This book is a great thriller with good writing and a different plot. The mother characters are realistic and Josette is very mature in her actions even under stress. The one flaw I felt was some of the events were difficult to believe with respect to the perpetrator. There is no mention of the psychiatric help provided or the justice served. Otherwise an engrossing read. 4.5 stars

I feel like this book, while it is a part of a series, can function as a standalone. I loved the crazy plot twists that were often unexpected!

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

This is a fast-paced police procedural where the detectives and the forensic scientists work well together, and even make time to go home and get a reasonable amount of sleep. It opens with the discovery of the body of a child, murdered in the playground at recess with no one noticing. Jo comes off stress leave to handle the case a day early, partly because her nieces go to the school in question.

I have read each of the novels in this series (although I don't remember much about them), but my only real criticism of the book would be that the sections where Jo struggles with her PTSD felt a bit tacked-on. I didn't really feel her pain was convincingly depicted and was impatient for the plot to pick up again.

The conclusion was perhaps a bit mind-blowing, but I think the author managed to convince, although I struggled to believe Don would have taken the course he did at the very end.

My Review:

Wow, wow, wow!!!!! I’m speechless. Did I really just read that???? This is the first book I read by this author and I loved it. This book is part of a series but can totally be read as a stand alone. I have not read any of the other books in this series and I didn’t have any problems what so ever.

This book follows Detective Jo and her partner trying to find out who murdered a poor innocent little girl. While they were trying to find this child killer there were more and more victims as the investigation continued. Was it just a coincidence or was there a serial killer on the loose? Who killed this precious girl and the others? Was it someone close to them? Was it an accident or was there something more sinister involved? You find out these answers and so much more.

I want to start off by saying how amazing this book was. If you like a good mystery with a bunch of twists then this is the book for you. I loved Detective Jo. Even though she was battling her own demons she kept it together to solve the horrendous case of a child killing. In my mind those are the worst kind of killers. Who would want to kill an innocent, sweet, loving child? It’s so hard to stomach who would and they must be very sick in the head. With that being said what a sick, twisted, head spinning ending that was. I couldn’t believe who the killer was. I say that about a lot of books but this one I truly would’ve never guessed it in a million years. Way to go to this author for all the wonderful surprises. What really shocked me though was not even the identity of killer as much as who let it go on as long as it did. Now that person is the one who should rot in jail forever. I can’t really say too much more without giving it away. I’m telling you guys you will be shocked beyond belief. Kudos to MM Chouinard for an excellent book and I will be reading the rest of this series.

Between the plot, characters and all the twists in this book it made it an easy and fast read. I would definitely recommend it and happily give it 5 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Whatever you do avoid Briar Ridge school. People who go there die. This was my first Jo Fournier book and it won't be the last. Jo is a tough shrewd detective. She's suffered loss, but is ready to open herself to a new relationship. The author is good at throwing off the reader. I missed the mark on a few clues as to who was really behind the killings. And when the truth is revealed, it's chilling and macabre. I think that's why I like reading psychological thrillers, because they are chilling and gripping. In the Other Mothers, just how far will a mother go?

Full disclosure this is the first in the series that I have read. I enjoyed the story for the compelling mystery that it was. If you need the motivation to be believable for you to enjoy a book. This book is not for you.

The Other Mothers by M.M. Chouinard is the fourth installment of a gripping series focused on Detective Jo Fournier. I was late coming to this gem of a series, but I am making it a priority to catch up on what I've missed, and I cannot wait for the continuation. This one, however, can easily be read as a standalone.

A five year old girl has been murdered, found lifeless in a school shed during recess. Returning from a brief leave after suffering a miscarriage, Jo is shocked not only by the horror of the crime, but by the realization that this is the same school attended by her two nieces. Reunited with her partner Bob Arnett, Jo must discover how such an event could possibly occur under the watchful eyes of a tightly knit school community, in a case that will hit more closely to home than ever before.

I was fully invested in this complex case from the very start, and was thrilled for the chance to reunite with Detective Fournier once again. If you have been following this series, or jumping in for the very first time, you will not be disappointed.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

Published: January 20, 2021
Bookouture
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

M.M. Chouinard writes crime fiction that is beautifully crafted. She sprinkles a little bit of herself in her characters, and you will feel how passionate she is from the first paragraph. A brilliant mind, incredible researcher, and delightful human, M.M. Chouinard was destined to be an extraordinary author. She is a modern-day Agatha Christie.

