Are you looking for a thriller that's ACTUALLY un-put-downable?? Well, I've got a recommendation for you!

What I liked:
- The alternating POVs and timelines were done beautifully in The Other Mothers. It was never confusing, always intriguing.
- ALL the second guessing - is Tash reliable? Is she not? Can she trust the other mothers? All of them? One of them? Any of them? I really wasn't sure from page 1 all the way through the end!
- I consider myself something of a thriller aficionado. I see the endings of most books coming a mile away. This doesn't ever impede my enjoyment while reading, but if an ending surprises me, I am delighted. And while I had a couple of details right in my theories of The Other Mothers, most of the ending surprised me a lot!

I had a BLAST reading The Other Mothers and quite literally postponed plans to finish the last 30%, I just could not stop! I can't wait to go back and read Greenwich Park, I really think I've found a new auto-buy author in Katherine Faulkner!

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for this eArc of The Other Mothers. I had so much fun discussing this with Thrillers by the Book MKE book club!

A nanny dies under suspicious circumstances in Tash’s new neighborhood. As a journalist, she can’t stop until she finds out what happened.

It took me a little to get into this one but I did get hooked into the mystery and needed to know what happened to Sofia. Some of the women characters didn’t feel very well developed to me and all mixed together, but I still enjoyed the mystery. I liked how the main character was a journalist so there was a serious investigative tone to the story.

“Stop digging? No chance. I’m going to find out who you are, and what you did. I’m going to expose you.”

The Other Mothers comes out 12/5.

The Other Mothers was a suspenseful book that centers on a group of wealthy mothers and their bad decisions.
When Tash is approached by Laura at their kids playgroup offering to set up a play date to help easy Tash's son's anxiety about going to play group she is intrigued and takes her up on this. This sets in motion "friendships" that push Tash to her limits as she starts to investigate the death of Sophie, a young "teacher" ,at the kids playgroup. As Tash gets closer to the truth she is getting threats and making questionable decisions. Tash starts questioning if her new friends could be involved in the death of the young woman.

The book flowed well but had A LOT of characters. The beginning was a bit slow mostly because you are learning who all the characters are. Midway the book picks up and I did have some gasp moments. The ending I felt was a little rushed and some characters you never learned their outcome which was a little disappointing.

Overall, a good suspenseful whodunit book!

Thank you Gallery Books for gifting my book club eARC's of this book, we are discussing it this month and I cannot wait to talk about it with others!

Meet Tash a mother to a young son, a struggling freelance journalist, and a woman trying to make friends. She starts taking her son to a playgroup where she meets these beautiful and wealthy moms and desperately wants to fit in with them. Tash is also trying to write a story about a young woman who mysteriously died drowning. As Tash gets more wrapped up with the moms and the story the two worlds starts to blend together.

This is my first Katherine Faulkner book and now I need to go read her other one. It took me a few chapters to get into it, but then I didn't want to put it down. I had to know what was going to happen next. Highly recommend this book!

The Other Mothers by Katherine Faulkner — Pub Date of Dec 5, 2023

I had the extreme pleasure of gaining an early copy of this novel because of our book club — because of that, it is our November pick, prior to pub, which almost never happens. This British domestic suspense story lends itself to a large bowl of popcorn and hot cocoa or coffee (it rains a lot there!) This was Juicy! Propulsive! Especially towards the last 35% or so — I could not put it down and rendered myself useless the next day because of how late I stayed up to finish! Haha!

A young nanny is found dead, suspected to be free-diving over a cliff. Her mother asks a local journalist for help as she firmly believes that her daughter was murdered. Tash is that journalist who just lost her big job and is now freelancing — hoping a story like this would re-launch her career. She’s also a new mum and desperately needs to find a playgroup for her young son. With the nudging help from another mother, Tash is welcomed into this group of tight (aka, they don’t let just anyone into their circle) mums-who-lunch (and drink). Tash believes they know something and is determined to plug along with her “police work” (oh yeah, the local police have not investigated and closed the case!).

