Being a new mom can be a very isolating experience. So when struggling new mom Natalie befriends stay at home dad Paul, she clings to him, leaving her vulnerable to some sinister plotting.

I read most of this book at 4am while nursing my own 3 week old baby. So while I could relate to some of this book, it also at times rubbed me the wrong way.
While it was a good portrayal of a mother clearly suffering with postpartum depression, there was just something about Natalie’s whiny nature that irritated me.
She repeatedly pushed her husband away, her husband who seemed desperate to help, and tuned to a complete stranger who for some reason became her saviour.

This book trudged along slowly, and it was passed the halfway point before the real plot emerged.
By that time it was obvious, and to be honest I was kind of hoping the bad guys would win.
After nothing happened for so much of the book the author then flew through the ending, it felt rushed and unfinished.

I do feel that characters struggling and dealing with mental health issues is important to see in books. But the story still has to be good.
I felt as though the author hung her hat on the PPD trope, and should have put a little more into the rest of the book.
While I did not hate it, I did not necessarily enjoy it either.

Thanks to The Favor, Nora Murphy books are on auto-buy, so imagine my excitement to dig into The New Mother.

This is a different style of thriller than The Favor. It features a reachable, identifiable character (Natalie) facing the isolation and struggles brought on by new motherhood. At her wits end, the arrival of her neighbor, Paul, is perfect, or so she thinks. She could use the break, and he's there to give her some well-deserved rest time.

While much of the story is spent in Natalie's head, the plot moves, lurks, bends. The story's focus is on the darkness that hides in plain sight. This is what makes the read thrilling. You lose yourself in the ideas, the imaginations, and forget what's right under your nose.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the early read. I look forward to the next Nora Murphy novel.

Probably the most intense book that made me not only feel for a first time mom, but also sit on the edge of my seat the whole time I read it!

I must say that this book surprised me, and I'm so glad I got the chance to read it!

I would definitely put this in the slow burn, literary thriller and it worked for me! I am a fan of complex, motherhood stories and the author did a great job in painting the picture of a difficult, postpartum experience that leaves a mother depleted and desperate for help. I had some thoughts about where the plot was going but I felt that the page turning increased toward the end, and it was overall a satisfying read!

Thanks to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC!

Natalie is new to the neighborhood and dealing with the stress and loneliness of life with a newborn. Just when she needs it most, her neighbor Paul swoops in and saves her, bringing her snacks and settling the baby. But what are his motives for befriending the new, young mother?

I wanted to like this book, but overall felt myself getting annoyed and wanting to get to the end to wrap things up. I often. Found myself skimming entire pages, just to get to the point, especially in the second half of the novel. It seemed somewhat predicable, and also made me irritated at all of the male characters. Maybe because I don’t have children of my own, I just couldn’t relate to Natalie. I am hoping the next book by Nora Murphy is more like her previous one; I will still continue to pick up her books!

The New Mother was my first book by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it! It was suspenseful in the best way and will keep you guessing. I do not have children so I loved reading from the perspective of a new mom but I can see how it could be triggering to some. It talks a lot about loneliness and mental health. I look forward to reading more from this author!

Pub: May 30, 2023 @minotaur_books - out now!

I loved Nora Murphy’s first book, The Favor and was really excited to dig into The New Mother.

The New Mother is a very different type of book. The darkness comes from the real life scenarios faced by new mother, Natalie.

I’m not a mother, but I could feel Natalie’s pain, especially the mental health struggles, and how that set her up as the perfect target for her neighbour, Paul. Paul is the definition of evil hiding in plain sight.

While there are a few “traditional” thriller elements at the end of the book, it’s really a look at the darkness hiding in suburbia, and an exploration of maternal mental health, which too often dismissed. Natalie can’t accept the help offered or ask for it because her brain isn’t functioning that way. It’s a nice break from books that are focused on big twists and turns.

