Member Reviews
I really enjoyed this story & pretty much read it in one sitting! My first book by this author & I'll definitely be looking for more books by them!!!
For newcomers to the genre of suspense, we've got a great one for you! "The Girl Who Killed Her Mom" is a bit of a lighter novel. While there is some violence here and there, it isn't so detailed to be disturbing as some are more used to. The reading is also fairly easy, it has a nice flow and isn't super complicated neither with word choice nor with the plot. This isn't a bad thing at all, rather a breath of fresh air in a time when most books aren't so easy to digest.
The content has a lot of lessons to teach too. It revolves around the concept of how our younger life choices can still have long-lasting effects on our lives, even so far as to affect those we haven't met yet such as future loved ones. It also discusses the idea that some secrets, although hard, are best kept no matter the cost as the consequences can be dire.
One minor issue I had is I would've liked to see more of the relationship between the protag and her husband. I felt it was more important than some of the other parts of the story, maybe some of her volunteer work could be sacrificed to develop her marriage more for the reader.
Overall it's a good book, even better for those new to reading suspense and mystery thrillers! I rate it 4 out of 5.
Thanks for NetGalley and Joffe Books for the ARC.
THE GIRL WHO KILLED HER MOM by McGarvey Black was SOOOO GOOD, my head is still spinning.
In East Port, Connecticut, 20 years ago, Abbie Sterling, née Lester, killed her mother, Midge, over her attempts to come between Abby and her boyfriend, Travis Ritter. Soon after her mother’s death, Travis left the town and her life behind when he took off. Abbie has never forgiven herself. She has spent the last 20 years with a foggy memory of that night and trying to turn her life around and be grateful for her husband, Jason and daughters, Luna, six and Grace, four. With her rich, successful husband, a beachfront home and the good life Abbie feels like she is succeeding in this. (Except for the nightmares which are increasing in frequency and intensity.) She is engaged with the children and begins volunteer work at a senior living home with her best friend, although one of the residents suffering from early onset dementia is a blast from her painful past. The only other person in the world that Abbie confessed her involvement to in her mother’s death. The resident.’s constant companion is repeatedly downplaying and thwarting Abbie’s interactions with the resident. Does he remember her? Her confession?
When Abbie returns home one day, she is met with a gift wrapped box and finds notes on her car indicating knowledge of the murder. Has Travis come out of hiding after all this time to blackmail her? And what does the resident remember and has he told anyone? His visitor, perhaps? Abbie just doesn’t know where to turn. Can she find enough peace to enjoy the life she’s built? Can she save adult Abbie’s life from childhood Abbie’s past deeds?
This one had so many twists and turns and had me hooked very early on, right up to the last words. I loved watching Abbie try to maintain her very existence, all the while keeping mum about what was happening all around her. The tension built throughout and had me turning the pages well past my bedtime. This was my first McGarvey Black novel but will certainly not be my last. I can’t wait to read some of her others.
Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.
An OK novel. I had a hard time liking main character or more exactly, the author’s depiction of her. A high school teen, she was selfish self absorbed and ,well just stupid- as most kids are at that age. The main character, who goes un- named, wakes up one morning, hung - over as usual , and sees the body of her mother lying in a pool of blood nest to the girl’s bed. A gun is next to the girl, blood in the grip..panicking, she calls her five years old drug head boyfriend who helps her dispose of the body and then takes of , leaving her.
The book fast forwards 14 years of so, and we find the narrator happily married to a rich tech entrepreneur ( of course, what else would he be) , about to buy a seaside mansion. It was at this point that I lost interest . Un- symphathetic , poorly conceived main character in a clunky plot, badly written and plotted. The style of writing and plot needed a lot of work.
Sorry, but I cannot recommend this book
I received a free copy of this book through Net Galley.
Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for the eARC.
A fast paced "popcorn thriller". Bingeworthy and easy to get through!
The Girl Who Killed her Mom by McGarvey Black was an enjoyable book and a great quick read.
Thank you, NetGalley and Joffe Books for my ARC
I adore this authors books and always look forward to the next one. Everything about her stories and style of writing is right up my street. This one did not disappointed, it's an amazing book. From the first page until the end I was engrossed, I read it within a few hours. I can't recommend this book highly enough.
I read a variety of books and occasionally grab a mystery/suspenseful book. I enjoyed this book, I was able to guess the twists in the book but it was still a good read.
loved it!!!! It is a must read!! grips your attention from the beginning. absolute page turner! Amazing work once again.
I tend to favor fantasy style books but love to grab the occasional mystery/suspense when I need a change. This book drew me in from the first page and I was itching to know what came next.
Initially, I had majorly mixed feelings about Abbie. Was she actually guilty? She’d been a dumb kid making even dumber choices, but I wasn’t fully convinced she’d done what she thought.
