said, J.A. Baker succeeds in capturing the fragile nature of trust within families and the unsettling ways fear can distort relationships. The atmosphere is vivid and the final twist delivers a sharp jolt that lingers after the last page.

Overall, Mother Knows Best is a dark and unsettling domestic thriller that will appeal to readers who enjoy slow-burning suspense and stories where family life collides with hidden secrets. While its pacing and character development may not work for everyone, fans of psychological thrillers may still find it an intriguing, if unsettling, read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Another great read by JA Baker! Fabulous characters kept me burning the midnight oil. Chock full of secrets and lies. Easy book to slip in to and feel like a part of the story. Impossible to know who to trust!
Thank you NetGalley, JA Baker and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was quite a difficult read, it jumps between timelines and isn’t always clear which character is narrating, however I did enjoy it and found the ending a great twist that I was not expecting.

Helena has brought up her girls who she showered love on after her difficult childhood. Vanessa has 2 children and issues of her own and Rachel is choosing to be homeless, which Helena struggles to understand. Alex has had a terrible upbringing with an alcoholic mother and ridicule at school, harbouring dark thoughts from an early age. Their meeting as children and the tragic events of that time have an impact on them all.

It is a good read but at some points I struggled to connect with the plot and the characters, all of whom I found very unpleasant; as I am sure the author intended.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Helena was widowed when her children were young and, despite her not having a great role model in her own mother, she believes she did her best for them, even though now they are adults they have their own issues. Vanessa, the eldest, is single parent to Mabel and Noah, struggling with her job as a care home manager and looking after the children and relies heavily on Helena. Rachel, her youngest, is an addict, choosing to live on the streets and not accept any help from her mum, which worries her greatly, especially as there's now a serial killer on the loose targetting young women. Alex is a young man that had a rough childhood, raised by an alcoholic mother and was always a bit of a loner, but he's trying to hold down a job and fit into society as best he can. Then Helena makes a discovery that gets her thinking the perpetrator may be closer to home than she could ever have imagined?

Mother Knows Best is the latest thriller by this new to me author, told from various perspectives and across multiple timelines. It's a well crafted tale with realistic characters, every one of them having at least one flaw that makes them appear more human to the reader. The author draws the reader in with this multi layered story that, as time progresses and the layers are peeled back, we see the jigsaw finally start to take shape. It's a dark and, at times, harrowing read with some great twists, especially that final one. If you like a thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat, second guessing the outcome throughout, this one is definitely for you.

I'd like to thank Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.