When I tell you I read this book quickly, I mean I devoured it in an afternoon. I know we hear the cliché of "unputdownable" and whatnot, but I truly could not stop reading this.

Sometimes, keeping the secret is worse than the secret itself.

The action starts immediately, with Cleo finding burning food and a puddle of blood in her mother's home. Cleo and her mother, Kat, have a tenuous relationship, mainly from normal mother/daughter dynamics but also from secrets they both keep, some big and some small. There are also misunderstandings and not understanding each other's intentions.

This book has a bit of a dual timeline, but it's primarily the week leading up to Kat's disappearance, and Cleo in the present day, trying to find out what really happened to her mother. We also see a few snippets of journal entries from Kat's childhood, transcripts of therapy sessions, and articles regarding a lawsuit that Kat is working on. I hesitate to truly call this a "dual timeline" since I would consider it fairly minimal as the timelines are primarily all present-day.

The characters are well-developed, and it's interesting to watch Cleo's character evolve rapidly. She has this very strained relationship with her mother, and a more rosy dynamic happening with her father, Aiden. But then as secrets are revealed, we see Cleo take off the rose-colored glasses. What she sees is more terrible than she ever imagined.

What makes this story clever is there are so many shady characters. Not necessarily all bad, but certainly not good, and the severity ranges as well. There are affairs, business dealings, secrets, betrayals, etc. It keeps the reader guessing because you just never know where someone is heading or how they play into the bigger picture. Even our main characters, Kat and Cleo, get caught up in misunderstandings.

I would highly recommend this book. The writing style kept my attention, the story is relatable, especially from the overview of mother/daughter relationships and how small misunderstandings can have big consequences.

What a twisty ride this one was! This book covers a lot of thrilling aspects, old secrets, affairs, dangerous people, shady corporations.

Cleo and her mom Kat have not been getting along the greatest, but when Kat reached out to Cleo and said she really needed to talk, Cleo headed home. But when she arrived, Kat wasn’t there. Supper was burning in the oven, and her mom was nowhwere to be found.

I liked how the story was told. Cloe's view after her mom goes missing. Kat"s timeline prior. A lot of secrets. The Reveal of who did it was surprising. Would love a mystery with Kat and Vivienne.

To say that Cleo and her mom don’t get along is an understatement. After her mother Kat threatens to stop paying for her NYU education unless she breaks up with her boyfriend, Cleo hasn’t spoken to her mother in months, but Cleo has finally agreed to come home for dinner. Her mom says she has something important to discuss. But when Cleo arrives at home, she finds food burning on the stove, a bloody shoe, and her mother is nowhere to be found. As she searches for clues to her mother’s disappearance, Cleo quickly finds that beneath her perfect exterior, Kat was hiding a lot of secrets – some of them deadly.

This thriller novel contains an interesting exploration of the complicated love between a mother and daughter with a fraught relationship. Kat’s impulse to protect Cleo is understandable given her upbringing, but the trauma of that upbringing and her protective nature also leads her to try too hard to control a daughter who chafes at her mother’s heavy handed influence. Still, there is an undercurrent of fierce love that runs throughout, and Cleo’s quest to find her mother leads her to better understand her. This book was a well-written and quick-paced read, and though I did see some things coming I still found the plot really satisfying.

CW: Rape, child abuse, child sex abuse, imprisonment, infidelity, drug addiction

When NYU student Cleo shows up late at her mother's home for Sunday dinner, all she finds is her mother's bloody shoe under the sofa. As the search for Kat (Cleo's mother) beings, the story unfolds as told from Kat's perspective in the days leading up to her disappearance, and Cleo's in the present as she desperately looks for clues to what happened. Cleo finds out more than she bargained for, however, discovering long-held secrets about both of her parents, and the reader soon has almost too many suspects who could be behind Kat's disappearance, and no idea whether Kat could still be alive. Well written and fast-paced with a tight plot, lots of suspense, and a side-helping of dysfunctional family relationships, Like Mother, Like Daughter was a compelling read for me; in fact, I skipped the gym one morning because I was too close to the end to put the book down!

