I already loved Liz Lawler from her book “don’t wake up” her stories easily reel you in and are hard to put down! This book was more of a slow burner and took a while to really get me hooked but it was worth the perseverance.

A line no parent should ever hear ‘I’m so very sorry. But your son is dead.’ Only the more she thinks about things, the more she hears the story about Tom, the more she just doesn't think it adds up. Tom is a good lad, he had such a great future ahead of him. The only problem is, the more she goes into searching to find her sons innocence, the more she's putting herself in danger. Absolutely brilliant read, it literally had me on the edge of my seat wondering where the next twist would have me.

Gripping from beginning to end? Not really. The story is slow paced and I already knew who the culprit was halfway through. But the story was intriguing enough to finish the book and you want to know the how and why. You also really feel for Ruth as she tries to uncover the truth surrounding her son’s suicide and the crimes he’s accused of. So maybe not quite a pageturner, but still very enjoyable.

I found this book slow to start but when it did it was amazing. The different point of views made you feel for everyone from the mother who has loss her son in the most unthinkable way to the person of interest. I feel like it came full circle when you read the ending. Very well written. Recommend this book 100%. Thank you NetGalley and bookouture for allowing me to read this book and give my honest review.

I have been a firm follower of this author since I read Don't Wake Up a few years ago. This book was brilliant and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout with great characters. I particularly enjoyed the mother/late son relationship that Liz was portraying and I felt extremely sorry for her as the story progressed and she was just trying to do her best to clear his name.

I can thoroughly recommend this book I don't think you would be disappointed and I look forward to reading more from Liz Lawler in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this great book, a definite 5+ stars from me.

This is the story of Ruth Bennett who is looking to prove her son is innocent of a crime which ended in his untimely death on the day of his sentencing.

Having heard a lot about Liz Lawler's books, I was excited to read this one when I was sent an advanced copy by Netgalley. Unfortunately, I struggled to enjoy this as much as I hoped I would. The lead character, Ruth, I struggled to warm to. I wanted to love her and to be cheering her on from the sidelines, but something made her seem unlikeable.

Having read other reviews, I was expecting to be gripped and for this to be a page turner that I wouldn't want to put down. I actually found it the opposite. The book was very slow paced, often boring in parts and it was not until the last 25% I actually found myself enjoying it and wanting to read on. After all of the boring, dragged out story to reach the conclusion, I found the ending very rushed.

This one really wasn't for me.

Great book. There is nothing like the power of a mothers love, especially if they think their child has been wronged and they are now dead. This is a gripping story and in parts made me feel very emotional Wonderful characters that enhanced the plot and kept me turning the pages. A very well thought out story that engaged me from beginning to end, and the ending was very satisfying. I would highly recommend this book and will read more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Another brilliant book by the amazing Liz Lawler. I loved every page, it's dark and creepy, especially the character of Rose, she was just totally bat shit crazy. Ruth went through every parent's worst nightmare of losing their child in such an horrific way and Liz has written it in such an emotional way that there is no chance of every forgetting it, it makes the hair raise on the back of your neck because it's chilling to the bone. The plot was amazing and the characters were relatable and it was so hard to put down. I was reading it and I kept saying to myself "one more chapter and I will stop, well that never happened, I raced through it because I was dying to know who actually killed Thomas and why. It certainly has some heart rending moments and the suspense just adds more depth to the story. I absolutely loved it and it will most certainly be a bestseller. I can't wait to see what Liz writes next because this is a damn good book with unexpected twists and plenty of OMG moments.

Definite page turner! Solid mystery around a mother's search for the truth in her son's death - so a little sad from the get-go, and the mother is a bit erratic at times - but a solid mystery with some interesting turns.

This is my favorite genre, and the summary caught my eye. While I liked the story, it didn't fully hit the mark for me. The plot had a few lulls, yet there were some unexpected twist that I enjoyed. However, I never felt much of a connection to the characters. The conclusion was too long. That, and a few other sections, could've benefitted from a tighter edit.

