The Other Mothers is the fourth instalment in the Detective Jo Fournier series.
In this book we follow Jo's latest investigation which is involving a school. When a child goes missing during a class break time the school are beside themselves. When that child is later found dead, Jo is more determined than ever to make sure she finds who is responsible for this devastating crime.

This entire series of books is incredibly gripping!. I love the strong female lead - Jo, and the sheer dedication she shows to her work. The author brings her character to life so wonderfully, showing her to be realistic and relatable as she certainly has her own flaws. The way in which her own personal life story is weaved in to the plot really gives the story and the character herself so much depth.
This story has the exact right amount of mystery and suspense to keep the reader hooked to the very last page.

This is undoubtedly a must read for all crime/mystery fans!.

The Other Mothers is the latest book in the Detective Jo Fournier series by M.M. Chouinard. In this novel, Jo’s investigation involves a local elementary school. A child goes missing at recess, and is later found dead. Of course, Jo is determined to find who killed the child.

This is a fantastic crime series. I love mystery series with strong female characters. Jo is smart, dedicated, and tough, but she’s also got flaws, making her relatable. Her personal story is interwoven into the mystery story, making for a more enjoyable novel. In fact, all of the characters are well developed and interesting.

This is the fourth novel in the series, and I recommend reading this series in order. However, The Other Mothers can be read as a standalone novel.

The Other Mothers is a complex and intriguing mystery. With a compelling story and entertaining twists, this novel is sure to thrill fans of crime fiction.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Other Mothers caught my attention right from the start and held it all the way through! Clever and original. Very well paced with good character development and twist I did not see coming. Fantastic!

If you read this book then you are in for a treat. This masterpiece was a thrilling and fascinating story. I love how the events turned out at the end and would recommend it to anyone 100%!

The other mothers is my first book in the series and what a great story to start with.
I enjoyed this psychological thriller from the beginning to the last page.
I had so many theories throughout the story and I knew there was something off with the family but never have I thought about that twist at the end.
Jo Fournier was an interesting character, a challenging one with her own personal story and past intertwined with the case on hand and I loved how the author made her strong but at the same time caring and we got to see her insecurities and how the case is affecting her in so many ways.
Fast paced, great characters and a very twisty must read story.

4.5 stars

I love love love Jo Fournier! The dancing girls being one of the best books I have ever read!! This was almost as good! When jo is called to a murder scene at the school her nieces go, the suspect pool is pretty big! Narrowed down pretty quickly, there seems to be a serial killer at work as further bodies connected to the school begin to turn up! Pretty shocked by the ending - much like all of MM Chouinard’s books! Well written, easy to read and the perfect amount of suspense - I cannot wait for the next instalment!!

A wonderful book to read, which even includes LGBTQ lifestyle in it. An amazing book that should be read by all.

The Other Mothers by M.M Chouinard is the fourth book in the Detective Jo Fournier series, set in Harristown, New England. Jo is called back into work early from her enforced medical leave due to a serious incident at Briar Ridge Elementary school, one that Jo's own nieces go to as well. A five year old girl,Nicole, has gone missing during playtime while surrounded by all the other children and various adults. Her body is discovered by a teacher, lying near two dumpsters, and a puffer jacket covering her face. This is an investigation that will shake the school and the community to their very cores. Karen Phelps, one of the adults in the playground at the time of Nicole's disappearance is a good friend of Nicole's mum and when interviewed has all the right words to say but something doesn't feel right. Nicole's mum, Gia when notified of Nicole's death reacts very strangely, as does Nicole's dad, Anthony. He point blank refuses to leave work to speak with the police about his daughter. Leaving Jo with her suspicions running wild, and with an investigation that seems to be matching her suspicions, running wild, after another dead body is discovered.
This is actually one series that I have not read previously, so I start here! I found it was a book that can be read on it's own with enough of Jo's backstory to fill me in and get me up to speed. This book is like a spiders web, it begins quite slowly but as you read you need to know more as the case builds and everything starts to link up. I liked how the tension and pace built it had me hooked until I had finished. I thought the misdirection worked really well in keeping the tension up, one minute I thought I knew who it was and then something happened that changed my mind.
A well written story that I thoroughly thought was amazing. As I always find when I read a book from the middle of a series, now I want to read them all! Just a shame I need to sleep.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the book for me to write this review.

