The Wrong Mother
A Zailer and Waterhouse Mystery
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3.8 • 65 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
A chilling, compulsively readable novel of psychological suspense from the author of Little Face and The Carrier
Sally Thorning is watching the news with her husband when she hears a name she never thought she'd hear again: Mark Bretherick.
It's a name she shouldn't recognize. Last year, a work trip Sally had planned was canceled at the last minute. Desperate for a break from juggling her job and a young family, Sally didn't tell her husband that the trip had fallen through. Instead, she treated herself to a secret vacation in a remote hotel. While she was there, Sally met a man—Mark Bretherick. All the details are the same: where he lives, his job, his wife Geraldine and daughter Lucy. Except that the photograph on the news is of a man Sally has never seen before. And Geraldine and Lucy Bretherick are both dead...
With the international bestseller Little Face, Sophie Hannah established herself as a striking new voice in psychological suspense. The Wrong Mother, a riveting exploration of a mother's unspeakable betrayal, confirms her reputation as a master of the form.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Sally Thorning, part-time environment rescuer and full-time mother, struggles to maintain her sanity and juggle the overwhelming demands of work and home in this superior psychological mystery from British author Hannah (Little Face). During a week away from her husband and children, Sally has a brief affair. A year later a local headline tragedy Sally's lover's wife appears to have murdered her six-year-old daughter then committed suicide reveals that Sally's lover was not who he claimed to be and she needs to find out why. After surviving a shove in front of a bus, Sally re-examines that unwise affair as she plays amateur detective and nearly loses all she values in the process. The story alternates between Sally's confessional and a tight police procedural interspersed with evidence pages torn from the diary of the alleged daughter-killer. Paced like a ticking time bomb with flawlessly distinct characterization, this is a fiercely fresh and un-put-downable read. 5-city author tour.
Customer Reviews
Fairly addictive page-turner
So far this is my favorite Sophie Hannah book. It was a really fun read. My only complaint is that it was very confusing at times- too many different names to follow and keep track off. Specifically the members if the police squad. I could have done without so much back story on all of them. Also there was sometimes a choppiness to the book with things happening in ways that felt a bit off, flow-wise. Not exactly sure how to explain that. Basically it seemed like the book needed another once-over from an editor . Overall though it was still a great book.
OMG, What a Confusing, Convoluted, Boring Mess!
I cannot believe that I devoted precious life seconds to trying to wade headspingingly through this morass of characters, contrived plot, boring, irrelevant back stories on minor people, switcheroo female characters and the last minute blame on a hardly mentioned figure. And the turkey baster???
Run don’t walk . . .
I found this book nearly unreadable. I read, and like, a huge amount of crime fiction. And I generally dismiss reviewers’ complaints of convoluted plots and contrived discoveries as the nitpicking of lazy readers. BUT this book is one huge untangled knot of overcomplexity, deus-ex-machina deductions AND unlikeable characters just for extra spice.
What a waste of time.