3.5 stars rounded up to a 4.

I did end up enjoying this domestic thriller, but it was quite slow to start. It really took a while to get going, with most of the action not happening until the second half. But once it got going, it grabbed my attention and I found it quite entertaining.

There was a large cast of characters here and not one of them was reliable. It seemed as though everyone was keeping secrets or lying about something. And honestly, it wasn't a likeable bunch at all. The story dealt with motherhood and privilege and how far people are willing to go.

It was quite twisty at times and there were moments that I predicted and a couple moments where I was surprised. Most of the twists happened very close to the end. Overall, I thought this was an entertaining read that suited my mood.

This your standard whodunit domestic thriller. Overall, the plot was twisty and fast-paced however I don't think the story was the best fit for me. There was so much talk about pregnancy and mothering and this is not something I generally like to read about. I am not sure I found aspects of the plot overaly believable, to many convenient coincidences for my liking.
Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for my complimentary copy.

The Other Mothers was a great domestic thriller with just enough drama to put the Desperate Housewives to shame. This book was a definite slow-burn and while enjoyable, there were times when the plot was definitely dragging me along. But, the ending was a gut punch - fast-paced and full of emotion.
Overall, I definitely recommend checking this one out!
Thank you Netgalley for this arc

Thank you to the publisher for my copy, all opinions are my own.

I had heard really good things about this one, and I was excited to dive in. It does not disappoint! This is the exact kind of popcorn thriller, soap opera drama, reality tv crazy entertainment that you want when you are looking for a book to escape into. I so thoroughly enjoyed devouring this story, everything about it was done so exceedingly well.

I loved the characters that are murky, untrustworthy, and highly suspicious. I loved the pacing and the mix of Tash trying to deal with her own messy life while balancing motherhood and investigating the mysterious death of a nanny whose life is so much closer to her own than expected. I loved the extravagance and the dash of rich people behaving badly sprinkled in. It was all so deliciously devious and twisty, and in the end, is so perfectly satisfying.

One that is a must for thriller lovers piles in the new year!

2.5⭐️ This one was a miss for me. It thought it was too long which resulted in a lot of extra fluff added that didn’t add anything to the story.
If I hadn’t received this as an ARC, I probably would have DNF’d it at 30%.
I thought the ending was unsatisfying and oddly enough, had too many twists. It just kept going and going to the point it got confusing.

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada and NetGalley for the eArc! This is a tense and suspenseful neighborhood drama about friendships, motherhood, and relationships. As Tash seeks to find out what really happened to Sophie, she wonders, can you ever really know your spouse or your friends? Who can you trust? This one will keep you up late at night flipping pages!

The Other Mothers by Katherine Faulkner is an interesting take on a mystery thriller. Tash is a young mom who is also a freelance journalist. She decides to investigate the mysterious circumstances around a young nanny's drowning in her community - a nanny that just so happened to work at the play group Tash's son attends. The connection becomes more complicated the more Tash digs, as she soon learns the mom group she's been hanging out with also knew the nanny - much better than she first thought.

The story alternates between Tash's and the nanny, Sophie's perspectives. I enjoyed following Sophie's story, Faulkner writes these chapters almost as a 'morbid' countdown, so the reader gets to see what was going on in Sophie's life before her death - although strictly from her point of view. The only thing I didn't enjoy about Sophie's characterization is that she is particularly judgmental towards her employer - who is clearly suffering from postpartum depression. Faulkner frames Sophie to be a highly trained early childhood educator and you'd think that Sophie would be able to recognize this condition in her boss.

I did enjoy Tash's investigation, as she learns more about Sophie, she finds out that her new friends actually knew Sophie quite personally. The lines between journalism and friendship become more and more complicated as the story goes on. Tash also begins to receive threats from someone who is determined to get her to stop investigating at all costs.

Overall, I think this is a good thriller. I found that I needed to know how the mystery ended and I liked how Faulkner wrapped things up. I would recommend this novel to anyone looking for a thriller to pass a winter night with!

THE OTHER MOTHERS by Katherine Faulkner is a slow burn domestic suspense/ mystery that kept me entertained with its overflowing drama.

I could trash-talk this book. I could tell you about the character in the beginning that is pivotal to the start of the story; she tipped the first domino and is related to the story but she just disappears - it's like the author forgot about her. I could tell you about the other unfinished plot line that they were developing from the beginning but was never fully explored. I could also tell you about the fact that the entire book is based on the multiple stupid decisions of one woman. Thanks Tash, you're the real MVP, this book would not have been possible without you. I guess this is what they mean by "character-driven". I could tell you many more things, but what I really want to tell you is that, in the end, I LIKED IT. I liked the drama, the dual POVs (Tash in present day and Sophie in the past), the twists and little swerves and the constant guessing and red herrings. I liked the anticipation of seeing the next stupid decision that Tash would make. I liked that no one was likeable.

