This was definitely a super interesting listen. I didn't know how deep this went, but wow. It was very disturbing to learn how far parents go to make their children appear sick and how much the justice system doesn't do much about it. These women are so sick and they need to be locked away and receive help. I really praise the authors for bringing light to this de difficult subject and can only hope that more people will be brought to justice.

I really enjoyed this one. Nonfiction isn’t always my go to but the subject matter is one I’ve always found interesting. The authors and their connections to said subject matter helped in allowing them to tell these stories in a way that I appreciated. I do wish it dove a bit more into the “why” of a lot it, at least theories as to why just to sort of beef up an otherwise basic anthology of stories but overall I still thought it was well done and would definitely recommend it!

The Mother Next Door
Medicine, Deception, and Munchausen By Proxy
by Andrea Dunlop, Mike Weber
narrated by: Andrea Dunlop
Macmillan Audio

I listened to Dunlop and Weber's book, The Mother Next Door, on audiobook format. It is a work of narrative nonfiction based on true crime. The narrator of the book is Andrea Dunlop, who is host and creator of the true crime podcast Nobody Should Believe Me. Dunlop narrates with expressive passion about this difficult subject of Munchausen By Proxy.

The authors are Dunlop, a Seattle novelist and Weber, a Texas detective with a high level of work on child abuse cases. The book details three investigations of cases involving Munchausen by Proxy. I would recommend this well-written and researched book to those who read this genre.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advance listener's copy. My review is my own.

#MacAudio2025

WOW. W O W.

Even two days after finishing this, I am still struggling with reviewing this amazing book. On one hand, I want to just do a huge emotional info dump and hash out just ALL I think about feel about what I just read [and it is serious feels folks, S E R I O U S feels], and on the other hand, I hardly want to share even a tiny bit because 1. I HATE spoilers, and 2. I honestly feel it is best to go into books like this blind [I knew it was a book about Munchausen by Proxy and that is about it when I started it] so you CAN feel all the feels without having any real preconceived notions.

So I have tried to compromise...This IS a fantastic book/read. It is excellently written, has been expertly researched [including some what must have been seriously troubling interviews], and the result is three stories that will take you on the wildest ride of your life. You will be angry, you will want to yank your hair out as you YELL at the book [I cannot even remember now how many times I stopped the audiobook to yell "HOW HOW HOW" and then inundate my poor mother with all the CRAZINESS I was reading], and then you will be finished with the book and you will be left deeply sad, moved to tears, and FULL-BLOWN angry as so many people [including many "professionals"] who have let so much of what you just read continue, no matter the cost, and I will tell you this - the cost is extremely high.

I applaud Mike Weber for his continued work for these children who have suffered from medical abuse and at the hands of people who are supposed to love you; I cannot even imagine what that must be like, diving into that world day in and day out [and NOT losing your mind and very soul], and in my opinion, he deserves all the awards.

Andrea Dunlop is able to take all she has learned from her own personal tragedy with Munchausen by Proxy and channel that into writing a concise, fact-filled [but never dry or boring] book, and her voice, through her podcast, the books she writes, and her nonprofit work helps bring this story to full fruition. Kudos also to her in some of the interviews she has to chase; she is a better person than I am.

Ms. Dunlop also narrates the audiobook for this book and she does an excellent job. She reads in a clear, concise manner [and when her voice occasionally breaks, it's just a reminder of all she herself has gone through and just adds to the overall listening experience], which sucks you in from page one and keeps you completely engaged until the very end. I highly recommend this audiobook!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Andrea Dunlop, Mike Weber, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for providing the eBook and audiobook ARC's in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Hearing about cases of MBP has always fascinated and appalled me. When we think of mother, we think of someone you can trust to love and care for her children. The three mothers discussed in this book are not those mothers at all. These women not only made their children sick, but they did it on purpose! That is one of the biggest things that I learned from this book - MBP is not overly worried or anxious parents - they are knowingly hurting their children, often for attention and sympathy.

The cases discussed were intriguing and horrifying at the same time. It amazes me that there are so few professionals in the country that are solely dedicated to this type of child abuse when it cases of it seem to be on the rise.

Whoa, this one was a ride. Like, absolutely unsettling but in that "I can’t look away" kinda way. It dives into some seriously twisted cases of moms fabricating or causing their kids' illnesses for attention, and yeah, it's as wild as it sounds. True crime junkies, this is definitely up your alley.

The mix of personal experience and investigative work makes it super compelling, and I learned a ton about just how hard these cases are to prove. The legal system? A mess. The medical side? Absolutely baffling. And the people who do this? Honestly, I still don’t get it.

