Such a gripping novel that left me thinking for a long time after reading it. Due to the themes of the book, I had to take a few breaks while reading before I could come back to it but even during those breaks I kept thinking about it. It had me wanting to come back to it, which is a good sign for a book. The characters I feel could have been developed a little more as I found it a little hard to connect with them, but it did not take too much away from the plot itself. All in all a solid read that will stick with me for some time.

A promising start with an intriguing premise, but the characters never really developed enough for me to care about them and the plot was a bit too farfetched.

A twisty and emotional thriller that hooked me in and caught my attention at every turn of the page! I really had so many suspicions but was totally wrong!! It will definitely keep you guessing!!


Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I suspect this series is quite a good Danish murder mystery series; unfortunately I picked up this one and did not start at the beginning. While the mystery of a murdered woman and a missing child is solid, there’s a lot of characters and little background on them, since author has had many books previous to this one to develop these characters. To enjoy this one, for me, I’d have to read other books starting at number one.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Sara Blaedel, often hailed as Denmark's Queen of Crime, delivers yet another gripping narrative in "A Mother's Love", a novel that delicately balances suspense, emotion, and human vulnerability. In this work, Blaedel ventures into the haunting intersections of familial bonds and dark secrets, crafting a story that lingers long after the last page is turned.

Dorthe Hyllested thought to be a childless innkeeper is found murdered with a room filled with children's clothes and toys. To confront her family's hidden past, the narrative becomes a labyrinth of buried truths, confronting readers with the lengths to which people will go to protect those they love—or themselves. Blaedel’s ability to intertwine the personal and the mysterious sets this book apart, as it becomes not just a quest for answers but a profound exploration of identity and sacrifice.

Dorthe Hyllested's journey is both heart-wrenching and empowering. Her evolution from a woman burdened by familial resentment to someone who embraces her role as a seeker of truth feels authentic and deeply relatable.

Blaedel’s prose is precise and evocative, painting vivid scenes of Denmark's landscapes while immersing readers in the tense, claustrophobic atmosphere of unresolved family dynamics. Themes of betrayal, loyalty, and redemption weave seamlessly through the narrative, offering not just a suspenseful mystery but a resonant meditation on the complexity of human relationships.

The pacing of "A Mother's Love" is exquisitely calibrated. Blaedel knows when to let the emotional weight of a moment sink in and when to quicken the pace with a startling revelation. While the twists and turns are plentiful, the heart of the novel remains firmly rooted in its characters—flawed, real, and achingly human.

Blaedel's "A Mother's Love" is a poignant and chilling exploration of the ties that bind us, for better or worse. Fans of psychological suspense and emotionally rich storytelling will find this novel to be a deeply satisfying read.

Thank you to Netgalley for this arc. Innkeeper Dorothe is found murdered and Louise is hired to find out what happened. This book was a highly anticipated read for me and I really enjoyed it.

Sara Blaedel delivers a gripping and emotionally charged thriller in A Mother’s Love, a novel that taps into every parent’s worst nightmare. From the very first pages, the story takes off with an intense and unsettling premise, refusing to let go until the final moments.

Blaedel’s writing is both sharp and immersive, drawing readers into a world where suspense and raw emotion collide. She masterfully balances intricate storytelling with deeply human characters, making the fear and desperation feel all too real. The pacing is relentless—just when you think you can take a breath, another shocking turn pulls you deeper into the mystery.

This novel is not just a thriller; it’s an exploration of the powerful, sometimes painful, bonds of motherhood. Blaedel crafts a narrative that is both haunting and deeply affecting, ensuring that A Mother’s Love lingers in the reader’s mind long after the final page.

If this book is any indication of her storytelling prowess, I am eager to dive into more of her work. Fans of psychological thrillers and emotionally gripping mysteries will not be disappointed.

A Mother’s Love follows Louise as she starts a new assignment leading a travel unit for the police. She’s assigned a case for a murdered woman. As she arrives the case quickly escalated as it appears the murdered woman had taken in a missing child. But how did she end up with this child and where is he now.
This was more of a slow burn and started out a bit slow. However things picked up in the second half and I was invested in the missing child, murder, and back story of the co workers boy. I did have a hard time in the beginning keeping all the different characters straight. There was a lot going on with the plot, but the author did a great job tying it all together at the end. Overall I really enjoyed this book.