Will Tash make new friends for life? Will her marriage survive the unending expenditures that go along with “keeping up with the Jones’” (money that they don’t have)? Will her son finally release his grips of fear of playgroup? Will anyone else die???

I had so much fun with this one!! 5 stars based on how it made me NEED to find out the unhinged ending!
Thanks to #NetGalley and #GalleryBooks for this advanced copy for an honest review

"The Other Mothers" by Katherine Faulkner is a compelling novel that captivated my attention from the very beginning. While it didn't quite reach the level of a perfect 5 stars, it's a solid 4-star read, and here's why.

One of the standout aspects of this book is the intricate and well-crafted plot. Faulkner weaves a web of secrets, lies, and betrayals that kept me guessing throughout the story. The mystery element is well-executed, and the pacing is spot-on, ensuring that I was consistently engaged.

The characters in "The Other Mothers" are incredibly well-drawn and complex. I appreciated how the author explored the various dimensions of motherhood, friendship, and the challenges that women face in contemporary society. These characters felt like real people with relatable struggles and triumphs.

Faulkner's writing style is both vivid and emotive, allowing readers to delve deep into the minds and hearts of the characters. Her prose is evocative and rich, which added depth to the story. The narrative alternates between multiple perspectives, which gives a multifaceted view of the events and enhances the overall storytelling.

Everyone has their own version of the truth……

When a young nanny dies under mysterious circumstances, Tash is certain that this could be the story to relaunch her journalism career. She envisions a magazine article, an award winning Podcast and accolades for cracking a murder case on her own, between childcare commitments. Especially after the victim’s mother comes to her, because she believes that her daughter’s death was no accident, and when she learns that Sophie Blake was the nanny of one of her son’s playmates from his new playgroup.

But when Tash finally infiltrates the tight knit group of Moms who once shunned her, she begins to wonder if these women are really her friends? Or if there is another, more sinister reason, why she has suddenly been accepted?

Who, exactly, is investigating who?

STOP DIGGING

As Tash gets closer to the truth, she begins to receive warnings from an unknown number. And, what she discovers could endanger another life.

The book opens in the PRESENT with a Police inquiry, and then jumps back in time, alternating between the POV’s of Tash and our dead nanny, Sophie from 15 months earlier.

For about 25%, the story felt disjointed to me, as Tash struggles to find her footing as a new mother, and make friends with the mothers from her son Finn’s new playgroup, while also beginning her investigation into the nanny’s death. Perhaps if Sophie’s narrative had started a bit later, it would have felt more cohesive.

There is A LOT of talk about pregnancy, mothering, and what the toddlers are doing-playgroup and nannying scenes are plentiful-so this book didn’t work for my personal tastes since these details bore me.

I was attracted to the suspense aspect of the book, and the promise of an additional death in the synopsis but that didn’t occur until about the 70% point, so I guess I expected more balance.

Chapters continue to alternate between Sophie and Tash right up until ONE MINUTE before Sophie’s death, and the full TRUTH is not revealed until the epilogue.

While the story wasn’t the best fit for me, early reviews are more positive, so be sure to read a sample of reviews to determine if this book is a better fit for you.

AVAILABLE December 5, 2023.

Thank You to Gallery Books for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review.

Great thriller that explores the impact of money on the motherhood experience. Did not see the final twist coming!

A standout among the domestic British thriller genre. Will keep you guessing until the dramatic conclusion

Katherine Faulkner's debut GREENWICH PARK came out early last year and ever since I read it, I've been eagerly anticipating her next release! If you know me, you know I love nothing more than some good neighborhood drama! Add in some daycare/school drama (think BIG LITTLE LIES) and I'm sold!

This one had my head spinning (in a good way)! There's so much going on, so many (CRAZY) moms, (CRAZIER) dads and everyone has a secret!

I'm literally copying this list from my review from GREENWICH PARK because SAME here:

1. Short chapters
2. Multiple perspectives
3. Multiple timelines
4. A bunch of twists and then a LAST minute twist at the end

This one starts out a little slow and then builds and builds to a crazy ending! This one gave me Sally Hepworth meets Ruth Ware vibes (and I love both of them)! As always, these books make me very thankful for my friends LOL

While you wait for this one to come out (December 5th), you should 100% go pick up GREENWICH PARK!