This was a pretty fast read just because it was intense the whole way through, which I appreciated. I remember really loving A Good Marriage and I'd been meaning to read more of Kimberly McCreight's other stuff so I was happy to receive the ARC of this. I did really enjoy this one, but I do think parts of the plot and the resolution could be a bit...far fetched. Either way, a nice legalish thriller with some corporate espionage and some interesting familial dynamics.

Like Mother, Like Daughter is a domestic thriller that is told in a "race against the clock" sort of way. Cleo shows up at the home of her mother, Kat only to find signs of her mother missing. With a bloody shoe and other small clues, Cleo thinks this is more than a case of her mother just leaving and ends up taking everything into her own hands to find out what happened to her mother, although they are on rocky terms.

Told from 2 POVs, we get to see the present play out with Cleo gathering clues and figuring out her parents had a very different relationship than they let on. Cleo's relationship with her mother was strained and she seemed to be closer with her father. But as Cleo uncovers some truths, she's not quite sure what to think of what she thought she knew. And Kat's POV is in the past days leading up to her disappearance and the mysteries surrounding her current case, mysterious texts, her relationship with her daughter and a life she left behind many years ago. There seemed to be a lot going on with Kat and a lot of little subplots that made the story a bit convoluted, but it also played well in this game of cat and mouse.

Even with a lot happening, I was eagerly anticipating each chapter and wondering what the heck happened to Kat in the past that had to do with the present and with Cleo. It was a bit unbelievable to have Cleo doing all the investigating, but since the story also included their strained relationship, this was the way Cleo could bridge their divide a little bit. You just have to suspend your belief with reality for the sake of the story.

Overall, this was a fast paced thriller in which I enjoyed following along with Cleo. I liked seeing her grow from the young woman she was and recognizing what her mother had sacrificed for her over the years. Kat's POV was a bit erratic and had a lot all thrown in and I wasn't sure how everything really mattered with all the info that was being poured out during her chapters. But everything DID come together in the end, just not as seamlessly as I would've liked.
3.5-4 stars.

When Cleo shows up at her mom’s house for dinner and finds food burning in the oven and a small pool of blood she knows something is wrong. There is no sign of her mother, Kat, anywhere. 

Cleo and Kat don’t have the greatest mother-daughter relationship. Cleo feels like she can’t do anything right in her mother’s eyes and Kat has always just wanted to protect her daughter. 

While trying to figure out what happened to her mother, Cleo discovers there’s a lot about her mom that she never knew. She also learns a lot about her dad who she’s always been super close with that has her questioning everything she thought she knew.

I really enjoyed the writing style in this book. The chapters go back and forth between Kat and Cleo with some snippets of some secret anonymous texts and bits of Cleo’s sessions with her therapist that get you thinking and fill in the blanks for parts of the story. 

I was really into this book in the beginning but somewhere between then and the last couple of chapters the excitement died down a bit for me. Not enough for me not to enjoy the story but I was expecting something more thrilling I guess. 


I liked seeing Cleo learn more about her mother’s past and drawing connections to things that have happened growing up and learning who her mother really is and realizing that her mom has always just had her best interest at heart.

If you’re looking for more of a mystery type of thriller this book is for you. 


Thank you, NetGalley and Knopf for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was hooked by the setup: a college-age daughter turns gutsy investigator after she finds her mom suddenly missing, evidently after a struggle or attack at the family home. The plot gets involved and twisty- lots of family discord and deception, lots of side stories to sort through. While the story had a few holes and loose ends, it was still entertaining with some energy and suspense.

Thoroughly enjoyed this mystery thriller. Cleo and her mom, Kat don’t always see eye to eye while Cleo is close to her dad while resisting her mom’s seemingly too high standards (in Cleo’s mind). Then, Kat disappears and Cleo finds a disturbing sign that something really bad has happened to her. Kat has secrets and Cleo’s understanding of her mom grows as she tries to find out what happened to her mom. The story has many layers and I loved that there were enough plausible alternatives every time I thought I had it figured out. Love this author’s work and can’t wait for the next story.

