When your debut novel is as successful as Valentina, the bar for your second novel is set pretty high, but S E Lynes has exceeded expectations with Mother. I was intrigued by the identity of the narrator of the story.....it isn’t revealed until approximately three quarters of the way through the book, keeping the reader speculating. The characters and relationships are interesting and complex, and factual historical events are woven into this fictional story adding another angle to the main premise of the storyline. It’s difficult to review this book without giving anything away, such are the twists and turns of the story! This is a book packed with ‘didn’t see that coming’ moments, and I will be eagerly awaiting the author’s next offering.

This was my first experience of this author and I'm sorry to say it will probably be my last.

I found it a very slow burner, to the point I considered giving up on it twice before the 50% mark but I forced myself to finish it. The unknown narrator I believe was designed to add a layer of mystery, but for me it literally drove me nuts trying to figure out who it could be.

The writing style really was not for me, but that's not to say others won't enjoy it. It just wasn't for me I'm afraid.

I really need to learn to steer away from books that declare they are great for fans of 'Girl on a train'!

Thanks to Bookouture for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

An extremely well written novel, it’s hard to do it justice. Christopher is an eighteen year old who discovers he is adopted as he sets off for university. He has never felt that he fitted in with his family and now it all makes sense. When he finds his real mother he feels like he has finally found his place in life. Although he is the main character, his story, thoughts, feelings are revealed to us by an anonymous narrator. I thought this worked so well, after the prologue you think you have it all sussed but actually you are kept guessing throughout or at least I was. It adds to the dark, creepy atmosphere of the novel.
My only small gripe was that I thought it finished too abruptly. There had been such a slow build up, which I loved, that the end seemed a little rushed.
Highly recommended!
My thanks to TBConFB for my copy.

Christopher always knew he didn't belong. He didn't have much in common with his parents or younger siblings, so when, right before college, he finds out that he's actually adopted, he feels relieved. He finds his birth mother, and the intensity of the emotions he feels toward her ... well, that's the heart of the story.

But something is also not right about Christopher. There's a coldness to him, a proneness to violence. He has no real connections to anyone other than his mother and his roommate -- and there is a serial killer stalking young women. Who is the real Christopher? And what lengths will he go to be with his mother?

This was a very engrossing read. You can't help but be intrigued by Christopher's story, and at times even feel sorry for him. Yet you are always aware that things just aren't right beneath the surface.

I enjoyed this psychological thriller a lot. I will definitely read Lynes' other work, as I was impressed by Mother and its immersive character study.

*Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for an ARC*

Wow! What a book! One of the most original and thrilling stories I have read! So many twists, none of which I saw coming! SO beautifully written! This author is a magician, conjuring up a world where nothing is as it seems, weaving magic with her words, telling an absolutely unique and unputdownable, masterpiece of a tale! Loved it! One of the best thrillers I have read! One I will not easily forget! Highly recommended! I wish I could give it more than five stars! One of my favourite reads of 2017!

Christopher Harris grew up with his mother, father and two siblings, a brother and a sister who was the youngest member of the family. He was shy, lonely, gentle and socially rather awkward, but always polite and respectful. He noticed that his younger siblings were more outgoing and enjoyed cuddles with their parents, whilst he felt awkward emotionally and did not like human contact at all. He felt like an outsider, different from his family, but he could not do anything about it. All he knew was that this feeling wouldn’t go away and that he felt uncomfortable in his own skin. He was studious and rather old fashioned, just like his parents and the rest of his family. He couldn’t wait to get away from home and become more independent and to forge a new life for himself.
Life changed for him the day he packed to go away to Leeds University. In the old suitcase that he found in the loft and was going to use to pack his belongings in, he discovered papers that exposed a family secret about his mother that rocked him. Away from home at last, he shared a room with his polar opposite, a fashionable, gregarious, worldly lad who immediately turned him into a more confident and less repressed young man. They became good friends and Christopher enjoyed his time at university. Still he pondered about his family, making every excuse he could to avoid going back home, and when he did return to visit his family he made sure he had good excuses to travel back early. This was the era that the Yorkshire Ripper prowled the streets and preyed on lone women, mercilessly murdering them and leaving them for dead and alone wherever they fell. At the university halls, the female students had to arrange their evening outings so that they were escorted home, full of fear that they would be next.
I really enjoyed reading ‘Mother’. The storytelling was excellent and the storyline full of thrills and spills and massive surprises. The characters were widely diverse and carefully crafted; their development flawless and powerful. The writing was well paced, gathering momentum all of the time, it was edgy and addictive, with many merging threads. I never once guessed the ending and thought the story twists were ingenious, especially the last one of all, which totally shocked me. Since completing the novel I have given it a lot of thought and am awed by the very clever use of the well disguised and hugely unreliable narrator. This is a story I will remember well into the future. It is the first time I have read a novel written by this author but it certainly will not be the last.
I would like to thank NetGalley and publisher Bookouture for my copy of this novel, sent to me in return for an honest review. I can highly recommend ‘Mother’ as a very good read. It was complex, hugely enjoyable and totally unique. Full of thrills and spills, this kept me engrossed well into the night and left me absolutely awestruck. It’s a very worthy 9.5/10 from me and the recommendation that if you’re a fan of this genre, this is one that cannot be missed out on.