Gallery Books was kind enough to gift my bookclub with ARCs and we're reading this together this month and it will be so fun to discuss with the group! I highly recommend this for a bookclub pick!

I loved Greenwich Park so much that I couldn't wait to read this one and it did not disappoint!
Suburban thriller, slow burn, definitely recommend!
Thank you for allowing me to read this for an honest review!

I love me a good suburban domestic thriller, and this one was packed with so much drama and craziness that I found myself flipping pages late into the night and I’m not mad about it.

Tash (Natasha) is a freelance journalist trying to relaunch her career all while raising her toddler as a first-time mother. She quickly gets swept into the lifestyle of the wealthy moms she meets in her son’s playgroup, and finds herself entangled in the investigation of a nanny’s strange death that was deemed accidental by authorities. As Tash becomes more and more immersed in the group and her investigation, she finds herself questioning everything and everyone – even herself. Are these new friends who they let on? Is her husband telling the truth?

This is the perfect read for fans of Ashley Audrain, Liane Moriarty and Chandler Baker. Add this to your Fall/Winter TBR. It’s alternating timelines and quick pace is sure not to disappoint.

Thank you to Katherine Faulkner, Gallery Books and NetGalley for the advance e-copy of the book for an honest review.

Such a fun book and a great addition to the genre. Tash is a complicated character, and readers will identify her paradox of wanting to be liked by women she doesn't trust.

This kept me so so entertained! I loved every second of it. I highly recommend! Five big ol stars from me.

Thanks to st martins press for this ARC!
3.5 ⭐️
The other mothers by Katherine Faulkner is a thrilling and carefully constructed story of Tash a young mother just trying to figure it all out. Although Tash’s general storyline is relatable, it was somewhat confusing time why she so desperately wanted these clearly messed up friends.

A slow burn, The Other Mothers really got me thinking and second guessing everything I thought to be true. A fun and exhilarating story of want, confusion and friendship.

I loved this book! I will definitely recommend it. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I was eagerly anticipating this book after I read Greenwich Park. This did not disappoint! The twists and turns kept me guessing and I did not see the ending coming. I really enjoy reading about London as I live in the United States. The characters were thoughtful and well rounded, but it turns out were hiding a lot!

A missing person thought to have gone wild swimming opens this fast paced, intriguing, and deftly paced thriller. A group of London city moms are the ma8n characters. Not to be missed.

I was so excited to see another new book from Katherine Faulkner - her "Greenwich Park" from 2021 was one of the best books that year; undoubtedly! "The Other Mothers", coming December 2023, is another hit that is sure to be one of the hottest books this holiday season. Add it to your wish lists or pre-order now!

Tash is a mother to with a young son and a struggling freelance journalist. She begins taking her son to playgroup and she meets beautiful, wealthy mothers - she quickly gets swept into their luxurious world and fitting in. At the same time, she gets swept away in investigating a strange death that the authorities have determined to be an accidental drowning of a young woman practicing wild swimming. As Tash becomes more and more swept away in both her roles, she finds their lines blurred more and more. Are the wealthy women, her new friends, involved in more than they let on? Is her family in danger?

This is another stunner from Katherine Faulkner! The characters are so believable and enjoyable, and you both root for and root against everyone for different reasons. The ending is perfection, and I so wish there had been a few more chapters to see how things continued to play out. Highly, highly recommend this book - one of only two books I've given five stars to in 2023.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my ARC; all opinions are my own.

This wasn't quite as engaging as Greenwich Park, but I enjoyed it. It felt a little like watching reality TV. Our main character, Tash, is struggling to balance being a parent with her new role as a freelance writer and could really use a friend or two. As she starts investigating a suspicious death for a new writing project, a group of young mothers befriends her and pulls her in to their expensive lunches and playdates. The path to the truth is very twisty. A few more side characters are introduced and no one's story is quite adding up. No one in this book is especially likable, but I couldn't stop reading.

3.5 Star rounded up.