I loved The Favor by Nora Murphy so when I saw this book I knew I needed it. For me though it was very slow. I feel like not much really happened until that last 25-30%.

3.5 stars rounded down. This story is somewhat mismarketed as a "thriller." Although it has a thriller component, that does not really become relevant until over halfway through the story. The majority of this story is about a new mother who is portrayed as the stereotypical unreliable narrator. While I believe the author was trying to depict the struggles of postpartum life, and the toll it can take on one's mental health. Some of the maternal experience was written in quite a detailed manner, which was a bit much for me at times.

The New Mother is a very slow burn.....I might not even say burn. It's a very slow simmer which drew me in and kept me listening. Do not pick this one up if you are expecting twists and turns and non-stop action. Macmillan Audio lists this as general fiction and that's accurate.

Nora Murphy wrote a book about.....wait for it.....a new mother. Much of the story is inner dialogue of main character Natalie as she adjusts to EVERYTHING about her new role as mom. Despite my oldest being nearly 30, I could relate to so much of what Natalie experienced. The sheer fatigue, the fears, the plan to stay up and watch the baby breath because of anxiety over loss, the aggravation as a woman watching her world completely change while hubby sleeps and goes to work and gets promoted. The frustrations. The loneliness. The fact every mom tells the pregnant woman her own birth story - again, I'm nearing 60 but if you grab a cup of coffee, I could tell you all I lived through with baby number 1 refusing to come out and baby number 2 surprising the medical staff and basically being caught. But I digress.

I enjoyed every bit of this nearly 12 hour audio arc.....until the end. The last chapter or two were not what I expected, but appropriate to the general fiction genre. All in all - a great way to spend the day.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for allowing me to listen in advance of the May 30, 2023 release date.

After I read Murphy’s debut The Favor, I knew I wanted to read her next one.
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Natalie and her husband Tyler are new to the neighborhood. She has a baby, Oliver. As an exhausted mother she is having a hard time adjusting to motherhood. Oliver is colicky. Natalie is trying to adjust from working full time to motherhood after taking a sabbatical. Tyler tries to be there and help Natalie but she won’t let him. She feels like she is loosing her mind.
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One day meets a neighbor Paul, who has a daughter and they share stories and he is very helpful with Natalie. He seems to understand and commiserates with her.
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Paul’s wife is not thrilled about their friendship and warns Natalie to stay away from her husband. Soon she is missing!!! Paul goes to the police but he has his ulterior motives.
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Motherhood does not come easy to everyone and it’s important to have a great support system. As a mom, I remember those sleepless nights. The author note is a MUST read.
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Thank you Netgalley, Minotaur books, MacMillian Audio and author Nora Murphy for these advanced copies. This novel kept me engaged the entire time.

New mom Nat is having a hard time adjusting to motherhood AND a new house. The baby cries constantly and Nat finds herself at her wit's end. Enter ever helpful neighbor, Paul. He's so kind, and he's so good with the baby. Nat is finally able to catch her breath. Is Paul just a nice guy, wanting to help his new neighbor out or is his assistance conditional on something a little more....personal?

A new mom struggling to adjust befriends a man in the neighborhood who uses her extreme vulnerability to his advantage (queue the murder!!) The descriptions of postpartum issues/life with a newborn were so painfully accurate that it kinda stressed me out while reading. A unique spin on the traditional domestic thriller.

I really struggled with this book. While i think it really grasped motherhood and new motherhood so well and authentically, it failed to really grasp my attention. I didn’t find it particularly thrilling and i wanted to move past the redundancy of the motherhood aspect. I wanted more.

I did like the neighbors chapters. I think he was creepy.

I think narration was well done. I liked both

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This was soooooo slow. Through half of it I had no idea what was going on and was extremely bored. I kept waiting for some kind of climax and there was not much of one. The ending was a bit predictable and not at all exciting.
I wonder if maybe I could relate more if I was a mother. But this wasn’t for me.
The narrators did do a decent job though.

3.75 stars

Just the concept of "motherhood" conjures images of terror for me, so the idea of a new mother in the midst of a mystery/thriller seems like a great fit from the jump...and it is.

Readers meet Natalie while she is literally in labor with her first child. While she shares perspectives with Paul, her neighbor, it's really Natalie whose story becomes prominent. Readers share incredibly intimate moments with her: not just that birth episode but also her many challenging and at times embarrassing experiences with her body and mind as she adjusts to the early stages of parenting. Natalie is depicted as a particularly *together* character: one who thinks her new home is more than they need and than she might want, who has a seemingly steady relationship with a long-time partner, and who is well educated and driven (a successful attorney). The depiction of Natalie as a high functioning individual offsets her rapid decline into another state altogether, and the writing effectively has readers, Natalie's husband and coworkers, and even Natalie wondering what the heck is happening to her.

Then there's Paul.

Readers learn how Paul became a stay-at-home dad early on, and there's no avoiding increasing suspicion around this dude. Once we get into his head, he offers many added reasons for how and why he is incredibly sus. That noted, because Natalie's confusion/repetition/wavering grasp on time and reality are all written so well, it's STILL tough to know - at times - who's really in the wrong, what has actually happened, and for sure how the novel will resolve. These bits of uncertainty offer readers a sliver of insight into what Natalie's life must be like, and it is truly unsettling (but fun to read!).

This is an engaging read; I listened to it nearly straight through during a lengthy day of errands, chores, and meal prep. I was engaged and interested the whole time, but I did note, especially because of the straight through listen, that there were some opportunities for editing. I'd have loved a little less repetition and detail in certain areas.

I'm coming out of this having enjoyed the read (especially thanks to the audio version), looking forward to more from this author, and reaffirming that motherhood really does seem like a frightening proposition!

OMG, this was a wild ride. I often get really infuriated reading books about first-time mothers who essentially get no support from their husbands, but I stuck it out and finished the book. Nora Murphy knows how to illustrate elements of Post-Partum Depression, a job well done. I am very thankful to Macmillan Audio, Minotaur Books, Nora Murphy, and NetGalley for granting me Audiobook access and a physical copy of the book before it's projected to publish on May 30, 2023.

Natalie Fanning is a new mother to a miserable/colicky baby who can't seem to acclimate to being a newborn. Unable to get sleep, or have any sense of sanity, Natalie and her husband, Tyler aren't having a great go at parenthood. Tyler is gone at work all the time, and when he is home, he doesn't want to help with the baby, or can't seem to do anything right by baby Oliver.

One day Natalie stumbles upon a neighbor who's like the baby-whisperer, for he can calm Oliver down in mere seconds. Natalie and Paul strike up a friendship instantly, but Paul has secrets that he's keeping from everyone, including his not-so-distant homicidal plans. When Paul's wife goes missing, everyone always blames husband, but this husband is on the ball and already has a plan sorted out to frame a certain sleep-deprived mother, and cash out on that life insurance check...

Skeevy, but so well done.