That said, the structure felt a little all over the place, and sometimes it assumed I already knew certain details, which threw me off. But overall, it was eye-opening, horrifying, and definitely made me think twice about taking people at face value.

Huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Thanks to NetGalley for an ALC. I’ve always found Munchausen by proxy to be fascinating and this was a really well-researched account of multiple cases from a man who investigated them and tried to rescue the victims.

What a powerful work! Anyone who had television in the '80s and '90s should be aware of the made-for-tv-movie-of-the-week sensationalism of Munchausen by Proxy. Medical child abuse, as I have learned from the courageous Andrea Dunlop, is far more common than one would hope. While The Mother Next Door: Medicine, Deception, and Munchausen by Proxy focuses on three families (four if you count the author's own), the statistics are chilling.

One of the first things Andrea Dunlop does is attempt to describe MBP, both clinically and as laypeople use the term. She explains how it bookends with other similar conditions such as hypochondria or malingering. This was of particular interest to me because I currently live in an area with a culture of what my partner and I call "health talk." From the neighbors whose social media feeds are filled with photos of family members in hospital beds hooked up to who-knows-what to the inability to have a conversation without it veering into "why you know so-and-so, her feet's hurtin' her awful bad" territory, this book prompted many a conversation as to whom might have exactly what (if anything other than a lack of a filter).

Getting into the case studies, I was amazed to learn how easy it is for a caregiver to convince a doctor to perform invasive medical procedures. It makes sense-- the patients can't properly advocate for themselves and the doctors don't have the time to perform an extensive record review and test battery for every presentation. Besides, what kind of a person would voluntarily put their child through unnecessary brain surgery? Through any surgery? Through anything that would cause them a moment of even slight discomfort?

Circling back to the psychology of MBP, Andrea Dunlop makes it perfectly clear that, while these people are mentally ill, they are still 100% culpable for their actions. The example I would use (Andrea Dunlop doesn't) is that of use disorder. Alcohol use disorder is a mental disorder. But, if someone suffering from alcohol use disorder drives under the influence, causing an accident that injures someone, we don't say that they need to be set free back into society, completely forgiven because of their mental disorder. Neither do the suffers of MBP deserve to be coddled and swathed, either. They don't love their victims, entirely the opposite.

I would like to personally thank Andrea Dunlop for putting these stories, including her own and the courageous work of Mike Weber out there. Listening to her read the audiobook was especially powerful, the moments you could hear her voice catch... it's one thing to read powerful words, it's another to hear them. If you can't listen to the audio version of The Mother Next Door: Medicine, Deception, and Munchausen by Proxy, you should at least check out Andrea Dunlop's Nobody Should Believe Me podcast. You see, my family hasn't been touched by medical child abuse. Tragically, we've experienced the real thing-- children with terminal illness and life-threatening conditions requiring invasive surgery. It takes a special kind of sick evil to want to be in our shoes, and I applaud Andrea Dunlop and Mike Weber for working to protect these innocent victims.

I would like to thank Macmillan Audio for allowing me to experience this NetGalley audiobook. It's a must-read for anyone with children in their life. If we all know what to look for, we may be able to help stop future abuse.

The Mother Next Door by Andrea Dunlop and Mike Weber is a chilling exploration of Munchausen by Proxy (MBP), a disturbing crime in which mothers intentionally harm their children for attention. The book examines three cases of medical child abuse, shedding light on the psychological manipulation and legal complexities behind these crimes. As her sister was investigated for MBP, Dunlop's connection to the topic brings an authentic depth to the narrative. Co-author Mike Weber, a seasoned detective, adds valuable insight into the investigation process, highlighting the challenges of prosecuting such cases. Written in a binge-able, accessible style, the book offers a deep dive into a little-known but devastating crime, making it a must-read (or listen!) for those interested in true crime and the complexities of child abuse. It’s both uncomfortable and eye-opening, leaving readers with a greater understanding of the horrifying reality behind MBP.

Andrea Dunlop was an enjoyable narrator and brought genuine emotion to the narrative.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, Andrea Dunlop, and Mike Weber for an audio ARC.