I don’t quite know what to say! I’m still holding my breath! There were some bits I’d worked out but think most people probably would’ve but certainly didn’t expect it to turn out as it did! Excellent book

I found this book slightly harder to read and really didn't seem to draw me in the way I was hopjng.

My first read by S.E.Lynes and it will certainly not be the last. What a complex and tense read, at times I was lost not knowing who was writing this story but suddenly all became clear. This is an amazing book with many surprises, twists and turns. Many thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and the author for allowing me to read and review this book.

OMG this book is wonderful, I absolutely loved it!
The story of Christopher, who has always felt a misfit in his family. As he is packing to leave the family home to study at Leeds University, he finds out that he was adopted. Eager to fit into a family life he is comfortable with, he begins the quest to find his birth mother.
This book works on so many levels. It is a coming of age book; I felt so sorry for Christopher with his unease with girls and his awkward first sexual experiences. It is a family saga with the repercussions of the previous generation's actions impacting on the present day, and a slice of history of the late seventies/early eighties that I loved reading about, the music, the styles and the authenticity of the era. The references to the Ripper were so evocative of the time in which the book was set. The 'Mother' of the title also works on many levels, with a mother's love for her child shown in different ways.
Christopher's life is told by a mystery narrator, who is writing from the perspective of Christopher and we don't get to find out who this is till near the end of the book. So many twists and shocks in this book, it was absolutely brilliant! Also, very very dark at times! When I got to the end, I had to reread the last chapter again just to digest what had happened. I have the author's first book Valentina still to read and I can't wait to get started.
Thank you so much to Bookouture and to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this as an arc. Would highly recommend this.

I have started this review many times, but don't know if a mere review will do this really special book any justice.

I read S.E. Lynes first book Valentina, and was slightly nervous reading her second book in case it didn't quite reach the high bar set by Valentina. Well the bar has been raised again. The sheer talent that comes through in this book is breathtaking. I don't think I have ever read a more eloquently written, clever story that has you holding your breath and gasping with shock at every new revelation.

The story revolves around Christopher who is a lonely boy. A boy who when his siblings were born, always felt on the periphery of his family. A family that never showed much affection. All Christopher wants is to 'belong' and feel part of what he perceives to be a 'real' family. When he discovers he is actually adopted, Christopher realises that this is why he never felt part of his family, so he goes to find the family he should be part of. You, the reader, feel desperately sorry for this confused, socially awkward man, but you just can't shake off the feeling that all is not quite right with Christopher....

5 stars from me, but I would give more if possible!!

I can't wait for book number 3!

Well... where do I start with this one? I was of course shopping on Netgalley one morning (like usual with my obsession) and came across S.E Lynes second book. I was so excited because I had NO idea she came out with a new book. After reading her debut novel Valentina (which she knocked out of the park) I was so utterly excited to get my hands on Mother.

“What do any of us believe? How much of what we believe is in fact lies we tell ourselves, and how much is the truth?”

This was one of my fav quotes in this book and summed up this novel pretty well!