A series of shocking deaths at Briar Ridge Elementary School devastates the community. Detective Jo Fournier and her partner, Detective Bob Arnett, of the Oakhurst County State Police Detective Unit are called in and begin an intense investigation that involves the scrutiny of the teachers, staff, administration, and parents at the school. A close knit group of mothers, known as "The Witches of Briar Ridge", include Karen Phelps, Gia Marchand, and Molly Hayes. These women seem to be involved somehow in what is happening but there is so much going on that it's hard to tell what secrets they are hiding and why. NO SPOILERS.

Wow, this was very intense and I could not put it down (even though I had half an ear to the AFC Championship Football Game). It was definitely one of the better series reads I've devoured so far this year, and I can't wait for the next installment having read all the previous books as well. Suffice to say that, although I had some suspicions, this took a serious turn that was extremely chilling.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend. Be sure to read the series from the beginning.

Five year old Nicole is found dead during the school recess. With no apparent sign of any outside person having done this ghastly deed, Detective Jo Fournier's eyes are on the child's parents and school staff.

As the investigation progresses, two more people end up dead. Nicole's mother Gia and her friends Karen and Molly too are under the scanner and Nicole's father, Anthony's behaviour is suspicious at best.

This book is 4th in the Dectective Jo Fournier series. I loved Jo and glimpses of her back story makes me want to start the series soon.

The book is fast paced and suspenseful. It seemed long at times but never a dull moment.

Thank you for the ARC Netgalley and Bookouture.

Detective Jo Fournier has a very difficult case ahead of her. At first she is called to an exclusive elementary school when five-year-old Nicole has disappeared. Sadly, Nicole‘s body as soon found. As Jo begins to delve into the case, one of the first people that she speaks to his Nicole‘s mother, Gia. Sadly Gia has not only lost a daughter, she discovers that she is pregnant and now knows that Nicole will never have the chance of possibly having a baby sister.

Gia and other mothers volunteered at the school, and one of them was her best friend Karen who was the supervisor at the playground on the day that Nicole disappeared. Quite naturally, friction exists between the two women at the loss of Nicole while Karen was at the playground.

It doesn't take Jo long to realize that someone knows what is going on. What’s more than evident is that someone is lying. As the story develops certain things are revealed about specific characters in this book. The book takes surprising twist and turns as these facts are slowly revealed. To make all matters worse, one of the teachers at the school suddenly dies. Why has a child and now a teacher lost their lives?

I have read many thrillers over the years and always at least one surprising twist to come into play. However I will say, without a single spoiler, that the twist in this book I could never ever have expected. I have been thoroughly enjoying this series and this book, The Other Mothers, is truly an excellent read.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Exciting! Chilling! Author M. M. Chouinard’s new installment in the series was one rocking ride from beginning to end.

A five-year-old child was murdered and ruthlessly dumped behind her school during the recess break. Who would do such a heinous thing? Then came the reaction of the mother who was calm and collected as if grief couldn’t touch her hair. OMG! How? Why? And there was more… Her coterie of friends had something to hide. All of them were puzzled by this family who had more wealth than emotions.

Then a fourth-grade teacher died under mysterious circumstances. From the same school. This school seemed to be was truly a cesspit of nefarious things. And it took all of Jo’s mental fortitude and determination to investigate the gruesome crimes.

wouldn’t claim to remember Detective Jo, as all my police procedural leads had squished into my brain, but I was given enough backstory to love her. The case was a ruthless one; there were many suspects. I had my theories, but I was more eager to get to know the truth. The Other Mothers seemed to be hiding something.