I was hooked - deep diving into this dark world of of Munchausen by Proxy (MBP). I initially thought this would be the author's personal story but it turns out that was a different book. This one was a collection of cases with this podcast vibe like storytelling. Dunlop’s personal connection and Weber’s law enforcement experience create a compelling narrative that is both informative and chilling. At times, it felt like I was there. It’s undeniably eye-opening. A must-read for true crime fans, though not for the faint of heart. Thank you to @macmillan.audio and @netgalley for this audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion

This was hard to read because it's about mothers hurting their kids over long periods of time. The relatives don't want to believe a mother would do that, and the system doesn't know how to deal with it. There are even problems trying to find a specific law to prosecute a caretaker for making their child ill.
Three different mothers were the subject of this book, and the resolutions were never perfect. But the book is well-researched and I used it to get more information about the cases and the topic.
I do think more people should learn about this so that it can be identified and children protected. There was another famous case in the news recently but there was a lot of misinformation that came out with it. This book is a great resource and it was easy to follow because the narration was solid and serious.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me listen to this

The bond between a mother and their child is like no other. I know that for a fact. But when you take a mother who clearly has their own untreated (or I suppose in some cases, treated, but maybe not properly) mental issues they clearly cannot care for their child in a way that not only that child deserves, but also even close to acceptable. In most cases, the mother is just seeking attention and is willing to go to the most extreme ways to get it, even harming their own child. Munchausen Syndrome is a rare mental illness where simply put, people pretend to be sick for attention. Munchausen by proxy (MBP) is similar, but where the caregiver causes or “creates” illness in someone they are caring for. In almost all of these cases, this is the mother causing illness in the child. In this book, the author's own family was impacted by MBP, and she connects with Texas detective Mike Weber, who has handled more of these cases than anyone in the US, to dive deep into three shocking cases of MBP.

“One of the things that makes MBP abuse so difficult to accept is it robs children of the one person meant to love them best of all, eternally and unconditionally - their mom.”

You may not know that I was an avid nonfiction reader years ago before taking a break from reading all together and then jumping into the romance world, so when an opportunity is presented to me to read something like this, I'll usually jump at it. Munchausen and MBP are simply not about unnecessary medical procedures. These patients and parents literally go to the most extreme ends to get attention and put their children in life threatening situations repeatedly. As a mother, it is so hard to wrap my head around this. Also, as a mother, I've unfortunately seen other mothers have a complete disregard for their children, but this takes it to the next level.

This book also provides a reminder of how kids will try to protect their parents when they realize their parents might be in trouble for lying. I find it extremely sad how kids feel this way towards a parent, at ages where they are often too young to realize what they are doing, when the parent has no regard whatsoever for their child's feelings.

I personally love when an author narrates their own nonfic work. You can really hear the passion in their voice and love for their work. It makes the book that much more enjoyable.

A big thank you to Macmillan Audio and the authors for an advanced copy of this audiobook. Opinions are my own.

This subject is absolutely fascinating! The authors do a great job explaining the mental and physical aspects of Munchausen by proxy. They highlight three women and discuss, in detail, each of their stories. The investigator talks about all the difficulties he has faced while trying to prove intentional neglect and protect the children involved. Truly an eye-opening read!

This was such a good, in-depth look at Munchausen by Proxy through multiple case studies. There’s really one infamous case that’s been all over the media for years and most people are really only aware of that one case. This book looks at multiple cases, goes through the details of the cases, and discusses what the process was of trying to convict. The book was extremely informative in terms of what the signs are for a child and parent in this situation. They also teach about how difficult it is to prosecute this type of case, and how a munchausen by proxy case differs from other child abuse cases. Overall, I found this book to be extremely interesting and informative.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest rating and review.

I went into this one pretty blindly, not sure what to expect. I was unfamiliar with the podcast the author currently hosts on Munchausen by Proxy and her work to bring this terrible phenomenon to light. Most of us have heard of the case with Gypsy Rose Blanchard since she was imprisoned for murdering her mother, but it is actually quite startling how many cases are currently out there, even despite the worldwide attention to that bizarre story.
Dunlop narrates her own book, highlighting three prominent cases of women who just seemed like the everyday, normal "mother next door." That, perhaps, is the scariest prospect of all...that it could be anyone, not just those with obvious signs or past criminal records. It seems that it is hard to pinpoint whether this is specifically a mental illness (it is classified as a "syndrome") or if the attention-seeking behaviors of these women are just that...twisted, deliberate efforts to gain notoriety even at the expense of their children's (s') health, and tragically, sometimes deaths.
I was riveted by these true crime stories and blew through this audiobook in less than 24 hours. I am grieved that sometimes the trials did not always produce the obvious desired results, and most of all that this is a battle fought even amongst CPS, police, investigators, doctors and families. I am hopeful that the more these stories get told, the sooner these children can be helped.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARL. All opinions are mine.