Mother follows the story of eighteen year old Christopher who was adopted at a young age. Christopher has struggled for years trying to "fit" in with his family. He felt second best to all his siblings and never truly felt a connection. Before Christopher leaves for university, he finds a letter in a suitcase in his adoptive parents basement and everything begins to shift/fall into place for Christopher.

Christopher finds his real mother and becomes OBSESSED. This is where it got a little strange for me. I thought at moments in the novel.... it was almost going to lead to incest... but no thankfully haha it did not. As the reader, you start feeling something is a little darker/off about Christopher......

The story is told from an unknown narrator telling us Christopher's point of view of his dark and sinister obsession with his mother. I have to say this is what I did not like at all. I found myself so focused on trying to figure out WHAT character was telling Christopher's point of view that I was lost in the storyline. Now, many readers may enjoy this mystery aspect but for me it just did not work AT ALL. I had to go back and re-read because I was pretty lost with confusion. Towards the middle the story became a little more clear, but unfortunately the narration just didn't do it for me.

I felt the storyline with Christopher and his mother was pretty predictable at the end. I was kind of able to guess the storyline in some ways but was still surprised here and there. S.E. Lynes floored me with her twists/gasps in her debut novel and unfortunately I felt they were lacking big time in this one.

I did really enjoy Christopher's character. I think he was one messed up/dsyfunctional kid... wow haha. Props to Lynes for her characterization :).

I was torn between how to rate this book because I loved S.E Lynes debut. Overall, I think this one gets a 3.5 for me. I did still enjoy this novel. but in my opinion not Lynes best work. BUT, I can't wait to see what she comes out with next! :)

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced arc in exchange for an honest review!

Interesting, unusual, but very enjoyable read. I really had no idea where this was going. Wanted to finish it so I could find out what happened but also who the narrator was, suffice to say not whom I thought.

‘That was how he described the knot he’d carried in his chest ever since he could remember – a knot that, no matter how often he picked at it, would never loosen. The knot persisted throughout his childhood, into his teens: a tight confusion of endless loops, without beginning without middle without end.’

All Christopher wants is to belong. Growing up, he has always felt at odds with the rest of his family; his quiet, plain parents and insufferable younger siblings who command all of their love and attention. To the chagrin and protest of his father, he is offered a place to read History at Leeds University.

Just days before his departure, he opens an old suitcase in the attic. What he finds there becomes the catalyst for everything that is to come; a revelation that fractures all he had been led to believe, whilst also, paradoxically, providing a missing piece to the puzzle. It’s as if he had known the truth all along.

In the midst of this life-altering discovery he sets off to Leeds, ready to embark upon a life where he can rid himself of the weight of his past. Quirky and quiet, he nonetheless comes into his own, allowing himself to be schooled on hedonistic student pursuits by his charming roommate, Adam.

But this is a dark time for the city. The Yorkshire Ripper has continued to evade capture, and as the bodies pile up, the tension in the town increases. Women congregate in packs; every man is a suspect. Nowhere, and no-one, is safe. And nothing, no matter how wholesome, is quite what it seems.

The deeper I delved into the narrative, the greater the twisting feeling in the pit of my stomach became. It is a feat of narrative brilliance to have the story told by an unnamed narrator, recounting the events of these years in Christopher’s life. For written through the fog of memory, the distortion of time, can we be sure anyone is telling the truth?

‘Oh, what a tangled web we weave.’

S. E. Lynes has the ability to create a dark, looming suspense with absolute finesse – subtle, but chilling. It creeps up on you until you find yourself devouring the pages, desperate – yet terrified – to uncover the truth, to bring the story to its ultimate conclusion.

Masterfully written, Mother will keep you up reading long into the night, and leave you wondering about the stories we fabricate for ourselves – and to what degree we are consciously complicit in their fabrication.

Sometimes when you want something so badly and it lands in your hands - you see what you need to see and feel how you expect to feel to satisfy your fantasy.

I am struggling to put into words exactly how good this book is - For the first few chapters you need to have your wits about you but read carefully and listen to the unknown narrator telling us what they know of Christopher's story. As well as being a well researched social history of life in Leeds during the truly scary Ripper era, we see an awkward young man coming of age and gaining the acceptance he has craved all his life. A truly wonderful story which brought back many memories of growing up in those times, beautifully written, heart wrenching, with an undercurrent of unease which the writer ramped up to be downright chilling at times.