I hated Travis from the beginning. He reminded me far too much of that POS high school boyfriend so many of us cling to when they’re horrible for us. And he just kept proving that more and more.
As the story continued to unfold, I was dying to get to the ending just to know if my theories were right. And while I definitely managed to guess some big points of the story, I was not ready for that open ending that had me falling off my seat!
Black did such a great job at creating those twists and turns and little details that make up a great suspense novel. I was flying through the pages wanting the big reveal.
If you want a quick read that keeps you on the edge of your seat and reeling for that final chapter, this is the book for you!
3⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for an advanced copy of The Girl Who Killed Her Mom.
Abbie has a wonderful successful husband and two amazing daughters. She does volunteer and charity work and she is well known in the community for being a good person. Little does everyone know that twenty years ago she killed her mother and got away with it. She thinks that all of the loose ends are dead and buried until one shows back up with threats. Can she keep her secrets hidden and her family safe?
I enjoyed this book, I was able to guess the twists in the book but it was still a good read.
First, I’d like to thank NetGalley and Joffe Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I enjoyed the pace of the book—it was easy to follow yet still suspenseful. I kept turning the pages to see what would happen next, which is always a plus for me.
However, I found the characters a bit dull and one-dimensional, and the twists were predictable. I guessed one of the twists after the first chapter, which was a little disappointing. None of the characters really stood out or compelled me to care about them, and the main character’s inner dialogue felt repetitive, which made it hard to feel invested in their fate.
Overall, this book was just okay for me. It was fun to read, but it didn’t leave a lasting impression. Still, I enjoyed the author’s writing style and breezed through it, so I’d be open to reading more from them in the future.
Teenage angst ruined your life? It did in this thriller.
15 year old Abbie wakes up and finds her mom dead and doesn't remember what happened. She assumes she killed her because they had been fighting about Abbie dating a 19 year old Travis. Not knowing what to do Abbie calls Travis and together they make it look like a robbery gone wrong.
Fast forward to 20 years later, Abbie is married to a rich handsome husband and is living the dream as a mom and charity volunteer. Only problem is her moms death still haunts her and she has terrible nightmares from the guilt. Her problems don't stop there though....
The story overall felt like a YA novel. I personally saw the twists coming but I've also read over 100 thrillers this year so I'm not mad about it. It reminded me a lot of Natasha Preston's thrillers. A very quick read with a satisfying ending.
One thing that stuck out as annoying was our main character comparing someone from 20 years ago to now and describing all the ways it couldn't be the same guy because of how he looked at 19. Uh yeah 40 yeah olds look a lot different than they did at 19. I realize he had plastic surgery but he would have looked different anyway.
The title and description quickly captivated my attention! I love fast paced, twisty, turny, “didn’t see that one coming” type of books. However, this one seemed to fall short for me. Unfortunately, I could not get into this book very much. The characters were surface level and I could not get into their development. The book was repetitive, slow, and not twisty/turny.
Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
Immediately this book was a very high intensity read, especially as the secrets came to the forefront. Overall I felt drawn into the danger and twists of this book.
This book was not for me I didn't get into it at all. Thank you for the opportunity to review bit not for me
What an interesting idea and read. A young girl kills her mum and ends up leading quite the normal life. Until a package arrives!
I was looking forward to reading an enthralling book with many twists and turns, full of suspense and intrigue that it would have me on the edge of my seat.
I'm afraid this one fell short of that explanation and became very repetitive and at times predictable. It was written in a way that once you got through the padded out parts of the story it was easy to read but it didn't flow as well as I had hoped. An okay read but not a favourite of mine.
Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
At first I was excited and intrigued, but that all too quickly melted into disappointment. The characters were not believable. I also struggled with the writing as it was so repetitive.
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I was really looking forward to this book but unfortunately, I found it a little disappointing. I do not like giving negative reviews, but I always feel honesty is required when reviewing a book.
The book started out well and I thought this was one I was going to enjoy. The story moves between two timelines past and present which I generally like but I struggled as the story seemed to be very predictable and I could work out where things were going from early on. Not helping was the fact that the characters were very one dimensional and I was unable to relate to any of them. There is also the major issue of repetition throughout, I am very surprised that whoever proofread this book did not pick up on this and realise how annoying this is for the reader.
There are no great twists or suspence that kept me excited, and which are needed for a great thriller. Remember this is just a personal view and others may find the book much more enjoyable than I did. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all opinions expressed are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc. Abigail is a rebellious teenager who is tired of her mom telling her who not to date. She has a huge fight with her mom and wakes up the next day to a tragedy. 20 years later she receives a note from someone hinting they know her past.
A gripping and fast-paced psychological thriller with a few twists and turns.