I really enjoyed this book. I haven’t read much by J.A. Baker before but after this one, I’ll definitely be reading more. The story pulled me in right from the beginning and kept me hooked all the way through. The pace was brilliant quick, tense, and full of suspense.

There were some great twists and absolutely I loved how the tension slowly built up. The characters were well written and believable, and I liked the unsettling atmosphere the author created. It was one of those books that once you start you struggle to put down I flew through it! I Can’t wait to recommend this to everyone especially those who love psychological thrillers. Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the chance to read this amazing thriller.

Helena is a great character and I liked the differing points of view provided. Who can she trust? You won’t know till the end as this suspenseful novel unravels. This is my first book read by this author, but it most certainly won’t be my last.

Twisty and gripping from start to finish! I loved the tension and unexpected turns. A great psychological thriller that keeps you guessing.

Many thanks to netgalley, the author and Boldwood books for approving my request to read this book.

I really enjoyed this dark, brooding psychological thriller in which we meet Helena and her two daughters Vanessa and Rachel. After a spate of young women are found murdered Helena fears the worst for them both as any mother would.

This story explores the extent of a mother's love and also nature versus nurture. It is told from multiple viewpoints and the author switches between them seamlessly.

I'll most certainly be recommending this one!

I always loved a good ‘mother’ read and this one did not disappoint!! So many twists and turns and kept me on the edge of my seat!

Overall, I gave this novel 4 stars. I had mixed emotions about this read. I really liked the transitions between the past and present day, and the author did a great job making the transitions smooth. The characters were relatable, but I was not a fan of them. I felt like they were relatable if you are a trauma survivor yourself. It was twisty and dark, which is great for a psychological thriller, but I just found the book fell slightly short in the character department and I was left wanting more detail and less repetition. I was able to finish this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. I will be recommending this read to others!

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the eArc opportunity in exchange for my personal and honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC; I can’t wait for everyone else to enjoy it come August 25, 2025!

In Mother Knows Best, author J.A. Baker masterfully weaves together differing voices, making you question everything and everyone. I found myself constantly second-guessing who to trust and wondering whether any of the narrators could truly be relied upon.

Initially, I thought I had figured out where the story was going…but then the plot took a sharp turn. The way the various threads were pulled together, only to be unraveled with chilling precision, was so cleverly done. And the final chapter? Absolutely jaw-dropping. I’m still thinking about it!

If you love thrillers filled with tension, twists, and unreliable narrators, Mother Knows Best belongs at the top of your TBR list!

This is a dark thriller about a killer targeting young women. It’s told in multiple points of view and starts off slowly but soon gains momentum and becomes a book that will keep you reading!! This story delves into nature versus nurture and the length a mother will go to learn the truth. It’s a good solid read although I did feel like the characters lacked a little something

"Mother Knows Best" is a dark psychological thriller that kept me turning pages from the first chapter. The book is about Helena and her daughters Vanessa and Rachel. Helena, raised by an emotionless and uninvolved mother, tries her hardest to break that cycle with her own daughters, even as adults. But does the cycle ever break? And what are the consequences of that cycle? Then there's Alex, who also had a terrible childhood, which brings consequences of it's own....
This book it everything it needs to be, suspenseful, dark, twisted, emotional and keeps you on your toes!

Does your childhood shape you who you are? This story will have you guessing in every chapter. Each chapter switches between characters and between present and past. Reflecting on events from their past and showing present day why they are who they are. Emotional at times with drama and suspense as well. Great, easy read.

39% in and I’m still bored and uninvested in the characters or the story.
DNF. for me.
39% in and I’m still bored and uninvested in the characters or the story.
DNF. for me.

Helena, with her daughters now independent, is unable to lead a relaxed life because she is worried about the problems their daughters are going through. Trying to protect, help and support them is practically a full-time job.
When women are murdered and she begins to suspect that one of her daughters killed them, her life becomes a struggle to understand her and to find out what she did wrong.
We alternate points of view and timelines in this novel that takes its time to draw us into a story that keeps you guessing and on the edge until the very end.

Helena did the best she could raising two girls on her own, Vanessa and Rachel. Now adults Vanessa has two kids of her own which Helena helps with and Rachel who turned to addiction living on the streets. Someone is abducting girls and Rachel may be one of them. This goes from present day to the past and with three POVs. The premise is suspenseful, predictable, and I felt the ending was rushed. Thank you to Boldwood and NetGalley for a copy.