Recommend to a friend? Sure, why not? Suspend disbelief and jump in.

This book is my favourite by this author so far. I enjoyed the character work in this book and seeing the two perspectives between investigative journalist and victim made for an interesting contrast. I also appreciated that the audiobook had different narrators for each perspective.

This isn't a super twisty thriller, but you gradually put the story together with the bread crumbs given as you go along. The writing is very digestible, which makes for a fast read!

**Read an ARC from Netgalley Rating : 4 Stars

A twisty domestic thriller that sees a former journalist turned stay at home mom infiltrating a group of moms after one their nanny's turns up dead. Determined to prove the woman died by foul means, Tash can't help but keep digging, ultimately finding a trail that leads back to her own husband. Fast-paced and hard to put down. Good on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Tara Laskowski. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

I really enjoyed this novel! I was gripped from beginning to end. I did feel like some elements of the story were a bit spoon fed to you, but there were enough clues dropped along the way that you could create theories as well. Some characters I felt were a bit two dimensional, but overall, it was a well done and interesting book. I would recommend to anyone who wants to get into mysteries!

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own opinions.

This is my first time reading a Katherine Faulkner mystery, and I already have Greenwich Park on order from Indigo.
The writing style took me a chapter or two to get used to, but I got nice and absorbed rather quickly.

Wonderful mystery that truly had me guessing. Highly recommend

The Other Mothers is a gripping thriller about rich people doing bad things. I'm glad I started it on the weekend as it kept me up way past my bedtime!

Katherine Faulkner is a great storyteller. The alternating POVs showcase her skills and help propel the story. The characters are intriguing, shady and generally unlikable, but also fun to read about as they sip Sauvignon Blanc, gossip and scheme. There is lots of mum talk, but as someone who isn’t a mum I wasn't personally bothered by it as it connected directly to the plot and characters.

I did struggle with Tash as the story progressed and she became more and more self-absorbed and kept repeating the same mistakes. Instead, I gravitated towards Claire and Sophie who were both mysterious, complex and glam. I would love to read more about Claire's past. I would also like her wardrobe, please and thank you!

While some parts were predictable, the overall read is enjoyably twisty and it gives off serious Big Little Lies vibes which is always a good thing in my books.

Thank you @simonschusterca @gallerybooks & @netgalley for the complimentary eARC to read and review.

3.5 rounded up for Goodreads

2.5 stars - increased to 3 -- I was enticed to read this domestic thriller by its blurb which offered a murdered nanny, a sinister feel, and a Desperate Housewives vibe - oh my! I love me a story with dual timelines and multiple POVs and this book fit the bill. The story is told in present day that follows the police investigation and 15 months earlier when a nanny is found dead under mysterious circumstances.

This was a slow burn story where the action ramps up very late in the game. I appreciate how the author explores themes of privilege and motherhood with her cast that consists of a group of moms, their kids and husbands. Unfortunately, they are an unlikeable bunch who were so similar that they blended together. These factors didn't make me eager to pick up this book, which took me a lot longer than normal to finish.

This domestic thriller had a good premise but didn't quite deliver on a twisty, tension-filled read for me. It wasn't a book that I was eager to pick up and with better focus on developing sympathetic characters, building tension throughout and a smoother delivery, this book would have garnered a higher rating from me. Many other readers have enjoyed this book so give it a try. It's in stores today - December 5, 2023.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Gallery Books for the complimentary digital copy of this book that they sent me in return for my honest review.

“𝙻𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔, 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚍𝚊𝚢 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚗𝚍.“

Back in September, a friend and I buddy read ‘Greenwich Park’, the debut novel from Katherine Faulkner. It’s safe to say that we both loved it! So, I was thrilled to get an early galley of Faulkner’s newest thriller, ‘The Other Mothers’.

“𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚎 𝚗𝚘 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝚖𝚎.“

Clever, quick, and deliciously twisty, Faulkner’s peek into the elite world of the “it girls” of motherhood grips you in its clutches and doesn’t let go until the very last word. Murder, class, and motherhood. Such a delightful combination!

“𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚊 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚔𝚕𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚜, 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚒𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚜𝚎𝚍.“

Faulkner has just become my newest auto-buy author and I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next!

this was a super fun domestic thriller involving tons of mummy drama. I love a book where the mums are a bit cutthroat and have a hidden dark side behind their sweet facade.
although I thought there were a few too many characters introduced by the end I really did enjoy following our 2 POVs and the “friends” they made on the way.
I had a few nit-picky writing gripes with this one but overall my enjoyment remained high!

pick this one up for:
- a fast paced juicy thriller where you don’t know who to trust
- posh mums that you seemingly can’t trust
- a quick read to get you outta a reading slump

similar recs:
- one of us is dead by jeneva rose
- girls with bright futures by tracy dobmeier and wendy katzman
- the it girl by ruth ware

thank you Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the e-galley in exchange for an honest review!

4.5 ⭐️

Oh this book is good! Drama and murder. Playgroups and friends. Mothers and nannies. And unfaithful partners.

From the very first page, you know something terrible has happened, but what exactly happened? The suspense and mystery in this novel is top notch. You have no idea who is trustworthy and who is not.

I highly recommend this book as your next mystery thriller and especially for those who love the neighbourhood/drama/secrets. The short chapters were perfect!!

The only thing is I was a little confused about with all the characters and their husbands as I didn’t know who was relevant and who wasn’t. A little PSA, pay attention to them all. And if you can read it in one sitting, even better!


Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for a DRC. The Other Mothers is available December 5.

Tash a freelance journalist is struggling to balance work and home life and is approached by the mother of a deceased woman named Sophie and is asked to please investigate further as she believes her daughter was murdered and that it was not an accident — in addition, Tash and her son are struggling socially and are trying to find a playgroup to make connections and friends — but the playgroup she finds seems to be connected to Sophie — the dead woman —what are the other mothers involvement in Sophie’s death ….? At around 25-30% into the book I started to suspect/ be suspicious of a few characters and began coming up with theories - about these character's involvement with Sophie before her death and in her death — I even began to suspect at one point that maybe Sophie was not dead and that Clare had died. Sophie took over her life.... but of course, all my theories were wrong ---there were many red herrings and twists and turns in this book -- and for me, the ending was an unexpected reaction by Tash-- I couldn`t believe it ended like that I had to read the ending twice!
If you like books that keep you guessing until the end -- this is the book for you!

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for this ARC. This is my honest review.

Katherine Faulkner’s ‘mom noir’ ‘The Other Mothers’ will leave you questioning the nature of mommy relationships and the desperation for acceptance, while showcasing the lengths mommies will go to fit in. Tash is a former investigative journalist who is trying to reestablish her career after taking time off to raise her son, and finds herself immersed in the upscale world of a mommy’s group whose children attend the local nursery. Tash befriends the exclusive yummy mommies Laura, Nicole and Claire and finds herself enjoying their lavish lifestyles and beautiful houses. However, not everything is as it seems and people are hiding dangerous secrets that are connected to a death of a young nanny Sophie. As Tash continues to dig deeper into Sophie’s death her life is threatened and she must decide who to trust while suspecting everyone including her own husband Tom.
I loved this domestic mystery and seeing how the other half lives, the multiple POVs, dual timelines, rich character development, posh setting, and the twists and turns that had me guessing until the satisfying end.
My rating 5 out of 5
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for this eARC that will be published Dec, 5, 2023.

Tash, married to a doctor and mother to a young boy, is a former investigative journalist now working freelance for the flexibility it gives her in caring for her son. Months earlier she had written a short article on the conclusion of a coroner's inquest into the death of a young nanny named Sophie Blake who was found dead in a nearby nature reserve. Despite the coroner's ruling that the death was accidental, Sophie's mother believes her daughter was murdered and tracks down Tash to ask her to investigate.

Around the same time, Tash is befriended by a group of posh mothers at her son's playgroup and pulled into their social circle while gradually realizes that there is a connection between her new friends and the nanny who died nearby. The narrative alternates point-of-view between Tash in the current timeline and Sophie from the time she started working as a nanny up until the very moment of her death.

I loved Faulkner's domestic thriller debut, Greenwich Park, last year so was looking forward to reading this new novel which is also about moms living in an affluent neighbourhood in London and I'm happy to say that it lived up to my expectations! The Other Mothers is a page-turner with plenty of plausible red herrings and twists - some of which I anticipated and some which caught me by surprise. I thought I had it figured out more than once but I was so wrong and didn't get it right until the reveal was happening!

I couldn't put down this psychological thriller/suspense novel that explores class and the darker side of motherhood and female friendships and can't wait for whatever the author writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for sending a digital ARC of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.