I enjoyed this book! It’s been a while since I read the last installment of the Louise Rick series, but the author was skilled at weaving the important events of the last book into this one. The mystery was satisfyingly twisty and the character work excellent as usual. I enjoyed the parallel investigations/ lives of all the characters such as Louise, Camilla, Jonas, Melvin, and Eik, although as usual an air of melancholy hangs around the characters and events in the book. It could have been slightly shorter, as I felt the mystery of the case was unnecessarily prolonged at the very end. 3.5 stars rounded up/5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for letting me read an ARC of this book.

I really believe that Sara Blaedel has gotten her people mixed up. I this story the person who was the most interesting was Camilla, she was the one who was empathetic, needed to talk to people, following their leads. Louise Rick a the other hand kept arresting people who were not guilty. Also she kept away from Eik and wanted nothing to do with him. Everything went with Camilla in regards to finding out who the murder was. She was there also when they found the boy after he was hanged but it flopped. I know the story goes both ways when Sara tells the story but Camilla does it right.

Detective Louise Rick is back with a really good one!


As I have come to expect from Sara Blaedel, this one has so many hairpin twists and turns and red herrings galore!


An innkeeper has been found murdered. Viciously! And that is not the oddest thing Louise finds. A secret room, a secret cabin, a plane crash and a missing child. All of that.


Because of the missing child, Louise is also working with her ex. And a new team of investigators.


There are so many subplots going on that I raced through this just to see if I was correct. I was not.


There is a reason Blaedel is number one. She’s that good.


NetGalley/ Dutton March 11, 2025

When innkeeper Dorthe Hyllested is found murdered, the police are surprised and puzzled to discover a concealed nursery in her upstairs apartment. As far as her friends and family knew, the recently widowed Dorthe was childless so who lived in this secret toy-strewn room? And more importantly, where is the child now?! Good book! This book had suspense, intrigue, murder, mystery, a great who done it and a few twists and turns. The story was interesting! I definitely recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

#AMother'sLove #NetGalley
Best of 2025.
Sara Blaedel’s A Mother's Love delivers a compelling mix of mystery, suspense, and emotional drama, bringing to life an intricately woven tale centered around the murder of innkeeper Dorthe Hyllested and the secrets she kept. When Dorthe is found dead, a hidden nursery is discovered in her apartment, shocking her friends and family, who believed her to be childless. The urgent questions of who lived in the concealed room and where the missing child might be set the stage for an intense investigation. Detective Louise Rick, recently appointed as the head of Denmark’s new Mobile Task Unit, takes on this baffling case as her first assignment. Faced with the challenges of assembling an untested team while under pressure to solve a high-profile crime, Louise must also deal with the complications of working alongside her ex-fiancé, Eik, from the Missing Persons Department. Their unresolved past adds another layer of tension to an already complicated case. As Louise digs deeper, she encounters a sinister link to the cabin behind the inn, where suspicious activity involving frequent visitors raises questions. With few leads and no witnesses, she must rely on her instincts and cobble together connections to unravel a dark and dangerous mystery that’s far more twisted than anyone could have imagined. Blaedel's storytelling shines in A Mother's Love through her intricate character development and the personal stakes she creates for Louise. The combination of a perplexing mystery, emotionally charged relationships, and a new team dynamic makes this book a gripping read. Louise's vulnerability and determination to succeed in her new role while grappling with her past provide a deeply human element to the investigation, elevating the suspense and emotional engagement.
I loved it so much.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for giving me an advance copy.

I just finished the best thriller. A Mother's Love by Sara Blaedel was a great read that kept me turning the pages until the conclusion.