A thoroughly enjoyable read ,exciting full of tense foreboding .This is the second book I’ve read in the last few months looking at how a mother responds to the death of an adult child .This book pulled me in because it’s mother and son are both doctors and as a doctor mother of sons I identified with the lead character.I felt the medical details were realistic and the characters believable
The initial chapter when the mother discovers her son has potentially committed a crime which may end up with him being sent to prison is perhaps every mother’s nightmare .When the son then dies the scene is set for a great detective/ police novel .
I’m not normally much of a fan of this genre but found myself trying to predict who dunnit from early on ( unsuccessfully as it goes I had my hopes pinned on another suspect )
This book will I’m sure sell well I’m intrigued to look up the authors back catalogue

I chose this from the blurb and while the plot dragged slightly in some places, the story was full of twists as Ruth began her quest to discover the truth behind what really happened to Thomas. It did pick up in pace closer to the end and I did enjoy reading it, my only complaint was that two of the characters began with R and starting a new chapter especially at the beginning meant I had to double check which was which.

Ruth receives a text from her son. She needs to show up in court, well dressed and impressive. Ruth, a medical doctor like her son has no idea what is going on. She arrives in court and finds that her son has pleaded guilty to stealing and possessing drugs from the hospital where he too is a doctor. Just as she is processing this she is told his body was found at his apartment and that he committed suicide. Devastated Ruth begins the search for answers. She quits her job and takes a new one in her son's town. She moves into his apartment and begins the quest for answers to his drug charges and his death.
This book is chock full of twists and turns and relationship questions. The characters are many and varied in their mental and emotional issues. Ruth finds herself caught up in trying to untangle the lies and deceit of several whose mental illnesses and problems have all played into the mystery she is trying to unravel. Ruth tries to keep her identity secret and wants to remain aloof but finds herself in the midst of caring and concerned people who also become part of the mystery she needs to solve. For lovers of mystery and psychological thrillers, this book will be an entertaining read. Thanks to #TheSilentMother#NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I received this book early from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review! When I requested the book by reading the synopsis I honestly thought I wouldn’t be able to put it down. I was wrong. It’s a did not finish, maybe not the book for me. Maybe I’ll try again at a later day but for now too many books I can be reading.
Sorry have to be honest here.
So I didn’t finish this I can’t really give a completely honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What an amazing book especially the ending. Wow what can I say. I know it's a cliche but this book really did hook me from the start. A very gripping and emotional read. Recommended.

I couldn’t finish this book. Was this even Liz Lawler’s writing?!? I loved her other books, but this? Well, I am in the minority for my rating (which is good!) but I just didn’t love it.

Synopsis of story I did read; woman’s son commits suicide over a court case he pleaded guilty to but she believes he’s innocent. Then woman moves into dead sons apartment and plans a not to secret or covert operation to uncover the truth. Breaks numerous patient confidentiality laws and places job on the line rather than just trying the old ‘being honest about your intentions’ route. Reads dead sons diary (but not in order) takes everything written as absolute truth.

Needless to say this book was just all over the place. Repetitive and felt like it was clutching at straws for a twist or hook to pull you in. I didn’t feel like i bonded with the main character, she came across as a bit odd for someone so gifted intellectually.

I read half but didn’t fancy reading the remainder. I never like to quit a book, but having read so many and with so many yet to read… life is too short to read a book you aren’t loving!

Thanks to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

A different premise displaying the agony of a mother and her tenacity in proving her son’s innocence. The writing shows the emotions of the characters in depth. There is not much of a suspense and some parts are unclear. The conclusion is unnecessarily prolonged. A shorter and crispier end would have done a better job. 3.5 stars

A dark and twisty ride that grips you from the first page. It’s every mother’s nightmare and I really felt for her. Such a well written book

OMG what a book - as others have said hooked from page one . A very past faced psychological thriller which keeps you on the edge of your seat all the way through. Loved the style of writing very concise and so deep in emotions that you actually feel you are involved with the characters. A really great conclusion and enjoyable book

You know that you've got a good thriller on your hands when you just can't put it down. The silent mother sucked me in from the moment that I started it and I couldn't resist the urge to keep reading until I had discovered everything that happened.
The Silent Mother tells the story of Ruth who sets out to find out the truth about her son. He was due to appear in court to face charges of stealing drugs from the hospital that he worked as a doctor, but he was found dead, apparently from suicide, the morning he was due to appear. Ruth is sure that he must be innocent and is determined to get to the bottom of what happened.
There are many twists and turns in this story and I'll admit that I suspected almost every character of being involved one way or another at some point. I did manage to work everything out long before Ruth though, who seemed to be spectacularly slow as we neared the end.
This was a gripping read and one that I didn't want to put down. The only reason that it's not a five star read for me, is that there were one or two little things that just didn't seem to make sense. Too much interest in something the police find that just didn't ring true for me and I wasn't convinced by some of Tom, the son's, actions. These were only minor niggles though and overall this was a great read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.