The pacing is excellent—quick without being frantic—and the shifting perspectives keep the tension simmering.

Alex’s chapters are the clear standout. He’s an expertly crafted villain: calculating, delusional, and deeply unsettling. His presence dominates the narrative, even when he’s not physically on the page. Helene’s chapters didn’t work as well for me; her reluctance to address her daughters’ faults often left me frustrated, though that dynamic does serve the story’s themes.

The structure is one of the book’s biggest strengths. We move between Helene’s present, Alex’s past-to-present backstory, and the point of view of a kidnapped woman. This layering builds intrigue without feeling disjointed. By the time the ending arrives, everything wraps up neatly—but not before delivering a twist that genuinely caught me off guard.

While the premise isn’t groundbreaking, the execution, pacing, and character work—especially Alex—make it memorable.

This book gives you all. Dark, twisted, murder, kidnap and the struggle of a single parent bringing up 2 children.

The mother thought she was doing well with their upbringing, but then has doubts with the lies and deceit that both daughters bring to her later in life.

I could not put this book down gripping reading.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this book.

Mother Knows Best is a dark psychological mystery-thriller by J.A. Baker
This story alternates between the past, which was a decade ago, and the present. I enjoyed Baker’s last novel and was excited to read this; however, I was most disappointed. The characters were unlikable and lacked depth. I found many chapters repetitive. Although the premise was intriguing, I struggled to connect.

Thank you #netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Helena was widowed young and had to bring her two daughters, Vanessa and Rachel up on her own. She is proud that they had a different upbringing to hers, but she is now slowly starting to question just how well she did.

Vanessa is the eldest and acting manager of a local care home. She relies on her mum to be there for her two children, even in the early hours of the morning. Just what is Vanessa hiding from her mum?

Rachel is homeless, she’s an alcoholic and uses drugs. Helena is trying to get her to come back home, but she won’t. This is hard for Helena as there is a killer lurking close by.

Alex grew up with an alcoholic mother and he has been bullied throughout his life. Alex leads a dark and strange life.

The story is told from multiple points of view, and I felt this added to the tale, as I gradually understood the characters more, there flaws and traits came through.

I feel that the author’s writing goes to a new level with this tale. This psychological thriller is dark and edgy, the content was hard to read at times, but at the same time, it was a thrilling read.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

I had a hard time getting into Mother Knows Best at first, but about midway through I was hooked. There were quite a few characters to follow, and it was interesting trying to figure out how they were all connected. I was definitely surprised by the degrees of separation in the end. It’s a little bit dark and a whole lot of twisted, but a good read!

Thank you for giving me the chance to read this book . A great thriller. I love J A Baker such a good author. This story follows Helena mother of 2 and what happens once murders and disappearances start happening. Books by this author are so addictive you just can’t put them down . Would recommend this to everyone.

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.

This is an easy read. Well written with good characters and plenty of twists and turns along the way. I've read a few novels by this author and they haven't disappointed me. This one lives up to that.

Wow this was an amazing read. So many interesting characters and really interesting writing. I loved everything about this book and would definitely recommend it to my friends. 5 stars from me and I can’t wait for the next from this author

Helena is determine to be a better mother than her own. She has two daughters, Rachel and Vanessa. Rachel has lost her way and is living homeless addicted to drugs. Vanessa has 2 kids of her own and Helena does her best to help with them as much as she can. When young girls begin going missing and bodies start showing up, everyone is on edge worried about their safety. Helena is particularly worried about her two daughters.

This is a story filled with lies, deceit, and family drama. It alternates short chapters between Helena's perspective, Alex - a twisted psychologically complex individual, and an unknown person being held captive. I liked this style of writing and the way it was presented. The unfolding was well done.

I was not a fan of the characters, no one particularly resonated with me. The character building lacked and made the story a bit slow for me as well. Major hints were given early on as to the "twists" and nothing came as a surprise even through to the very ending. I also am not a big fan of 3rd person narration but this was not a big factor in my rating or review. I have enjoyed other writings by this author though and would still recommend her and read other books by her in the future.

Thanks to Netgalley, J.A. Baker, and Boldwood Books for the ARC and chance to give my honest opinion!

I enjoyed this thriller, but felt that some chapters were repetitive and the story could have been trimmed down a bit. Overall, a great concept and a quick read that makes you think about mother-daughter relationships.

Thank you, Netgalley, for this ARC! All opinions are my own.