Sometimes what’s right in front of you and the idea of losing your sense of self can be scarier than a serial killer because it’s so easy to picture it happening to you.

Murphy is a great writer and I look forward to her next book! PS, today’s brew is @atlascoffeeclub from Costa Rica !

Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for the gifted eARC to read & review

In The New Mother we find Natalie and Tyler, who bring their brand new little ball of joy Oliver home from the hospital. In the hard first weeks of Oliver's life, Natalie begins to feel the pressures of motherhood, the stress of a colicky baby that won't sleep, and the loneliness that comes with being a sole caretaker because her husband quickly goes back to work. It's only when she finds a new friend down the street, Paul, who is a fellow stay at home parent, that Natalie feels like she finally can catch a breath in the fog of new motherhood. When Paul's wife goes missing, however, this all comes crashing down.

I found the book to be a bit middle of the road for me. I found the characterization of Natalie to be great, and felt like I was there feeling the tension and anxieties that she was feeling, but at times it did feel like as a reader we were just completely saturated with the new motherhood woes. I am not a mother, but feel like I definitely wouldn't want to be a new mother while reading this one. I could see how you could feel some solidarity with Natalie, but she just seemed so down bad with postpartum depression that it might be triggering for some. I did enjoy the twists and turns of the mystery, and figuring out how the character of Paul was going to be utilized. The beginning sort of drug on for me, but by the end I enjoyed the wrap up of what happened. While it wasn't my favorite book of Murphy's (I quite enjoyed The Favor), I did read this one fairly quickly and enjoyed myself as I did.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced reader copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

The New Mother is the first suspense novel I've read where post-partum depression/anxiety is the primary plot point. I put that first in the review because that might make you want to read it or it may mean that you wait for a time in your life where that isn't such a trigger. It was kind of "Girl on the Train" except it's PPD instead of alcoholism that makes the narrator unreliable. We also see her unravel while the plot against her unravels and it was stressful in a new way.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and Netgalley for the electronic copy.

More domestic drama than thriller to me. I wasn’t ready for all the descriptions of what the woman was going through with her newborn. That kinda turned me off a bit.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The story starts slow because it occurs mostly in Natalie's head. She has warring emotions about her recent move and her transition into motherhood. At first I was frustrated by all of her thoughts, but then realized that they are integral to the story unfolding in her new neighborhood. Her supportive neighbor Paul has his own secrets and has a lifetime of hiding his true self. Natalie loses her identity in her new role as a mother, and loses her ability to think rationally - however, she finds the strength to rise from the ashes of what her life has become. She even finds help from an unlikely source, The murder and plan for misdirection involve years of planning, and the way events unfold keep you on the edge of your seat! Compelling read!

Nora Murphy took the very real concept of postpartum depression and immersed it in a cleverly conceived murder mystery. Natalie has recently moved to a new neighborhood and her job as an up and coming lawyer is put on hold when she gives birth to her son. There are endless descriptions of the negative ways she reacts to the birth and then to her husband’s promotion. At times the descriptions became too repetitive which was somewhat annoying to me. The murder of someone in the neighborhood causes Natalie to be the main suspect. I found myself surprised at both her and her husband’s reactions to the fact that she was the chief suspect. Suddenly her legal skills seemed to return and she seemed more to fit her original profile.
Nora Murphy truly portrays Paul as a conniving despicable character - the villain in this domestic thriller. He definitely inspires hate from the reader.
Although this was an engaging read I found myself struggling with the dichotomy of postpartum depression and a murder mystery.
Many thanks to Nora Murphy, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read an arc of this recently published book.