Andrea Dunlop has a family connection to Munchausen By Proxy (MBP) as her sister has been investigated on charges of MBP twice. Consequently, her family has been torn apart from the fallout. She teams up with Mike Weber, a Texas detective who has worked extensively on child abuse cases, especially those involving medical harm. Together they deep dive three different cases of MBP, those of Hope Ybarra, Brittany Phillips, and Mary Welch. I was absolutely appalled at their behavior and what they have put these children through. And what's worse is the behavior of the DA's, judges and those who were supposed to be protecting children. I can't believe how long it takes to even get a case brought against someone, even when faced with an abundance of evidence of their behavior. So many times these children are continued to be harmed or even die from this ghastly behavior. I have always been intrigued my MBP and what makes a person behave in this manner. It was definitely a chilling account of these poor kids' lives. Hopefully this will bring a much needed light to these situations and hopefully there will be some changes for the better.

I was gifted an audio copy by @netgalley and @mcamillan audio in exchange for my honest review. The audiobook was very well done by Andrea. I will also be checking out her podcast to learn more. Highly recommend if you have any interest in true crime and child welfare. It was definitely a binge worthy and I couldn't put it down once I started.

This book is a bit uncomfortable, in a good way. It has big "podcast" energy, sort of like a large format "Did you hear THIS crazy story?" bar conversation.
Andrea Dunlop is an author and podcaster, her sister was lost to her due to Munchausen by proxy. Because of her personal experience she created a podcast based on a famous case of MBP, Hope Ybarra, who pretended to have cancer 4 times and faked that her daughters had cerebral palsy and cystic fibrosis.
At first her family thought she was delusional. Then they discovered she was guilty of fraud, falsifying medical documentation.
Mike Weber was the sheriff/law enforcement on the Hope Ybarra case, he has made his career on several child abuse cases to varying results.
On one hand, this book is a good guidebook for those who want to know the patterns. On the other hand, it is also a good guidebook for how to work on this and pull it off. For me it felt like "eek this is none of my business" and I legitimately felt like a rubber necker... but I suppose there is a bit of that in all true crime genre.
It was an eye opener. I learned a lot. I have a hard time wrapping my mind around MBP is both a mental illness and a crime.

I've always been intrigued with Munchausen by Proxy, and the cases surrounding it. The book explores that, but not necessarily so eye opening about the disease itself. It centers more around three cases and each of those cases were gut wrenching over and over again. I liked that the author rode alongside, in the manner of telling the story, with Mike and what he had gone through to bring justice and spotlight to the cases. This was a great read/listen to, telling all aspects of each case, rather than diving into the psychology of it all.

It was like reading episodes of the crime podcast. You read/listen about human behavior and we, still to this day, can't really fathom. But this is a disease that needs more spotlight and this is definitely one platform to do so.

Pub date: February 5, 2025

Thank you to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for a copy of this. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 5/5 Stars
Pub Date: 2/4
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The Mother Next Door is a true crime novel about Munchausen by Proxy (MBP). MBP, simply put, is medical abuse by a parent to a child (usually a mother), placing the child through unnecessary medical procedures or surgeries for the acceptance and sympathy from others.
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This story focuses specifically on three different women who suffer from MBP and it was absolutely terrifying to hear the things that they put their children through. Unnecessary medical procedures and surgeries were done on these children. It makes me sick. What hurts even worse is how little CPS does to actually protect children from abusive parents (and I’ve even witnessed this first hand at my job). As a nurse, I think the answer to how to stop this is simple - EPIC is an electronic charting system that can interchange through any hospital system, meaning - from state to state from hospital to hospital and will make it easier to access medical records and stop unnecessary procedures from happening on these sweet babies.
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Throughout the entire book my jaw was on the ground. This was a very difficult listen, but extremely powerful. It is so hard to hear the things that these children went through; but with that being said, this is an extremely important topic to learn about. It is so important for people to be aware that this can be going on all around us. We need to protect the children from this abuse.
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This was narrated by the author - Andrea Dunlap. She did phenomenal. She has her own podcast that actually discusses how MBP affected her family. Which is definitely want to listen to. Highly highly highly recommend the listen to everyone; this really is such an important topic.
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Huge thank you to NetGalley, Andrea Dunlop, Mike Weber and MacMillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

I can’t say I enjoyed this because of the disturbing content. But this is about a disturbing disorder that affects innocent children (mostly) and isn’t talked about enough and should be. Although I do think spreading information about this topic is important, this book wasn’t a home run to me. It centers around 3 cases of MPB and goes through each one in somewhat detail. I did find some parts repetitive and it did feel like reading through a case study at times. Honestly the part that I didn’t like the most is the assumptions. The author/narrator mentions that she has personal experience with MPB, but never goes into detail, either assuming we know or wanting us to go read her book or listen to her podcast to get the info. Also at the end she mentions the Maya Kowalski case and assumes we know about it. I personally know very little but after looking up the outcome of what happened, it felt as if it should be left out.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio copy of the book!