This is the most twisted thrillers I have read. This book highlights that your childhood sometimes shapes your psyche. Alex Broadwood grows up with an abusive mother who berates him daily. He grows up to be misogynist who enjoys seeing women in pain because he thinks they are all evil. Helena is an overbearing mother of two daughters, Vanessa and Rachel. Vanessa is a mother of two who is estranged from her husband and her mother's favorite. Rachel is the youngest daughter who is drug addicted and living on the street. The main plot of the book is that a series of dead women are found, and the police suspect a serial killer. Helena's daughter Rachel has the ring of one of the missing girls. Does that make her guilty of murder?

This is one of the darker thrillers, which is sure to excite fans of John Marrs. The characters are sadistic and cruel. There are so many triggers throughout the book. Written in a series of flashbacks and the present, you see what the characters think and what emotions drive them to make their decisions. Everyone is flawed. The ending is shocking. The main character, Alex, reminds me of Norman Bates from the movie Psycho. I enjoyed this book and how the author creatively builds up the story.

This was a tense and twisty domestic thriller that kept me turning the pages late into the night. Mother Knows Best explores the complex and often toxic dynamics between a mother, daughter, and grandmother — all wrapped in secrecy, obsession, and emotional manipulation.

The story follows Kate, a mother trying to protect her teenage daughter, Ellie, from the growing influence of her overbearing grandmother, Mary. But things aren’t as straightforward as they seem. Everyone is hiding something, and as the layers peel back, the psychological tension builds.

I really enjoyed the alternating perspectives — they added depth and made me question who I could actually trust. Some of the characters frustrated me (in a good way!), especially Ellie, but that just made the story feel more real. Teens don’t always make rational choices, and this book leans into that emotional messiness in a believable way.

The pacing is a slow burn, but the payoff is worth it. If you like your thrillers dark, emotionally charged, and rooted in family drama, I definitely recommend giving this one a try!

Thanks for the arc!
This is the first book I've read of J.A Baker's, I enjoyed it, but unfortunately I would say I found it dragged on quite a bit and for that reason I wouldn't recommend it to my friends & family.

I enjoyed this a lot, it kept me intrigued and I read it quite quickly. The reason for my rating is although it was enjoyable, it was a very slow burn and I didn’t feel as though the pay off was quite punchy enough to compensate for how slow the pace was. I definitely still recommend it though as it was very good!

Mother Knows Best offers an intriguing premise and some solid suspense, but the pacing felt uneven at times. While the psychological tension builds gradually, it took a while for the story to really hook me. The ending delivered some unexpected twists, but character development could have been stronger. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.

devoured this in one sitting—Mother Knows Best is the kind of thriller that quietly grips you and doesn’t let go. J.A. Baker masterfully weaves a story of maternal obsession, fractured family bonds, and the unsettling realization that the real danger might be closer than anyone dares to admit.

Helena is a brilliantly drawn character: protective to a fault, emotionally fraying, and increasingly haunted by her past. As her daughters drift away—one lost to addiction, the other buried in work—Helena’s world begins to unravel. The disappearances of local girls add a sinister layer, but the true tension lies in Baker’s ability to make the ordinary feel ominous.

The prose is crisp, the pacing deliberate, and the emotional depth surprising. It’s not just a thriller—it’s a psychological portrait of motherhood at its most raw and complex.

If you’re a fan of The Push or The Daughter, this one’s a must-read. Atmospheric, haunting, and deeply human—I couldn’t put it down. with thanks to J A Baker, the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC!

Well, this was surely a dark kind of read, but I did nevertheless enjoy it. It was full of twists and turns that surely takey your breath away and make you mumble 'just one more chapter' until you suddenly finished the whole book!

I am giving this one solid 4 stars. it was disturbing at some points during the story and is surely going to hunt me in my dreams for a while. Still recommended!

When I first started Mother Knows Best by J.A. Baker, I ended up putting it down before finishing. At the time, it just didn’t grab me the way I hoped. But something about the premise stuck with me, and I decided to give it another try. This time, I was hooked. The slow, creeping tension builds steadily, and the unsettling atmosphere kept me turning the pages. J.A. Baker has a way of making the ordinary feel ominous, and the unreliable characters made me constantly question what was really going on. It’s one of those psychological thrillers that gets under your skin the longer you sit with it. If you're into dark family dynamics and slow-burn suspense, it's worth sticking with.

Twisty, thrilling and quite dark, this book was like being on a rollercoaster. So , so good. I'm loved all the twists and turns throughout this book. I A Baker has done it again. My thanks to netgalley and the publisher's for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I really felt for Rachel in this book, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed the overall feel of this book and how Rachel was used in this. The characters all felt like they were supposed to in this genre and was engaged from start to finish, The plot was everything that I was looking for and was invested in what was happening in this. J A Baker has a strong writing style and was glad I got to read this. It uses everything that I wanted from a psychological thriller novel and was glad I got to read this.