Not My Mother: A completely gripping psychological thriller with a jaw-dropping twist

Miranda Smith

Mar 2021 · Bookouture

About this ebook

‘Wow… A fantastic, gripping read. As soon as I started reading it I knew I was going to love it, it grabbed me straight away and I couldn't put it down. I finished it in 2 sittings, staying up very late and then getting up very early as I just wanted to know how it was all going to finish.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

What if the person you trust most in the world is lying to you?

 

I’d heard of the Baby Caroline case, of course. When a baby is snatched from her mother’s arms, the whole country knows about it. I knew about the parents left lying by the swimming pool, the open window in the nursery. But I never dreamed it had anything to do with me.

 

Today, my beautiful daughter turned one. We were unwrapping gifts and blowing out candles when the knock came at the door, and they took my mother away.

 

The police say she’s not really my mother. That she stole me, thirty years ago.

When I visit her, desperate for answers, she looks me in the eye, and says nothing. I can barely breathe. Is my whole life a lie?

I have to find out, but the more I learn, the more scared I become. And soon I start to wonder, am I losing my grip on reality or is my own daughter in terrible danger?

 

An absolutely gripping psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn, Ruth Ware and Lisa Jewell.

 

See what readers are saying about Not My Mother:

“Absolutely addictive and gripping… Filled with twists and turns which will knock you sideways… It had me on the edge of my seat biting my nails and staying awake late at night to find out what happened next… I LOVED it” Bookworm 86, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Wow!… I devoured this in just one sitting and have been completely pulled in and addicted to this one… a magnificent masterpiece… a rollercoaster read and one I’ve thought about long after finishing. A definite five-star read” Little Miss Book Lover 87

 

“I did not want to put this book down!! It grabbed me from the first page and I had to force myself to stop reading” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Amazing… I just couldn't stop reading it! Everytime I wanted to stop, my inner self screamed ‘One more chapter pleaseee’!” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Absolutely amazing! It's twisty and shocking, it really kept me on the edge of my seat” Books Candles Cats, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Wow!… So compelling that I literally have a burn on my arm from my straightener because I couldn’t even put it down to do my hair!… Sucks you in from the beginning and the plot twists just keep coming… highly recommend this one to any psychological thriller addicts!” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

“You cannot put this book down!! It’s addicting. I loved it from the start to the very last page. I flew through the pages all afternoon.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Loved it!… Chilling, unputdownable, and fast paced!… Will make you flip like a madman, needing it to finish… Lots of thrills, chills, twisty turns, and shocks!” NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

“Absolutely the best psychological thriller I’ve read in a long time!… Will take you on the ride of your life” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

“From the beginning to the very end this book kept me page turning… I loved the twists, turns… I needed the answers!” Musings by Maureen, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

“Just does not let go… I could not put it down. Even my dog is in a sulk as I haven’t walked her yet… I had to finish this story first.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

“So many twists and turns you don't know which way is up… Totally addictive… Knows how to bring out your goose bumps and give you whole body chills.” NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ratings and reviews

This was a tense one with a smartly conceived plot, family drama, and clever sleight of hand tricks woven into unpredictable storylines that easily lead me astray and tended to unfold ever so slowly with shrewd misdirections and red herrings. Miranda Smith is a wily and cunning trickster and I was totally hoodwinked and fell for her crafty deceptions. I feel like such a rube.

Miranda Smith has written a truly engaging thriller that had so many unexpected twists and turns. I found myself constantly gasping in disbelief that yet another fact I thought to be true was instead twisted by context. I didn't want to put this down but also really didn't want it to end because I grew so attached to the characters. As Marion is throwing a birthday party for her daughter, her mother is arrested for a crime that she supposedly committed over 30 years ago, which she never told Marion about. As Marion struggles to uncover what happened all those years ago, she grows closer to the woman who seemingly has the answers she's been looking for. This was told from multiple points of view which gave so much context behind the series of events and how they played out from each perspective. I found it so hard to trust anyone because it seemed like every time I accepted the new set of facts, they were then twisted to reveal an entirely different story. This has my brain reeling the entire time trying to figure out the truth. The ending was so perfectly written that I felt like I was there with them. I really enjoyed this thriller and it definitely kept me on my toes. Thanks to Miranda Smith, NetGalley and Bookouture for the advance review copy of Not My Mother. Publication date is March 30th 2021.

I’d heard of the Baby Caroline case, of course. When a baby is snatched from her mother’s arms, the whole country knows about it. I knew about the parents left lying by the swimming pool, the open window in the nursery. But I never dreamed it had anything to do with me. Today, my beautiful daughter turned one. We were unwrapping gifts and blowing out candles when the knock came at the door, and they took my mother away. The police say she’s not really my mother. That she stole me, thirty years ago. I had been looking forward to reading this, my first Miranda Smith book, for a few weeks, and it has easily made my Top 5 of the year so far. The tension you feel pouring from every page, the sheer disorientation of not knowing the truth but being spun these webs of deceit, betrayal, love, and pain, made this one of the most compelling thrillers I’ve read in recent years. I found myself liking Marion very early on. Her devotion to daughter Ava was immediately obvious, and her love for her family and closest friends was heart warming. The helplessness she felt was infectious, as was the sense that she wasn’t going to like the answers to her many questions, as news filtered back to her from her best friend and now her mother’s attorney, Carmen. Half the time, I didn’t know who to like and who to distrust. The twists came thick and fast, and I was unprepared for the revelations to come. And even then, there were more surprises. Overall, I think this was the perfect book to introduce me to Miranda Smith. I will definitely read more. I gave Not My Mother five stars.