A good storyline with a twist I wasn’t expecting. Enjoyed seeing the relationship between mother and daughter grow.

I was completely gripped by this story and was impressed with the writing quality. I was entertained throughout the story and would not hesitate to recommend this book.

This was not for me, maybe I just wasn't the target audience. I was so bored with this, and overall it felt predictable. I DNF'd at 23%

I really enjoyed reading this. It was an emotional read but I would recommend it. Thank you to netgalley and the author and publishers for the opportunity to read this ARC for my honest opinion

Thank you to Netgalley and Relay for this e-copy in return for my honest review. It was the first book that I've read by Jo Crowe but as it's the fourth in the Secrets of Suburbia series I will look up the other books. I'll admit that there were parts where I didn't know where the story was going but I stuck with it and I'm glad that I did.

I haven't read any of the other books in this series, but I was engaged. I wasn't sure where the storyline was going, but I was shocked. Definitely look into this book and this author.

A Mother's Loss is the fourth in the 'Secrets of Suburbia' thriller series featuring well-established child psychologist, Dr Karen Marks. Having missed the first two books in the series, I read the third - The Perfect Neighborhood - and I was happy to jump in and read this instalment. Jo Crow provided enough background to allow me to feel comfortable with the characters and setting.

Set in the Chicago, Karen made a rather flawed, self-centred, impulsive yet determined psychologist with an occasional inclination towards negativity however, I would have gladly had her on my team. This novel was a fantastic, compulsive and solid domestic thriller and although Karen was quite difficult to warm to, I accepted this was down to her immensely troubled past. It was well-balanced and had me glued to the pages and I didn't want to put it down as I was desperate to know the outcome of the story.

The up-to-the-minute plot was very cleverly written being so gripping and suspenseful but not unbelievable or far-fetched. With various threads running through the story, each of characters had a defined role to play. As Karen, with her ethos for hard work, embarked on an exciting and exhilarating mission to discover the identity of the person with sinister intentions. all of the time the tension was being ratcheted up a notch as Jo Crow hit me with some captivating misdirection. The writing flowed effortlessly with a swift pace to it as A Mother's Loss delved into topics of rape, substance abuse, disappearance and the power of evil with doses of deception, menace, threats and violence.

A brilliant, nail-biting and highly recommended psychological thriller.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Relay Publishing via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

This is the very first book I have read from this author and I was enthralled from the very beginning. Dr Karen Marks has had a lot of hardship in her life. She has lost a husband to cancer and a son to a car accident. Yet, behind the scenes, there was a lot she needed to condone for. While in her office as a child psychiatrist, she sees a boy that looks just like her dead son and it starts a downward spiral to her personnel and professional life. I found that I didn't really like Karen since she seemed just completely oblivious to her marriage, her daughter, and what is going on in her own life. The story, however, was enthralling and the suspense kept me guessing until the very end. Thanks for the ARC, Net Galley. I will definitely recommend this book to others.

A Mother's Loss
by Jo Crow
432 pages
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Family binds them together. Lies will tear them apart.
Child psychologist Dr. Karen Marks relates well with her young clients when it comes to loss. After all, she’s no stranger to painful life experiences.Despite the adversities she’s weathered, Karen works hard to serve Chicago’s troubled youth. But maintaining the perfect façade becomes impossible when the past crawls from the woodwork and threatens the life she’s worked so hard to create.
First come the allegations from former students against her deceased husband. As the vicious and unfounded news goes public, Karen’s counseling schedule dries up overnight and she can’t help but feel like she’s being watched.But then a new client walks into her office—his appearance so like her missing son’s, that for a moment she thinks her wishes and prayers have finally been answered. But it can’t be… it’s been so long since he disappeared and this angry, violent child behaves nothing like her Luke. Yet, the resemblance is uncanny.Now Karen’s life is turned upside down as decades of unresolved issues overwhelm her, and seemingly unconnected events begin to reveal someone with sinister intentions. As threats mount, Karen must race to uncover a twisted plot that pits past guilt against any hope for the future.And the truth? It was better left buried.
💐⭐My Review⭐💐
This captivating thriller was impossible for me to put down.I absolutely loved the characters in this book. The story was well-written with a clever plot and the kind of suspense you'd expect in a good thriller. I could see it becoming a movie. The author has a wonderful writing style and she WILL draw you in and keep your attention and not let go. As I got near the end of the book i was getting so sad to see them go. All in All this is a terrific edge-of-your-seat story and I definitely recommend it !Just be warned it does cover some deep topics such as rape , loss , cancer, death of a child , and many many more. If you would like to read this intriguing read you can read it for free on kindle unlimited. Not sure how much longer it will be on there. As always if you like the book you read please take the time to leave a review for the author in places like goodreads & Amazon. It does not have to be long. Just a few sentences saying you liked the book will do. Authors really appreciate every review they get !Thank you to NetGalley and Jo Crow for a e copy of this book to read and review! Opinions are unbiased and entirely my own.
A Mother's Past: A jaw-dropping page-turner with mind-blowing twists & turns (The Secrets of Suburbia Book 4)