I was hooked from the beginning!!
I devoured this book.
It was amazing, addictive, and engaging.
I was instantly sucked in by the atmosphere and writing style.
The characters were all very well developed .
The writing is exceptional and I was hooked after the first sentence.

An innkeeper is murdered in a quiet tourist town.

Detective Louise Rick is ready to lead the newly created travel unit of the Danish National Police, and is frustrated when she discovers that the selection of the new team has not been as vigorous a selection as she had been promised it would be. Worse still, the first case she and her team of two are assigned is that of murdered innkeeper Dorthe Hyllested in the town of Tåsinge, which seems to have come their way due more to a lack of local resources than anything else. Still Louise is determined to get solid results quickly; given the budgetary woes from which the police are suffering she wants to make certain that her team is viewed as worthy of continuation. She is also still reeling from the end of her relationship with a colleague, Eik, who announced during the recent trip they took together with one another's children that he wasn't ready to get married after all. As she and her team begin their investigation they find more questions than answers: a hidden room in the owners' wing that appears to have been occupied by a young boy, yet the innkeeper had no children; two recent deaths, Dorothe's husband from an accidental fall and the housekeeper's son from illness; a wad of cash; and a cabin hidden nearby rumored to have been used for inn guests looking for discreet adventures. Louise finds herself working with not only an unproven team of relative strangers but also her ex-partner, whose specialty is in missing children. In the absence of witnesses or leads can Louise and the travel unit find a path to solving the murder?
Author Sara Blædel is one of Denmark's most popular authors and the Louise Rick novels are one of her bestselling series. A Mother's Love is one of the later releases within the series, but it is not necessary to have read its predecessors in order to read and enjoy this one (I had not and was able to easily read it as a standalone). Louise is a strong lead character, a smart and dedicated investigator who is not afraid to push back against the police brass when needed, even as in her personal life she struggles to be a good mother to her foster son and deals with the implosion of her relationship with Eik. She is surrounded by friends and colleagues, as well as people involved with the case at hand, who are equally well-drawn and nuanced. The plot unspools steadily, with twists appearing just when the reader thought they knew where things were headed, and Blædel keeps the suspense going until the very end. Some of the themes are dark, but those who enjoy books by Karin Slaughter, Lars Kepler and Lisa Gardner should definitely give this book a try. My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for allowing me access to an early copy of this intriguing and addictive read.

How far would a mother go to protect her child? Is mother's revenge justified? Sara Blaedel, touches on this and other difficult topics in her latest crime fiction read.

💭 I really enjoyed this slow burn police procedural. Despite its steady pace and quiet backdrop of a small town in Denmark, there are several storylines that inevitably cross over and intertwine. The first twist came with a search for a young child, presumed dead two years ago, whose trace reappeared in the middle of unrelated murder investigation.

When detective Louise Rick began unraveling the mystery, so much more came to light. The story's focus shifted to the issue of hate crimes and the minority population trying to find their place in a society. Louise is hardened by her job, some may even see her as callous and abrasive. On the other hand, her journalist friend Camilla Lind, is more empathetic and emotionally involved in victim's lives. This duo balances each other perfectly in the book. Even though this novel is a stand-alone, Louise Rick is a character from a long-running detective series, and now I am so curious to read that backlist!

⚖️ My favorite part about this novel is its characters. I can't wait to learn their backstories and life experiences from the previous books. This read was emotional and touched deeply on mother's grief and the small town's prejudice and secrets. Great, immersive crime fiction read.

Im sure this book will be a hit among other readers, but it was just not for me. I also wasn't aware that the mc is part of a series, so maybe that's why Im feeling like I didn't get answers to the past relationship among Camilla, Louise, Eik, and Steph.

The first 20% of the book i felt bombarded with meeting characters and found it hard to keep track of who was who and how they fit. Then, there were a lot of side stories that were meant to all tie together, but the number of characters involved just made it confusing for me to follow (probably my own comprehension skills tbh).