“I don’t see how this can end well, Josette.”

This book finds Jo still trying to process her loss and her confidence in herself. She is just coming off of a two-week leave when Bob calls her about their latest case. A child’s body is discovered outside the schoolyard. Little does Jo know, this case will not only rip open her emotional scars, but it will challenge everything she thought she knew. Will she ever be able to forgive herself? Will she heal from her loss? Will this case unravel her, leaving her a broken emotional wreck?

Holy buckets. This book is beyond brilliant. Yet again. M.M. Chouinard has completely outdone herself. This is the perfect next installment in the Jo Fournier series.

Jo is working on recovering from her loss and injury. She is working on her mental and emotional health, as well as her physical health. She has a great therapist who helps Jo put everything that has happened into perspective and start the journey to processing what happened.

Bob is just as reliable as always, especially considering he is the only one at HQ that knows the whole truth about what happened in that field. He is the only one who knows just how much Jo lost.

There are so many themes in this novel that make it such a brilliant read. We see Jo dealing with her confidence and her trust within herself throughout. Major themes with how she thinks now and how she processes information. Forgiveness is a huge theme. Family dynamics unity, togetherness, the price of love, unconditional love, jealousy, betrayal, mental illness stigma, and healing.

M.M. Chouinard has developed her plot so exceptionally well. Everything flows beautifully, and she brilliantly waves pieces of the previous books throughout Jo’s subconscious that dither links everything together.

We see such a growth in Jo in this book. She is already a robust, smart, capable, motivated female character. But we get to know her in an entirely new way in this book. Not only has M.M. Chouinard painted such a detailed picture of who Jo is as a detective and human, but in this novel, we get insight into Jo’s heart and even further into her head.

The characters in this novel as so detailed and each represents something significant. The tale is sordid, and it’s dark. As the story continues to unfold, we see the spotlight shine on details so small; we question whether they matter or not. But if you have ever read an M.M. Chouinard novel (and you should have read the previous three), you know that no detail is insignificant.

The emotional growth we see in this book is beautiful. Jo, who is so hard on herself, has such a stunning breakthrough in a moment of crisis, and suddenly she sees things with a clarity she has never known.

This is my favorite Jo Fournier novel to date. After reading Her Daughter’s Cry and seeing everything Jo has gone through and the seamless transition into this novel, I am so in love with this character. Self-aware, stubborn, smart, flawed, strong, brave, bold, loyal, and incredibly lovable, Jo leaps off these pages with a whole new depth.

This book focuses so much on Jo and her healing, and I cannot appreciate how Chouinard wrote this. Positive light being shone on therapy and the fact that it works, the power of trusting yourself despite things that have happened in the past, and the beauty in trusting and allowing yourself to be vulnerable in front of those you love the most—the freedom in forgiveness, the complexity of family.

This is another smash hit from the brilliant M.M. Chouinard. This series is such a labor of love. You can feel how deeply these characters are loved. The depth, detail, and dimension they have are out of this world.

I cannot recommend preordering this book enough. This series is beautiful. It has everything you want: excellent writing, fantastic plots, incredible characters, emotional depth, a complexity that grabs you by the throat and won’t let go. This is a series you can read over and over and find things you missed. There are not enough stars to accurately label how genuinely excellent this book is.

I am already ready for book 5!

#TheOtherMothers #NetGalley
A python of a thriller.
Gia, is lost in her grief. On the same day her baby girl vanished, Gia found out she was pregnant with the sister Nicole had begged for. Gia is also devastated that her best friend Karen was supervising the playground when Nicole was taken. And when Nicole’s body is discovered, Gia can’t help but ask: why didn’t Karen protect her little girl?
Someone knows what happened in school that day and Detective Jo Fournier is determined to find the truth
Read this book to know about the killer and believe me you'll be stunned.
I'm doing more promotion on its release date among my fellow Authors Bloggers Family Friends and followers.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me an advanced copy of this awesome thriller.