A thorough investigation, a suspenseful well-plotted story, great chemistry between the lead detectives, and smooth camaraderie within the team made the pages fly right to the final reveal. It was quite a ride.

An impressive read following on from the other books in M.M. Chouinard's Detective Jo Fournier series.

In this one, The Other Mothers, Gia Marchand's little girl, Nicole has disappeared whilst her best friend, Karen was meant to be looking after her during playground supervision at the local primary school - Briar Ridge Elementary in Harristown, New England. As Detective Jo Fournier starts her investigation Nicole's dead body is found but not everyone is surprised or phased by the suspicious death...

I believe The Other Mothers would work as a self-contained read and I loved learning more about Jo. For me, she makes for a near-perfect main character with her inner strengths and vulnerability. Although not without flaws, she showed empathy, despite having personal difficulties of her own, and the camaraderie and bond she shared with her partner-in-crime, Detective Bob Arnett were entertaining and delightfully pleasing. They made the perfect team and Jo's relentlessness and motivation were admirable.

Michelle M. Chouinard’s overall style wowed me again as did the wonderfully thrilling plot in this tale of secrets, criminality, suspicion and pure malice. I really appreciated Chouinard's ability to not only draw me into the sordid, dark story immediately but also keep me enthralled until the very last page. The level of tension that built throughout the story was noteworthy.

For me, The Other Mothers has is all - a plot brimming with mystery, suspense with many twists, as well as family dynamics, characters that are real and believable and a killer ending that blew me away. Michelle M. Chouinard has become one of my favourite authors and I can’t wait to see what's next in this magnificent series.

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

Thank you to Bookouture for my copy of this book via NetGalley and for letting me take part in this tour. I really enjoyed the previous books in this series so I was looking forward to seeing where this one took me.

This book was addictive! I seriously struggled to put it down. Chouinard really does know how to draw you in and keep you there. The beginning was paced slow but that allowed the case to build up and the links to form. The last third of the book was very tense and action-packed.

Jo and her team had a lot of potential suspects but none of them really fit. At first, I couldn't work out who the killer was and then I kept changing my mind. There would be one slight bit of evidence that made you question all of your thinking. It was extremely clever.

Jo has really grown over the series and in this book, a lot of personal things come to a head. You don't need to have read the other books to understand as these are explained. I think in this book Jo really turns a corner on her past.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I can't wait for the next one!

What does the death of a teacher have to do with the earlier death of a student? This is the first curve that threw me during the reading of this book, but not the last. Ms. Chouinard laid out a fast paced, twisty, multi-layered story that had me making a lot of guesses that weren't quite right. As a side note, I liked that we got into the relationship between Jo and her sister. Slowly character background is being colored in and it makes the characters more relatable. I even felt Jo's partner Arnett was given a larger role in the whole story. A solid, engaging thriller that keeps you turning the next page! And while I would always suggest starting a series from the beginning, this installment was well enough written that you could start here. But don't!

Just absolutely thrilling from start to finish. A rollercoaster of a read. Heart thumpingly, stay-up-all-night-reading good. Loved this brilliant book. Do read this one. You're in for a massive treat.

Detective Jo Fournier, recovering from a miscarriage, and still emotionally vulnerable is called in by her partner to the scene of crime – the school her nieces study in! The body of the 5-year old Nicole has been found in the school yard and now almost everyone is a suspect – her parents, teachers, school staff, older children, parents, friends and enemies.

As Jo and her partner Arnett start to question people and gather evidence, the book proceeds at a fast and even pace. Every one seems to have secrets and the best part is that we’re given a peek but not the whole story. So the author leaves us guessing.

Even as the detectives and readers are trying to uncover which sick person would stoop to killing an innocent child, the author presents us with another murder. This time it’s a teacher who dies on a school field trip to a museum. Is there a connection between the murders? Can the detectives act fast enough to prevent another tragedy?