When I requested an advance reading copy of this book, I was unaware that it is in fact the eleventh book in the Louise Rick / Camilla Lind series. Fortunately, though I was obviously missing information about previous events in the characters’ personal lives, there is sufficient explanation that the novel can be read as a standalone.

Dorthe, a widowed innkeeper, is found murdered. In the course of the investigation into her death, a search of the inn reveals a concealed nursery in which a child obviously lived. Since Dorthe was childless, who is the child and where is s/he? The search for a murderer also becomes a search for a child whose identity is unknown.

The investigation is lead by Detective Louise Rick, head of the recently created Mobile Task Unit charged with assisting with difficult cases across Denmark. Besides having to work with a hastily cobbled together team of officers she has never met, Louise finds herself having to work with Eik, her ex-fiancé. Louise does receive help from her friend, crime reporter Camilla Lind.

I had difficulty understanding the relationship between Louise and Camilla, though the suggestion is that they are best friends. In this novel, they have little interaction other than phone calls and texts. When they do communicate, Louise is brusque and churlish. Though Camilla repeats that she is taking a break from work, Louise insists she do some research for her. After demanding her help, Louise later rudely snaps at Camilla, accusing her of pumping her for information about the investigation.

There are a lot of twists in the plot to keep the reader entertained. I did find, however, that the events in the church at the end seem to have been included just to add suspense by prolonging the conclusion. Those events are not only unnecessary but also far-fetched. The suicide of a troubled individual is understandable but the other actions taken by that person make little sense.

There are other things that make no sense. How can two people (a killer and a victim) leave the same location at the same time and both arrive at a second location at the same time when the killer stops en route to pick up the murder weapon? How can someone who is hiding a young child in his/her house be absent for extended periods from home? There is no suggestion of that child being drugged. At one point Louise “went to join [Melvin and Jonas] in the living room” though Melvin had left for his own apartment and Jonas “disappeared into his room”? Then there’s the fact that the investigation is in a small town where it’s usual for people to know a lot about each others’ activities, yet there are so many secrets and secret locations? The number of evil characters totally lacking in humanity also requires some suspension of disbelief.

Despite the twists, I identified the murderer early on. There’s the title, of course, and then a definite focus on a subplot – both clues that a regular reader of crime fiction cannot miss.

This is an entertaining though not exceptional book because of the plot holes. Readers who have followed the series from the beginning may be interested in the developments in Louise and Camilla’s personal lives.

I always enjoy catching up with Louise and Camilla. It's like catching up with old friends with a series that just keeps getting better and better. In A Mother's Love, they're once again solving a missing person/murder case, and it's perfectly crafted. After all, what's more intriguing than a fully furnished and clearly used child's bedroom when the victim didn't have a child? This one hooked me early, kept me riveted, and I already want more. I need to know what happens next, and I hope that more of this series is translated ASAP.

Thank you Dutton, #partner, for the advanced e-copy of A Mother’s Love in exchange for my honest review.

I was thrilled to see a new Louise Rick book being translated into English. I’ve been a fan of this series ever since first discovering it back in 2014. ⁣
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What I love most about these books, & we definitely see here, is how complex & layered these stories are. What at first appears to be a murder investigation turns into so much more & I love that just when I feel I have a pulse as to what is going on, a new twist is thrown into the mix to shake everything up. As is typical with Scandinavian Noir, this is a dark, chilling read that will have you asking if you really know the people close to you. ⁣
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This is such a good police procedural with a strong mystery component. Camilla, Louise’s friend & journalist friend, also provides assistance & I love how these two continue to work together when needed. ⁣
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There are already 2 more books written in this series in Danish, so hopefully they will also be translated to English at some point.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the much appreciated ARC, 'A Mother's Love'. It is written by the popular bestselling Danish author Sara Blaedel. This is part of a series but works well as a standalone. I wished I had read some of her earlier books for a glimpse into the personalities and relationships of the recurring characters. The book had a strong beginning, and the plot was compelling with plenty of tension, suspense and intrigue. The early mystery was complex, and added subplots were not always necessary, and it became tedious and distracting while adding to the word count. The characters were interconnected, and there were many suspects. There were unexpected twists and turns, not always plausible.