This story is told through 3 POVs which are from Helena, Alex, and Alex’s kidnapped victim. Helena is a mother who fears her daughters are heading toward a path that’s beyond saving. One of her daughters struggles with addiction and the other seems fine with a family of her own up until the discovery of missing and murdered women from their town starts to surface. Alex has evil intentions and has spent his whole life becoming more and more malicious with no remorse. Through the kidnapped victims POV and Alex’s own POV, Alex’s downward continued spiral becomes even more sinister.

I really loved this book. It had characters that are flawed with no remorse for their actions, and a mother who’s forced to uncover the terrifying secrets of both her daughters. Getting to read from multiple POV’s including from the kidnapper and the victim was really interesting. The ending was gruesome and shocking.

The other book that I’ve read and enjoyed by this author is The Good Daughter. I will be reading and reviewing more of her books soon.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow another fantastic read from this author. Her books are gripping thrilling and never disappoint. This book has so many interesting characters which is always something the author does best. For this book we have Helena a mother to two grown up daughters. One being Vanessa a workaholic who is emotionally detached and counts on her mum to look after her children while she does things she wants to keep secret. Her other daughter Rachel a drug user and alcoholic who lives on the street despite her mum trying to help. Other parts of the book focus on Alex a boy with a sadistic and obscene hatred for women. Then Maisey a victim kept against her will. How are these characters connected. A truly psychological shocker that will have you on the edge of your seat. I cannot recommend this fantastic book more. A sinister look at if psychopaths are born or made.

Mother Knows Best was a dark psychological mystery-thriller. The story followed Helena, a mother of two, Vanessa and Rachel. When a series of chilling disappearances and murders of young women occurred in their quiet town, Helena became consumed with protecting her family. However, as her fear took hold, her maternal instinct spiraled into suspicion and she questioned who among them could she truly trust.

I am thankful to have gotten an advance copy of Mother Knows Best since I hadn’t read a book by J A Baker prior to this. I didn’t have any expectations going into it, other than wanting to try a new to me author and hoping I’d find a new one to add to my author list. Like all books I read, there are the positives and the negatives. But unfortunately, the negatives outweighed the positives here.

The most unfavorable element was the lack of character depth and unlikable characters. I also felt the story started slow, with too much internal monologue and not enough early suspense. Additionally, some of the chapters were repetitive and the multiple points of views felt more confusing than engaging which made me unable to connect with the characters.

Altogether I was intrigued to read a book by J A Baker, a new to me author but this dark and sinister mystery thriller that lacked a riveting narrative and likable characters. I so badly wanted to be engaged, but regrettably, it fell short for me.

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

The story centers on Helena, a mother who has always seen herself as a steadfast presence for her daughters, Vanessa and Rachel. However, as her daughters navigate the turbulent waters of adulthood—Rachel battling addiction, Vanessa consumed by work—Helena begins to confront the unsettling possibility that her unwavering devotion may have been a form of delusion.
Overall rating 3.5 stars

This is my first book by this author just dipping my toe into this authors world I was pleasantly surprised
I loved the way the author wrote this book and I really liked the dual povs that gave us insight into the main characters train of thoughts I will definitely be checking out other books by this author

Helena es una mujer marcada por una infancia difícil, determinada a ser una madre presente y entregada, en contraste con la frialdad de su propia madre. Sin embargo, su vida da un giro alarmante cuando una serie de asesinatos en su comunidad despierta sus peores temores, especialmente por la seguridad de sus hijas: Vanessa, una enfermera abrumada por su rutina laboral y su carácter explosivo, y Rachel, quien lucha contra las adicciones y la indigencia.

Mientras Helena intenta mantenerse fuerte como abuela y madre, la historia alterna entre diferentes puntos de vista, revelando progresivamente la oscuridad que se esconde tras las apariencias. La narrativa entrelaza el pasado y el presente, con capítulos que retroceden veinte años para mostrarnos la infancia perturbadora de Alex, un niño marcado por la violencia doméstica y el rechazo social, cuyo destino parece vinculado con los crímenes actuales.

me costó engancharme durante el primer tercio del libro, pero después la historia me fue envolviendo poco a poco hasta dejarme completamente atrapada.



Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest

This is a dark thriller about a killer targeting young women. It’s told in multiple points of view and starts off slowly but soon gains momentum and becomes a book that will keep you reading!! This story delves into nature versus nurture and the length a mother will go to learn the truth. It’s a great read