very slow storyline… I kept trying another attempt but I just can’t seem to connect with the characters

In Mother Knows Best, we follow multiple POVs

Helena - mother of three
One = dead
One = homeless drug addict
One = works at a nursing home and mother of two

Alex - a very twisted kid. Loves blood and love seeing people hurt

Kidnapped woman

We go back and forth from years ago with Alex’s POV to the present with the other two POVs. We do not know who the kidnapped woman is nor do we know who the kidnapper is.

Will we find out? Take the journey through “Mother Knows Best” by J.A. Baker to find out!

I really enjoyed this book. At the beginning I did almost put it down a few times, but once I hit the 40% mark I was hooked. There is a lot going on in this book and it gives you a glimpse at how people aren't always who we think they are.

Mother Knows Best is a tense and unsettling psychological thriller that delves into the complexities of family, motherhood and fear. Helena has always defined herself by her devotion to her daughters, Vanessa and Rachel, but as they face adulthood, cracks in their lives and relationships begin to show. Rachel struggles with addiction while Vanessa’s demanding career leaves her own children in Helena’s care. When a series of young women go missing, Helena’s protective instincts intensify, only to turn into suspicion that the danger may be far closer than she could ever have imagined.

The story begins at a steady pace, gradually building an atmosphere of unease before drawing the reader into its darker twists. Once the narrative takes hold, it becomes difficult to put down. The tension escalates sharply, with suspicions, secrets and family dynamics pulling the characters in conflicting directions.

J A Baker captures the fragility of trust within families and the unsettling ways fear can distort relationships. The writing is vivid, and the final twist is both surprising and satisfying, delivering a conclusion that lingers long after the last page.

This is a chilling and well-crafted book that will appeal to fans of psychological suspense who enjoy stories where domestic life collides with dark secrets.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

My thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Mother Knows Best’ written by J A Baker in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Since being widowed Helena has raised her two daughters Rachel and Vanessa while looking after Vanessa’s two children Mabel and Noah during her absence. It hasn’t been easy as Rachel is an alcoholic drug-user living on the streets and Vanessa is intolerant expecting Helena to obey her every demand. But she fears for the safety of her daughters when women are being murdered in the town where they live.

‘Mother Knows Best’ is a chilling psychological thriller where the story is told by Helena and also by Alex telling of what happened in his life twenty years before to the present time. I didn’t enjoy the first half of the novel as it was very slow and repetitive, but just as I started to doubt if I could continue it suddenly became much more exciting with so much happening that I was turning pages at an ever-increasing speed. I’m glad I didn’t give up as the final chapters came as a huge surprise and not at all what I was expecting, a perfect result for the perpetrator of the crimes committed, and they alone made this novel well worth reading.

I think this author holds the record for me saying ‘and this is now my fav by this author’…..but honestly I have to say it again

This is a powerfully dark book about a Mum and her 2 grown up daughters alongside the Mum’s Mum and a man who they all knew in childhood

There are lots of stories all moving towards the atomic conclusion and we hear from all the characters and read about their pasts and present

It is toxic and chilling but unbelievably readable and the descriptions of the various characters and the chaos they call lives is so good you can picture each scene in all its spiralling chaos

Quite how Mum copes am unsure but she does, just as the poor womans life gets crazier and more uncontrollable

Brilliant story and writing, you will be fixated until the last word

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 daughter navigates adulthood, a chilling question begins - has this 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 her fractured family. 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.

The pace is slow to begin with. We meet Helena, a mother of two girls. When young women start disappearing and being murdered, Helena becomes consumed with protecting her family.

There is a bit of repetition throughout this story. The characters are well-developed. The tension builds in this psychological thriller.

Published 25th August 2025

I would like to thank #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks and the author #JABaker for my ARC of #MotherKnowsBest in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the second 1/2 of the book immensely. The “Alex” and “present day” narrative were well written. Helena was annoying, especially initially, until she decided to dig for the truth. I’m so glad the story eventually reeled me in.

I really wanted to enjoy this book but had to give up when I was finding myself putting it down more than sitting down to read it.
Thank you for letting me read it though!

From the premise of the book, I was eager to read this novel. It started well and I enjoyed the back and forth between different time periods. Having said that, as the novel progressed, I found it wasn’t engaging me as much as I’d hoped and became a bit too much of a slow burner. I’m sure others will love it but it wasn’t for me. 2.5 stars rounded up. Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and the author for the chance to review.

Really looked forward to reading this book as I have read a few by the same author. I struggled with so much descriptive and repetative chapters. I got myself completely confused! I gave up eventually as I couldn't see where the story was taking me to. Sorry, didn't enjoy this book nor did I finish it.
Many thanx to NetGalley, the author and publishers for allowing me to read and review this book.