Consequences will surprise you every time. This story is a really engrossing look at how even the best actions could have unforeseen consequences. Jo Crow's story of a mother's loss is not exactly what you thought you'd be reading when you looked at the cover and read the synopsis. It is most definitely a high, tension thriller that you can't help but finish in one sitting. Good thing it is not a long book, just an intense one. The book almost reads like a story you'd find on the nightly news, but much more close to the heart.

I received an ARC copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. I could not get into this book at all. It did not hold my interest.

An emotional read,kept me reading to the end. I really felt for the main character Karen. I will be reading more by Jo Crow

This book started strong and kept going. It was unpredictable and I can’t believe the turns it took! I would have never expected what happened toward the end or the ending.

5 stars, without a doubt. I know you’ll agree!

Dr. Karen Marks has worked hard as a Psychologist to help Chicago’s youth. Not only is she dedicated to the kids she works with in her gorgeous corner office, she also volunteers at the school where her now deceased husband worked as the Athletic Director, a Coach and helped with the Band. They are even dedicating a new band room in memory of him.

So, imagine the shock Karen has when the Principal tells her allegations have been made against her husband by former students. He cannot defend himself, but she knows he did not do what he is accused of!

Reeling from that terrible shock, and back at work at her office, Karen is speechless when her new client, Ethan, walks in. He looks exactly like her son Luke, who has been gone from her life for years. She can’t stop thinking about Luke, and Ethan-and then she meets Ethan’s Mother. She can’t believe what she sees when they meet.

Karen can’t get past the feeling she is being watched. Has someone been in her home? IS someone in her home? Or, is she so overcome with grief and guilt that she has forgotten what she’s done?

Get this book! 5 stars! You’ll love it and you won’t believe the ending!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Jo Crow for a copy of this book to read and review!

This novel draws you in from the first page---Talk about a well written suspense novel!
There are twist and turns and you can't put this one down.
This one ended up being a pretty quick read for me!

Thanks Relay Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

Haunting and gripping. I really enjoyed this book. Told in an engaging way by the author (of whom I have not read a novel before but will certainly do so again in the future on the basis of this novel!) I read it in nearly one sitting. Great characters, structure and moral essence. Thank you!

Wow! I was glued to each page and couldn't put the book down. A good read.
I would recommend this book.
Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

This book was ok
It was slightly suspenseful with an occasional plot twist
This book could have been so much better

Fast pacing keeps you engaged. The tension is high. The characters are complex and interesting. I haven't read this author before, but I would definitely read another. I also thought I knew what was going to happen and was proven wrong. Overall it's a really good read.

The power of lies...this story definitely illustrates how lies, once told, change lives. Karen Marks, a childhood psychiatrist, has suffered lies of omission with devastating consequences to her family. The ripples from these lies affect her own life, her husband’s life, and those of all of her children. Those close to her also have their own lies of omission. Years later again there are devastating consequences. This was an easy read, somewhat disjointed in a few places. Many thanks to Jo Crow and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read this arc.

Dr. Karen Mark's, child psychiatrist, looks at her daughter's. One lying on the floor bleeding out from a gun shot. The other holding the gun at her chest. How had it got to this point.
Karen was raped at an early age, had the baby and gave her up for adoption.
She didn't know that when the people who adopted her had a child of their own they gave her up into the foster system. Her other children, twins a boy and a girl had been raised by her and her husband. Then her son was killed in a car accident. If she had taken him to soccer practice maybe he'd still be alive. She had chosen instead to spend time with her lover.
Now staring down the barrel of a gun, all the mistakes she has made go passing through her mind. She thought she had the perfect family, a perfect marriage. She couldn't have asked for a better life. How could she have been so wrong!
A extraordinary story and characters. Gets you involved from the very beginning and doesn't let you go. With a spectacular ending. Never saw that coming!!! Recommended!!