Natalie’s reality of being a new mother is completely different from what she expected. Although she loves her son Oliver very much, the reality of motherhood has her plans going in a completely different direction. Oliver is a colicky baby which makes new motherhood even more difficult. Her plans to go back to work turn into an impossible situation, particularly given her lack of sleep. She feels she must be the worst mother in the world. She meets her neighbor Paul who is a stay-at-home father of a preteen. She revels in his sympathy for her situation. Paul seems to be a baby whisperer. He also seems to have plenty of time on his hands to help Nat out and she begins to rely on him quite a bit. Paul’s wife Erin is growing more resentful of him staying home and keeps asking him to return to work to help with their family’s growing expenses. Nat is depending on Paul more and more in her desperation. But Paul has a secret agenda in helping her. You’ll have to read the book to find out what it is!

Natalie is a new mom who is feeling all the emotions after having a baby that are rarely talked about. She is in pain not only physically but phytologically as well. She needs to get back to work if she is going to get that promotion she has been chasing but does not have help with the baby. Then comes her neighbor Paul to lend a helping hand but has other intentions from the start.

Thank you Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC!

"Isolated. Lonely. Tired. It's hard being The New Mother. Sometimes, it's murder."

Natalie is having a hard time adjusting to motherhood for the first time. Oliver cries constantly, and she's not getting any sleep. One day, while out walking with Oliver, she meets her neighbor, Paul. Paul is great with Oliver and offers to help so that Natalie can get a little rest. But Paul has ulterior motives, and what begins as a friendship soon turns into a game of cat and mouse!

This started out a little bit slow, but once it picked up, I had a hard time putting it down. It was easy to relate to Natalie's struggles as a first-time mom, and I thought Paul's character was really interesting. I thought the ending was well done and wrapped the book up perfectly!

Thank you @netgalley, @stmartinspress, and @minotaur_books for the gifted e-arc and to @stmartinspress for the gifted physical copy of this book.

The New Mother by Nora Murphy will bring back many memories for those of us who have made the transition from being childless to having a newborn. All of the sleeplessness and feelings of being overwhelmed are rampant in this book. Natalie is not only a new mom but she is also living in a new house in a new neighborhood. She is feeling disconnected from her before motherhood life and is thrilled to make a friendship connection with her neighbor, Paul. However, all is not as it appears with Paul and Natalie discovers this firsthand. Lots of secrets and intrigue in this book that keeps the reader engaged to the very end.

This book shows the harsh realities of motherhood. The main characters' voice was so raw and so real. I am not a mother, but I thought reading from her perspective was so interesting. I enjoyed the neighbors' chapters, as well. I think that this book could have been more suspenseful and thrilling if it is marketed as a "thriller". Overall, it was a decent read but not my favorite.

This was a really enjoyable novel. The writing and pace of the story kept me reading and questioning what I thought I knew. Looking forward to more.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61885084

The New Mother is a chilling domestic thriller that shines a spotlight on the many challenges of being not only a first time mother, but one suffering from undiagnosed postpartum depression or psychosis which is obvious only to readers. Murphy excels at characterizations and building empathy for characters like Natalie. The strong support cast is also well defined contributors to the validity of this story. While the pace is rather slow, I believe it's the author's intention to afford readers time to buy into the utter misery and hopelessness felt by Natalie. As the story unfolds, her downward spiral and increasing dependency upon Paul creates a malicious undertone that prevails throughout fueled even more as Paul's intentions become clearer to readers. While little is left to the readers's imagination when it comes to the true villain's intent and motive in The New Mother, knowing doesn't prevent readers from experiencing the trepidation of a perilous journey as they watch a train wreck waiting to happen.

Nora Murphy's The New Mother is an unique, eye-opening domestic thriller that's sure to touch a chord with mothers and caregivers everywhere. The author does a fantastic job highlighting the many challenges mothers face adjusting to the demands of motherhood. Fans of domestic thrillers will enjoy this well-developed story.

I really wanted to love The New Mother by Nora Murphy. Her last novel The Favor was really good. This one was just okay for me. It is really not what I consider a thriller - the majority of the book is about Natalie and her post partum depression and colicky infant Oliver.. It is also a very slow burn. I know there are many out there that enjoyed the book - it probably just wasn't the book for me this time.