Like Mother, Like Daughter by Kimberly McCreight is the first book I have read by this author; it won't be my last as in many ways I liked her writing style. In all honesty I struggled with the book because the plot was so mult- layered that at times I found it confusing. Cleo McHugh is a mixed-up college student, and has a tempestuous relationship with her mother Katrina, a fixer for a very prominent legal firm. Cleo thinks her mom is a lawyer in the firm and is completely unaware of her unique role. Cleo and Katrina are polar opposites, although they had an extremely loving relationship when Cleo was a little girl. That all changed when Cleo turned 14, and started making her own decisions; most of which Kat disapproved. Now whereas Kat appeared in control, confident and successful, Cleo struggled with college after a bad relationship with a drug dealer, Cleo agreed to come to dinner with he mom after receiving what she considered a sincere and somewhat urgent invitation, yet when she arrived the meal was burning and there was no sign of Kat. Her bloody shoe and blood on the kitchen floor indicated something very serious was wrong-:Cleo's mom was missing. Thus the story then revolves around Cleo trying to find her mother. Some of sub-plots include: infidelity, childhood trauma, secrets, drug use, medical malfeasance and more. For me it was too much and became almost tedious. I'm glad I stuck with the book as the storyline came together and the resolution was satisfactory. Thanks to NetGalley, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor Publishing and Kimberly McCreight for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of Like Mother, Like Daughter; this review reflects my honest opinion. 3.5 stars

(3.5, rounded up to 4)

In Kimberly McCreight's newest domestic thriller, "Like Mother, Like Daughter," a mother and daughter gain newfound appreciation and understanding for each other when their lives are jeopardized.

The story kicks off with university student Cleo arriving at her mother Katrina’s Park Slope home for dinner, only to find signs of a struggle and her mother’s bloodied shoe. Despite their estrangement due to Katrina's interference in Cleo’s relationship with a white-collar drug dealer, Cleo immediately springs into action to find her mother. Assisted by a sympathetic cop and hindered by her indifferent father, Cleo delves into her mother’s life, starting with a search of her computer and workplace. She discovers that Katrina was not a patent attorney as she had claimed, but a fixer for the wealthy and powerful. Moreover, Katrina’s traumatic childhood comes to light through her journal, leaving Cleo appalled and feeling guilty.

As Cleo digs deeper into her mother’s mysterious disappearance, she realizes she may also be in danger. Alternating between Cleo’s first-person narrative and Katrina’s perspective leading up to her disappearance, the narrative is interspersed with therapy session transcripts, journal entries, and legal documents related to Katrina’s cases. This multi-media structure builds suspense, creating a compelling and engaging plot.

Both Katrina and Cleo are portrayed as tough yet vulnerable, making it easy to root for them against the various malevolent forces they face. While the climax may feel somewhat flat, most loose ends are tied up satisfactorily making "Like Mother, Like Daughter" a smart, complex domestic thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.

4/5 stars
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of Like Mother, Like Daughter by Kimberly McCreight. This one is a dual POV/timeline mystery between a nearly estranged mother and her daughter. They have a plan to get together, but then the mother goes missing. It’s told in “hours since disappearing” for the daughter’s POV, and “days before disappearing” for the mom.

This book was interesting to read, with a few red herrings thrown in, and it kept me entertained, but ultimately I feel like I won’t remember it for very long. I still enjoyed it and recommend it for someone who likes mystery/thrillers!

I loved the premise of this one, but it ultimately became too predictable. I think that this storyline had a lot of potential, but it was very difficult to follow at times. I also found it to be an interesting choice to put a legal complaint in to read. As an attorney myself I know that these can be confusing and not exactly exciting to read.I think there would have been much better ways to provide the same information in a more digestible format - like maybe a newspaper article? Idk just food for thought. Overall, was a fairly decent read.

McCreight delivers another thriller that keeps you reading and guessing. Cleo's mother, Katrina, disappears, leaving behind some broken glass and a bit of blood, but no other immediate clues. Cleo is baffled how her mother, a lawyer, could just vanish and who would want to harm her. She begins to investigate, despite their troubled history as mother/daughter.

