The Good Mother by A. L. Bird, 4/5 ****
What can I say? This novel totally had me hooked, after a shaky start. I loved the short, sharp observational narrative tone and the way that the different narrators crept up on you. I loved the mysteriousness of the plot and how you were able to let your imagination run wild with your own theories. It seems so black and white, but then snippets of information cast doubts on your theories before new observations send you back to square one again. The shaky start? Just an illusion that the writer did not portray a character realistically. It bugged me. But trust me when I say to stick with it, because the revelations as the novel progresses will answer all those niggly questions and everything will make sense - it’s so worth it! A. L. Bird’s portrayal of what Susan goes through is bold and brave. I felt myself nodding at some of the deep questions/observations when it comes to mental health and, overall, couldn’t put this book down until I had finished it. A must read for those who like psychological thrillers in the vein of Gone Girl and Before I Go To Sleep.
Description:
The greatest bond. The darkest betrayal.
Susan wakes up alone in a room she doesn’t recognise, with no memory of how she got there. She only knows that she is trapped, and her daughter is missing.
The relief that engulfs her when she hears her daughter’s voice through the wall is quickly replaced by fear, knowing that whoever has imprisoned her has her daughter, too.
Devising a plan to keep her daughter safe, Susan begins to get closer to her unknown captor. And suddenly, she realises that she has met him before.