you just have to see Bakers name and you can become excited for whats to come. her titles all give me the thriller joy every time i see the coming up on my tbr piles.i know im in for a good time. and this was of course no exception.
this book is dark, suspicious and tense as the pressures and emotions ramp up.
we get this book learning both of our present with the characters and also answering questions and learning more by seeing their past too. this is a family of three. one mum Helene and her two daughters Vanessa and Rachel. we get to see lots to do with nature versus nurture and how different personalities can literally mean outcomes are so different even when seemingly same or similar lives or experiences have been had. Helene has always or thought always done whats best for her kids and now her grandchildren. then why do her daughters now in adulthood seem to be spiralling. one is on the streets, an addict and wont take help. one is overworked and needing constant help from Helene with her own children.
then when horrible goings on start occurring in their own neighbourhood questions and paranoia start to naw at Helene.
we get this story via different perspectives. so it lends to both seeing all points of view but of course in a book like this you are left wondering who to trust even with their own voices. especially a couple of surprising perspective. one is a victim of sorts them self but has some dark behaviours and thoughts because of that. the other...a kidnap victim.
as the books glides along you get different plot points and pieces of this puzzle. and then suddenly the little pieces start to fit. then you find another thread, then the links and then you are truly taken for a ride of rides. the unravelling and then coming together of this book is just fantastic. a true family and people style drama with dark emotional and tension all the way through. you get to know the characters and it sets you up to care about where this will go, how it will all fit, tie together and how they will all fair by the end.

This was my second book by J.A. Baker, and I enjoyed it! The story is told in dual timelines and multiple POVs, which kept me engaged as I pieced everything together. I especially liked the slow buildup and how the author connected the dots bit by bit—it made the reveal feel even more satisfying.

The structure of the story is strong, but I can see how it may not be for everyone since we’re moving back and forth between times and perspectives. I found it added depth, and I thought Alex’s chapters in particular were especially intriguing.

At times, parts of the narrative felt a little repetitive, but I think that worked in the book’s favor. It gave me a real sense of the characters’ frustration and hesitation, which added to the tension.

Overall, it was an intriguing and well-crafted read, and I would recommend this one to anyone who enjoys twisty, layered psychological thrillers!

Mother Knows Best starts slowly,

at times even repetitive, but once the story clicks into place it becomes gripping and impossible to put down. The tension builds beautifully, and the ending is superb. The twist is shocking, clever, and brilliantly executed-I didn't see it coming.

I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to fans of dark, atmospheric thrillers.

Helena is a library assistant, grandmother, widow and mother to two adult daughters who have their own issues. Vanessa works in a nursing home, but her odd hours leave Helena always watching her children, which leaves her always exhausted. Her other daughter, Rachel, is an addict living on the streets, refusing to come home, despite the fact that a serial killer has been taking and killing women in the area of town that attracts those like her, who have nothing to live for.

As time goes on, Helena starts to worry about her her daughters even more than she usually does. Vanessa is always in a bad mood, always rushing off to work without thanking her mother for being at her beck and call. Rachel is wasting away on the streets, and doesn’t seem to be worried about the dead women being found in her area. When Helena sees her wearing a new ring - a ring that looks suspiciously similar to one that a murder victim had, her thought fly all over the place. Are her daughters okay? Are they going to STAY okay?

This book has several facets. There was a young girl that died years ago, and the mystery surrounding her drowning continues to this day. We also have the story of a young boy named Alex, who terrorizes his teachers then goes home to be beaten by his mother. Finally, we also have chapters from a woman who has been abducted and is now tied up and held against her will. As the book goes on, the relationships between all of the characters come together, and the ending is full of shocks. The characters are good, the story was great, and this is a very suspenseful page turner. Four stars!

(Thank you to Boldwood Books, J.A. Baker and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on August 25, 2025.)

This one started off relatively slow but about 20% in and I couldn’t put it down ! Mother Knows Best by J.A. Baker, published by Boldwood Books, is a gripping psychological thriller. Telling the tragic story of Helena and her family, told in multiple POVS and asks the question nature vs. nurture.
I read over 2 days and fully recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and boldwood books for the arc

I enjoyed the characters and the plot and it was bit slow first half when half way through it picked up it I couldn’t put it down

The book is psychological thriller about different disappearance and murders full of suspense and dark and twisted turns it’s a 2 POVs in it

Overall it was good because it was a bit slow took to get into at first 3.5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for providing with with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Helenna has 2 daughters Rachel and Vanessa. Rachel is an addict living on the streets and Vanessa is a single mom raising 2 kids of her own and works for a home care facility.

Alex had a horrible childhood and he was constantly bullied and now he is caring for his aging mother. There are several girls who start to go missing in town and everyone is on alert but how is that connected to Alex, Helenna and her 2 girls......well you are going to have to read to find out and you won't be disappointed!!!

This story is told alternating between 3 storylines. Once is of Helenna and her daughters and their everyday life. The second is Alex's childhood story growing up and his current life of caring for his mother. The last story line is told from the POV of a woman who is being held captive in a dark and dingy location and is chained to the wall with only so much room to move around. How are all these stories connected and who is the unknown woman trapped in the basement? This one kept me guessing throughout as I kept coming up with who I thought was involved in the missing women and then the story would take a turn and another twist would be revealed. I did like this book and I hope you do too.....Enjoy!!!

I really liked the harsh truth of this book - a mother who did her best but ultimately sees her daughters both wind up struggling, albeit in different ways. It set the tone for a dark plot line spanning two time periods and multiple perspectives. This author writes well and is consistently able to identify touch points which will resonate with readers.

I was quite excited to read another book by this author but unfortunately was disappointed and frustrated that I did not complete it - too long winded and repetitive - I just felt the storyline was quite weak and making comparisons between the two daughters and back and forth but no real action. Unfortunately just not my cup of tea.