It’s hard to say more about the plot without giving something away, so I’m just saying how cleverly the author weaves this story. It has so much of raw emotion, so many different characters with possible motives, small town dynamics, family secrets. Jo’s own emotions and family dynamics are also written about so brilliantly.

In the recent past, I’m drawn to read more thrillers, mysteries and The Other Mothers certainly reinforced this new interest. It was a hard to put down book and I couldn’t stop until I discovered who the culprit was! A thoroughly enjoyable whodunit!

The Other Mothers is the fourth instalment in the Detective Jo Fournier series, set in Harristown, New England. Detective Fournier is called back into work a day before the end of her fortnights enforced medical leave due to a serious incident at private tuition-funded Briar Ridge Elementary School in order to lead the investigation into a frankly horrifying and deeply worrying crime that will rock the community to its core. Five-year-old Nicole Marchand goes missing during recess despite being surrounded by other children and two adult monitors - third-grade teacher, Jim Karnegi, and parent volunteer, Karen Phelps - and everyone nearby is frantic. Once the Detectives arrive on the scene they are informed that kindergarten teacher Stephanie Roden had discovered her body laying near two dumpsters with a sky-blue puffer jacket covering her face and desperately tried to resuscitate her. Who could suffocate and discard an innocent little girl like trash? They begin conducting interviews first at the school and then the wider area, including looking at possible opportunists and local registered sex offenders. Karen Phelps, one of those watching out for the kids during that recess and a good friend of Nicole's mother, Gia, is interviewed, and although she gives all the "right" answers she seems shifty and nervous. Worryingly when her mother, Gia, is notified she doesn't seem all that phased by her daughter's suspicious death but she isn't the only one. Nicole's father, Anthony, refuses to take time off work to meet the Detectives to discuss the horrendous situation.

It's blatantly obvious something isn't right within the family and within the parents' friend circle but the team are having a hard time deciding quite what they think is going on. Is this just the way they as people deal with loss and trauma as not everyone deals with tragedy in the same manner or does their strange lack of emotion point to serious underlying and deeply disturbing issues of some kind? Shortly after, there's a trip from Briar Ridge to the Ancient Egyptian Museum (AEM) located in downtown Wiltshire when fourth-grade teacher Layla Madani is killed. Fournier and Arnott are greeted by AEM curator Dr Neil Gamal who takes them to the crime scene. Leyla had apparently fallen off a pyramid modelled after those in Giza despite being given rigorous instructions and there being protective ropes and waist-high handrails all the way around to stop accidents. It appears someone is targeting those associated with Briar Ridge but why, and how are the two cases connected? This is a compulsive, enthralling and highly emotional procedural with a huge dollop of mystery and enough of both engaging personal plotlines, and getting to know more about Jo, alongside the crimes and thrilling investigations. The suspect pool is huge and the twists plentiful so you're never sure what is coming next and that makes for a riveting and thoroughly gripping read. There are so many secrets, lies, deceptions and pure malice to make this one of the most sinister, chilling and deeply disturbing thrillers I've read in a long time. Highly recommended.

This book was the fourth installment in this series but I read it as a stand alone and I didn't feel I missed out.

I really enjoyed this book. I don't usually like police procedural style books but this one was enjoyable.

I did find this a little slow paced, I found myself skimming parts of these but definitely the paced picked up towards the end.

I loved the plot twists and definitely did not seeing it coming. It's a favourite trope of mine and I would absolutely love a follow up book based on those at the centre of that twist.

I also loved the school yard setting and the dynamic between the parents. Although I generally don't like children as main characters, the author did a fantastic job of not letting the school setting over shadow the mystery of the story.

I gave this 4 stars and think so many other people would also really enjoy following Jo Fournier on her investigations.

Thank you to the author M.M. Chouinard, the publisher Bookouture and Netgalley for an eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book by this author that I have read. I really enjoyed the main character and would probably read other books that feature her. I definitely did not expect the end. Quite a twist.