This book stole my heart, stole my breath and is now consuming my thoughts.

First Valentina, now Mother ... S.E. Lynes is fast becoming one of my very favourite authors, I almost wish I'd waited a few years to discover her and that there were more books already out there for me to read - I truly can't wait for her next one!!

I have no doubt that this will be in my top reads of 2017! 5 MASSIVE stars.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC.

This book grips you and wrings every wmoirion possible out of you . Christopher doesn't feel like he belongs in his family and we follow him on his search . Brilliantly writen with completely believable characters

I don't know where to start with this review; I finished Mother yesterday evening and am still reeling. I loved Valentina and was excited as to what would be next from this author, I was not disappointed in the slightest. I was hooked from the start as we are introduced via an anonymous narrator to Christopher; it's obvious from this that we should not expect a happy conclusion to the tale but there are no clues as to where we will end up. The story wound itself around my emotions like the rope that Christopher feels tightening and loosening inside himself.

I invested a lot of heart into Christopher and his desperation for a family and to be loved/accepted. How malleable he is broke my heart at times while also feeling an undercurrent of unease. There were surprises along the way and I never guessed where I was being taken as a reader. I could say a lot more about Christopher but wouldn't want to spoil anyone else's enjoyment. Suffice to say this book will remain on my mind for a long time and I can't wait to see what S.E Lynes has in store next!

Well, where do I start? After reading this author's debut novel, Valentina, earlier this year and loving it, I couldn't wait to see what she would deliver next! When I heard that she had written her second one, Mother, I knew I had to drop everything and read it straight away and I'm so glad I did!

Mother follows the story of eighteen year old Christopher who never felt he fit in within his family unit, always treated second best to his siblings so, when getting ready to pack to go off to university he finds a letter in a suitcase, everything falls into place. The journey that follows for Christopher is one of hope that he can finally find a place where he really belongs, and be happy but everything is not as it seems.

This book requires your FULL attention, I struggled to take in the first couple of chapters because I kept getting distracted by life around me and had to re-read them to ingest it fully and understand what was happening. I even took myself off somewhere quieter a couple of times to read in peace. Once I'd got it into my head what was happening I sailed through this amazing piece of writing, even though I hadn't got a clue where it was heading and each time I thought I'd figured it out, something else happened to blow my theory right out of the water.

Susie has once again written a piece of art, this book gave me goosebumps, made my heart race and my blood run cold at times, it is pure genius and I know I said this after Valentina but I'm saying it again, I can't wait to see what this brilliant author has in store for us next! A very easy five stars from me, I'd give it more if I could.

I would like to thank Bookouture for the auto approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and on Amazon and Twitter on publication day.

The book was different and it was enjoying .But it was a bit too long to read . Christopher was Adopted when he was small . But he believed he was given away by Phyllis . It was a bit scary . And he became sufficient to be Phyliss son.

She did it again! After reading Valentina, it went immediately on my top ten reads of 2016. Needless, to say, I was super eager to read Mother! I started reading it late last night around 9:30 PM thinking I would read a few chapters and get some much needed rest. Well at 2:30AM, I finished the book and remembered, "I'll sleep when I'm dead."

Mother is just a non-stop nerve wrecker of a novel. Christopher has always felt out of place in his family, so when he discoverers a truth about him, it really comes as no surprise. We follow Christopher into his years at college (uni I think it's called) and see him change, grow, and become more obsessed.

The story is mostly told by an unknown narrator telling the story of how Christopher's longing for a mother turned deadly. It also ties in the Yorkshire Ripper, which adds to the suspense. I honestly had NO clue about the Yorkshire Ripper (and was admittedly confused with Jack the Ripper ha...so I got a history lesson as well). Christopher feels he is different, and with the murder victims stacking up, he questions his own sanity.

One thing that always makes me fully engaged into a book is if there are little similarities with things. Like for example, my husband's name is Ben and my mom's birthday is March 12.

I seriously think that [author:S.E. Lynes|15193229] is going to go very far! If you have not picked up either of her novels yet, do yourself a favor and get on it! I can not wait for the next one!