Interestingly enough, we discover there are a ton of suspects, thanks to Katrina's job, her troubled past at a group home (and hints that something unsavory happened there), and her separation from her husband and Cleo's father, Aiden, who may be focusing a bit too much on Katrina's inheritance. McCreight does a great job of throwing us off with many subtle red herrings.

The story moves swiftly thanks to the back and forth POV, with present-day Cleo performing her "investigation" and then Katrina leading us through the days before her disappearance. It's an effective technique to build suspense and allow us to learn about both women, including their many issues and ups and downs since Cleo became a teen.

The story certainly kept my interest, even though I would say there are not any crazy twists or shocking reveals, as it often focuses more on mother/daughter bonds and histories. Still, it's an enjoyable thriller.

This is a hugely enjoyable thriller. I was completely hooked and always wanted to read "just one more chapter"—until there was no book left! I'm so impressed by the way Kimberly McCreight developed her characters—the mother and daughter feel so real—while also crafting such an intricate, flawlessly executed plot.

(3.5⭐️) This book drew me in right from the first chapter, kicking off with some ominous suspense. This kept up throughout the entire book, which made it easy to keep reading, needing to know what was going to happen next; a lot of the chapters end on cliffhangers, or a not-entirely-revealed reveal. The feeling of “I need to know what happens next” is what I liked most about this book.

There were a few things that didn’t work for me though. There were times where the characters jumped around a lot, and we were introduced to some characters without a ton of backstory, so it was hard to keep everyone straight at times. The other issue for me was how unlikable Cleo was (and at times, Kat too). She just kept making so many terrible decisions, and it was irking me so badly. It was one of those situations where you’re yelling at the horror movie character on screen not to make the dumb decision they’re about to make😂

However, I can see those not being issues for other readers. If this one sounds like one you’d enjoy, I say give it a try. It just ended up being ok for me.

This was the perfect whodunit summer thriller. It was a quick read. Thrillers are so predictable now but this one had me guessing until the last minute. The foreshadowing was perfect - I could tell something was coming but I couldn't tell you what exactly. A perfect beach read!

It’s back to the combination of mothers + daughters + mysteries for Kimberly McCreight, reminiscent for me of her first novel, Reconstructing Amelia. Katrina/Kat and Cleo are mother and daughter and for the last 10 years or so, have had a contentious relationship. Cleo’s a NY college student, trying to live a life independent of her mother, but finally agrees to come home to Park Slope, Brooklyn for dinner with Kat. She arrives to find her mother missing and signs of a struggle.
The story then starts to unfold and is told over different time periods and from several perspectives: Kat, Cleo, and several unidentified narrators.
Like Mother, Like Daughter is a fast paced novel - you’ll want to set aside time for focused reading. There were a number of sub-plots and some distracted from the core story for me. At times, the chapters by the unidentified narrators were also confusing for me. Ms. Mccreight was previously a lawyer and always captures the essence of the legal world so effectively. At its heart, it’s a moving novel about mothers and daughters and how ultimately each is working to protect the other.
Thanks to NetGalley and Alfred A. Knopf for the opportunity to read Like Mother, Like Daughter in exchange for my review.

3.5 stars rounded up
Cleo is an NYU student, who has been fighting with her mom, Katrina, for several months. However, she agrees to come home for Sunday dinner. When she gets there, she finds her mother gone; broken glass on the floor; a pool of blood; and her mom’s bloody shoe. She calls her dad and the police. The police search the house, but find nothing. Cleo happens to find her mom’s personal laptop hidden under the bed covers. She takes it and decides to do her own investigating. She starts to find out that her mother is leading a very different life from what she knew. The chapters flip back and forth between Cleo and Katrina. The chapters with Katrina go back in time and lead up to the day of her disappearance. Interspersed between Cleo’s and Katrina’s chapters are diary entries, newspaper articles, legal documents, and transcripts from therapy sessions. These documents did confuse me at the beginning. I had no idea what was going on for the first 30% of the book. Then, things started to come together. From that point, I was engaged in the story until the end. I did like how the ending wrapped things up.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC copy.