The story includes at least three murders, two suicides, death by self-inflicted starvation, a woman severely depressed from circumstances, others with emotional problems, stress, kidnapping, attempted murder, deceit, financial skullduggery, male prostitution, and false arrests. So much going on!

Detective Louise Rick has been appointed head of a new Mobile Task unit. Its purpose is to help solve crimes in all parts of Denmark. Louise displays high self-esteem, acting like she is better and knows more than her colleagues. She handpicked a group of top investigators, but the team was not accepted. The head of the department assigned a team consisting of people she never met, which concerns her. She must also collaborate with Eik, an ex-finance from the Missing Persons Department. She knows that she must make the team successful to uphold her reputation. Journalist Camilla is Louise's best friend but is dominated and treated rudely by her.

The Mobile Task Unit is sent to a small, quiet town where Dorthe, an innkeeper, has been murdered. She was a recent widow. They find a concealed room in her upstairs apartment. It is strewn with toys and storybooks belonging to a young boy. The backyard, which neighbours cannot see, has a swing set, and other play items. All friends and relatives have described Dorthe as being childless. Who is the boy, how did he come to live there, and why was his presence kept secret? Of greatest concern is where is he now? There is no record of a boy gone missing several years earlier. He is now approximately four years old, and vanished when Dorthe was murdered. What is the luxurious building secretly belonging to the Inn, and hidden in the woods?

Louise finds that her assigned team are competent, but mistakes are made. There is a confession where someone says they killed Dorthe's husband, but it is not followed up. If it had been investigated, a shocking suicide and attempted murder might not have occurred near the close of the book. This is one example of a lack of continuity in this overly tangled plot. Several suspects are wrongfully arrested.
Recommended for fans of Sara Blaedel and Scandinavian Noir. Anyone who enjoys a challenging mystery should enjoy this book. Publication is set for March 11, 2025.

This story took me on one heck of a ride. My emotions and thoughts were all over the place. The author did an amazing job making you feel like you were part of the story. There's murder, there's a missing child, there's a kidnapping. Just when I thought I had figured something out, I was quickly proven wrong. This story will have you 🤔 right up to the end, when you head goes 🤯😢 . All I can say is buckle up, it's about to get crazy. My actual rating is 4.5 stars. I absolutely recommend this book to every psych thriller lover.

a murder of a woman. a secret room...that is a nursery. but a nursery for what child considering the woman wasnt know to have one.
this is a long standing detective series. but was my first. i would say id rather have known more of the characters backstory. but this didnt take away from the book and its tale. i will defiantly want to go back and read the others though, more as a preference of how i like to read books that are part of a series.
this book is grit and thriller. and its a full on dark town secrets kind of vibe which doesnt hold back on the disturbing punches.

A Mother's Love is the newest in the Louise Rick series by Sara Blaedel. I did not realize that this book was a continuation of a series. I definitely recommend reading other books in the series first. I felt like I missed a lot of context and had a hard time remembering who all the characters were.

I did not like the main character, Louise, and I found her to be very off-putting. There is some conflict with her and her prior boyfriend, Eik, that was mentioned but not explored - maybe in a later book. Additionally, her interactions with her frield Camille were very off for friends! They seemed to dislike each other.

Louise Rick is on the case after an innkeeper is found murdered. Upon investigating the scene, it appears that the dead woman had been living with child, but there is no record of any child who should be there, and it looks like he disappeared suddenly. So, who is this child? Where is he now? And how did he get there?

Thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. Overall, I liked the story but thought it was a little slow, and I was annoyed by Louise. 3.5 stars.

Thank you so much Dutton for the gifted ARC!

What an exciting premise!! A young child found in a hidden room in a house that wasn't known to have a child living there AFTER someone was murdered there? That sure sounded like a plot that would be INTENSE to read.

What started off super strong, began to fall off around the 30%ish mark for me, I hate to say! I felt like the plot went spinning in so many different directions, it was hard for me to understand what the main storyline was even supposed to be.

Overall, this one was not for me, but I wish the author success.